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October 2, 2007—page 4      
October 2, 2007—The floor is poured!    page 4
Here is Kai watching the finishers trowel around the corner from the master bedroom into the east wing.
The footings and column bases for the columns are poured and the footings rough troweled into shape. The rebar sticking up will be bent over and integrated into the slab when it is poured later. Right now it looks like a little rebar fence.
Here is one of the bases for the columns. Notice the screw inserted into the concrete. This will be epoxyed into the column from the bottom. Once the column is impaled on the bolt and bolted into the beam across the top, it will be locked into place
I included this picture so you could see how well the slab color coordinates with the red rock on the site. The red gravel and dust between the footing and the slab is native to the site. Although this colored rock is mostly underground, I enjoy knowing our slab matches it.
Here the pump has moved on to the carport piers. I am so glad that they will be red. I think that will look a lot better than gray piers.
Jasmine is in the foreground cleaning up some tools while the crew fills the piers in the background
Here you can see them walking the pump nozzle to the next formed-up pier.
Jasmine looks on as they start filling the pier. This one was so tight that eventually they used a shovel under the nozzle to direct the concrete into the pier form.
Meanwhile the trowelers are working their way to the end of the east wing. You can see the skids really well in this shot.

Once the trowelers were finished, the crew spread straw over the slab. Kai poses for the camera while watering down the straw.

The straw is there to keep the sun from drying the surface of the slab out too quickly and causing cracks. The slower concrete cures, the stronger it is, so the aim is always to keep it as cool and wet as possible.

Also, the straw will leave yellow marks on the slab in kind of an instant faux marble look that is very handsome. We want this effect to keep the slab from being too monotonous in color.

Here is the pump truck being cleaned. The operator washed it down like his first born, including the hopper blanket. You can see how beautiful the rig is. It looked brand new.
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