Today the forms were built for the concrete basement walls. These will be poured tomorrow.
Concrete Wall Forms
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Week 3: Concrete
This week we build and pour the concrete foundation for the addition. Monday the rebar was set out for the footers, yesterday we waited for the inspection, and today the footers were poured.
Laundry
It has been a long, long time since I have loaded all the dirty laundry into the car and hauled it to a laundromat. But that was what happened today, and it will be the weekly routine for quite a while.
Rain
Last night it rained. It rained a lot. Our little campsite was a lake with an RV and a popup camper sticking out of it. Thankfully it stopped raining this morning around 7:AM, and the lake drained into the ground and dried out by midday.
Today the work crew pumped all the water out of the footing forms and laid the rebar for the footings.
Preparing for Rain
Today we prepared the site for heavy rain, which is due around 6:PM and will last until daybreak. We battened our hatches, moved containers under cover, put a tarp over the frig up at the house, and laid mulch over the foot paths. This will be the first real test of our campsite.
Stella & Ana working hard to help prepare for heavy rains.
Oh, also today: Jean attended girl scout leadership training and I coached Stella’s softball practice. Ana sewed patches onto her girl scout vest with her friend, Hana. Ellie and Greta worked on school projects. Stella had a bad headache. There were naps.
Footer Forms
Today the forms for the concrete foundation footers were built.
Finishing the Excavation
Today the excavation was completed. Amazing how much dirt came out of that space under the house.
Yellow Jackets!
Today, while digging up kudzu behind our house, I discovered it is extremely difficult to sprint through bamboo, especially carrying a pickaxe. I made this discovery shortly after the accidental discovery of a yellow jacket nest. There are few sounds quite as panic-inducing as the sudden buzz of wasp wings swarming inches from one’s head. So I ran as best I could out of the bamboo and across the yard to safety. I escaped with only two stings; one in the neck and one in the bicep. Now I have a few days of throbbing and itching to endure.
Excavation
The back foundation wall came down yesterday. Now to dig out the space which will become our carport, workshop and basement room.
The rest of the original flooring came up today. This is what is left of the original house.
The Point of no Return
It is safe to say we are committed at this point