Catching up on House Progress

Its been a while since I have posted, but some of the daily progress doesn't make for exciting pictures.

Walls are going up

Back of house, progress has been made

 Front of house

Starting to apply Tyvec

 Getting ready to sort the trusses

Too high for me!

 Main level and lower level sunrooms

View of two garages

Back of "Airstream garage"

Trusses over sunroom and future covered deck

back of house, retaining walls define future patio & back yard for pups

South side, two large windows in living room with fireplace in between

two small windows are guest bedroom and bath

Lower level is all mostly above ground making the house look higher and larger, 

all due to the garage for the Airstream being higher. 

 Front porch and back of front garage

Lots of landscaping to be done in the future:

view from the north side by garage

View from lower level sunroom onto future patio and backyard

7 Steps up into the mudroom from front garage

house sits higher due to "Airstream garage"

Coming in from the garage

 Looking into Living room from front entryway

Back of house, master bedroom to the right, bathroom to the left with 

laundry room and mudroom in the front on the left

 Living room windows facing southeast

Living room windows with fireplace between, faces south

Dave wanted large windows; they have turned out to be much larger then he expected.   :)

Sunroom with sliding doors to covered deck

kitchen with butler's pantry and master bedroom behind it.

Hopefully walls will be up soon, so I can have

a better idea of the room sizes. 

First zoomies in new house, in the lower level family room

Check back soon for more updates!  We are having so much fun seeing our dream become a reality!!!

We are loving the area, the views and being so much closer to our three children and future grandchild!!  :)

Beautiful Sunday Morning!

We woke up to sunny skies again today!  Wow!  Two days in a row. I think that is a record so far this spring.  

Well I thought I should post a quick update on the house. Due to weather progress has been slower than what we had hoped but in the absence of construction activity we have had time to shop for things like facets, stone, flooring and tile for the bathrooms. So we have gotten a lot of decisions made and choices agreed upon.  And....this has proven once again that building for us is not an ordeal because we agree on a majority of items and on the few things we might have differences, neither of us has stood firm but compromised.  We seemed to almost always like the same thing even when looking separately and then showing the other we find we chose the same thing!  :)

View of front porch on the right and the front and side garages on the left

First 4 loads, 58 tons, of gravel in basement covering the plumbing.  270 finished the job of backfilling.

Starting the rough grading, side dirt pile gone, two more to go

Dave standing in the front garage

Northeast side yard behind side garage

More gravel for base of flatwork in basement; standing in future back bedroom in lower level.  On main floor it would be the master bathroom.

Have a great week.  Check back again for other updates.   :)

Walls, We have walls!

With all the rain that our area experienced last week, nothing was accomplished until Friday.  Friday, Caruth set-up the forms in preparation for the concrete to be delivered Saturday morning.  Another load of gravel was delivered in order to better support the concrete trucks the next day.

The drilling truck setting up on the south side of the house

Dave said when he arrived Saturday morning, there were 7 concrete trucks lined up ready to start pouring the walls.

Also the well digger was there ready to start on the 4 wells for the geo-thermo system.  So, Saturday and Sunday did see quite a bit accomplished to make up for the previous week.  

Monday, Jeff and Dave shopped for the supplies needed to install the electrical pedestals and started that step.  Also, Caruth returned and removed the forms.  Here is what the walls look like:

This view is seen as standing on the patio looking into the northeast corner of the house.  On the right is the retaining wall, which will act as a shelter for the patio and define it. 

Tuesday, Jeff installed the plumbing that needed to be installed in the basement floor before they spread the gravel over it in preparation for the floor to be poured. 

Thanks for checking in!!!

Footings are In

Thursday and Friday were busy days, which was good as Jeff and Dave thought they would need to work on Saturday, but they stayed late both nights until 8 p.m. and finished the planned jobs.  Jeff finished digging the trenches for the water lines and he and Dave got them ran. 

Jeff running the water lines

Dave's comments:  Looked like moles in their holes as trenches were dug outlining the house where concrete footings and walls would grow out of the ground.   The  picture shows a zigzag where the two attached garages will be; the curved trench is bringing in the water line from 250' away at the frontage road where the meter pit was placed.  It is six feet deep to prevent freezing in Iowa winters. This last winter the frost was up to 60 inches deep says the local contractors.


One of two farm hydrants on the north side of the lot, useful for future garden plots 

that Dave is planning

Footings around side garage

View from front garage into basement

Side view of front garage and porch area in back of it

Looking from the future front porch into the basement footings and

out the back to future patio

As I am writing this update, on Sunday, the 27th, it has been pouring since 7 a.m. with very little let-up.  Highly possible they will not be pouring the basement walls tomorrow.  This last week was a busy and full week of accomplishments, but with spring weather in Iowa, delays are to be expected. 

We move to Little Wall Lake County campground for a couple days on Tuesday, as our alloted time is up here at Ledges State park.  On Thursday we will relocate again to Prairie Flower COE for two weeks.  

I am not sure how much posting will be made next week as it all depends on the weather.  Tentative schedule is on hold until we get the walls poured. 

Thanks for checking in!

Jones Family

Day 3 - Boone house

Since it rained most of the day and we had some strong winds. I didn't go out to the lot to check the progress.  Dave is reporting today. Hence more accuracy, as he was there all day.

Here's 400 hundred feet of water line and two farm hydrants which will be put in tomorrow.  Xenia Rural Water Company put in the meter pit and activated the meter so we will have water as soon as we decide to turn on the spigot.     Will need the water soon for the well drillers as they will be drilling four 200 feet deep wells for the geothermal heat pump which will heat and cool the house.

 

 

 Water lines and spigots

The first 100 feet of driveway gravelled today with 3" clean limestone.   Getting ready for the heavy cement trucks tomorrow when they come to pour the footings.  The heavy trucks will help compact a good roadbed for the future.   Only about 600 more feet to put in. So we will have a circular drive for turning around the RV.

Rick dug in the rear footings with the big John Deere this morning defining the sun room.  Meanwhile Jeff on the mini cut in about 250 of six foot deep water line trench.   Need the depth so the lines won't freeze in these Iowa winters.

 

 

Sunroom in the center leading out to the future patio in the back

Jeff trenching for the water lines

 

Very productive day. Jeff about froze though, so said it's long underwear tomorrow!

Day 2 - Boone House

Dave was up early, 6 a.m., eager to get out to the lot as the excavator was scheduled to return to finish the digging for the footings of the garage.

As they were reviewing yesterday's work, it was realized that the basement was not deep enough, so the excavator had to dig it again and go another 5.5 inches deeper.   So when that was done, he continued the digging for the footings around the garages. 

 

Front garage

 

 

Deeper basement

 

Dave had also made arrangements with him to pull up some trees on the hillside and then dig a hole to bury them.  Dave spent much of Monday clearing the fence line along the north side of the property.  It looks much better now, but still a lot of work to go, like ripping out old barbwire for one thing.

Brush from along the fence line

Trees and brush from the hillside in back of the house

Ready to be cut up for firewood



Meanwhile Jeff was busy scrapping out the left side of the driveway where they will lay rock on Wednesday, so the cement trucks will have firmer ground to drive on.  Dave and Jeff also picked up the Terratex fabric that will go under the rock for better support. 

starting the driveway



left side of the future circle driveway

 

 

 Looks like another productive day!  Wednesday it is supposed to rain, but again, I am hoping for it to go a bit north or south of the lot.  :) The only negative was the guys that are supposed to set the footings did not show up to take measurements and confirm the digging was correct.  Sure hope they show up on Wednesday!!!