http://ownerbuilderbook.com/forum/ Owner-Builder Book - Home for Owner-Builders Ownerbuilderbookcom-Blogshttp://feedburner.google.com Jeff in Belfair, WA 302 http://ownerbuilderbook.com/blogs/post.aspx?ID=4802 http://ownerbuilderbook.com/blogs/post.aspx?ID=4802 Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The kitchen is nearly complete. We had our eye on a very nice tile for the backsplash, but at $15 sq. ft. we hesitated. Then we found this glass/granite/travertine combo at Costco for $4 sq. ft! Couldn't pass it up.&nbsp; Jeff in Belfair, WA 302 http://ownerbuilderbook.com/blogs/post.aspx?ID=4803 http://ownerbuilderbook.com/blogs/post.aspx?ID=4803 Sun, 20 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT The tub/shower is completed. Bathroom cabinets are installed. Still have tile to do in this room. Steven in Colorado Springs, CO Tanglewood http://ownerbuilderbook.com/blogs/post.aspx?ID=4806 http://ownerbuilderbook.com/blogs/post.aspx?ID=4806 Sat, 19 May 2012 00:00:00 GMT WELL NOW....that will teach me to say "<a href="?ID=4805">finally the weather is getting good again</a>".<br><br>Since that post every weekend has been cold, rainy, or some combination of the two.&nbsp; It's been ridiculous and put a big damper in my making progress on my Summer Projects, but things finally cleared up a bit today and I was able to get serious about pouring some concrete!<br><br>The holes I'd dug for the piers <a href="?ID=4772">a couple of weeks back</a> were still in pretty good shape, though the pipe themselves had slumped a bit since they weren't anchored in any way.&nbsp; I spent most of the morning getting the concrete moved and stacked near the construction site, as well as (carefully) winching down the mixer and then setting up a water tank so I'd be able to mix my mud.&nbsp; It wasn't until the afternoon that I was really able to start mixing and pouring.<br><br>For the most part it went pretty smoothly, though it took considerably longer than I thought it would of course.&nbsp; I only dropped or tore a couple of bags and most of the mix I was able to capture in a bucket (short shovels are <i>fantastic </i>inventions--everybody should have at least one).&nbsp;&nbsp; Each pier was anchored with concrete mix poured down the hole around the pipe, then filled from the top with between two and three bags' worth of the stuff (how much depended mostly on whether it was a 6" pipe or an 8" pipe). <br><br>One minor change cropped up from some thinking I did last week though. <br>Checking on the piers last weekend I came to the realization that I needed to auger two <i>more </i>piers to provide proper stability.&nbsp; The six new panels are going to extend farther over than I'd thought, and if I didn't put additional support on the far end I'd end up with a couple of panels out there with no support beyond the basic struts at all.&nbsp; Not <b>crazy </b>about that....they'll flex a lot that way and it just seems like I'm asking for trouble if there's any significant amount of snowfall next winter.&nbsp; I went ahead and got the holes dug, then cut and dropped some pipe in them as placeholders (the weather was decent enough for <i>that </i>at least)&nbsp; Of course I'll need to bring up more concrete too just to be safe (better to have it and not need it than the other way around, especially halfway through a pour). A bit of a bummer, and worth it to avoid any problems.<br><br>Made good progress today!&nbsp; Can't wait to see the new panels installed and operational!<br><br><br>Steven in Colorado<br>