Google Maps Updated Part 2

Google Maps recently updated its satellite imagery of our property and, interestingly, the new images seem to be chronologically earlier than the previous shots. I'm wondering if Google will make time and date stamps publicly available at some point. Anyway, the nice thing is that they added another level of magnification and the ICFs (Insulated Concrete Forms) are visible piled up in what is now the back of our main house. You can also see the concrete block foundation of our garage apartment. Again, this indicates a time period prior to the last set of Google satellite images which showed the garage framing already underway and the ICFs in place as the basement walls of the main house.

Google Maps Updated

Looks like Google finally updated their satellite photography and our house is now "on the map." Interestingly, this is not a recent photo as indicated by the lack of circle driveway, various piles of construction material and dumpster. Anyway, now you can see the placement of the house and garage in relation to the property. Enjoy!

It's Time to Take Out the Garbage

Living in suburbia, weekly trash pickup is a part of life. Your refuse goes from the table to the kitchen or bathroom waste receptacle. Then it gets transferred to a larger container in your garage or just outside. Then it's dragged or rolled to the curb once a week either the night before or, somewhat more grumpily, the morning of city trash pickup. Well-paid guys in coveralls drive a noisy truck down the street, empty your trash can into the vehicle with careless abandon, and your unwanted by-products are never heard from again. While you might think I'm about to lecture you about the three Rs (reduce, reuse, recycle), this is actually a post about trash disposal in the country. As city folk know, trash service is usually bundled with your water or utility bill. Of course, when your water comes from a well, you don't have a water bill so residential pickup service is $16.50/month (billed quarterly). The good news is that there doesn't appear to be any additional cost to come all the way down our 1200-foot driveway for "curbside" pickup. More good news, recycling is also available. The only caveat is that recyclables need to be placed in clear plastic or blue bags to distinguish them from non-recyclables. These services, incidentally, are provided by All Bright Sanitation---the same company that is providing our gigantic dumpsters during construction.

More Elevations

I told you Heather was fast...here's more elevations for your viewing pleasure. Click to enlarge.



We are supposed to get the actual hardcopies soon and they will include little cut-outs of mini-furniture to play with. This scored bonus points with Dionne, who is the quintessential homemaker.

North Elevation Sneak Peek

John of Pharoah put us in touch with a draftsperson named Heather Barnette. Heather's work is fast and affordable, and she has been able to recreate our main house plans to include all of the changes and updates we made which varied from the original Healthy Home Plans blueprints. Above is a preview of what the north elevation (back of the house) will look like when viewed from our backyard meadow. The garage will be off to the right, and, as you can see, we're building on the side of a slight hill. It's so satisfying to be able to visualize this stuff!

Like Building with LEGOs

The rebar was set in the footers of the main house and the ICF assembly has begun. Each ICF panel is essentially styrofoam (which accounts for their high efficiency rating) with some plastic, so they are very lightweight. The edges are modular and they connect to each other like LEGO bricks, and then they are easily cut for doorways and windows. A rebar framework reinforces the panels and holds them in the correct position while concrete is poured into them resulting in a solid concrete wall.



Now you can really see the home taking shape as the walls are put into place. The wide opening you see in the photo above is the french doors that open to the back patio. With the ICFs to help us envision the layout, we've begun to think about furniture placement and where to put the wood-burning stove and 52" plasma TV (I wish!). One problem we ran into with the basement is that the ceilings need to be taller than we expected due to the steep grade of the hillside where we placed the main house. We are now expecting 10' ceilings in the basement to accommodate any Wookiee visitors.

As is evident from the photos, the kids are loving the construction site and refer to it as their "playground." What is somewhat less evident is that the children no longer have any clean white socks.

Garage Gravel and Main House Footers

It rained last weekend, but we managed to get our temporary house numbers up to make it easier for future construction deliveries to find us, and it was dry enough for Chris and Richard to continue construction. Concrete blocks were built up atop the poured concrete footers for the garage.


While there are some gaps and cracks in the foundation cinder blocks, we are told that they will self-seal once more concrete is poured into them.

The interior space was then filled with gravel.


The dumpster was also delivered so trash now has a proper home. (Note: the intent is to recycle or burn as much as possible on-site since hauling the trash off the property and dumping it can be quite expensive.)


The remaining earth below the future main house was also cleared and, much like the garage, channels were dug with the excavator and filled with concrete to form what is essentially the footprint of the house. It may look small, but remember that there are really 3 levels (basement, main floor, and second floor) plus a porch on front and back. As always, you can click any of the above photos for enlargements and the full construction gallery.