Foam and Rebar Done

On day three, they continued to spray foam and hang rebar ties.

This the very top of the dome. The last part to be sprayed with foam.

The foam components comes in two barrels. The white barrel is isocyanite and the green barrel is resin. They are combined as they are applied.

On day four, they sprayed the top of the dome, hung the rebar ties, then finished spraying it. That concluded the foam spraying. Andrew hung all the rebar ties in the dome.

On day five, they began to hang rebar. Here is Michael helping Andrew tie rebar.

At the end of the first day of rebar hanging, they had hung 10 rings of rebar around the inside of the dome.

I didn't get any pictures on the second day of rebar hanging. Here is Roger, Andrew, and Jeremy hanging and tying rebar on the third day.

At the end of the third day.

The top of the dome on the middle of the fourth day.

At the end of the fourth day, they completed the rebar.

Ready for shotcrete.

Andrew admiring all the hard work.

For eight days, the whole team worked really hard. Thank you to Melvin, Roger, Jeremy, and, of course, my husband, Andrew.

After, Thanksgiving break, they start spraying shotcrete. Yeah!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! We are very thankful for all our family and friends! We also are thankful to God for the countless blessings He has bestowed upon us!

Dome Update

On September 1st, Marty and Melvin came over from the other job they're working on to attach the airform and test the blower.

Here Andrew, Marty, and Melvin are unrolling the airform and fitting it around the ring beam.

Here Andrew and Melvin are permanently attaching the airform to the ring beam.

Then, the airform was inflated and the blower failed. Here is the airlock and half of the blower.

So, the blower needed to be repaired. It was taken to a place in Harrison, that fixed it under warranty. Come to find out, the motor needed to be replaced. Ordering a new motor and removing it from the fan takes awhile. In the mean time, Hurricanes Gustav and Ike blew through here, leaving the deflated airform covered with water, leaves and other debris.
On October 7th, with the blower fixed, we inflated the airform again. Andrew and the boys got inside and helped push the water off the airform.

When fully inflated, the airform looked like a scoop of chocolate chip ice cream. Okay, that's what it looked like to me.

Another view of the inflated airform.

After inflated, the guys went into the airform to assemble the scaffolding. Marty had bought it straight from the factory and this was the first time it had been set up. One of the tires did not fit on the axel of the scaffording. This had to be fixed before any further set up could be done.

On October 30th, we inflated the airform for the final time. The scaffolding was assembled. Marty and Roger had to go back to the other job they are working on. Andrew went to work framing the doors and making the frames for the windows. We also pressure washed the airform.

Here are door frames on the inside of the airform.

And the same doorways on the outside of the airform. Also, notice the sewer line coming down the hill.

On November 15th, the crew was back and ready to work. The foam comes in two barrels and has to be combined as it is applied. The crew also has to wear protective gear while spraying. Here are Andrew and Melvin getting some refreshments before heading back in the airform. Roger was in the airform spraying.

This is what it looked like at the end of the first day of spraying foam. They sprayed from the bottom to about 7 feet high.

Notice that they sprayed the window frame right to the wall. Also notice, the rebar ties sticking out of the wall.

On day two, they sprayed another coat over the first coat to set the rebar ties. The final thickness of the foam is about 3 inches. Here is the same window after the spraying on day two.

They also sprayed the first coat of foam from about 7 feet to about 14 feet. After they were done, Andrew set the rebar ties.

Another picture of Andrew setting rebar ties on the scaffolding.

This picture is the front door, living room windows and skylight, taken last night after Andrew was finished hanging rebar ties from about 7 feet to about 14 feet.

This picture is the back door, kitchen french doors, and the kids' windows upstairs.

They will continue to work today.

Quick Trip

I'm on my way to South Dakota for a few days. I will be posting about the dome when I get back. Stay safe! Oh, and, Happy Birthday, Annie! We love you very much!