Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Windows!

SAR is back to work on the house and today the windows went in!


Chris and Cal are installing the south-facing windows with the high solar heat gain glass we need for our passive solar house.

Friday, March 11, 2011

Roofed and Floored and Drained

The colored concrete floor was poured today. We want the four inch thick insulated concrete floor to be our main thermal battery in this house. The floor will absorb heat when the floor temperature is cooler than the room temperature and will give off the heat when the room temperature is cooler, helping to stabilize the room temperature. This is one of the key design features of a passive solar house so we wanted a concrete floor that looks good. I think this floor will look great when it is all finished!

Our Faswall house has a finished roof, completed septic tank and drain field and with the concrete floor poured today SAR Construction will soon be able to start building the interior walls!

Greg and Jose from All Weather Roofing putting on shingles and solar tubes.
Gil from SAR Construction compacting the gravel, preparing for the concrete.
SAR's Gil and Jose installing the insulation below the concrete floor.
The Gil Concrete crew pouring the concrete floor.
Nearing the end of the concrete pouring.
Power Trowel in action!
These guys are amazing to watch in action!

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Grading and Draining and Roofing

Today the underlayment is going on the roof, to be ready for the shingles on Wednesday. RJ and Son Excavating is busy putting in the drain line from the foundation French drain, grading all the excavated areas, doing a bit more cut and fill on the east side of the house to make an area for the future garage/shop, and creating drain areas along the driveway and down by the transformer pad. With the grading done in front of the house it is easy to visualize the future landscaping. It is fun to watch Bob and Ron work the heavy equipment, skillfully moving heavy rock and yet carefully placing just the right amount of soil where it is needed.

View looking up the driveway at the front "yard" and south side of the house.

Robbie (3rd generation in RJ and Son Excavating) is compacting the drain area near the bottom of the driveway.

Bob and Ron busy grading the excavated areas.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Roof Decking and Backfilling

Today the crew from SAR  (Jose, Gil and Cal) are putting up the fascia board and finishing up on bird blocking and the excavators (Bob and Ron from RJ and Son Excavating) are back filling around the house. The plumbing and electrical that will be under the floor is complete so that the floor can be poured on schedule.

You know you have a hardy crew when you hear Gil comment on the weather being nicer. It was 36 deg F while I was there this morning, but I guess that is nicer than the earlier colder temps and the sleet, snow and wind.

Bob is working on back filling/grading near the transformer pad.

Twenty foot fascia board ready for cutting and placing over the sub-fascia.


Grandsons Miles and Ansel are inspecting the underground plumbing.

Ron is back filling on the north side while Cal is working on the bird blocking.