The Great Wall of Centerville

The Great Wall of Centerville

Mark Sethares and his assistant Frank have been working on the foundation wall form setup since last week.  It actually only took them 2 days to lug those 100 pound boards around and put them into place.  It was done with a lot of muscle and precision with the aid of a laser level.

 Sunday was a day off for everyone including us. We snuck off to Provincetown and went out to the Race Point Light annual Open House. From the top of the lighthouse we could see nothing but sand dunes, beach grass and Rosa Ragosa. But later when we walked along the beach Chris spotted spouts of water that he thought might be a whale. But after watching for a minute we could see that the spray was being caused by gannets knifing into the water to catch some of the schools of fish that team in the water off Race Point.

 Monday the pumper truck reappeared with 5 concrete mixers in tow. Once again the concrete truck nosed up to the pumper so that the concrete could be spewed into the hopper and pumped up the tube. Surprisingly each truck carried 11 yards of concrete, which translates to 80,000 pounds or 40 tons. I keep questioning all this fuss for such a little cottage. But regardless of its size it is going to be sitting on one heck of a strong foundation.

Once all the cement was settled into the forms,  Chris fished through his pockets looking for a 2011 coin to mark the date.  No luck. Paul didn’t have one either. I searched the car but came up empty. Paul had a 2010 Jefferson nickel and Chris justified that as good enough because that was when this project really started. Then Chris stuck a ladder down next to the footing. With a screwdriver he wrote our initials and the date into the concrete. Then I climbed down and smacked my hand right into it. Chris followed suit. Next we wrote an acronym for the motto we have been using for this project. I’ll give you a clue. We took it from the movie Win/Win that we unexpectedly saw instead of Jane Eyre.

With a prediction of rain forecast for Tuesday Mark and Frank started to strip the boards off. The May weather hasn’t been great, but nobody’s complained. Frank kept saying that some vandals had written all over his concrete.  We thought that was pretty funny because we were all in on the joke.

 At my grandparents summerhouse, on the steps going down to the waterfront, there is a tiny baby footprint that I stop and look at every time I go down the stairs. .  When I arrived on Cape Cod for my first Summer I was only 6 weeks old. That was also the summer the concrete for those steps was poured. And that was over 50 years ago. So who knows who will look at our handprints in the concrete 50 years from now?

Once again Mark and Frank wrestled the form boards into the metal cages and then hoisted the cages onto the flatbed with the truck’s crane.   It seems to us that it all happened so fast.  But we know that it took a lot of energy and expertise to pull this off. 

We think ourselves lucky to have had this great construction team working on our behalf.  Tomorrow the civil engineers confirm the height and dimensions of the foundation. And then we hope that the building department will work as fast as everyone else has, and do their part by accepting the structural plans and issuing the next building permit.

The First Pour

The First Pour

For the last couple of days everyone has been preparing for the foundation footings to be poured. On the last day that Mr. Sylvester’s crew was on site they excavated all the trenches. Then on Tuesday afternoon Mark Sethares, Concrete Placement arrived and started putting the 2-x12 boards along the trenches.  Unexpectedly the next morning Mr. Sylvester’s foreman was summoned back with a bobcat to increase the size of the excavated space needed for the platform footings to accommodate the Lally columns. That done the footing form placement could be completed.

However, at the end of the day we got an emergency directive from the structural engineer in New Hampshire that an 8 foot shear wall needed to be added for support for the kitchen addition. That came out of left field!  The cement mixer and pumper truck were already ordered for 9 o’clock the next morning.  So something had to be done in a hurry.  A quick call was placed to Paul, our unflappable general contractor who handles every problem while multitasking with his cell phone. He rounded up the troops for a 7:00 am call on site with shovels and pick axes to dig an 8-foot trench through a 5-foot wall of dirt. With four men, including Chris, the task only took an hour. Chris lost more sleep than that the night before just thinking about the challenge. Even so the cement truck was backed off to10:00 am for insurance.

When I arrived at the cottage, the work was all done. The new forms were in place and the pumper had arrived from off Cape. Everyone was standing around gabbing waiting for the cement truck. This gave me time to check out this piece of machinery that would get the job done. It looked so monstrous that I imagined it could reach the tallest buildings in Chicago with no sweat. Now for the facts, the pumper truck weighs 30 tons and is equipped with a telescoping crane that will extend over the cottage to reach the forms in the inaccessible rear corner of the building site. The partner in this job is the concrete truck that does a front pour straight into the pumper’s intake funnel and the aggregate mixture flows through the arm and out the end of the hose. 

 Right on time the cement truck showed up and all was ready to go. The pumper operator, Jeff walked around the site using a remote radio control unit to maneuver the telescoping arm. He also controlled the placement and flow of the concrete when Mark called for it.  And he smiled when he told me he also controlled the horn that signals the operator of the cement mixer to stop pouring.  As each form was filled Mark Sethares and his assistant Frank wrestled the cement pouring tube into place. Then they tamped the cement to disperse the air bubbles and slid rebar across it for reinforcement. Next they dragged T shaped pieces of wood across the top to smooth the surface of the footing. Finally gooseneck rebar pieces were inserted to provide vertical support for the foundation walls. The cement will cure 50 % in 24 hours and after that 50% each day for the next 28 days. But we were told that it will be hard enough to walk on tomorrow and the work will continue. 

We decided not to leave impressions of our hands or feet in the wet cement with the date, knowing that it would be buried under the walls that will be poured next week.  But we will do something in some unexpected place that will give us a laugh whenever we think of it.

Frank and Mark Set Rebar

Up In the Air

Chris and I hovered around the edges of the roaring machinery listening for any changes in the noise that would alert us to the fact that something was wrong. There was so much large equipment racing around the house that we didn't dare to get too close. But every once in a while we would chance it and move in for a picture. It took most of the morning for Mr. Sylvester and his crew to position the girders onto the cribs and through the holes in the foundation. Then towards the middle of the afternoon we were informed that "lift off" would be in about 5 minutes. Chris and I stood in front of the house, watching intently and silently willing the house to levitate off it's foundation in into it's construction place. Eyes watching for any movement, we heard a creaking sound as it ever so slightly was removed from the concrete blocks it had been resting on for over 50 years. Chris and I held our breath, lest anything happen at this critical moment. And up and up it went.  Then all the machines were turned off, blocks were reset, hydraulic jacks were repositioned and the crew got ready for another round  of lifting. They lifted the house about 16 inches at a time until they raised it to about 8 feet above the old foundation. I commented to Mr. Sylvester that I thought this was a little extreme and couldn't he lower it down a bit. But there needs to be enough space for the foundation crew to be able to work under the house. Then when that work is completed the house will be lowered. We couldn't believe that this herculean effort was accomplished in just  two days. Mr Sylvester told us that it was only possible because of the modern hydraulic lifters and the aid of a laser level. When all the machines were quiet, Mr. Sylvester rode off on his big Harley chopper and all we could hear was the song of the male cardinal who had been watching the proceedings all day from a nearby tree, Chris and I stood in front of our summer cottage and wondered "What the hell are we doing".

Excavation May 5, 2011

Paul Pacella called this morning to say "Hurry Over to the Neck you're missing a great photo op.
All the excavation machinery has arrived." Choking down our oatmeal, grabbing our hats and cameras we dashed over to the scene. Peter followed with chain saw because he still had to take down the 2 ornamental crab apple trees in front of the house. By the time we arrived huge machinery was already crawling all over the property. There was a powerful little bobcat on tank treads and a heavy duty CAT backhoe scrapping the top soil from the yard and storing it on the other side of the garage to use later for back fill. Once that was accomplished trenches were dug next to the foundation for heavy timber cribs that will support the lifting girders. There was nothing for Chris and I to do but stand by and watch. And it was sobering to see the landscape change before our eyes. Suddenly it didn't look like the place that we know and love. But there were 3 moments of excitement. The first came when the 20 ton dump truck narrowly missed collapsing into the old cesspool. Chris rushed to the scene to warn the driver that he was close to a disaster. Fortunately he was able to back up and  drive away avoiding the hazard. The next problem was the discovery that the level at which the engineer had specified placement of the crib was into the water table. The digging came to a halt while the foreman called Paul to find out what to do. It was discovered through  a quick call to the engineer that we could relax because  he had put the crib 10 inches lower than it needed to be. So that 10 inches put it above the water table. Finally we got a surprise visit from the gas company who we thought might put a stop to  the excavation work because they were having to dig so close to the gas line. But he simple put another yellow warning flag in the ground, sprayed some yellow paint and was on his way.  When Chris and I left at 5 o'clock the excavation team was close to being ready to install the jacks and girders. Tomorrow will see the building levitate.

As an aside over the years we have struggled with ant infestations. This trench should take care of it.

Timberrrrr!!

My brother Peter and his chain saw blew onto the Cape yesterday afternoon from Vermont. He loves to cut down trees so we knew he was the man for our job. We had 10 designated trees within our work line that had to come down to make way for the new septic system. The moment he got out of the car he strapped on his helmet and revved up the saw. Within and hour and a half he had all those trees on the ground and mostly limbed. Chris and I hustled as fast as we could to drag the branches to the brush pile. In no time that pile became mountainous. Now the challenge will be to locate a chipper so we can 'repurpose" that wood  to our paths leading down to the river. Fantastic job Pete!

Interestingly there were no trees on the neck in 1962 after hurricane Carol.  But it didn't take very many years before the area was covered with oaks and cedars.

Down Comes the Chimney

We got the phone call this morning. 

Chris and I were eating a good breakfast so we would have the strength
to get through the day when the phone buzzed. We thought it would be one
of you but no it was a phone call from our builder. He wanted
to update us. The house mover had a couple of huge projects off Cape so
he wanted to fit us in next week. OMG! And the mason was going to meet
him at our house in a couple of hours to discuss taking down the chimney
tomorrow. No Way!

We rushed over to the cottage just in time to hear a huge truck turning
down our dirt road. We thought it must be for a landscaping project at
the end of the street. But no it turned right into our driveway and the
driver hopped out. We just couldn't believe it. Our project was really
going to begin.

Soon we found ourselves talking to the mason, our builder and a framer.
We've never had so many construction people on the property. After a
look at the scope of the project I had an incredulous expression on my
face as I waved good-bye to them.

Then Chris and I had to get cracking. We still had stuff in the house.
Now there was no time to decide whether this should be recycled, go to
the swap shop or should we keep it. Everything went from the house right
up the ladder to the second floor of the garage. After that we took all
the door handles off and any other metal we could find. I just love that
electric screwdriver. Next we started to take all the kitchen cabinets
down. Then we took down the towel fixtures  and lastly the mirrored
medicine cabinets in the bathrooms. Last act was to disassemble our
canopy bed that a Cape Cod friend made for us almost 40 years ago. What
an exhausting but exhilarating day it was for us.

But tomorrow promises to be even more exciting. The mason will start on
the roof taking down the brick piece by piece. And Chris and I will
carry them across the yard and pile them up. We are hoping there will be
enough of them to use in a landscaping project.

Well, I am off to bed and will probably dream about stacking bricks.
Sounds great! We're finally on our way.

Foundation Permit At Last

This is week three for Chris and me on Cape Cod. I could remark, where
has the time gone, but I know from the sore muscles and exhausted state
that I find myself in every night that I have been working hard. This
week my daffodils bloomed that I worked so hard to plant last fall.
Whenever I am working in the yard or walking from the house to the
garage they catch my eye and I stop to appreciate them.  Now that I know
they will prosper in this soil I will plant another 150 this fall. 

Chris and I spent a morning this week transplanting 8 small cedar trees
from our woodsy area to the edge of the property closest to the town parking
lot. Our hope is that they will grow quickly, block the cars, trucks and
trailers and make a natural screen. It took some digging to get them out
of the ground and into their new location but the rain predicted for the
next couple of days should ensure their survival. 

We also made a lot of research trips on alternate days so we didn't get
too discouraged with moving items from the house to the second floor of
the garage. We had 2 long meetings with different kitchen designers that
were very productive. I certainly hadn't thought of all the issues that they addressed. I'm  just so used to working with wherever I find
myself.  And I have to admit that I never thought about being left
handed in the kitchen. We are considering an eco-healthy cabinet that
satisfies all my indoor pollution concerns and sensibilities.  And we are thinking about
using carrera marble with honed black granite complemented by stainless
steel appliances.  Apparently the cost of marble is reasonable and the
price of  granite has come down considerably. Another day we devoted to
window selection, a large ticket item with 29 windows. Chris is known
for choosing the first thing he sees. Not me, I have to exhaust every
possibility. So I chased down Eagle windows vs  the ubiquitous Anderson,
vinyl vs aluminum, large company vs Green Mountain windows manufactured
in Vermont. We are learning a lot and I am driving Chris crazy.

Every night I get on the computer and look for more products. A few I
have discovered are Vermont Natural Casing, a wooden floor finish that
is made out of cheese whey. A toilet that hangs on the wall. And the
most exciting idea is "Green Demolitions". This non-profit company sells
complete kitchens extremely reasonably that are showroom samples or
kitchens that are being replaced by homeowners. We figure that if we run
out of money when it comes to kitchen time we will buy one of these for
peanuts. If you are curious, check this out!

Today, Friday, was a big day for Chris. He bought a dump sticker. Now he
can visit the "transfer station" any time he wants. Other years, we were
aggressive recyclers, put our vegetable waste in our compost pile in the
yard and then paid $10 for the privilege to use the dump maybe once
every three weeks. But this year the price has gone up to $13 and we
have much more garbage.  Chris is very happy to have joined the race of
men who like to hang around the dump.

And then after a budget meeting with our builder that was monetarily
sobering, we learned that our foundation permit was ready to be picked
up from the building inspector. We were momentarily stunned. Could this
really be the end of all the anxiety and the waiting and the beginning
of construction. WE quickly drove to the Hyannis office, wrote out
another healthy check and grabbed our permit. Chris yelled "Hot Dog" as
we left the building. We rushed back to the cottage, grabbed our bottle
of Prosecco, popped the cork and poured 2 glasses. Maybe you can tell by
the picture that we just can't believe it. It's been a long, long time
coming.

Well, this is just about the end of April on Cape Cod. The female osprey
is sitting on the nest while her companion occupies a dock post nearby.
The grass is green and the "lawn boys" are busy trying to get it in
order. The summertime boats are being launched daily as the docks are
being put in. And the infamous Four Seas Ice Cream shop stuck out their
"Open in May sign". Ah, cranberry sherbet, that's something to look
forward to!