2014-10-12

The New Shed - Phase 5

With the ground prepared, and the removed sod in a big pile to maybe use later, it was time to start working on the form for the concrete. This is where positioning became much more important. The town wanted 3 feet of clearance on the side and 5 feet on the back.



From the CAD drawing of the property survey I was able to take measurements from various corners of existing buildings, like the house. Getting the intersections should be accurate within a couple inches. The often repaired fence around the property is not quite on the boundary line, so it was not something I could measure from.


Starting with the south end of the form frame, and allowing for thickness of materials, stakes were driven level into the ground. To them, was attached levelled 2x4 rails.


The next line of stakes went up along the eastern boundary, and thus allowed side clearance checks. The old 3-4-5 rule (and multiples thereof) came in handy with squaring things up.


Then came the western side. Along the way I had to buy a larger sledge hammer, and even then, each stake and support took about an hour to do. With the form coming together, the difference in grade between the SW corner and the NE corner became more obvious. It is around 18 inches, so I may have to do some digging in the back to help compensate, or a long ramp will be required until the driveway can be raised.


The front of the form (north side) was last, and not finished. While the levelness carried around, I wasn't quite sure about the square. Also, I wanted to leave a gap to get the stone and other materials in. The lower rails were attached, however, that was as much time as could be put into the project this year. It was time to start preparing for winter. (This is one of the projects that had to get done: http://py23serenity.blogspot.ca/2014/11/tongue-extension.html)


A lot of work has been done, so as soon as the snow is gone and the frost is out of the ground, the form can be finished, concrete poured, and the structure started. Watch for more phases in 2015.



The Entire Story To Date:

The New Shed - Phase 4
The New Shed - Phase 3
The New Shed - Phase 2
The New Shed - Phase 1