ON SITE VISIT

Sailing vacation down in the US/BVI gave us the chance to stop by the site and review things with both Dan (contractor/neighbor) and Heidi (architect).  A few tweaks were made in a plan that seems to (finally) be settling.  Progress on forms for slab and back wall are slow but steady.  Dan is hoping to have the complete structure framed and closed up by the time he goes on vacation for  month or more beginning July 21.  I write this down to have a reference.

Welcoming Committee chair and co-chair Olive Oyl (Great Dane) and Eeyore (Bassette Hound) hold fort in the beach shack.

Forms for 12' concrete wall with rebar and plumbing almost all installed.  Front forms are next and then ready to pour.  Block out on back wall is for door outside from upstairs bathroom to outdoor shower.  Washer hook-up is below that.

Family reviews prints with Dan and Heidi.

Plan has kitchen/living/dining/bath/master bedroom downstairs and three small bedrooms and a bath upstairs.  Both showers are connected to bathrooms but outside to save space and take advantage of the climate.

STILL PREPPING FOR SLAB

Debating the height of the back wall (to be poured).  Growing the footprint 6 feet in the back has put us deeper into the bank (and closer to it) and what was going to work as an 8' back wall before is likely going to wind up at 12'.  Also looking at "battering" the wall- leaning it into the bank about 1.5" to try to balance the pressure of the bank.  Fortunately the earth is relatively stable there, sort of a shale-like ledge that can be broken but not prone to shifting.

While soils are stable, plans are not.  The change in size and shape of the footprint have caused much last minute adjustments and it appears we are almost completely abandoning the original plans for something that better fits the added space.  First floor is now the main living area and plumbing drains have been laid in... written in stone, as they say.  Second floor is still tbd.

2 tons of rebar coming over from St Thomas.

2 tons of rebar getting humped up the hill to site on Dan's Toyota truck.

Laying in the drains.

No more changes to drains.