In the Hole

It's started! I can't believe the lift of a life time has started! I'm going to try and sneak away at lunch to snap some pics of the progress. I'm so excited... but I'm also pissed at myself for not getting the time lapse cam up in time. I'm going to do it tonight after work... I just get worried that the thing will already be off the ground by then!

Anyway, let me elaborate. The first step in the house lifting process (after all necessary permits and disconnections of course) is to create several access holes around the house using a backhoe. This was the state I found my house in last night. Piles of dirt, a big machine, and holes on either side of the house. It was amazing!

Mike and I still had a couple things to do, however. First Mike got out the trusty skid steer and, using the forks, took out the concrete front step... all in one go. It was heavy - I thought the whole machine would flip down the front yard from the weight. Luckily, Mike knows how to run these things and that didn't happen.

We also put up a silt fence - per order of the conservation comission. Home Depot didn't have hay bales, so we couldn't get those. We get out of work too late to go to a home and garden or other smaller construction store... which sucks. Hopefully the comission won't come by and freak out. We'll get it up ASAP... I hope those neighbors don't turn us in either... I won't think about it.

Then, we reinforced one supporting beam near the back of the house that was really rotted. It should really be taken out, but that won't be able to happen until the house is down on the foundation and well supported. I felt pretty nervous just being under the house - I mean, what if it fell or shifted? That would suck considering the contractor's insurance probably wouldn't cover something that was our fault.

While underneath, we disconnected el poop pipe (ie, the septic pipe) and capped it off. We also nailed up no trespassing signs and boarded up the one open entrance to the house. (Though the mudroom - cause it has no floor now because it was previously cement. Remems?)

So, as you can see, work has in fact begun, but the work is not over for us. Water won't be disconnected until Friday unless the contractor can expedite that process... time shall tell. It's only tomorrow, after all.