the nature of concrete

Some people tint it, some people stamp it, some people stencil it, but if you just let concrete be concrete, the results can be amazing.

poured concrete slab

The slab got poured today. It took 8 hours and looks great. Now I have to try and keep it wet for a couple of days to minimize cracking.

And then we waited...

...for it to get to the point that they could work it to a smooth finish.

Concrete pour

Pouring concrete

Early this morning, a crew came and poured the concrete floor.

concrete forms

The rear concrete block wall was repaired and forms were built along it's top to pour a bond beam to hold it all together and create a solid foundation for the SIP panels and posts that will sit on top of it. The concrete contractors built the forms for the slab and we've added pex tubing to the reinforcing mesh for future heating. It's ready to pour and we're just waiting for a day without thunderstorms, hopefully early this coming week.
Below is a picture of the site after clearing out the debris from the old (collapsed) barn.

pool 2011

Here's the pool today... nearly full and 60 degrees. It should be full by the end of the weekend. I'm filling it with a combination of spring water (gravity fed off the hill beyond the pool), well water from the house and rainwater from nearly a week of rain. It should warm up to the mid 70's by the July 4th weekend... cool but swimmable. It doesn't get much warmer on it's own due to our cool nights up here in the mountains.

brief history of the barn

Here is how the barn looked in 1999 when we first moved up here. It was dated to around the 1790's.

About 4 years ago, I took down the section nearest the road and used the beams to build my house across the street. That whole project is documented at watchthehousegrow.blogspot.com. This is what was left of the original barn at that point.

Last winter the remaining barn collapsed under 3 feet of snow.

the pool

Matt Phillips and Andy Ness are painting the pool this year. In years past it has been painted light blue, dark blue, and spring green. This is the first year we have used the pool as a canvass and in between rainy spells, it is being transformed into an alien world. I'll let Matt and Andy fill you in on concept and inspirations as it progresses. In the meantime, here's a few shots of the progress so far.