Update on House 2.0

The pages of the calendar have turned to December, and as expected, progress on the house seems to have slowed despite the fact that work hasn't stopped. In September, we watched as the house was framed at what seemed like lightning speeds, to be followed by the roof and the rough-ins for plumbing, electrical and HVAC in October.

Since then, much of the focus has been on insulation and waterproofing. We've also had crews working low voltage rough-ins for network and media (structured wiring). Waterproofing is of critical importance because of our daylight basement. The primary retaining wall was deemed structurally sound, but with evidence of water seepage. As a result, it was then necessary to go back and redo and improve the external waterproofing.

After excavation, crews thoroughly cleaned the exterior wall and footer. For the primary below-ground section, they then used a spray-on waterproofing membrane (the black stuff) and covered the lower portion with protection board up to the brick ledge. After that set, they came back and installed additional membrane up to the top of the cinder wall. Finally, they installed a drain, routing it to the back of the house along the perimeter and backfilled the dirt and gravel.

The other major effort has been the installation of open-cell spray foam insulation. As I may have mentioned previously, we lost nearly 20 trees off our lot, including four towering pin oaks that provided shade for the house in the spring and summer. Now that the house will be fully exposed to the eastern sun, we determined that making the house as energy efficient as possible was imperative. So instead of traditional blown fiber insulation and standard batting, we've opted for the spray foam solution. Open cell spray foam is applied to all exterior surfaces, from the attic roof to the exterior walls (and ceiling over the garage). It is similar to Great Stuff, if you've ever used that wonder in a can. While permeable to moisture (good so that we know if the roof leaks), it is impermeable to air, creating a controlled atmospheric environment in the attic space as well as the main floor. In theory, we should lose a lot less heat, but the result is that we have to have a somewhat more sophicated HVAC solution to move the air around.

We have gone with a more standard batting for the interior walls and the basement ceiling however, for use as a sound barrier. For if there is one thing we have learned in this rental house, it is the value of having interior walls insulated with a sound barrier. It is a unique state of affairs when you can stand in the kitchen and hear the toilet paper being pulled from the roll in the master bath on the other side of the house. It is an extra expense, but in my view it is worth it.

What else? Well, I have a new garage floor, which is nice.

But the bigger news is the arrival of brick and drywall on site. Rumor has it that bricking started yesterday, although I myself have not had a chance to see it. The weather is iffy today, so I'm not certain how much will be done. We have hopes that we will be bricked and drywalled before Christmas. If and when that happens, you'll be able to see and read about it here. Best guess right now on closing? End of February. It cannot come soon enough.