We’re still waiting on our plumbers to do the re-lining of the sewer and the new water supply line. They in turn are waiting on approval from the City, which is being difficult. Apparently the connection between our sewer line and the sewer main under the street is damaged, and City is determining whether we need to repair it to do the re-lining.

Interior footing curb forming

Interior footing curb forming

In the mean time Mario, our concrete guy, is going like gangbusters to move things along. We can’t pour the basement floor until the plumbers finish their work, but we can work on the back stairs. After I removed the back steps down from the first floor, he re-dug out the hole we had filled behind the house and knocked out the existing retaining walls. For a rare change, rapid progress was being made without me being directly involved.

Nighttime concrete

Nighttime concrete

Within a couple days, Mario got the forms in for the new retaining wall as well as for a curb around the inside perimeter of the basement, since the existing stone block footings were exposed from the digout. Then, unexpectedly, Tuesday afternoon the concrete truck arrived a day ahead of schedule and Mario and his assistant wound up working until 10pm to get everything poured, smoothed, and cleaned up. Anything ahead of schedule is rare indeed with our project!

Retaining wall, formed, braced, and poured

Retaining wall, formed, braced, and poured

The forms came off the retaining wall yesterday and soon the stairs can be formed. I need to get the drain for the landing outside the back door roughed in and then Mario can get that and the stairs poured.

Completed retaining wall

Completed retaining wall

The forms are still on the footing curb, but you can definitely get a feel for the difference it makes in the basement. It’s really starting to feel like we can get a floor poured and start putting up walls, if the city would just sign off and let the plumbers get to it.