This weekend the design build crew was very excited to walk on site to a raised roof! Kent and an East Branch Studio team set the front knee wall, followed by roof’s wooden trusses, which are anchored at ridge and eaves with 24 foot LVLs. Zip sheathing was then fastened to the trusses creating the roof deck and taped at the seams as further insurance against air leakage. The addition of the roof gives the structure a whole different feeling along with the added benefit of providing a dry space for work and storage.

The race to get the house “dried in” continued this weekend with more sheathing, Solitex Mento House Wrap, and Tescon Vanna Tape. We also prepared the window openings for window installation, adding window bucks that extend past the framing. This is necessary to accommodate the thick layer of outboard insulation and strapping which will provide attachment points for siding.

The addition of the roof reopened the debate over the possibility of adding a clerestory window. Meghan, an architecture grad student on our team, drew two options showing the clerestory window’s impact on the North and South Elevations which will be dependent on the final orientation of the building’s roof as will be determined by solar access at its final site (more on this in upcoming posts). The team felt this would break up the vertical shipped lap siding on the tall South Facade that is now quite prominent. Furthermore it would provide additional daylight to the interior and make the living room feel more open. With the knee wall in place, adding a window would have required modifying the existing framing. Also, the living room already has plenty of glazing area between the windows and doors; in light of this, we again decided against adding the window.

Now that the framing, sheathing, Weather Resistant Barrier (WRB) installation, air sealing, and window prep are nearly finished; the window and door installation is the next step on the critical path. This is a necessary prerequisite for rough electrical work, interior and exterior insulation and finish work, and ultimately, testing the building for airtightness. As the team works on wrapping up this phase of construction, we are enjoying watching the process of the Hygge House developing from an idea towards a finished product.