After more and more digging of the foundation footprint, I finally was able to add the forms for the 8" thick footings. I ended up using the 2x8s that will be used again in the cabin construction. I regret not using a laser level with a receptor as the spirit level didn't prove to be accurate enough.
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| My neighbor and his two friends Angel and Juan installed the rebar for me. That was a huge help. |
After checking with about 4 lumber suppliers for the cabin build, I ended up with Carson Hardware just up the hill about 10 miles away from a suggestion of one of the inspectors at Skamania county. Matt at Carson worked with me since January, suggesting that April would be the lowest price point and he was right.
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| The main mill source of lumber was High Cascade. My neighbor informed me that the former president of High Cascade owned that property that I am building on. |
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| Since the delivery truck got stuck at the first load, I ended up moving all the lumber from the top of the lot to below |
As mentioned in the earlier post, I excavated for the storm drain. Well, that water needs to go somewhere so I dug a 5 foot deep hole, lined it with geotextile, then filled with 2-3" angular rock. I also added a pop up drain so I can inspect and allow for overflow below the cabin for the 100 year storms.
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| One of 4 loads of big angular rock. |
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| The storm drain installed |
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| The storm line and dry well excavated |
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| Footprint of the building excavated |
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| Roots from the fir tree that was cut down seemed to be everywhere |
The neighbor who helped split the wood from the fir tree suggested I built a shed to house all the wood. I was reluctant at first, then realized I could use this shed to temporarily stay in as I built the cabin. It took about 2 to 3 weeks to build but is constantly being added to and improved.
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| The end result |
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| Adding the 3 posts opposite of the fence that would make the wall of the shed |
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| 2x6 roof rafters added |
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| Making progress with plywood walls and a metal roof |
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| The inside of the shed. It kept flooding until I diverted the neighbors roof drain away from the uphill side. |
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| Inspektor Takoda. Very strict and code abiding, until the dog treats come out. |
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| The finished product. Siding by 40 year old fence boards, windows from Craigslist, and wood trim by old fence boards found on the property. |
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| The inside view with a fire in the stove and a dog resting not in a dog bed, but rather the leather chair. |
To get temporary electrical at the property, the Skamania PUD requires underground installed at 3 feet depth. They also require a foot width which meant I had to excavate rather than run a trencher. This would be a new challenging experience for me.
The only way to get to the electrical pole was excavate between the gas and communication line. Yikes! I was able to do it without any tragedies though I did nearly topple the excavator a few heart stopping times as well as exposed the gas line.
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| I started with the easy part where I had lots of space. |
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| I had to build "lifts" for the mini excavator to reach across the culvert without tipping. |
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| On the left side of this trench was a gas line, on the right was telecommunications |
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| Success! PUD installed the temporary electrical without and complaints of my crooked excavation skills. |
This was my first attempt at gluing and clamping, to make large wood planks. I was surprised how easy it was, although I probably did not d...
