WATER IN THE HOLE

I walked the site with Mike Hume, the superintendent for this project, and we checked out the groundwater that has found its way into the newly excavated hole. This presents a messy—but not unexpected—challenge. Early on, we had the engineer come out and dig test pits; we were told that there was going to be high groundwater. And based off of that information, we designed the house to stay a foot above that water level. The house will actually be raised up a couple of feet above where it stood previously. This proactive approach in design will allow the water to pitch away from the house and hopefully prevent a flooded basement, as well as create a more gradual approach to the entry of the house. 

EXCAVATION PUSHES FORWARD

To keep excavation on schedule, we’ve been continually pumping the water out. The top layer of dirt has been removed and stockpiled out back on the property—it can be reused later. As excavation continues down to the bottom of our footing elevation, we’ve run into shale and ledge which has slowed things down. But a hammer attachment can effectively break up the big pieces and then it’s back to digging. The challenge is keeping up with the water accumulating. And we’ll have to continue pumping the water out of the hole once concrete forming begins. 

It’s time to discover what NS Builders can intentionally design and build for you! Contact us today to get started on your custom dream home. Together, we can make it happen. 

—Nick Schiffer