foundation week: wednesday

installing perimeter forms

backfilled forms

foundation plan

the day began with the setup of wooden formwork. using my rough foundation plan i nailed together lengths of 2x10 to form the perimeter of the slab. thaddeus and crew added a second row of ripped 2x6s on top of the 2x10s to provide a 16-inch high form. we squared corners and verified diagonals, fixed the corners with stakes and crossbraces and then backfilled the forms with earth being careful not to bow them in. they did start to bow in places, so we staked them from the inside and braced them against the crushed gravel inside the form.