The weather kept us from doing any major work for a few weeks, but when I got back to the site the other crews had managed to get all the drywall up. Suddenly, it's no longer a jumble of wood, cement, styrofoam, wiring and plumbing, it's a house! Here you can see the scraps of drywall left over, and the dramatic effect of simply sealing off the walls is obvious.

Well I spoke a bit too soon, not all of the drywall was up yet. The drywall near the water heater and electrical breaker box has to be fireproof by code, and that takes a bit longer to install. But even the windows and doors are in now. I kept walking around amazed that the construction project I'd been working on was now someone's house. It really makes you want to be extra careful to do good work...Rosemarie (or someone) is going to be living here for a long time after we're done.

In order to strengthen the joints between the sheets of drywall and prevent cracking in the future, paper tape is applied and covered with drywall compound (referred to as 'mud' in the industry). All screw and nail holes in the drywall also receive a coating of mud, which is sanded down flat after curing to make a perfectly smooth surface, ready for texturing and painting. Outside corners (like around the door jambs) receive a corner bead, which is a metal strip which reinforces the corner so a gentle bump won't crush it. The corner beads also need to be coated with mud and sanded down flat.

We had another Navy crew on the team today. I didn't catch their names, but you have to give props to these young people for taking time out of their schedule to support our project. You know how rigorous their training schedule is, and how much they'd rather spend the time studyin. Seems like their 'standing at attention' needs work though.

Like I said, I didn't catch this young lady's name, but I didn't dare try to stop her long enough to ask either. She was a dynamo with a putty knife...she did that whole bedroom by herself in about twenty minutes, and did a great job too. The thing I can't figure out though is why she's so clean -- most of us were covered head to toe in drywall compound. Must be teaching those kids something right on that Navy base.

Here I am applying compound at a snail's pace, almost unrecognizable with all the compound I've gotten on myself. What is those kids' secret??

Meanwhile, Mike had a couple of the other kids (yes they are kids) outside helping him pour the concrete for the entry to the front porch. You don't want to walk through a bunch of mud on your way inside on a rainy day. It was a cold day but they were out there in their shirt sleeves. Anybody who's ever mixed up concrete knows it'll keep you warm like few other things.

They'd already poured the entry to the side door. Nice job, eh? These pours need to have proper drainage (the strip in the center) and a nice rough texture to give plenty of traction in wet weather. The drainage strip is purchased commercially, the rough texture is applied with a broom as the concrete sets up.

Glenn gets dragged into the drywall compound madness. He's as good at getting it all over himself as I am. Smarter though, he wore white on mud day.

Terri was infinitely amused that I'd gotten a spot of mud on the end of my nose. Whatevs!

After the concrete was poured on the entryways, Mike sent two of the Navy guys out back to dig some trenches. Digging is perhaps the one thing on the jobsite more strenuous than mixing concrete. Good call Mike, let the young bucks move the dirt around.

Here's where the trench is going. The water pump is located in a shed a ways from the house, and has a generator to back it up in the event of a power outage (one of the conditions of the insurance company which has agreed to underwrite a fire insurance policy for the completed house). By code, however, the electrical lines and the water line from pump house have to be separate from each other -- they can't run in the same trench. So we'll need TWO trenches out to the pump house, and it's a ways away...better get shoveling, boys.

Just because you're working on an important project doesn't mean you don't take an important phone call when it comes in. Gotta love hat hair, huh?

Hey, Coal is here! Which must mean...

Yep, Mark isn't far behind. Cool hat, dude! Hope you don't get as much mud on it as I got on mine.

Well, of course the Navy kids went back to base early (you'd think those youngsters would have better stamina) so I got stuck on trench detail. Joy. And of course Terri found my camera and got the evidence on film. It's not such a bad thing, though...I dig a lot straighter than those kids do.

Meanwhile, she's playing with the dog! Too bad she throws like a girl...almost hit me once and then she did hit the dog. I finally convinced her she'd be less of a worksite hazard if she picked up a shovel and helped me dig.

"From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life." -- Arthur Ashe

September 22, 2004: A frame rises from the rubble

September 28, 2004: Finishing the roof framing

October 5, 2004: Roof sheathing goes on

October 6, 2004: More finish framing

October 12, 2004: Framing the back porch

October 26, 2004: A slow, wet day

November 2, 2004: Bricks on the roof?

November 30, 2004: The walls get sticky

December 7, 2004: Plumbing and wiring the pump house

December 14, 2004: Paint goes on