August 20th, we got our Honey Dipper outhouse delivered just in time for crews to start excavation.
Our driveway had been put in by the developer whom we purchased the land from on May 20th.
Dave made an address sign so that workers could find our lot. And excavation began August 20th.
We chose Aspen Flat construction, the company Dave worked for this year for excavation.
The work was mostly done by Dominic (excavator) and Dave (skidsteer).
Dave inside the excavation for scale (he's in the center of the photo).
August 21
August 21
August 21
Primo's Concrete was our concrete subcontractor for our footings, foundation and slab.
We went to Tamarack on August 22 to see how close the fires were to the resort. It was burning on their property. We were still staying at the cabin on West Mountain road so we saw the fire trucks drive by 20 at a time in the mornings and at the evening shift change.
The forms for the concrete footings that the Primo's crew installed in the excavation.
Dave double checking their measurements.
On the porch of the cabin reviewing our stamped construction plans that EkoBuilt in Canada made.
The design rendering.
We took a drive to see the fires at Tamarack again on 8/23.
Dave installed the sign I made thanking the firefighters.
On 8/25 on the day I was flying up to work, Dave and I met up in Caldwell to get our Nudura insulated concrete forms for our house's foundation loaded so that Dave could drive it all up to McCall. I took an Uber to the airport from there.
Insulated concrete forms help to keep the cold transferring from the ground up to the house and help to keep the home a passive design.
Dave had to unload it without my help on the property. Luckily they were foam and not super heavy.
The footings forms.
And the footings after the concrete cured.
These were the first pieces of the house's foundation forms being installed by Dave.
Our Toyota became a mobile tool trailer (until we bought one from Dave Webster).
The foam foundation blocks on the house portion of our build.
On my way home from work in Alaska, we drove up the back route on Highway 95 as we had a Uhaul again. This time we had the foam inserts.
Uhaul with all of Dave's hard work while I was up in Alaska at work.
This photo shows the foundation forms for the breezeway in between the garage and house.
This photo has the foundation forms for the garage that Primo's set up and in the distance the insulated forms for the house that Dave set up.
Inside view rebar.
These large bolts had to be perfectly placed as they would connect the foundation to the walls that were constructed in a factory in Canada.
One of the foam inserts we just picked up.
Dave installing the blocks.
Gorgeous echinacea flowers in McCall.
A well earned soak at Burgdorf Hot Springs.
Corner pieces had to be cut to shape and spray foamed to stay in place.
Dave inserting corner pieces.
I spent that day wiring the vertical rebar pieces into place so that they wouldn't fall over under the pressure of liquid concrete being poured.
Dave also made some braces for the foam, so the structure would hold while the concrete was poured.
This is a video, click on the triangle shape in the center to play it.
We celebrated our 10 wedding anniversary (25th anniversary together!) at The Reserve at Tamarack Resort. It was a great night out!
Primos poured concrete on September 16th.
They made a mess, which I had to clean up so that water sealant could stick to the foam blocks.
Some of the mess before I cleaned it up.
I took pictures section by section of the areas I cleaned off.
Dave had to cut off the top section to make it perfectly flat.
One of the wildflowers we planted with a bee.
Clean and as level as possible.
My concrete cleaning tools.
Dave applied the water proof sealant (a mastic) and I cut the yellow insulation blocks to attach to the foundation for protection when backfilling with dirt and gravel. The insulation also provides an extra layer of warmth.
This was a long day but we were so excited to get so much done.
Another video, click the shape in the middle to play it.
Before backfilling the inside (and outside) of the foundation walls, we had to measure and mark fill lines for the layers: gravel, foam and concrete slab.
Excavations for plumbing
Dirt work that Dave did to make it drain correctly.
Compacting the dirt inside the foundation.
A gorgeous slope from the garage.
Hand compacting tool for the finish work.
Beautiful dirt work by Dave.
Slots dug for plumbing pipes.
After the plumbing went in, Dave put a layer of insulating foam on top.
And on top of that a layer of radon proof barrier so that naturally occurring radon gas wouldn't seep into the home.
Radon barrier on both house and garage.
Radon gas is the second highest cause of lung cancer besides smoking so we wanted to get this detail right.
The concrete truck was back to pour the concrete slab (sub floor) the day I flew home from work.
Video of concrete being poured.
The freshly poured concrete slab on the day I arrived in Idaho.
One of two septic tanks that were placed. This one is for the house.
Plumbing to the septic tank.
Home and garage facing towards the street.
The concrete for the breezeway in between the house and garage.
The septic tank for the garage apartment.
The concrete was very fresh as can be seen by its dark color.
We sealed the slab so that the coming rains wouldn't damage it or cause it to crack. Dave sealed the house and I sealed the garage with sealant we picked up in Boise.
All the layers.
October 10th (below) we had it covered for all the rains.
It was an incredible amount of work below the surface to get construction started. We experienced the usual delays so the final bit of concrete was poured late in the season for such high altitude in a place where the temperatures drop at night. We were blessed that it didn't crack! Of course, until the wall pieces arrived, we were dewatering the rains with a sump pump and squeegees daily and couldn't wait to get the walls and roof up so that we could relax while the concrete cured. All in all a busy but rewarding start to building our dream home.
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