Details, Details, Details

Whoever coined the phrase "the devil is in the details" was right...ignore the details of any project and you end up with problems.  The outbuilding project is no exception.  Before breaking ground, things like sprinklers, buried utilities, and surface run-off all had to be accounted for before any dirt got moved.  To illustrate this, I created the schematic below:

As you can see, we had to relocated a water supply line, multiple sprinkler heads, and plan for a underground electric dog fence I was planning to install before we could begin grading for the outbuilding and associated driveway expansion.  I opted to "outsource" the sprinkler issue and with Nevin's help we figured out a rather nifty solution for the dog fence.

Dog Fence

The issue with the dog fence was that I needed to somehow get the buried wire underneath the existing driveway and also bury it in a "protected" fashion beneath the proposed driveway expansion.  Nevin recommended using a 1/2 inch galvanized steel pipe to function as a sleeve through which the wire could be threaded.  To get the sleeve under the existing driveway, Nevin hooked one end up to a pressure washer and basically fed it beneath the driveway...it worked like a charm.  I was then able to snake the dog fence (indicated by the dotted yellow line) through the small pipe the next day so that our dog fence would be operational when we moved in later that week.

With the sprinklers and dog fence wire taken care of, Nevin and his team were able to grade the site and start setting the forms for the building's poured wall foundation:

Once the forms were in place, the concrete truck and boom pump truck were brought in to pour concrete into the forms.   I snapped the photo below from the roof of our home before they started pouring:

The forms above were filled with concrete from the large concrete boom pump truck parked on the street. 

Below is what the concrete guys like to call "the money shot:"

Boom pump truck pouring the foundation

Once the foundation had time to set up, the forms were removed and additional fill was brought in to finish the grading:

With the additional fill brought in, the fine grading was completed for both the building and driveway expansion:

Another shot of the foundation after fine grading was completed:

Once the foundation & grading were finished, the building's concrete floor was poured. I spec'd out a 6 inch thick concrete floor (again, another re-sale point--most RV owners know you need a 6 inch thick slab to support the weight of a large coach).  Unfortunately, I didn't have a chance to get a photo of the concrete slab after it was poured.  Once the slab was down, though, the framers got to work.  As you can imagine, framing went quickly.  Below are a few shots of the framing:

As the astute will note, the framing is comprised of 2 x 6 studs (dictated by building code for structures of this height).  Below is a photo of the boom in action:

Once the framing was finished, the sheathing went on, then the Tyvex house wrap (see below) and after that the cement board base for the stucco.

At this point in time, a lot was happening simultaneously....the roofers were doing their thing, the stucco guys were getting ready to apply the scratch coat, and the electricians were doing their rough-in:

The electrical rough-in was fun for me because I got to basically point where I wanted the outlets.   Before starting the project, I had spec'd out enough 120v outlets to have one every 4 feet....if there is one thing that pisses me off, its not having an outlet readily available.  I also had one 240v (15 amp) outlet placed on each wall--this will allow me to weld or run heavy equipment from anywhere within the shop.  I also had a few outlets installed in strategic locations on the ceiling so that I could install a couple ceiling-mounted, retractable extension cords:

I also had outlets roughed in on both the inside and outside of the building between the overhead doors as well as an outlet roughed-in on the back side of the building's exterior because hey, you never know, right?  Let's just put it this way, if I ever find myself out of reach from a power source, then there's a serious problem.

Around this same time, the garage door subs installed the overhead doors and openers (see below) and the building inspector came by to check things out--everything passed. 

Garage doors installed...eventually they will be painted to match the building's exterior (In the foreground is our 5 month-old Golden Retriever, Buckley).

The stucco also went up around this time.  Because we were having a fair amount of precipitation and the temperatures were getting lower, the stucco guys had to hang huge plastic tarps from the eves to ensure the stucco set-up properly.  Unfortunately, I didn't get any photos of the tarps while they were up, but below is a photo of the building after the first stucco coat (aka the "scratch coat") was applied:

Building with scratch coat (note plastic tarps in foreground)

For the record, stucco is far from my first choice for exterior finish materials, but as previously mentioned, the CC&Rs stipulate that detached structures must match the existing home's materials...so hence the stucco.

One last point before I sign off...my wife commented to me today that my blog is starting to suck because I haven't posted any actual updates on the truck.  I suppose this is a fair criticism...after all, my blog is billed as "A classic truck's restoration by a truly clueless man."  Touché...point well taken.

I can't deny the fact I've been a major poser the past few months...I haven't touched Fry-Pan in months.  So I suppose this short-coming warrants acknowledgement.  In my defense, however, I think I have been pretty clear about my intentions with this project (and this blog for that matter) from the get-go--its not about the destination, but rather the journey (in case this point was lost on anyone or simply forgotten, please revisit the link above entitled "The Goal" for a refresher).  So if you ask me, the move to our new home to escape our old landlord's rules, the towing of my truck to our new home, and the construction of my shop (aka "Fry-Pan World Headquarters") IS my journey--it may not be wrenchin', but its my journey...SO BACK OFF!!! (insert Adam Sandler soundbite here)

With that said, cut me some slack people!  Fry-Pan is safe and sound buried behind several dozen boxes in our garage.  He will be resurrected and moved to his new home shortly and the updates will eventually become more "wrenchin'-centric."

So with that, I will sign off.  I'll post some updated photos of the shop in my next entry.  Until then, Happy Holidays!