Site Work

The part of your construction project that is called ‘site work’ is typically everything that is not part of the physical structure of the house itself. Cutting down trees, grading etc.

Site Work Excavation – Dig the Foundation Hole

by  • May 28, 2011 • 2 Comments

  • Step 1. Get Backhoe
  • Step 2. Fill it up with Gas
  • Step 3. Fill it full with hydraulic fluid
  • Step 4. Try to get it to run right
  • Step 5. Find cleared spot of land
  • Step 6. Dig dirt with backhoe
  • Step 7. Put dirt in your way
  • Step 8. Move same dirt again out of your way
  • Step 9. Fill it full of gas
  • Step 10. Dig stumps
  • Step 11. See step 10
  • Step 12. Fill it full of gas again
  • Step 13. Take off carb and “adjust it”
  • Step 14. Dig like the dickens for 1 hour
  • Step 15. Fill it full of hydraulic fluid again
  • Step 16. Remove more dirt.
  • Step 17. Put dirt in your way
  • Step 18. Remove said dirt again
  • Step 19. Take of carb again, and “adjust” back in the other direction
  • Step 20. Dig more dirt
  • Step 21. Fill full of gas
  • Step 22. Break all 6 bolts on a hydraulic ram larger than my head
  • Step 23. Drive around to 7 stores collecting, drills, screw extractors and bolts to repair
  • Step 24. Find out the bolts came out with just my fingers
  • Step 25. Repair ram
  • Step 26. Fill full of hydraulic fluid again.
  • Step 27. Dig more dirt
  • Step 28. Remove Fuel filter to get it to run better
  • Step 29. Enjoy 2 minutes of engine bliss and 8 minutes of barely running
  • Step 30. Remove the carb and clean all the dirt and debris that removing the fuel filter let in.
  • Step 31. Reinstall carb
  • Step 32. Dig remaining dirt out of hole
  • Results may vary

This is obviously the short version. This was a long a challenging week. I started dabbling during the day and after work, and then as my concrete contractor said he might be ready to go next week, I booked it on one weekend.

Enjoy!

 

Site Work – Move the Shed, Clear the Trees

by  • May 5, 2011 • 0 Comments

So this is the beginning.  This is when it starts.  I get to clear the site where I’m going to build the garage.

I have a shed currently packed to capacity with all my tools and supplies.  This needs to be emptied and moved.

There isn’t a whole lot I can say about this process besides that I didn’t want to do it.  I dreaded it.  I spent months thinking about how I would have to move it this shed, and the stuff it it, but the task was ugly.  Moving all those things piece by piece, uggh, there was no easy way to do it.  I would have to just face it. So I did.

I’m sorry I had to take down trees!  Just a few select trees that of course were riddled with disease and insects and dead branches and really only had seconds left to live anyway… :)
After the shed was gone.  There were some trees that I could tell were just plain going to be in the way around the site.  Obviously the ones IN the site had to go, but there were some perimeter trees that need to go too.   I had taken out a beautiful maple last fall that was clearly going to be in the way, and taken out an Ash in the same general area.  I hated to take these out but It was just something that had to be done.  In looking at the space opened up though, I must say I’ve been enjoying the unobstructed view of my pond. :)

I also wanted to build a road.  :)

Let me explain.  Basically by putting this garage where I was planning, it would block my quick access (Truck, snowmobile, lawnmower) to this part of my yard.   I don’t like doing that.  So in order to still be able to get there, I removed a whole line of small trees to make a roadway to around the garage.  It’s probably easier to just see it in the video.

Just when I thought I’d removed all the trees I needed.  There were more.  Cleaning up all the brush and logs, allowed me to see pretty clearly the way the land sloped and how I would need to attack digging this foundation hole.  This meant, more trees had to come out.  Although I already had three huge brush piles to burn, I still had to get the trees out of the way.

First I burned the piles of brush and as soon as they were out of the way and burning, I cut down the other trees
Enjoy!