June: Excavations

Although the bathroom and kitchen were the main focus of the spring, June involved quite a number of projects featuring the workshop cellar, that hideous space of darkness and decay. I opened up the boarded-up window on the driveway side and put in the ramp from the house cellar; Lucy and I used this to haul several fish buckets of wet gravel up using the low-rider cart.

I replaced the temporary carry beam (after a post kicked out and hit me in the face) with a permanent one: 6 by 6, pressure treated. It is supported on jackposts bedded in deck blocks.

I also installed a vent fan with magnetically closed vanes; this required a new window frame. I hope this will reduce the dampness, though the only real solution is to pour a concrete slab and put in a large, permanent sump pump basin.













I haven't done that yet, but I did re-dig the sump pit and install a temporary sump basin; the permanent one will require MUCH more digging.