2007_08_06 More sub floor preparation and clearing area for septic system

Today the septic tank man, Jerry Bailey, backfilled the dirt that was piled up in front back around the basement walls and Scott's crew (headed up by his brother, Steve) continued working toward trying to get ready to put the sub flooring in for the 1st floor, and Jerry (the septic guy) began clearing the small trees in the back where the septic tank has to go and also down the hill and to the right where the drain field (they're using the Infiltrator system) has to go.

Below is the view from the place where the driveway will branch off from Scenic Peak Road toward the house. The gravel pile to the left is left over from when the basement gravel was put in before the concrete was poured. It'll be moved somewhere until Scott can decide where he wants to use it.

There was a small-diameter pine tree (about 60 feet tall) that I had him remove and also an oak about 15 inches in diameter that wasn't healthy since more than half of its trunk was missing (hollowed out) so I had him remove both of them since I don't want pines and I didn't want the oak falling on the deck someday. You can see the oak below and the pine at the far left in the picture. They're both gone now.

Below they are putting in a 2 x 10 board. Then the 2 x 10s going crosswise can be put in.

You can see below that three of the 2 x 10 inch boards are "laminated" together and they run from front to the back of the house.

He cleared out a fairly large area (maybe 100 to 120 feet or so) down the hill and then perhaps 60 to 75 feet toward the right.

He removed mostly trees and brush that were 6 inches or so or smaller, but I had him get rid of a 8 inch pine tree and an oak that was about 15 inches or so but it was not healthy and perhaps 60 percent of its trunk was missing and it was going to fall soon and I'd just as soon not have it fall back toward the deck. Below he's digging up the roots of the pine.

Jerry pushed all the brush and trees far to the right and down into a small ravine so it doesn't show at all.

Tomorrow he will dig the hole for the septic tank vault and also for the drain field. To get the truck down to where the septic tank goes he'll have to sort of rearrange the dirt at the back of the house to level it off then after he gets the truck back out he'll push the dirt back where it was.

From above the house you can see where the elevator and inside staircase will go. The square in the foreground is where the elevator will go and the inside stairswill from the basement to the first floor will be back in the middle going left to right.

Also, the last picture is how the view toward the back looks after he removed all the trees. Not much different from up high.