Filling in the Foundation

Day 20 the block crew came back out to finish the garage and porches.

It was neat to see it coming together. I've been told numerous times that during phases of construction the house will feel smaller, larger, smaller, etc. When the flags went up, certain areas felt small. When the footers went in, things got bigger. When the blocks went up, things felt small, and now that the gravel is filled in, it feels large.

Mom's Porch

South Wall complete

Front Porch

Back Porch

Day 23 was spent filling the foundation with gravel and starting the rough in plumbing.

Back Porch

Day 21, the framer, plumber and electrician met on site to get on the same page. Luckily, my electrician and plumber have worked together before and get along. I had read that it was important they did. Yay!

Day 21-22 were gorgeous days, but nothing got done. I was waiting on a load of gravel that didn't come until Thursday. The plumber was eager to get started, too.

Day 23, the gravel was delivered and moved into the foundation. The front wall of my mom's room was left open for the tractor to have access.

While they were moving the gravel, they consolidated all the dirt piles into one giant one.

This helped the tractor have less to move around. I liked how it cleared up the front yard.

Next up, rough-in plumbing and electrical.

Gravel Driveway

Well, our delay is not just a weather delay. The HOA Architectural Review Committee is involved. They want us to provide a sketch of the foundation height.

We are required to have a crawlspace per covenants. We received a waiver because a tiny sliver of our lot is flood zone. Plus, we really wanted a raised slab. The only stipulation they gave, was that the raised slab had to be 36 inches tall and faux vents. This way it would look like a crawlspace. We agreed. So, I don't know why they are asking for a sketch now. It seems clear that we'd build so many courses of block to meet the height requirement.

Hopefully we will get our answer soon. They meet on Wednesday nights.

In the meantime, we had a load of gravel delivered to put down for the driveway. After the concrete trucks made a mess of the yard and street, it was time to put something down to help prevent the mess.

The weather appears to be clearing up and sun is forecasted the next five days. I'm ready to get back to work! And maybe today the gravel will be spread out to resemble a driveway and be of use!