tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80954952288220347282024-03-07T21:17:38.550-06:00Whiteacre Dome HomeThe trials and tribulations of building a new house from beginning to end.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-67252248647328122742013-09-13T11:50:00.000-05:002013-09-13T11:50:00.506-05:00We are finally moved in!Well, the actual day of the move was over a week ago, but we still don't have everything unpacked. My goal is to get stuff out of boxes and a first pass at putting it all away by October 1st.<br><br>
Now that we are living there, we are finding all kinds of little (and sometimes big) issues. Like when the plumber hooked up the dishwasher, he forgot to connect one of the 2 hoses. First time we used it it flooded the kitchen. Some of the door knows are not fully installed correctly. They ordered and installed the wrong cooktop for the main kitchen. One of the light switches had been covered over while building the house. Just lots of stuff.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-29480204659569049432013-08-28T07:18:00.002-05:002013-08-28T07:18:30.496-05:00LandscapingWell, things are progressing on the outside at a good clip. It looks like a bunch of gophers or somethings have been digging in the yard. They are putting in the irrigation system and there are trenches dug all over the place. It looks like they will finish that phase up in a few days and will then get to the sodding and planting. We are actually going to wait for a few weeks to put out many of the larger plants, just to let the weather cool off a little bit.<br><br>
Inside there is not nearly as much progress happening. Our list of must haves before move in has had about 10 things completed and probably another 10 partially done (out of 43), but has also had 6 or so more things added to it, so they need to get busy to have things ready for our move. Right now I am not optimistic about making the deadline, despite assurances from our contractor. We'll see.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-46557255819137712122013-08-25T08:17:00.002-05:002013-08-25T08:17:50.832-05:00PicturesI have had a few posts recently that have been mainly text, well this one will be mainly pictures. We'll start with a panorama of the house as seen from the southeast.<br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Panarama_House_20130823_zps63ec3cb7.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Panarama_House_20130823_zps63ec3cb7.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Panarama_House_20130823_zps63ec3cb7.jpg"/></a><br><br>
Next we have a close up of the back side of the solar array which shows the propane tank installed. This one is not so interesting, but we have been waiting for the propane tank for a while so I wanted to show it off.<br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Propane_Tank_20130823_zpscc51755e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Propane_Tank_20130823_zpscc51755e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Propane_Tank_20130823_zpscc51755e.jpg"/></a><br><br>
One of the things I never anticipated when we first discussed this project, would be the need for a retaining wall since the ground has a substantial slope to it. Looking at the land you really don't notice it, but it has about an 8% grade across the whole thing. So when we put the house in at ground level in the back, it was almost 4 feet above grade level in the front. No big deal to build up the pad and level the house, but the landscaping needs a retaining wall to keep the root system of the big tree from being buried and causing problems. This is our retaining wall. You can also see it in the panorama above. (BTW, the blue tint to the cap is the primer, but the final color)<br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Retaining_Wall_20130823_zps3d7efbeb.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Retaining_Wall_20130823_zps3d7efbeb.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Retaining_Wall_20130823_zps3d7efbeb.jpg"/></a><br><br>
Finally we have a picture of the Jacuzzi in the master bathroom. The base cabinet is not finished yet, but you can see the backsplash and the tub itself. The window is currently clear glass, but will be replaced with frosted glass before we move in.<br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Jacuzzi_20130823_zps3ba72476.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Jacuzzi_20130823_zps3ba72476.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Jacuzzi_20130823_zps3ba72476.jpg"/></a><br><br>
OK, I had to add one more, the pool in the backyard. With the outdoor kitchen and the pool house in the background.<br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/Pool_20130823_zpsb8f6943a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/Pool_20130823_zpsb8f6943a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Pool_20130823_zpsb8f6943a.jpg"/></a>Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-63660323317234567472013-08-21T09:12:00.003-05:002013-08-21T09:12:56.100-05:00Move in date setI know I have promised high res pictures for over a week now, but I need to get some time to go out and take them. I hope to get some this weekend. Besides, there is a lot of little progress being made each day now. The outdoor kitchen is almost finished. Door knows, drawer pulls, and cabinet knobs are being installed. Most of the tile and rock work inside is done. The landscaping has been planned and will start to be installed next week. The holes in the walls and ceilings where they had to go fishing for wires are being patched. Cleaning crews are coming in and doing a cleaning to make it easier to see what needs to be done. Lots of little stuff.<br><br>
The list of 43 things is still mostly there, but many of them are "mostly" done now and I am told that by the weekend maybe half of them will be finished.<br><br>
We are now confident that things will be done soon and we have scheduled an official move in date of September 4th. The movers will come to our old house that morning and move everything we have boxes, packs, or marked to the new house. The plan is to spend that night in the new dome house!Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-27818557737975210862013-08-11T08:28:00.001-05:002013-08-11T08:28:50.679-05:00Outdoor Kitchen is getting closeLast night, about 6:30 we went out to see what had happened at the dome. The original plan was to go swimming then, but the weather was actually threatening storms and there was lightning in the area, so we scrubbed those (not that it actually rained very much). When we arrived, there were still two pickup trucks there. They were working on installing the granite on the outdoor kitchen. I think they were planning on staying until they finished last night, but I'm not sure. I am just surprised they were there.<br><br>
There had also been a lot of work done on the front retaining wall. The rock covering was about 75% done and all the cinder blocks and the wall cap were in place. It looks nice. Later this week I'll post several pictures with links to higher resolution photos of stuff around the house. It really is all starting to come together.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-21755984189314047502013-08-08T20:45:00.001-05:002013-08-08T20:45:17.555-05:00Part of the Driveway is done<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Driveway_small_zpsed1db705.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Driveway_small_zpsed1db705.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Driveway_small_zpsed1db705.jpg"/></a><br>
They got the top half of the driveway poured this morning, amid confusion and a lot of mess. The road in front of our house is being resurfaced, and, of course, today and tomorrow are the days they are right in front of our driveway. I drove by about 8:30 this morning to see how it was going and I saw 6 concrete trucks and a pump truck all trying to get in the driveway and stay our of the way of the scraper working on the road. I just kept driving and did not stop to get in the way. When I went back this afternoon this much of the driveway was done. Apparently they also tried to deliver the granite for the outdoor kitchen this morning (I actually saw that truck driving up) but decided to scrub that delivery due to the mess. They are going to try to get the granite in tomorrow while the workers frame and rebar the rest of the driveway. Then maybe Saturday or Monday they will finish the pour.<br><br>
My wife and I sent our list of 43 things to the general contractor that needed to be done, in our opinion, before we could move in. These ranged from the obvious "Finish the Driveway" to picky things like "install transition flooring to go from tile to wood flooring" We meet with him tomorrow to discuss the list and get his time estimate. I'm guessing 2 weeks, but we'll see. Somehow it seems like it has been 2 weeks away for the last month or two!Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-81291680868396586292013-08-06T20:39:00.001-05:002013-08-06T20:39:16.517-05:00Starting interior detailsWe are continuing to make progress toward getting moved in. They have been working on the interior details this week. Show molding around the flat walls, Correcting the placement of a few plugs, switches, and vents. installing the floor in the pool house. Lots of little details.<br><br>
Big things are still happening outside. The driveway is mostly ready to be poured. It is fully frames and all that is needed is to add the rebar and then the concrete. The plan is to pour the majority of it Thursday morning and then finish the rest over the weekend.<br><br>
The outdoor kitchen is mostly done now. The stonework still needs to be routed and the granite and appliances need to be installed. That should happen this week. Then the outdoor lights will be added next week.<br><br>
They have begun the process of digging the french drains to help channel the water where we want it. At least it will if it ever rains again, which I am beginning to doubt. The pond in front of our land is down to about 6" deep, from the 3' it was a month ago. All the catfish we had found in it are most probably dead. The big turtle has been caught and moved to a larger pond. It had a shell diameter of about 18". All that are left now are frogs, the biggest of which have bodies about 5" long, not counting legs.<br><br>
All in all progress is still being made fairly quickly. My wife and I are about to sit down and develop our punch list of stuff for the contractor, and we sort of expect it to be done during the next 2 weeks. This makes move in during the week of August 19th.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-72718240100723310962013-07-30T21:33:00.001-05:002013-07-30T21:33:10.699-05:00Back Patio is FinishedThere is not a whole lot of work being done on the inside of the house right now (for which I am very curious and concerned), but they are working like gang busters on the outside. The pizza oven is completely finished, the outdoor kitchen is almost done, the outdoor kitchen covering is making nice progress, and they finally poured the last little bit of the back patio.<br><br>
They have been hauling in a bunch of dirt to build up the area underneath what will be the driveway. I suspect they are sort of dragging their feet on this to let people who have heavy things to deliver get them done without driving on the newly poured driveway and possibly cracking it. That time is very close since they got the retaining walls done and the last bit of the back patio in as well. They also delivered the flooring for the pool house so that is ready to be installed as well.<br><br>
So where do we stand on the progress meter? By the end of this week was the "be finished with the inside" time given by the contractor. It looks like he has shifted his focus to the outside now and I predict at least one more week (probably 2) before we are ready to apply for the certificate of occupancy. That makes it August 16th by my count, which is, of course, the Friday before the kids start back to school. That is the absolute worst timing in the world, but then again I should have listened to Murphy long ago and predicted that as a move in date.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-39159010249038995752013-07-25T19:04:00.002-05:002013-07-25T19:04:35.127-05:00Keep Good RecordsThis post is not going to be about our house, but is intended as advise for those of you considering building your own home (be it dome or traditional). As we draw nearer to the completion of the house, many of the decisions we made over a year ago and now being installed. Things like we have two different finished of cabinet knobs, oil rubbed bronze and silver-nickel, and we need to remember where we want each one. The appliances are being installed, is that really the dish washer we picked out? Just simple basic things that we did not always keep good records on. Please remember to take pictures of your selections and to keep a record of those in your files including where they go. Maybe use a blog like this and include pictures and descriptions as you are making selections, maybe print them out and keep a file folder with all your selections, but keep good records. So far, I don't think it has cost us anything, but it easily could have.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-72194964409310390282013-07-25T18:54:00.001-05:002013-07-25T18:56:30.331-05:00Pizza Oven<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/PizzaOvenSmall_zps93cb5030.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/PizzaOvenSmall_zps93cb5030.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo PizzaOvenSmall_zps93cb5030.jpg"/></a><br>
I admit the pizza oven is not quite complete, but it is very much close enough to see exactly what it will look like when it is done. The side you can't see does not have any rock on it yet, but hopefully tomorrow they will finish that up.<br><br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/FrontwRockSmall_zpsc4e80999.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/FrontwRockSmall_zpsc4e80999.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo FrontwRockSmall_zpsc4e80999.jpg"/></a><br>
While they are working with the rock, the front entrance is getting a lot of attention. The small walls that define the front porch are in place and the rock vernier and the stucco caps are in place, as are the pillars supporting the awning. There are no front steps yet (which makes that first step a real douzzie) but they are coming. There will be lights on the ends of the walls and a wrought iron gate across the opening with stairs going down to the driveway from there.<br><br>
They have started making good progress on the outdoor kitchen and by the weekend we should be able to better visualize how it will look next to the pool. Hopefully by this time next week I will be talking about possible move in dates.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-24628181882198601952013-07-21T20:27:00.002-05:002013-07-21T20:27:42.714-05:00Wood Floor is installed<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/WoodFloorSmall_zpsccbe045e.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/WoodFloorSmall_zpsccbe045e.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo WoodFloorSmall_zpsccbe045e.jpg"/></a><br>
We have all the wood flooring installed now. They still have to add the transition pieces to connect the wood to the tile, but they did manage to get it all installed this weekend. Early next week we'll deal with the Jacuzzi, back fence, outdoor kitchen, the remaining AC units, and retaining walls. After that comes the driveway. Somewhere in there they still need to put the appliances in place, add the molding around the baseboards, do paint touch ups, and other little things. It really is looking like we'll get the certificate of occupancy by the end of July!Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-27188184441288363582013-07-20T14:52:00.000-05:002013-07-20T14:52:02.481-05:00AC and FlooringWell, lots has happened in the last week. They got two of the Air Conditioning units (out of 4) installed and started. This allowed them to deliver the wood flooring and it is being installed this weekend. They also have begun work on the outdoor kitchen and have virtually finished rocking the front of the house. The kitchen appliances have been delivered, but are currently being stored in the garage. The front door should have the lock installed this afternoon, so the building will now be secure. There is a chance that be the end on the week (July 26th-ish) we may be able to apply for our certificate of occupancy.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-9788081499387006422013-07-14T08:39:00.000-05:002013-07-14T08:39:20.248-05:00We have PowerI'm actually way late on this post, since power was actually connected on Friday. Last night we went out to the house around 10:00pm and looked around using the lights in the house. The pool pumps are now working and so are the waterfalls and bubblers.<br><br>
The air conditioners are supposed to be installed on Monday and the wood flooring will be delivered on Tuesday. Give it 72 hours to acclimate to the house and on Friday it should be installed. I suspect it will take a few days to get all the wood flooring in, so by the 23rd or so we should have flooring across the entire house.<br><br>
We also now have about half our door knobs installed, the other half will hopefully go in either today or Monday.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-58461440683392138582013-07-04T07:16:00.002-05:002013-07-04T07:16:51.337-05:00Front Entrance is almost finishedThe crews have been working diligently to try to finish up the exterior of the house. The front porch covering is now sealed and has the scratch coat applied. The interior faces are stuccoed and the exterior should be rock covered by the beginning of next week. This opens the way for the electricians to finish wiring the exterior lights and then we can get power connected. With any good luck that will happen by the middle of next week.<br><br>
The air conditioner trim work has been mostly done by installing the grates over the ducts in the house. The return air grates are not in place, and they missed a half dozen closets, but they got most of them. Now once we get power, they can set the AC units and we can get on with the flooring and other interior work that needs power.<br><br>
There are piles of cinder blocks and fire brick that have been delivered the last few days to build the various retaining walls and the pizza oven. Yesterday we also got a load of lumber which I think is devoted to the outdoor kitchen. I am hoping to see that go up next week as well. We still have a small section of the back patio that needs to be poured before the retaining walls can go in, lest they have to wheelbarrow in the concrete to the patio.<br><br>
If we can keep this level of activity, then I think the timeline I gave in the previous post is reasonable, but there is always the potential for bad weather or other things to get in the way. by the end of next week I will be able to give a solid picture of how viable that schedule is.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-82217708461887899242013-06-29T09:16:00.000-05:002013-06-29T09:30:43.058-05:00Re-Re-Re-Revised timelineAs thing start to draw to a close on the construction phase, we are getting a better picture of when everything should happen. Here is what I am now considering the approximate time line for our house:<br><br>
<ul><li>Front Porch Work - Early next week</li>
<li>Finish electrical install and get power to the house - Mid next week</li>
<li>Install Air Conditioning - Late next week</li>
<li>Finish back patio - Early next week</li>
<li>Install Wood Flooring - Start Monday july 8th</li>
<li>Put retaining walls in - Next week</li>
<li>Install Propane Tank - Week of July 8th</li>
<li>Complete driveway - Week of July 8th (probably finish early the next week)</li>
<li>Install door knobs and cabinet hardware - Late next week</li>
<li>Finish plumbing install - Early during week of July 8th</li>
<li>Paint and Stain final coat - Week of July 15th</li>
<li>Complete Back Fence - Week of July 15th</li>
<li>Install batteries for solar backup - Week of July 22nd</li>
<li>Shake down week to make sure everything is working - July 22-26</li>
<li>Start move in the week of July 29th</li>
</ul>
This is my timeline, not necessarily the one provided by the contractor. I think it is reasonable, possibly a bit optimistic. I really, deep down inside, think we'll start moving in the weekend of August 2-4, but at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel.<br><br>
Building your own house is an interesting experience, but as everyone who has gone through it will tell you, be prepared for the unexpected. Realize contractor timeline are, at best, guidelines. Groundbreaking was on April 17, 2012 and we are looking at being finished in late July 2013. That's about 15 months to complete. Actually that is a bit slow, but not too bad, all things considered.
Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-50220736065503144022013-06-23T13:12:00.001-05:002013-06-23T16:31:48.307-05:00Continuing to fill the pool<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/pool2_zps2f253e81.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/pool2_zps2f253e81.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo pool2_zps2f253e81.jpg"/></a><br>
Almost 24 hours into the filling of the pool and it is continuing apace. At this rate finishing tomorrow afternoon/evening is very reasonable. Pretty soon I expect them to move the hose from the main pool to the spa at the near end based on this photo.<br><br>
Edit later in the day: It looks like the water is rising by about an inch an hour, so by mid-morning the main pool should be close to full.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-46940643215299872102013-06-22T20:13:00.003-05:002013-06-22T20:13:32.487-05:00Quick peek at the pool<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/pool1_zpse901918c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/pool1_zpse901918c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo pool1_zpse901918c.jpg"/></a><br>
I couldn't resist putting one picture of the pool as it fills up. Notice the hose in the background. This is the only source of water for the pool at the moment.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-84498755869430361082013-06-22T18:33:00.001-05:002013-06-22T18:33:31.716-05:00We have a patio<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/DSC08564_zps737815ee.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/DSC08564_zps737815ee.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSC08564_zps737815ee.jpg"/></a><br><br>
Earlier this week the crews were out and pouring our patio. They used a concrete pumping truck with the intention of going over the dome, but the driver was uncomfortable with that and decided to go across instead. It all worked and we now have a complete patio (minus one small area that still had some scaffolding in place and they could not pour).<br><br>
There is a lot of work going on right now to get the electrical ready for final inspection on Tuesday. The pool is being filled as I type this. I should get pictures of that early next week. They actually fill it with a garden hose. It should take around 50 hours to fill the whole thing. By late in the week we should have power to the house (and pool) and can take it for a test swim.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-52766595902562468572013-06-09T21:16:00.000-05:002013-06-09T21:34:00.473-05:00Stained Glass Window<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Stained_Glass_013_zps600b63d9.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Stained_Glass_013_zps600b63d9.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Stained_Glass_013_zps600b63d9.jpg"/></a><br>
<img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Jari_window_zpsb99aed37.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Jari_window_zpsb99aed37.jpg"/ align="left"><div style="margin-left:225px; margin-top:10px; position:absolute;">This weekend our older girls "gave" a surprise to my wife and I. Technically I was sort of in on the surprise, but I had no idea about the design of the piece, only that it was a stained glass insert for the window in the Foyer. The image above is the final window. You can see my wife's reaction to the left. Thank you girls for working on this surprise to us. </div>Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-58543464554395120822013-06-07T20:47:00.000-05:002013-06-07T20:47:06.323-05:00Insurance!?!?!?!?Well, today I finally spoke with our current insurance agent about getting insurance on our new monolithic dome home. In short, Allstate does not insure "geo homes". I called to complain that it was NOT a geodesic home, but a monolithic dome. The agent said they lump all those "non-traditional" homes, like domes and log cabins, into a special category and they no longer write policies on them since it is very difficult to assess what the potential cost of repairs would be. I guess I sort of understand that, but there is a growing database they could look into, but it looks like they are taking the easy way out and ducking. Anyway, our agent is looking into other companies to see where we might be able to get coverage.<br><br>
In any case, we currently do not have any idea who we can get to insure our new home. Make sure you talk with your existing agent and explain to them what you are doing. It is a nasty surprise to find out that within a month of move-in, we don't know if it is insurable. If our agent does not come back with something soon, we are going to talk to Monolithic and see if tey have a recommendation abot who might insure the house. I'll keep you all informaed about the progress of getting insurance.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-87672028056317158692013-06-03T12:39:00.000-05:002013-06-03T12:39:03.330-05:00We have a front door<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/Foyerwdoor_zpsb811daa4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/Foyerwdoor_zpsb811daa4.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Foyerwdoor_zpsb811daa4.jpg"/></a><br>
Things are continuing to happen around the dome. Last week they installed our front doors and with them in place you can almost fully imagine the foyer. The only thing missing are the lights and ceiling fans and the stain applied to the stair railing. In any case we are very happy with how it is turning out.<br><br>
In other things, the back fence posts have been set (other than about 15 which were set in the wrong place, sigh). Later this week the actual fence should be going in. It was strange looking at metal uprights in place for a wooden privacy fence. The purpose is to be more durable and not suffer the problem of rotting. There will still be wooden fencing applied to the uprights. We also have most of the forms in place to pour the back patio. As of right now, the concrete is scheduled to be poured on Wednesday morning. Once that is done, the pool guy can come in and finish the pool.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-4078898401389996642013-05-26T13:42:00.001-05:002013-05-26T13:42:28.505-05:00Problems with curved walls<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/2013-05-23182343_zps508e94e4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/2013-05-23182343_zps508e94e4.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 2013-05-23182343_zps508e94e4.jpg"/></a><br>
There are some things which you realize might be an issue, but until you see them you don't realize just how much effect the curved walls of the dome can have. The above wall sconces were mounted flush on the walls in our living room. The intention is to have an adapter like thing made to let the sconces mount vertically, but I thought this is a worthy picture for the blog to let everyone see the potential pitfalls of a dome home.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-14961878632479175462013-05-24T23:16:00.001-05:002013-05-24T23:16:18.601-05:00Solar Power<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/SolarPanels_zpsf6ec4061.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/SolarPanels_zpsf6ec4061.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo SolarPanels_zpsf6ec4061.jpg"/></a><br>
We now have our solar panels installed. In the picture there are three panels missing, they have now been installed and are capable of powering about a quarter of the power demands of our house. It is now a matter of determining which 25% of the house we want to keep on during a power outage. Historically we don't have many long term power outages. In the past decade there has only been 1 outage lasting more than 24 hours here in the city. However, in the outlying areas and the small cities around us there was an outage lasting almost 2 weeks for some residents about 5 years ago.<br><br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/DiningRoomLight_zps24fa734a.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/DiningRoomLight_zps24fa734a.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DiningRoomLight_zps24fa734a.jpg"/></a><br>
While they are building the electric infrastructure, they are busy putting in the fixtures, plugs, and outlets. This is the light that will be over the dining room table.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-28901168871922605752013-05-19T08:23:00.001-05:002013-05-19T08:23:48.068-05:00Problems with Dome Homes, WASTE<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/TilePile_zps0b56d1f5.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/TilePile_zps0b56d1f5.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo TilePile_zps0b56d1f5.jpg"/></a><br>
This is not really a major complaint, but one of the issue we are facing as we finish out the house is that virtually everything we use comes pre-made is nice rectangular pieces: Wood, Tile, Marble, Sheetrock, etc. When you have to make use of those in a round house, there is the inevitable problem of waste. The pile above is the scraps of floor tile after a few days of laying tile. If I would have thought about this earlier, I might have decided to pick some things differently to save money, time, energy, and the environment. I'm not too worried since I am certain we'll make up the environmental problems with the efficiency of the house overall, but it is something for you aspiring dome home builders to consider.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8095495228822034728.post-37848894666381794892013-05-19T08:12:00.001-05:002013-05-19T08:14:05.724-05:00Main Dome Floor TileTwo quick pictures this morning in the same post, rather than splitting things into multiple posts.<br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/MainHouseTile_zpseb4e3ec4.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/MainHouseTile_zpseb4e3ec4.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo MainHouseTile_zpseb4e3ec4.jpg"/></a><br>
The floor tile in the main house is complete. It's actually not the pattern we were looking to use, but it is a reasonable alternative. This tile is in the foyer, utility room, hallways, powder bathroom, kitchen, and dining room, as well as the master bathroom and the kids bathroom.<br><br>
<a href="http://s167.photobucket.com/user/mmwDoval/media/BirdPond/DiningRoomCounter_zpse043c616.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i167.photobucket.com/albums/u137/mmwDoval/BirdPond/DiningRoomCounter_zpse043c616.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DiningRoomCounter_zpse043c616.jpg"/></a><br>
Also complete is the back splash for the dining room and half of the kitchen back splash. The picture above is the dining room. It's a deep green granite with a river rock back splash. Ungrouted it did not look too attractive, but when the grout is added things really look nice.<br><br>
The outside rock is progressing as well, but we were surprised to find that no one worked on Saturday (yesterday) when the weather was beautiful (maybe a bit warm, but the longer you wait, the hotter it will get). They have the next section of dome ready with the mesh and the scratch coat, so now all they need to do is lay the rocks on that section. That should take a few days and then we'll be about half way finished with the rocking on the main dome. The contractor says he's hoping for a move in in 30 days. I can't see that happening. I think July 1st is probably a decent expectation at this point.Matt W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/03388587380882610299noreply@blogger.com0