Cupola

Pieter decided it was time for the cupola

Nice pattern

The hole is getting smaller

and smaller

Going,

going,

going,

going,

going,

GONE!

... matter of taste ...

Bedrooms

Last ceiling covered

...

and last piece of the wall covered

...

...

north bedroom painted

west bedroom painted

Tiles in the walk in-closet,

...

and the master bedroom

DONE

finally my Phalaenopsis in bloom.

Bathrooms

The curve

Tiling of the bath tub

Finished!

Any ideas how to cover this?

Bathroom upstairs, very joyful.

here comes the sink

It's a winner!

Thanks to the artist, Noud van Dijk

Slow progress

Pieter slaving over the tiles in the downstairs bathroom

Due to the curved nature of the walls we had to find a tile pattern that will cover the straight line distortions

a little grout and the shower will be done

...

we have a little bit of space in the notch of the wall...

... for this beautiful bath faucet

This is the shower in the upstairs bathroom

The picture does not do justice to the tiles

The door for the shower came slightly damaged

Emergency generator and gas tank installed

Culvert and ...

the water overflow, done

The driveway is fixed and covered with fresh stones so we do not have to step in the mud every time it rains

...

...

Worked to the bone!

• The driveway

Precision work

For good drainage we buried 2 pipes in the gravel

...

now some grass

around the corner the trench is even longer

...

Local bluegrass band at the 4th of July celebration.

Two bathrooms

Pieter decided to do the 2 bathrooms in the big dome at the same time!

Upper floor bathroom shower divider wall.

The shower floor...

The tiles with all possible colors!

Pieter was so fast that I did not have time to make a picture of the water proofing!

This is the downstairs master bathroom ceiling.


The shower enclosure is going to be built out of glass blocks

The floor and curb

Got-ya, the waterproofing and the first row of glass blocks

Looking for tiles.....

Too many....

Not enough colors

Love the dots!

Friendly guardian

Accomplishments & Troubles

Installing bamboo floors...

... in the guest quarters...

... in the small dome.

Accomplished.

Taping the curves...

... of the stairwell

The plumbing in the master bathroom

Sometimes is pretty tight.

Finally I figured out how I want the kitchen arranged.

Disaster! One of the valves sprung a leak.

Water was leaking for two days!

Previously we had problems with the floor mats sticking to the concrete, now everything was wet and loose.

So we took the opportunity to experiment with different glues.

We decided urethane glue was sufficient.

Pieter spreading the glue in the garage.

Dogwood.

More stuff

Time for sheetrock on the upper floor, interior walls

...
...

Toilet in the vestibule

Nice pattern

On the walls

This sketch is for the master bathroom

The glass blocks for the shower.

We are living in the clouds!

Bunch of stuff

The bathroom in the small dome

First the "Ditra"

.

Then the tiles

.

And the fixtures

.

Ready to use

.

Pieter is studying the stairs manual for the small dome

.

Phallus magnificus

.

The propellers

.

Looking great

.

Crystal bush

More sheetrock

Kitchen layout this way...

...or that way?

the rest of the insulation and sheetrock

cupola ceiling

...

...

...almost...

almost...

DONE!!!!

we have hot water!

...

entrance in the small dome

nice and cozy

this one is for my sister Ela, because she misses the snow

Insulating the big dome

All that insulation has to go on the wall/ceiling (?)

Going well (sorry for the orbs, some times they show up)

Above the second floor

...

little by little...

...by little...

Pieter admires his work

...

...

...

...

...

almost done

Another gorgeous morning

two months of sweating

It took more time than we expected...

DONE!!!

We have heating!

Finally airco is connected

Stone elevation almost finished

Last piece of the wall

Painting the corridor in the small dome

Every triangle is painted in a different color

Pieter started insulation on the second floor (big dome)

Winter is upon us... only for a few hours

Christmas tree in Boston

The first space is done

The garage is done...

Except for trimming, this will be done after the rest of building is finished.


Pieter is moving in.


Unpacking his pride and joy.


Too many pieces?

Just before the rain Pieter was able to finish the plastering.

Stone setting is precision work

Notice the "gravelshims"© (patent pending ;-))))))

Looking good,

This is going to be a root cellar!

This cocoon was apple green with golden dots! when we found it. Now it is black/beige, I wonder what the butterfly looks like.

Geotherm

The end result of digging.

.

The pipes are in...

...and the trenches closed.

.

Now inside, the big dome upstairs...

...downstairs...

...and the vestibule.

This is in the small dome.

That is where all the ducts come together, soon.

We have visitors...

Loes, doing taping.

Good team work. Noud & Pieter (re)hanging the garage door (low head room rails).

We started the sheetrock in the big dome.

...

Well, hello there.

Still busy

Sliding door in the kitchen

Pieter making connections in the radiant heat tubes

"Vakmanschap is meesterschap"

Manifolds for the radiant heat system

70 PSI and holding

Trenches for the geothermal heat exchange

Pieter supervising ;))

This beauty is a Cardinal chick

Busy, busy

We finished the siding for the small dome. It almost looks like a barn!

Inside, the last sheetrock upstairs,

...

Bathroom with light tunnel and...

The toilet that is almost without all that funny stuff in the back! Trivial, only until you have to clean it.

The workshop area is progressing slowly,

First "corner" is done.

Window in the bedroom

With a little help from the truck

Now the front door

Done!

And together.

Absolutely worn out.....

Inside and out

Pieter's workshop is almost ready

...

Jolanta is busy experimenting with tapes and compounds

The supposedly best, Straitflex, is a pain to apply, stiff and does not want to stick to the "buttered" surface. I had to use spray to glue it.
Mesh is good, flexible and self adhesive.

More difficult connection

I use this tool to make nice corners and it works well on the multiple angles in one location.

The outside of the domes is backfilled.

The road is wider; too many trucks got stuck in the curve.

Now some gravel...

...person gets tired from all that work.

Here still lots of excavating to be done later.

Finally the siding!

The wood under the house-wrap was well protected over the winter.

Nice fella, not poisonous, eats mice and birds.

new beginning

Pieter is continuing with the framing in the Big Dome

Second floor: ceiling and floor, just in case we want to make more rooms.

In the mean time perfect place to play hide & seek

Framing finished!

Radiant heating pipes in the Small Dome

...
Aluminum plates to reflect the heat/cold

Installing the first sheetrock in the workshop

Nice trench for the water and electric

...from the well



and the transformer to the house

Unexpected visitor

Hello again

Yippee, Pieter is coming home!

Well, I've got the word, Pieter is coming home by the end of the month!
This means that we are continuing with the building providing that the weather cooperates. As you can see we are in the middle of the winter here.

This picture was made this morning, pretty icy.

Trenches

I have been working on the drainage system,

It is slow moving because most trenches are deep and there is not enough space for equipment,

Some places are so narrow that the gravel needed to be moved by bucket.

Now I can park the car in the garage!

Flower bud from the poplar tree,

And an open one.

The real life

Yes, it looks like the real life caught up with us. Pieter's got his marching orders from his employer and left for work.
It means I will be working alone for a while. Definitely not much fun doing it alone.
I am sorry for your anxiety, "anonymous" waiting for new pics,
as you can see there is always a rainbow over the horizon ;-))

Framing and things

OK! We have the first wall framing for the second story in the big dome

The second one

And the third

All done

Now the ceiling

Thanks to the laser everything is level

Painting the footing

Drainage

Electrical work almost finished in the small dome

...
...
Do I see triangles here?

Progress report

Drywall upstairs in the small dome, finished

We will finish downstairs when the electrician is done

Garage door, installed

Workshop door, installed

Windows in the entrance area, installed

Big dome: working on the insulation ;-))))

....

We took visiting friends Susan and Barry to see an original dome in the Native American village

Proof that the summer is near

Drywall

Some pictures from the small dome

...

...

...

...

...

...

perfect place for a nest! (top right)

...

Master cutter

2nd floor drywall almost done

winter does not want to let go yet

time for the cupola windows

second one

all windows in

mezzanine in the big dome

...

spring will prevail after all

Connecting the dots

Second story floor

Connecting the beams and the joists

First beam for the mezzanine

The floor beams

...

The joists done

The cupola looks very close by from here.

Now the plywood

...

...

Opening for the stairs

...

The neighbors visiting

It looks like spring is coming!

Winter reflections

Remember the last picture from the first (very long) posting?
Well, we went to that mountain and photographed our domes.

General view, the domes are in the middle, ...really

Zooooom, that gray dot slightly left from the center

Framing is coming along

First floor pieces...

...

and the insulation, of course.

Winter, at crack of dawn.

TO ALL

WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR PROJECT AND EXPECT ANSWER, PLEASE LEAVE YOUR E-MAIL ADDRESS.

Now the BIG job

Take some insulation,

--

wham, wham, fits as a glove

--

add ledger beams around,

...in place

construct some framing for support,

and you have the base for the 2nd floor

Local beauty, from a poplar tree

Insulation, insulation

First floor insulation - done

First pentagon on the second floor

...

...

...

some accidental art...

...

it's getting warmer inside

bathroom will be lighted by "sun tunnel"

it was a mistake to do the wall framing before insulation

almost...

now the smaller dome is toasty

another gorgeous sunset

Brrrrrrr!!!

We have snow for a week now.

Pieter is building the walls inside the small dome.

the craftsmanship

There is going to be storage above the bathroom

Any moisture that froze at night is melting in the day time

inside work

Preparing for the winter, by closing all door openings

Pieter started framing in the smaller dome

...

I am working on the insulation

...

Yep, it's winter

Our Home

4/23/05 The beginning


4/23/05

First survey circle

5/29/05Both circles visible, in the middle will be the entrance

6/30/05

Foundation almost done, and we are waiting for the plumbing lines...

7/7/05

...the DOME arrived. That is the pile under the blue coverings. Pieter decided to renovate the old barn with his friend Loet

7/13/05 It's very hot and humid. Loet proud of hanging two garage doors!

8/3/05

In the mean time we laid the pipes for radiant heating

8/11/05

Step1,
Finally, above the ground

8/13/05

Step 2

8/14/05

Step 3

8/14/05

Step 4

8/14/05

First dome structure seen from below

8/14/05

Step 5
First one is finished

8/15/05

now the second

8/23/05

Done!

8/23/05

Isn't it beautiful?

9/15/2005

Morning mist

8/24/2005

studs, studs...

8/24/2005

...more studs

8/24/2005

The Man

8/29/2005

first plywood pentagon nailed down

8/29/2005

how do I get down now...

8/31/2005

first visitor


8/31/2005 looking good

9/9/2005
busy, busy, busy

9/11/2005
The Woman


9/11/2005Ready for the roofer

9/11/2005

view from the inside

9/11/2005
our neighbors, John and Carol

9/12/2005

studs again

9/14/2005

almost done

9/3/2005

sunset

9/18/2005

Cupola

9/18/2005

perfect alignment

9/24/2005

entry way...

... in progress

9/21/2005

this is how it's done

9/18/2005 started on the second dome

9/19/2005

first row done

9/28/2005

second row, done

9/21/2005

leaves start turning colors...,

9/27/2005

DINNER!

9/29/2005

last bit of raining cloud,

9/29/2005

it is still raining there.

The Roofer is coming.........

10/3/2005

this is going to be entrance

10/4/2005

.....Jerome, the roofer

10/4/2005

First window is in...

10/4/2005

first triangle!!!

10/5/2005

going fast,

10/5/2005

I hope we can keep up with his tempo.

10/5/2005

3 rows of plywood done.

10/5/2005

back side, the openings are for glass doors and windows.

10/10/2005

roof going up, plywood to.

sad looking "eyes"

10/13/2005

another sunset

While Jerome working on the flat roof...

...we have to finish the big dome

first the extensions, (o so cold and windy)

next the window framing,

done in two days,

and the last row of the plywood (4pics)

...

...

...

want to play?

I am pretty, o so pretty....

Wow, it is high!

The last triangle on the small dome

DONE,

now some skylights

First pipe for the cupola...

and first strut...

...

the roof beams

it looks like the birds came to look as well (the black specks in the sky)

all the struts and the studs are in place

plywood in. Jerome could not wait to make the "run" to the top

This picture is for my sister Ela, who is complaining that there are too many pictures of the details.

Autumn

Entrance to the smaller dome

Once we finished the extensions and cupola Jerome was like tornado,
before we knew it, it was time to say goodbyes.
Jerome, we miss you already.
Right now we have lots of rain so your work is put to the test immediately. :)))

She is really keeping eye on us ;))))

Couple of windows...

1,2,3...

again...

1,2,3...

done, almost...

simply enchanted

last quarter

almost there...

WOW! this is having roof above your head!

The First SNOW!

This concludes the outside part of the domes.
We will be working inside if the temperature is not below the freezing point.
I am giving up the current posting format. From now on I will post the regular way, that is the newest pictures on top in separate postings.