Day 8 - Setting the Stage

 

We're back. We're stackin'. That opening you see right there is the garage, and the walls on either side are 4.5ft high. They need to be 9ft high.

The staging is how we get to 9ft. This is a closeup shot of one staging post. The green bit the goes off to the bottom right is the brace to keep the wall from falling over from side to side. It also helps us keep the wall plumb. The other green piece that is bracketed into the metal post will serve as the base for our aluminum/wooden planks.

Keep your head on a swivel. We need to be looking high, but we also need to be looking low. The Lego-like forms leave gaps where they meet the concrete footings. Nudura provides insulating foam that helps us fill those gaps. The foam is also the same color as the forms. Cute!

We have bracing on the inside with the staging and the foam. We also need bracing on the outside. These 2x4s will prevent the wall from blowing out from the bottom.

It's starting to look homey in here!

The corners feel extra pressure when we pour the concrete. We add bracing at every connection at the corners on every other row. No Kool-Aid Man-ning today. No sir.

The dropdowns from high ground to low ground are going to feel the most pressure, so we brace along the drop so that it doesn't blow out from the sides.

9ft, baby! Or pretty darn close. We are still waiting on a few pieces to finish the forms.

A quick look inside the forms. We have metal gates running the length of each wall to keep the tops sturdy, straight, and strong.

We will keep the staging up until next time. We need to be up here in order to pour the concrete. Up next are some finishing touches in terms of bracing. The LAST thing we want is for this sucker to blow out. You're mad if you think I'm doing this twice. And then, we pour!