Well, I thought I was waiting for indoor floors, but instead I have a new garage floor! It wasn't in the plan at all, and actually added about $3000 to the project, which we did NOT need!!! However, we just had so many problems compounding on each other that there really didn't seem to be any choice in the matter.
I'm a little surprised I have this picture, but I know why I took it. It was one of those times where I wondered how they were going to do that. The new basement wall didn't line up with the old upper wall, so there was nowhere for the bedroom/garage wall to set. Originally, they were going to carve about 4ft into the garage concrete so the new basement wall would be under the original wall, but the footings were some 8ft thick, so they didn't go all the way. Not a clue what the plan was, but I see why they couldn't go there! So now there was going to have to be some kind of flat concrete pad laid to build a new wall where the old one had been.
We were also looking at some problems outside to the west. We raised the house 2ft, but you can't really bring the garage floor up. That leaves a lot of room for water to travel around and do the very same damage we're trying to repair and divert! By bringing the floor up with this concrete pad, then sloping the entire floor, we could solve both problems! Again, a rather pricey solution!
We were also quite pleased that it solved yet two more problems on the other side of the garage. There wasn't going to be enough space for steps into the mudroom without affecting a walkthrough garage door to the east. With this raised floor, we eliminated the need for the extra step that would have extended to the middle of the walkthrough door. It also met up with the new concrete that was going on outside and allowed our walkthrough door to swing freely over it. We were having severe problems with that door catching on the sidewalk anytime the weather changed.
Tell me, when was the last time you've heard of concrete being poured outside in January and February??? God has been so good to us to give us such great weather for rebuilding!! We thought we'd have a basement floor poured by now, but the guys were quick to divert attention to things that aren't normally done until April. God was super awesome to do this for us, because without at least the beginning of this floor, we wouldn't be able to build the bedroom/garage wall without somehow heating the garage. Just amazing.
I also need to point out that this would not be possible without the many gifts from many friends. The SBA is still goofing around with my paperwork, even requiring me to get signed statements from my contractors that they are equal opportunity employers!! Without our friends, we would still be waiting for funding to come through to begin this work. Our thanks to our friends and to our God, from whom all blessings flow!!
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