Solar Panels Installed, 2nd Flight of stairs finished.

Yesterday saw the Solar panels installed on the roof.  We had a delay in getting them placed due to weather, it has been windy for the last week making it difficult to control a large square panel as its hoisted up the scaffold.  However it's in now and provided another good excuse to clamber around on the roof.

These should give us all the hot water we need in the Summer and late/early spring/autumn reducing the cost and running on getting this from the electrically fueled A2W heat pump.  There may be a little gain during days we need heating from this array, but its negligible.  As part of the package, the company installing this is also supplying measurement gear to monitor feed and return temp from the collector, so we'll be able to see what positive effect they have.  Sadly we can't get these facing south for maximum efficiency - changes in our layout prevented that.  These ones face East with the setting sun in the picture behind them.  The main reason for picking East is as much in shortening the pipe run as anything else, but we are also slight occluded by the ridge behind us in the late evening - whereas we'll get full  effect from the morning sunrise.

Also installed is the J-Rail for the Facia/Soffit that will finish off the roof.  This clip needs to be added before plastering the outside, while thats a bit away getting it done now took advantage of the residue scaffolding from the roofers, as well as one less task to schedule.

This corner of the eves has the black rail attached.

The second flight of stairs, and the first one of any size has also been poured and set, and the wooden shuttering is being taken away.  This now has to cure for 9 days from pouring before the third and last lift is formed.  We think it's going to look great, already the shape of it is fantastic and the rest of the wood in the picture below will be taken down - the central section will be a void running the entire height of the house.

The HRV pipes are installed throughout, these will take and return air from the building recycling the heat as it exits.  Coupled with airtightness around windows and doors this should decrease the amount of heat required to maintain the building temperature when cold.  These are large 200mm ducts with a silver bubble wrap lagging - here they are in the riser with the black-lagged solar feed/return pipes beside them

The Central vacuum pipes should be going in today, as well as delivery of the bitumen layer for waterproofing the flat roof sections.  With our front door detail agreed as well, we can finish off the main structure and have it weather tight  enough to start the electrical fit and start the outside stone and plaster.

Chimney finished off

The Windows are continuing to be installed - 90% are in now with some of the trickier windows left.  Access is an issue with the stairwell unfinished, but this should resume on Monday.

The chimney is now finally finished - epic tale to get a simple thing done.  The Capstone was the hardest issue, that is now installed, however the detail on the chimney wasn't fully correct so we had to go back up and finish the job ourselves - the added mortar stops rain from pouring into it.

It's also a good excuse to get right to the top of the house.  We're up here as next to this is where our solar panels will go, so scaffolding had to be rigged to access it.  These will hopefully be installed early next week, another job finished.  With scaffolding up we can also take the opportunity to get the J-Rail up for the Facia/Soffit to connect into.

Window installation

The windows are onsite and are being installed.  An articulated flatbed rolled up last Wednesday and struggled to unload the windows - about 47 in all.  I was surprised at the way they came, largely the frames and glazing units separate and fitted onsite, but I can see the advantage as it's easier to get the frames up square and pinned when they weight nothing, then add the heavy glazing units.  So far no major issues with the windows - they seem to fit!  Only problem is around the half-finished stairs as there are no level areas to get scaffolding in place - we may have to fit these on the second Window fitting.  Below you can see some of the windows in the basement.

It throws up some work for me to do again - some of the easier items are wrapping the sills and windows in plastic to prevent damage when we plaster/stone - and some heavier gauge stuff near where concrete will be pumped.  Easier to do this now than try to clean them later - mess is inevitable, and I  have no confidence that our builder (of the stairs) will be neat and tidy enough.

Also I need to insulate the back of the sills.  The sill fitters were a little messy with concrete beds for the sills - the DPC layer won't pull up tight against the back of them, and I can't chisel it out due to risking cutting the DPC layer.  So I'm thinking of using a sprayfoam to cover the concrete, polystyrene on the back of the sills above that, and then concrete into the remaining space to fix the window boards to it.  Can't think of another way to wrap the insulation better.  Also I have to plug the sill ends with offcuts of ICF.

With Windows in we're almost weather-tight, there is still a good bit of flat roof to get tanked.  But if the house is secure then we can start the 1st Fix of anything that won't get too effected by weather - HRV, central Vac ducting and plumbing.  Electrical and carpentry I'll leave until the house is sealed, that's also the best order to get things done.  

So this week I have to get the following moving, these are the in between tasks that going direct labour gives me:

• Secure scaffolding for Solar Panel fitting
• Get the Stairs moving again and after that the tanking of the flat roofs
• Plastic up windows and sills, plug sill ends.
• Airtight tape the inside of windows and doors.
• Shut off any openings - front door isn't in place yet.
• Get the HRV guy in - should be next week
• Get the Vac guy confirmed the week after
• Plan out room layouts for electrical and plumbing fix - I have about 4 weeks to get this.

No rest!