A Long Day and Alot Happening

Our contractor,(my husband the owner/builder), was up at 4:30am and out at the site by 5:15. He had discovered some discrepancies in the plans and wanted to discuss it with the framers before they started hanging I-beams. Problem discussed and solved. Then he was waiting for the concrete sub to come and do the prep work for our 2 patios and the entryway, which we hope will be poured on Wednesday. Prices on concrete have risen and our guaranteed bid runs out the 30th. We couldn't do them at the same time as the pad because of the post tension cables. The guys got the forms all set up and later in the day filled them with 'AB', a gravel mix which undergrids the concrete. Our excavator came and refilled the trench and moved some of the dirt away from the mesquites. Our landscape designer insists we get the dirt as close to original levels and start watering the trees. I sure hope the monsoons start soon. Meanwhile the framing continued. We have I-beams in the garage(the beginnings of a roof), and all the exterior walls are up. None of the roof lines seem to match yet so it is rather a strange looking house. Tomorrow is another day and 4:30 comes quickly so enough for now....

The view from the great room. Hope our future neighbors don't build in it! 

A stormy sky above the house. 

Lots of walls and more to come. 

Walls and a Race With the 'Toosoons'

We have almost all the exterior walls up now.(We lost several days while our framers finished up another house.) We are hoping to get the roof sealed before the summer monsoons arrive, however we have already had a few storms come through. Mostly wind, clouds, and dry lightening. Last night we got some rain, but the weatherman is promising a week of lower temperatures(the low 100's) and no rain. Usually about July 4th the regular rains arrive so our race is on. At this point we don't expect to beat them but we are hoping for some dry mornings when the roofers can work anyway.

The wildlife near our lot is abundant. We have seen bunnies, roadrunners, javelina, a bobcat(who meandered across the road right behind my husband),lizards, skunk, deer, and the neighbors saw a Gila monster in our electrical trench. No snakes yet but I wear boots out there 'cause I'm sure they are there.

The scattered walls as of Tuesday, June 14th. The tall one is providing shade if you look closely.

The future walls and roof of our house. 

A Wall Here and a Wall There

It has been an exciting few days. On Friday we did get electricity to the slab. We also got our first batch of lumber delivered-so much that we can't use any motorized equipment to back fill the trench. We think we will get the gas conduit in this Friday and perhaps by then some of the wood will be out of the way. A lot of the wood is now the walls of the house. But the walls don't connect to one another. We are guessing there is a method to their madness, but it may be just to get shade where it is needed during the hottest part of the day. Today it reached 106 F here so that is a good reason for the tallest wall in the house to be up!

The Trauma of the Trench

As I mentioned before, we have to dig a trench to put the electrical cable in, in order to connect to power. We had our favorite excavator out about a week ago and he dug the main trench. My husband had already dug about 4 feet of trench from the edge of the pad with a shovel and pick. Well, the electric company passed the trench and we will get the cable this Friday. However, we want to put gas, phone, and cable TV and Internet in the same trench. The communications with the gas people have been rather confusing. Finally, we got a diagram from a So. California gas utility and lo and behold we needed another 12 inches of trench depth!!! I think my husband has been out every day this week trying to finish it off. He decided the time had arrived to call back the big equipment. Of course, like every other sub here, the excavator was booked and said he'd get here by Thursday afternoon. So we were out there again this morning. We discovered a thick slab of concrete across the bottom of the trench in one spot. Couldn't break it but did manage to clear a space under it. Then we got a call that the excavator had had a cancellation and would be there shortly. Even with his backhoe he couldn't budge the concrete. But the rest is done and with just a bit of trim work we should be able to put in the electric cable, cover it, and have gas put in. We will buy "smurfs" (remember those blue characters from the '80's?) for the other utilities. Actually, they are bright orange flexible hosing with drawstrings inside, that we can lay in the trench and cover with dirt. Then the phone company, etc., just attachs their cables and pull them through. The digging of this trench has been tramatic but we are getting done just in time. The weatherman is predicting that we will reach the triple digits next week and probably stay there until the monsoons arrive.

Lots of Little Stuff

Well, it has been a fairly quiet week at the site this week. There is one 4 foot section of wall up so we could mount the electrical panel. Then we had to dig a trench from the road up to the pad. We are hoping the power company will drop and energize the cable this coming week. The post tension cables have been tightened and cut off. We got our dumpster and have it perhaps 1/4 filled already with tree trimmings, hardened rinsed-off concrete from the pour, and other assorted trash. This coming week will be finalizing plans with the framing contractor and cabinet supplier. Soon it will begin to look like a house!!

Our one section of wall! Actually the electrical panel which we hope will be functional by the start of framing.