April 2
Mike calls for some loads of rock and we go over to the lot to make sure it is getting done. Mike talks to the grader and his bulldozer man about laying the rock to the slab.
They have a long way to go:
Dumping a load of rock:
Randy starts building a road to the store site:
While Randy is working on that, our concrete guys show up and put the form boards in for our slab. We are getting closer:
The road is almost to the store site:
April 3
Today Mike and I have to watch our granddaughter. She will have to do our running around with us since we have to keep an eye on the work being done at the site.
She was excited to be top of the world here:
And she got permission to sit on the bulldozer. Yes our little one is a country girl:)
More rock being delivered. It took a lot of rock to get this far:
Finally we have a road to the store site. Now we need to put gravel in the slab itself. We need to have 4 inches, 18 tons, of gravel under the concrete.
Mike has Randy work on a ditch behind the store. Since we have such a steep hill behind us, we have to make sure any rain that comes down goes behind the building and doesn't wash it away.
Randy using the blade to cut a ditch:
Almost to the end of the slab:
Mike and I do some more running around with Ella. We go to the Farm Supply for plumbing parts and then we head home.
Papa and Ella in the hay loft:
It was a good day with Ella and we are getting closer to getting the slab poured at the store.
The weather changed and not for the better which put off our concrete pouring. Mike and I were able to sneak in some solar jobs at the house but that's all.
April 8
It's plumbing day:) The plumbing and the septic pipe have to be under the slab when the concrete gets poured. We know the layout of the store and measured off where the bathroom with a shower, toilet and vanity will go. With those measurements, Mike glued some of the PVC pipe at the house.
Time to take it all over to the slab to get it in the ground.
Once we are there we have to pull the gravel away from the form boards to get the plumbing pipes set.
This is the back corner where the bathroom will be:
We measure out for the pipes and Mike starts shoveling the gravel out of the way:
Mike gets our plumbing contraption out of the car while I dig on the back side and under the form boards. This is where the sewer pipe has to leave the store:
Mike clears the inside section of where I was:
We are down to the dirt and Mike digs underneath the form boards:
Now for the fun part, lol. We have to make sure the shower stall fits the space we cleared and all of our measurements are right. There is no room for error once the concrete gets poured. So Mike and I brought a shower base to the site which is on the side of the highway.
It looks good:)
Now we are set and Mike glues the final pvc pipes together:
That's it. Now we can call concrete man and tell him to pour when he is ready:) Finally it feels like we are getting somewhere. Mike and I like when things get done.
I hope you all enjoyed this story. My next couple of stories will be about the concrete slab and also our new solar panels being installed.
Have a great week and I will post soon:)
Yes, we're enjoying our stories a lot!!
ReplyDeleteQuick question: What is this store going to sell? I don't know if you mentioned exactly what the plan was, or if I just missed it? Are you guys going to run the store, or just build and rent it out, for the rental income?
Looking forward to the further adventures in Mike & Lisa World!!
DeleteThe store is going to be a hobby for Mike and I with future potential to sell it or rent it. We have plans to sell an assortment gently used secondhand items, local honey, farm fresh eggs, jam, books, solar panels, and some local natural health and beauty items that Mike's daughter makes.
You two guys are looking great on the hay loft! Anyway, best of luck for your work!
ReplyDeleteThanks. That's Mike and his "sidekick":)
Delete