With framing complete, our objective was to get the place “dried in. That means getting a roof and windows installed. Before roofing though, we wanted to rough-in the plumbing so the roof penetrations could be flashed as part of laying shingles.
Plumbing
I remember when all supply plumbing was copper. Even avid DIYers knew how to sweat copper pipe and solder wire connections. Those days are past us. We chose Pex-C with Ampinal connectors.Some home builders use a manifold approach with Pex, where the water supply feeds a single manifold with separate valves controlling water to every spigot. This makes it easy to isolate a single spigot, if needed, but requires hot water to travel farther in most cases, delaying the hot water and wasting water while you wait. Our approach uses branch lines and a single recirculating pump to pre-circulate hot water when it’s needed most – mornings and dinner time.
Electrical
Before the electrician visited the site, we sent him detailed drawings detailing every light, switch and appliance. Upon arrival, we walked through every room to locate switches, lights, fans and outlets. We talked through interior and exterior lighting and our resilience plan. Roofing
I always wanted a metal roof. Then I compared prices. We chose Atlas 40-year architectural asphalt instead of metal at less than half the price. We will be in our nineties when it is time to replace the roof – if a storm doesn’t prompt earlier replacement.