Big Equipment Workday

Albert has finished most of the wooden, old-style drip cap between the house siding and the belly band.  An appropriate term for the boards that go just above the concrete foundation, they wrap around the house like a sturdy belt.  The drip cap does just what it says, catches any water drips that would be coming down the siding and pushes them away from the house.  Nowadays, the drip cap is a metal band, but we wanted the old wooden look and it can be painted the same color as the house.

The two parts to the house have a different level of siding.  Here you can see Albert had to rip the siding to measure up to the newer part of the house.

Big equipment needed to dig and then fill in around the house for a french drain.  Lots of water comes down from the east and the drain will catch that ground water and funnel it around the house and out to the west.

While we had the digger here, we uncovered the old septic tank to have it pumped out.  Took us awhile to find the lid. 

Two wooden posts pulled out enabled us to move the concrete lid just enough to get the pumper hose into the tank.

How do you like this!  Even though it is 30 degrees outside, the driver stays warm!

Above photo shows the french drain covered with landscape cloth to ensure no dirt gets into the weep holes of the pipe.  The pipe above it is the regular drain for the downspouts.

Covering up the now empty septic tank.

Below photo is Larry's rake.  He said he uses this sweeper attachment to pick up evergreen needles that fall into his lawn and driveway.  Pretty handy!