We broke ground on our mountain cabin in September 2015. First step:
Have a groundbreaking ceremony! Linda didn't know I was planning this, so it was a surprise to her when I took out a shovel that I had carefully cleaned and painted with gold metallic spray paint. Our neighbor, who was standing by to start excavating, took the photo.
Next: Lay out the footprint of the foundation on the platform with stakes. Measure setbacks. Pull up stakes, measure again, repeat. Finally, paint marks on the ground to represent where to dig for the foundation.
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| Build site platform with beginnings of excavation. |
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| Breaking ground together with the Golden Shovel. |
Over the preceding several years we had been preparing this site for the house. Choosing this spot out of 20 acres is a whole ‘nother story of its own. So many factors go into that decision – the view, ease of access, breeze, sun, noise, etc.
Once it was selected we excavated the hillside. The next year we decided the site should be larger, so we excavated more and removed a few more trees. Some of the dirt was used as fill, but most of it had to be hauled elsewhere.
We are extremely lucky to have friends with their own excavating equipment, who know how to use it. Otherwise, instead of starting the house the following summer, we would’ve been spending that money just to toss dirt.
We could have trenched where the footings went, but we decided to excavate out the entire hole so the crawlspace would be roomier. More dirt to find a place for.
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| Cut along dotted line. |
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