Finally we get a concrete pad!!!

It seems like it has taken forever to get to this point. Thursday I left work early in an attempt to beat the inspector out to the site so as to make sure my pex tubing was up to pressure for inspection.

fortunately I had spoken with the plumber and asked him to check it for me as soon as he arrived on site. I figured that it probably had dropped off due to the wide temperature swings we get up there this time of year.

I ended up arriving about 2 minutes prior to the inspector arriving. I spoke briefly with the plumber and he had re-pressurize the line back up to 50 pounds. As expected it had dropped because of the temperature changes.

The plumber was just doing some double checking prior to Friday's pour. Making sure all of the drain lines and water lines fell inside the walls!!

Inspection went well. The pex passed with flying colors as well as the added piers and footing that were dug on Tuesday. We were set for the pour tomorrow!!!

I was aware that we were going to have extra concrete. This was necessary due to the fact that the batch plant was about 45 minutes away, and we could not have a break in the pour with radiant floor heating. The project manager estimated we would need 49 1/2 yards of concrete for the pad, 7 piers, and one footing.

I hated to see any waste seeing as the cost of concrete has risen to a premium. So I purchased 4 2x6x8's to form up a pad for a pump house that may be needed down the line depending how we finally end up running the water system. I got it started about sunset Thursday night and finished it by the light of the tractor Friday morning at 4:30 AM.

The pumper truck arrived right on time Friday morning at about 5:45 AM.

By 6:30 the concrete crew of 9 and the project manger were waiting on the first truck of concrete. The pumper truck was set up and ready to start filling the pad with concrete.

The first truck had a flat tire on the way so was delayed but the second truck arrived at 6:45 and we were under way.


In all we would have 5 trucks of concrete delivered with the 5th being only about 3/4 full. I will be the first to admit I held my breath throughout the whole pour that no one would accidentally put a hook or a rake through the pext tubing. I must have checked the pressure at the manifold 2 dozen times throughout the pour!!
Plastersizer was added to each truck. This was about a five minute process before each truck could start to pour. This made the mix act runnier for ease of pumping and so as not to let it set up to fast.


The pumper truck I was told weighed about 70,000 pounds. Needless to say I pointed out where the drain field and septic tank were at. They are also marked with yellow caution tape but one can never be to careful.














This particular truck also had a reach of 90 feet which when it came time to pour my 8x8 pad would come in handy!!

I was relieved to see the last of the pex disappear under the concrete.

At least at that point I did not have to bear watching nine workers with rakes and hooks walking all over it!!


It took a while for it to harden up before the power trowels could be set up on it. So there was about a half hour lull in the action. But once it had hardened up enough everyone was back at it!! The pump house pad that I had framed up was the last to be poured. With the boom fully extended we were just able to get the concrete in the front half of the form and rake excess to the back of the form. Later on this pad will be picked up with the forklift and re-located. I hunted for just about every piece of scrap rebar I could find on site to put in the concrete. I would say it is a 50/50 mix of steal and concrete!!

By noon the pad was really starting to shape up. Both power trowels were on the pad and everyone else was working on the edges or finishing off around the plumbing.

We could not have asked for a better day!! Just a light breeze and low 60's for highs. By 1:30 everyone was packing up and ready to head out.

We finally have a pad poured for our timber frame home!!!!





Our attention now turns to coordinating the next steps in the project. We will need a large fork lift delivered on site to handle the construction of the frame as well as the off loading of the timbers and the SIPs. My hopes are to have the SIPs and fork lift arrive late in the week of the 13th. This will give me time to get them arranged and under cover and at the same time it will not hinder Alan and his crew when the arrive to erect the frame on the the 27th.

Also being as next weekend is a three day weekend my hopes are to complete back filling and also have sheet rock and some of the dimensional lumber delivered.

I figure we will need a forklift with at least a 42' reach. This should cover us on getting all of the wall SIPs in place. Obviously a crane will be needed for the roof SIPs when we get to that stage.

My hopes are to have a couple of Alan's crew stay behind to help with the wall SIPs. I am thinking a couple of days with the three of us working at it should complete them.

After the walls are complete we can then start work on the 3200 sq. ft. Of Aspen that needs to be put in place on the roof prior to the SIPs being put down. My thoughts are that my wife, son and I can complete this task. Once this is complete my hopes are to get a couple of Alan's guys back to help install the roof SIPs. Hopefully this will take place just prior to Christmas but time and weather will tell!!!