The Slog

After a soggy summer, the fall has given us spectacular weather and amazing foliage. A late change in the roof structure, allowing for a roof overhang, or a hat of sorts over the building was instituted. This will allow for an additional R-19 of insulation (Though Polyiso’s effective R-value reduces over time) on top of the zip sheathing adding an extra blanket for winter extremes.

Envelope closing up means getting to work on the inside. Lining up the trades and getting work done is in itself a challenge. Plumbers, Electricians and HVAC folks are busy this and every time of year. Plan ahead if you can.

Oh and flashing details! Doors, windows, roof transitions, different wall configurations. Working on an air tight house had a lot of different situations to work out. Add to the mix with this one, multiple different building typologies to make things difficult. For instance, Forta-flash by Henry’s, a rubberized-asphalt flashing tape, does not work in cold weather on a peel and stick membrane on an existing framed wall. What to do when you were hoping it would stick and put your windows in? Bring in 3m’s 8067 acrylic flashing tape that sticks to anything, anytime. This flashes the flashing tape. Then you move to the zip sheathing and zip tape and the transition between the peel and stick and zip sheathing. Then there’s the transition from existing sheathing to concrete and oh there’s the zip to ICF transition to keep in mind. It’s a lot.

Oh and keeping air out. It’s fun to watch all the youtube videos with clean perfect tape lines and folks who seem to spend all summer flashing their windows. Up here we have lots of strapping, fast framers and errant holes everywhere. Takes a lot to seal up a house properly.

Looks great at first glance, strapping taped, openings flashed. But wait! If you look close, holes holes holes. Liquid Flash on a ladder time.

Hoping for an extended Fall, at least until the roof is installed. The skis are getting antsy.