This week in the Daily Dispatch, old concrete gets ripped up, new foundations are laid, and filming begins for an upcoming project.
Monday morning began with the sound of diesel engines idling. Our heavy equipment guy, Dave, came with his daughter to remove the old modular slab and begin trenching for the new granite-block foundation. They worked efficiently together and made loads of progress throughout the day.
Next, some careful layout. There are plenty of metaphors in existence to demonstrate the necessity of laying a good foundation, so (needless to say) we re-checked every measurement multiple times. The foundation size is based on the top plates of the frame (since we don’t have any original sills), so this was careful, fussy, and slightly stressful work.
The granite blocks will be sitting on trenches filled with rubble, at the bottom of which is a French drain system to redirect water away from the house. The ground in this area is mostly impermeable clay, so drainage is necessary for a block foundation like this one. Otherwise, water will just sit under the blocks and heave when it freezes. That would not be a good situation. So the trenches were dug below frost level, drainpipes installed, and rubble brought in.
Joshua and I began filming for a new project late in the week – not to give too much away, but it involves a thorough investigation and commentary on more than a dozen pieces of period handmade furniture, with insights into the makers’ mindsets, construction methods, and tool marks. It’s exactly the stuff that we (and our readers) get excited about.
And I shared a short, edited clip from the project to end the week. It’s coming together fast – we are planning on making an official announcement soon. Stay tuned!
Until next time, that’s the latest from the M&T Daily Dispatch.
–Mike