In our last episode, the backyard was doing its best to look like the Grand Canyon but since then, the scene has changed quite a bit. The plumber laid the sewer pipe and I, Katie and Ken, the neighbor with the tractor, bedded the pipe with sand and back filled the trench.
One would think our work was done but no. It turned out that the trench was not wide enough to accommodate both the sewer and water lines so we will have to dig another trench parallel to the first one for water. But wait. There’s more. The gas company wants to dig a trench as well and it will be parallel to the trench for the water line. Argh!
While all this was going on, the contractors have been making some progress inside. The shotcrete was applied to the end walls of the second floor; however, we’re still waiting for shotcrete on the first floor.
This wall is in the master bedroom and the 4″ of added depth to the window sill lends quite a bit of drama. On the first floor, the shotcrete will be twice the depth so the arches at the front of the saloon will be very substantial looking.
First floor framing has also progressed. The stair closet and basement entrance closet have been framed out. The wall at the stairs has also been b0lted to the staircase so it does not bounce anymore. As for the ghosts, you can see two large orbs in the picture. I was using a flash to take the picture so the orbs are probably just floating dust but who knows?
Another exciting bit is that we now have plumbing to the second floor and heater ducts.
You may have noticed the red and blue pipes. Those are flexible PEX water pipes which have become a standard alternative to copper. PEX will not corrode like copper in Dayton’s alkaline soil and it will resist splitting if it freezes. Of course, the real reason to use it is that it’s much cheaper.