Tarpaper everywhere
We took last week off (even homebuilders enjoy a holiday now and then), but we’re hard at it this week. Sheathing is going onto walls and the bathroom roof, and tarpaper is covering everything. Yes, we’re still working on the roof and will be for a few more days.
Marshall’s not impressed with the durability or usefulness of Tyvek, and that stuff is more expensive than felt, so we’re going with the old standby — tarpaper. We’re also using stick-on ice-dam protection at the eaves, in the valley where the roof changes pitch over the porches, and where the bathroom roof meets the house. It’s incredibly sticky and we ruined the first strip by getting it all stuck together. The trick is to peel the backing off only one-half at a time … but no instructions come with the product to tell you that.
As we finish tarpapering a wall, we also install the windows. The first two windows (kitchen and bathroom) are in. I went with Andersen windows throughout the house — that’s the brand our local building supply carries and they have a good reputation. These first two units went in easily and seem to be well made.
The windows on the front of the house will be double-hungs, but everywhere else I chose awning windows. I like the idea that awning windows can be left open even when there’s rain. A problem with standard Andersen awning windows is that they don’t open very wide. I’ll be putting on their “extension pack” so the windows will open wider, but I wonder why Anderson doesn’t just make all their awnings open wider? Obviously it’s a concern with customers or they wouldn’t offer the optional extenders.
Notes about the photo: No, the house doesn’t tilt like that. The back-door will be under the bathroom window on the back of the house; the hole is just covered by tarpaper right now. Tarpaper is really ugly.
2 comments July 13th, 2006
