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

[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).

[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]

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.

[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]

has there even been an inspector come by?
I cant believe they are putting that thin insulation on the exterior walls without filling those voids and spraying a layer of bitumen or some other sealant on the concrete first. Even in the dry deserts of the middle east they applied a 3 or 4 tier level of water barrier.
Back when I was doing some minor contracting in Ca. I had to pass several tests before I was issued a contractor's license, and in LA county you couldn't deviate from a construction plan without facing heavy fines and the inspectors never cut you any slack.

[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.

[jdurand]

In the 1989 7.1 'quake a ground crack ran right through what will be the front of their house. Our house suffered damage but not a lot. Of course we're one story, no basement, and built to earthquake standards. Old standards, but still worked.