Backfill is complete

The lumber will be delivered early next week.

The bank called and they want their house back.

Well, in my brief experience with construction I have learned one thing, "Time waits for no one."

Or was it, "The Lord helps those who help themselves"?

Or maybe it was "There's no rest for the wicked."

I don't remember exactly, but whatever the saying says, we got our butts in gear, torn down the house and started building a new one before winter could get a jump on us. Trouble is that TECHNICALLY we destroyed a house we don't own. AND we are trying to get a construction loan from a bank that we suspect may be run by monkeys. (That being said, I should mention that Ward trusts monkeys to do quite a lot of various work . . . ) ANY HOW the proverbial sh*t is about to hit the proveribal fan because the bank just called to say they are sending out an inspector tomorrow morning and chances are - monkey or not - he will notice that the house we want to tear down is missing.

Mom . . . Dad . . . if you're reading this . . . we may need to apply for a loan this week at the Hand/Ton Savings and Trust . . . . . . did we mention how much we love you? . . .

Pour Basement Floor

The slab looks good. Backfill is set for Friday.

Radiant Heat Part 2

I finished the radiant heat tubing install this evening. I am thinking about how I should install the basement walls etc. Thinking about shooting nails into the slab doesn't make for a good night's sleep. For now, I just need to watch how the framers install the stairs down to the basement. Maybe 2 inch nails and kick-ass glue will suffice. Any thoughts?

RD Davey scheduled the pour for tomorrow morning. Backfill should be done by Friday and framing is scheduled to start Monday, 10/2/06. Winter is comming . . . .

Radiant Heat Part 1

I got the call today that the concrete guys put in the insulation, vapor barrier and mesh. Time for me to install the radiant heat tubing. Paul's help was huge and I'm thankful he could come over at such short notice. It took us about 2 1/2 hours including layout. I already had the layout planned in CAD so the lengths would come out right.

Trump Tower

Maybe it's me, but I see some parallels to Donald Trump's project downtown and mine. They both have concrete foundations. They both will be a home for people. And they both will cost way too much money.

The Construction Loan Jihad

I had to send in the Special Forces to secure the construction loan. It took a full month to gain approval. They had to extend the rate lock, since it expired today and we can't close until next week. I'm just happy that this major milestone has been reached.

Basement is Roughed-in

Saturday, they stripped the formes. Monday they sprayed the waterproofing. Tuesday and Wednesday they set the steel and roughed-in the underslab plumbing.

Demo Music Video

Limp Bizkit

Productivity = Forming 153.6 sf/man-hr . . . Pouring 5.5 cy/man-hr . . . . Foundation walls are poured

They stripped forms at another house in the morning. Arrived at 12pm. Layout, set forms, pour and clean up by 6:30pm on 9/15/06.

. . . And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

Inspection problems late last week pushed the footing pour to this week. After 4 days of non-stop rain, RA Davey managed to pump the water, clear the mud and pour the footings on Tuesday, 9/12/06. The drain tile and stone base was placed Wednesday and Thursday. Today the walls should be formed. The photos were taken at 6:30am, 9/15/06.

The Foundation

Today the concrete guys set the footing boards. I know, I know, any self-respecting O'Neil concrete superintendent would not understand why anyone would leave the job without pouring concrete when forms had been set. Paying the concrete plant to stay open late and the crew overtime would not make him bat an eye.

But seriously, seeing the foundation start today is good.