After much waiting for the day to arrive, we are finally at the point where our bales can start to go up. More detailing in preparation for it though, so we spray foamed all of the perforations left by the electrician and other trades in the bales caps. One of the advantages to building your own house is that you can spend the time to get it right. So we have also spent time applying 6 mil poly to the interior ring beam and attaching it to the neighboring walls with tuck tape.
The electrician has completed his rough-in and the plumber returned to install the pressure tank for the water, so now we can control the flow rather than just full blast off the generator being connected directly to the well pump. The HRV installer completed venting the HRV and bathroom fans through the back gable of the house. We have been very careful about not having any services running in or through the bales, so aside from the back hose-bib and one exterior plug, everything else goes up and out. Hydro called, and we are only about 5 working days from having power. But back to the bales!!!
The bale work is the one that attracts the most interest, so we have had visitors to our little site this week. It is also another stage which has a lot of impact, both visually and spatially. Up to now, we have been working in the tree tops. A roof, but no walls meant just a borrowed view from the surrounding woods. The bales change all that.
And it's fun work!! But man, is it hard-work. I don't have the upper body strength needed to foist the bales once they are beyond four bales high, so I busy myself with the other stuff, but the guys are lifting and pounding and jumping and kicking bales into place. The other stuff is finding the right size bale for the opening, attempting to re-tie any that need to be cut or trimmed, and shaping some around interior outlets or framing. Some of the openings for bales are behind walls or between rooms and need some assistance to fit. But once in, the strings are cut, the bales goes "poof" and then we stuff in around the sides and on the bottom and top corners.
