This post is to catch up a bit on all the projects we have been working on the last couple of months since I got behind in doing updates. It has been a busy spring and we have been making great progress on the house. The last three windows arrived. Unfortunately there was a mistake made in the CAD drawings and no one noticed it until they were complete.
The three windows make a perfect arch to go over our 18 foot wide glass door. The mistake was related to the space between the windows. They didn't get the spacing correct to allow the windows to be installed next to each other creating a perfect arch in the existing framing. OOPS... Of course no one noticed it in the CAD drawings (including us). Their solution has become our problem. They sent it as one unit.
Fortunately, our framing isn't structural so the supports between the windows can be removed to accommodate the now 15 foot wide single window. Unfortunately, now we have to install it as one unit. This solution is slick on their end but... it has to go up high with limited access. Our simple install has now become complicated. The window itself is definitely unusual. I am not sure about the gaps between the window panes. With this new version there will be stucco between the windows in the gaps instead of three inches of black trim. I now wish the widows were a little bit wider so they would touch or just make it one big one. Fingers crossed that it looks nice because that is what we have! Installing the panoramic door and this huge arch window are up next on the project list. Fingers crossed that it is easier than we expect to get it in place.
Next lets talk framing.
Let me just vent about how at the start of our framing (we have been buying lumber in batches as we need it) the cost of one eight foot 2x4 was $5. This is still inflated from before the pandemic started when they were less than $3. In our last order we paid just under $12 each for the same thing! We are waiting to do the framing on the master side of the house until after we move in. We hope the cost will have returned to normal by the time we need them.
All the framing needed (before moving in) is now complete except for one wall in the utility room. This is really cool because we can finally walk around the layout of the house with actual walls. It makes a huge difference to get a feel for the space instead of just lines on the ground. The framing also makes the ceiling feel taller because you have some frame of reference on height.
Next up...Rough Electrical
As Mr. Dometastic completed the rough framing I went along behind him doing the rough electrical. It wasn't hard but it does take time and hopefully I did it correctly. The hardest part was drilling holes in every stud...for every wire. Drilling required a lot more strength than I expected. We are 90% done with it. We just need to pull the wire from the barn, install the box, run a few more wires for the utility area lights and the kids wing laundry. There are an amazing amount of wires to run between the electrical and all the cameras.
Now I will vent about the cost of electrical wire! Last fall we bought a 1000 ft roll of 12/2 wire for about $380. Two weeks ago we bought a roll of 250 ft that was just about a $250. Now you can't even buy it in 1000 ft rolls anymore and there is limited supply of the shorter rolls. When will these shortages end and will the prices come down? We can't decided if we should stock up on things or wait for them to go down!
Spray Foam Insulation.
Our first time attempt at spray foam insulation went a lot better than we expected. We watched many Youtube videos on a channel called "Spray Jones" to get the basics burned into memory. After watching videos we realized we needed to wait for the right conditions before trying to spray insulation. If you do it when the conditions are good the product works great. We needed warm dry conditions and we let the tanks sit in the sun to warm up before spraying. We just ordered a second spray kit and will be applying it after we install the big arch window. Mr. Dometastic made a super lame video of our first time spraying. It is way too long and he didn't edit it so watch at your own risk of boredom. Click here!
Sealing Around Vents.
We started heat welding cone flashing around all the vents on the roof. I say started because we have only done a couple but we will be doing all of them eventually. It is always a bit interesting to climb up on top of the dome.
That's it for updates. The only other bit of oddly exciting news is we FINALLY were able to remove our silt fence. We have grass growing everywhere so the town said it can go. I am not sad to see it go after three years of mowing around it.
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