Exterior Wall Assembly

What follows is a fairly detailed discussion about the exterior wall assembly that we chose for this house.  Warning, charts and graphs and a wall of text ahead.

The First Window Install

Darn Fine Flashing Job

At the risk of turning everything into a superlative...WE HAVE A WINDOW! 

Starting with one of the smallest and easiest openings to get to, we tested our installation and waterproofing methods. 

I am personally on the hook for all of the window opening prep, and I am getting to master the fussy ways of peel-and-stick flashing.

Some call me the Butyl Whisperer.

Stepped wall & window lap-on-lap action in progress, from well above the ground

"None shall leak!"

And now a Candid Admission.

I h̶a̶v̶e̶  had created a very well researched 'best-practices' window sill-pan detail, included on projects for years.  It combined the best ideas from the best sources into one excellent detail.

For some reason, builders never quite fully followed instructions.

This detail, I have learned the hard way, might just be asking a bit too much of the installer.  Simple origami, and simple origami with permanent adhesives, are two different things.

Even as a careful person, with decent crafty abilities and all the motivation in the world on this project to get it right... it seems that folding theoretical 3 dimensional membranes and folding a very real, very long, very floppy, extremely adhesive thing that grabs anything and everything permanently, all while on a ladder with only two hands and a knife in your teeth - might just be different animals. 

I am hereby revising my old membrane sill-pan detail to a more reality-based, still-perfectly-waterproof, easier-to-execute version. 
Lessons from the field.

The Lid Appears

Look a Hat

The sub-roof has been placed rather quickly, despite the complications of an experimental venting assembly.

Only the street facing side remains to be installed; starting tomorrow.

Overheard on the Jobsite

1: "This tape measure doesn't match what his tape says."
2: "Which one is right?"
1: "Heck if I know."
2: "How many things have been measured with that tape?"
1: "Heck if I know."

Steel Window Boxes

Looks like a mini Richard Sera sculpture

The steel boxes that fit around some of the windows (described in an earlier post) are completed and primed. 

Old School Scaffolding

A-Frames and Scaffold Planks

The next major phase is to get a roof on this building before the rains come.

Oops, too late.  It rained yesterday.
(Luckily not very much)

To get access to this side of the roof, large A-frames were built.

Overheard on the Jobsite

"I could go the rest of my life and be happy never hearing another AC/DC song."

Stepping Up

Much Easier Trip to the 2nd Floor

Stair framing is in place.  Nice and solid.

Note the blocking in the side wall for mounting the future handrail.

Roof Framing Progress

The Cantilever   (that blocking is temp)

 

Trusses were placed fairly quickly last week, and work began on the gable overhangs.

We have one particularly large overhang above the roof deck, which is exciting to see take shape.

Exterior Insulation Arrives

Rockwool Insulation

Five pallets of rigid rockwool insulation board was delivered on Friday.

I'll explain the role of this insulation in the wall assembly in a future post.

Happy Anniversary Lisa!

Pizza & Champagne amidst the sawdust

Tagged!

They could at least be clever or artistic...

Our jobsite sign was spruced up with a local arteest's poignant message.