april 26 089

april 26 089
Originally uploaded by Woody Dam Road

We finally got our footers for the deck poured today. I used (18) 80lb bags for 5 footers with 12" sonotubes. Though it wasn't easy, it wasn't too bad. The digging was the hardest part. I worked around a few tree roots on trees I wanted to save and cut others. The deck will encompass one tree entirely--a white oak and just about bump against two others--a poplar and red oak. I could smell the poplar roots if I cut them. If I had more time I think I'd of looked into procuring fly ash to mix with the concrete in order to reduce the initial energy output concrete requires. If the rain holds I may start some carpentry tomorrow, bolting together girders.

We're going with Forest Stewardship Council pressure treated wood for all of the structural members on the deck. The deck itself, however, will be dressed out in cedar puchased just up the road not two miles from here. It'll require periodic oiling but in terms of safety for the kids and sustainability, cedar'd be hard to beat.