Chip and Clada Self-Portrait
CHIP and CLADA'S WEB SITE

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                                   Building Our House in the Caribbean

                                                   Step 8 - Constructing the Foundation...this step was a hard one!

         DEEP FOOTINGS ARE DUG                                                                       AND THE FOOTINGS ARE CLEANED OUT

Backhoe Digs Footings Stanley Digs    Footings Cleaned Up footings cleaned up2     



        STEEL IS LAID IN THE BOTTOM AND TIED, AND VERTICAL STEEL AND FOOTING BOARDS ARE INSTALLED

                    Floor Steel      Steel Tied In     Footing Boards 

          
             CONCRETE COMETH (LATE--BUT THIS TIME IT WAS GOOD BECAUSE WE WERE BEHIND SCHEDULE!!) 
                                                                            
                   Jonus Pumps   Jonus Pumps2   Chip Leads                                                                                 
                                                        

                               It's Dark     And then it got dark, fortunately Chip had his flashlight!

                                              THIS POUR WAS "JUST IN TIME" BECAUSE RAIN WAS A-COMING...

                                                                      Just In Time Pour

                                 NEXT, SMALL FOUNDATION WALLS ARE CONSTRUCTED ON THE DEEP FOOTINGS

Foundation Boards Pony Walls Pony Walls2

                               THEN CONCRETE IS POURED--THE HARD WAY--WITH A WHEELBARROW AND BUCKETS
                            Wheelbarrow Concrete3       Wheelbarrow Concrete      Wheelbarrow Concrete2

                                                           Clada Pours Concrete2       Clada Pours Concrete 
                                                                                Clada helps out--this is HARD work!

                        THEN, FORMS ARE TAKEN DOWN, ROCKS ARE REMOVED, and SELECT FILL ADDED
                                                         AND TAMPED DOWN WITH A JUMPING JACK.

                                                              Rock Removal


                                     NEXT DIRT HAS TO BE REMOVED AND FILL ADDED AND TAMPED DOWN

                  Joseph on Jumping Jack   Sylvan Sifting    Last Section


                BIG PLUMBING GOES IN, TERMITE SPRAY APPLIED, THEN VISQUINE IS PLACED ON TOP

                                             Big Plumbing    Visquine Goes Down

                   STEEL (REBAR) IS INSTALLED AND THEN KEYWAYS ARE BUILT AROUND THE CISTERNS

                                         Richard Ties Wire     Keyway installed

 
                      THEN IT'S TIME FOR MORE PLUMBING AND THE ELECTRICAL...and INSPECTIONS
Glenmore Paints Conduit Electrical Installed Electrical Inspector
                      
                               THIS IS WHAT THE FOUNDATION LOOKS LIKE FROM THE LOT NEXT DOOR

                                                             Foundation Distant View

                                        AND FINALLY, CONCRETE!  IT WAS A 2-DAY POUR AND ALL WENT WELL

      Lots of Concrete   Footings First   Foundation Floor

Bullfloat  Teamwork   Chip Helps
                                                                        The teamwork was fantastic!
        Power Trowel   Tom Kneeboards   Teamwork2

                                    Concrete pours   Teamwork3        

                                                              AND THEN THE FORMS ARE REMOVED

                                                                    Froms Removed2