Water and Wires
Post date: Jun 28, 2015 1:27:05 PM
Friday afternoon, as Ray the plumber was preparing to run the radon vent, he discovered that two of my temperature probe wires [See Temperature Measurements] had been cut (you see the two remaining). So Saturday I got a headlamp, cold chisel, and hammer in an attempt to find the other end of the wires (embedded in the concrete slab) and splice them. I chipped away some, then realized that I needed to vacuum up the bits in order to see better. Alas, there is no trace of the wires, so I will need to find an alternate location and install new probes. They must have been cut before the slab was poured.While I had the Shop-Vac (possibly an original model - it is quite old) I carried it (and the extension cord) up to the roof. There was a lot of sawdust, nails, screws, soda cups, bits of hardboard, and wood scraps that I don’t want under the roofing membrane up on the roof deck. Cleaned up a bit.
We had a brief rain Thursday evening, but I noticed that the roof was entirely dry. That meant it had not puddled anywhere. Yea! (Photo left shows the temporary roof drain made of black tape on the roof deck.) However, when I climbed into the mechanical room I noticed a puddle below where that scupper will be. Apparently the roof drains correctly, but without the scupper the water pooled into the mechanical room floor. I added a temporary scupper out of a plywood scrap. (Photo right)Down on the ground I noticed that the roof drain pipe is working, as there was evidence of recent erosion at the outlet.
The water from the roof will (when the house is finished) flow into two vertical storage tanks in the garage - which is behind the wall in the left photo. The overflow from the tanks will run into the garden, forming a wetland. The soil in that area is nearly all silt and clay, and does not drain well — perfect for wetland. The main roof scupper is right above this area, too. So even though the scupper is only for emergency overflow (in case the roof drain plugs), the appearance will be that the wetland is supplied by the scupper. And flow from the storage tanks will keep it wet between rains.
This wetland is adjacent to my south-facing patio and will add a pleasant water feature on the hot side of the house. The north porch will also have a water feature — a fiberglass barrel fountain that is currently on the porch in Seattle. This one will need to be shut off in winter, however. It even freezes in Seattle! But the birds love it.