This week we drove on Thursday after work to Caspe. Tho is working 4 days a week from now on so he’s off every Friday. I quit my job and my final day is the 20th of August. After this we can really get going! Planning is difficult since we wouldn’t be able to go every weekend because of my job. We arrived around midnight and we started early on Friday.
We went to the hardware store on time to get tools and materials. I started closing the gaps in the roof. The panels don’t fit perfectly so a little moisture was able to get through. We got a waterproof silicone sealant that I applied between the cracks. But it’s a really shitty job, working above your head and you could really feel the heat from the roof.
Tho built a case for the disconnect switch that is going outside near the solar panels and in the afternoon the heat made us stop and we spent some time with the neighbours. They got a puppy from the shelter that was too cute!
In the afternoon Tho tried the electrical installation. The solar panels are not there yet but the battery comes with a charge. So we had light! It was just for a little while, but I cannot wait until we can turn on a light. We worked until late again and had the lovely pesto pasta.
Pff it was so hot tonight! Since I closed all the gaps and nooks the drought was considerably less. So we decided to build some custom mosquito screens for the window. So another trip to the hardware store, and since we’re there so often we got some nice cowboy hats as a gift! Before the worst of the heat arrived I finished off closing the roof. Some gaps were too wide so I taped those off with aluminium waterproofing tape. We want to add insulation to it in a few weeks so we shouldn’t get rid of any possible leakage before that. Luckily the week before helped us spot all the places water could get through. As usual Tho was working on the electricity, which makes me very happy!
In the hot afternoon we made mosquito covers for the windows, Tho had the idea to lock the net between 4 pieces of wood and nail those to the window. This worked alright but for the second one we made a separate frame that we nailed the net too and then could move and remove from the window. Since the wood quality was not that great a few pieces broke so we didn’t finish with the third window.
We deserved some respite and cooling after all of this, so we drove up to the lake for a dip. We got there in a roundabout way, there was a cycling race going through the city. We were sweating our asses off in the car but they just went at it in this heat! But because of these diversions we found another, more private, beach. Luna had the time of her life and kept saving us and branches from the lake. On the way back we had some bad luck, there was a police stop. I almost had a heart attack, we didn’t have all the papers and I know Spain requires some when stopped. Luckily no need as they were only checking for drugs and weapons, we did have to get out of the car so they could search it. One last angry eye at the cleanliness of our car and we got on our merry way. Some more noodles tonight and taking measurements for our next project, roof insulation!
The next day we had to get up early to head back to Barcelona. A good friend of ours had a stall in a market, he makes delicious vegan Peruvian food so there was no stopping us from getting a bite there.