Day 146 - Backfill has started!

The backfill has started - yippee! The backfill needs to be completed before the installation of the ICF blocks for the main floor can be finished. This is because it would be otherwise impossible to install and brace the ICF for the garage wall without some pretty major scaffolding. As you can see, half of this pile is now gone to fill in the hole in front of the garage doors.

Here you can see where half of that pile went. The excavated hole used to be rectangular, and a large piece of the corner has been filled in. Next, sand or fine pit run gravel will be placed next to the wall, for a foot or so out, before putting any more raw material with the larger rocks in. The piles of rock with the really large rocks can't be used for backfill and we will likely have to pay to get it hauled away. A few months ago, we had a few people who may have taken it away for us for nothing, but that didn't happen for various reasons. Those people made other arrangements, so now we are stuck with paying for the trucking.

This is Charles talking with Perry the backhoe operator. Some of the rocks were large and were too close to the ICF walls, so Charles was asking Perry to pull that material back a bit.

BUDGET NOTE: In probably one of the only money saving items, we previously made an arrangement with Steve Berry to purchase some fill material (sand, gravel, etc.) for a good price. The added bonus is the material is virtually on site so the trucking costs will be very small. At least that takes the sting out of paying to haul that excess material away.

Also, we will be able to use some of the larger rocks for a retaining wall, so at least they won't all need to be hauled away!