The Great Construction Saga—Part 2

When last we left you, our hero (WW) was awaiting pouring of the foundations, I was supportively feeding him (unreported, but true) and Benson was resting. Benson has asked that photographic and interview sessions be terminated as they interrupt his repose.

As I recall, the next day (Tuesday, June 24) was the holiday known in Quebec as la Fête Nationale or the Feast of St. John the Baptist. The lads appeared, as always, at 8:30 a.m. (“Do we look French?”) and it poured. They braced forms and it poured. They sanded beams and it poured. They quit at about 3. It was just too wet. In fact, there was local flooding and one town declared a state of emergency. This pouring is also why there are no photos. The photographer, who shall remain nameless, doesn’t do pouring rain. Nor does her dog (who will, likewise, remain nameless…but well rested).

The next day broke clear and bright, holding the promise of perfect foundation-pouring weather. The foundations were poured. It looked like this:

Matt and WW review the foundation forms.
Notice gaps for windows and doors.
Construction is all about forethought.

Michel the pumper truck guy shows Eric how to control

the flow of the concrete. He (Michel) has the pumper’s 

remote controls at his waist.

Eric guides the nozzle while Michel guides Eric
(and remotely controls the flow).

A poured foundation.

In the meantime, I pondered what passes for our garden. Some of it looks like this:

A small sampling of our kale forest.

This almost-ripe strawberry disappeared under mysterious circumstances

soon after this photo was taken. (WW had the grace to look contrite.)

The next day, Thursday, the lads and WW prepared the foundations for back filling. This involved removing the inside bracing and laying plastic across what will be the floor. Around the outside, they applied a very sticky waterproof membrane. They also built The Dam, to contain The River That Runs Through It. Their labours looked like this:

Matt working with the protective membrane.

Eric and Matt trim membrane at a corner.

The Dam before removal of the braces.

Then the stone slinger came back. Stones were slung over the entire floor space (the first layer of stones having been covered with plastic) and all around the outside of the foundations. A French drain was laid around the entire outside perimeter and further stones were flung. Then a matting was laid overtop to prevent silt from working its way down to clog the drain. It looked like this:

Return of the stone slinger, this time slinging over plastic sheeting
which is covering the first layer of slung stone.

The inside slinging was easy; a lot of the outside stuff was done

by Eric, Matt and WW with shovels. Hot and heavy work.

After the stones had all been slung and distributed, 

the wooly matting was laid.

Next up: a great big shovel.