Aerial view #1

I had not planned to post another entry so soon, but we got a few aerial pictures from my father-in-law and his wife, from when they went flying the other day. I chose this one to share because you can see the property in relation to the Fox River, as well as the "lake" behind us. Click on the picture to enlarge. You can see our foundations!

1.21 Gigawatts?! Great Scott!

Thursday was a great day. Powerdyne (our electric utility contractor) came out and was able to get our new utility pole set, along with the wiring trenched in and run to our very own transformer.

This was done in preparation for ComEd to come today and finish the job (sorta) by setting their pole. They have yet to connect the overhead from theirs to ours but guessing that's a different crew OR they got rained out.  We'll also have to trench from the transformer to the house and outbuilding to lay the secondary line and put in the meters but that's not happening until after backfill is complete.  I know the framing crew will be anxious for "real" power, as no one really wants the noise of a generator when they are working all day. They probably also don't want a homeowner taking pictures of them while they are working, but we all know that's not gonna stop. But at least they will have power.

A Windows Decision

The windows decision has caused a lot of heartache but we have finally made the decision to go with the Hurd aluminum clad, double hung, tilt sash windows.
Have you ever heard of Hurd? We hadn't. But from the get go we were impressed with the window.
http://www.hurd.com/aluminum-clad-windows-patio-doors
What we (I) were not impressed with was the price. These windows are a significant chunk of our budget. We've made many modifications to assist with the pricing. Such as changing the grills (muttin) pattern. Removing the grills entirely (in all but the front elevation). Changing several to single hung. Removing one window entirely from the plan.
Here is a picture of what I expect the windows in the front to look like (with the 3W2H pattern, and no grills on bottom)
 

We also looked at:
Anderson 400 series
Kolbe traditional
Plygem premium series
Marvin Integrity (ultrex)

Here's the funny thing, it was only upon seeing the Kolbe sample that we realized we have tilt sash windows in our current home...that we have lived in for 10 years! That is because the mechanism for folding the window out is not on the wood frame (where the locking mechanism is) but rather within the interior molding which is flexible and you smoosh it in to pull the window out. Not sure how else to explain it. If you have these kinds of windows you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Or maybe you won't, since we didn't! Needless to say, our current home windows are now very clean!

Inspection #3-(before) Backfill

So, it's been a week since my last post as there was a slight delay, after the forms were taken down, due to the crane that's used to lift them out broke and the contractor had to secure another truck. So they sat from Monday til Friday. Given the weather had been pretty cooperative last week, I became a bit frustrated, since we could be moving forward with the next steps. So with a little bit of breathing down FB Bill's neck on Thursday he just had the forms covered up in plastic so he could go ahead and spray the damp-proofing (that's the black stuff in the picture).
Friday morning I stopped by and the drain tile was in and covered (that's the black tube sticking up into the window well, it also runs along the perimeter under that red paper-covered with stone). And as you can see, the crane came and got the forms as well.

FB Bill scheduled an inspection for today and we passed! (Not that we expected not to)

This week we have high hopes for our electric utility service to be installed (ComEd dropped off the transformer last Friday).

And to do some backfilling.
This would put us right on schedule to have steel delivered and framing to start June 1!
But, that is all assuming the weather cooperates....which as you can see the weather is not cooperating today. We have a very nice moat around the outbuilding....

Concrete Jungle

Finally a picture of me!

Home sweet home

Concrete Entry 2: We've got walls

So, Wednesday the outbuilding wall forms were up and they were ready to go up for the house. 

Thursday the outbuilding walls did get poured and the house walls did get formed.

Walls of outbuilding with forms off

Of course we had to take a walk around the forms on the planks.

Then on Friday this happened!!!!!!!!!  

 

 

Not too extremely interesting unless you were up close and personal, like me, as the guys didn't seem to care that I crawled over on the planks to watch the pour. In fact, they told me to grab a shovel!

 

 

 

 

 

If you are curious, it took 10 mixer trucks full plus another partial at the very end to finish it off. Our driveway is a mushy mess and the culvert did get crushed on one side (uh-oh) but it was worth it. We have foundation walls!

 

 

 

Side note: I did read somewhere that it's no good to write your initials in the concrete, as it makes the workers mad and can fail your inspection. Not sure how much truth there is to that, but alas, we did not. 

More pictures next week when the forms come off!

Dem Bones

People seemed pretty interested in the last bones picture so I thought I'd post another one.

Insomnia

Kelly: "Google, what's it called when you can't sleep in the morning?"
Google: "Why, you can't fall asleep?"
Kelly: "No, I feel asleep just fine. I just woke up super early, again"

Kelly: "Google, can you pour concrete in the rain?"
Kelly: "Google, pouring foundation walls"
Kelly: "Google, backfilling foundation walls"
Kelly: "Google, how long should concrete cure"

Can you tell what's on my mind this morning?

Concrete Entry 1: Putting down new "roots"

Today we put down new roots at the Triple V.

This was truck 1 of 3 total. I helped stop the early morning commute traffic so he could back in. These guys made backing down the driveway look easy.
And by the way, the leftover mix was only about 1/2 yard. Facebook Bill estimated almost perfectly!


Here's a close up of the conveyor being used. I call this gray gold. It's costing us that much.

Amazing how quick they were working. I think they had the perfect number of guys. Didn't notice anyone standing around but they also didn't get behind. You've seen those pictures of the mix overflowing the forms....not on our site!

 I spoke to each of the truck drivers, pretty much they all asked the same thing, if I was the boss. I said yes, of course, don't I look like the boss?, I am the only one just standing around!

I also got to ask a few questions to the pump truck operator. I suggested that the hardest job appeared to be the guys who were smoothing out the concrete and ensuring the elevation was correct, but he said his job was the hardest, making sure the conveyor was in the right place and not taking anyone out with it!

One of my favorite moments was realizing this old timer was smoking a stogie the entire time he was working.

I also found the keying in the footing interesting. I could have done that! I really did feel like I could have helped, but alas, we are paying good money for this.








 And not to be outdone by the house, a picture of the footings of our Outbuilding. Repeat after me, "this is the reason we are building out here in the first place."

The wall forms went up in the afternoon on this
bad boy today too, and Facebook Bill says he's hoping to pour them tomorrow.











House forms should go up tomorrow with pouring on Friday.

Inspection #2-Footings

House footings-from the far /wraparound porch side

So, today went something like this...
After I dropped the kids off at daycare, I decided to swing by the Triple V to check out what damage the rains last night might have done to our Sandbox. To my surprise the chain was down and Facebook Bill was already out there (note, this was approx 7:15am). He said he was done and had ordered the footing inspection for TODAY. I then glanced over at the outbuilding hole, which as of yesterday when we stopped by (at approx 11:30) had not been formed up. It was DONE and ready for inspection as well. Apparently they worked all yesterday afternoon. Sunday. Mother's Day.

Outbuilding footings-from the front

So I headed home to call county to get a better idea of when the inspector might be by and was given an ETA of 12-1. How convenient! I didn't even need to take time off work. I plan at being at every inspection. Oddly, when I left, FB Bill had said he wouldn't be back for the inspection in the afternoon, but again, I'm learning to expect the unexpected. Because I headed out and was just kickin' rocks and playing in the mud waiting for the inspector when I saw a truck and trailer with bobcat coming down the drive. FB Bill was back! He's a bit worried about the big concrete trucks on our soggy driveway, so he was going to use some of our sand/gravel to fill in a couple of the low spots. Sounds more like an excavator's job to me, but nice to know there's a team effort going on.  He even got in the big machine and backed it up several feet. If I knew the key was in there and it was that easy to start, I would have jumped in myself and had a go at it! Kidding, of course. Maybe not....
Anyway, a few minutes later the inspector showed up, took a look, signed the paperwork and left.
And there you have it, Inspection #2-PASSED.
We are ready for concrete! Might have even got some of it today, the way Bill was talkin'....guess you have to tune in tomorrow to fine out.

Footings forming up

The rain held off and this got done today...

Tomorrow is another day of setting up forms.

Here's hoping we can get an inspection done Monday morning and start putting down some new roots.

Still ahead of schedule

Well, Mr. G. got all the excavation done today and I spoke to the Concrete contractor (I'll refer to him as Facebook Bill going forward) who told me he'd like to start putting down the footing forms tomorrow.
He is sending us the revised estimate, given we had to overdig the front porch, so the porch walls will be taller and need more concrete. He also gave me the news that we will need the pumper truck afterall, something I had feared. In the original contract it outlined the charge for the pumper truck and I stressed over that cost. I had Alex cut down more trees to make the perimeters accessible and even had Facebook Bill come out to the property to check the accessibility. But in the end, it's not the accessibility that's the issue, but the safety of pulling in the mixer trucks close enough to pour next to our crumbling/sandy hole. The last thing we want is a truck falling into the hole!
So, safety first, but wait, can you hear it? It's getting louder......$$$$$$$$

Sandbox

Well, we have a hole in the ground. And it is sandy.

 Liam got to help Mr. G!

 

James just wanted to slide.

 

Digger!

Sooooooo......this happened today!!!!

The meandering driveway is in! Or at least a base is in so that heavy equipment trucks can get back without getting stuck.
Also, since our Excavator made such quick work of the driveway, he started scraping the topsoil off of the house lot too. The driveway had awesome black dirt. The house was bit more rocky to one side; and everyone is pretty sure it's going to get sandy the further down we go. Well, except me, that is. I'm still holding out for good dirt and clay. A girl can hope and dream, right? (Never thought my dreams would be about soil types).

Pending weather tomorrow, he will scrape the top off the outbuilding lot and begin the excavation there.
Depending on how that goes, our big (house) hole could be open as soon as Wednesday.
Who knew construction could get AHEAD of schedule...great news, except we had not anticipated so much progress already and had advised the concrete guy we were looking at next week for him to start. I do want the excavation to proceed, so that we see what we're dealing with down there, but I'm a bit leery about leaving the hole open (especially for the house-the outbuilding is not nearly as deep). I'm taking it a day at a time now though and somewhat relying on these guys to coordinate so that it all comes out alright.

The Triple V is starting to look like an actual homesite. Awww, my baby is growing up so fast.

Survey Says...

Well, if having the corners of your home staked for excavation isn't a sign of progress, I don't know what is.

Alex did end up having to take down a few more trees though, believe it or not!

Furthermore the Excavator came and marked for JULIE to check for existing underground utilities. He gave them an outline, so they wouldn't have to check the entire 5 acres. Not that we expect them to find anything.

When we went to the property this morning we found the Excavator had been by to drop off his machine.  He plans to start the driveway on Monday,        

rain or shine!

The neighbor also came out to give us a heads up that a "present" was left in our culvert. Apparently on Friday night a car hit a deer right in front of our lot. He said he heard all the sirens, so it must not have been pretty. The remains definitely were not. I guess that's country livin' though.

Also Friday I met again with Comed and our (probable) private contractor to have our Electric needs reviewed. Comed had not placed the work order yet, so we are about 6-8 weeks from getting poles and the transformer set.

Finally, we're having a 4th window priced. Still crunching that line item in the budget!

It's been a busy weekend, we had a first, and second, baseball game and team pictures.

Our little slugger got MVP at the opener!

And last but not least.....for a sneak peek at the Triple V logo, here's a pic of our other munchkin with our temporary/homemade address marker now placed at the entrance to The Triple V!