It is now time to move 120 yards of dirt to the back of our house and fill and compact the void. 

This has been a struggle.

First, a little background and then a tour of a SIP house being built.  Then, let’s move some dirt.

Background

We changed the shape of our existing swimming pool and moved it closer to our house.  Then, we excavated the basement by 13 ft, which required an OSHA cut at the back.

After the excavation, we shotcreted the bottom of the wall and then formed the back of the retaining wall to grade.  Then, we shotcreted the wall and, when the shotcrete had cured sufficiently, we removed the forms.  This left a dangerous void, some 9 feet deep by 10 feet wide, 54 feet long at the back of our house.  This void must be filled with soil and then compacted to 90%.

Without access from the side of the house (i.e., Winchester Boulevard), we needed to move the dirt across the structure to the back of the house so we could fill the void.  We decided to wait until the hollow core concrete panels were in place prior to moving the dirt. 

Our plan was to use two conveyors, one from Bill Brown Construction Company and the other from United Rentals.  United Rentals delivered their conveyor on Tuesday, May 12 at 2:00 pm.  We thought we would still have a crane on site and be setting the hollow core concrete panels but that was completed and the crane was gone by 12:30 pm).

With the two conveyors in place, we could start moving dirt.

The Challenges of Moving Dirt

Bryan had a difficult time coordinating the movement of the dirt.  The conveyors were a bit finicky and the Bryan doesn’t speak Spanish very well.  He had a tough time explaining that the second conveyor must be going first and then the first conveyor could be started.  Thus, the dirt moved by the first conveyor would be carried by the second conveyor and then dumped.  Otherwise, the dirt from the first conveyor would simply dump onto the second conveyor, overloading it so it couldn’t move.

Similarly, the first conveyor must be shut down first, so the dirt that is being put onto the second conveyor is stopped and the second conveyor is cleared and empty.  Stopping the second conveyor while the first conveyor is moving allows the dirt to pile up on the second conveyor, overloading it.

Observing a House Being Built with SIPs

Before starting the move the dirt, Bryan visited a job site where a house was being built with SIPs.  He wanted to see the construction in person so he could consider the planning and anticipate potential issues on our project.

Site showing slab-on-grade construction with steel moment frames, Hardy panels, and other structural framing. Note the SIPs stacked under the green tarp. And the yellow scaffold on wheels.

The SIPs are built individually and numbered uniquely. Note the white foam sandwiched between two layers of OSB. Also, note the 2x splines and blue mastic. These SIPs are ready to install.

SIPs in place, showing how they fit together and how window openings are framed in the SIPs.

Building with SIPs results in a very tight building structure.  The airtight nature is the result of all seams being caulked with a mastic, and then screwed together with lengthy screws.

Panel Mastic, from Premier Building Systems (this is the blue mastic that you can see in the other photos).

SIP screw, used to connect the SIPs between the spines and outer shells (OSB). Yes, Bryan's foot is in the photo for scale.

Moving and Compacting Dirt

After getting the conveyors in place, it took a while to get everyone working together and confortable with starting and stopping the conveyors.  We had to ‘fine tune’ the system to minimize the dirt we were losing along the conveyors and from one conveyor to another.

We started moving, and compacting, dirt!

We received our dirt from another site, very close by, with identical soil. The soild was tested and will yield excellent compaction.

Our two conveyors, with the first conveyor taking dirt across the atrim opening and the second conveyor filling the excavation.

The dirt was moved into position with the Bobcat and then shoveled by hand, at the correct pace, onto the first conveyor.

The second conveyor takes the dirt to the back of the foundation wall, where it is deposited.

The dirt coming off the second conveyor was distributed by shovel to the correct location.

Spraying lightly with water and compacting the soil to 90% compaction with a 'jumping jack'.

Yes, we’re finally filling the void.

Yippee!

Bryan toured the Out of the Woods operation in Bonny Doon, California and also reviewed a magnificent house that is being completed on the coast, overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Dave Merchant

Harvesting Madrone and Tanoak in the Santa Cruz Mountains

We love the look and feel of wood in a house, and we value harvesting our forests in a sustainable manner.  Given we are using our existing redwood decking for our finished ceiling, we thought it would be fitting to use a local hardwood for our hardwood floors, specifically Pacific Madrone.

In the Santa Cruz Mountains, there are large stands of Redwood trees.  In these forests, there are other trees, including Madrone and Tanoak.  The Madrone and Tanoak are sometimes incidental as they take valuable sunlight and water, limiting the growth of the valuable Redwood trees.  Consequently, the Madrone and Tanoak trees are selectively cut from the maturing Redwood forests.  In most cases, the Madrone trees are cut and used for firewood (Madrone is considered the best firewood material because it burns very hot for a long time, and results in little ash).

Given the limited logging in the Santa Cruz Mountains and the very limited amount of Madrone and Tanoak, these timbers are simply dried and then used for firewood.  Without scale and sufficient volumes, it is difficult to process the timbers economically.

Seeing this as an opportunity, David Merchant set up a small operation to use Madrone and Tanoak timber, and then cut it, season and dry it, kiln dry the wood, and then have it planed and finished for hardwood flooring.  His company, located in Bonny Doon, California, is called ‘Out of the Woods‘.

Dave’s vision is wonderful and could be a very nice fit for our remodel project at Via Sereno.  We believe that our reclaimed Redwood ceiling will look beautiful with Madrone, or Tanoak, hardwood floors.  These woods will work nicely together, especially since the trees grow together in the local forests in the Santa Cruz mountains.

We called Dave and discussed our requirements with him.  He thought he could meet our needs and came to our project site with some wood samples.  After, he kindly offered to give us a tour of his full operations. 

Operations Overview

The complete operation consists of locating the timbers, bringing the timbers to the milling area, cutting the rough logs into blanks, milling the blanks into rough boards, and then air drying those boards.  Once the most of the moisture has been removed (approximately 4 months), the boards are then kiln dried (4 to 5 weeks) to the required moisture level (6 to 7%).  Then, the boards are trucked to a specialty mill where they are planed into precise dimensions for hardwood flooring.

The receiving site for trucks bringing timbers in for milling.

The cutting operation is portable and currently located under some young Redwood trees. Nothe scale.

Note the full log on the right, which is rough-cut into blanks that are then milled into boards.

Dave's mill utilizes a Wood-Mizer portable sawmill to cut the blanks into boards for milling.

The two-man operation takes the blanks and cuts them into boards. Dave is on the right.

Dave cuts the first board from the blank.

Continuing to cut boards from the blank ...

Cut boards to stack for drying.

Beautiful, fresh-cut California Madrone showing the sapwood and heartwood. This board needs to be air dried and then kiln dried.

Freshly cut wood being stacked with spacers for air drying.

Air drying cut boards before kiln drying.

Air drying lifts of wood.

The center of the logs cannot be used for hardwood flooring so Dave cuts this wood iinto pieces for firewood.

 After cutting the Madrone, Dave showed Bryan some of his inventory of wood that he is working on milling.  Dave seeks walnut, oak and other large trees in the San Jose area that are being removed for various purposes.  He takes those trees to his mill so the wood can be cut and used in buildings, not simply chipped and used as ground cover.

Walnut that has been cut from a huge tree that was removed from San Jose.

Dave showing some spectacular walnut blanks that are ready for to be kiln dried and then milled.

Walnut burl, ready for kiln drying and milling.

After the boards have been air dried, they must be kiln dried for 4 weeks.  Kiln drying is the critical phase where the moisture is removed slowly from the wood and it is stabilized into its final condition.  After kiln drying, the boards can be planed and finished into hardwood flooring.

Dave in front of his kiln, which is currently full of boards being dried.

Dave maintains some inventory of finished hardwood flooring (both Tanoak and Madrone), as well as other boards that artists and craftsmen seek for special projects.

Finished hardwood flooring, ready to be shipped to customer sites.

Some of Dave's investory of hardwood flooring and other selected boards.

Touring a New House Looking Over the Pacific Ocean

Dave took me on a tour of a new home that is being completed nearby, which faces west over the Pacific Ocean.  The house includes Madrone in much of its finishes and has some great detail that we will be including in our home.  The tour was inspirational! 

View from inside the house looking down a valley to the Pacific Ocean.

Rich and warm Madrone in the ceiling and walls.

Hidden hinges that are a very nice, clean and simple touch. Yes, probably expensive!

Fine example of detailed, flush-mount baseboards over a hardwood floor.

Yes, this house was an inspiration and confirmed several features that we want in our house.

At the conclusion of our tour, Dave showed us a table top, which was made over 50 years ago from a Redwood tree cut in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  This is a solid piece of wood!

A huge tabletop, cut from a single Redwood tree more than 50 years ago.

With the hollow core concrete panels in place, we have two tasks to complete.

First, we have to place dry pack in the voids, or gaps, under the steel columns and beams.  At the same time, we have to move 160 yards of soil to fill the void between the swimming pool and the foundation wall. 

View of the bridge to the house (over the void that must be filled), with the two conveyors that will be used to move the 160 yards of soil.

Placing Dry Pack

Our steel beams are connected to the concrete with embedded bolts.  There is a 1½ inch gap under the steel plate that the embedded bolts are connected to.  After the steel is in place, the resulting gap is filled with ‘dry pack’ and allowed to set.

Using dry pack under the steel beams allows the full weight to be distributed evening to the concrete surface.

Mixing and placing dry pack under a steel column.

Completed dry pack under a steel column.

Dry pack under the beams near the exterior stair well.

Dry pack under the steel beam in the Wine Cellar (the opening to the right of the beam is for ducting).

We need a better roof on our site office.

The View from the Top

After taking the black plastic off the roof, we need to paint it white and cover it with plastic. Note the conveyor over the atrium, waiting for dirt!

Close up of the roof.

During our remodel project, if you are driving along Winchester Boulevard and you see our U.S. flag flying, it signifies that we are on site and can host your visit.  Please drop by!

Our Visitors

Matt Jung, from 88HVAC is working on a project in Saratoga, CA and came by the project site to discuss our geothermal and radiant heat design.  He liked the hollow core concrete panels!

Matt Jung of 88HVAC checking in to see our progress. Note the two conveyors behind Matt.

Later, Trixi Menhardt and her mother came to see the status of our project.  They approved!

Trixi Menhardt (right) and her mother saw our U.S. flag flying and stopped by to see our new hollow core concrete panels.

Now, we need to have the conveyors in place to move the dirt into the void at the back of the excavation.  And, we need to place the final two small pieces of hollow core concrete panels that will make our third bridge, over the exterior stairs.  Plus, we had a couple visitors.

Setting Up the Conveyors

We’re using two conveyors to move 120+ cubic yards of dirt from the front of the site to the back of the excavation.  It will be nice to get the dirt moved so we can have a much safer site.

Our friends from Summit Cranes arrive, right on time.

The remote control crane operator ...

First conveyor in place. Excellent!

Picking up the second conveyor.

The remote control is way cool ...

Final Two Pieces of Hollow Core Concrete Panels in Place

We placed the final two pieces of hollow core concrete panels to form the thrid bridge on our site.  It looks great!

The small, remote control crane made it easy to tuck these two pieces of hollow core concrete panels in place today.

Our third bridge is looking great!

View of bridge from bottom.

Menhardt Visitors

Wido and his son, Matts, visited our site today.  It is always good to have friends check in and see our progress!

Matts and his father, Wido, in the kitchen.Nik approves!

Nik approves!