Progress!
A bunch of updates:
We left off last week just hours away from pouring the concrete into the foundation forms. That was done, and then a 2-man crew came in, installed the center beam and sill plates all around, and framed up the south side. I caught up with them on Monday.
Windows on the lower level will match the arrangement of windows on the upper level—they just put the OSB sheathing up, then will cut out the window openings once they know exactly how big the rough openings for the lower windows need to be.
In other big news — I think the excavators Josh and Mike are completely finished, as evidenced by new septic-tank hatches (why three, I wonder? Sure hope they provide an owner’s manual) and more boulders shoved into a heap in the front yard. Oh, and they sent an invoice, so we’re about to put in the first draw request for a Bundle of Bucks to cover half the foundation work (forms & concrete) and the excavators.
The guys doing the framing said they thought the house movers could come back THIS WEEK to set the house down. That will be a colossal landmark — the house movers will then get their final payment and be out of the picture. Gotta say, I’ll be a little sorry to wave g’bye to them. They’ve been great to work with over the past year and a half, and I reckon being able to watch the spectacle of the house moving down the road in the middle of the night is one of those events a person never forgets, like doing a parachute jump or shooting the Colorado River rapids (neither of which I have done, but you get the drift).
But wait, there’s more — a whirlwind tour of my last trip up there. From left: the new septic tank hatches and freshly-graded front yard; framing for the doorway and stairwell on the south (backyard) side; the bathroom in the middle of de-construction (next trip includes a reciprocating saw to hack up the fiberglass tub surround).
Bottom row: I spent most of the afternoon taking the bathroom apart, but every time I walked through the living room and caught a glimpse out the windows, I had to stop and stare at the water for a minute. Both the bedrooms can see the water, too—a fine thing, for sure. Finally, the view from down on the riverbank, looking up at the Bucky Hut and its new big brother lurking in the background.
Oh, and yes I did meet with the contractors and they acknowledged ‘missing’ the 5th basement window, and we arrived at a mutual agreement on the next critical-path steps. They still think that it’s ‘too soon to talk about’ some of my list, but things really are accelerating—and to be fair, everybody is scrambling to get the essentials done before winter really sets in (secure the house, re-roof, get the electric service and a modicum of heat inside).
The weatherman is yipping about setting high-temp records for Minnesota in December. Fine with me.
More soon!
