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These pipes are the reason for all that jackhammering! They are 4 inch, perforated, plastic drain pipe, covered with a sock (kind of like thick panty hose!) to allow water to seep into it. It follows the foundation of the house, heading downhill, until it finally drains out past the house and into a drainage ditch. Or at least that's how it's supposed to work! Normally you just put in one of these, but if we're going to all this trouble, I'm putting in two!!
Well, there's the drain tiles (both of them, side-by-side), snaking around the back of the house and the corner of the new foundation we just poured. "What's that green pipe?", you might ask. While we're here, might as well do it right and put in a gutter run-off system as well. I mean, water at the foundation is a primary problem, so I say let's get rid of it! It will take all the roof water down this solid, 4 inch pipe, and dump it past the house as well.
The steps themselves had just been poured here. The Foundation walls back here are 6 inch thick poured concrete and will support the floor joists and walls. This has been the most challenging part so far. Getting all this done, the excavating, jackhammering, drain tiles, downspout drains, and now foundation.... all so this room could be rebuilt and tied into the existing house properly.... all because we needed a new roof! Absolutley Amazing!
It's just a corner, but oh what a glorious corner it is!! The progress has been steady, but not a whole lot is really visually satisfying untill you see a framed wall! Finally, a shape to put with all the plans. And at this point, things always start to really move. All the hard part is done. If we've thought of everything in advance, and taken all the right things into consideration, this part of the rebuilding should go quickly, God willing!
No suprises there! In a matter of a few hours the exterior walls are in place and secure, along with the interior walls, too! All that's left is to frame is the stairwell and then it's on to what started all this in the first place... the Roof! And, of course, as with all building projects, things change. We re-designed the roof to better accomidate run-off, and to tie into the existing roof in a better way than the original plan would have allowed.
Wow, a room! The old house roof has now been re-decked and the new roof has been tied in. Once we get the decking on, later this afternoon, we can get the tar paper on and not have to worry so much about the chances of rain! You can see the rear doorway but we have yet to cut out the two small windows that will be in the corner that is closest to us. As you may remember, the Chapel is there on the right. We may now permenently move it into the room it's in now! Oh boy!
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