House update - now

garage

Well, everything dried out from the storms, and we didn't have any damage, but we are ready to get this thing under roof.

Our framers are ready too. One of them worked all weekend. They got the osb up this week on top of the roof.

Remember the sonotubes a few posts back? You can see what their job is in this picture.

Closer view....

The ceiling frames are in. There is probably a correct term for this, not ceiling frames, but I don't know what it is. We are having 8 foot ceiling height in some rooms and 9 foot in other rooms.

Remember the huge piles of dirt. Well, Dave has been working to smooth it out.

We're going to plant clover and rye in it, and some self-seeding flowers by the pond.

I've lost some sleep over these roof lines being too high. Oh well, nothing I can do about it. It looks like a two story, but it isn't.


This is the only two story part of the house..

and this is a ton of attic space.

Cindy

storms - now

We live in the midwest and yesterday we had storms. Lots and lots of storms. The storm system was 1200 miles long and it produced over 24 tornadoes in Indiana, Illinois & Wisconsin alone. They said we had level 3 hurricane winds with this storm. All I know is our house got all wet inside....

But it's still standing!

Cindy

Roof trusses done - now

The framers "stick-built" most of the trusses. The only trusses we ordered finished were for the garage. The garage is to the left in this picture, with the osb leaning against it.

They lifted the trusses up there with a crane, but I missed it. Only took an hour.


trusses

Side view from drive way

From the road

Front view from the road.

Cindy

It's only a house - now

See this hole?




They are called sonotubes and these guys are filling them with cement. They will hold our patio and upper deck. They actually had to dig waaaay down because they have to start pouring in undisturbed soil.


I'm a little anxious to see how they look. But my new motto....it's only a house.

This is the septic area. I found out it gets to look like this until next spring. The soil has to settle. ..It's only a house.....it's only a house......it's only a house....

Cindy

Upstairs framed - now

This picture is very deceiving....it's the house from the road. They have the upstairs portion framed, which is to the right. It looks like there is another upstairs on the left side, but that is the kitchen, and it's on the main level. That streak in front is shade, which is why the kitchen looks taller than it is. It's an illusion. The kitchen is the same height as the family room. So, to the left is the kitchen. In front of the kitchen will be a deck. The middle section with the three windows is the family room, and the right hand side in front is a tv/reading room, and behind that is our bedroom. On the upper level is two bedrooms and a bath.

This is coming in the driveway. Walkout basement on bottom, middle window above basement is our bedroom window, then the framed part upstairs is bedroom in front, bathroom in middle, and bedroom in back.

While I was there, this truck pulled up. More lumber. My motto...it's only money, you can't take it with you. See that red thing on the back of the truck behind the lumber.

Well it's the cutest little thing....


You drive it off of the truck and you unload lumber with it.

Cindy

Basement walls, I-Joists - now

The basement is coming together just fine. See those 'boards' across the ceiling? You can see part of one in the right hand corner of the pic...I think those are called I-Joists. They're a bit heavier than 2x4's or 2x6's.

Well.....I've decided that Construction Workers

are just a different kind of person.

I don't mean this in a bad way....not at all.....

I have the utmost respect for them.

My Shug, he was a construction worker when we met. I think he's a bit sentimental watching all of this...and I've heard stories from him, such as changing the light bulb on the top of the Bank One building in downtown Indy. But that was before I knew him.

and I'm glad.... because this guy... walking across the basement walls like that? Carrying an I-Joist? I was a tad nervous. Let me just say I double checked with him to make sure I was clear on one thing. He carries insurance on himself, I carry it on the lumber and tools and such. OK - we're good.

Cindy

Basement done, Garage begun - now

The basement floor is done, except for sweeping.

On to the garage. They framed it

and poured the walls.....and when they took the frames down, Dave said, "where's the cutout for the door." AAUUUGGGHHHHH!!!!

aaahhhhhhh.....no big deal, they cut them out. But they did forget. And when Dave told me, I wanted to run as far away as I could run, which isn't far because I can't run! But they don't know the last 'door story'...the one where I was up at 3:00 a.m. in the morning when he said, "They didn't cut out the door."

They poured the garage floor yesterday (Thu) and moved some dirt.

The pad between the garage and the house is a breezeway.

And the framers showed up and started the walls.

See that pile of wood to the middle left of the pic. That's the wood they refused to use. So, last night we went to Menards and bought some wood. Carter's was closed. And we took it to the land and unloaded it, but there are more walls up and we had to squeeze it through the slats onto the concrete. And my poor shug fell over a bolt because it was dark out and he is tired. He needs a break. We need a break. But it just moves so fast.

They are moving this pile of dirt today in front of the house. The septic guy is supposed to start today. Today is the last day for the concrete guys for a couple of weeks. And I should be out there taking pics of the dirt being moved, but I have a long list of stuff to do here, at home.

Cindy

Basement floor - Now

Monday, September 27, 2010. They poured the basement floor. This was an all day event. While waiting on the cement truck to show, they continued filling around the house in gravel.

And prepared the floor for the pour.

The contractor explained to me the plastic is a moisture barrier. It helps with dampness in the basement. The rebar is to reinforce the bearing walls.

Truck number one shows up.

I thought they got dangerously close to that cement coming down and believe me, it was coming down hard.

Truck number two.

These guys worked so hard yesterday spreading and smoothing that concrete.

Even the company owner worked hard. He's in the blue on the right side of the 2x4. Dad came out to watch with me and said, "what's he doing working that hard, he's the owner?"

Now this I couldn't believe! Dad and I were sitting on the swing chatting. The trucks were gone.

What's he doing?

We had to walk around and take a look. They gently threw those pieces of Styrofoam down, from standing up above....then they gently lowered themselves down on the Styrofoam pieces. Unbelievable! They smoothed the edge of the wall all the way around the house.

We were impressed.

Finishing touches

While the three guys put on the finishing touches to the floor, the others laid out the garage.

They started digging the footers for the garage. They poured the footers yesterday afternoon, I missed it. I don't even think they took a lunch hour. Today they will pour the garage walls. I was told the basement crew will be done this week and the framing crew will start this week.

I have to admit, this is all still very overwhelming to me.

Cindy