Slab City

Well, now we really have to do something... all that concrete has been poured, there's no going back. Not that we want to but it's still a little scary. A bit like finding out you're pregnant!








As we walked around the slab last night it was fun to imagine where everything would be once finished. It will be a nice cozy home. The difficult part is imaging everything we currently have in our house sitting on that slab. Seems impossible but will be an opportunity to get rid of more STUFF! Here's another view of stuff

Speaking of stuff, I've been stocking up on things from ebay, faucets, light fixtures, cabinet hardware. Things that I find and like; if you have the time to shop you can get some terrific deals on eBay. One of the cool things about a house the size we're building is there isn't a lot of "stuff" needed which allows us the ability to go to another level quality wise. And, I'm going for low maintenance, high durability in the regular use items (faucets, toilets) because I don't want to spend lots of time on upkeep. I also think it's best to spend as much as you can afford on items you touch everyday because it's just too difficult to have to interact with something on a daily basis that just doesn't please you (hmmmm, could refer to many things in life).

Here's a picture of a bathroom faucet I picked up on eBay. I like the sleek look and low number of nooks and crannies for soap scum to build up, along with all the other stuff that goes with dark, damp crannies. I'm not a germophobe and my mother used to say "Everyone eats a peck of dirt before they die." I don't buy antibacterial soap; certain bacteria are beneficial but I do like for things to be clean, not spotless, not pristine, not sterile but clean. It's stainless so has a bit of a modernist feel and should last forever.

I'm now looking for toilet info. Weren't you just hoping I'd bring up toilets. I think I have it narrowed down to a Caroma from Australia or a TOTO. If you have personal experience (well, uhh, not too personal) let me know. My numero uno criteria for this fixture: It flushes with ONE flush! A 1.6 gal flush means nothing if you always have to do it twice.

BUILDING STAGE

Bales are ordered and the wall-raising is on for April 8. Window and door boxes will be built along with the roof-bearing assembly. The trusses are also ordered.

Until next time, Keep your straw dry!

WooHooo!!! We passed the pre-slab inspection!! Slab will be poured by the end of the week!!!

Wall-raising will be April 8!!

StrawBoss

StrawbaleRedux
...should say April 8 at 0800...

We have a date for the wall-raising. April * at 0800!!!

StrawbaleRedux
Happy Birthday to my Mom. Today is her 80th!
We passed the second inspection and things are moving along with the slab. We hope to have the rebar completed by Friday, have that inspected and be able to pour next week. We have a tentative date of April 8 for the Wallraising. This is getting exciting! It's so much fun (but a lot of hard work) to see the walls go up and then it suddenly looks like a house. Soon after follows the roof-then it's all the really hard inside work. I think that's what fools most people about strawbale building, it looks like a house long before it really is. It's has been a misconception that your pour a slab, you have a wall-raising, slap on a roof and Voila!-you have a house. Wrong. Follow along with us and you will see.

StrawbaleRedux
We passed our first inspection!!
Well, almost....
There was a problem with a vent, it was a flat vent and you can't do it here! Don't you love building? Anyway, it was an easy fix, the inspector will return tomorrow morning and then on to slab.
Time to order those bales!

StrawbaleRedux
My plans for updating have fallen short already! Mostly because I started a Master's program and nothing really exciting has happened building wise. However that is changing. I will have pictures of progress soon!

Later that same day...
Stopped by the site to see the progress the plumber had made and take some pictures. Even though it may look very similar to the previous pictures, there's a huge difference--especially in the bank account! It does look great to see the black pipe sticking up and gives me a better idea of rooms and where things will be located. It still looks very small as there are no points of reference but I know from experience that perspective changes as the walls go up.



Building is such a frustrating experience because so much of it depends on others. Others over whom you have little or no control. We thought we had a plumber lined up and after playing phone tag for 7-10 days gave up on him and asked for some referrals. Troy came highly recommended and so far has been on time and has done what he said he would. That is worth a lot here in So. Arizona. I like to believe that things happen for a reason.

Today we met our neighbor to the north. What fun she is and I think we will thoroughly enjoy being neighbors with her and her husband. That's always a relief, 'cause once you sink money into something and put all those hopes and dreams into it, it's a bitch to find out your neighbor is a bitch! Our neighbors on the south are also a great family and fun to be around. We've met the male of the couple building on the east of us and he's also very nice. Because of the spacing of the houses being able to be "neighborly" is so important.

Building Stage: Now it's on to the slab.(well first there's a pesky inspection, then on to the slab) Once that's done it starts to seem real, that there just might be a house happening. Speaking of happenings, we will be having a bale-raising, around the first of April-at least that's my goal.

Until next time, keep your straw dry!