The builders are making sure that the foundations of our house are both strong and true. It’s been quite a process watching them clear the meadow, lay down the lines and ensure that heights and levels were accurate. The foundation for our house looks like it’s three separate buildings at the moment. The reality of how long the house stretches was never that obvious when I was reviewing the plans, not even when we were staking out the property before the builders arrived. Now that we have foundations and can walk around the property knowing exactly where each room will be located, the reality of this design has begun to sink in – 142 feet from East to West is a lot further in reality than on the architect’s drawings.
The fact that there is one roof that covers all three foundations is not yet apparent, so visitors tend to assume that we are building three houses, stuck unnaturally close together. I expect that there will be a big “Wow” moment when they start building the 5000 square foot roof over the first floor and the true design reveals itself.
The process has taken the building crew almost a month. It first involved clearing the land, getting the lines marked out and building footing forms. Once the footing forms were filled with cement and allowed to dry, foundation forms were added, rebar was tied in and the foundations were poured. After drying, the foundation forms were removed and a large amount of drainage pipes were laid down around the perimeter. This is needed to handle the volume of water that will be funnelled off the roof of the house during the long wet winters. Lastly, the interior of the foundations was filled with sand and packed down by machines. As well, the ground around the foundations was filled in with sand and dirt, bringing it almost up to the level needed for the patio that defines the outdoor spaces of the house.
I’m glad that I’ve been able to watch this process happen day by day. I’m confident that this house will remain standing long after I’ve shuffled off this astral plane.
