We continue our efforts to make this corner of the world safe for barrel vault arches and gracefully aging DIY owner/builders by trying to wrap up this last major section of roofing structure. I am using my trusty bolt cutters, hammer and four inch brick chisel as I set up the framing, fill holes and neuter any free-range mortgage bankers that wander by. Hey, you've got to keep them from breeding somehow...
A closer look at the dry stack block work that supports the vault. One of the red arrows points to a ventilation block set into the wall at the midway point of the arch. The other arrow points towards the block core which has been filled with concrete which contains the metal plate that anchors a joist. I can't emphasize enough that people who are good at jigsaw puzzles will find dry stack blocks a very user-friendly methodology. Notice the different-sized blocks which have been combined to support the arch here.
Before air conditioning, there were thermal chimneys. The principle is simple thermodynamics: air enters the house close to the ground, flows across the fountain in the courtyard where it is cooled and then rises towards the high ceilings and eventually towards the vent blocks. The air flow, called a convection current, pulls warm air along behind it, where it exits aided by any prevailing breezes. We are installing vent blocks on the side walls today.
We get the vent block installed on the other side. Notice how we have used the bolt cutters to open a flap in the metal panel. The ferrocement roofing will slope from the arch across the top of the vent block and help secure it in place. These blocks will have a screen installed on both sides and each will have a movable shutter for rain and cold weather that works from a pulley and counterweight system from inside the house. I love old-tech and low-tech solutions, being somewhat old and low tech myself.
A quick look at the metal brackets which help support the vent blocks, as seen from the back. Somehow, we just keep staggering from one small answer to another in our linear and DIY fashion. Today, we've solved a design consideration borrowing ideas from pueblo builders and parking garage contractors using off the shelf tools. The adventure continues...
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Next week's installment: A Halt to the Vault Click HERE

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