The house next door...or how to NOT build a house

[jdurand]

a general, on the right in this picture
https://durandinterstellar.com/photo...tor-Lawyer.jpg

on the left is our translator (we need a LOT more study before contracts)

[DIYSwede]

Thanks for sharing your own progress, and good luck!
-Guess your contractor's company isn't called "Прогресс" though, perhaps due to that concept's "historical connotations"?

That was, amongst many other things (for example: an "expendable spacecraft" and a brand of East German combines & tractors),
the name of a Soviet publishing house purveying City guides (entirely w/o maps - not remarkable at all, if you could understand the Soviet system).

[jdurand]

Thanks for sharing your own progress, and good luck!
-Guess your contractor's company isn't called "Прогресс" though, perhaps due to that concept's "historical connotations"?

That was, amongst many other things (for example: an "expendable spacecraft" and a brand of East German combines & tractors),
the name of a Soviet publishing house purveying City guides (entirely w/o maps - not remarkable at all, if you could understand the Soviet system).

We're understanding more and more as we study the history and culture along with the language. To speak Russian you have to think like a Russian, not easy for a westerner but some things come easy now. Not a lot, but some.

I just got in a bunch of new pictures, you can find the whole progress of our house here:
https://durandinterstellar.com/photos/Our_New_Home/
Oldest items at the top.

[Rikk]

Looking at these photos since you started this thread... Never time to do it correctly in the beginning, but ALWAYS time to fix the shoddy work in the end...
Laughable.

[jdurand]

Jack The Hammer just returned to The Pit. Sounds like they're right below my office door, our chickens will not be pleased (their coop is next to my door).

[jdurand]

Turns out it was hammer drills, they've started putting in wooden walls and putting R-1 insulation (moisture barrier???) on the exterior. Haven't seen any indication they intend to fill in the voids.

[VinnieL]

Wow all this reminds me of a few episodes of The Three Stooges doing construction....Sorry I know it isn't funny having this right next door to your house. Obviously there are multitudes of building code violations happening. You don't want it to be finished and collapse and be stuck with that next door...I feel for you!

[Frank S]

It would be interesting to know if they add any soil stabilizers to their fill dirt, and to see the compaction report

[NeiljohnUK]

Oh dear thats not going to end well. When my employer decided to build across the street the drilled reinforced pile contractor had to bore so the piles were zig-zag and touching to enable proper retention strength for a ~25 foot deep side wall, each pile was ~18" diameter. Over engineered or properly assessed and planned, rather that than under engineered and liable to collapse...

[EnginePaul]

At least the inspector did his job; I've seen stuff that makes me worry. I certainly hope you aren't in earthquake country considering you live next to that.

This story makes me miss the Three Stooges movies.