This was a busy week! Monday they framed the walkout wall. It is fun to watch the Amish carpenters. They have to have someone drive them to the job site, then when they arrive they pull out the air compressor, generator, and cordless drills and saws. The head carpenter carries a smart phone, and is far more tech savvy than my builder. Frankly, I wish they were close by, and arrived by buggy. I could use a good draft horse to pull some logs out of my woods.
Tuesday they finished up some framing and waited all day for inspections. Nancy and I took the day off to get our flu shots, shop for groceries, Nancy had a doctor's appointment, and I had to go to OT. We were supposed to pour concrete Wednesday, but the late inspections caused us to cancel. We did some site cleanup, installed some drain pipes on the outer perimeter, and then Nancy and I went looking at floor coverings.
Thursday the flatwork crew showed up and started work. We had a couple of problems. The inner drain/radon vent was too high in places, and the lumber company had not delivered enough foam for the entire floor. By the time we worked out solutions, the flatwork contractor was uneasy with pouring that late in the day, so they left and Nancy and I took some time for ourselves, shopping in Saugatuck and eating lunch by the river.
Friday we poured the basement floor. Good crew! They really know their business. We actually benefitted from the delay, as the concrete will have a couple of days to cure before the carpenters build their supporting wall on it Monday. It would have been the following day otherwise. This morning's rain will help the cure, too. No water out there yet, to spray the slab down and keep it wet.
Saturday I hauled a couple of loads of pea stone and covered the perimeter drain in preparation for backfilling. With this wounded hand I couldn't shovel, so I had to buy 50 pound bags of stone and toss them in the hole before spreading them. Much more expensive that way, but it worked well and I didn't hurt myself. If I tear this ligament off my thumb again I will be in big trouble. They would probably have to fuse the joint, because further repairs may not be possible. Nancy drove to Grand Rapids and got her parents, who are in their eighties and can no longer drive, and brought them out to see the property and construction for the first time.
Getting up at 5:30 every morning and hitting the road for an hour to get to the site shortly after the sun rises is too much like work. We are supposed to be retired! Building a house is a silly thing to be doing at this age. I will probably be in a better mood about the commute if I can ride my Spyder there once in a while. I have to wear the brace until Wednesday, but then I may be able to ride again. The flexibility in my thumb and wrist is returning nicely. I still need a great deal of strengthening, but I am ahead of where I expected to be.
More walls tomorrow. It is a bit of a monster of a house, being just over 2,000 sq ft and a ranch...large footprint. The nine foot walls in the basement and main floor make it look even more imposing, especially on the walkout side. More than two old folks need, but it fits our needs and lifestyle well. The Universal Design features should let us age in place quite gracefully. Not ready to start on the toybox yet. The hand needs to heal a bit more, and we need to round up some cash...even more cash if we decide to have someone else build the barn. The 24'x36' attached garage (with attic) may need to do for a while.
