AZ Desert Home

[Hank]

I'm here!!! (have been for a few days, but just got phone service).

This is my temporary living quarters for the next couple of months...full RV hookups plus phone service to the trailer, for surfing and actually doing my MD job.

This is the Leviton modular box I am using for phone, video, and data punchdowns. Currently only the phone is punched down through to the trailer. The conduits go to each room (two to some), for later pulling cable as we need.

This is a view of the foam and lath being applied over the OSB, prior to the stucco installation. Stucco will have to wait a couple of weeks, because the roof tiles will be placed on top to cause the house to settle under the weight before the stucco is applied. The foam and lath is actually done (pic taken two days ago).

Kitchen window view

Picked up my flatbed trailer today; the diesel Mule is bought and will be picked up Saturday, and the CUT (probably a Kubota B7800) is under negotiation [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[TimSullivan]

We are glad to hear that you are at the new house safe and sound. Keep the pictures coming we don't want to miss anything.

Tim

[Hank]

Thanks Tim,

It was an interesting trip. Cross and headwinds in southern New Mexico played heck with that square box I was towing. At times I had the Suburban in 3, with the pedal down as far as it could go without downshifting into 2, going downhill, and was actually losing speed. When there were no winds, I could accelerate uphill.

The outside walls (and the kitchen/garage wall) were all insulated this week with blown in shredded newspaper. So, now the drywall hangers are at work.

The roof tile we picked is due any day. This picture from the manufacturer's web site does not look quite like the one in the brochure, but the main thing we wanted was light colors.

[TimSullivan]

Hi Hank,

It sounds like the cellulose went in damp in the stud spaces. That is the way we did our home too. The house is very tight and deadens the sound very well. Inside the house we cannot hear a car come up the gravel drive. The only place I not completely satisfied is the plate area in the blow grade level. I have small pieces of cellulose falling on the floor. It is raining here today so it would be a good time to cover the cellulose with some fiberglass insulation to solve the problem.

The worst problem I ever had with the motor home was in a pass in northern NM. It may have been Wolf Creek pass. Each time I came around those tight curves into the wind I thought I was driving a big sail. [img]/forums/images/icons/crazy.gif[/img] It was not a fun time.

Your house looks great and sounds like you have a good builder. [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

Take Care,

Tim and Jane, Freyja and Seigir too.

[Argee]

<font color="blue"> blown in shredded newspaper. </font color>

I had the celluose blown in only it was dry and they netted the walls. Left it a little puffy so when we installed the drywall it compressed it and pushed it out to fill any voids created by settling.

I put up 2x6 walls with blown in celluose, giving about an R21+, Trusses with energy heels, so I have an R50+ in the ceiling, then went with the highly recommended Simonton DH vinyl windows(a lot of them) now which I sorely regret as they are leaky and drafty. So for the masses of money I spent on insulation, the heat I saved goes right out the windows. [img]/forums/images/icons/mad.gif[/img] If I had it to do over again I'd opt for Andersen, Pella or Caradco.

[Hank]

<font color="purple"> It sounds like the cellulose went in damp in the stud spaces </font color>

Yes, they misted it as it went into the vertical spaces, and it dries somewhat stiff (not really hard, but stiff enough to stand in place by itself before the drywall folks could get there). I am not sure of the R value, left that up to the builder. With 2x6 exterior walls, that should add some to the value.

<font color="purple"> I thought I was driving a big sail. </font color>

You describe it very well!! That's exactly what it felt like. At times (before I realized what was happening), I almost thought the Suburban was malfunctioning. [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[Hank]

<font color="purple"> I had the celluose blown in only it was dry and they netted the walls </font color>

They did net the wall between the house and garage, since there was no sheathing there to blow against. But only on one side; the misting held it in place. What a mess...there is shredded newspaper lots of places right now; I made the mistake of leaving a few tools and stuff around the house while this was being done, and some cleaning was in order [img]/forums/images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]

[ScottAR]

What's an energy heel? Inquiring minds want to know... [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

[TimSullivan]

Hi Hank,

I killed a good shop vac cleaning up insulation and dry wall dust. I think it was the dry wall dust that did in the bearings.

Jane and I would work at the house at the same time the contractors were there so we told them we would clean up after they left. We had a lot of happy contractors and no one was fighting over who made the biggest mess. They always did pick up some but the site was really clean the next morning when they arrived. I had a big box on site for all the tools I found laying around. If they left a tool out, in the box it went. One contractor teased me that it was like working for his mother.

[Hank]

Tim,

As you noted before, the builder himself keeps a really clean site. He says he simply holds off final payment to his subs until they clean up, and he works with the same subs every time, so they understand this up front. He has told me the drywall crew will actually finish off with a pressure wash of the slab, so I'm not too concerned; it just looks messy now while they are still finishing up. The drywall is all hung, and they are finishing up with screwing it all down (they nail it to get it hung, first), and applying the corners, then they will tape and mud and clean up.

It sure changes the look and feel of the inside being able to see actual rooms, and not being able to walk through walls [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]