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Not what you want to hear from your builder, we know! As with any punch list,  ours is there and has been compounded by a couple of factors: 1. Several snowy days 2. Just about everyone involved in the project at this point is attending the Green Build Expo in Boston.

So, here is where we are. The wall covering is up, heaters are cranked on high so we can get the sanding and poly done. The Electrician is ready to roll on finish electric as soon as we call, and the sheet rock for fire separation is ready to go up as soon as we get a warmer-than-arctic day. Floor covering has been acquired, and is ready to install.

We have had several inquiries through our website regarding actual projects and are working to get the next DwellBox started. Images soon to follow. ( we promise ) Thanks for all the interest, and again, let us know if you are interested in getting something off the ground. We are chomping at the bit to keep the momentum going.

Well, we are back. I won’t bore everyone with too many details, but suffice it to say that the insulation inspection, re inspection, re re inspection, etc. are over, and we have passed. In the end what was needed was a great degree of tact, some tighter attention to detail, and a whole lot of patience. This approach will not be acceptable in the future, and we will not have this problem again, rest assured. So today we can begin the process of wallcovering, and fire seperation. It is pouring rain today so hopefully our crew ( who has moved on to another project whilst we dealt with the insulation fiasco) will be happy to have some indoor work. Lets keep our fingers crossed, and get our momentum back. Stay tuned, we won’t leave everyone hanging again!

Monday morning has arrived, and we hope to get a great deal of work done this week. At this point we need to put up finish wallcoverings, floor covering, final electric and plumbing, paint, and roofing.

I had an email this weekend which I will address here. There have been several questions as to why we failed our insulation inspection, so I will shed some light at this point. The spray foam insulation is accompanied with a compliancy certificate, or res. check sheet when the building inspector comes to inspect. The reason for this is that unlike traditional bat insulation, there are no markings, or ratings visible on the foam once applied. So in order for the inspector to be confident that what he or she is seeing on the structure is actually meeting code, the Insulation contractor presents a compliancy certificate. Well, in our case, the compliancy sheet description of foam depth and the actual depth of foam did not match in certain areas. So, more foam had to be applied in order for the structure to meet what the compliancy sheet required. Not a huge deal at all, just meant the insulation guys had to come back This insulation product, by the way, is a remarkable thing. I won’t get into the technical aspects, but suffice it to say, the Anderson apartment will not be cold in winter or hot in summer!

The Corten steel fire rating has also proven to be of interest to several readers. What we had been trying to unearth was a fire rating, expressed as a factor of time. ( ie. number of hours which any given material will not combust) This rating is commonly used when dealing with construction projects, as there are many instances where a “2 hour fire rated seperation” for example, are required. Inherent in the properties of Corten steel there are certainly fire retardant elements, however, there do not seem to be any ratings on it expressed as a measure of time. Flame spread, or fire ratings are available ( such as “class A” for example) for Corten steel. This is most likely due to the fact that the fire rating requirements for transporting cargo are expressed differently than building codes recognize. At any rate, even though we can all agree that 14 gauge steel is quite a hefty fire break, it was not enough for us, so a 2 hour fire separation will be added in this instance. Typically, this fire separation is required when two separate uses ( commercial or residential ) are present in the same structure ( between apartment units, or between retail on ground level, and other use above) and in this case between the garage and dwelling. Perhaps as we move through this evolution, we will be able to unearth the type rating we need for the future. Now off to work.

Late in the afternoon yesterday the system for installing our prototype deck handrails was established, and much of the prep work to install all of them was done. Today should see the completion of handrail install. We are particularly pleased with the way they turned out, as well as the cost. Yesterday afternoon also saw the installation of most of the “band” which will be painted and end up as a very nice accent to the overall appearance of the structure. We are expecting to have our insulation inspection this morning, and we are ready with compliance sheet in hand. Very quickly following the inspection, we will sheet the walls, and set up our “crown” molding. Things are looking very promising for getting a C.O. by the end of next week….( knock on wood everyone!!)

As I mentioned yesterday, we have been receiving an increasing number of inquiries regarding our process, methods, strategies, etc. . DwellBox #1 ( The Anderson project) is a prototype, with a very specific end result being desired. We are completing this small structure making sure that virtually every facet of any residential project is included. This way we can test, and document exactly what happens, and how to improve for the next structure. This is all being done in an effort to Launch our Design/Build division. At the current time, (we can call this the R&D phase), we are showing those interested that this process can be done, both cost effectively, and with logistic efficiency. If you have specific technical questions regarding your own existing project, or if you have interest in starting an ISBU project, we are more than happy to assist. What we must emphasize, however, is that we intend to engage in the business of ISBU design/build and therefore cannot “give away” what we have spent a great deal of time and money developing. There were several comments from a reader yesterday that were quite specific, and would require us “giving” away this information if answered without prior discussion and agreements. To this end, for those interested parties, we will be more than happy to consult, or facilitate, any facet of your ISBU project concepts. We have a full line of services we can provide, ranging from Real estate acquisition, ISBU design/engineering, construction services, contracting services, project management, permitting, etc. Please direct these type of direct inquiries to: info@dwellbox.com and we will respond as quickly as possible. We hope to assist many individuals, groups, municipalities, housing authorities, etc. with the process of developing Value Engineered, High quality structures for a variety of purposes. Please contact us, and continue to visit this blogsite as our progress unfolds.

End of Day Update: Insulation Inspection FAILED. Details to follow on Thursday. We should have complete resolution by the end of the day Thurs.

Thanks to Adrian Tait for bringing up his students to discuss the merits of the DwellBox!

spraying in the living room

So now we are insulated! Just in time for oue first freeze up here. Everything went quite well, after passing our rough in plumbing and electrical inspection. Today the finish wallcovering is going up, so we should have more images to follow. It all really starts to take shape now, as all signs of the ISBU raw material have dissapeared from sight on the interior of the dwelling. Things will change quickly now, so I need to get back over there and get some more data as well as images! stay tuned.

Foam Warriors

We expect to pass our insulation inspection by the end of the day today…..deck rail is going up as we speak

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We have had a great number of inquiries in the last week regarding the design/build of structures for several different projects. This is exactly what we had hoped for, and are quite pleased at the response. This being said, please be patient if your inquiries go unanswered for a day or two. We are managing this prototype, meeting with investors, locating a facility, etc…so at the moment, we are moving fast.. We can, and will meet your current project needs, just give us a shot!…

For Starters:

http://www.highcountrypress.com/weekly/2008/10-16-08/thinking_outside_the_box.htm

A lot has happened in six days.  The Home tour on Saturday was a tremendous success ( we think ) with about 30 or so people attending the site. To us it seemed that everyone was interested and there seemed to be a great deal of conversation about certain aspects of the ISBU process. Lots of questions were asked, many were answered. We are hopeful that seeing our first project will spark some people into action. We would love to see the next DwellBox built here in Boone, NC.

Starting Monday, the work resumed. The electricians were the primary focus of Monday and Tues., and we expect them to be finished today with rough in. This will put us in position ( possibly Fri. ) to have our rough in inspection. A lot of time has been spent this week communicating with various agencies in an attempt to determine the fire rating of 14 ga Corten steel. This has proven to be a more difficult quest than we would have imagined. If we are able to get this data, it will allow us to explore different options for creating the required fire seperation between garage and dwelling.

Things to be happening VERY soon:

Find two interns interested in sustainable building/admin/management…contact: info@dwellbox.com

Paint

Flooring

Final insulation

Wall covering

We will be adding several photos in the next day or so keep checking back..things are looking good!

Sorry for the post delay and lack of photos. I’m waiting on some new photo file beta in order to save space on the blog. The job site was busy with activity this morning. A crew from Boone’s water and sewer department installed the water meter. Augustine and Ron have been finishing up the stairs. Mike and Jason from Johnston Electrical Services are back to install the energy meter as well as the breaker box. Will is making final adjustments on the windows and making sure that there will be no leaks. Stay Tuned!!!

This morning Dave and the electricians went over the wiring plan while Augustine began to build the stairs for the deck. Note: Yesterday the ISBU Apartment/garage passed the rough framing inspection. Also–check out the two windows in place and the completed soffit/facia/trim.

Andy stayed till sun down last night and got a jump start on moving the drain line. This morning he and Gary were making the last connections of the drain line in between the neighbor showering and so forth. The plumbing inspection is scheduled for noon time. The plumbing passed the inspection and Andy back filled the lines. It has been raining all day and there has been no other work at the job site.