Catching Up

Wow, there has been a lot going on recently, so much that I scrapped some posts-in-progress since I’m falling behind. So, let me catch you up on where things are, what’s happening next, and I apologize for not providing all the details as it’s happened.

First, with the radiant panels installed and the core upgrade complete, I finished pressure tests and got the manifolds connected on each floor. Dean helped me get the new controller mounted and hooked up. We just jumpered the first and second floor thermostats to the basement, since we don’t have thermostats on each floor yet.

I got the first floor filled, but the water didn’t flow initially because of all the air in the lines. I had to loosen and then re-tighten individual lines on the manifold and let the air out, catching the water with a rag, then I flushed several buckets through until it was finally flowing. The new pumps have a GPM meter, but since the old one doesn’t I don’t really know if the rate is good or not. I ordered and installed some air bleeders for each manifold, thinking this would make the second floor go more easily, but it really didn’t. Ultimately, I had to do the same process to get the air out of the lines before it would start flowing. So, water is flowing through our radiant floors, the attic radiators won’t be hooked up until after drywall.

Next up, we finally got our new permit! After the final corrections from the architect were submitted, they issued our permit and I used bill pay through my bank to pay the fees as well as the expeditor. Meanwhile, the GC scheduled rough inspections. Unfortunately, that bill pay took forever, and when the framing inspector showed up, I still didn’t have the official paper permit. As luck would have it, he was pretty understanding, and he passed us anyway. We signed the previous permit and noted in their system that it was passed for the new permit.

The expeditor did get the check and the physical permit, and I drove over and picked it up. Then the plumbers had rough inspection, but in the months since they were here before, I’d received some things like the bathtub and valve bodies for the showers, so they were rushing to get that installed as well as run the rest of the supply lines. Since that involved them shutting off the water and being in the basement, we got an AirBnB for the day and just left them to it. They wrapped up and passed inspection. Electrical inspection was Friday (all of this was last week), and he passed as well.

Next the GC said that the spray foam contractor was going to come out to provide an estimate on Monday, which he did. I’ve continued working through my list of items and figured I could wrap some of that up this coming weekend. Then the GC called me yesterday afternoon to say the spray foam guys were coming today (Friday)!

With less than a day notice to get everything ready, Dean came over and we started rushing through some items that needed to get done for them to be able to spray. Some of it was simple, like putting down more ram board to protect the radiant floor or moving stuff away from the exterior walls. Other items were getting the bathroom exhaust ducts connected and caulked, finally getting started on the interior portion of the solar tubes, getting that second floor radiant flowing (so it would be warm enough to spray), and vacuuming out the walls and attic to remove the sawdust and debris that keeps building up through this process, which Sarah did most of. Dean and I also ran some conduit for the TV and network, not as much as I’d planned originally, but enough for what we need. Most things are wireless these days, so I’m not too worried about it.

Today the spray foam installers showed up, and we learned they were going to start with the first floor today. They covered windows and doors with plastic and got to work. We couldn’t get any shots in progress because I couldn’t get in the front door while they were working, but after the first day alone, it’s a transformation. They almost finished the first floor, but a lot of the time was prep. They put down plastic sheeting over all the windows and along all the walls.

AC installation should be in a few weeks or so and drywallers are getting lined up. I need to run the wired security system once the foam is in. I may try to run a bit more conduit for network.