Getting Started, August 2011

Gene's dream is finally going to happen.  After 30+ years of doing his woodworking out of a garage, he finally is building his dream shop.

While he is quite familiar with wood framing (we built our home) when we found Faswall (www.faswall.com) at our local Home and Garden Show a couple years ago, he quickly became enthused with it's attributes.  The ease and speed of building with it was quite enticing.  Since it was going to be pretty much just him and me (his dear supporting loving wife) we decided this would be the way to go.  Not to mention it's a recycled product!  We've always lived 'green'...long before it was even fashionable.  So, Faswall was a perfect fit.

It will be a simple straight forward building.  24'x32', attic trusses, wood floor (for comfort) connected the the existing garage with a breeze way.  Hopefully, we'll be under cover by mid to late September.  We're also replacing 2/3 of the existing garage roof structure with trusses, then roofing both structures with metal roofing.  We're thinking hot pink and purple.  Alternating colors creating a stripe affect.  (To scare off alien space ships.)

With tight quarters on our 1.3 acres, we had some serious work to do before the block could even be delivered.  The site for the shop had to be cleared of firewood (and 'stuff') from five previously fallen trees.  This turned out to be a five week project, even having to hire a college student to help.  Thank you, Wes!

Tree Falling

And he's not even all the way up!

Then it was cutting down three trees on the site, seven more at the top of our driveway.  More space was needed for future deliveries.  Thanks to Kyle King, Certified Arborist, and his amazing crew, they were all down without incident.  It was tight quarters.  All the trees had to be climbed and taken down in sections.  Whew!  Not for the faint of heart!  I wimped out and closed my eyes a couple times.

Excavation

Stump removal and then we can get crankin'!

Of course, the next step was excavation...for the shop and widening out the driveway.  

Gad, that was a lot of dirt!  Good job Clayton!  Another man who loves his work and therefore is quite good at it!

The swimming pool is coming right along.
(That's what it will be if we don't get the building permit!)

Foundation

And foundation.  We decided to hire that out.  Gene's just not a fan at this point in his life.  Fred came highly recommended; his reputation obviously precedes him.  As he is amazing.  Easy going, good natured and nothing ruffles the man.  Not even my momentary, albeit fake, hysteria.  (I was imitating some general contractors.  He didn't buy it. ) 


Building permit in hand, we can proceed.

!!THE CONCRETE TRUCK IS HERE!! OMG! THE CONCRETE TRUCK IS HERE!! STATIONS EVERYONE!!
(Said while running around frantically waving my arms in the air. )

Pump and truck.

Fred, Randy and pump operator.
Only a footing is needed because the Faswall blocks will be used as the stem wall.

Tomorrow the block arrive.  Another tricky delivery.  The truck will have to park at the bottom of the driveway and bring them up with the forklift.  16 pallets.  We'll see....