Today we will be backfilling and wrapping up the garage foundation and slab structure. Hopefully we pass the inspection so that we can pour tomorrow. So far we have passed all our inspections. The inspectors have been pretty easy going. Twice they passed us and just asked us to send a photo of the completed work.
Jose compacted the soil for the garage so that we only needed 4” of gravel rather than a foot. It was a lot of extra work for him but it looks good. We will use all the left over gravel for the pervious driveway. However, the footings had to be 4' deep and not 2' due to soils conditions. Those extra two feet requires us to double the amount of concrete for the garage. We will actually use more concrete on the garage foundation (30 CUYDS) than the house (19 CU YDS)!
Wire mesh being placed for the slab. The footing around the slab is 2' deeper due to the soils conditions. We will have one strong garage slab!
As I was leaving Jose took the time to point out that there was more misalignment with my wall. The opposite ends we're off by 2”. That is what you get when an Architect tries to use tools. I agreed to pay Him a few hundred to make it even with the wall. All in all it still comes in around $850 and a $100 of that was for my drill. The prefab method would have cost around $2,600 with no drill.
Before noon Super Ready Mix Concrete called to say that they might not have enough trucks for my concrete tomorrow since it is double what I had originally asked for and two of his drivers are on vacation. Then we found out that Pedro has the flu and Daniela can't be around him since she is pregnant. I guess I finally get to use my sick days. My entire working career of 15 years I have never called in sick because I was technically sick. I might have gone snowboarding or used it as a vacation day but never sick. Except that one time Daniela made me stay home when I looked like a zombie. Fun fact: I had perfect attendance in high school!
My framer also told me he no longer wanted to do the stairs. Too complicated for him. I guess I'll just have to find someone else. Until then we have a ladder to the basement / dungeon. Just one more thing on my plate managing this project.
As I am writing this on my bus ride home to go take care of Pedro to make sure Daniela doesn't get sick I get a call from Jose. Not a good call. We pass the footing inspection for the garage but the inspector saw him beginning to back fill the dirt around the house. According to the inspector it has to be gravel per the approved plans!?! Not good. This could be a $5,000 expense. Time to do some research.
The corner of the house backfilled with the dirt on site. This is what I need to make the city approve. Not that other detail that some lame architect drew (me back in August of 2016).