Progress: Foundation

The house is underway! Here are some progress reports in pictures.

"Foundation Series" 

Except this first photo from the West, all shots are from the SW corner of the house.

Excavation to and leveling of undisturbed soil. It took everything the ol' skid-loader had to scrape that rock hard soil!

Footer forms laid 24' x 24'. Footers are the thick concrete which bears the weight of house = the foundation. They can be poured below the surface or formed on top, but must rest on undisturbed soil. With such risk of enormous rocks on this land, we opted for minimal excavation! Rebar runs through the length of the footers.

The day of the foundation pour! Everything was kept within a quarter inch of exact! Great work by GL.

Quickly then, the first 3 feet of ICF' walls (insulated concrete forms) went up like legos. Rebar, running vertically and holes for drain pipes (the green) had to be put in before the empty foam blocks were filled up with concrete. Everything was exact to a 'T' with less than 1/4" variance on one wall!  Great work by JY.

Next, 40 ton of gravel were dumped inside house and raked by hand, then tamped down by machine. This filled up several feet of the surface on which the first floor will rest. G was an amazing and timely add to the crew.

On top of the tamped and leveled gravel went the first layer of recycled foam (see chunks in background), fit in like puzzle pieces.  The foam provides the rest of the height upon which the concrete slab floor will rest. Waterproofing (black) will keep the concrete from wicking water up through the house. PD has been working with us for 2 weeks, BD spent a Saturday masterminding enigmas with M.

Job 38: 4-11

Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were its footings set, or who laid its cornerstone- while the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?