Unwrapped and Cured

Now it looks like the beginning of a house. The cardboard forms are gone. The large crane is gone and a backhoe sits patiently at the far end of the site. The sand is filled in all around the open foundation. We know it is safe to walk around because the telltale ridge footprints of the backhoe decorate the ground around the house. If the ground can hold a backhoe, we’re no problem for it. The crushed stone floor of the basement is in, as is the sump pump in one corner. This was Phil’s idea, and a good one, because if we get water it will be necessary to have an easy way to get it out. Under the floor, PVC piping was laid. If a torrential spring rain comes along and water decides to run into the house, it can easily get around it and under it. The French drain will provide a place for the water to run, rather than sit against the house. The exterior of the foundation is painted with black tar as waterproofing. It smells like a city street on a hot day here now. The tar is just very thick oil. Clay found a bucket of it and started to paint the shed with the black oil until I discovered him, and tossed him into the bushes. On the foundation, the tar paint looks like the house is wearing the kind of black dress knee socks my dad wears. The jet black is a contrast to the light gray cement. The knee socks come just above the ground line. Our house’s socks are pulled up and the house is tucked into the ground. No doubt, it will rain, maybe a lot. With these precautions, the house can’t help but remain dry.

A small, fluorescent green sticker decorates the cement just below that black sock line. The sticker is right by a gap in the foundation that will be the door leading into the basement through the stairwell. The sticker says “Approved”. Certainly, that is good news. Adrien can build.