DIY Network

Sedona Dome-House: Dome Structure, Roof and Windows From "Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes" episode DBCV-101

In the spirit of a traditional barn-raising, the weekend-long construction of the dome structure became a community effort.

NOTE: Images on this page may be enlarged for enhanced viewing simply by clicking on them.

In this episode of DIY's Be Your Own Contractor: Vacation Homes, we meet homeowners David Walske and Rick Goldstein and get a close look at the unique geodesic-dome house they built in Sedona, Arizona.

Thus far in the process, the challenging excavation and foundation work have been completed. In this segment, in classic barn-raising fashion, and with help from friends and co-workers, the dome itself gets raised.

advertisement

Raise the Dome

Following some fastidious advance planning, the process of actually building the dome itself became something of a volunteer effort with friends pitching in -- including some who flew in from Los Angeles. Even workers who were paid to work on other aspects of the construction pitched in on the dome raising for free because it was such a unique event.

As seen in the stills from the home video shot by Rick, scaffolding was erected (figures A and B) and, following David's fastidiously laid-out plan, the dome was erected over the course of a single long weekend. The support elements were color-coded to help simplify the assembly.

Figure A

Figure B

As the workers reached the highest levels, assembly became more complicated. Four levels of scaffolding was required to reach the top of the dome (figure C) with the top level of platform 25 feet above the ground. The proof of the structural integrity was evident as the final triangular piece was placed in position with a perfect fit (figure D). At that moment, David paused to take in the feeling of completing that important phase. Later, he talked philosophically about the significance of that moment. "One of the biggest mistakes that you can make in the process of being your own contractor is not to feel your accomplishment," he says, "not only at the very end of the project, but to feel it at these pivotal points. There's a tendency to rush past that, but you really need, for yourself, to stop that for a minute, to turn all of that off and enjoy the accomplishment. Otherwise you're cheating yourself out of a lot of the experience."

Figure C

Figure D

	Figure E
	Figure F

Up On the Roof

The roof for the dome structure was made from architectural shingles of a composite variety. But for this structure, the roofing wasn't installed in strips in the conventional manner. Instead, it was necessary to roof more than 100 individual triangles that make up the dome (figure E), starting at the bottom and working up. This was an unusual challenge, and one that many roofers might not undertake. David opted to work with his dome consultant to bring in workers with expertise in this specific type of roofing (figure F). The workers were actually brought in from Minnesota. Although covering their travel costs was a significant expense, it was ultimately less than what would have been spent paying the additional time and wages for roofers who were unfamiliar with the process. So rather than accepting an overly high bid from a local sub-contractor, it was ultimately more cost-effective in this case to investigate and pursue an alternative that, at the outset, seemed unusual or extreme.

	Figure G
	Figure H
	Homeowner and builder David Walske displays a distinct lack of acrophobia (fear of heights) as he discusses the process of this unusual roofing job.

Windows on the World

Because the entire dome is essentially "roof," standard windows are not really an option. For the main bank of windows, 17 separate triangular pieces had to be custom-manufactured since windows are not typically made in triangular shape. The process was costly, but deemed worth it to take advantage of the spectacular views that are part of the surrounding landscape (figures G and H).

In the segment that follows, some of the finishing and interior details are discussed and the homeowners give some final words of advice.

RESOURCES :

More information on dome houses:

Natural Spaces Domes
Website: www.naturalspacesdomes.com

American Ingenuity Domes
Website: www.aidomes.com

Monolithic Domes
Website: www.monolithic.com

sedonadome.com
Website: www.sedonadome.com

GUESTS :

David Walske and Rick Goldstein
Homeowners
Sedona, AZ
sedonadome.com
Website: www.sedonadome.com