Before
Date: 17-Apr-10
Evergreens on right were the first to go
Before
Date: 27-Apr-10
Before
Date: 27-Apr-10
The basement window will become the doorway to the basement addition. The middle part of the dining room windows above will become the door to the sunroom.
Before
Date: 27-Apr-10
Under the deck. All the posts on the left have to go so the excavator can dig under the deck.
Before
Date: 27-Apr-10
We will have to move the spa and railing.
Cutting trees
Date: 9-Aug-10
We had to remove this tree on the deck to make a place to put the spa.
How to do it
Date: 9-Aug-10
The sawyer from Alexander Tree Service cuts fireplace logs before felling the tree.
Park the saw
Date: 9-Aug-10
while balancing the log.
Toss
Date: 9-Aug-10
Toss the log onto the pile
There it goes
Date: 9-Aug-10
He gave it plenty of horizontal velocity so it would miss the deck.
It didn't hit the BBQ
Date: 9-Aug-10
There goes another one.
Almost done
Date: 9-Aug-10
Not much left
Date: 9-Aug-10
Now we have a new place to put the spa. After this he went below to finish the job.
Tree number 2
Date: 9-Aug-10
This beautiful large sycamore was too close to the sunroom and had branches that actually touched the house.
Cutting branches
Date: 9-Aug-10
Long ways up
Date: 9-Aug-10
They chipped up all the branches as they came down.
4 to pull
Date: 9-Aug-10
Getting ready to drop the trunk. They hope to miss the house.
Cutting the wedge
Date: 9-Aug-10
Timber!
Date: 9-Aug-10
Thump!
Date: 9-Aug-10
As the tree hit the ground, the sawdust that had been resting on top was still falling.
Cutting off the base
Date: 9-Aug-10
Marking for excavation
Date: 31-Aug-10
Note that I propped up the deck so Danny could dig under it.
All ready to dig
Date: 31-Aug-10
See the large sycamore stump in the foreground.
Remove the stumps first
Date: 31-Aug-10
He has already removed lots of smaller stumps in the background. This big one took a while.
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Date: 31-Aug-10
Digging the hole
Date: 31-Aug-10
The laser level in the background helped get the depth exactly right.
Pile gets bigger
Date: 31-Aug-10
Almost done
Date: 31-Aug-10
They save some of the pea gravel to go under the slab.
All done
Date: 31-Aug-10
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Date: 31-Aug-10
Ready for the footer
Date: 31-Aug-10
Under the deck
Date: 31-Aug-10
With my diagonal support of the deck, Danny was able to dig under it.
Form for footer
Date: 6-Sep-10
This plastic form doubles as a drain pipe. You can see small slits on the outside. The pipe under the footer is for an additional drain.
Footers
Date: 6-Sep-10
The pipe at the bottom of the photo connects the inside and outside drains
Ready to pour
Date: 6-Sep-10
In the back right is a channel downhill for the exit drain pipe. I have been busy on my tractor removing the large dirt pile from the right.
New entrance
Date: 6-Sep-10
I used my box scraper to level the space between the drive and the addition. I saved the topsoil to spread out later.
Shooting pea gravel
Date: 7-Sep-10
The truck has a fast-moving conveyor belt. We worried that the rock would scratch our windows.
Dump truck
Date: 7-Sep-10
The truck dumps the pea gravel onto the conveyor belt.
Remote control
Date: 7-Sep-10
The driver can control the angle of the conveyor belt and dump angle from his waist. The pea gravel lands within a few inches of where he wants it.
All done
Date: 7-Sep-10
The pea gravel will keep the concrete from passing under the forms. The forms are 4 inches below the final floor and match up with the original footer on the house.
Pouring the footer
Date: 7-Sep-10
The cement truck made good use of the new entrance I had made eliminating the need for a pump truck.
Pouring the footer
Date: 7-Sep-10
Pouring the footer
Date: 7-Sep-10
Pouring the footer
Date: 7-Sep-10
Well-used road
Date: 7-Sep-10
Finished footers
Date: 7-Sep-10
Plans and permit
Date: 7-Sep-10
Starting wall forms
Date: 8-Sep-10
The forms are 9 feet high and the wall will be 10 inches thick.
Wall forms almost done
Date: 8-Sep-10
Metal ties hold it together
Wall forms
Date: 8-Sep-10
Metal bars on plywood forms hold it all together.
Window openings
Date: 9-Sep-10
The forms are opened up to screw in the forms for the openings
Finishing openings
Date: 9-Sep-10
It is surprising that the concrete fills completely under the windows.
Pump truck arrives
Date: 9-Sep-10
The cement trucks are not high enough to reach the top of the walls
Pump truck
Date: 9-Sep-10
There are 5 of these in the greater Lafayette area.
Workings of pump truck
Date: 9-Sep-10
Pistons inside the two red cylinders on the lower left pump the cement through the pipe.
Cement truck ready to go
Date: 9-Sep-10
The cement truck dumps the cement into a bin on the back of the pump truck
Starting the pour
Date: 9-Sep-10
The pump truck operator (left) adjusts the flow and position from a radio-controller on his belt.
Mario
Date: 9-Sep-10
Smiling for the camera.
Pumping away
Date: 9-Sep-10
Pumping cement
Date: 9-Sep-10
The operator found a small hole through the trees. Imagine the weight of that boom when full of cement.
Stirring the cement
Date: 9-Sep-10
These guys have a big mix-master to make sure the cement flows into all the space.
Pumping cement
Date: 9-Sep-10
Mario is filling the forms only half full. Then he will wait for a half hour so it starts to set before finishing the second half.
More
Date: 9-Sep-10
A second cement truck getting set up.
Pump truck
Date: 9-Sep-10
That boom has a really long reach.
Fill er up
Date: 9-Sep-10
More stirring
Date: 9-Sep-10
Waiting
Date: 9-Sep-10
Final round
Date: 9-Sep-10
Smoothing the top
Date: 9-Sep-10
All done
Date: 9-Sep-10
Missing the branches
Date: 9-Sep-10
Leveling
Date: 9-Sep-10
The laser level beeps when the height is right
Cleaning the pump truck
Date: 9-Sep-10
Smoothing the top
Date: 9-Sep-10
Done for the day
Date: 9-Sep-10
Forms removed
Date: 10-Sep-10
They have broken off the ends of the metal ties.
Water proofing
Date: 10-Sep-10
This sealant was painted on with a roller
Finished wall
Date: 10-Sep-10
Inside
Date: 10-Sep-10
The wall below the window will be cut out later.
Nice wall
Date: 10-Sep-10
Starting to look like something
Date: 10-Sep-10
More drain tile
Date: 13-Sep-10
This perforated drain will catch water before it gets up the the footing drain.
Drain tile
Date: 13-Sep-10
The several pipes are all connected. One goes under the footer and above it the connection to the footer drain.
Exit pipe
Date: 13-Sep-10
Water is already flowing down this pipe
Ready to pour floors
Date: 17-Sep-10
Thanks to all my earth moving, we don't need the expensive pump truck back to pour the floors.
Form for entry slab
Date: 17-Sep-10
Snapping a chalk line all around
Starting the pour
Date: 17-Sep-10
He floor will be 4 inches thick. A plastic visqueen keeps the groundwater moisture out of cracks
Hard work
Date: 17-Sep-10
Pouring the floor
Date: 17-Sep-10
The pipe on the right goes to the original house footing drain. It will be a floor drain for the addition.
Leveling
Date: 17-Sep-10
They are pushing the cement up to the line and smoothing around the edge.
More
Date: 17-Sep-10
Working across
Date: 17-Sep-10
Leveling
Date: 17-Sep-10
Work around plumbing
Date: 17-Sep-10
Left to right Ejector pit, sink drain, toilet drain (hidden), shower drain (behind man)
Floater
Date: 17-Sep-10
Porch slab
Date: 17-Sep-10
Power leveler/smoother
Date: 17-Sep-10
Shines up surface
Date: 17-Sep-10
Drain cover
Date: 17-Sep-10
I have backfilled with pea gravel. This cloth mesh keeps dirt out of pea gravel.
Pea gravel almost gone
Date: 17-Sep-10
Tractor after some backfill
Date: 17-Sep-10
Backfill on exit pipes
Date: 17-Sep-10
Under deck
Date: 17-Sep-10
I will put both dirt and more pea gravel under deck. Pipe is already on bottom under pea gravel.
More backfill
Date: 18-Sep-10
The street side of addition will have dirt up to top of insulation.
More backfill
Date: 18-Sep-10
Under deck
Date: 18-Sep-10
I was able to drive tractor under the deck to put a large pile of dirt against concrete wall. The dirt evens out the temperature of the basement area.
More backfill
Date: 18-Sep-10
Inside with new floor
Date: 18-Sep-10
Busy day for tractor
Date: 18-Sep-10
Top view
Date: 21-Sep-10
Workers from Bee Windows have started the floor deck
House trim removed
Date: 21-Sep-10
A 2x12 will screw into the side of the house to hold the north end of the floor joists.
Stone wall
Date: 21-Sep-10
To keep the dirt as high as possible around the addition, we are building walls on each side of the door and above the left window. The dirt is 55 degrees all year around a few feet down. The 2-inch insulation is mostly for above grade.
Deck support
Date: 21-Sep-10
The deck overhangs the concrete wall. These boards will temporarily hold the deck joists so they can be cut off and screwed into the new 2x12 at the wall edge.
Sunroom floor installation
Date: 22-Sep-10
Rob and Rob get the floor joists in quickly. The deck has been trimmed.
Starting floor plywood
Date: 22-Sep-10
Floor plywood
Date: 22-Sep-10
Lots of screws
Date: 22-Sep-10
Window out
Date: 23-Sep-10
I removed the window and all the trim around it inside the original basement.
Window out
Date: 23-Sep-10
I moved the benches away from the wall (not easy) and removed the drywall from under the window. Plastic is ready to stop water spray from concrete saw.
Concrete surgery
Date: 23-Sep-10
Stan from Concrete Surgeons sets up circular saw.
Concrete surgery
Date: 23-Sep-10
Guide rail is bolted to wall. Saw runs on a hydrolic motor. Hydraulic lines shown run to a gas-powered hydraulic pump outside the door.
Concrete surgery
Date: 23-Sep-10
The bottom cut is made first so concrete block can't fall down on saw.
Hydraulic pump
Date: 23-Sep-10
This powers the saws.
Vertical cut
Date: 23-Sep-10
Stan made three vertical cuts. The middle one was just to cut the 2000 lb block into two pieces.
Concrete surgery
Date: 23-Sep-10
Concrete surgery
Date: 23-Sep-10
He makes several passes too work through the 10 inch wall.
Chain saw
Date: 23-Sep-10
The round saws do not cut all the way to the bottom so the concrete chain saw cuts the last little bit. He does not cut it all with the chain saw because the $700 diamond chains do not last as long as the circular blades.
Chain saw
Date: 23-Sep-10
Removing the blocks
Date: 23-Sep-10
He tips it over onto a board to protect the floor then attaches a chain. Some pipe under it helps roll it out the door.
Tractor tow
Date: 23-Sep-10
The large blocks were easy to pull with the tractor. We saved them for possible future use.
Open doorway!
Date: 23-Sep-10
Open doorway!
Date: 23-Sep-10
The cut is about 1/4 inch above the floor and the two floors line up well.
Moved block
Date: 23-Sep-10
Four seasons glass arrives!
Date: 24-Sep-10
The curved pieces will go along the south side of the sunroom.
Plywood ready to go
Date: 24-Sep-10
Progress on the walls
Date: 24-Sep-10
Janet is doing this job.
Front view progress
Date: 24-Sep-10
Glass parts
Date: 24-Sep-10
Almost finished floor deck
Date: 27-Sep-10
We had a heavy rain just after the plastic was put down.
Windows installed
Date: 27-Sep-10
Door installed
Date: 27-Sep-10
We have a high-quality Andersen door to match the windows.
New furnace
Date: 28-Sep-10
I removed the temporary back wall of the spraying room so One-hour HVAC crew can install our new Water Furnace.
Wall moved
Date: 28-Sep-10
This is the wall out of the way
Old furnace going out
Date: 28-Sep-10
This one served us well for over 20 years.
Space for new furnace.
Date: 28-Sep-10
Old goes by the new
Date: 28-Sep-10
Learning about the new furnace
Date: 28-Sep-10
New furnace in place
Date: 28-Sep-10
New ducting
Date: 28-Sep-10
All done
Date: 28-Sep-10
Furnace nameplate.
Date: 28-Sep-10
Starting the sunroom
Date: 8-Oct-10
The floor deck was made the right size with a 2x6 all around the edge. Then flashing went over the edge and an aluminum channel was secured on top of that.
Sliding door to deck
Date: 8-Oct-10
Rob is assembling the door opening
Glass goes up fast
Date: 8-Oct-10
Theh other rob is holding a post and standing where the door frame will go.
Hard at work
Date: 8-Oct-10
Glass stacked up
Date: 8-Oct-10
Wall frame completed
Date: 10-Oct-10
They worked Saturday to finish this frame. It is now secure enough to take some wind with some extra bracing in the middle.
Window is for sale
Date: 10-Oct-10
This is where the door to the dining room will go.
Inside the sunroom
Date: 10-Oct-10
The glass has some protecdtive cover that will stay until work is finished.
Look towards the deck
Date: 10-Oct-10
Stucco on side wall
Date: 10-Oct-10
Janet was busy Saturday applying stucco finish to the blue insulation. First she had to drill the concrete and screw in anchors to hold the insulation tight against the wall.
Front view
Date: 10-Oct-10
The glass roof will be almost level then curve down on the front.
Bathroom framed
Date: 10-Oct-10
The bathroom is ready for plumbing and electic fixtures. Andrzej helped finish this on Friday. There will be dry wall inside, outside and ceiling.
Bathroom view from print shop
Date: 10-Oct-10
We hung the door at an angle so it doesn't interfere with the walkway.
Door is oak 4-panel
Date: 10-Oct-10
Vanity
Date: 10-Oct-10
Above the vanity is a space for the mirror/medicine cabinet.
Shower
Date: 10-Oct-10
The framing is ready for a pre-made shower.
Rafters in place
Date: 16-Oct-10
Almost ready for roof glass
Date: 16-Oct-10
The heat-reflecting roof glass is stacked on the right. A gutter has been installed behind the upper horizontal member on the left.
Sunset through the glass
Date: 29-Oct-10
Finally the glass is all installed
Removing the dining room window
Date: 31-Oct-10
Rob and Robbie figure out how to remove the two beams under the window.
One beam gone
Date: 31-Oct-10
Battery-powered saw on the left did it quickly.
Second beam out
Date: 31-Oct-10
Door installed and ready for trim
Date: 31-Oct-10
Andersen insulated door
Date: 31-Oct-10
Rob cleans roof
Date: 2-Nov-10
He worked up there one day after a rain and left muddy footprints.
Can walk anywhere
Date: 2-Nov-10
Step on the glass while distracted on the phone? No problem the glass will hold a 250 lb person. But don't try jumping on it.
Sunroom complete
Date: 2-Nov-10
Cleaning was Rob's last job.
Ready for drywall
Date: 2-Nov-10
Heating ducts for sunroom are installed.
Studs nailed to wall
Date: 2-Nov-10
Liz sent us Mike's nail gun which enabled us to install these studs in a day. It uses a 22 rifle charge to shoot the nail into concrete.
Bathroom
Date: 2-Nov-10
The hole in the studs is for the medicine cabinet. On the lower right is the ejector pit.
Bathroom wall
Date: 3-Nov-10
Plumbing is roughed in
Date: 3-Nov-10
View from deck
Date: 3-Nov-10
Lots of sunshine
Date: 3-Nov-10
Needs a tile floor
Date: 3-Nov-10
Cedar trim installed
Date: 3-Nov-10
Pine trim inside
Date: 3-Nov-10
We still need to install a floor board.
Drywall
Date: 3-Nov-10
They cut the holes for the outlet boxes after nailing.
Up in a few hours
Date: 3-Nov-10
Grass is up
Date: 3-Nov-10
Street view
Date: 3-Nov-10
Front view
Date: 3-Nov-10
Stilts make it easy
Date: 3-Nov-10
Sunset
Date: 3-Nov-10
A great place to view winter sunrise and sunset.