Colin and Terry raise the breezeway walls.
Bugbee Insulation is here all week. They prep the house by stapling mesh to the inside studs, then they blow insulation through a hose from their truck and pack it tightly between the walls. It’s unpleasant to be in the house with all those particles in the air (wear a mask!), and anyway the crew can work better if we stay out of their way… so Terry moved our construction operations outside.
Dense-packed cellulose insulation in progress upstairs.
But before the narrative moves outside as well, let me touch on a couple of tasks we finished last week so Bugbee could have the run of the house. First, a portion of the dining room lies beyond the second-floor footprint and has a shed roof above. Carson and I installed strapping across this ceiling (for drywall attachment) and nailed up an array of flush-mount lighting boxes, since cans would interfere with the air seal. Thus the shed roofs and the gable roofs are all ready for blow-in insulation.
Dining room strapping with overhead light boxes installed. We kept the left side open for insulation access.
Second, in preparation for the drywall delivery, Terry left one second-floor window unfinished, and Friday afternoon we popped it out to staple some Roofer’s Choice around the perimeter. We screwed the window back in when we were done. This detail allows the insulators to complete their job without compromising access for the drywall team.
The mesh allows us to remove the window later while keeping insulation in.
Anyhow, this week we got started on the breezeway! It’s exterior carpentry all over again… first the subfloor, then the 2×6 stud walls. The weather has cooperated so far and we’ve made terrific progress. Although the space won’t be heated, Colin does want to insulate the breezeway enough that on a winter morning the floor is still comfortable underfoot. To that end, Kari and I cut 2-inch foam to fit tight between the floor joists before Terry glued and nailed the subfloor on top.
Terry saws, Kari glues. You can see some of the blue foam that insulates under the subfloor.
The breezeway walls went up today, fitting perfectly between the house and the Barn, and what a difference it makes visually. The walls are mostly windows and doors for an airy feel. And they all have different heights, thanks to changing rooflines and one step up from the garage floor to the mudroom. I’m happy to report that Camel’s Hump is still visible from the driveway, with the breezeway’s opposite windows framing the line of sight.
Picture perfect.
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