Building Day 13 - Forms are up, walls soon to come

Forms are up!  It's really cool to see how everything is coming together.  I can't wait to stand down in there and try to visualize a basement around me.

It's also amazing how fast they can go.  The footings went in yesterday(no pics of that, sorry)... today they may be ready to pour the walls.  I really am astounded at how fast they are going.  we have walls.  5 concrete trucks pulled in and out of our driveway today to get enough for the walls, I think we used probably 4 1/2.

After watching the crew work today I can't say enough about the McKinney's crew.  My Dad isn't impressed by many people, but he was very impressed with the work ethic and the job that Terry's guys did.  I would recommend McKinney Poured Wall to anyone who needs a concrete wall.  They started on another job at 7am this morning and finished up our walls at about 7pm this evening and during the two or three times I stopped by to watch they were always working just as hard.

Here's the pics:

End of Week 1

So we finished out the week last week a little slow.  Just the excavating was completed because of a bit of a miscommunication.  However, frost walls for the north and east walls are completed as well as a gigantic hole in the ground where our house is going to go is now dug.

This week I'm hoping for a flurry of activity.  So far the forms have been set for the footings, inspection for all that is tomorrow.  Then footings poured Wednesday and walls on Thursday.  At least that's the plan.

Also, so far this week we have selected a flatwork contractor, Hunt & Neiboer Concrete in Schoolcraft as well as a contractor for geothermal, GeoStar Mechanical out of Galesburg. 

Here's a few more pics from week 1.

Construction begins! 8-6-2010 (FINALLY)

Ok, so it's a modest beginning, but the loan is complete, the permits are done, we've got bulldozers on the lot, moving earth.  Right now it's just the topsoil we are moving but there's a huge pile of it that our boys thought was the best thing they've ever seen.  My oldest said today, "There's our dirt piles!" as we drove by.

We're using Newhouse Excavating for the excavation and driveway.  They are a local company that's been around for a long time, they did my Dad's house when he built 35 years ago.  The poured walls are being done by Terry McKinney. Woolley Builders is coordinating and finishing the shell of the house including siding, roofing, and insulation.  Still TBD is the contractor for the concrete flatwork(although I have a pretty good idea who that's going to be), Geothermal(waiting on one quote before deciding), and sewer (again, we have a pretty good idea).

Here's some pics from day 1: