5 Steps Closer

This post may not be that exciting to you but it is to us.  You don't have to read it all but I want to blog about it so I can put it in my scrapbook. 

Earlier this week, "the men" came back to the house.  As you can see in the above picture, our house is now resting on our new wall.  They put the wood beams on top of the block and under the house floor.

The same day, the 12" blocks were capped with masonry mud.  You can see that first a wire mesh was placed on top of the block.  The pictures will not show it well but the cap is at an angle.  It looks a bit like a triangle.

With construction done on the inside wall, Bill started painting with a Dry-lock paint for the primer coat.

As you can see, he has finished the primer coat.  The wall that collapsed is on your left.  The wall on the right side of the picture was also cracked.  You are about to see the repair on it, too.

The wall was pushed back into place with no bulges on October 19.  Today the cracks were repaired with fiberglass net/screen and masonry mud.

 

Fiberglass net below.

Close-up of repair in progress.   The entire wall was then covered with the yellow screen and completely 'mudded'. 

It looks brown in the photos but we were told it would dry to a lighter gray within about three days.  It will be another wall for Bill to paint next weekend.  That is a new electrical outlet for either our (extra) refrigerator or freezer when we plug it back in.  My thought is I am ready for the freezer first.

 

Also, today, the outside wall was waterproofed.  I don't know what you call the below machine but the "cooker" is probably appropriate.  It has a propane-fueled flame that heats blocks of tar to 500 degrees.

The tar is applied to the outside of the basement blocks.  Then a layer of fiberglass felt is stuck onto the tar - - - a second layer of tar - - - a second layer of felt  - - and a third layer of tar.  The felt is applied in the same manner as shingles - - but sideways.  The felt is of course 'hung' vertically.  Each sheet laps over the previous one with the last one being at the beginning of any water flow.  That way any water will always flow over a seam and not under.

Here you can see the steam coming out of the bucket as the first coat of tar is mopped onto the wall.  It's a shame you didn't get to smell it with us!  We are sooooo thankful for persons who enjoy doing this kind of work and doing it well.  They walk in wet mud for part of the job; work in all kinds of weather; and go through one to two sets of clothes a week because the dirt and tar that gets on them cannot be washed out without ruining a washing machine.

 

Both walls are completed.  The masonry cap was waterproofed, too but for some reason, it reflected the light in all my pictures.  The workers said this method using the fiberglass felt is supposed to keep any water out of the basement for seventy-five years!  Guess we will leave someone a note about that since we won't be here!

The ditches around the house will probably be there for another week or two.  It will take that long for a backhoe operator to be available again.  That's okay.  We have the basement back and are able to begin putting it back in order.   It's just wonderful to be at this point.

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it . . Psalm 127:1