Construction (Phase 5)

Click TOOLS OF THE TRADE to see some of the tools and equipment we used. Click CREDITS to see the major companies and suppliers we've worked with.
		10-4-09 Jeff and Paul spent most of the today finishing up the tamping of the basement floor, which took them well into the evening. More pics here

		10-8-09 Jeff went out tonight on a weeknight to do some evening work on the house. All of the window and door framing boards need to be secured tightly to the concrete. We chose concrete lag bolts countersunk so their heads would be flush with the wood. More pics here

		10-9-09 While Jeff pressure-washed more of the outside of the house, Bob was busy lag-bolting the rest of the basement window and door frames. He also formed out the northwest corner of the floor where we plan to have a real root cellar. They also snapped a chalk line around the perimeter to mark the height the perimeter styrofoam will be. More pics here

		10-10-09 Today, Jeff used the concrete saw to trim up the footer pads around the poles, then began laying insulation. More pics here

		10-11-09 Jeff laid more insulation again today. The cuts around the footer pads are still taking the most time as they need to be a tight fit. More pics here

		10-12-09 Bob and Jeff finished laying the 2" insulation over the floor, then covered the footer pads with 1/2" sheets. Our mason, Larry, dropped by today to trim off any raised edges left on the footer pads when they were poured. This will help the 1/2" insulation to sit level. More pics here

		10-13-09 The wire mesh got laid down today. This is what the radiant tubing will be tied to. Bob also built a temporary wall to hold up the ends of the tubing in the Utility Room area. More pics here

		10-14-09 Today we began laying the radiant tubing down, beginning with the front wall and working toward the back wall. We have 9 loops that will heat 3 zones. More pics here

		10-15-09 The rest of the tubing is now laid, and the loops labeled. We also capped one end of every loop in preparation for pressure-testing them tomorrow. Bob also cleaned off the patio area since we plan to pour that a week or two after the floor is finished. More pics here

		10-16-09 The day before the big pour. We connected all the loops and pressurized them with 80lbs. of air. It held steady all day, which told us there were no leaks. The last thing to do was to build a form at the threshold. More pics here

		10-17-09 Our exciting day began early. The first concrete truck arrived right on time at 8:30. We had lots of help today, including Dennis, who came up just for the day, and Allison and her parents. Even Tom showed up! Five people shared three wheelbarrows, delivering concrete to Larry and Steve. It was a long day for them, finishing in late afternoon. More pics here

		10-18-09 In preparation for pouring the patio slab, we set up a form along the outer edge of the frost wall. This was Allison's big job before heading back home today. More pics here