Start the Pumps!

Well, the rain continued this week but the clock is ticking and we had to work around it.  Monday started with a load of footer material getting delivered from Christmas Lumber and their Moffett getting stuck destroying the driveway.  The rain really put a damper on the day's work.  If I hadn't been to the rodeo a hundred times before, I would be pretty discouraged but the show must go on.  The day continued and I drove to Tellico Lumber to pick up rough cut 1x4's and 2x6's.  When I got back, Derrick from Headrick Excavating was cleaning out the basement cave in (from the previous week's rains) and fixing the driveway.  I proceeded to drain the footer holes once again.


covered footer material


My buddy, Ron and his brother (Jeremy) ended up getting a later start out of Florida than planned.  The tires on the RV had a blowout on the way to Tennessee so they had to turn it back around.  It wasn't a great start to the week for anybody.


25 tons of rock was delivered Tuesday to cover the basement and I continued to pump out water.  (Only for it to rain, yet again on Wednesday...)

holding the level to make sure the rock was evenly distributed



no, it's not a lake but our basement


By Thursday, the rain was on its way out of town and Ron and Jeremy had safely arrived.  The house site looked worse than ever.  We started the pumps and spent 3 hours draining the basement.  The grade stakes (which marks the footer level height) went in the ground and the 2' wide footer forms were finally started.
 By Friday, we'd finished laying out the footer forms.  Cristi and I picked up an 85 gallon steel barrel (for burning) from one of her coworkers and also two 40 gallon barrels for trash/recycling.

work has begun!

footers!

Ron and Jeremy made great progress and were laying rebar by Saturday and we got our first termite treatment from Mar Von.  Cristi and I spent most of Saturday clearing the tarzan vines on the property and playing hosts to lonestar ticks.  No, that isn't a new country band, but actual ticks.  I only had two of the little critters, but Cristi had 5.

termite treatment

if you look close, that is Cristi clearing brush and tarzan vines

The footers are completely formed now and we awaiting the footer inspections tomorrow.  And, praying the 70% chance of rain on Tuesday is just a joke.

garage footer

 

finished!