Adobe Wall

As I write this post, I am reminded that our initial building plan was to complete this house in just three years. I am also reminded of the construction adage: building will always take more money and more time than you think. This is indeed true for yet another pair of home builders - us.

Scott and I have been back in Torrey for one week now. However Scott completed a big project here while I was wrapping up loose ends in Logan. He built the adobe wall behind our masonry stove. Our thinking is that our masonry stove will heat our big main room and, at the same time, heat the adobe wall. The warm wall will then heat the air in Scott's office on the other side.

So, in early May, Scott contemplated this stack of 151 adobe bricks, which we made last summer with the help of my brother John's family: Wesley, Casey, Kelli, Jessica, Barbara and John.



 

First Scott framed an 8-foot X 8-foot wall.

He then set up a story pole on the edges of the studs. The purpose of a story pole (also called preacher board or jury stick) is to keep the wall level and plumb as well as to keep the courses at the correct height. He stretched a string aligned with the marks on the story pole and stacked the wall.

One concern we hoped to address was the stability of such a narrow, tall wall - 5 1/2 inches wide by 8 feet tall. To tie the entire wall together, Scott placed a masonry ladder (a welded-metal lattice) within the mortar every other course. The ends of the ladder were attached to the frame on each side of the wall.

The mortar recipe was essentially the same mix used in the plaster on the exterior of the house - high-clay-content dirt from our property, a little added masonry sand, finely chopped straw and water. 

One month later, the mortar has dried and the wall seems perfect. The only thing we have left to do is plaster both sides. That should happen this summer.

Drainback Solar Heating System

There are two types of solar heating systems appropriate for cold climates: glycol and drainback closed-loop systems. We chose to use the drainback system because it best fit our application. Rather than explain this system myself, I think this is the best internet site to begin learning the details involved in it. Our system is essentially designed on the same principals found at this site. However, our system only has one tank, which acts as both the drainback tank and the storage tank.

The article found at the referenced link explains that a drainback solar water heater is not able to provide 100% of the hot water we will need. So we have paired our system with a tankless heater. This will provide any additional heat we may need on the coldest and cloudiest days in Torrey.

This is the mechanical room for both the culinary water and the radiant floor. Heat for both will be provided by the drainback solar heating system. The tankless heater that provides any necessary supplemental heat is the gray box in the upper right hand corner of this photo.




For us, the negative aspect of this whole system was the type of solar panels we could use. As you can see, they are big and architecturally unattractive. The fact that we will ultimately use minimal propane for heat resulting in very small utility bills, will make them more and more attractive as time goes by. With a closed-loop glycol system, it is possible to use panels that can be mounted flush with a roof, but the glycol system appeared unworkable for what we needed.

I did have to laugh a little when reading one internet site that said, "... the drainback solar system is relatively cheap and simple to install and maintain." I'm just not quite sure what it's cheap relative to.

Solar Heating System

It’s funny how ostensibly minor events are, in truth, milestones. Today that small event was a drive to the post office to mail an envelope containing the documentation showing our solar heating system is now installed and working. It’s the details that led to this moment that paint the larger picture.

Detail number one: In early May of 2010, Wayne, our architect, visited us in Torrey for a few days in order to help us work on our timber frame. Serendipitously, during that week, Phillip, our plumber stopped by our yurt to discuss the installation of the water tank for our solar heating system. Because they both happened to be there at the same time, they sat down together and devised a much-improved plan that would store our hot water in an underground tank and would preserve storage space inside our house.

Detail number two: Not long after, Dura Crete, a Salt Lake company, manufactured that water tank and delivered it to Torrey where it was easily installed in a hole beside our house. On the same day, Phillip and company completed that portion of the solar heating system by, among other things, placing copper heat exchangers inside the tank.

Detail number three: At the same time, Scott, Doug, Shanna and I laid out the PEX tubing which will allow the hot water from the buried tank to circulate throughout the house providing heat when we need it. Once that was done, Tyler and crew poured our cement floor.

Detail number four: In August, we raised the timber frame and built the porch in September and October.

Detail number five: Tyler’s crews spent any time they had between jobs from October to the first week of January building the roof to the point when Scott would be able to blow in 10,000 pounds of insulation, which he did from January 11-14.

Detail number six: The weather was cooperative so, once again, Tyler and crews ? into action and put the exterior metal sheathing on the entire house (except the porch) and installed the tubular skylight  in the main bathroom.

Detail number seven: With the weather still cooperating, Phillip and Paul had the perfect window to put our six solar panels on the roof and complete the entire heating system.

Detail number eight: Scott and I drove to Torrey last Friday, met will Phillip to gather signatures, and we took photos of the entire heating system in order to provide the required documentation for our Utah Renewable Energy Rebate...due on March 7.

Detail number nine: Scott spent two days preparing the final paperwork for the rebate and put the whole affair in the mail this morning.

Why a milestone? We’ve made the deadline with time to spare. But even more importantly, Scott is scheduled for back surgery on February 28. We’ll take a hiatus until he’s back in building shape, and we have no looming deadlines to meet. Whew!

Phillip and Paul working on the copper heat exchangers.

Scott down the access hole to the control "room" of our water tank.

Scott receiving instruction from Phillip.

Six solar panels on the roof.

 Scott stroking the panels.

Scott, Phillip and the panels.










Insulated pipes bring water from the panels to the tank and back.

Phillip teaching Scott how the system is regulated from the mechanical closet.

The panels at work bringing the water up to a perfect 140 degrees.