Grading

This week was all about the grading.  These huge pipes were installed with rip-rap for drainage control since we were moving around so much dirt and taking out the current drainage system that was there.

The garage was also cut in to the hill where it will be and the grading for that is completely done now and ready for the foundation and septic system next week!

 

And, there is something about seeing this sign out front that makes things feel very official.

More Demo

The demo on the inside is almost completely done now.  They are still working on the ceilings in the kitchen area, but all of the walls are out now, bathrooms are gone, cabinets removed and it's basically just a shell of a house.  

Kitchen completely gone

The outside demo started on Friday while we were there and the kids couldn't believe it when they saw two guys going at the brick with sledgehammers. When a huge chunk of the brink fell they all giggled and the huge mess it made.  We're leaving most of the brick on the exterior and will probably paint it, depend on what exterior siding and cedar shake color we decide on.  However, this section had to be removed because this is where the new living room, garage and mudroom foundation will be poured (which is supposed to happen later this week!).  

The surveyor was out there this week and staked where the garage would be so the grading could be completed so Robby and I discussed driveway paths and how we think that should go...exciting stuff! 

A Beautiful Sight

Today when I pulled up to the house to meet with Robby and Joey (our builder) it was such a beautiful sight to me.  There were lots of trucks there, multiple things happening at once, and very real progress being made.  The demo on the inside is really coming along, the clearing of trees and grading got started with a bang today, and all of that means we are so much closer to really getting started with the building!

Seeing this big piece of equipment that Hudson kept calling a tractor made us all really excited.

Seeing it in action was another thing.  When I heard that they would be taking down the trees today and starting grading I figured they would cut down trees in pieces, starting at the top, like a tree service would do.  We were out there talking with Joey and the next thing I knew was this bulldozer was pushing trees over and literally snapping them like twigs.  It was pretty impressive to see what quick work they made of it.

Hudson was loving it and every time a tree would fall he'd point to the next one and ask if it was coming down, too. 

The inside walls and ceiling in the back of the house are all down to the studs and ready for the higher ceilings and new walls to be framed.

And they are working their way up to the kitchen area.

The real wow factor was when I brought the girls by after school to see some of the action taking place.  We walked up and saw the island of trees that were totally blocking the house in the before pictures completely gone.  Handley's comment was, "WOW!!!  It looks so different now."  I totally agreed with her.  It looked awesome so opened up and felt like a real home site, instead of just a forest.

We got there just in time to see a GIANT pine tree fall.  I was amazed by the precision these guys had because that tree could have totally crushed the whole house, but the guy working the equipment pushed the tree exactly where he wanted it to go.  And the crazier thing is that with two guys working chainsaws and one in the bulldozer, the tree was completely removed from where it fell in less than 15 minutes.

Progress

This week we made some progress.  Yea!!!  The septic permit is a go, the building permit is a go and we are on the schedule to have the gas turned off and the lines disabled next week so tree removal and grading can happen.  Power is also totally cut-off (that happened last week).  On Tuesday afternoon we stopped by the house for the girls to change after their dance class and as I was unlocking the door Handley asked me what the window said.  I was so confused by her questions until I looked up and saw writing on the window.  After getting inside I saw a lot of the windows that we will be reusing (since they had recently been replaced) marked with where they will go in the newer house.  This was so minor, but so major to me.  It was the first thing I could actually see that had been done and it meant we were closer to really getting started.  On Wednesday Hudson and I went by to meet Joey, our builder, to give him a few things.  During that time I saw the markings for the silt fence along the creek, the electrician was there for a consult and Joey informed me that the dumpster was being delivered that afternoon.  Hooray!  That could only mean one thing...demo was going to be starting soon. I didn't expect Robby to inform me that evening that they had started on it that afternoon.  Joey told us not to expect miracles until next week because they were going about it methodically, rather than the "bull in a china shop" method, but a start is a start in my book.  The kids and I stopped by this afternoon to check out the progress and I have never been so happy to see my house looking like a bomb went off.  Sheetrock everywhere, walls missing, closets gone and two rooms becoming one.  

Two bedrooms now combined to make one room that will become the playroom.  

Hall closets now gone.

"Dragon Bathroom" staring to be demoed. 

All paneling gone and window marked. 

The kids were tickled by the dumpster, especially the "potty" they saw in there, but they were also pretty intrigued by what was going on.  When I asked the girls what they though Handley told me it looked pretty cool and Harper wanted to know if they were building the upstairs today.  :-)  I told her it wouldn't be too long!