Words&Dirt

In July, we tore out the concrete slab in front of the old garage to make room for the foundation on which the new house extension now stands. We poured that slab back when I was in grade school so I could have a flat surface to play basketball on. Many good memories followed, the best of which involve playing 1-on-1 with my father. Being a doctor, Dad worked long, tough hours, so playing ball was a good way for us both to blow off steam. We often bickered and indulged the least worthy parts of our competitive personalities, but we did so in private and on our own terms. We learned how to push and prod each other, cycling through outbursts of complaint, triumphs of repetition, and half-lights of concession. Somewhere in that hustle of spin moves and jump-shots, a bond was forged.

Not every kid gets a Dad who will shoot hoops with him, especially after a taxing day or week of work. I was often too caught up in being young to realize my luck, and couldn’t have easily imagined a day when we’d hire a man with a tractor to tear that slab apart. As far as I was concerned, my half-court was immutable––a squared slice of reality locked in its final form. But finality, like life’s other illusions, quickly evaporates in the heat of time.

Now, with the new extension nearing completion, it is time to pour a new slab.

Getting started with a new form

Matt and Sean got started on this form while I was at Tule Fog Farm last week. They chose a roughly pentagonal shape that will provide a good approach for cars entering the garage.

Curved section on the right will be our new front walkway

Because we are going to pour the slab with regular concrete and walkways with exposed aggregate, we will do the final pour in two stages. This is also helpful because once the main slab is poured, it will act as part of the form for the second pour.

Form reinforced with wood stakes

Before pouring on Monday, Matt and Sean added a grid of rebar, which will help prevent cracking.

In addition to the new slab and walkways, we also need to refinish the sections of concrete we had to cut out to install plumbing back in August.

Straight form for this section

Curved for this one

Getting plywood to bend with the existing curve of this walkway was a bit tricky. Sean taught me how to use the chopsaw to make multiple half-cuts along the plywood in order to bend but not break it. It took me a few tries, but eventually I got this piece to fit properly. Matt then helped me cut and secure two 2″x4″s to brace the plywood against the deck.

I also set up a small piece of plywood as a form board for the other side of this section.

Ready to pour

While I worked on those small forms, Matt and Sean began setting form boards for the new walkway, which will extend from our existing one and connect up with the new front slab.

Almost ready (form boards in but not yet secured)

I also want to mention another part of the project that has been moving ahead during the last few weeks, which is our tile installation. I’m not directly involved in this process, but the folks we hired from Carbonneau Ceramic Tile in Eureka have done a masterful job. We decided to tile our front entryway, as well as the shower and bathroom floor.

Entryway

Bathroom floor

Shower

I especially like how the tile lines run smoothly from the floor, into the shower dam, and then continue up the shower wall. All of the tile looks wonderful. We are very pleased with Carbonneau’s work, and I also think Jessie did a great job picking out the tiles.

On Friday, Mark from Ray Wolfe Construction installed the bookcases we commissioned for either side of the wood stove.

Bookcases

These cases still need a bit of finishing work, but they look terrific. Jessie and I can’t wait to start filling these shelves with our respective book collections!

Ma and I were out of town Friday-Monday, so I missed the pour for the new slab. We came home on Monday to find everything had gone as planned.

Smoothing and edging

I spent yesterday painting interior trim. It was meticulous work, and being new to it, I experienced quite a lot of anxiety about getting paint where it didn’t belong. Sean assured me that we can always touch up a misstep, which helped. After a while, I became more comfortable and even enjoyed the work somewhat. I was quite slow, but managed to get a fair amount of painting done over the course of the day. Paintbrushes are more nuanced tools than I’d have previously guessed, and it will take a lot more practice for me to wield one competently.

While I was painting, Matt and Sean worked on the form for the new walkway.

Getting the right curve

Section for new step to land on

Final curve shape

Walkway approach

We’ll be pouring the walkways tomorrow. I’m interested to see what the exposed aggregate will look like in contrast with the regular concrete.

There is still so much to do before we are finished, and I can’t help feeling frustrated that the project has taken so long. But I’m learning that that’s just how it goes with building. Doing a good job almost always takes more time and effort than we think. All we can do is keep moving forward.

I don’t know what new memories or bonds are waiting to take shape on this new slab, so similar to the one where Dad and I sweated our way to mutual understanding. But I’m happy it’s there.