It has taken the better part of two weeks, but I have finally devised a satisfactory method for affixing the stair balusters to the stair treads at the River House. I purchased 150 round 5/8″ diameter hollow metal tubes to fashion the balusters. When they arrived, I discovered they were neither 5/8″ in diameter nor truly round both of which I was counting on to mount them using my original concept. Since then, I have experimented with several different approaches but none provided the lateral stiffness I am looking for. Today, I finally arrived at a robust and cost-effective solution. I predrill and drive a 1/2″ lag screw into the stair tread using a jig to make sure it is normal to the plane of the tread. Next, I cut off the hex head of the screw. Then, I fashion a short piece of 14 gauge wire into the shape shown in the photo and place it over the screw shaft. Finally, I drive the hollow tube over the assembly. This creates an interference fit along three lines (one on each wire and the third on the opposite side of the screw shaft). When I tested the connection it was as if I had set the baluster in concrete.

Normally, the family makes Zeppole Balls on Christmas Eve. This year the kids elected to do so early allowing their significant others to join us before heading home to spend the holidays with family. Nicolai appointed himself Captain Christmas, procured a perfect-sized tree, and directed activities for the evening. These included trimming the tree, making the Zeppole, eating the Zeppole, and watching the movie Klaus.

This morning, a fierce storm passed through our neighborhood with 70mph winds and intense rain. We had five trees come down at the River House, one across the driveway and one just missing our garage. Our neighbors to the south were less fortunate. A tree came down on their sunroom for the second time in five years. Mercifully, no one was hurt even though they were in an adjacent room at the time. Within minutes, a dozen neighbors showed up to render assistance. I used my chainsaw to help remove limbs and we eventually cleared all but the main trunk. Working on a ladder inside the house, I was able to section and remove the large limb resting on the roof clearing the way for a temporary tarp. Another neighbor had a tree blocking their walkway and I was happy to clear that as well. I have a full day of consulting tomorrow and plan to spend most of Wednesday clearing our yard.

Kyle decided to install LED lighting under the eves of his house and can be seen in this photo working his way around the roofline. He does appear to be exercising caution but I will admit to being worried all day when I learned of this project. Each year, there are more than 164,000 emergency room-treated injuries and 300 deaths in the U.S. that are caused by falls from ladders. He completed the work successfully and sent around the video below.

Maya spent the day at the Road House repairing her tiny house. It will never be as good as new, but it is starting to look respectable again. She also delivered some 3D-printed prototypes I designed to anchor the stair railing balusters. A long screw is used to secure these columns to the stair tread and the hollow steel baluster is slid down over it. The ribs are necessary because the tubes are not perfectly circular and are not uniformly consistent in size. Unfortunately, a quick test revealed that this attachment method will not provide the degree of lateral support I was hoping for. I may still use this approach but will have to design a more substantial Newell post to provide the needed strength for the assembly.

I think that most homes, like most faces, have a best side for photography. When we designed the River House, we wanted to take maximum advantage of the views of the water. A good 80% of the windows are on the river-facing side and hence most of the facade’s interest and character. We knew this would mean that the “front” of our house would be rather bland by comparison. What we did not count on, is that trees would make it impossible to capture a decent photo of the house from its best angle. The photo above is the best I could do with my drone. Ideally, it should have been taken from 30 feet further back and 10 degrees to the right. Alas, that photo will never exist. I will, however, be reshooting this in better light when I get a chance.

After testing the first stair railing I built earlier this week, I have decided that the butt joints need to be strengthened with a mortise and floating tenon joint. Even though these butt joints overlap and are glued to a continuous sistered section of plywood, they are not as stiff as I would like them to be. I fabricated the tenons from 3/8″ baltic birch plywood and made the mortises with a jig I have for this purpose. I glued up a couple of 9-foot sections and will test their strength tomorrow morning. I also completed the design for a 3D printable connector that will anchor the hollow steel tube balusters to the stair treads and the handrail.

Jeanine hosted her book club at the River House this evening. It was the first official gathering at the new house and it was also special because the book was “A Taste of Stories,” Jeanine’s cookbook memoir. Everyone came with dishes prepared from recipes in the book and Jeanine did a reading for the group. I cannot think of a better inauguration.

This morning we had a distinguished group of visitors at the River House. Our architect Steve Baczek (blue jeans) invited Matt Risinger (thumbs up) of the Build Show fame and his team for a tour. It turns out that Matt’s first passion is photography, something we have in common. I enjoyed our conversation which ranged from camera systems to magnetic door latches. Matt and Steve have done more to share building science knowledge with the world than anyone I know. I spent dozens of hours watching their online videos when I was doing research for our build. After giving them a full tour of the house, they went back to shoot several video segments on the features that they thought would be of most interest to their audience. I will post links when they are published.

Matt had some very nice things to say about our new home and coming from someone who has probably toured hundreds if not thousands of houses, felt like high praise indeed.

The kitchen sink in our new house is just shy of 4 feet long. It features dual ledges that accept sliding accessories. Jeanine and I visited the website where we purchased the sink and she identified the most useful add-ons. Rather than shell out +$400 for these items, I made them all and then some for less than $75. For the top ledge, I built two bamboo chopping boards (one long grain and one butcher block style end grain) and a high-density plastic chopping board. For the lower ledge, I purchased a roll-up drying shelf ($7) and a collander/bowl combination ($22) which I fit into a second high density plastic frame ($23). Also pictured above at the back are two thick bamboo butcher block cutting boards I fashioned from wood scraps I generated while building the kitchen cabinets.

I got started fabricating the handrails we will use for the stairs at the River House. I am using the same bamboo that I used for the stair treads for a perfect match. This requires that I laminate pieces together to get the desired size rail. Pictured above is a 12-foot rail made of 6 staggered and overlapped 4-foot sections.

To obtain fire department approval for our backup batteries we were required to add a pair of safety bollards to protect them from potential mechanical damage (presumably from a wayward car). The project required less than 30 minutes to complete but only after an entire morning of clearing out that side of the garage. Next, we need to move the breaker box shown above the batteries about 5 feet to the right to meet the electrical code. I will spare you a tirade on why this makes no sense but if I have learned one thing while building this house it is that building codes trump common sense every time.

For the second weekend in a row, Maya stopped by to repair her tiny house which sustained major damage when a large tree limb fell on it. By the end of the day, she had addressed all of the structural damage. To further strengthen the structure, she added two columns to the previously cantilevered porch loft. Maya joined us for dinner and then baked cookies with Jeanine. I was not allowed to sample any of them.

I have been so busy building cabinets and stairs for the River House that my shop has gotten quite cluttered with off-cut bamboo plywood. At nearly $10/sqft. I am reluctant to throw away even the smallest piece. Truth be told, I would not throw it out even if it were free. I just can’t bear throwing away anything that has intrinsic value. Thus far these off-cuts have been randomly stacked against my shop wall making it very time-consuming to find a particular scrap of the right size and grain orientation. Today, I did a bit of shop organization while our painters put the finishing touches on our stairwell, the one area they were unable to complete until the new stairs were installed.

Visitors entering the River House often comment that they feel like they have just stepped onto a boat. The first-floor elevation provides a perspective that makes you feel like you are on the water. By contrast, the view from the basement provides an eye-level view of the river. A recent guest commented that this was the first picture window he had seen that truly looked like a picture.

The River House contains a small area we have been calling the media enclave. It is essentially a two-person home theater with a large-screen TV and recliner seating. Today, I rented a U-Haul trailer and moved the new recliners over from the Road House where they have been sitting boxed up for several months since we purchased them. After setting them in place and connecting power, I tested the reclining function only to discover that both would get stuck about halfway through their range of motion. When I flipped them over to investigate, I discovered a mechanical interference (the black linkage colliding with the silver part shown in the photo above). I was perplexed trying to figure out why the mechanism had no clearance looking for signs of a bent frame or linkages. Eventually, I concluded that the frames were assembled incorrectly at the factory. These recliners are part of a sectional system and various seating configurations can be achieved by placing the frame components in different preset locations. Whoever assembled these units picked the wrong locations. Once I figured out the issue, it did not take long to move the interfering components and correct the problem. Despite the obvious lack of quality control, the recliners are really comfortable and I may have taken a nap in one to reward myself for fixing the problem.

With all but the stair railing and closet built-ins to complete, my attention today was on furniture. I rebuilt portions of and refinished the Scandinavian-design teak bed frame I have owned since I was in graduate school. It is now set up in the main bedroom and fitted with a new mattress. I got a good workout single-handedly moving a very heavy dining room table from the garage into the great room where I assembled it upside down and flipped it over into position. Much easier was the task of moving in a pair of swivel chairs that will be joined by a small couch to form a “living room” area.

18 months ago, I wisely chose to invest in a proper pair of work boots. They have served me well and lasted just long enough to protect my feet through the construction of the River House. Now that the focus has shifted to furnishing and decorating, I think it may be time to retire these trusted companions.

Over the years, Jeanine and I have come to prefer hanging bath towels on hooks rather than over bars. It takes less work and they dry just as well. My work at the house today largely involved finishing details. I installed door stops where needed to protect walls, covered all remaining HVAC ducts with vent covers, and installed the hooks shown above. The guest and half bath may get towel bars for a more formal appearance. Now that the last coat of floor finish is done we are also beginning to move furniture over from the Road House.

Jeanine and I enjoyed a lovely dinner with new friends. Their dog thought he should be allowed to share some of the cheese appetizer plate and eventually, his persistent focus earned him the treat he was hoping for. I apologize for the poor-quality photo but it was impossible to quell my laughter and hold still as I watched the showdown.

Jeanine and I made a major dent in clearing the garage of construction materials and for the first time, I was able to park my car inside AND charge it. The landscape crew has been here all week and finished up with their work for the season. Topsoil placement and plantings will have to wait for the spring but the basic contours on the site have been established and should provide good stormwater drainage. Most importantly, we now have a functional if not attractive walkway to the front door. Also completed today was the final coat of floor finishing which means that we can start moving in furniture early next week.

Among other tasks I worked on today at the River House was the LAN (Local Area Network). Pictured in the middle is the Wi-Fi router. To its right is a 5 port POE (Power Over Ethernet) switch that connects to three Wi-Fi access points located to provide signal coverage for the entire house and garage. On the left is a regular 5-port switch providing hard-wired connectivity to various devices in the house. On the top is a patch panel to facilitate labeling and interconnection. Not shown are the cables that connect six surveillance cameras to an NVR (Network Video Recorder). Once all the equipment was configured, I decided to test the battery backup system to see if the network equipment would stay connected during the transition from grid power to battery power. Our last house had a natural gas powered generator that took about 20 seconds to come on line during which time the router and switches would reset. I was very happy to see that the switchover happened so fast that all the devices remained online. If not for the message sent to my phone, I would not have known there was a power loss.

Earlier this week I posted photos of the new staircase and today, Nico shared some video he shot during the installation process.

Work on the River House walkway commenced today. The rather long path will include a stone slab bridge over a dry stream that will carry water away from the house when it is raining. A large angled boulder top located in the corner where water falls from the roof will direct water away from the siding and into the stream bed. Unfortunately, plantings in this area of the yard will have to wait until the spring.

It has taken more than 9 months to get our battery backup system commissioned. Today, the wait ended. Because the River House is an all-electric home, I thought it was fairly important to have a robust backup capability. Not sure I would make the same decision again based on all the permitting and installation challenges we have faced.

We enjoyed our first fire of the season this afternoon. With plenty of wood pallets for fuel, there was no need to skimp. The 24″ diameter copper cauldron we have used for a makeshift fire pit will soon be replaced with a proper one made of weathering steel and 50% larger. The size is more appropriate to the scale of the patio and the steel will match that used in the adjacent retaining wall. As the sun set we settled into camp chairs and enjoyed the warmth of the fire against the cold November air. A visiting neighbor expressed her surprise to find me relaxing rather than working on the house. Indeed, this may be the first time in two years that I have taken more than a lunch break while at the house.

With the considerable help of Jeanine and Nicolai, we completed the installation of the stairs at the River House today. Once the top and bottom cleats (see photo below for an example of each) were secured to the landings, it took only a matter of minutes to set the stringers and attach the treads. The top cleats are secured with four 1/2″ x 5-/1/2″ lag screws and the bottom cleats with three. What I could not know when designing these stairs was how stiff they would feel once erected. Happily, I can report that they are extremely stable, stiffer than the stairs in any home we have ever lived in. Additionally, the design tolerates movement of the house framing with changes in humidity or aging. In total, I would estimate that it took 80 person-hours of labor and $7,500 in materials for this project. Not bad compared to the quote of roughly $40,000 we initially received (and that did not include installation labor or the 20% markup charged by our builder).

After many days of preparation, it was time to install the first set of stringers and stair treads. Everything fit together perfectly and it took less than fifteen minutes to assemble all the pieces. Even with no fasteners installed yet, the stairs are fully functional with no perceptible flex or bounce. Kyle helped out for the second day in a row making the work go much faster. We completed prep work for the next three flights which I hope to install tomorrow.

The River House project is nearing completion. The last major component of work is to replace the temporary staircases with the final design including the handrails. Today, I began that work in earnest with Kyle assisting me all day. We started by removing the first two flights of the temp stairs which did not take that long but required great care to avoid nicking the newly painted walls. The remainder of the day was spent doing many small but time-consuming tasks; installing the nosing to complete the flooring on the landing, completing the wall below the landing, caulking and spackling the edges and screw holes, painting it to match the walls, locating and installing the stair cleat on the side of the platform, and securing the lower cleat to the basement floor with concrete screws. Tomorrow, we will install the stringers and stair treads and hopefully move on to the stairs from the first to the second floor.

Our Thanksgiving holiday included two gatherings. The first was for brunch after the kids, their friends, and Jeanine completed the Concord 5K Turkey Trot. I skipped the event this year to work on the River House but joined the post-race celebration.

Joining us this year for Thanksgiving dinner were my sister Alissa, Heloisa (Kyle’s friend), Owen (Maya’s friend), and Jeanine’s friend Barbara and her mother Cathy.

The Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index is the industry standard by which a home’s energy efficiency is measured. New homes built in Massachusetts must meet several criteria for energy conservation that are part of the index. The extent to which conditioned air leaks from a home is measured in Air Changes per Hour (ACH) when the pressure differential between the inside and outside of the house is 50 Pascals. The building code requires 3 ACH(50) or less. To meet the Passive House standard it must be less than 0.60. Today, the River House was tested by a certified rater using a blower door test. Our result was 0.36 ACH(50) which is the best score our tester has ever recorded. This means that we have a very air-tight home and since air leakage is the largest contributor to energy loss this will translate to significant energy saving over time.

Nico is very good at many things. That list does not include letting his parents know when he is featured in a video interview. Today he directed Jeanine to the video above. It only took him 3 years to mention it. I am always amazed by how inspirational he can be.

I decided to see what other videos might be out there that we have not yet seen. Didn’t take long to find the one below from a year ago.

Reminder to self: Box Nico about the head until he agrees to make his parents aware of such videos.

On the home building front, we passed our final electrical and fire department inspections today. These do not cover our battery backup system which has to be done on a separate permit and looks to be the long pole in the tent.