Our House

We finished the last grade beam yesterday.  I’ll give it a couple days, then finish laying the landscape cloth and gravel.  I’ve still got to pick up plumbing parts . . .

I’m SO ready to get on with construction, but life keeps getting in the way.  I’m waiting on Terry’s help to get the last grade beam poured.  I’ve got everything except the form ready to go.  Once the grade beam’s done I can get on with myriad other tasks that must be completed before the south wall of the sun room can be constructed.

By the numbers I have to . . .

• lay the landscape cloth and spread the pile of gravel around so I can
• dig a trench to carry the water and power lines for the laundry room
• replumb the hot water line to a smaller sized pipe
• replumb in the incoming cold water supply to T into the supply line
• jack up the corner of the living room and install a support beam

I’ve got other jobs to do as well.  I need to replumb the shower drain so it goes out with the washing machine drain.  I need to route the power for the laundry room so it goes through the wall on the other side of the building.

I’ve still got lots to do.

I worked hard on Friday and got the rubble trench foundation done. I’ve been digging it out a wheelbarrow at a time this last week. I can fill the wheelbarrow, I just have to wait on Terry to empty it. He had Friday off so it was easy to just keep working.

I finished digging the trench and got the landscape cloth and gravel base laid in the trench preparatory to laying the drainage pipe. I cut landscape cloth lengthwise, sewing a narrow seam and stuffed the drainage tubing into the resulting cloth tube. I tied the cloth closed at the open end. This will keep dirt and small rocks out of the drainage pipe.

After the drainage tubing was laid into the ditch I backfilled with more gravel to the top of my two post forms. I’m doing something just a little bit different. I’m pouring a short post in conjunction with the grade beam. I don’t think it’s necessary, but I started that way and I might as well finish as I started. The extra couple gallons of concrete are insignificant and there’s a small chance it will reduce settling of the foundation.

I still have to build the form for the last section of grade beam over the top of the post tubes. Hopefully I’ll get that done today.

I’ve been thinking about what I’m going to use this glass room for once we move up on the hill. Suddenly it hit me . . . a greenhouse! I can use this small room as a jumping off point for a small greenhouse. Once we move up on the hill and I’m ready to deconstruct our current living space I can put in temporary posts to hold the unsupported corner, back the buildings away and continue the construction to finish up a nice 20×12 greenhouse. GOOD plan!

I would like to use papercrete for the bottom of the walls. I’d better get my drive shaft connected or I’ll be mixing it a bucket at a time instead of by mixer tub.