Today, with all the appropriate paperwork in order, the well-drilling company (Pittman Well Boring) came early at 7:30 am and began drilling to tap into our water source. The lava-like substance (which we thought was silt from the earth below) is actually a chlorine and detergent mixture that periodically flushes the equipment. This strange foam is supposed to neutralize itself quickly, and we had a good rain that helped.
We had budgeted for 400 feet of drilling, but they ended up going to 485 feet until a thunderstorm threatened (big metal drill makes a good lightning rod) and they called it quits until Thursday. If they don't hit water by 600 feet, they will stop and "re-evaluate" which might mean a new spot to drill and, of course, more expense. The well will be located on the South side of the house and we'll want to build a little structure to cover the pump for aesthetic reasons and to protect it from the elements (insulation during winter, etc.). Just say "no" to cheesy plastic boulders!
Today was also the day that cement trucks came to pour concrete into the ICFs. An inspector and our structural engineer came by and required additional vertical rebar (6 inches apart) in the west wall to adequately support the force of the backfilled earth behind it. Other walls that are not fully subterranean have the vertical rebar at various increments tapering off to up to about 3 feet apart. The ICFs had been sured up on all sides (with Dionne's "supervision") and a hole for the basement wood-burning stove was cut and framed prior to filling the walls with cement. The trucks will come again another day to pour the basement and garage slab. Lastly, the initial moisture barrier coating was applied to the outer wall of the basement...
And some framework was started on the garage apartment...
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