Friday was a pretty straight-ahead work day. Started around 9am and finished by about 5pm. Only did two mixes, but the labourer is inexperienced (read: slow) and the bricklayer was taking his time (read: doesn't do this every day anymore). Ran into one small problem with the white pipe you can see in some of the photos above. That pipe carries rainwater from the downspout over to the west side of the house. There is meets up with pipe that heads out about 20 feet into the lawn, into something the builder describes as a pipe with a sock stuffed with styrofoam peanuts. This is to help let the rainwater soak back into the ground, although the builder isn't impressed with it - more on that later.
The reason it was an issue was that once the blocks got closer, it was obvious that the pipe was sagging at the joint. I found it was wet under the joint after I excavated it but didn't really notice the slope was funny. The probable cause was the person that backfilled the foundation of the house - they dumped a load of earth right on the pipe. You can tell this because the side that heads toward the middle of the house has a hollow under the pipe. Plus the pipe in the other side of the trench had rocks above and below it, meaning that they had been pushed towards the foundation. The rocks are another sign the back fill was done without much care - rocks rise to the surface as you move dirt or dig. If one takes care, the rocks would be spread out evenly, instead of collected by the foundation (the last place to be filled).
Anyway, the concern was that if there was an issue with the pipe leaking or not draining, the fix would involve either working under the completed deck or removing the deck surface. The time to fix it was before the deck was complete and access to the foundation area was easy. Called the builder and he was able to show up that day. He went on about how he disliked the drainage system, clarifying how everything worked. I originally thought that the weepers and the downspouts were tied to the storm sewers, as this subdivision has a special storm overflow pond to collect excess rain. The system that the downspouts tie into is like a simple septic bed. The difference is that there is one outlet instead of a trunk with smaller tiles coming off it.
The builder is not happy with this solution for a few reasons - one it doesn't work and two it is an expensive solution. The pipe is 4" and that isn't really big enough to handle the roof water of a big downpour, let alone a storm. The downspouts backed up before we moved in, according to our neighbours, last year. This spring the builder quietly installed an overflow valve, which is essentially a standard downspout that drains onto the lawn. This works better than the underground drain pipe because it can handle the volume better and the ground in this area is sandy. Water drains away quickly whether it is on top or not. The overflow valves aren't supposed to be there, but the builder is reluctant to criticize the existing system. If this system isn't working, the next step would be to put something like a septic bed in the ground, which would be quite expensive. Also it would make it impossible to build things in the back yard without a hassle. Things like a pool.
One of the columns is clearly visible in a picture above. There will be four of them, one on the front corners and on either side of the stairs. One solid day of work should bring the other 2 sides up to the level of the highest side, which is the top of the masonry wall. Note the picture with the vent in it - this is secured with mortar, no anchors or caulking necessary. My dad was annoyed when we were working last year because the various holes necessary (gas, exhaust vents, etc) weren't known until after we was done. If the final pipe that was to go through the wall was available, he could have finished the surroundings with masonry and it would look better than it does now. Although it is a small detail that most wouldn't notice, much like the sills and lintels on the house. The sills are at least twice as thick as the other precast sills, but smooth. The lintels are also smooth precast pieces, instead of concealed metal ones. Finishes the doors and windows nicer than the others around here. Again a small detail that most wouldn't notice unless it was pointed out.
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