Fireplaces

FIREPLACES

The typical open fireplace is notoriously inefficient.  In a typical masonry fireplace, most of the heat goes up the chimney instead of warming the house.  In addition, the air that it consumes in the combustion process gets sucked in from the outside which usually cools the house rather than heats it.  Still they have an undeniable charm. What could be cozier than being bundled up on a sofa in front of a crackling fire, drinking hot chocolate on a cold winter evening? 

When Ben Franklin invented the cast iron freestanding stove, efficiency dramatically improved.  The stove and the chimney were both in the room and radiated heat into the room rather than sending most of the heat up the chimney.

A further improvement was the the prefabricated fireplace with a blower system that circulated air around the steel firebox and back into the room, allowing the firebox to be in the wall but function similar to a woodstove.

Just before we were to order the fireplaces I got the bid for the installation of the fireplaces and. realized something was wrong.  The bidder proposed using triple wall stove pipe for a Napoleon Direct vent gas fireplace insert, which I knew wasn't right.  So I decided to rewrite the bid myself.  In the process I downloaded all the installation manuals for the gas fireplace insert, which was supposed to be in the loft, the Heatilator wood burning fireplace insert on the main floor, and the freestanding wood stove for the basement which I had bought from Lowe's.  It was then that realized that there was not enough clearance around the Heatilator for the triple wall stovepipe coming up from the basement.  A 6 inch triple wall pipe is actually 10 inches in diameter and requires a 2 inch clearance around it for a total of 14 inches for a 6 inch pipe.  I pondered our predicament for a long time and came to the conclusion that we had to put the Napoleon in the basement.  That way the Direct vent tubing would clear the side of the Heatilator and could continue up the chimney. Then if we put an angled offset in the Heatilator stovepipe and took it to the other side of the chimney, the pipe from the woodstove could go up the center.  We had to take into consideration complicated building codes  surrounding fireplace installations.  Finally I drew up plans and diagrams for installation of all three fireplaces and. a list of materials.  It seemed to satisfy the contractor and building inspectors.  I was a little concerned about one requirement the the top of the chimney be at least two feet higher than any nearby point within 10 feet.  I think that because we have a slate roof we didn't have to raise the chimney another three feet.  We did have to have custom chimney cap made to allow for required vertical and horizontal separation of the various terminations of each stovepipe.

The showpiece is the Heatilator.  We asked the contractor to build a stone surround for the front of the fireplace, and he also found a beautiful massive piece of slate for a mantel which he installed using concealed metal brackets and supports to give it a very realistic appearance.  The overall appearance is a fireplace constructed of natural stone, but is in reality a steel firebox lined with firebrick and having a sophisticated blower system and outside air intake for maximum efficiency.  The hearth likewise has a natural stone veneer. 

 

The Napoleon gas fireplace has a gas log, but similar to the Heatilator, has blower system that circulates air around the combustion chamber and brings in outside air for combustion for good efficiency.

The freestanding wood stove is resting on a section of ceramic tile over cement board to satisfy code requirements.  The woodstove is a basic design, but does have a airtight door and a damper.

We elected not to install central heating in the cabin for a variety of reasons.  First, I wanted us to be less dependent on the electrical grid,  which is sometimes unreliable and in my opinion, quite vulnerable  in our neck of the woods. We remember what happened with the Wallow Fire of 2011, which took out the main power transmission line and shut off power to the entire areas for 2 weeks.  Second, is to maintain the rustic charm of having a cabin in the woods and to get away from "civilization" in a small way.  Thirdly, there is the satisfaction of being self-sufficient and we do have plenty of free firewood,  with the trees that we cut down for the construction. 

There was a possible problem which we anticipated,  of convection.  Heat rises, and with the open stairwell that goes from the basement to the loft,  we anticipate that cold air will sink to the basement, and hot air will rise  and collect in the loft, making the loft unbearably warm.  We installed a fan in the basement, which will draw cold air from the basement, and force it up the elevator shaft through vents in the floor of each level, up into the loft.  This will cause air to circulate vertically through the cabin   Additionally, we have ceiling fans on the main floor and loft to circulate the air.

Just for insurance, we also have radiant heating elements under the tile in the kitchen and main and upstairs baths.  Originally, the architect drew the plans with radiant heat in all the floors,  but the contractor was uncomfortable with that, so we compromised and just put it under the tiles.  We think the radiant heat elements will help keep the house warm,  in addition to making the tile more comfortable underfoot.

And that, folks, is our HVAC system (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system, in a nutshell. 

Here's good book about fireplaces, with lots of pictures of different fireplace styles:  Fire Places: A Practical Design Guide to Fireplaces and Stoves Indoors and Out, Jane Gitlin, The Taunton Press, 2006

Overtaken by Winter Again!

Overtaken by Winter Again!

The stone mason was working like a crazy man the first 2 weeks of November trying to finish up the stone work on the outside on the deck, the balcony and columns.  Right after he finished we had our first real cold snap and the temperature dropped down to 8 degrees (-13 degrees C.) at night and stayed below 32 during the day ( 0 degrees C.).  So he finished just in the nick of time.

The toilets are stacked on the deck waiting for the plumber.

We also got the water line trenched and buried before the cold snap.  Now work continues on the interior.

     

     Bob installed the bathroom medicine cabinets and mirrors,  and "The Blind Guys" Mike Levy installed all the window blinds except the dining room.  Those are on order.

     This project has taken so long that most of the items we had chosen at the start of the project are no longer available or no longer being manufactured.

For example:

• Cabinets - our style no longer made
• Corian countertop - our style no longer available
• Carpet - our color and style no longer available
• Cultured marble vanities - not available in the color we wanted
• Toilets - our model no longer made
• Refrigerator - couldn't get the color we had chosen
• Laminate flooring - had to go with a different manufacturer

So, we had to start over again, and choose all different options.  Of course, any time anything changes, it costs more money.

     The lighting is progressing.  Fortunately, we have been buying lighting fixtures over the last year, so that helped us to avoid any last-minute scrambles.  The electrician has been installing lighting fixtures and we've only had to made minor changes to the original lighting plan.

     The cabinets are installed, and the countertops were installed a few days ago.

The amber slate was just installed yesterday and the tile-setter was grouting today.

     The plumber is installing the faucets which we bought almost a year ago,  and we found some nice Toto toilets on www.amazon.com  which should be delivered next week.

     A deal has been reached with High Country Flooring, and the carpet, laminate, and vinyl are all on order. The flooring is the last thing to be installed, I think.(Except for the appliances which sit on the flooring).

     We didn't reach our goal of moving furniture in by Thanksgiving, but now we're shooting for Christmas as the date to have every thing completed!

Burning the midnight oil, trying to finish before the first snow.

Colours

We are making progress!  The drywall is finished and the inside has been painted.

Deanna picked out what she thought were the right colors, and then we bought some sample-size bottles of paint.  After the drywall was installed, she painted some swatches of paint in each of the rooms where she planned to use the paint.  As it turned out she liked all of the colors she had picked out and didn't need to make any changes.  So we unleashed the painters.

Here are  some pictures of the painted inside walls, with the caveat that the colors don't always look the same after digitalizing and transfering to the computer, but here goes:

Ultrawhite for the stairwell

and bathrooms

Lemon sorbet (Valspar) for the kitchen and dining room

Spangle (Sherwin-Williams) which is a lilac, for the basement

Basement stove

Aqua Frost for the loft and bedroom

Now we have to hope that the colors for the window coverings, and flooring will all match, or at least not clash!

The Hundred Year Roof

Good news!  The roof didn't collapse under the weight of 20,000 pounds (9072 kg) of slate!  

Of course we still have to see what happens when the first snow falls!

If everything holds up, this roof should last at least 100 years.  I have personally seen slate roofs in England, and Italy that have been in operation for even longer than that.

The slate is from China, and is nominally 10 mm thick, thicker than typical American slate that you see sometime in the Eastern U.S. The color is called Forest Green.  We used copper flashing and copper nails, at the urging of the roofer, since it holds up the longest and resists corrosion better that other materials.

There are actually four roof sections, the main roof and smaller roof sections over the dining room pop-out, the front porch, and the balcony.  Here are some pictures:

Ronnie Sensiba holding a roof slate in the left hand and a floor slate in the right hand.

The front porch roof.

Note copper in the valleys where the main roof and dormers come together.

Front door with porch.

Roof over dining room pop-out

Shining in the rain

You may be thinking it's crazy to spend that much money on a roof; however, if you consider the cost over the entire life-span of the roof, slate is actually more economical in the long run.   

I hope that's true.  I'll be very disappointed if this roof doesn't last 100 years!

ROCK ON!!

This summer has been so hectic for us that we didn't get a chance to visit the cabin from Memorial Day until Labor Day.

Fortunately, the contractor has been in touch and provided a few pictures and updates.  The stonemasons started to work in July, and provided these pictures in early August.

Big improvement over concrete block (or CMU's as they say in the business)!

10 Best All Time Rock Songs

Rock Around the Clock - Bill Haley and the Comets

Rock of Ages - Def Leppard

It's Only Rock and Roll - The Rolling Stones

Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo - Rick Derringer

Old Time Rock and Roll - Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band

Rock and Roll All Nite - KISS

Rock 'N' Roll Fantasy - Bad Company

Rockin' Into the Night - .38 Special

Rockin' in the Free World - Neil Young

Rock and Roll is Here to Stay - Danny and the Juniors

More updates soon!

Rough Electrical

We ran into an unanticipated problem.
In the winter, it's hard to get work done because of the cold and bad weather.
In the summer, you can't get anything done because every one's too busy!
Consequently, the rough electrical work took almost 2 months to complete, with the electrician working in spurts.

The trench has been dug to connect us to the city water main.
The windows are on site, waiting to be installed.
The HVAC (heating,ventilation and air conditioning) is done.  It is very simple - just one fan to circulate air from the cold basement to the hot loft, and a few bathroom ventilation ducts.

The roofing slate is on site, stacked on the ground, just in time for the summer monsoon which has just started.

The fireplace installation plans had to be altered because we discovered at the last minute that the flues would not fit in the chimney the way it was originally designed,  However, by putting the Napoleon Gas Insert Fireplace in the basement, and the free-standing wood stove in the loft, everything will fit, and we will have a gas or wood burning stove or fireplace on each level.

I'm seriously thinking about becoming a survivalist, based on niece Krista's experience with the major storm and power outages in the northeast.  It's becoming clear that if you want to survive what's coming, you need to stockpile food, water and fuel, and be able to live off the grid with your own generator.  Alpine would be a good place to make your stand.

You have to study this closely to see the changes since the last picture.

Trench for the water and sewer line.

Electrical Rough-in completed!

Windows,awaiting installation.

20,000 pounds of Chinese Roofing slate, awaiting installation.
Will the beams and trusses hold the weight?  Or will it all collapse?  Stay tuned!

We Love You , Bank

The Bank Comes Through!

I found an interesting article on MSN Money that explains why the mortgage lending system is broken and I think I understand why so many people are having trouble getting mortgage loans.  The article is at MSN (http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=33371952#scptih)

At any rate, after contacts and negotiations with 3 banks and one private lender (Don Salvatore made me an offer I just had to refuse) ; after over 700 pages of documents were faxed, scanned, copied, emailed, or just mailed; after 14 months of trying, we finally have a construction loan!!  Amazingly, it is a 3.25% ARM mortgage, one-time-close,  so we are in business.  Yeah!!

Most of the work recently has been behind the scenes,  ordering windows, rock, slate,  fireplaces, gearing up for a major push in the coming weeks.

We do have some solid progress to report in the plumbing,  however.

Remember the Chinese Delta ripoff shower valves?  Here they are in a proper installation. 

Notice the use of PEX (cross-linked polyethylene) tubing, which connects with the copper pipe.  The PEX tubing will not crack when it freezes, but the copper pipe will, so you have to make sure the water drains down and away from the valve.

Here's the shower valves in an improper installation:

Notice here the water does not drain away from the shower valve and will cause the valve and pipes to burst when they freeze.

The vertical pipes going up from the valve on either side will have air pockets to prevent banging or knocking sounds in the pipes.

Our water heater will be a propane tankless water heater, which is more energy-efficient since it only heats the water on-demand, rather than keeping a tank full of water heated at all times.



All is ready for installation of a tankless water heater.



Luckily, we only need one vent stack going through the roof.  Each pipe penetrating the roof means more opportunity for leaks, and damage from snow sliding.



This is going to be Napoleon gas insert fireplace.  Right now it's just a framed hole with a propane line running to it.

We're hoping the pace of construction accelerates, now that we actually have a construction loan and can order the materials that we need and pay all the many different tradesmen and subcontractors.



Spring at Last

Spring has sprung
The grass has riz
I wonder where
The flowers is.

The last of the snow is melting around the cabin, uncovering all the things that got lost under the snow during the winter.  The contractor was wandering around the new cabin yesterday and found a tool that he has lost a few months ago and hadn't been able to find.

Working in brutally cold conditions, braving ice and snow, the crews managed to essentially complete the interior framing and the small roof sections and overhangs for the front entryway, the dining room pop-out and the balcony.  It's really taking shape!  We can now see the final outline of what the finished cabin should look like.

Here are some pictures:

                                                            Front Entry

                                                   The balcony (il balcone).

                                                  The Dining Room Pop-out.

                                                         The Big Window.

Actually, when we realized that the views in and out of the big window were quite limited due to the elevator shaft and stairway, we decided that the bottom half of the big window will be glass block, and the top half will be a big window.

Now that we have good weather, we are ready to make a big push, and try to get as much done as possible, before the rainy season starts.  We'll keep you posted!

Mid-Winter Hiatus

I met with the builder and electrician yesterday to review our progress so far and plan for the next phase, the "electical".
The roof is completed except for the slate, which can't be done until spring.
Conditions are pretty treacherous as everything melts during the day, then freezes at night creating slick ice all around the cabin.  In fact I fell 3 times yesterday when I slipped on ice.  Fortunately no major injuries.  Here are some pictures:

Here's a view of the old cabin from the upstairs of the new cabin:





I think it's time to take a breather, and wait for the bank to catch up to us.  We still haven't got the construction loan yet.
So today we'll go over to Sunrise Park and do some skiing!!!