Monolithic Dome Plans – Holes in the Walls
By mati. Filed in Monolithic Dome Planning Tips |Tags: Construction of a Monolithic Dome, design tips, dome construction, How to Make a Monolithic Dome, Monolithic Dome, monolithic dome layout, Monolithic Dome Planning Tips
Why make a post about holes in the walls? Because when you make a monolithic dome, it is easier to plan out where you need holes in the walls before you spray the concrete, than after, when it is all “set in stone.” So, let’s go through one room at a time, starting with the kitchen.
When building a dome, it is highly recommended to have a fan above your stove that is vented to the outside. Cooking can create a lot of moisture, and because the dome is very tight, there has to be a way to take that moisture out of the dome. A fan vent usually requires a 7″ hole, and if you don’t want it to be visible, it needs to go through the little cabinet right above the fan. If you are lucky, you might be able to find a piece of stovepipe in the right size, and all you have to do is cut a piece and stick it into the foam wherever you want the hole.
In the utility room, you need a hole for your dryer vent. You might want to measure a dryer, or look on google to figure out how many inches across, how high it has to be, and how many inches from the back corner. Then stick a piece of pipe in place to block it off from the concrete.
In the boiler room, you need a hole for your boiler vent, and also a hole for your overflow pipe. In Colorado, the code requires a two inch hole for the overflow pipe. The hole for the boiler has to be calculated after studying the technical info for the boiler you are planning to buy.
In the bathrooms you have a choice. You can either install a vent that takes moisture outside, or simply use a dehumidifier. The advantage of using a dehumidifier is that it takes the moisture out of the air so you can take advantage of the heated air. If you install a fan, you pump all your warm air out, which is basically just a waste of energy. We used dehumidifiers in our first dome and were very happy with them.
In the bathroom walls, you need to plan for plumbing vents. The radon pipe needs to go through the ceiling, and so does your 3″ toilet vent. If the kitchen sink isn’t too far away from your toilet, you might be able to hook the two together, but if not, the kitchen sink vent needs a two inch hole as well.
If you are making a dome with two floors, it is best to put both bathrooms on top of each other, so all the plumbing pipes can go through the same walls, and you end up with less holes in your walls.
If you are having a woodstove, you definitely need to know where the chimney goes out, and mark it, because that is usually a very big hole.
And last, but not least, don’t forget about your skylight, if you choose to have one. This hole has to be the right size for your buck, so we usually buy the skylight, make the buck and then mark off the size of the hole on the foam before spraying the concrete. When it comes to skylights, you can’t afford to get it wrong, so it pays to be as accurate as possible.
Small holes for electrical wires, a gas pipe or an outside faucet can be drilled later.
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