Layin' Cement Blocks

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As you can see from these photos, the concrete for the cistern is being poured and the cement blocks have arrived, we are underway with the masons taking the court. Clockwise from top left: John is the lead mason - and besides being at his best when laying block - it is also what he enjoys doing the most.

Behind the cement truck is another trailered vehicle, this is a concrete pump. Notice the concrete mix is poured into the hopper of the pump where it is pushed through a hose to the applicator. The applicator, shown with hose in hand, ensures that the mix is poured properly between the plywood forms.

In the last photo, those are John's hands is laying the very first cement block to be set (of 3,000 or so) for the foundation of our home. This first course of blocks sets the level of the floor inside the finished house.

Remember that the footings were dug by hand and subsequently were dug as deep as necessary to allow at least an 8" thick footing in virgin earth (read: not previously excavated). Inside those poured footings is as much steel rebar as was used on The Big Dig project in Boston (just kidding, but there was a lot). In our world these are not footings, they are grade beams.

Since there are several different levels of footings, the foundation consists of the subsequent courses of blocks necessary to complete bring all courses to the same floor elevation. Once these courses are set the interior of the foundation walls can be filled with excavated materials and brought to the same height inside the walls. This filled area is then compacted with a machine, to ensure that there will not be any settling after the house has been perched here for a time. A wooden concrete form is then installed around the foundation walls, in preparation for the poured concrete slab, which will be our main floor.

Next comes the plumbing and electrical, which must be installed before the floor can be poured. This is the next step - plumbing and electrical rough-in - stay with me... more tomorrow.