We've had quite a week since our last blog post. We had the opportunity to experience our first, real Texas-size rainstorm here last week. Not quite Ark-building time, but we did get 12 inches of rain in less than 12 hours. That officially helped to make last month the wettest October month here since 1906 (not that anyone is keeping records or anything). For us here at the apartment that we've been renting, we watched Purgatory Creek overflow its bank and turn our serene, park-like backyard into a fairly serious runoff that ran constant for 24 hours. This was some serious water!
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| Our formerly dry apartment backyard. |
Thankfully, even with all of the rain, the new house survived with no issues inside or out. The positive outcomes of all of this rain is that it gives us a very good picture of how the water runs on our property to properly apply drainage, and it filled up all of the neighbor's water collection tanks to the brim (sadly, not ours yet).
The next day after the rain stopped, the pool guys were there bright and early to start applying the gunite layer over the rebar. Actually, as it turned out, it was a perfect moisture level and temperature to properly cure the gunite. At this point, the pool will remain in its current state until the patio decks are completed and there is stone up on the house. Here are some different views of the finished (well almost) product.
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| View from the patio. The outer wall is the 'infinity' edge. |
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| View from the outdoor kitchen and bar area. |
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| Now from the other direction. We're done. |
Along with the pool activity, the team building the water collection tank pad have been busy as well. The tank will hold 51,000 gallons (more on that next week) and measures about 33 feet in diameter, so the pad that supports it measures 40 feet x 40 feet, and consists of 24 inches of road base (compacts down like concrete, but porous) and 8-12 inches of fine sand on top. The biggest challenge in building it has been that the slope creates an optical illusion; it looks level, but actually drops 30 inches over the 40 foot length. The trick, as explained to me, is to laser-level the ties, and sink 4 foot steel rebar through each one. Time consuming and tedious, but necessary nonetheless. In theory, this pad should last 25-30 years with minimal maintenance; this is fine with us since it will probably outlive me, and I won't care after that.
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| Grading the foundation and retaining walls. |
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| View from the other side. |
Last but not least, the insulation guys came out today to complete the work on the detached garage and the Casita apartment (current called a 'storage area' in case the tax man shows up) so that the drywall can be installed there.
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| Ceiling and partial wall foam insulation under the 'storage' area. |
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| Casita studio apartment (oops, storage area) foam insulation prior to drywall. |
That's all for now.
See ya later!
- John and Jan -
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