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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 1/29/2009 10:30:10 AM
February 2008
Wow…what a month. During this time, we were working on changing our plans from 6x6 construction to ICF. We had to go back and forth with the city, structural engineer, manufacturer, architect, drafter, etc. Surprisingly, when we had all our ducks in a row, the result was a very quick review & passage (less than 2 weeks). A lot of this month was spent on the phone, lining up bids etc. We wanted a minimum of 3 bids per trade, our folder from our consultant had 1-3 per trade & ballpark estimates on the other items. Some of the companies were too busy, out of business, etc by the time we were building & all needed/wanted to revise their bids (usually upwards).
We also bought some accessories for our tractor, because everyone knows ones needs an extra bucket J.
Our pad was also finished and our consultant informed us that it was great! Little did we know that it was great…but that the height was a little low & would cause us problems down the road. At this time, we were quite happy.
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| Working on the pad, keeping the dust down! |
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| Still lumpy, but getting there |
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| Kim putting the sides on our dump trailer...Instead of having a waste pick-up, we drove to the dump when needed. And I learned to Weld!!! |
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| The pad is getting there & the view is great! |
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| Had to have the house points re-surveyed. The pad doesn't look too big here :), but the footprint of the house is slightly more than 8000sf. |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 1/18/2009 12:21:31 PM
Since my parents always said, if you don't have something nice to say, don't say it :) I decided to keep a private journal instead of a public blog. I did try to send daily updates to our parents so they could stay abreast of the day to day activities and progress. I will provide the highlights (& possible lowlights). If you would like recommedations, just drop me an email but make sure you ask specifically about what you are looking for: workmanship, quality, timeliness, personnel, etc. I can only speak from my experience and we all know that one job may be easier, better, etc for a company than another.
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 1/18/2009
Since I retired from my position at Creighton University (Ph.D. in Sociology) when we moved here & I enjoy research, I took detailed notes about everything (e.g., arrivals, lunch breaks, departures, work ethic, phone conversations & what was said..). As I was on-site for the majority of work, it was truly like a participant observation research project for me (without the need to get IRB approval and consent from anyone!!!).
Our soil sample issue was a cluster. We finally hired another company...and they said that a) we could pay for another soils report or b) we could remove all the clay & haul in non-expansive, good dirt. We did pay (again) for spot soils checking. Since we had hired a consulting firm to AVOID these types of issues, we were not the happiest campers.
On January 11, our excavator began building up the driveway so he could begin the pad. Our highway crossing culverts were also 'cleared out' as there was concrete in the openings. Several things happened...first I learned that equipment breaking down was quite common. Thankfully, mechanics were dispatched & the equipment was fixed (for the most part). Second, everything takes three times as long as planned. As an owner-builder (even with UBuildIt), we learned that even though "all customers are equal in our eyes" was a great sales pitch, but in reality (as we expected) big companies (read: repeat customers) are more than equal :).
AZ Monsoon (who put in our well pump & tank) came out & re-tested our water. Total coliforms (dirt) were present so they kept chlorinating it & testing until the ‘dirt’ was removed. Marty even called me while on vacation when I was trying to get the generator hooked up to the well so we could have the water! They were professional and courteous at all times.
Since we were waiting & waiting on our soils issue, we re-visited the wall issue. Our permit was for 6x6 construction…and we were going to have a very high r value. We had wanted to use ICF, but were misinformed about a) Cave Creek did not know about ICF & it would take 3 times as long to build and b) the expense wasn’t worth it. Given our unexpected hiatus (and a termite problem at Kim’s place of employment), we decided to revisit this issue.
We researched several products & decided to use SWS Wall Systems (formerly TechBlock). The reported r-value of 40-48 was on target, round walls could be done (easily done at that point), and a structural engineer was available to do our plans. Lessons learned here (and that had to be repeated for me throughout this process…guess I’m a slow learner): a) Don’t let anyone talk you out of what you want as it will cost more! We had to pay again: architect, drafter, structural engineer, etc. AND the plans were not consistent throughout. Apparently this is common, but it really surprised us as to the inconsistencies and incorrect measurements that were noted. We also had decided that there were several items we wanted (such as higher insulation, 3 a/c units (zoned), tankless gas water heaters, etc) and were told that ‘those can be changed in the field’. This played hell with our bids and ‘change orders’. b) Even when I specifically told subs that I was learning, had a consultant, and wanted something x way, most did not listen. Our first structural engineer (when we had 6x6 walls) did a great job on the standard plans (with many modifications) which she had done before. But twice we had to return to her for oversights. The second time, I had requested a poured concrete retaining stem wall. We received plans for a CMU stem wall. Unfortunately I a) trusted that what I requested would be there & b) believed in the honesty of individuals. I verbally agreed to pay $350 for this detail. The contract was to be ready for me to pick up with the plans. These were already done. I arrived at the office & only the front office person was there. She had the contract & the plans, I had the check. We both looked through the plans & from what I read it was only CMU. I should have taken my check & left. BUT, she & I both thought that the poured concrete stem wall could be in there. I was not versed in engineering details, but I have become much more proficient. I left with the plans and that night, my husband read them with a “WTF” question. I sent the drawings back and cancelled the check after being informed to do so by that company. I would not recommend them (nor would they recommend me, I’m sure).
Surveyed again! Note to self if there is ever a next time. Survey once…mark points by out of boundary points!
During this month, we were also getting bids & confirming others: foundation & footings, soils issues (several companies), plumbing, electrician, hvac, insulation, travertine, wall installation, etc. Grad students from ASU geotechnical engineering came out to get some of our soil. They were quite excited at the expansiveness. It is now in their soil library…and the rest was trucked out. We did provide some for a non-concreted parking area for a church who needed fill dirt, but the rest was trucked out. Approximate $9k was spent on getting rid of the soil that so excited the students from ASU.
Photos
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| view from top of driveway up to pad (city water tank in background) |
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| Begin Pad |
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| Examining soil |
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| Working on culverts |
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| Truckload after truckload of 'good' dirt |
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| Making 1 big pile so trucks could get in for 'bad' dirt removal |
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| loading up bad dirt |
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| next day, dirt loading up on pad. 3-4 trucks for several days! |
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| Cold early mornings in January |
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| We were welcomed to neighborhood by all! |
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| driveway (yellow) & house (pink) survey points after a rain |
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| after 2 days of rain, our culvert did fine! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:29:56 PM
We are beginning to excavate the pad today...WAHOO! But alas, we find out our 2nd soils report was probably not accurate. Now…we have to wait until 27th! Kathy will come get soil tomorrow so I head over & use John (the tractor) to dig some out for her.
12/18
Excavation STOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
12/27/07
At 10am I receive word that our swell is 1.9% but that they did not run a Plasticity index test. So we are still on hold for another day.
Since I’m not sure I’ve told the whole story…this began back in June. We needed a soils report for excavators to bid on the house. We received 2 bids…One could do it within 2 weeks, whereas the other would take twice to three times as long. Both were listed on our UBuildIt sub list. Since we needed this for the city, we chose the quicker one on the recommendation of UBuildIt and a couple of other subs we had worked with
We signed a contract on 6/7/07 to have a report within 2 ½ weeks. On June 27th, we received our report. Boy were we happy! It said there was a negative swell. After a few discussions with excavators, we found out that this could not possibly be the case for our land. So, they went out, dug one hole & tested it. On Aug 27 we received a revised report. This time it said that there was a .3% swell and 21 Plasticity index. Most of you are saying, I don’t know what that is….we didn’t either. Excavators were saying it didn’t seem right, but no one said, this is outrageous or flat out wrong. I guess people don’t want to step on others toes, but if only 1 person would have said-“That can’t be the case…those numbers are in opposition to each other and the likelihood of that happening is nil.” When I spoke with the soils engineer, she said that it sometimes happens that way. She’s the expert, what do I know??? On 12/17, I decided to call the lab that she had hired. I left a message for the person who had signed off on both of the reports. I had spoken with him about the previous report and he said that the wrong dirt must have been turned in to them. He did not call me back. I called again on the 18th & left another message. Finally, on my third day of calling on the 19th, I reached him in his office around 3:45pm. I asked about the .3% swell & 21% PI. He said that was not possible…and would need another sample to rerun the test. I could not get it from the land (Cave Creek) to the Tempe AMEC lab before they closed. Since this was Wednesday, that meant that he would not run it until NEXT week (yesterday) at 7am. He did not have anyone who could/would work Saturday morning (as they usually do)…and so we waited. Kathy took the sample in Thursday. When we spoke, I specifically asked if all tests were to be run and she said yes.
Today however, the PI had not been run. I just spoke with lab who said they weren't informed to run a PI ... and it would be tomorrow morning.
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:18:19 PM
Cameron kept working on the driveway & building it up! All was going great!!!!
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| Cameron working on driveway |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:10:50 PM
Cameron (Hanks Excavation) arrived and began moving granite into the driveway
Martin came back out to test the well. It still wasn't up for drinking yet, but they were working on that.
No word from Art yet, about working on the culverts or removing the pins.
Photos
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| Driveway Build-Up beginning!!! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 3:06:10 PM
While we waited for the headwalls to cure so they could withstand pressure, St. Joseph, MO had an ice storm. My parents and grandmother were without power for over a week & moved in with my brother. We all desended for an early Christmas celebration and a 'eat the food' because cleaning out the fridge & freezers. Kim ended up taking a break from the AZ warmth & helping trim fallen branches.
Meanwhile, back in Sunny AZ, Dirt began to be delivered and we had piles of it!!!!
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| Kim cutting down branches in St. Joe |
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| Piles of Granite |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 2:53:28 PM
Art’s crew is out removing headwall forms this morning before the rain! The sonacolumns that collapsed are quite noticeable, but water should still be able to move through the culverts…and they will be back to carve out the collapsed culverts. Additionally, since we decided to go with natural concrete, they will be back to remove the pins & cover the holes!!!!
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| Headwalls & culverts |
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| slight collapse |
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| West side had bigger problems |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 1:38:45 PM
12/5
Art & crew were out early to fix the issues & pour the concrete. They cut & moved the rebar from near the sonacolumns. I asked him to confirm the pumper truck time. He did…I called. 10 minutes later, he said to call back & reschedule it for an hour later. The guys were sawing & forming the lower part of the wall. I questioned as to whether a piece of wood stuck between the pipes would keep the concrete in. I was told it would not be a problem.
The pumper truck came & we waited & waited on the Cemex truck.
Steve (pump truck driver & Cameron's uncle) had a time getting his pumper truck in under the phone wire…since the ground was softer than the week before, he could not go as far forward.
Once it came, it took a while to pour because the concrete had to be vibrated in the walls...and sure enough it was flowing out of the holes around the base and sides. Dirt, stones and wood was used to keep it in. Steve enjoyed a cigar while working the remote J
After finishing the pour, Art’s guys went back to work on the top of the headwalls. I called for another inspection for the following morning so that the second pour could occur tomorrow afternoon because rain was once again in the forecast for this weekend.
12/6
Richard came out to inspect & We Passed!!!! Art's guy's are working still... I call Art, Dino & Kim :) again. I also call Western for a pump truck this afternoon. Art informs me this morning that several of the sonacolumns collapsed yesterday, but that they would get it out.
In fact, they are still working when the pumper shows up at 11:30. Both sets are still working at 12:30 when the Cemex truck shows up.
This pour goes slowly too. The guys are trying to keep it in the walls (no blow outs) & also vibrate it enough so it won’t crack have bubbles, etc.
They walk across the top of the headwall, change places, etc.
No one wants the pbjs which I offer J …I wouldn’t either if I could have great food that they have planned for a late afternoon lunch, home-made enchiladas!
They head out…and forget to take down the 2x4s holding up the phone line. I end up doing it alone…with no problems (except that it took quite a while). I also fire up John and move some dirt so water doesn’t go all over the land.
Photos
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| Cutting away board to move/cut rebar |
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| Art Checking Work |
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| Wood used to stop flow |
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| See why I thought concrete would flow out! |
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| Braced Headwalls (no blowouts!) |
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| Vibrating on West side, Pouring on East side |
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| Steve, working hard while enjoying a cigar! |
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| Smoothing 1st section |
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| Finishing up with trucks! |
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| 2nd Pour is going great! |
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| Phone wire lift :) |
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| I can't resist...top of headwall |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 12:21:04 PM
12/3
Arts guys are back at it! They have closed up one side. Art said they weren’t going to be done today as they had thought & so I shouldn’t call for the inspection. Not a problem…. I then spoke with Dino around 2:45pm. He indicated that perhaps the inspector would like to see it before the entire wall was put up. So, I called the building line at Cave Creek & Richard got stuck with me. He said that of course they want to see it when 1 side is open… and was kind enough to take down my info for an inspection tomorrow even though I was probably a minute or two late by that time. He said to give him a call in the morning & since John was on jury duty, he would probably have a better estimate of arrival. After I had mentioned their trip out last time, he recalled who I was!
I called Art & Dino & told them that one side was to be left open….
Kim stopped by the land on his way home. He thought both sides were done. We went back over & sure enough they were.
12/4
Richard, Cave Creek Inspector, came out this morning! We passed!!!!
I called Art (asked what time to get the pump truck), Kim & Dino to let them know.
I called Western Pumping right away..and scheduled the pumper for noon tomorrow! I had to tell them that there would be 2 pours…and that this was the first because the walls were going to be poured in 2 sections. They were very helpful!
He just indicated that the rebar could be moved a bit further out from the sonacolumns so that they wouldn't stick out after the concrete was poured.
Although it was still morning, no one came out to work for the remainder of the day.
Photos
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| Tieing rebar for headwalls |
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| Finishing up on West Headwall |
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| Headwalls Pass inspection!!! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:57:23 AM
11/30
Dino, the weatherman J, says there won’t be much rain. The weather stations are calling for 100% chance of rain…all weekend long. My concern is that the water will be blocked, even though there is not much that runs in this wash.
The guys work until about 2pm when it started raining steadily. They had pulled out the plastic to tape around the sonaform.
Around 5 Kim remembers that we don’t have a cover on the ‘vent’ of our trailer. I hurry back over & spend quite some time getting one of our garbage can lids up there & a can inside where it can go. Everything of course is wet…including me because I’m soaked to the bone.
After Kim gets home, we go back out….good thing! The lid had blown off so he ‘fixed’ it by adding a couple of 2x4s on top! Hillbillys we are!
We clear out some more rocks, but the water has made its path known.
12/1
Still raining! And the sonaforms are soaked! Thankfully we did not back up the water!
12/2
The sun peaks out through the rain! Kim wants to move the last tree…and boy it’s a big one. Unfortunately, the tractor is dead (my fault) so we must first give it a boost…. We get it moved…and have a late night tiff!
Photos
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| Art's Crew used Plastic & Duct Tape - Dad, it brings back memories |
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| And the rain kept coming! |
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| Rain, Rain, Go Away...the water finds a way around.... |
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| Kim moves big stones out of water path |
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| Inspector Kim surveys Water Infiltration |
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| Jump Starting John |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:31:02 AM
Art’s crew is back at work. These guys work hard!!! They have brought more sonaform and are cutting the sonaform at the correct measured angle as well as slicing it lengthwise because it was too large to fit in the pipes.
The weatherman is calling for rain this weekend & so hopefully they will be done in time!
The East side is easier for them. One person crawls in & uses some 2x4s to help hold it in place given the soon to be pressure of the concrete. On the West side, crawling in, drawing & fixing the boards, and then getting back out so that the headwall can be put up.
Several of the footer rebar had to be removed for the RCP, especially on the East side. Others are now needed & added.
Dino comes out for a site visit & we determine that the height is not correct. Due to the fact that the sides are at different heights, it is currently approximately 6 ' instead of 8'. They fix it by adding rebar, etc.
I head home…and find my husband a dewalt miter saw. I end up driving to Glendale to pick it up!
Photos
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| Cutting sonaform |
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| In the pipe to place sonoform against pall & add boards to hold in place |
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| Dino talking on phone |
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| West side; much harder |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:16:15 AM
Yes, I know this blog is for you, my family & friends, to stay up-to-date. Unfortunately, I had taken a short break because of several issues I will allude to in the following posts. I will still break them up into smaller sections so you can quickly look & read. I am moving them from my Word document/journal, so I apologize for the poor English & the disjointedness! I can (and do) vent frustrations in the Word document, but I try to delete/omit/etc in this public venue! :)
Thank you for your patience, prayers, and help when I've called/emailed!!!!
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 11:13:15 AM
I arrived shortly after 8, just following Art in. His backhoe operator (Shane) & other employees had been there since 7 & had one pipe already down in the culvert. Today was one of those days! They measured and re-measured, found errors & corrected them. They had to dig down further because they hadn’t taken into account the thickness of the pipes (reinforced concrete as opposed to metal). The slope was off & another problem. The angle of the pipes was off. They also brought in Sonatube columns (used to make concrete columns) to add to the ends instead of cutting & using the 2 extra RCP they had ordered. The Sonaforms were cut them too short. These are used to make concrete columns (stand them up & then peel off the cardboard after the concrete sets up). I questioned whether it would work since the outer part would be getting the concrete poured on it. Art & Dino both thought it wouldn’t be a problem.
Shane & crew had all 8 pipes placed by 1:30pm. The guys were amazing, putting stones under the pipes to raise them up to the right level (they had dug down too far) and using the laser to make sure they were in the correct place. Shane had no problems getting the pipes down the wash with his backhoe. He did move a bit of dirt while waiting for Art.
After a break for lunch (Shane shared his sandwiches), the guys were going to start working on the headwalls but they went home instead (could have been because the sonatubes were cut incorrectly).
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| Sonaforms-cut wrong |
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| Shane with Backhoe, moving pipes |
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| Moving pipe out to dig deeper. |
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| 1st pipe placed |
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| Moving Pipe down, piece by piece |
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| Setting pipes; level & Goup |
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| Final pipe going in |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:36:56 AM
11/26
Today the culverts were to be placed down in the wash. It was an interesting time. Art Enriquez (Enriquez Concrete) said that he could not move the culverts down until there was a road. Dino & I thought that a Backhoe could do it & in fact was on the bid to move them down. Dino had informed me that they were going to move them down. Art said that Dino told him that a road would be there before he could do anything.
Instead, they began building the outer side of the east headwall.
11/27
Nothing happened. I went to the land early & waited & waited. Finally I called Art, and we had a repeat of yesterday’s conversation. I called several places about a crane & the RCP company about the weight and price of the pipes. Dino & Art also had a repeat conversation. I confirmed with Art that the backhoe would be out here tomorrow morning and they would try to get it done. He did not know if they could.
We had decided to go with colored (desert sand) concrete. Art told Dino that he had forgotten about it …. but he told me that they would not be able to patch the tiny holes left by the pins in the walls. I told him I’d let him know tomorrow which way we would go.
I lubed the tractor & moved more dirt & rocks around (you all would have been amazed!). I started on the driveway so Art could get the pipes down. I carefully drove the tractor down the north side, and was moving dirt until dark!
Of course, rain was now entering the forecast for the weekend.
Photos
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| East side of 1st headwall. |
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| Sunset Picture from land |
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| 2nd sunset picture--for you Mom! |
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| 3rd sunset picture-for Inger |
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| Headwall material |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:20:44 AM
After running errands all morning, Kim & I met Dino, our UBuildIt consultant for a short update, meeting.
After that, we went to the land to mark places for the trees we were moving.
Headed over to the land at 9 on Saturday morning! Was quite chilly at 54 degrees. We stopped by Cave Creek Building Supply to ask them questions about supplies. My new boot was rubbing my right ankle! So I brought the pathfinder back, made hot tea, changed boots & wrote the right ‘stuff’ on the plans. I called Marty (well installer-awesome job) to ask about hooking up the generator to the well.
I got back to the land & then trimmed the bottom branches off the trees while Kim started digging the first tree hole.
Lisa dug 2 ½ holes while Kim got the generator going & watered the saguaros that we had professionally transplanted. He finished digging the 3rd hole while Lisa watered the transplanted cacti.
It was then getting late & we needed to get the forks back on & move the generator back to storage! We managed to lose the key…again! Although we got luck last Sunday, we were not so lucky to find the key today.
Photos
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| Kim on Tractor |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:09:30 AM
8:45, I receive a call from Ray (Western pump truck rep) who is on his way to the land. I leave & pass a truck, with a guy who’s talking on the phone. I call Ray & sure enough, it was him looking for the land.
He comes back around, takes a look and we talk awhile. His family, both sides, were born & bred in AZ. Not going to leave. I learn a little more about the pump truck industry (2500 companies in US, most take a turn in AZ, great network) & his family (thanksgiving tradition is a polo match).
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 2/13/2008 10:07:34 AM
After the footers were poured, we were informed that we would need another pump truck...and this would be an additional cost for us. I searched for the names of companies in the area and called Terry Hanks, our excavator, & said that there would yet be another delay. I mentioned my need for a pump truck and he suggested I call his supervisor, Cameron, whose uncle works for a company & lives near Rocakaway Hills.
I called Cameron, gave me his uncles number, he called his uncle to let him know to expect my call; he called me back to tell me that he gave me the wrong number and give me the right one…and then I called his uncle, Steve.
Ironically, I had talked with Steve’s boss, Roger, at Western…. Cool!
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/24/2007
Culverts arrived!
At 10:30 Art & crew showed up to prep for pouring the footers for the driveway headwalls.
First, Art & crew raised the phone line so that the pumper truck could get closer.
Next, Billy moved the truck into place…and sat and waited. Although the concrete was to arrive at 11:30, Billy told me that Art delayed it until 12.
About 12:10, we see an AZ Materials truck coming down the road. I told Billy that I had talked with a Cemex representative & thought that was the company that was delivering. The AZ Materials truck rolls up & they get it all set up. Finally, they talk with Art’s employee & he says that it is Cemex. They then unhook the AZ Materials truck & he goes on his way.
Around 12:40, we do a take two with the Cemex truck.
The footers went in quite quickly!
Photos
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| Reinforced Concrete Pipe for our culverts |
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| Changing footers |
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| Pumper truck |
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| Fixing Rebar |
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| Begin Pouring Footers |
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| Almost Finished |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 8:11:08 PM
Nov 16
I took the wall street journal over around 8. What a peaceful morning! I read the paper, had some tea & waited. Richard from the city called around 8:30 & said they didn’t really do driveways. I explained that perhaps I had left the wrong type of message, but that these were footings for headwalls & the culverts & I was informed that they needed to be inspected before concrete could be poured.
He agreed & said they’d be there in the morning because we were off of school house road.
I waited & read & talked to more subs.
Richard called back & said they were headed over but had the address as 44th & Carefree. I said that I wasn’t there, gave them my address. Apparently someone had pulled the next permit for the address.
John & Richard arrived around 11:30 & we PASSED!
I called Art & he said that they will begin pouring the footings early Monday morning.
Nov 19
I headed over to the land this morning around 7:30 so I could be there before they started pouring concrete. At 9 am I called Art & left a voicemail asking him when they were going to arrive. He called me back & said that they were coming Tuesday instead because the pump truck was at Deer Valley on another job. He said that the pipes would be delivered today or tomorrow, that they would be installed on Wednesday & that he would fix the driveway so that the truck could get in to pour the headwalls. The headwalls would be poured Monday & the forms removed on Tuesday.
I called him back around 10am to confirm that this would be the case & did not hear back from him….
So…we stalled on progress today…
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 7:42:28 PM
Nov 14
Back at land watching the footers being dug. Art said that the footings would be dug & to call for a city inspection for tomorrow. (BTW…Cave Creek inspections work that you call the # before 3pm & they come out the following day). So I did.
A representative from Cemex stopped by. He said that there was no way to get a truck down there & it would need to be pumped…and that we would most likely need to order an extra yard of concrete because it gets ‘stuck’ on the lines.
Ran to Bank, Domres (pick up plans), & Safeway for Coke for the workers.
At 3:30 the guys were leaving and there was still digging that needed to be done.
They used my phone to call Art to say that they needed a jackhammer. This was the 2nd day they had been digging.
I called Art. He said that they would finish the next day & then the inspection would be on Friday.
It was almost 4:15 by this time & I did not have the number to cancel the inspection (BTW: you pay for inspections in permitting fees, BUT if you need them to come out a third time because you failed the first two, you pay extra & you wait 2 business days from the phone call). I did not want them to waste their time or us to fail because it was not done.
I called Luke K. at the city, explained my predicament, & he took care of it.
Lesson learned…
Kim found another John Deere 110 on http://www.machinerytrader.com/ . This is a great website. Of course, I should mention that he works for Sandhills Publishing!
Kim & I looked through our bids from UBuildIt for each of the major items coming up. Unfortunately, there were instances where we had only one bid…and so I need to get to work!!!! I sent Dino an email asking about additional vendors.
Nov 15
The jackhammer worked great, but only 2 of Art’s crew were working. Unfortunately/Fortunately, it was a cloudy, cool day that rained off & on.
Art guaranteed that they would be done, so I called for inspection at 2 pm.
The guys kept working until 5, adding rebar into the footers. The sides did not look alike….as you can see. But Dino & Art said it was done.
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| Digging & Surveying |
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| Cutting Rebar |
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| Finally, a Jackhammer! |
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| 3 days of digging for Art's workers |
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| Rebar! |
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| Finished footer |
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| Beautiful Sunset |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 7:17:59 PM
Nov 12
Herb called with questions about the plumbing specs. I emailed Josh at Michael Daily’s. Ed O’Donnell, from Sacred Heart, moved down here several years ago. He came over & is going to provide an HVAC bid! We had lunch & caught up. For those of you in Omaha who don’t know, he is happily married!! J
Nov 13
Josh provided a comprehensive response which I then relayed to Herb.
Glad to take care of that one! Art called & the driveway was commencing this morning! I met him & his 3 employees out there. After spending some time getting the culverts correctly located, Art left and his guys went to work without the benefit of equipment!
I spent a lot of time on the phone with subs.
I did see my first snake today!
And then…Kim called and said that Phil Edwards had sold the John Deere to someone else. It appears that one’s word is not worth anything these days. Phil did not even bother calling or emailing Kim. Kim had emailed him yesterday morning asking as to what time on Saturday would work best, whether he wanted a cashier’s check or a bank check, etc. Phil responded via email that he had sold it to someone else. I am surprised…my parents and grandparents all taught us that if your word is gold…and you don’t ever want to have others question it. Kim had thought he was dealing with an upstanding person as well. So we both learned a lesson….especially since we were going to drive up there on Sunday & pick it up, but thought that since he had said he had agreed to a ‘thing’ with his wife, we should wait…..
I spoke with Justin Giles at APS. He has been so helpful! Once the RCP culverts are down, we need to call the inspector. We can back fill, lay the pipe, then backfill the rest once he oks it.
I also ran these plans down to Cave Creek since they had changed.
I sent directions so Mike (electrician) that Herb recommended could pick up a set of plans.
I also spoke with a compaction test specialist. He is charging 85 cents a mile one top of other costs. Hmmm. That’s about twice what the government allows for mileage.
Ed also mentioned that we should look up Phil Edwards on the Register of Contractors here in AZ as well as report him to the BBB. Alas you can tell the Midwesterners…one’s word means as much as a written contract!
Art’s guys left around 3. They were quite tired.
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| Footer placement |
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| Digging Footers |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 6:48:25 PM
House/driveway surveyed. House points are located. Still trying to get answers about driveway culverts. Denise Melian (Innovative Earthworks, civil engineer) said that an equivalent culvert would be 4 30 inch cmp concrete encased pipes… but since plans do not say or equivalent, we’d have to take them in to be re-approved. Didn’t want to do that….
Spent a lot of time on phone & email. Terry said that it would be best to do driveway before he excavates the house. He also mentioned that he would make the driveway ‘higher’ so big trucks, etc would be able to go over and we wouldn’t have to do a lot later.
Marty & Martin finished up the well! Now all we need is a generator.
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| Survey crew |
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| Survey Crew 2 |
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| Survey crew 3 |
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| Water tank (Nov 1) |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 6:31:48 PM
Nov 10
Kim & I rented a small tractor from A to Z to move stones/boulders. What a day!
Our neighbor Nan brought us a welcome to the neighborhood gift…a book about the life in the desert & how to minimize our impact. It is great!
Other neighbors stop by to chat now & then.
Nov 11
Kim took the trailer back … He was looking for a John Deere 110 & found one in nearby Prescott, AZ. He called, got picts, called back, and confirmed that he would buy it and pick it up on Saturday the 17th because the owner had plans with his wife tonight. Phil Edwards, the owner, said he would fax or email a bill of sale tomorrow or Tuesday.
Kim & I stopped by our neighbors, Ric & Barb, to pick up some more recommendations. We ended up staying & talking quite a while! It’s great to have good neighbors.
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| Moving Stones |
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| Rental Tractor |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 5:55:59 PM
Saguaro moving Day! Thankfully we only had to move 3 saguaros -6’, 8’ & 10’. These guys were hard workers! The backhoe driver got out & helped the others when his 'job' finished in the backhoe & shovels were needed to finish up! I continued to spend time on phone about culverts. Plans call for 4 24” RCP. All the bids were for CMP. No one could figure out why we needed RCP.
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| Moving Saguaro |
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| Hard work! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 11/19/2007 5:42:54 PM
Took soils report to Larson’s at 7:30.
Justin Giles from APS came out for utility meeting. Denise Melian came out too. He decided that APS line should go through driveway instead of where the plans said.
Marty & Martin Craven from AZ Monsoon came out to put the water storage tank in the ground. Wow! It was large. They spent today & Nov 1 prepping & digging it out. Originally from the Midwest as well, the work ethic is similar to mine. We talked about the difference between the Midwest & here.
Darrel from Domres came out to look at land for excavating.
Terry Hanks from Hanks Excavating & Steve Slyders recommendation came out. He, as everyone, was concerned with the soils report BUT not as much when he saw how rocky the ground was where they did the soils samples.
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| Pump installation 1 |
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| Marty & Martin Installing Pump |
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| Pump Installation |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 10/30/2007
Oct 30
8:30 am… Met with Enriques Concrete (Art owner & Bill estimator) & Dino.
Portapotty delivered.
Tom Cannon called…can move saguaros & trees. Will give bid tomorrow. Met him out there. His daughter is home schooled (15 yrs) b/c rides motorcycles professionally.
Called surveyors to get quotes for house points. Will here from Steve Slyder. Talked with Steve Slyder & he asked about excavators…he recommended a couple of other guys.
Talked with Jessica Marlow (new Cave Creek water supervisor). Surprised that we paid permit fees for sewage & water when we don’t get the benefits…even with the new water storage tank going in close to property.
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| PortaPotty Delivered! |
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 10/29/2007 7:05:13 PM
Kim & I went to our neighbors and let them know that we would be building soon. We also finished putting together the green picnic table from our previous patio at Oak Ridge & made a couple of trips to the Home Depot. On Sunday, we rented a tractor/backhoe from A to Z Rental and moved our small cacti plants from our building area. Our neighbor stopped by to give us some hints about using the equipment after watching for a bit. Glad he did. Of course, desert soil isn’t anything like NE soil. Thankfully we did not have to dig deep. As you can see in the pictures, Kim became an expert! J I was not so good, but it was interesting.
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 10/22/2007 5:44:05 PM
Oct 22. Today I had to finish the permit sign, pick up the plans from Dino (wonderful UBuildIt Consultant) & make sure everything was over at the land. Once I finished that, I called the inspection line (quite efficient, leave permit #, name, address, etc) so that our first inspection (zoning) would occur tomorrow (Oct 23). I’m definitely learning a lot! For those who haven’t been receiving the story before reading this, I should say that this is our first experience at building and that I am truly a novice in all things builder related. My education did not prepare me for this job, but I can say that like most things, it is a matter of 1) who to ask; 2) how to follow directions, and 3) maintaining a positive attitude and finding the humor in it.
So, I spent a few trips driving from our condo to the site because I forgot a few crucial items. First, a black pen to write our important information on the permit sign. I was meeting Dino at the land to finish putting up the sign and thought that was important. My next trip was for the drill. However, halfway to the condo, I realized that it would be easier to bring the board home & drill the holes than locate the inverter & take the drill over there! Luckily for me, Kim hadn’t boarded his plane to Lincoln so I could call him and ask where the drill was. After arriving home, thank goodness for flight delays, I had to call again as to the location of the drill bits. I took it back & wire tied the sign. I have to admit that it isn’t my best penmanship, but what can I say?
BTW: Whenever I have had a question, personnel at Cave Creek have quickly answered each question and guided me away from common pitfalls. I have heard that this is not the norm, but I am grateful that it is my experience.
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 10/22/2007 5:23:52 PM
Oct 21, 4:30pm, Kim & I went out to the land to plot the corners of the house. After a few discussions and disagreements, we ended up getting 6 corners plotted, staked, and painted. Since it was getting dark, we had to call it a day. I’ve attached a picture of one of the corners. As you can see, the ‘orange’ isn’t evenly spread on all sides. It was quite windy and thus one side was impossible to color!
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Posted to Riley by Lisa in Cave Creek, AZ
on 10/17/2007 12:30:15 PM
This has truly been a process already. Although we purchased land in Oct 06, hired an architect & UBuildIt, we have just received our permits from Cave Creek. Our first submittal was in May and then our resubmittal (a common occurrence) occurred in June & July (2 separate committees).
BTW: UBuildIt provides consultants for novices at home building. Dino Secchiarri is our consultant…and has been quite helpful! He will (or I should really say is) probably tired of my many questions.
So today, I am off to purchase yellow rope & stakes so we can begin…and then we’ll see how our first inspection goes!
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