And there was Light

I may not be spending as much time working on the house, but at least the contractors have been productive.  Tuesday, the mechanical guys installed the water heater that will serve the radiant floor, as well as the associated expansion tank, pressure relief valve, pump, etc.  Now I know I'll be warm this winter!  I don't dare turn it up very high until my second layer of adobe is good and dry or the place will turn into a crack den.

And today, the electricians battled a VERY reluctant bundle of cables to pull them from the sub panel outside into the house.  Lesson learned: two long sweep bends is a tough pull with 2" conduit.  Three bends (like my place) is a real chore!  It was reminiscent of raising the sails on a Maine Windjammer: one, two, three... PUULLLL!  One inch gained.  Sometimes two or three.  It was a nice payoff, though.  On a drizzly, dreary day outside, it was bright and cheery inside for the first time!

Interior Framing

The interior walls are pretty minimal.  

 This shot shows what it was like to work on foam blocks in order to avoid blemishing the adobe floor.

The floor was too soft to screw into, so the bottom plates are not screwed in yet.  As a result, I have diagonal bracing that keep them aligned.  After the top plates were fastened in, the wall were quite secure and those diagonals were removed.

Ready for the rough-ins!  The bathroom is on the left, and the utility closet is on the right.

For some reason, I'm really excited by the attic.  I guess I just gravitate toward quirky, intimate spaces.  (That may explain why I enjoy camping in tents and cruising on small sailboats!)  It was unnaturally gratifying to cut out the hatch to gain access to the attic.