Here is an update on our progress (written by Jack). In the past two weeks since we closed on the construction loan we have poured the slab for the basement floor.
slabsmoothing

We also trenched the sewer drain from the house to the septic tank and got that all connected and buried.

Drainsystem
Then we started putting the floor joists in place.

Floor trusses
Not a bad amount of work for two weeks in December. The concrete work was subcontracted but the rest has been done by just Karen, our neighbors Steve and Matt, and myself. We’ve gotten about 2/3 of the first floor joists in place, but will stop now for Christmas. We’ll resume work New Year’s Eve, and should have the first floor finished up through the subfloor and ready for the timberframe by the middle of January. Once the first floor is complete and while waiting for Blue Ridge Timberwrights (www.brtw.com) to finish the timberframe and bring it out for the “Timber-Raising”, we’ll work on framing out the interior walls in the basement. It is very exciting to see all this coming together, after building it in my head so many times over the last 4 years.