More Walls!

Adams Poured Wall was out in full force on Monday to set the metal forms and to pour the walls! They used a gigantic pump to shoot concrete in between the forms to create the 8 inch thick walls. The 5 basement windows and the sliding patio door forms were slipped down in between the metal forms seen in the pictures, so that the concrete could form around them.

Walls!

Ade and his Dad continue to work on nailing up the girders on the sides and back of the Pole Barn. While we were out on the property today, Adams Poured Wall delivered all of the forms for the basement walls. They will be back out on Monday to start work on setting and pouring.

House Footings or Giant Sand Box?

Monday, October 8 ~ We awoke to another exciting morning of fun things happening out on the property. Adams Poured Wall (Grass Lake) met us at the property at 8am to begin the work of setting the "forms" (which just so happen to be our "drain tile" too) as well as digging our deep footings and jackpost footings. Wes was the head of this 2 man crew who did a wonderful job. The cement truck arrived early in the afternoon to pour all of the footings. It was very interesting to watch the whole process.

Caber Toss or Pole Barn?

Saturday, October 6 through Monday, October 8 ~ Ade, Dad Forbes and myself started digging the 12" wide by 42" deep post holes for the post frame garage that we will build ourselves. Tom Nolte, the Grass Lake building inspector stopped by Monday morning to inspect the house footings and the post holes for the garage. He said everything looks great. Ade and Dad Forbes set the 4 corner posts, and started working on some of the side wall posts.

Houston, We Have Lift Off!

Friday, October 5 ~ We awoke Friday morning excited and ready to embark on the massive undertaking of building our new home. Mike and Ron of RPM Excavating (Grass Lake) met us at our property at 8am, ready to start moving massive amounts of earth. Mike's morning greeting was "Let's Dig Some Basement!". RPM excavating did an excellent job of digging our walkout basement, leveling/grading our post frame garage floor and also getting the front half of our driveway raised by 2 feet to even it out (using dirt from the excavation). They will cut the second half of the driveway and then lay the appropriate amounts of stone/gravel along the entire drive in the next week or so.

Last Views of the "Grassy Knoll"

Thursday, October 4 ~ We took one last pre dig trek to the property to double check house layout, elevations, and other miscellaneous items.

Sugar Maple Saplings

We planted 100 sugar maple saplings from the Jackson Conservation District this past spring. The goal is to harvest sap 25 years down the road when the trees are large enough . . .







Furrows for the saplings
(yes, that's Ade with a hoe in one hand and a Sam Adams in the other)









Ade finishing the watering after the pump stopped working on our irrigation/watering system





Cody on patrol