Great news Sarah and David. Can you see light at the end of the tunnel yet?

We're very relieved that the foundation is poured and we feel much better about the timing. The contractor is going to pull a couple forms from the concrete before the weekend to see how it has set. After the weekend he'll pull more forms off to help it cure faster. We're very happy that we resolved the issue with him successfully.

We're still waiting to hear from Irontown about the Arizona issue. The modules will pass through Arizona only 30 miles on the I-15. "Arizona" has been an unlucky word for us lately. I think the other alternative is for them to pass through Nevada and cross California just north of Lake Tahoe. That means we will have to have pilot cars from Tahoe to Val Verde instead of from Las Vegas to Val Verde, a more expensive trip.

If they have to go through Lake Tahoe they'll pass right two of my sisters' towns. Anyway, I think that would be cool...

For building early strength in the concrete it should be kept damp. Water drives the chemical reaction that sets concrete so the last thing you want is for it to be dry right after the pour. Slabs are often kept under plastic to keep them damp for the first few days. Moisture in the earth usually does the job for the footings but you might want to hose the top of the wall if its baking in the sun.

Does this mean that Irontown has never before shipped to SoCal? that seems hard to believe, as does the fact that AZ would be worried about an exterior electrical panel in a stretch of road that contains just about nothing (I've been there, many times).

Marshall

Marshall,

I wondered the same thing. I wish this wasn't a last minute issue. The last time I talked to them they said they're planning on cutting across southern Utah to bypass Arizona entirely; I'm glad they sorted it out. I wonder why the electrical panel was an issue.

Now we have an issue with our truck arrangements. They will not load the modules on 3 trucks, they'll have to use four, one for each module. We were going to load two 24' units on the same truck but it won't be legal in CA or NV to combine two units on one truck. I don't know how this will translate in cost since we already signed a transportation cost agreement.

Have you encountered this problem with module transport with the Glidehouse?

Greg,

Thanks for the information. I plan to ask David about this.

We used to see some issues with transport, but then we became much more rigorous about isolating and resolving the issues early in the process. One major goal of our process is to eliminate the "gottchas" that often surprise owner-builders. We've been very good at meeting that goal lately.

Marshall

1. S. It really should not be an issue with transporting 48' on the same truck in CA. We did almost 60' on the same truck for the Breezehouse to Menlo Park. Not sure why you would be having a problem.

Marshall,

Was the 60' length a single module or was the total length combined between two modules?

Sara - This was never clear to Irontown from the start. The module pairs were carefully sized to fit onto two trailers. They could have been built as two modules in the factory with sufficient walls and rim joist running between them so they were as one - these connecting panels then removed at the site right before the set - the two modules are cut into 4 after delivery. This is even easier to do with your project as it is not sided - otherwise the siding must omitted in these areas and closed up on site. In the case you your house the overhangs contribute to creating open space between the exterior walls of the module pairs so that the exterior faces of the walls can be worked on in the factory.

I wish Lloyd Alter was here because he would know what I am talking about and perhaps could explain it better than I.

The configuration was two modules (of differing lengths, but actng as one, for tranport purposes, to equal 58').

Thanks for pointing that out, Gregory.

We went out just now and sprayed it down good. I only hope it wasn't too late. I mean, I can be excused for not knowing to keep the concrete moist, because I'm not a concrete contractor.

But the contractor himself didn't take any steps to do so! In fact, the workers pulled the exterior forms off of two walls today, thereby increasing the opportunity for moisture to evaporate.

I'll need to be out there all weekend spraying it down and keeping the formwork wet too. Are we in big trouble for missing the first vital day of curing time?

You will be fine - it just helps the early strength build faster and since you want it to be as far along as possible in a week it will just help. I don't know if keeping some plastic over it would help, its sort of hard to do compared to a slab. I'm sure they walk away from a pour like that everyday without any long term problems.

It's standard practice to pull the forms as soon as possible. If you wait too long, it becomes very difficult to get them off. But the contractor should have at least mentioned to you that the concrete should be kept wet.

I have only been involved in a handful of concrete pours, but the incidence of things going very, very wrong in that small sample is high enough that I have to think that a lot of buildings ought to be falling down. Since they aren't, I have to conclude that Greg is right, and that there must be sufficient safety factor in the engineering calculations that a less than perfect pour is still more than adequate.

-Steve