What a week!

Here is the pipe laid for the kitchen.


This is the pipe laid in the bathroom for the sink, toilet and tub.


This is the old pipe that was our exsisting sewer


Well, what a busy week. I guess I should whine more often because the plumber called Wednesday night and they started on thursday. They were in on saturday and are finishing up today. They had to dig a low more dirt out for the trenches for the pipe and the new clean out. So Jason and b-i-l Mike were in today to start moving some of that dirt out. We think we have decided that the floor concrete will be done by hand (mixer) rather than a big truck because of the thickness we want. Jason seems to think it will be more manageable that way. He's the concrete guy - so it's his decision. He also figures it will cost less but take a couple of days. At least we are getting there...we all figure once the floor is in things will beging to move faster because we aren't waiting for other people, we have the control back ;o)
On an aside the girls and I were to Girl Guide camp this past weekend and had a great time. The weather was awesome and nobody went home in the middle of the night! I think that is the first time that has happened. But two nights in a tent and a lot of getting up to take kids for bathroom runs took its toll on this old lady, when we got home sunday I was beat. I was glad the I 'had' to sleep during the day to get ready for work monday night.

Here is the gang!

OK......

I suck at waiting. Where is the plumber! Also wouldn't mind seeing the electrician so the other window can go in (power box and mast on front of house has to be moved).

Dining Room Light

Well, we're still waiting on the plumber so not much new to report. Some of the rocks in the foundation were out a little far at the base so we chiseled a bit of that away and put in a couple more steel posts that we had left over. On another note my dining room light arrived today and I think it's gorgeous. Not to everyone's taste - but they don't live here do they ;o)

Gravel Gravel everywhere...

The weeping tile is all in place and the front two rooms have gravel in them. Jason ran chalk and level lines all over the place to mark the level for the gravel. I was kind of shocked at how much gravel is coming into the house, it seems like we are losing a lot of our height. I guess I have to wait and see the whole space with gravel in it....it's amazing how much variation in height there is in the ceilings and floors. I guess that goes with an old house that was built in two halves by two different guys!

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, what a difference a couple hours and some jumping up and down do - there is less gravel and more hope for a higher ceiling. Guess the old saying "If mama isn't happy - ain't nobody happy"....nobody wants to mess with the mama.

Waiting Game

Not too much going on right now that is exciting, we are waiting on the plumber. Jason is finishing repointing the foundtion walls. There were some pretty good gaps at the top of the walls on the west end of the house so they are filled in now. No more access holes for critters.
We had to move some of the gravel because it was obstructing the sidewalk and the town didn't like that. So we had a young fellow bring some of it inside so it will be ready to spread. The weeping tile is ready to go in, the ditch is dug for it.
We spent the day today down at our trailer, getting it and the deck moved into their new spot. You can see pics of that adventure here

what pretty gravel!

The hole is gone and we've got gravel!

Jason finished filling in the hole in the foundation today, and we are in preparation for pouring the floor. We were able to get our weeping tile from a great friend of ours (thanks Cameron!) and we also had gravel delivered today. The plumber was here last night and he seems to think that all our plans are doable. Weeping tile around the perimeter of the foundation, to drain into the sewer. And the well will be filled with gravel and have its own drainage into the sewer and it will become part of the poured concrete floor. Hidden again for many more years to come. Jake dropped his hatchet down the well and figures he'll just leave it there for the next people to find! Right now we have a sump in the well that is keeping the water level under control.

Here is a pic of some of the rocks that were taken out of the floor while it was being dug. We hope to use them to make steps in the backyard as well as a retaining wall.

The Big Dig

So being a 'basement' floor of the house, the ceilings weren't as high as we would like them. The floor was dug down a foot by hand, into a bucket, into a truck and then dumped offsite. This took our nephew Jason less than a month and amazed us as well as others who have done the same thing and taken a LOT longer - What a worker. We started getting water at the back of the house and couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Until one day Jason dug down where there is an indentation in the wall and lo and behold he found a well. Yup, a well, inside the house. We were not sure where that left us but after talking to people and calling the plumber it's going to be ok. We will fill it in with gravel and incorporate int into the weeping tile system. It's been quite a topic of conversation! And you know in all those horror movies it always had something to do with the well in the basement.

With floor dug down the place looked great - imagine what I'll think when its done ;o)