Dancing with the Subs (Day 78 of 273)

With the exterior walls mostly up, the framers are waiting on us to do the Warmboard/Pex routine. They can go down into the basement and build the stairs and a few walls, but they are so fast that's only a morning's work for them. So, we're frantically trying to lay Pex tubing in the Warmboard between rain storms. This is what I like to call "Dancing with the Subs." Sub 1, Us, the layers. Sub 2, the framers (Gary and Lonnie). Sub 3, Mother Nature. Three variables (subs), two outcomes (go, no go) for each, means 8 possible scenarios. In order to get the Pex down we need dry weather or the silicon caulk won't hold the tubing in place. Monday we got 2 loops (500 ft) of tubing down before Sub 3 took control. Tuesday, we got 3 loops in by dancing around the rain and getting Gary and Lonnie to help on the last loop. With 4 people involved, it felt like a circus. After cleaning and drying off the Warmboard (ca. 200 square ft per loop), it started to sprinkle. So Lonnie led off with a roll of paper towels and dried the channel. Nancy followed with her new favorite tool—an electric caulking gun. Gary followed her with the tubing, which he dried off and placed in the channel. I pulled up the rear with hammer and tamping block in hand. At every corner I nailed the tubing down using electricians plates. The only nut-breaker in this process is too much or too little caulk. With too much the tubing won't go all the way in and stands up proud (high). With too little, the tubing will pop out, usually on the corners. Loops 3 and 4 (earlier that day) took Nancy and I about 90 minutes to do. However, with the new circus crew of 4, we finished the fifth loop in 30 minutes. There is hope.

So today we'll try for a few more loops (4 of 9 to go). I bought a 20' x 30' tarp and a bunch of bungees and rope last night, hoping to tent over the next loop. That way we'll only have to clean and dry each section once. That the plan—let's see what Sub 3 has in mind. By the way, the forecast is for 10-20 inches (yes inches not cm) of rainfall in the Olympic Mtns for Wed and Thursday. They are about 50 miles SW of us, so we are praying for the famous Blue Hole to save us.

P.S. Thursday. I called Jason back to the jobsite to help me, since Nancy had to work today (I call it her day off when she works downtown). It rained in the am, so we constructed a tent over the floor and pressed on. Managed to get loops 6 & 7 done before lunch, then the wind came up and whipped the 20' x 30' tarp around like a bandana. However, that was followed by sun and dry weather, so we laid the last two loops (8 & 9) in record time. Finished about 4 pm, and spent the rest of my day cleaning up all the paper towels (5 rolls) and empty caulking tubes (52) that we scattered hither and yond. So, as of today (Jan. 8th), the house is back in the hands of Ellis Construction. Friday (tomorrow) is the framer's weekly construction meeting, which we've been invited too, at the Spruce Goose Cafe—7 am prompt. If we don't show up there will be a lot of owner/builder jokes told.