Polystyrene

Under the concrete floor will be heat pipes, under the pipes will be two inches of extruded polystyrene. After years of calling this stuff styrofoam, I learn that Styrofoam is Dow Chemicals' brand name for their blue polystyrene. For this project, I am using Owens Corning's polystyrene, Foamular, which is pink.

                                                      Of course, these two piles came on a truck and were dropped here...

  but need to be there:

  This time, though, foam is light so two people can pick up each of the piles.

So, the sand has been leveled and the foam placed. Next will be the plumber with the heat pipes followed by the concrete, and then, we will have a basement floor.

Owens Corning Foamular

Notice the pattern--some people like patterns and symmetry. However, one area has the pattern at 90 degrees to the rest and a few smaller pieces follow no pattern at all because symmetry hidden under 5" of concrete is not worth $30 per sheet.

Nature is alive and well out here. Wood ticks join us any time we step too close to tall grass--wet spring tends to bring them out in force. The deer wander through frequently. Sometimes I think they're inspecting the project.

To keep us entertained, we have

our resident woodpecker.

In this case, checking out the old Allis Chalmers.

This is an interesting bird. But, what does pecking on the metal hood of a tractor do?  After leaving the tractor, I hear the tapping on an empty fuel barrel, then a metal building and finally a tree in the woods. Musical bird.

Incidentally, the weather has been mostly hot and dry. Working in 85 degree weather isn't bad if the humidity is low and there is a slight breeze, which is what we have been having. However, working in a white basement is another matter.

No breeze. The sun reflects off the white walls, raising the temp quite a bit. "Not to worry", he thinks, "the dirt floor absorbs a lot of that excess heat."

All I can say about that is it's a good thing I had help. A hired hand worked with me a couple days, then my sister came through for two more days. Couldn't have finished without them.

But, pink polystyrene reflects it all back to anyone in the oven basement...me! 

Some of Grandma's flowers are blooming:

And, I have a tomato:

Next, I hope to have a floor in the basement, and maybe the garage.