Two Weeks

The foundation has to sit for two weeks before the framers can start. In the mean time we're reviewing some things that we've been talking about with Dave and beginning to make some decisions on finishes.
Some things that we're going to do:
Add permanent escape ladders to one of the 2nd floor bedrooms and the bonus room.
Add a gravitational hot water loop so that we will have hot water as soon as we turn on the faucet, even on the 2nd floor.
Add network cabling to most of the rooms in the house, including the garage.
Place under-cabinet outlet strips in the kitchen so there are no outlets on the walls.
We're also trying to decide what the hearth room wall with the fireplace will look like.
And finally, we've decided to go with a geothermal "ground-to-air" heat pump for heating and cooling. As a side benefit, there is an adapter to push excess heat into the water heater to reduce the cost of heating that as well.

Foundation

Foundation 5
Originally uploaded by lander_quill

Not only did they put the forms up on Wednesday, they also poured the foundation on Wednesday as well. I'm not sure how long the foundation has to set before we can move on to the next stage but Dave told us that as soon as the foundation is poured he's going to have us start making some decisions. I can't wait!

Snow, Snow, Snow, Snow

It snowed 4 inches Thursday and it's going to snow about the same amount tonight. It's was also about 10 degrees out this morning. Dave said that the plan is to put the foundation forms up on Wednesday and pour on Thursday. In order to offset the longer set time in the cold, they will add calcium chloride to the mix. I've done a little reading on this just to see what the effects of adding this are. Apparently the concrete has the same strength with this as without, it just sets faster.
Let's hope that the weather holds out after tonight so that they can do the work needed later in the week.

My, What Big Feet You Have

Footings 3
Originally uploaded by lander_quill

The footings were dug and poured yesterday. It's kinda neat to see their placement as it compares to the houseplan. All those squares and circles are starting to make sense now.
They covered the footings with hay, I'm guessing to help keep them warm until they dry.
To add to the fun, it snowed about 4 inches today. I have no idea what this will mean for the foundation guys as I havn't talked to Dave to ask him.
More pictures on Flicker that you can link to from the right.