Day 32 - Garage footings poured

On Tuesday our garage footings were poured. Because we are building the garage up so much, we need to build our garage almost like a house - with poured walls and lots of steel. 

These footings are much thicker and wider compared to the house to raise the elevation and provide a wide base the walls. 

Next Step: Garage walls poured 

Day 29 - Drain Tile

It's day 29 and John and I have been working FOREVER on John's crazy drain tile system. Basically, the "drain tile" (which is not tile) allows the ground water to move under and around the house to prevent leaks and flooding. We are only about halfway done with the outside system and then we have the inside to do. Since we are going to pour the basement floor before the framing is started, we need to finish this quickly. John's system goes far beyond what any other builder uses so we can bet we will never have a leak!

Here's the drain tile process:

Step 1 - Clear mud/soil to the bottom of the footing to make a base for pea gravel. 

Step 2 - Add 2" base of pea gravel to bottom of bleeders. 

Step 3 - Add fitting to bleeder that will connect to drain pipe. Drain pipe is covered by a drain sleeve (black) and then filter fabric is wrapped around the drainage pipe once the pipe is covered with 4" pea gravel. It is then wrapped like a burrito and covered with more pea gravel. 

Step 4 - Add waterproofing membrane or "dimple membrane" as an extra step to prevent water from entering your foundation. 

Next Step:  Finish the drain tile and brace the walls for backfilling. 

Day 18 - Basement Waterproofing

It's day 18 and our basement wall forms were taken down today. The foundations guys sealed the outside if the basement walls with waterproofing rubber membrane. This obviously keeps the moisture from coming inside. 

Next step:  pouring the footings for our garage. 

Day 17 - Basement Walls Poured

Day 17 of this exciting process and today the basement walls were poured. The morning began with the foundation guys setting up the basement wall forms. Around lunch time the cement trucks started to arrive -- about 6 trucks total. They began to pour the cement into the forms and use the vibrator to get the air bubbles out. Tomorrow the forms should come off and the cement will cure for about five days.

North Wall...

Forms before the cement...

One of six cement trucks loading onto our sweet cement conveyor... one of three this side of the Mississippi!

Pouring...

Vibrator...

Famous Parks crew stopped by...

Leveling off the top...

Perfection...

Love...

Future front door area...

Next Step:  Pour garage footings. Stay tuned...

Footings Poured - Part 2

It's Day 16 and the footings are completed. The footings were poured on Friday and left in the forms until Monday. The foundation guys then removed the forms and used a saw to clean up areas that spilled through the forms to make clean edges for the drain tile . The drain tile allows water underneath and around the house to move away from the house (but that will come later).

Here's some highlights:

The forms for the poured walls were delivered today.

Bleeder... allows drain tile to exit underneath foundation.

Critter footprints, so funny!

Overall picture of our footings!

Next Up:  The wall forms should be setup tomorrow and the walls may be poured this week if all goes well!

Footings Poured - Part 1

Last Friday, our footings were poured for the foundation. I have some sneak peak pictures...

I will update later with more pictures. Check back to take a guess at what kind of critter walked the entire perimeter of our wet concrete footing... 

Friendly Visitors

The lot has been quiet for a few days now as we await the foundation guy to come pour our footings for our basement foundation -- that should be done in a couple of days. While we have been waiting, we have had some cute visitors stopping by. I hope they keep coming back even after our house is complete!

Two babies...

Cute little chipmunk hanging out...

Two bucks...

The third buck... huge!!

Day 4 - Basement Dig Complete

Today the excavator completed the digging of our basement.  

Also... Some friendly deer stopped by to say hi. 

Next Week: footings poured for the foundation.