We installed all the gas lines early on in the project. That includes a supply to the 1st and 2nd floor kitchens for the gas stoves.

Cathy and I discussed the option to extend the gas line a few feet out to the back porch. That would allow us to have a stove on the porch where we could do our summer cooking. This way we avoid dumping extra heat into the conditioned living space on the dog days of summer.

In the end, we decided against the extension, but left a connection, in case we change our mind in the future.

Guess what! It didn’t take us long to change our minds. After a couple of days of 100+ degrees, days when you don’t even want to boil water for your coffee in the morning, I borrowed the big masonry drill from our electrician, Percy Harrison, and went to work to get that gas line extended into the porch.

[tribulant_slideshow gallery_id=”4″]

I installed an additional shut-off valve just before the pipe exits the building. This way we can cut the gas supply once we are done cooking on the porch for the summer, and keep everything safe.

I also made sure to seal the pipe section that extends through the masonry wall to the back porch with spray foam. After all, we would like to keep our building envelope as airtight as possible.