Day 12 : Foundation undressed

Things are happening fast now!

So they poured the foundation walls on Thursday and must have taken off all the molds on Friday already because it looked all nice and clean as we went to check the progress today on day 12.

I made a pano shot from a different angle for a change: from the northern side of the house and along the driveway.

Pano shot from the northern dirt pile

I wonder how long this nice dirt pile on the west will allow me to take photos like that. 

Day 9 : Foundation walls

We are entering the third dimension now!

It was one of those picture perfect days today: temps in the 70s, low humidity and plenty of sunshine. The crew poured the foundation/basement walls today. We showed up mid afternoon just as the concrete truck finished its work. Since this is a walkout basement design, basically only the back half is below ground. So the 8' concrete walls do not wrap all around the basement area. You can already see the attached garage on the right, where the porch will sit on top. The main living quarter is the larger area on the left.

Here are a few pics again.

Reference Photo 2014-06-19

Day 7 : Footings are poured

Today they poured the concrete footings for the foundation.
But only after more of that stubborn ledge had to be removed.

Construction site with concrete footings

Nice viewpoint on top of a pile of dirt

Reference Photo 2014-06-16

Day 3 : Digging has started

The day has finally come. There were delays for various reasons, but most notably it was due to a winter that simply did not want to end. The road's posted signs (Vermont towns do not allow heavy trucks on minor roads during mud season) have been lifted in Westford on May 19, and nobody we spoke to could remember it being that late in spring.

Here is the last "pre construction photo of the site, taken last weekend:

Building Site, Pre Construction

We got notified by the builder a few days ago that digging will start on Wednesday, June 11, 2014.

On June 12, we hit the first road "block" on our way: A big ledge rock that need to be removed either by blasting or with a special (and expensive) chisseling rig. We almost expected this to happen as we know the ledges on the slope above the site in the woods.

Here are a few photos from today, June 14. You can see the special rig being brought to the site already, waiting to do its job on Monday I suppose. Oh and yes: It has rained for the past two days, hence all the water in the photos!

Construction site with westerly view

Chisseling Rig

I decided to take a "reference photo" as often as possible, always from the same spot. Here is the first one. You may compare it with the "pre construction photo" above.

Reference Photo 2014-06-14