Foundation Blocks

The foundation is starting! In one day, the outline of the living envelope was 90% completed. The only part left to finish is the garage...

... and our bedroom wall.

Unfinished side after one day of laying block

When I last left off, we were waiting on Architecture Review Committee to approve our foundation height. That was on a Wednesday. The next day, it snowed! That was not forecasted! Yet, our guys were out there pouring a new footer and installed the silt fence around the property.

I was not aware of the new footer and stepped right in it!

Before - just a square

After - an extra leg off the square

The new footer was because of a change we made but never made the change on the floorplans. The wall between the kitchen wall and garage would be an ICF wall and needed a footer. Luckily, there was a stick nearby and I smoothed out my footprint.

New Footer

On Thursday, we also had the gravel spread out to make a temporary driveway and marked where the dumpster would go.

On Friday we heard back from the ARC with approval. We then had our blocks delivered with sand. The dumpster and port-a-potty was also delivered.

On Saturday we met with the builder and the mason to walk through the block layout. We walked around with a 100' tape measure and the floorplan and double-checked the nail placement and the measurements on the floorplans. Our mason's name is Collin and he is British. He had a team of 10 guys out there Saturday and they worked hard!

They started on Mom's corner of the house and worked around the front. Four courses and a header.

Brick Ties

Below is an example of stepping down the footer I explained. Where the footer was poured higher, less blocks were needed.

Our house has a lot of corners.

And in the front, we have a little jut out. The way they did the blocks was interesting.

From the front picture, you can tell things were added, but when you take a look from the back or side, you can REALLY see the progress.

Up next... finish the block courses, filling it with gravel and getting the plumber, electrician and HVAC guy to come run their lines through the foundation. Fingers crossed, we get that all in this week and the concrete top can be poured by Friday.

I'll keep you posted.