"It'll pass inspection, but they won't insure it"

So one of the design issues has been what to do with the path up to the house--a concrete step ramp or a simple gravel path. To save a little money, we opted for the simple gravel path.

Not so simple, apparently. The building inspector said that it's probably OK vis a vis the building code, but no insurance company will cover it. In the winter, that slope will turn into a nice little toboggan run, without the toboggan.

Back to the concrete step ramp it is...

Steel

The West facade will be a curtain wall of sorts (more like a "window wall", but that's a painful story told in the bar), and it's going to need some support. Hence the steel frame, which will also hold up one end of the large shed roof.

We're still waiting for the shop drawings from the window manufacturer, so I'm concerned that, without the windows, the roof will go on and create a big wind bucket. The other question is: what color should the mullions be? We're leaning heavily toward black, since anodized aluminum isn't within the vendor's capabilities. What color would you suggest?

I Have Wood

The concrete work is now done, and the conventional framing has begun, using 2x6's so that we can stuff more insulation into the structure. The green stuff is called "Greenguard Raindrop" by Pactiv (which also makes Hefty bags), and is new to me. It's a building wrap that, unlike Tyvek, has channels that will allow any moisture that gets behind the cedar siding to drain out to the ground.

It supports a "rainscreen" approach, which says "I know that I'll never be able to completely prevent moisture from getting in behind my siding, so I'm going to make sure that that space behind the siding can breathe and drain out the water."

That's the theory. Stay tuned.