Clean up after demolition, then start digging basement!

Well, today the guys worked on out.  Massive walls from the old original porch were all removed.  Since there is now so much concrete that needs disposing, Dan found an outfit that will come and take the rest (you'll see the HUGE pile) in their 28 sq. yard truck.  They'll take it to be crushed and recycled.  Only problem is, we have to break it up into no larger than 2'X3' pieces.  Tomorrow morning, then, Dave will start pounding the big pieces and dropping them to make smaller pieces.  The neighbors have been warned!  Low and Jessie kept cleaning off the brick.   The new construction will cover most of the back of the house, leaving only a pretty small triangle of brick showing from the original house.  Dan did some investigating today, had a brick mason come in, and we've decided to remove the brick from the back side of the house.  That will make the framing of the new addition easier and cleaner.  So, the back of the house and the addition will be vinyl sided, with brick from the ground to the first floor windows.  So, here are my pictures for the day.....  I find this whole process facinating, thus the number of pictures!

Starting on the basement!

It's a pretty big hole - 8 ft deep, more than 30 ' wide...

Here's the concrete that we have to break up tomorrow...

The brown is the dirt from the basement digging.  The gray is the road base that Dan got delivered yesterday - free!

Right now, we have a 'shotgun' house - this shot is from the front porch through to the back - you can see Dave's machine out there!

View from inside the old kitchen into the new basement.

You can see the layers there - top soil on the ...uhhhh top! and clay the rest of the way...

Now that we have no doors on the back of the house, every night we nail MDF board across them - enough to deter some adventurous kids, we hope.  Now that these openings are 8 ft in the air - watch what we had to do today...

Roy took a ride up on the bucket!

 

 

 

 

This is from the inside - Low is helping Roy get the MDF board outside.

Buttoning up the house for the night...8 feet in the air on the  bucket...

Uh, Dave - I have a little problem here.....

 

I locked up the front door like we always do, but now I can't get out!!

See, the front door lock doesn't work, so we use a 2X4 against the door to keep it secure.  So, like we've done every day, Jessie 'locked' the front door.  Only problem is, he's already done a terrific job of securing the openings on the back....soooo, "Dave, I need a ride down from this second story window!!"

Safely down with a big smile - thanks, Jessie and Dave!

 

 

 

Post demolition cleanup!

These guys (and one big honking machine!) have accomplished wonders in only three days!  We've filled a 40 cubic yard dumpster each day and, so far, three 10 cubic yard dumpsters just for the cement. 

It's wierd seeing just the original house on this huge lot!

That's one of the workers, nickname Low, working hard on his improvised workbench in the shade!

Dan chatted with a trucking company doing work in front of the Art Van store.  They had about 10 yards of road base they needed to haul away and pay to dump somewhere.  Dan told him we'd gladly take it - we'll use it under the new driveway!  Great partnering  here!!

From the back door of the house - old porch structure to be removed - really really hard cement!

The machine (and Dave) lifting a large piece of cement.

 

The growing pile of road base.

Tony and Jessie working hard to reclaim brick for the new addition.

 

This large piece of cement caused the big machine to tip - Dave dropped it and the machine rocked and rolled for a bit before settling down!

Almost all cleaned up...

That's one of the small dumpsters, for cement only

This wall, part of the original 1941 construction, almost foiled this big machine!   Dave dropped the shovel over and over, just to start chipping away at it.  Finally was able to get it out...

There!  Now we've got it!

 

This whole project is pretty amazing.  And, my husband is an amazing man - to keep all the balls in the air and keep the project speeding forward.  Tomorrow (Thursday) we plan to start digging the basement!

End of demolition day pictures...

I went back to the site after work was done for the day.  All unwanted structures are down!  Here are some pictures....

Those two boarded-up doors were the access to the bedroom and family room/breezeway!  It's REALLY breezy now!

I'm guessing cleanup will be done today, then digging starts for the basement and footings.

Day 2, demolition, continued

Things are moving right along.  The garage that was in back of the old garage was actually pretty good construction.  However, it's position right beside the new addition made digging the basement almost impossible.  So, it was decided to take it down, preserving the roof structure (I'm having a brain burp and can't think of the term....) pieces.  It will be rebuilt, with 2X6 construction next time, so more insulation can be installed.  To take it down, the guys cut away the pieces from the walls, then cut the plywood roof under the shingles, so that the entire roof could be lifted down in two pieces by Dave on the excavator.  Pretty exciting!  The next two pictures show Dan on the roof, making sure the straps are positioned to allow Dave to lift up the section of the garage roof...

 

Here you see where, not only are both garages gone, but the first of the two badly added additions to the house is also down.  You see the raw edge of the last of the structures to go down.  (I had to miss this whole thing this morning, so you only see the results of the morning work, too!)

 

Another view from the back - both garages, gone.  One addition, down!

Here's Dan removing the last few bricks from the walls that were taken down this morning.

Here's Dave, magician operator, again!

View from inside the old bedroom addition....

Where I'm standing, in the old bedroom, will be gone this afternoon!

Soon, maybe tomorrow, digging will begin for the new basement!

demo day 1 and 2

These next pictures are the rest of the first day's demo, including participation by my delightful youngest grandson, Isaac, almost 4.  Dave made his day by taking him up into the cab.  All the adults standing around would have LOVED to be in there too!

last of the old garage going down!

Isaac, facinated, look on from a safe distance....

Isaac in little boy (and big boy) heaven!

LOVE the smile on his face!

So much for the old garage!