Well folks, it's time for that next update! So much has happened in April that it'll take me two posts to go over everything! First, the climate control systems. We had bought and partially installed an air conditioner a few years ago, but hadn't run the duct work for it. Also, Bruce ended up wanting to swap out the furnace we bought for a better one. It also needed to tie in to the ERV (Energy Recovery Ventilation system) that I mentioned in my last post. We ended up hiring a crew to accomplish all that. Bruce and his Dad had put in the ERV so they could tie in to it, and they knocked out the rest of the work in a few days!
Here are some pictures I snapped when I came home from work to find most of the duct work in:
I had to take this one of the ducting sitting on the garage floor, because the garage hadn't been this clear in quite some time!
This is over the kitchen...
and so is this.
Dining room,
master bedroom,
and master bathroom.
Below is a picture of something else I can't remember if I mentioned before or not. It is part of the venting system for our range top, along with the make up air system. We installed a downdraft vent for the range, and it vents through the big box in the bottom of the picture, then up and out through a vent outside. The two pipes (currently covered in plastic and tape) are part of the make up air. Basically, the house is so well sealed with all the spray foam insulation I'm about to tell you about, we had to take measures to make sure the house can breathe. When the vent is on, fresh air is sucked back into the house through those pipes.
OK now for the fun part! In a previous post I mentioned the foam insulation Bruce was spraying in the roof while they were doing the framing. Well, now it was finally time to finish insulating the exterior walls, so that the drywall could go up! This was basically the exciting final step before walls, because it meant that everything that had to be done before the drywall went in was finished and inspected! The inspector came out and signed off on everything, so we won't be seeing him again until FINAL inspection!
Here is Bruce, hard at work!
The two tanks contain two chemicals which are mixed as they pass through the spray nozzle. Then the foam expands and hardens!
Here is a view of the exterior wall for the bathroom and nursery closet, all foamed in!
This would be the master bedroom closet and corner of the bedroom. Yes, it's a huge closet, which I am very excited about!
The opposite wall of the master bedroom didn't take up as much foam because of the double french doors to the backyard. The doors, windows, and any electrical outlets and switches had to be covered with plastic first to keep foam off them.
This is the nursery. The closet in the back left corner was visible earlier form the other side in a picture of the master bathroom.
Below is the kitchen. Boots, my father-in-law's dog, decided to photo bomb this one. I can't count how many of my pictures are photo bombed by one of our dogs, so it's nothing new!
This is the wall separating the laundry room from the garage. We insulated the garage as well, but it won't be air conditioned so we had to isolate it from the rest of the house too!
Here is the wall between the kitchen and garage:
Bruce foaming the garage!
So along with this began another task: shaving the foam back to the level of the studs. As it expanded, it would fill the cavity and expand past the studs. Because it is closed cell foam, it hardens and had to be trimmed so the drywall could be put in. This was a tedious and painstaking job that we have our family to thank very much for helping us. My parents, Bruce's Dad, and my brother and his wife have been out to help us with various tasks over the past several months and years, and they were all present for this one! I didn't take picture of us doing it because I was preoccupied with the work, but here are some pictures I took after we had the trimming done and the mess cleaned up.
Master Bedroom
Master Bathroom (photo bomb courtesy of Scooter)
Nursery
Cool view from the living room through the dining room into the master bedroom:
And through the dining room into the kitchen:
Kitchen!
Laundry room
Garage
More garage
I took this picture in the garage, looking toward the laundry room door and into the kitchen. Bruce and his Dad had put some drywall up so they had something to spray the foam on.
Well, that all took a week or so, and was finished last Wednesday. We hired another crew to put up drywall and tape, mud and texture. Since these pictures, the drywall is up and Bruce, with help from our family, added more (yes more) cellulose insulation to the attic. They are taping and mudding this week, so more on all that next time. Stay tuned!
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