Help from the Amish

Monday (November 3) at noon

More news from Burt:

I finished installing the last piece of subfloor on Sunday. At noon on Monday the Amish arrived from Missouri and we worked until 4. This morning (November 4th) they arrived out of the steamy morning dew at 7:45. They are staying right next door to the east at our neighbor Burt Loupee's house.

Tuesday at noon

By 4 o'clock this afternoon we had all the first floor interior and exterior walls in and sheathed most of the exterior walls. We also installed all of the flush beams to get the second story floor in tomorrow. Things are moving very quickly. They only stay until Friday. The roof trusses won't arrive until December 12.

Beam and Floor Joists

Another update from Burt - October 26th:

I managed to get the big beam placed in the crawl space this week and after today all the floor joists.

Marshal called on Monday morning and he had gotten a big machine job for 10 days. So I just figured a way to do all this myself this week. Anna and our friend Paul on Tuesday helped with the 3 - 40' foot beam pieces which get glued and nailed after they arrive in the crawl space . I will keep working on the floor structure and the Amish group of framers is going to be arriving a week from tomorrow to begin helping us frame.

Inspections Passed and Backfill

An update from Burt:

On Tuesday, October 18th, we had the county inspect the underground utilities, electric and propane pressure test. We passed ! This then allows us to backfill up against the footing. We had 7 truckloads of donated fill dirt (70 cubic yards) brought in. I don't think I've hand moved as many rocks since I cleared orchards with Gramps when I was younger. My back is really feeling it this morning. Friday the first floor framing package arrived so we will probably get started on that Monday morning. The weather is cooperating with daytime highs in the mid seventies.

view from barn (side of house)