Horton Dome - Materials
Foundation
Our foundation was constructed with "Arxx High Performance Wall System" (formerly BlueMaxx)
poured in place foam blocks. They were great for the 126 degree angled corners
of the dome extensions.
Floor Joists
The support we chose for the main floor decking was the
Silent Floor TJI joists .
(The ones in the ads with the elephant standing on them.
Our TJI joists are supported by steel I-Beams.
Dome Shell
After personally visiting four major dome kit manufacturers, we chose the
hub and strut system of Timberline Geodesics
of Berkeley California. Having just completed erection of the shell kit, we
are still impressed with the kit and it's ease of assembly.
Insulation
We are planning to use the Icynene Spray foam insulation system. Our 2x8
exterior wall/roof cavities will have an R-value of nearly 30. The sprayed
in system reduces waste in the triangles and provides a more air tight seal.
Heating
We have decided on a
Smith Series 8 low mass oil fired boiler.
We wanted to avoid base board type radiators so we chose a European style radiator from Runtl.
Our hot water will come from a
Phase III HL Indirect water heater heated by a zone off the boiler. This zone
has priority so your shower stays hot even if the house is getting cold.
We will also have a
Heat-N-Glo see-thru gas fireplace that produces 40,000 BTU/HR. Due to the R-40 of the blue maxx block foundation and the
R-30 of the Icynene walls, we may be able to use this as a backup to the boiler.
The week we completed the insulation, the outside temperature dropped to -18 F. With
only the fireplace heating the main level, the inside temp remained at 60 F.
However, this was without interior partitions. As we define rooms, we will likely
create cold spots that will need radiator supplement.
Ventilating
We expect the house to be "tight" from an air changes point of view, so we plan
to install a Venmar - VanEE heat recovery ventilator. This system pulls air from the
bathrooms and kitchen and blows it outside. On the way out, it is run through
a heat exchanger that passes the heat to outside air coming in. This heated
fresh air is distributed to the bedrooms and living room. The net is fresh, healthy
air with little loss of heat.
Septic System
The soil was severe in our location, so our soil engineer designed a septic
system that incorporated an "intermittent sand filter". This is a new system for the state
of Vermont, but it has been used in other states for many years. It is used
in place of the more traditional "mound system".
Our soil engineer is Norm Schreib of East Fairfield Vermont (802)827-4434.
The system he designed was based on components from
Orenco Systems, Inc.
Windows
We chose Crestwood windows from Crestline. They are extruded vinyl on the outside
with wood trim on the inside.
Doors
Our main entrance doors are from Stanley. Our sliding door to the back deck
is a Pella.
Our garage door is a Wayne-Dalton Thermowayne.
Due to our drive-in basement design, we wanted door that was very thermal efficient (high R factor).
Shingles
Our shingles (and we sure have a lot of them) are
IKO Chateau architectural shingles.
We are putting them on over Grace's ICE & WATER SHIELD® (look under "Roof leak protection").
Deck boards
We have decks off three of the extensions outside our dome. Two are 12 feet wide and 8 feet out.
(Outside the front door, and off the mezzanine) The other (off the kitchen) is 16 feet wide and 10 feet out.
We chose a new polymer decking material called "TREX". It is made of recycled plastic
(plastic bags, I think) and wood fibers. It is not supposed to shrink or check.
It is available in brown and grey. We chose the grey. It can be painted though.
Spiral stair to cupola
From the library on the second floor we are installing a spiral stair up to the cupola.
We purchased the star kit from Salter Industries
(P.O. Box 183, 3130 Ridge Pike, Eagleville, PA 19408, 610-631-1360)
Drywall Tape
We hired a taper to do the drywall tape. The main reason we chose this contractor was
his knowledge of and experience with "Strait-Flex" tape. It
allows straight corners between the triangles in the shell.
Wood Flooring
We chose to install a floating wood floor in the high traffic areas such as the
kitchen and foyer. There is a new product for this from
Formica.
Cabinets
Kitchen cabintes
Closet Shelving
We are using the Closet Maid
wire shelving. It provides a large variety of configurations and storage options to
maximize use of closet space. It is a little more intricate with non 90 degree corners and, in
some cases, non verticle walls (yes, we are puting some on the exterior shell walls), but
it still works great. We are using it in the bedroom and foyer closets.
Tiolets
The new 1.6 gallon per flush toilets are creating problems. We tried 3 different models
before we got one that would consistently flush without plugging. We now have 3
Western Toilets and will probably get one more. They do the job.
To locate a dealer near you, check the
Contractors 2000 web site.
Home Automation
I have installed several devices to automate lighting, and security in the dome. One setup uses a motion sensor above the
garage door, to ring a chime inside the house, and turn on a camera and TV when someone drives up.
This gives us a warning, and a virtual window to see who is arriving. The camera and other devices, are from
X10.com. Other items like the light controllers and keyless entry door locks are available from www.smarthome.com.
I also use a computer to control some "conditional events" like if it is dark, turn on the front walk lights when
someone drives up. The program I use is HomeSeer from Keyware.
More to come as we progress
This site created and maintained by Ted Horton
(ted at hortondome . com)
Last update 7/6/2003
All information and photos in this site are Copyright © 1997, 1998, 2000 Ted Horton.