Moving to the guest cottage here you see more completed ducting. You really cannot tell from these photos how tidy and organized the ducts are. These ducts are just for heat, since we decided to move the AC to the barn.

Because we are using foam insulation in the guest cottage we think that the combination of the massive slab, the high R-factor insulation and the breeze every afternoon will make air conditioning unnecessary for comfort in this building.

Here is another shot of the ducting in the living room of the guest cottage. As soon as this is done, we can get the foam insulation installed.

It has been an incredible problem to find a contractor to do the foam insulation, and it is going to cost much more than it should. However, I believe that it will pay for itself quickly and make the building much more comfortable than it would be with conventional insulation. For one thing, because the insulation is installed on the underside of the roof, the whole attic is insulated, so there is no mass of hot, trapped air overhead on hot evenings. For another, because the roof is insulated rather that the attic floor, there is no need for exterior attic vents, so the dust level in the attic will be much lower.

The pull-down stair to the attic has been installed. Kai demonstrated how to unfold it an I took a picture as Ginger, the dog, looks on with interest.

I couldn’t back up far enough in the living room to get the stair and opening in one picture, so here is the top of the staircase with the opening into the attic. When the staircase is closed, it will be somewhat noticeable on the ceiling, but when it is all painted white, I think it will be ok.