Well, we didn't quite manage to get the house closed in before the snow arrived. In keeping with the weather trend we had this year, we had plenty of rain and cloudy days despite promises of sunshine. Below normal temperatures continued too, and Rob began to worry about how he was going to pull this off. He continued to work, no matter the weather, and anytime that the sun did shine - we did a happy dance. The weather systems have been fickle though, as I would experience a glorious sunny day while I was at work, and thinking Rob would have had a good day, arrive home only to be surprised to find he had been fighting against sudden pop up storms all day. Wind has been another factor (we try to avoid being up on a roof with a sheet of plywood in our hands in gale force winds). Still, the first layer of plywood began to go in, and whenever possible, Rob would tape the seams as he went along to air seal the shell.
I don't do heights very well so my photos are all from the ground but Rob was able to take a few photos from up high. Below is a view from the "upstairs" (no, I won't go up there either - at least not until there is a solid floor.... and stairs...maybe a railing.)
The first time I looked up and saw the roof above me, I realized how much this house has in common with our old dome. I've been missing high ceilings and a feeling of spaciousness, and this house will certainly have lots of both!
When the clocks turned back, I could no longer make it home before dark, and it was harder to see what had gone on every day. The flash from my camera managed to light things up for me a bit though. Although Rob felt like progress was slow, things were still moving along!
Rob rigged up a way of loading the plywood onto the tractor forks and raising it up so he didn't have to haul all the plywood up to where he was working.
Here is a view of the living room from the kitchen. Well - you have to use your imagination a little.
Looking from the living room, the kitchen is on the right.
Finally, the roof is in! Well, there are still lots of layers that will go over it, but the first layer of plywood is in.
Rob will be adding layers of foam, strapping and more plywood before the metal roof goes on but that will have to wait for spring. We had hoped to finish it this year, but weather delays and the extra time needed for sanding and finishing timbers put us a couple of months behind schedule.
Once the plywood was nailed down on the dining room and kitchen roof, Rob moved on to our bedroom section. Each plywood seam is taped with a special air sealing tape which complicated the installation. Every time it rained Rob had to wait for things to dry out before he could continue taping.
As the temperatures dropped, Rob rigged up some tarps to try to block the wind and weather a bit. Despite the tarps, the inside of the house was often like a mini swimming pool as the rain kept pouring in.
Applying the first roof underlay. This will allow us to get through the winter without too much water damage to the house.
The underlay is also taped to help hold it against the wind and to provide a second air/water barrier! Thank goodness for knee pads. And the safety harness.
Our friend Bob (the blip on the roof) showed up on some pretty nasty days to lend a hand (he claims to like working in the cold)! Thank you, thank you, Bob.
With the tarps in place I could begin to imagine what it will be like with walls in! We sat and had tea one afternoon, and the sunshine coming through the plastic even warmed us up a bit. The house uses passive solar design principles and maybe it might actually work as planned!
Rob and Bob often worked as late as they could into the evening but it was still a short day. They really pushed to get the roof wrapped because it would provide some shelter for the rest of the work (plus it is difficult to work on a roof in the snow). As they moved around the building they had to keep moving the metal scaffolding, which meant dismantling it and building it up again. There was also wooden scaffolding that Rob built to circle the building which gave a good solid platform to work from. They definitely tried to make sure that work in one area was completely finished before moving to the next.
The plywood sheathing begins to go on to the walls, taped up the same as the roof!
Tea and cookies in the living room. A bit drafty still, but it's beginning to be a bit drier inside at least.
Looking through the door from our future mudroom, the house just glowed. This is one of my favourite shots. I don't think Rob minded that I said it reminds me of a glorious barn. He didn't look so keen though, when I said perhaps we could keep a pony in it.
Our bedroom!
The plywood going on around the kitchen windows.
This is the north wall. As the house is designed to be energy efficient, there are fewer windows on this side. However, as it faces a beautiful area, often filled with wildlife, we had to put in a few!
Bundled up in my winter jacket one afternoon, I was admiring the oak tree leaves on the ground, and the soft autumn light.
And then it got a lot colder, and it snowed. And snowed. And then the high winds arrived again. Snow and ice on the scaffolding made it too dangerous to climb up so work continued on the lower levels.
Rob rigged up a little shack on the concrete pad of the workshop (to the right), and set up a little kerosene heater in it to warm up his hands periodically. With wind chills of minus 14 this week, he needed a little warmth once in a while!
Jet has been missing Rob, and every evening tries to get a little sympathy (and a little treat tucked into his Kong "red bone"). He has the sad eyes down pat!
Rob takes a few minutes to go out in the snow, and together they play their strange game of Jolly Ball and Wubbas. It's a cross between soccer and cricket - they both kick the ball around and Jet sometimes shakes his wubba toy and whacks the ball. It makes sense to them but Jet doesn't play this game with me. Must be a guy thing.
Ice is forming at the edges of the river, and on the rock I'm not quite ready for this river to be frozen. I love to listen to the sound of the water, and scan the shoreline for animal tracks.
Our firewood is now all stacked and ready for us. We are hoping that 8 face cords will be enough, as we ran out the last two winters. I split it all with a wood splitter, and Rob took some time one day to stack it. Which is a good thing as when I stack it - the piles seem to fall over. Snow tires are on the truck, and our winter clothing has all been brought out of storage and into the cabin, and swapped out with our summer gear. We're ready!
Sometimes it's hard to remember to take the time to admire the beauty around us. On a day that saw us unhappy with the cold and the snow, and feeling pressure about getting the house closed in, we took a few minutes to go out, and enjoy the first real snow fall. It is only mid November, so it seems a bit early, but the first snow fall is always lovely and worth celebrating. We took a walk in the woods to appreciate it and are both glad we did. After all, it isn't just about the house we are building, but also about the place we are building it in.
