The big dig! /aka 'man stuff'

First of all let me just say that the subject of this post wigs me out! I know it has to be done, I know that I will love it when it is done, I know it is being done correctly and safely and yet... I can barely look while trying to take photos! Dan, on the other hand, was like a little boy in a toy store, and since it is the making of the Garage I guess that is as it should be! This is Dan's baby and he has free reign... which of course as you women know, means as long as I approve it!! As previously mentioned we are putting in a garage underneath the barn which entails shoring up the barn footing and a lot of digging below grade!

Barn before big dig!
Existing stone wall will be moved to the corner of the barn wall, area will be back filled and we will then put in a large stone patio accessed from the 'to-be' barn/great room on the main floor.

You can see the temporary support structure inside the barn. The open space where the old garage door was will become an interior concrete wall in the new garage.

Same corner as above photo except from the entry-to-the-garage side of barn. Photo shows the new concrete footing. The dig extends 6 feet below the current grade- that includes a 2 foot lowering for the garage floor, plus 4 feet to reach below the winter frost line. This photo makes my palms sweat!

Barn before big dig! This is the side that will have the garage doors. Notice the gravel and granite-slab ramp where the cows would enter the barn!
This is the same corner where the cow ramp was!

Site of the new first floor half-bath which will be accessed from the barn room. Affectionately referred to as the outhouse! At present there is no bathroom on the first floor of the house.

Boys and their toys!

This is the location of our 'to-be' mud room which will be accessed from the kitchen. It will be approximately a 6 x 6.5' space that will be two stories tall (it will extend a corner of the house) and the second floor section will contain a WC and a stacked washer and dryer just off of the master closet.
Same area showing the newly poured concrete footing.


At the same time, the chimney is being taken down and re-mortared (with the original bricks) from the roof up.