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Progress on the house was relatively slow during t

Progress on the house was relatively slow during the latter half of the winter. Most activity at the project site happened in bursts, often separated by long periods of unavoidable but occasionally frustrating inactivity.
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One piece of advice I would give to any owner-builder is to have a little "extra" of everything. Extra time, extra money, extra patience, extra flexibility, etc, etc, etc. Projects rarely fly fully off the rails, but they also rarely go totally right. It's risky to be right up against your limits, and having a bit of a buffer is key.

In mid-January the EPDM roofing was installed, top

In mid-January the EPDM roofing was installed, topping off the whole roof assembly. Getting the roof finished and protected from the elements before any weather could hit was an enormous relief.
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Many houses use asphalt shingles or metal roofing, but these traditional materials aren't appropriate for low-angle roofs in cold climates because snow and ice can back up under their seams, expand, and destroy the roofing. Most low-angle (aka "flat") roofs use single-ply sheet roofing. There are three main products on the market: EPDM, TPO, and PVC. All of these materials come in rolls and are attached with heat, glues, or mechanical fasteners. Each material has its advantages, but I decided on EPDM because it is affordable, reliable, and has a long track record of success in Alaska and beyond.
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EPDM is a tough, extremely stable and resilient synthetic rubber. In addition to roofing, it is often used to make gaskets, car parts, and pool liners. The EPDM material used on my house had a "peel-and-stick" backing, and seams were reinforced and glued. EPDM comes in two popular thicknesses for residential use: 45-mil and 60-mil. 60-mil is slightly more expensive but significantly more durable, making it a worthwhile upgrade for my project.
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The biggest knock on EPDM is that it's not attractive, but personally I'm a fan of the clean and pragmatic look. And the top of my roof isn't really visible from the lot anyway.
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It's possible to install EPDM on your own, but I hired a crew because I wanted to move quickly to protect the roof assembly and because installation in winter requires much more skill. A propane torch had to be used to melt ice off of the decking and warm the glues to a proper curing temperature. It was money well spent. Thanks to Rain Proof Roofing in Anchorage for giving me a fair quote, moving quickly, and answering my many questions. The installers clearly cared about their work and seemed excited to discuss the material and installation process.
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#alaska #thealaskalife #ownerbuilder #construction #homebuilding #housebuilding #epdmrubber

Roofs can be separated into two categories: cold r

Roofs can be separated into two categories: cold roofs and warm roofs. Some roof designs blur the lines between these two types, and the terms only make literal sense in northern climates, where interior spaces are heated and exterior air is "cold." Nevertheless, the distinction is helpful to understand and the terms are almost universally used in the building community.
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The line between a building's conditioned interior living space and exterior space is called the "thermal envelope." In a cold roof design, structural framing is placed largely outside the thermal envelope. In a warm roof design, structural framing is placed largely inside the thermal envelope.
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Most roofs in American buildings are "cold roofs." In a cold roof design, interior finishing and insulation layers are separated from the structural framing by a ventilation channel that allows exterior air to circulate through the assembly. If you've ever climbed up into an attic that is cooler or warmer than the living space below it, you've been inside the "ventilation channel" of a cold roof. The beauty of a cold roof design is that it separates the roles of the different components: the structural roof framing only needs to support the roofing, and the insulation only needs to insulate. Moisture that intrudes into either layer is removed by the ventilation channel. Cold roofs are very resilient, and are the norm in both old and new construction for a reason.
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So why mess with a good thing? Well, a designer might want to show off the beams holding up the roof, which requires that they be inside of the conditioned living space. And flat roofs often lack the slope for ventilation channels to work effectively. In these cases, a "warm roof" (also called a "hot roof") might be preferred. Warm roofs place the structural framing inside the thermal envelope, and locate most or all of the insulation outside of the framing. Warm roofs can be highly efficient, because the insulation forms a continuous, unbroken layer around the building. However, the lack of ventilation means that warm roofs have to be detailed well to prevent moist interior air or exterior water from entering the assembly.

Meet the newest member of the AK House Project cre

Meet the newest member of the AK House Project crew, Taiga the puppy. Taiga is an 18-week-old samoyed pup. Samoyeds are Siberian working dogs known for their high energy, friendly characters, and extreme floofiness. I've had Taiga since he was 8 weeks and living with him so far has been a nonstop (if sometimes sleep-deprived) adventure.
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Taiga doesn't spend a lot of time at the job site just yet, since loose nails are bad for puppy paws. But I'm taking him by occasionally so he can get used to the neighborhood trails. Once he's a little older his jobsite responsibilities will include moose alerts and party planning.
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#alaska #samoyeds #dogsofinstagram #workingdog

After over a year spent framing and reframing, we

After over a year spent framing and reframing, we finally reached the very top of the roof. The upper sheathing was fastened with a thousand 12" screws and large galvanized washers. I'm not gonna lie: buying the screws gave me a little sticker shock. Sometimes the housebuilding process involves grand ideas, excitement, and creativity. Sometimes it means getting up early so you can drive around bleary-eyed in the dark to an industrial supply store and somehow spend a thousand dollars on tubs of ordinary-looking black screws. But it's all part of the process. Regardless, this is an exciting milestone: for the first time, the interior of the house is totally protected from the elements.
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Roof designs are a big and interesting topic. Rather than try to cram everything about hot vs. cold roofs, ventilation, ice damming, etc. into a single post, I'll address a few of these topics over the next few weeks. I'll also include a diagram of the final akhouseproject roof assembly, which I believe does a good job balancing efficiency, cost, aesthetics and resilience in an Alaska climate.
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#alaska #alaskalife #construction #ownerbuilder #ownerbuilding #homebuilding #housebuilding

It's been a pretty interesting last few weeks. A F

It's been a pretty interesting last few weeks. A Facebook post I made months ago about my framing problems suddenly went viral and was shared over 24,000 times. I received hundreds of messages from around the world and picked up a little over 8,000 new followers on Instagram overnight. Most of the feedback has been from industry professionals and it has been sympathetic, funny, kind, and very insightful. I'm seriously overwhelmed by it all and I promise I will respond to every message.
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I've had a lot of questions about where the project is at now and I wanted to provide a quick update. First, all of the defective framing created by original GC was demolished and I began reframing with a new contractor. See my previous posts for details. The reframing is going really well, and the quality of work is drastically better this time around. The cuts are tight, fasteners are correct, and the plans are being followed to the letter. As of today, we just need to finish some roof details, build a couple interior walls, cut out the windows, and take care of a few other odds and ends. Should be done in two or three weeks.
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I'm glad my initial framing disaster has been so instructive. To all the new folks following along: welcome! I'll keep posting about that situation to the extent that I think it's helpful, but I hope this account becomes about much more than memorializing a disaster. There's a lot of exciting stuff in the homebuilding process that I'm looking forward to sharing. Stay tuned.
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#anchorage #anchorageak #construction #building #ownerbuilder #ownerbuilding

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