Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Making Positive Progress....FINALLY!!

OK, it was finally time for things to turn the corner and begin rebuilding! It was the very beginning of December and now we were really battling the winter weather. But, the guys showed up bundled in their insulated jumpsuits and worked as much as they could. It was really too bad they did not start the first of October like originally planned. The excavating guys returned and knocked in the old cement block foundation in order to dig the new crawl space footage and footers for the new foundation.

Within a week they were pouring the footers and completing the crawl space floor. Since part of the crawl space floor was the original basement floor, our contractor decided to make it all a cement floor, which will be really nice in the long run. A sump pit was buried and the cement pros got to work. This was then covered with insulated cement blankets and left to cure. Nothing happened over the holidays and we tried to be very patient.

By the first of the year, the cement guys were busy again. They set all the forms for the foundation and poured them the next day. Now the waiting game again, as we waited for them to set up firm.

Poppy was able to get in a few days later when the forms were removed and put the foam insulation sheets up inside the crawl space foundation.

Then, about a week later we were in mid-January and they started to set the floor joists. This was really exciting to see lumber finally making our dream take form.

The following week they had all the flooring down and started framing walls. It was bitter cold, but it did not stop the contractor and his crew. They were as ready to make progress as we were.

At the end of that first day of framing, Grandmommy just HAD to go out and see if they would let her hammer a few nails. From all my experience with building for Habitat for Humanity, I knew I could do this too. But, I must be out of shape, as one and half nails was all I could handle. Could it have been the frigid temps?

By the end of the next day, they had the living area of the first floor totally framed. This will be our new master suite (bedroom, bath and walk-in closet) as well as a half bath and utility room.

We are most excited about the wonderful view we will have out those nice big windows looking out on the lake from our bedroom! The full moon rises over the lake from the opposite shore, won't that be beautiful on a clear warm night? Not to mention the sunrises in the morning!

As January wore down, they were finally able to thaw out the large pile of dirt frozen in the middle of the garage foundation. This was necessary to be able to pour the garage floor. They finally got a day above freezing, a short window of opportunity to get this job done. They worked until after dark to prepare and lay the forms and bury the garage drain. They were all ready the next morning when they came with the cement trucks to pour that floor.

Then the snows returned. We had about eight inches and Poppy found himself shoveling out our new bedroom and bath!

After the garage floor had set for almost a week, it was finally deemed ready to begin framing the garage walls. Poppy was happy, as having an attached garage was one of his biggest desires in all this planning. So, he was right out there helping hold the I beams as they tied together the garage walls with the 2nd floor joists.
It was all really taking shape!

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