Our first house in Elk Rock Meadow has made some great progress since our post about the framing being in progress HERE. The Blue Ridge Mountain Home update shows that the cabinets are set, insulation fills the walls, and the roughed-in HVAC system is installed. These photos from a few weeks ago show an important stage of construction. First, you can see that the house wrap is installed allowing vapor to move through the walls. This particular house wrap has a very high permeability rating which is very important in our climate to maintain durability over a long time. With our multiple vapor drive seasons in this mixed humid climate, we want walls to be able to dry both to the inside and outside. We spend a lot of time thinking through this building science challenge.
This is also the perfect time to check out how the ductwork is installed and just as important, protected. You can see that there is mastic at all joints allowing the air these clients are paying to heat or cool to get to the room it is designed to go to make it more efficient. I was also pleased to find the ductwork sealed to prevent drywall dust from entering the ductwork. This extra step is critical for a healthy and durable HVAC system when the system is turned on post construction.
We were also able to see the insulation installation. This is just as critical as the house wrap in a total building science system. A complete installation fills and fits all gaps and cracks to prevent air leakage.
Finally, it was a great chance to see the cabinet installation in progress. The fit and finish of the cabinetry show the quality and care that Herr and Company put into their projects. Of course. the other items listed above also highlight the quality of construction being provided to these clients.
