Empty Spaces

Empty spaces, where there shouldn't be empty spaces.  This is a tale of woe and misery (and great expense), so be ye warned before reading on.  Two workmen finally arrived to carry out our cement work.  Originally we were to have new stairs, part of the driveway nearest the garage rebuilt and cemented, and our enormous front veranda re-cemented.  However, we received a phone call from the boss that his costs were going up weekly, and he would have to increase our estimate by $800.  Well now.  So we postponed the front veranda work.  The stairs are falling apart, and had to be done.  They arrived, and 11 hours later the old steps were demolished, as well as part of the driveway.  There was a surprise (the first one).  Beneath the old cement stairs was nothing at all.  There should have been dirt or scrap rock, but it was completely hollow underneath the old stairs.  The workers left for the day, and returned two days later.

The old staircase was crumbling badly.

Demolition work is complete.  Note that the stairs are now filled in with scrap rock, as they should have been from the start.  Our cement man had never seen hollow stairs before.  And note that little hole beneath the centre of the garage door. 

Now there were three of them, and their main job today was to build wooden cribs to hold the cement in its form until it set.  That took another entire day.  But while digging near the garage door, surprise #2 was discovered.  Lo and behold, beneath the cement floor of our indoor garage was a large and very hollow space.  Meaning we have been parking our car on a 70 year old slab of cement, with nothing underneath for at least six feet.  We were all quite taken aback by this.  He could not pour cement on our driveway now, as it would not set properly.  We were (are) in trouble.   

So, the stairs are ready to receive cement, hopefully soon but no date given.  And we have 4 different companies coming out this week to look at our newest problem, to see what can be done.  I have a sinking feeling that the entire garage floor will have to be torn up and removed, the giant emptiness beneath it filled in, and then a new cement floor laid down.  If such is the case, there will be no Christmas party for several years to come, let alone international travel.

The new stairs extend farther out than the older ones, and we will have a larger and wider landing up top.  We are awaiting the cement.  And four estimates for the garage problem.  And our tree guy has yet to show up to take down a huge poplar in our back yard. 

In happier news, here are some photos of our flowering shrubs.  I'll be back tomorrow with movie talk.

Some of our flowering shrubs.  Lilac season is well past, and the roses are just coming out now. 

Mapman Mike