Insulating, Backfilling, and Sill Plates

Once the block work was done, Chris applied a coat of tar to the walls.  Then he glued sheets of foam board to the tar.  2 layers thick at the top.  Then he shoveled, by hand, hundreds of loads of clear stone gravel along the base of the walls.  He then laid drainage pipe (Big "O") and covered it with many more loads of gravel.  All this in his "spare time"!  This man works a full time job, comes home to eat dinner then goes out to work on the house.  After helping put the kids to bed he goes back out and works after dark using spot lights.

Big "O" covered by clear stone gravel all around the base of the foundation and down from the window wells.

Big "O" and foam board along the West facing wall

Planks over muck puddles

I don't know how many hundreds of wheel barrow loads Chris walked from the pile of gravel at the front of the house to cover all the Big "O" around the house.  Note his use of construction sandals

He had some help.  Appropriate work clothes optional here too

Clogs, red velvet dress, and hoodie for shoveling gravel?  Why not?

Finnlee makes a great counter weight while Phoenix cuts the foam board with the hand saw

The South facing wall needed a second coat of tar.  The first coat cracked in the extreme heat and direct sun in the days following its application

Chris was excited to use the Kubota on loan from his boss Lynn to do the backfilling and move some of the rock.  Without this machine, Chris would have done it by hand and it would have taken ages!

Attaching the sill plate in the dark

Zander helped with the pressure treated plywood that covers the foam

Cedar strips that the mill up the hill sells cheap as waste wood cover the seams in the plywood

Just this week the foundation was approved by the building inspector, so now we have a green light to go ahead with the framing!  We're planning a work party!  Want to come party with us?