The Beginning After the Beginning

Howdy Y'all!

When we last left you, the Rocksaw team was laying the pipe and filling in the trench. At this point, all of the electrical distribution work is almost complete. We just need our local electric co-op (PEC) to place the riser pole at the street, pull the line, and install the transformer. We are told they will be done with this early next week. Below is the final look at the completed trench before we start to seed the area with grass for the Longhorns.

We had a small setback in timing, however, on the foundation work. Once the engineering team laid out the initial foundation stakes and some foundation work began, Jan and I realized we did not like the exact location the architect had defined for the foundation footprint. The house is approximately 200 feet long with the garages, and a 5 degree turn in direction creates a 3-4 foot elevation change because of the topography. We needed to make an adjustment, and even a few feet and degrees of change required that we needed to have the engineers do another resurvey. Of course, it just so happens that the Austin metro area is experiencing a major boom in homebuilding, which has pretty much sucked up most surveying and engineering resources. As a result, we have been delayed about two weeks before the survey team gets back out here to reset the proper staking. So much for the bad news. 

The good news is that the architect, builder, engineering, and foundation teams worked as a team to redefine the location, and actually came out with a better plan than we started with. The driveway is repositioned so that we better eliminate any and all potential water ingress issues, and most importantly, Jan and I are thrilled with the new plan. (If you haven't experienced any serious Texas rainstorms, you do not want to have any issues with terrain sloping on your home. Either that, or learn how to build an Arc.) In the meantime, trees are being trimmed, netting is being set up around all of the old Live Oak trees, the water tank is being delivered for the foundation work (we are doing rain collection from our roof, so there is no water on the property yet until we have a roof on the house — more on that later), and some general grading is being completed. We've lost about two weeks of build time, but I have been assured that there is more than enough time in the project plan to make up for the delay. The other good news is that the new project plan has us finishing and moving into our new home before Thanksgiving! (Yes, Chiachi, the betting pool is now open!)

The photos below show the progress that has been made in completing the power distribution into the property. This was a cool process to watch with the Rocksaw, and the team from Canyon Creek Maintenance and the PEC power co-op have done a very professional job in pulling this together. 

Power Meter panel/rack poles

'Laying the pipe'

Transformer base - pre-concrete

Done!

Almost done

(Notice the skillful and technical use of shadowing by the crack photographer!)







In the meantime, Jan is running around completing the decisions on the front door color, plumbing fixtures, lighting accessories, door handles, exterior stone selection, stucco accent color, roof tile color, and the never-ending quest for the right granite block design. I get to do stuff like Media Room equipment design, HVAC, the sound system for the rest of the house, TV selections, and low voltage security and lighting stuff. (Any guess as to who is having more fun right now?)

Not much more to report, so our next blog will hopefully contain the happy sounds of hammering, sawing, and Mexican mariachi music as foundation forms start getting reset. 

See y'all later!
 - John and Jan - 

The Big Dig

Howdy Y'all!

Lots goin' on! Trees are starting to bud, the weather is creeping back into the high 70's, the evenings are wonderful, and the pleasant sound of hammering is in the air! 

As a parallel effort to the foundation work underway, one of the challenges of building in a rural area is electric power distribution. For most of us (particularly Jan and me), previous home building projects in a neighborhood simply meant hooking the new house to a power meter out on the street, or calling the local electric company. Well, that doesn't work out on the ranch. We learned we are responsible for coordinating the process of bringing power in from the street about 800 feet to the build site. In our case, we decided that we did not want overhead power lines, so we opted for an underground electric distribution system that eliminates power poles on the ranch. That's where the fun starts.

The process involves contracting with a trenching company and coordinating with the power company to bring power into the property to a transformer and power distribution panel. After the power panel, you can then connect power to the house. Sounds simple, but as the following pictures will indicate, it is really quite a process.

We also learned we are right in the middle of the Balcones Escarpment, which is the geologic barrier that separates Texas hill country from the coastal plains to the southeast. This escarpment is a geological marker, where millions of years ago the surface of the Earth cracked and slipped. The central hill country around Austin bears the rocky remembrance of that event, and utility contractors working in Austin have to know how to dig successfully in these rocky conditions.

Dolomite limestone, basalt rock, and flint rock up to 30,000 psi-hardness are only a few of the layered seams that utility contractors have to succeed in. Elsewhere in the southern 48 states, hard rock sediments such as dibase (a basalt rock in Virginia); limestone in Missouri and Tennessee; granite; sandstone; and caliche in the Far West challenge contractors — but the Central Texas rocky conditions are the meanest. The layers change frequently from tough to tougher ground conditions.

The Big Kahuna

This puppy is known as a Rocksaw. It has one function, and that is to create a 10 inch wide trench by using the diamond-impregnated steel teeth to grind away anything in its way. In our case, that is 800 linear feet of rock and dirt, but mostly underground limestone. Note the teeth - they weigh about 4 pounds each and there are roughly 100 on this wheel. The wheel measures 8 feet in diameter, and for all of you engineering types, spins at about 1000 rpm. It is driven by a 400 bhp turbo-diesel. Way cool! All it needs now are flames painted on the side!

We assumed that the Rocksaw could basically make the entire cut in about a day, but after standing and watching for 10 -15 minutes, I learned that it was moving at a breakneck speed of about 1 inch every 10 seconds, which calculates out to about 6 inches per minute, or roughly 30-40 feet per hour depending on what it is cutting through. 

The Big Dig

At the end of the first half day, the Rocksaw had cut a trench about 150 feet, and 50 inches deep. Just another 650 feet to go!

What you see stacked on the side is ground rock, or basically gravel, that the Rocksaw has pulverized in the process.

The orange "X" marks where the only power pole will stand on our side of the property connected to the power lines on the other side of the street.

This backhoe (above) follows the Rocksaw and digs out anything that remains in the trench so that the 50 inch depth is perfectly maintained. Our other worry was that the cattle would try and cross the trench and possibly get stuck, particularly the newborn calves. So far, we haven't had any mishaps.

If all goes well, the trenching should be completed today, pipe laid in the trench (tomorrow), power lines pulled through the pipe and connected to the transformer, and trench backfilled no later than Friday. And then, it is just a matter of turning on the lights!

Firewood!

Meanwhile, work continues on the site as grading and some tree removal is critical before foundations can be set and poured. This was a small stand of Live Oak that was growing in what will be one of the guest rooms. We assumed our friends and family would not want a tree in the middle of their bedroom.

We are now official!

This was delivered just as we were leaving the site yesterday, and you could hear the sigh of relief (pardon the pun) from the troops as one of the most important building products was lowered off of the truck. Really blends into the landscape!

More grading to level out some of the terrain irregularities. Mother Nature apparently isn't familiar with foundation regulations.

We have our first piece of furniture on the property!

This is the newly cleared area that makes up part of the long driveway into the ranch. The driveway will be one of the last items completed, but we hope to be pouring the concrete driveway in October or November!

Dude, what's with all of the noise around here?

Really, ya gotta love the life these animals live around here. Just walking around eating all day long; how good is that?

This has been a tough week, and a bit of a slow start with the placement of the foundation and grading, but I think the architect and the engineers now have it resolved. It can best be summed up by a pic that was recently sent to Jan from one of her best friends....

Some days, things don't always work out the way you thought they would!








See ya next blog!
- John and Jan - 

From Stakes to Forms

Howdy Y'all!

Time for another update on the developments out at the Circle B Ranch. 

If you remember from the last blog (or you can read it again), we had some incorrectly placed markers at the corners of the house, which meant that some of the trees were going to be in the house rather than outside. Our crack Project Manager eliminated the problem, and the grading and foundation work commenced.

But before we go further with that, here are a few pics that we thought were notable to include.

Jan at the Front Door w/CORRECT staking!

John trying to look like a builder.  (Cows are laughing their horns off.)

Matador Jan using her banderilla skills. 

This was actually very funny. The surveyors put up pink tape to ward off the cows from rubbing up against them and knocking the posts over. This steer decided the pink tape was pretty tasty and managed to eat two of them before Matador Jan stepped in to move 'it' along. I imagine we'll see some pink cow pies somewhere in the next day or so.

The Three Amigos

Home, Home on the Range ....

Every foundation starts with laser leveling the ground so that we aren't tilting when the concrete foundation is finally poured. No basements or crawl spaces in this area, so the foundation has to be as flat as possible. We have a 5 foot grade from the front door to the end of the patio, so leveling the grade is critical in this process. (Test question - How many engineers does it take to hold the leveling pole?)

This is George Riojas (left) and his two brothers, uncle, nephew and father. This is a second generation foundation company (George's father originally started the company), and they will be driving the entire foundation process. A great family business!

The foundations staking begins ....

This view is standing at the front door looking sideways at the Media Room and Hallway. (Okay, it is a bit confusing at this point, but trust me.) Note the seated leveling process.

This is a view from the most extreme corner of what will be the  master bathroom. If you look to the part where the guys are sitting on the foundation in the back, that is where the Media room starts. (Okay, I know, still confusing. It will get better.)

This view represents the extreme other end of the house where the garages will sit. We're told that to build the foundation walls, provide fill for the foundation, and complete the grading process, it will take about 3-4 weeks. This is one of the most important parts of the building process, and mistakes or oversights at this point reveal themselves later in cracks in the concrete, mis-plumbed walls, and foundation erosion. So, we're going to feed all of the guys great lunches occasionally, make them cookies, and keep them very happy doing a great job!

See y'all at the next update! 
John and Jan

The Beginning of the Next 10 Months

Howdy, Y'al!!

After nearly 9 months of working with our architect (Design Visions of Austin - highly recommended!), selecting a builder (VII Custom Homes - David Lynes), working through the enormous ream of paper necessary to drive a construction loan, and lining up the details of things that aren't part of the builder's process, we are ready to go! Actually, the official start date was yesterday, so we are on our way.

Needless to say, Jan and I have already driven to Austin and San Antonio probably no less that 25 times already, working with the architect, builder, interior designer, and looking at granite blocks, doors, windows, plumbing, lighting, stonework, roof tile, gate examples, appliances, furniture, pools, cement work, etc. There is nothing like the Internet for the efficiency of looking everything up and narrowing down options and decisions, but there is no replacement for actually seeing a product and being able to 'touch and feel' it before making a final selection decision. We'll try and give you a peak at what we've pre-selected during this process, so follow along.

As we post these blogs, we'll also try and share whatever knowledge we have picked up along the way like pulling power into a ranch site (our responsibility to pull the power into the property from the street about 800 feet) , rainwater collection (yes, Folks, no city water or well), keeping the land as natural as possible for the cattle, and Texas Live Oak maintenance. (This should be some of the most inspired reading you'll have in quite awhile, so don't fall asleep!).

Jan next to the Money Tree

Ah yes, the Money Tree. Something that anyone starting on a home building project needs to find as quickly as possible. 

Okay, this is actually a Twilight Crape (part of the Crape and Myrtle family) which we hope to line a portion of the driveway with. Blooms all summer with these incredibly fragrant and massive red or purple flowers (this one is just starting to bud).

Still looking for the real Money Tree.

Staking out the foundation boundary lines

Before one can start the grading and foundation process, one must locate the various points of the house. Each of these stakes represent a corner of an exterior wall, or they are supposed to. (More on that later.) Why the surveyors chose Hot Pink is anyone's guess, but I think they think the cattle will avoid them. No Bucky, the cattle just walk right up to them and knock them over!

Here is another view looking from the front door left to the furthest detached garage by the trees. Pay attention because there will be a Foundation test!

Oh crap, now what?? (Dave, Jeff and George)

Sometimes things aren't quite the way they are supposed to be. When Jan and I finally had a chance to look at the foundation survey (the Hot Pink sticks), we discovered that the front door was just behind this beautiful Live Oak, and that meant that the tree was going to be sitting next to us in the middle of the Dining Room. Jan couldn't quite buy into that, so everybody got cracking in rethinking where the Front Door was actually going to really be located. (Left to right - Dave is the Assistant Project Manager, Jeff is the Project Manager who will be managing the build site, and George is the foundation and concrete contractor assigned to the project. All are really smart and capable guys to have on the project. No, they weren't part of the surveying team.)

Okay, we have it figured out!

After a couple of hours moving things around by about 40 feet (had to get the detached garage out from under the trees) and re-staking the build site, all is well and we can move to the grading process, which George will begin to oversee. Yes!

Jan, supervising from the mobile office

Bruce, Nancy and Jan canoodling

As luck would have it, Bruce and Nancy (great friends!) are building a new home on their ranch as well. They are about 6 weeks ahead of us, their framing is almost complete, and it is going to be a spectacular home! As you might guess, we have lots of great friends making sure that the property is safe, and all is going well.

Here little rattlesnake - where are you??

Lots of trees means lots of clearing that has to be done. And yes, occasionally we run across a critter that you don't want to step on, even with snake boots. Actually, they don't like us anymore than we like them, but they still scare the crap out of you. 

Most of the trees in this area are Live Oaks that are anywhere from 50 to 200 years old, so there is a fair amount of initial clearing to clean out much of the deadwood and debris underneath. And yes, I do know how to do this stuff!

Some recent decisions

Selected Front Door

So far, this is the leading candidate 

for the front entry door.

      

Selected  Wine Cellar Door

Thought for the day

(above, borrowed from a great friend)

That's all for today. We'll try and update this weekly so that you can share our excitement, (and figure out what room will be yours), as we progress through this long process. Just let us know if you don't want to be on the blog list.

Best regards, 

John and Jan