Week three of construction on the porch
that is being built on the back of our house.
I thought that I was going to have to show you the same pictures as last week because most of the time this past week, we were waiting for the concrete to cure. Which, by the way, is much like watching paint dry. However, the mason's crew are back at work and making visible progress.
We have also been doing some behind the scenes work on trying to pick out things for other parts of the project. We have decided on a patio door design and it has been ordered. And after much debate, we have decided that two ceiling fans will suit the space best. We still have to order them after we finalize our design choice.
Here are a few pictures from this week.
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| The holes are getting 16" bases made from cemented cinder blocks. More concrete is being poured down the openings and dirt is being tamped around the piers. |
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| On top of the base in the ground are 8' squares that will be faced with brick. They are not finished yet. |
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| We are hoping we can get a brick that matches a little better than this one. We'll see. |
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| We also had the trusses delivered for the roof. The truck driver who delivered them was very skilled. He backed easily into the drop off location with only about an inch to spare on either side of the gate opening that leads to the back driveway. There he slid the trusses onto the ground from the truck bed. |
Until next time...
It’s coming along great!
ReplyDeleteSlowly, but surely.
DeleteWhen we built an addition we wound up having to have the bricks fired to get them to match. It was the best decision we ever made. The first set of pre-made bricks were used on the back of the house and there is a distinct difference. I was not at home when they were delivered nad began the bricking. By the time I got home they were almost halfway through with the wall. Since it was just one corner of the back of the house I agreed to let them finish that section only. We have a system of decks in the back and it hides most of the difference anyway)
ReplyDeleteI got very picky about the front and side of the house (new addition) and insisted they match. Firing new ones was our only option.
I hope we don't have to go to firing our own bricks. The only things that will be adjacent to the house will be two of the piers.They will be under the porch, so it's not as critical as it might be in an addition. But I would still like them to match as close as possible. If we ever add on, I will keep making your own bricks in mind.
DeleteI didn't know you could fire your own bricks. I imagine that adds to your cost, but if it's in an area where a difference in color would be noticeable, I would probably opt to have the matching ones made. Your construction is looking good and it seems like the weather has been cooperating.
ReplyDeleteThere have been some cold and rainy days but not enough to worry about since most of them were when the concrete was curing.
DeleteThis is so great to see the construction coming along! I hope you manage to get matching bricks! The only thing make of bricks in my house is the chimney! :)
ReplyDeleteOops! That should be "made of bricks"!
DeleteNo need for corrections. I knew exactly what you meant. I make those kinds of mistakes all of the time. In my case, I think it's a case of haste makes waste.
DeleteLearning a lot watching how the footers are put in. Not that I'm building anything. Well maybe an outside cat fun house in the cat yard one of these days.
ReplyDeleteThe footers could have been pressure treated lumber and not so complicated as these. However, they would have to have been big enough to support the weight of the roof with snow on it. Also, the current life of pressure treated wood is 20 years. One of the main criteria for this porch was low maintenance and longevity, so we went with masonry piers which should last forever instead of wood which would have been cheaper.
Delete