High Winds and Windows

Wednesday saw delivery of more material from Rycenga in Grand Haven — windows (some of them, at least), doors and their hardware, vinyl siding, garage doors and their openers, etc.  All this was offloaded in the teeth of heavy winds which followed in the wake of Tuesday's storm. CNN reported that Tuesday's system was powered by the lowest barometric low ever recorded in the mainland U.S., save only for some hurricanes.  Thus, yesterday, the sun shone brightly, the wind howled, and Lake Esau was dressed in whitecaps.  Nevertheless, work on the house went forward.

Garages are really handy, especially when building a house!

Among yesterday's arrivals were doors for the garage (right)
and for the service and screened porches.

Kyle and Dave quickly installed the window in the half-bath, prepping the opening with Tyvek.  But then they wondered if Tyvek is required, given our use of SIS panels.  They didn't want to install all these windows, only to have the building inspector demand a change.  So Kyle contacted the inspector who agreed that they could use the same moisture barrier which roofers use to ward off snow and ice.  This material, which looks a lot like the tar paper of yesteryear, is cut to wrap the bottom and lower sides of the window opening, and then it's taped in place.  This shields the opening against wind-driven water which, if forced up under the lower edge of the window, would soak the wall and its insulation.

The Tyvek-ed half-bath window.

The dining area window and its roof-grade moisture barrier.

While waiting for the inspector to call back, the guys started work on stairs from the ground floor to the basement.  Kyle and I agreed that these stairs will be covered with carpet, since this decision impacts staircase dimensions.  While down in the basement I looked more closely at how the steel beam upstairs is supported.  One end rests on the masonry wall in the living room.  The other end sits in a pocket of the kitchen wall.  The beam's weight is carried downward on laminated 2x6s which, at the basement floor, sit on an especially beefy footing.  Kyle is confident this arrangement is more than adequate to handle both the beam's weight and the weight of the second floor and roof, including winter snow-loading.

In the basement the beam's weight is carried by seven 2x6s
and a handy floor joist.

The 2x6s sit on a heavy footing below the basement floor.

A full basement meant we had to install an egress window to provide a second fire exit.  Now the area could be finished into a fourth bedroom, media room, or pool room (sticks and balls, not water).  That's not on my to-do list, but a future owner might find this potential attractive.

This space could become a home theater, man cave, or den of iniquity.

Work on the stairway shuttered to a halt when the east side of Lake Esau lost power — probably the result of a limb falling on a line somewhere.  Despite the wind, Dave and Kyle returned to the windows, installing first the dining area window and then the lower window in the stairwell.  Before leaving for the night they also put in the front door.

Dave holds the dining area window in place while
Kyle checks it with the level.

After making sure that the window is centered in its opening,
Kyle nails it in place while Dave confirms that the windows open properly.

Kyle secures flashing with industrial-strength sticky tape.

Dave preps the stairwell window opening...

...the guys place the window...

...and Kyle makes sure it's dead level.  Beautiful!

The high winds brought down a couple trees on Kauffman and at least one on Grand Lake Road.  Fortunately, the Paltelky home where I hang out was still powered, which meant that I could fix dinner and keep warm!  So goes life in the North Woods.  •••