We've been framed

Stop by the construction site Wednesday after noon, and, Warren says, you ought to see the first framed wall of our new building standing upright. Vitaly, the chief framer, was working on the wall all day Tuesday with the frame flat on the decking,

Meanwhile, the rest of Steve's crew has nearly finished the decking on the new classroom wing, once known as Bruce Hall. Then, they'll be doing more framing.

Around the foundations of the building are two drainage systems: At the bottom, perforated plastic pipe sits in gravel ready to drain ground water away. Above that - and also in gravel - is a system of non-perforated plastic pipes connected to the downspouts. This takes all the rainwater off the roofs. Warren and Edgar got that installed and mostly covered with gravel Tuesday before the rain hit, turning the site muddy. The Bobcat they were using to move the gravel (see the bottom slideshow in the previous post) doesn't work in the mud. The final bit will be moved by shovel and wheelbarrow.

Next, Warren will put some bales of hay around the piles of dirt on the street side of the sanctuary to absorb muddy runoff. Then, he'll start some demolition in the narthex to figure out just how it will tie into the new construction. Then, it's on to meetings with electrical, plumbing and HVAC subcontractors to nail down prices and timing.

But, Warren says, we are now out of the ground without major problems and that's a very good sign.