Blasting movie, site work and getting ready for the house foundation

In this prior post, you can see the site work prep for blasting of the rock ledge in order to prep it for the coming foundation – a rounded dome of hard rock with a 140 holes drilled into it for explosives

Here is a video, shot by my EXCELLENT General Contractor – Paul Hebert – that shows the second of two shots going off. There is a number of mats laid on top to hold down the debris. These mats are made up old car tires. In the video, they bounce about 25′ into the air. As Paul says in the video “Wow!”

In this video, shot by me on Saturday, you can see the scope of what was done. I find it very, very reminiscent of the broken rock you find in rock falls in the High Sierra when hiking in the back country of California.

Me, not having a lot of experience with this stuff, assumed that we were going to be shaving the top off the ledge and mounting the house on it. We are doing that kind of from what I can see – but we went a LOT deeper than I expected. Below are photos of the in progress work that my Dad took during this past week and some up close shots I took on Saturday. Serious movement of materials!

My parent's Subaru in the foreground. Up on the hill, the excavator is clearing out rubble — My parent’s Subaru in the foreground. Up on the hill, the excavator is clearing out rubble

Watch the video and you see that this is clearly a needed and necessary sign!

One of the remaining drill holes - interesting how it popped the rock up and out and the hole itself is intact — One of the remaining drill holes – interesting how it popped the rock up and out and the hole itself is intact. The hole is about 3 or 4 inches in diameter

standing at the well head, in the near distance is where the living room will be (on concrete piers). Where the rubble is will be the concrete slab for the garage

Panoramic shot (double click to open it full and pan around). Taken near the future front door of the house