Bambi's brother (Kenbi?) visits our house site, along with the snow.....

The beam has been poured! Forms were stripped the day after, and then blankets were installed to keep the curing concrete above freezing. Removed after several days and voila! - a little gray wall...

The engineer's plan had it as 20 inches high x 10 inches wide - it ended up only 16-19 inches high over the cardboard "void forms", and it is 12 inches wide. Waiting to hear from the engineer if this is a disaster or not. Meanwhile I'm diggin underneath and running the main sewer line underneath, as well as sleeves for the geothermal pipes and future utility lines to the future shop. Then to get our excavator back and fill in most of the area inside to raise the crawlspace floor level. Then, it may become time for ICF forms to be laid - but it is getting cold up there....

The next step was to drill the caissons, or piers that will hold up the foundation in these lousy, expansive soils. (Done by Western Piling & Caisson.) Average about 21 ft. deep, to be filled with concrete & rebar.

Unfortunately, they started to hit sand about 16 ft. down on some of them - which then caved in, requiring that we use steel helical coil piers instead of concrete on 7 of them - at $950 per pop! The last unexpected extra expense? Not likely

Then the Adcock Concrete guys started forming the "grade beam", or 12 inch wide, 20 inch high stem wall that we'll build up from with ICF's (insulating concrete forms). They have 4 inch high cardboard "void forms" undrerneath, so that all the weight sits on the piers, rather than the ground. Getting ready to pour on Tuesday, Dec. 2nd.

With the economy in terrific shape, it's a perfect time to go into debt and build a house, isn't it? For those of you with the stomach to watch this agonizing process, we'll post photos & info as at transpires (expires?). (click on any photo for a big version)






Years after putting in a septic system and bringing utilities down to the site, we went through the process of getting planning clearance, a water tap, and building permit ($8 grand for all that). After staking out the corners of the house, it was time to drill for the geothermal heating & cooling system - 4 holes, 250 ft. deep each, with pipes holding the fluid that will circulate through the 55 degree ground, from which heat will be extracted from in the winter, and the reverse during summer. It's a heat pump (refrigeration that runs both ways), but much more efficient because of the 55 degree source. Got it?

Next came excavation - getting a level pad (scary big looking) cut out of the hill for the foundation work to begin. Marc Davis from Glade Park did a terrific job.

More to come (we ain't caught up to the present yet)