Forms Are Set... Drilling The Piers 11/18-2009

B&B Concrete got the forms set for the foundation and they had a drilling rig sent in to drill holes for concrete piers which the foundation will rest on. The clay soil is terribly expansive and the foundation engineer recommended 29 piers. Think of the foundation as a table top and the piers are 29 legs sunk down in the ground that the top is resting on. They aren't physically connected, though. The foundation rests on the piers. Even if the soil heaves a bit going from wet to dry, the foundation, in theory, will remain stable. At least that's the plan!

Not a bad view of the job site from up on the hill. The form where the front porch is will be closed off once the drilling rig pulls out.

House Pad Finished... the Potty Arrives 11-12-2009

Rusty the Dozer Driver showed that sticky, wet clay who is boss and finished up the housepad. It's not pretty, but it's big and level. Due to the lay of the land it drops off about 3 feet over a span of about 15 feet in the back. I'll have to try that out with my bicycle eventually!




Got To Go Solutions brought us a nice blue potty. They do weekly cleanouts, in case you're curious.

Jeff, Clint and Roberto - the foundation guys - staked the corner offsets and plan to start setting the forms and digging piers on Monday. We're moving now.

We're using Structural Insulated Panels for the walls and roof from Korwall in Arlington, TX. Essentially, the exterior shell of the home will be built at their facility over the next 2 weeks and then shipped to the home site where they will be erected. Kind of like Legos. Hopefully the foundation will be ready just in time when the panels are ready.

Rocks For The Driveway 11-8-2009

Work continues on the house pad. It's slow work with wet clay. Meanwhile, the driveway (or construction entrance) is easy enough to complete while the housepad continues to dry.

The Culvert Gets Covered 11-5-2009

Rusty the Dozer Driver covered up the culvert with some of our incredibly thick clay soil. I'm thinking about a career in pottery once we move here.