Happy Father’s Day weekend to great Dad’s like mine, and Cathy’s.
We’re going into the weekend right on the contractor’s schedule. In addition to a foundation inspection, today saw the return of the slinger to give the outside walls and footings a splash of stone. Our dirt-floor barn also got some stone slinger attention. What a difference. I don’t want to rush the weekend away but bring on Monday for the back-fill, beams and sub-floor. Then, let the frames begin!

Robert

Forgive my highly technical building construction terminology….
Black plastic stuff went on the outside foundation walls today. Also, some tar was smacked on and all the concrete forms were loaded up and hauled away. Now there’s an uninterrupted scene of a freshly finished foundation. It’s almost ready for the building inspector’s blessing tomorrow afternoon. Hard to believe that 2 weeks ago our future home was nothing more than a patch of grass and 4 little orange-painted stakes.
Also worth blogging about on Day 11… Great to have a surprise visit from special Texas friends. Good to see Ya’ll.
Thanks to everyone was has already logged onto our new Blog:
http://www.pyeacres.wordpress.com

There’s a new BLOG in town and it’s called http://www.pyeacres.wordpress.com

It’s the place where we’ll journal our house-raising adventure, along with a bunch of other things that we occasionally like to share with family & friends (like Jack’s toy-ATV rollovers). Thanks for following along.

In today’s construction episode, our new foundation is unveiled. Today, we really got a feel for the design/view of the walk-out basement. Tonight, I walked around the basement walls and, suddenly, this whole project feels VERY REAL. Pinch me. This is really happening.

Robert

Don’t forget to bookmark, follow, share, like, (etc, etc) our blog.

Cathy is pleased that there’s a bit of her hometown pride poured into the foundation of our family’s new home. (Wow, that sounds like a metaphor.) St. Mary’s cement trucks delivered the goods that filled those foundation wall forms. In other news, I saw a huge bear on the property tonight.

Add “stone slinger operator for a day” to my bucket list. What a machine! It hosed stone all around those footings before I could get the boys to day care. Beats the hell out of a wheel-barrel and a shovel. Equally impressive are those big yellow foundation wall forms. They went up fast. In about 12 hours, those forms get filled; and, by Day 10, our foundation will be unveiled. No, I still haven’t cruised the new driveway yet.

The footings are done. The concrete was poured today. Also just poured, a cold beer. (Okay, maybe 3…or 4). Happy Friday.

There’s a shape of a house on bedrock now. The forms for the footings get pumped with cement first thing in the morning. It all goes up from there. Most of the new furniture and appliance shopping is done. Arguably, however, our most exciting new home acquisition is an English Setter dinner bell. (Thanks M & J for winning it for us at the Ducks Unlimited dinner.) Can’t wait to ring that bell!

Robert, Cathy, Charlie & Jack

I’ll be brief. Permits acquired!

Robert

Good news. The geological engineer told us today that the bedrock is in perfect condition for a house to rest on it. No additional equipment, materials, time or cost required to get the foundation going. Whew!!! However, we are waiting patiently for the Township to finish the permit paperwork. The cement guys are on standby to make a hole a foundation. No, I still haven’t driven on the new driveway yet. I guess it just doesn’t feel right to do so until there’s a house at the end of it.

Robert

The foundation hole was dug today, and we’re on a solid sheet of bedrock. A geological engineer will be on site tomorrow morning to inspect it. The driveway is done. It received another 2 dump truck loads of gravel. We still haven’t made an official “drive” on the driveway yet. Next step, footings!