Cemented Success

This winter, thanks to El Nino, has become a game of cat-and-mouse with anyone trying to work outdoors. We hide inside when it storms and scurry outside when the weather permits.  We have waited almost this whole week to finally start the cement-pouring portion of our north side property improvement project.

Adding cement behind (and under the pipes and electrical
connections to) the HVAC unit presented our first challenge.

We earlier had dug out and framed the area what we wanted to cement; however, two days of rain put a stop to further progress on that plan.  We were expecting possible severe storms on Wednesday, but the actual accumulating rain took place almost all day yesterday (Thursday).

Rick actually had to put the cement behind the slab by using
a shovel and then a garden trowel.

Sunshine and tolerable temperatures lured us back outside today, however.  Having done cement work before, we did not take much time setting up what we needed for the task.  We only had nine 60 pound bags of Sakrete in the garage, so Rick decided to do the smaller and more confined area of the cement work today.

The lack of room to move actually made this part difficult. We had to mix the cement away from where it was supposed to go and then move the mixer to shovel it in by hand.  We did four mixes of two bags each.

The results, however, are worth the effort.  We now have cement behind the slab that holds our HVAC system, so that area no longer will collect dirt, leaves, and sticks (to say nothing of the occasional rodent, lizard, or black snake).  We also have a firm foundation on which to walk for the repairmen who might be called in to fix the HVAC unit.

Any repairman who needs to come in to fix our HVAC
unit will thank Rick for a cement foundation from which
to work.  This used to be scraggly grass and mud.

We extended the cement work to just under the fence.  That will give us a clean edge in front up to which we can put pavers, and the cement under the fence also will keep mud from splashing up on the fence during a heavy rainstorm.

Extending the cement under the fence will save us both time
and clean-up later.

Tomorrow we will complete the remaining slab.  The weather is supposed to be even warmer and more sunny than today, and the remaining section will be easier because we will have greater access to the area.  We actually can mix and POUR the cement into the area rather than filling it with a shovel. Woo-hoo!

Rebar peeks through the form holding the cement in behind
the HVAC slab.  Tomorrow we'll remove the forms and fill
in this final section next to the north side of the house.

In preparation for tomorrow, we still have to go to one of our favorite home improvement stores to buy and transport 10 more 60 pound bags of Sakrete.  Ah, yes.  When remodeling a house, the good exercise and fantastic fun never ends...