Let's get ready to LUMBER!! (haha)




OK, so we've bought lumber before, and call me silly, but this is the first lumber trip for the house's actual FRAME!!  I was excited and had to take a picture!   

 


The FIRST piece of board down for plate.









The next day when we were working further down on the plate, there was a tremendous squealing, and we looked over just in time to see both snake and prey (a baby ground squirrel, to our dismay) in the middle of a violent thrashing!  They were completely in the air twice that we saw.  We did get a little closer to get a picture, and to check for rattles, but it was a rat snake, so we were relieved and much less apprehensive to have witnessed such an event of nature!




 

Near dusk, so this picture is blue, but this is the master bedroom and bath. Kristina is standing in Joe's closet, and Joe is working on the plate around the shower.  This is from 8/13/11, weekend after we did all of the perimeter plate.  We do get over here evenings during the week, but the days are getting shorter, and it's still 100* at 8PM sometimes, so we don't always work every night.  Joe is Superman, and can work through any heat, it seems, but
I really can't stand working in it over  95* unless the sun is real low.

Joe, still working on measuring shower, the commode is where the cinderblock is, and the pipe behind Kristina is the drain for the tub.  Give me some walls and a roof!  I'm moving in!! 









Finishing the Concrete

Second half ready to pour

the 15' section that had to be ripped out because the septic line buckled under the first 1/2 pour...  found it Thursday, and Joe and Dad took off work and got it fixed on Friday before the 2nd pour on Saturday- Whew!!  that was close!   



The first couple of wheelbarrows, again used to fill the footing first, and this time, the septic lie passed the test post-pour.




Joe's Dad running the power trowel to smooth things out



the 2nd half still fresh and dark,

I like this pic with the sun starting to set making pretty beams across "Our Place"

Tomorrow-- let's buy some lumber!

Saturday, July 16,  concrete getting ready to pour 




 


The first wheelbarrow carefully poured over the plumbing. Unfortunately, we found the following Thursday, not carefully enough, and this 15 foot, 18+ inches deep section had to be torn out and the plumbing rebalanced so the last toilet would flush properly...

After the footing was poured then they started on the frst of 3 sections of the "pour". 







All the guys working like madmen to get the concrete level before it got too hard in the heat to move anymore.



And, Voila!!   Half of our foundation shiny, smooth, and beautiful!! More concrete to follow next Saturday. 

Form boards are up along the south wall  the Middle of July

and Jay Jay kitty cat approves of the pit we dug for the fireplace so the concrete is stronger to support the masonry of the chimney.

Jay Jay still peeping out of the fireplace pit...

And now "The Guys" (concrete crew) are ready to push some concrete around!!    BRING IT ON!!   We did have to divide the slab in half so the amount of concrete was manageable.  It was getting too hot by noon to work much past the middle of the day. (100+)

Finishing plumbing

The bucket is approximatley where the kitchen sink  will enter the line, and here we have the "END of the LINE"  !!   Powder room finishes it!                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Graywater line going in, coming off the powder room sink at a 90* angle.   It has to empty on the opposite side of the house because the graywater drain field cannot be closer than 100' to the water well. Apparently the alkalinity of the graywater can damage the pipes to the well.     Joe adding the stinky purple pipe stuff to seal the joint......and now ready for the form boards!!