Notes from Underground

I wondered what caused the long gap in posting this summer. It was this sort of thing--the job that began with a Bosch jackhammer and eventually involved dragging the concrete mixer into the basement. To pour this, I had first to support the floor without having any posts on the centre line. This meant using jackposts under built-up carry beams placed under the joists--a technique I tested on the workshop. I ran draintile under the footing, and put in lots of rebar. I used readymix, to ensure a consistent blend (and speed everything up--plus, the good folks at Wilkins gave me an excellent price). I suspended the rebar from the centre beam itself with lashing wire.

For much of the summer, a slide was screwed to the (broken) cellar steps, so I could load in bag after bag of ready-mix. It takes a lot to make up a 12-foot by 16 inch sill! As soon as it had set up, I poured a 12 inch footing on top.