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| Wrapping the moisture membrane |
The house project has really picked up pace the past week now that the sun has come out. Framing in the winter means weather delays but our builder’s guys worked through most of the weather. Once the felt was on the roof the guys worked rain or shine.
This short update is mainly to show the skin – outer areas – of the building being applied and installed. The term “water-tight” means that the roof materials are installed to a point of protecting the interior area from rain, the building is wrapped and the windows are installed.
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| Roofing underlayer |
The felt product on the roof is pretty cool. It is attached with staples and plastic discs to make a secure water-tight connection. The material is textured and not slick even when wet so it is not slippery to walk on. The roof was covered for a few days, then the vent holes were cut in… in time for the rains of March!
The wrapping of the exterior is standard procedure to create a moisture barrier before the siding is applied. The siding is on site and will take about two weeks to apply.
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| Men installing windows |
Windows were delivered yesterday. They are Milgard Tuscany windows, very efficient. Being in the Historic District, we needed to use single hung windows. However, several windows in single hung style do not meet the code requirements for egress. Our window man recommended casement windows that look like single hung- a great idea when trying to meet the conflicting requirements of the City Building Department and the City Historic Commission.
Door jams were ordered and temporary doors will be installed to make the house secure. Of course we will need to leave windows open to continue drying the lumber that was exposed to rain for weeks.
So now that the building’s skin is being installed, we are taking measures to allow air circulation and increased ventilation so that everything is dry enough in a few weeks to install the spray foam insulation. Even lumber that feels dry to the touch - including some types of lumber yard materials - can actually have a moisture content of up to 16% in California.
Now that the rainy season is about over, we are excited that the project is moving forward again. It is fun to drop by the lot and visit the contractors and to watch the neighbors pointing at the house as they walk past. This week windows and gutters were installed. Next week the siding starts to go up.
We are eager to have construction finished and to be able to move in. Even Zoe the dog is happy to go hang out at the house and be stimulated by all the sites, sounds and smells of the project.
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| Front of the house |
