Week 4, Day 26 - They Bubble-Wrapped my Basement!

OK, so it wasn't really Bubble-Wrap, but it sure looked like it when they were doing it! But before we get to that, I have some pics of the basement with the final load of stone slung around.

The basement.

The corner of Gigi's room, looking south.

In Gigi's room, looking towards the storage room.

In the storage room, looking towards the family room.

Bottom of the stairs, looking towards Gigi's room.

In the family room, looking towards the stairs.

While I was taking the above pics, the people were getting set up to "waterproof" the basement walls...

Spraying on what looks like a cross between oil and rubber or something...

Jen thought these rolls looked like bubble wrap.
Once she said it, I couldn't get that thought out of my head. :-)

We came back later in the day, after they were finished for a look at the finished product.

The "bubble-wrap" functions as a sort of drainage-channel for water that gets behind the membrane. The membrane has an almost cloth-like substance on the outside, probably to protect the rubber/plastic. Anything that gets behind the membrane naturally drains down to the footers, where the channel gives it an easy out to drain to daylight. Nice!

Week 4, Day 25 - Forms Off!

OK, so yesterday the basement walls were poured. Today already, Mike had them pulling the forms off! I'm amazed at how quickly this process moves! And how well the teams all work together. Lots of jokes, funnin' around, and joviality while they cranked away getting their job done. Very cool.

Onto the pics.

Pulling off the forms...

The tabs you see sticking out of the wall will
simply be broken off after all of the panels are off.

Removing the panels and
getting them back on their racks.

Drainage pipes. Taking no chances, Mike has drainage pipes running from the plastic forms down to "daylight" at the low corner of the house.

The back wall of Gigi's future bedroom.

Mike sharing a jovial moment with the workers...

Loading it all back on the trucks...

Week 4, Day 24 - Foundation Walls!

Today was the pouring of the basement walls! {cue happy dance}

Let's get right to the pics!

The pumper truck arrives and starts setting up...

Mike talks over some last minute details with the concrete people...

The pumper truck (my term)

Pour the concrete here. :-)

Some interesting lines, to me at least...

The first cement truck arrives.

The second cement truck arrives.
Looks like they are gonna double-team the pumper truck!

Double-checking the measurements and making sure it's all square.

They made everyone wait while they double-checked all the measurements. I thought that was awesome, and spoke well of them.

And finally, the pumping begins!

What a cool setup! The guy running the pumper truck used these belt-on controls to move the arms of the truck. He could walk right around with the guy guiding the tube and put it exactly where it needed to be. Very cool!

Dumping the cement (concrete? What's the right term?) into the hopper.

An alternate view of the work.

We now have walls! Tomorrow the forms come off!

Week 4, Day 23 - Things Are Forming Up Nicely

So I went up to the ridge today to take a few pics of the footers, just to have them. Since the basement walls are 9' tall, and the company that is putting the forms up was using them on another job, I was expecting to take a few "unique" shots and be on my way.

So I shoot a few shots...

And I hear a truck come rumbling up the driveway!

Once the truck is turned around and in position, the driver uses the cool crane on it to move the 'packages' of concrete forms down into the basement.

Soon the form containers are all down in the basement...

...and the gentlemen begin setting them into position.

The pattern on this stack struck me as interesting...

Lots of forms!

Locking the spacers in place.

I can almost imagine the walls...

I stopped back up a little later in the day, and the forms were almost completely done!

Another angle on the completed forms...

It's looking like we will be pouring the foundation walls tomorrow!