Dome in the Snow

My New Kitchen

I wanted to post some pictures of my new kitchen. It is not finished yet, but coming along nicely.

This is the desk area. The doorway on the left leads to the living room. The door on the right is the pantry.


This is the island and counter with prep sink and cook top in it.


This is the island, the wall ovens, and the sink. The doorway goes into the living room.


This is a built-in hutch and china cabinet for my Polish Pottery. There will be a broom closet to the right of it.


This is the counter for my microwave, crock pot, fruits, eggs, etc. The doorway on the right is the laundry room.

We have walls!

Andrew started on the walls. This room will end up being the guest room.

Installing the First Window, Part II

Andrew worked on framing in the window and making it weather-proof.

Outside view:

Inside view:

Lexie rappelling off the dome.

Installing the First Window, Part I

Andrew is currently installing the first window. He used me to help lift the window unit into place and the boys to hold the window while he secured it.

Side view:

Outside view:

Inside view:

Painted Dome

On the 10th of February, Andrew and his helper, Michael, painted the inside of the dome. It is the primer coat.

The inside of the dome went from looking like this...

to this. Much nicer!

Andrew and his helper cleaning up.

I think the back of his suit says it all.

Our New Doors

This is the front door for the dome. It was delivered on February 13th.

On February 19th, the other three doors were delivered. This is the french doors for the kitchen.

There are really two doors here, exactly the same. One is the back door and one is the upstairs door.

They are all unfinished and will be painted later.

Setting the Anchor

Andrew wanted to set the anchor in the top of the dome. The anchor has an eye on both ends to make dome maintenance easier. On Wednesday, Andrew and Zachary climbed up the dome to drill a pilot hole through the foam and concrete. Michael was the ground crew, tying needed equipment on the rope. After Andrew had drilled the hole from the top, he had to drill from the inside. This required several trips up and down the dome.

After Andrew inserted the bolt, Michael tightened it from inside of the dome. While Andrew and Zachary tightened it from the the top of the dome.

Michael sitting on top of the scaffolding inside the dome, waiting for further instruction.

Andrew holding the rope while Zachary climbs back down the dome.

Zachary, in his Swiss seat, walking down the side of the dome.

Job well done, boys!

Windows

Here are the windows for our dome.

They were delivered a few weeks ago. The doors have been ordered and should be here in about a month. Here is a picture of the front door we ordered.

We also ordered two doors with glass in the top half of them (one will be the back door and one will be the upstairs door) and a set of french door for the kitchen.

Snow on the Dome

We woke up yesterday morning to about an inch of snow. Here is what the dome looked like with the snow on it.

The snow is gone now. The kids are praying for more!

Sixth and Seventh Days of Shotcrete

Due to internet issues, I have been unable to post these pictures when they were taken. What I do remember clearly is that there were many obstacles to overcome on those two days. There was freezing weather and equipment failure both on our end and with the concrete company.

Rick and Andrew standing in the doorway.

The walls drying.

Cleaning concrete off the floor.

Despite all the problems, they were still able to spray another batch on the ceiling.

Bruce spraying the ceiling.

What Bruce looked like when he got done spraying.

Fifth Day of Shotcrete

The crew took Sunday off for a much needed break. The blower was turned off over the weekend and will not be used again. The airlock was removed, making entering and exiting the dome much easier.

Rick standing in the doorway where the airlock used to be. This will be the location of my front door.

Andrew cut open the doorways for more ventilation. This opening will be french doors in the kitchen.

Andrew cutting open the hole for the back door.

There will also be a door on the second floor for the kids.

The scaffolding's motor was replaced and worked well, as did the pump. The crew was able to spray on 8 yards from the concrete trucks and make a bunch of their own batches in the Bobcat mixer.

Brian and Roger making a batch. The Bobcat will make a 1/3 of a yard of shotcrete.

The batch mixing.

Roger watching the batch being dumped into the hopper.

The outside guys: Brian and Roger.

The inside guys: Rick, Andrew, and Bruce.

My gorgeous husband, Andrew, in all his safety gear, so he won't get shotcrete in his eyes again.

Third and Fourth Days of Shotcrete

The concrete truck arrived with 4 yards. The crew started spraying and then the pump started acting up. Over the course of many long hours, they were able to spray about 3 yards before the pump called it quits. The crew had made a form to pour a pad for Andrew's saw mill, just in case the concrete had to be used. With the pump failing and concrete still left in the truck, Brian poured the pad.

Brian finished the pad. He even made the corners smooth so the kids could decorate it. Notice the turkey tracks to the left of Brian in the concrete.

Rick and Bruce watching Roger and Brian work on the pump.

Rick holding the hose while Andrew reconnects it.

The next day, Andrew and Roger continued to work on the pump. Andrew replaced the peristaltic hose and hoped that would fix the problem.

Brian giving Jack (dog) a ride in the Bobcat at the end of the work day. Roger walking down the hill behind him.

The inside of the dome on Saturday afternoon (end of day four).

Looking straight up the wall.