Backfill

Using a Bobcat and a few helpful friends, we had the hole backfilled in a couple hours.
The pile'o'dirt is now gone.
Hope this "Q. Ponka" fellow doesn't come looking for his floor joists...

Benjamin!!!

As there is a great demand for Ben photos, here's a bunch from the last month or so.

Tar and Plastic and Stucco

The basment walls have been sealed up and today gave the thumbs up to backfill tomorrow. So here are shots of the hole, one last time. That's Tracy down in the hole in her tarring-burka.
And I removed some more stucco tonight. Humid weather!

Basement Windows

Today we were able to use the circular saw to cut into the walls, from either side, and then use the hand saw to cut through the remaing foam insulation. Then knock the piece out with a hammer. Then we removed foam so that a frame for the window could be built, then the window was installed.
We had the drywall for the basement delivered and we put it in before we closed up the decking above.
We ran out of decking, but are almost finished. Tom trimmed up the remains of the panels to add in more insulation at the ends of the walls.

My Mom, Ben and I.

The head-bonking doorway is now too low. Notice the warning I wrote across the top of the door.

Concrete Poured

This morning Amerigo arrived and then the concrete did and he spent the day spreading and smoothing it all around.

Concrete Prep

These are photos of the basement floor, covered with 6 mil poly and ready for the concrete to be poured in tomorrow.

A closer shot of the sump pit.
A photos of Benjamin and his ladle.

Floor Decking

My Dad and Father-in-law were able to work today and secure the joists and begin with the floor decking. It's nice to see this addition coming along. Still lots to do, but now we at least have most of a large box built. My nephew Dalton and his friend were pressed into service by my mother-in-law to finish nailing in the top plate of the basement wall.

Floor Joists

We got the end plate up with the hangers, put in the top plate of the basement walls and got some of the joists in.

Basement walls up

We put up the remaining basement wall panels, and now we are caulking all the seams. They fit together well, and Tom sank several 12" long screws in the last section to make the connection tight.