Backyard Project: Multi-function Propagation Room East Wall

The east wall of the Propagation Room serves several important functions.

At one end it is attached to the house so that it and the house are part of the deer fence.

It supports a roof that is accessible from inside the house. 

This wall has helped change the structure from a deck that was stuck onto the house, which we removed, to a room where we transition from the inside to the outside.

Josh making sure the wall is straight.

This east wall is also part of the ventilation system for the plants growing in the room. 

Air can easily pass through the punched metal screen wall.

The east wall also provides structural support for the propagation table inside the room.

The wall also provides shelter and privacy to the patio on the other side of it.

It is also the place where the gate slides back out of the way when we want to enter the garden, more on that when the gate is built.

The many functions of this one wall of the propagation room show how well integrated it is into the overall design of this area of our Backyard Project.

BackYard Project: The Big Pour Happens on a Snowy Day

The Big Pour Day

Taylor and a Pumper Truck crew member.

Earlier in the week Josh and Taylor worked on constructing the formwork for the concrete walls of the Garden Sheds and yard.

At the end of each day, when the construction site was quiet, I would walk around the now defined spaces. It was the first time I could see exactly where each shed is located and I could visualise a clearer picture of how I would use the space.

During the week the temperatures dropped and we got a sprinkle of snow.

Josh and Taylor had to cover the formwork to keep rain and snow from filling the wall spaces.

Early one morning this appeared at the front door.

It was another City Concrete Pumping truck only this one had the pump pipe attached to a large, folded-up crane.

While Josh and Taylor cleared away all of the plastic covers....

...the pump truck operator set up the truck.

Four legs came out of the sides to rest on squares of wood.

The legs lengthened to lift the truck wheels up off the ground. My guess is it was so the truck wouldn't bounce around on the rubber tires when it lifted the load. Or maybe the legs had to be that long to make the truck bed level because the driveway is sloped.

The operator buckled on his remote controller and started unfolding the crane.

Here he is dressed for the cold day with his high-vis safety gear on over top.

He is guiding the crane up to its full height in between the trees.

The cement truck arrived and backed up the driveway...

...to couple up with the back of the pumper truck.

The cement was pumped up the white hose on the crane and into the flexible, dangling black hose with its end crimped closed.

The crane was guided up over the garage while the crew stood ready.

And the cement pour began. 

Teamwork - The crane, hose and cement flow controller, the cement hose guide, the lookout on the left....

...the air pocket removers.

While Josh (left) holds the weight of the suction pump hose motor Taylor (right) pushes the suction end in and out of the freshly poured cement to remove the largest air pockets.

That was The Big Pour Day.

Backyard Project: 2 Garden Sheds' Foundations Take Shape

Off-set Pegs - these are a good sign.

They mean the area is being surveyed for the 2 Garden Sheds' foundations.

The bobcat is levelling out the site. 

It is now raining most days so the site is becoming very muddy and working temperatures are much cooler.

Josh and Taylor construct the formwork for the concrete foundations. 

It is proving to be a challenge because the granite rock is not far below the surface. Some of the formwork has to be shaped to go up and over the rock.

Horizontal bars of reinforcing steel are tied in place.

The vertical reinforcing steel coming up in the middle of the walls is held in place with wooden boards and wires.

City Concrete Pumping arrives with the pump truck and crew.

The cement mixer is not far behind.

The pump hose is put in place over the farthest footing and the crew swings into action.

Taylor removes the formwork.

The newly poured foundations were covered with tarpaulins and left over the weekend to cure. Josh left the formwork up for an extra day just to be sure the concrete footings had enough strength before continuing the work.

Backyard Project: Machines Prepare the Ground for Foundations and Make a Wall

Heavy machinery has been brought in to prepare the ground for the sheds' foundations.

Josh is checking the work so far.

James is operating the digger to lift out the large chunks of blasted granite.

The angle of the deer fence in the background shows how much material needs to be moved to get an area of level ground to build on.

I have plans for these rocks but I don't want the soil on them. However, I am OK with leaving the rain to do the job of washing the soil off.

Then I saw Josh and Taylor hand loading the choice rocks into the Bobcat bucket while leaving the soil behind.

They took many bucket loads of rocks down the path to the Back Track.

Josh did such a great job building the stone wall I wanted. 

The Back Track now has a randomly-placed stone wall on the downhill side leading down towards the road, stopping at the tree. On the other side of the tree is where we make compost. The piece of cardboard in the foreground is the marker where the wall was to stop at the uphill end.

I wasn't keen on having the dirt with the rock because as soon as things start to warm up all sorts of wild plants will grow on the wall. I plan to get in ahead of this natural process and scatter plants seeds of my choice between the rocks. That will keep the unwanted plants at bay and I won't have to 'weed' the wall. That is the plan anyway.

Backyard Project: Propagation Room Progress Report

Taylor is brushing coats of sealer on lengths of tongue and groove cedar to be used as soffit on the Propagation Room ceiling. The arbour and pergola are able to conveniently hold the boards apart and off the ground, while they dry.

But at the end of each day, Taylor has to stack the boards away on this temporary shelving he has made under the temporary shelter made using the arbour and tarpaulins. We get regular rains at night and the cedar boards need to be kept dry so they won't warp. In the morning, he takes everything outside again for another coat of sealer, if there is no rain threatening. It reminds me of the days when one hung washing on an outside line while keeping an eye on the weather.

The plumber and his mate arrived and installed pipes from the drain hole in the roof and across to the downspout.

The electrician arrived and installed lighting for the room.

This work will be all covered up by the cedar soffit boards.

So there is good progress on the Propagation Room.

Backyard Project: 3 Garden Structures Currently Being Worked on

Garden Structure One. Kyle has set up a work area to make formwork.

The forms are stacked on the patio near where the Garden Sheds are to be built.

Garden Structure 2. Another delivery of lumber is carefully unloaded...

...then stacked under the arbour and protected by a tarpaulin. A temporary tarpaulin roof further protects the stacked lumber from the heavy rains.

The lumber will be used to make the Propagation Room.

Garden Structure 3. Taylor has spent days digging a trench in the rocky ground from the new Pergola ...

...to the nearest source of power. 

The electrician arrived and installed the cable and the power outlet on the nearest pergola post.

 

Taylor took great care while he was digging to keep the different soils separate. The power cable has been laid and he is now just as carefully replacing the soil in the right order back in the garden bed.

I was interested to see just how deep the topsoil layer in the Rock Garden beds has become after building it up over the past 3 seasons. It will be ready to plant with perennials in the spring.

Work is currently going on in 3 different sites. It is Josh, the team leader, who keeps the supplies coming, decides on the tasks each day and keeps his team working efficiently. He is doing a great job.