Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Property Projects & Construction Preparing the Farm

So, inspired by all the great projects I've been reading about for years on the forum, my wife and I finally decided to start moving forward with some projects at our farm that will pave the way for an eventual home building project.

Before you get too far into this post and then feel duped by the reality of what we have going on, let me just toss this disclaimer out there - I am not doing anything so grand as Brettski, RC51, and multitude of others who actually have the skill to pick up a tool and make it perform the way it's supposed to perform! My real skill is writing checks, but I do have a desire to learn!

Pretty much all of our work is being hired out to folks I know and I am helping wherever my skill set allows. Hopefully, I'll pick up some tips and tricks along the way.

To begin, our Deed requires that all utilities be buried. That works well for me because I prefer not to see poles and cable/wire/etc. in my view. We began with excavation of an approximately 500 foot ditch, between 36 and 48 inches deep (depending on where they hit big rocks!) and 2 feet wide. This ditch could have been a good bit shorter, but I wanted it as far out of the way as possible and didn't want to have it go right through the main field where we'll eventually build.

Because our farm was stripped 50+ years ago, the soil is mostly fill - clay and lots of shale rocks. Big shale rocks. In places, the excavator had some real tests to get around them, through them, or to remove them. Once that was done, we laid a 500 foot 1" plastic water supply line inside 1.5" plastic conduit, and an equivalent amount of 3" gray PVC electrical conduit.

At the suggestion of the guy who is doing our septic/aerator, to avoid chafing and potentially wearing holes into the water line, I drilled a hole in the water conduit about every 6 feet. Then, just prior to dropping it in the ditch, I sprayed Great Stuff expanding foam to lock the water line into place and minimize any movement resulting from the line jumping around when water is turned off or on. It added a lot of work, and the conduit was probably overkill, but my goal is to have this line out of the ground one time and one time only in my life! We'll end up adding about 45 more feet of water line to get to the tap where the service comes in and I'll put the connection out near the road so if there's ever an issue with it, we're not digging beside our house but rather out at the road.

Here's a shot of the ditch with the water and electric conduit in place. This shot is from the electric vault that will house our transformer. The ditch comes in from the left side of the picture at about 320 feet and then runs about 180 feet to our building.


After helping get all the line/conduit in place, we pound wooden stakes in to support both lines and ensure that we maintained the required 17" separation which allowed us to use one ditch for both lines. The next step was partially filling the ditch with "choke." For those who don't know the term, it is the byproduct of washing concrete and is basically tiny pebbles and some sand. It provides a good protective surrounding for the lines and protects them from contact with any big rocks that could cause wear problems through vibration of the lines. The choke forms a nice tight barrier that protects the lines once you put dirt on top.

Here is a shot looking from the building out towards the electrical vault showing the choke in the ditch just before I laid the metal "locator" tape on top to help identify the line location in the future if needed and to serve as a warning to any excavators that they are getting close.


We are leaving some space open as can be seen in the picture to allow my building contractor room to work with terminating the water line and the electrician to terminate the electric service. Once they are done, we'll finish this space with choke and fill it in.

I put several hours on the new Mahindra hauling and dumping choke into the ditch and then shoveling to keep it all relatively even and at the proper depth. While I may not have building skills, I can be a heck of a laborer!

Here's a shot of the electrical vault fully "choked" in and ready for dirt.


In addition to hauling choke, I hauled a boat load of rocks away and dumped them in a washout ravine out near the road. My son and I moved a LOT of rocks and he was a real trooper, working his six year old butt off all day last Saturday. Here he is at the end of the day.


His highlight was when we were working on huge rock that ended up filling the bucket on our FEL. I had to have him actually operate the tractor while I tried to raise one edge of the rock by standing on the opposite side as he moved the bucket under it. He was really nervous but did it perfectly with my instruction, creeping forward slowly enough that he almost wasn't moving! Once we got it into place, he did a great job of tipping the bucket to get the rock to slide back into the bucket so it was secure for transport. That was the first thing he told momma when we got home!

Here is another pic of a different rock - this one we actually managed to scoop up after reading DD1's comments about that being one of his proud tractor moments! He inspired me to make this work and, finally, it did! I had to carry it so high because it was too big to stay in the bucket otherwise. Had the rear tires not been loaded, I never would have tried this. As it was, I crept along so slowly that it took me a solid five minutes to go about 150 feet to dump it at the edge of a slope. I did not want to take a chance at it causing me any problems and at that slow speed, in 4wd, the Mahindra never even registered a complaint! Not the ideal transit position, I know, but it was the best option I could conceive on my own! This pic shows my two youngest by the tractor just for some perspective on the size of the rock.


This picture shows part of the first 300+ feet of ditch covered back up and partially graded. The remainder of the ditch needs to be filled in but time hasn't permitted. Now that I have the choke in, though, I'm less concerned about dirt falling in before we refill.


So, this is all being done to complement construction of a 16' x 30' pavilion that will have a full bathroom on it. We'll be adding the septic system (sized for an eventual home so we are digging and installing one time) in the next 3-5 weeks as soon as that contractor is available. He has projected 3 days for the job so that should move quickly.

I am planning to leave the last 6 feet or so of the pavilion out from under the roof and we'll have a recessed fire pit to replace our little one right next to the pond. Eventually, we'll try our hand at building a 2 1/2 foot high wall around the entire pavilion with a couple of walk throughs. That wall will be rocked and likely have concrete caps to provide additional seating and somewhat of a weather break. The pavilion will be attached to our existing storage building and the bathroom will be against the wall of the building that is visible in the one photo above, though it will probably not run the full width. Ideally, we're going to have enough room for 2 or 3 picnic tables and may eventually add a gas grill since we have free gas there. The gas line will be another project, though, as it will have to run about 2500 feet (rough guess) to get to this area where we'll build.

We're excited to get this going and having electric and water out there will significantly improve our ability to use the farm for full day outings and even make camping a lot easier since there will be a real bathroom. Girls like that stuff (and some guys do, too!). We're especially looking forward to being able to host family get togethers, church gatherings, and the like. Having a heat source there will also make it nice for hunting season when I'll be able to use the building as a camp and spend the night or have a place to warm up with the kids when they join me. Of course, there is also the inevitable PB Regional Gathering possibility that is particularly exciting, too, though I'm not sure what the neighbors will think of Sunil after a cooler full of Peroni! They'll get over it!

So, that is it for now. More pics as we progress. I hope to get the pavilion started this week and will be chipping in there as much as my schedule permits. It's exciting to have these projects moving ahead and realizing that they get us one step closer to being able to build our new home one day. Fun stuff!

Hey Todd, pretty exciting. Who would have ever thought that anybody in WV would have indoor plumbing?

Some see blood, sweat, and tears as laborious misery and cannot wait for it to be over. The rest of us embrace it with achy backs and busted butts, waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in so we can try to wring out a little more work. Here's to another vision leaving the REM state and entering the ibuprofen state. Bring it, Todd....bring it!

Good going Todd!

Todd great job. One thing I suggest to all starting projects like this -- stop and think about what you want the place (land , water and buildings) to be like 3 generations out. Big trees - where , bushes , house , beach , pier , rock walls and paths, tractor shed/shop , picnic tables and swings. A lot to plan so envision it all now.

Get a big jar of Motrin and like B'ski said bring it ! Might want to talk to a landscape architect with a good reputation for out of the box ideas.

Todd, GREAT post. Please keep us up to date on your progress. I am getting ready to start a very similar endevor at our place. so I'm particulary interested.

I've always tried to be a trendsetter, Dave! Besides, I saw y'all fellers down in Tejas finally got it and it seems to be real popular, so I figered I'd give 'er a try!

Todd, it was. Dave

No doubt, Brettski! Like country singer Gary Allan sings, "Sometimes I just get off on the pain!" I am concerned because my last bottle of 500 ibuprofen tablets is down to about 4 more till empty! It's been a blast so far and I can't wait to keep it rolling. Looks like we may have a little rain delay for a day or two, which stinks, but we'll work around it. My hope is to have this phase of work done in no more than a month or so so we can just chill out for the balance of summer. More pics and progress to come!

Thanks, Scott. It's exciting to see things happening. The four neighbors have been coming around and are all excited to see things starting to move forward. They're also envious of my tractor, I'm pretty sure! Of course, they all have theirs, too!

Great points, Eric. I've started doing some of that, but probably need to sit down with Tammy and really plan out what we want to be living on down the road as life progresses. I've consulted with a forester buddy who has given me some planting advice for getting evergreens going - there are, surprisingly, only 4 or 5 on the entirety of the property owned by everyone out there, a total of about 180 acres. We really want to get some green going and I'd like to see some good hardwoods, too. Given our soil composition, though, hardwoods are going to be a real challenge everywhere but perhaps a few spots. That'll be enough to make a visible difference some years down the road, though.

Happy to share, R&R. I suspect I'll learn a few things along the way if I'm not careful - I'll be sure to pass them along!

Todd you might check with your local NRCS. I applied for a program called "equip" that pays for about 90% of the cost through a govt. reforestation act. I'm set up to have 12,000 trees planted next spring. They even pay for two additional years for weed control and pruning. Just a thought.

Never hurts to ask! What sort of obligations do you have to the gub'mint when it's all said and done? The last thing I want to do is end up beholden to anyone other than my bank!

Only stipulation was that I leave it in trees. Select harvest will be OK. No worry in my lifetime.

Interesting. I'll have to check that out and at least interview them on how it might fit for me. Thanks for the tip. I'll also go and read your thread on the issue.

Great stuff here - I'm impressed Todd - wow! Lot's of great input for all of us envisioning the move to our farms. I hadn't considered most of what's been written here.

As many others will attest, it's pretty amazing what you learn when you start a project like this. I never would have considered most of the things we've had to do so far, but that's where it's helpful having folks to advise and help you do the work.

Wow Todd! That is fantastic! You and the family will love it as you proceed.

Thanks, Ken. Looks like we'll start the pavilion next Tuesday with building the form for the concrete floor, with concrete being delivered on Wednesday. Ought to scoot right along from there!

Been awhile since I've updated here but there hasn't been a ton of progress so far. However, it appears we're at the point of critical mass and things may begin happening pretty quickly. No pictures tonight, but we have our concrete in place at this point and the bathroom is framed in. All of our rough cut lumber for the actual pavilion structure is now on site ready to be stained and the septic installer should be here next week. The electrical work (aside from the initial installation of the meter and an outside outlet) began on Monday and will resume tomorrow.

We've gotten a lot of thunderstorms recently and those have really thrown the workdays out of whack. I have had an unprecedented two weeks off this month and each week (this week included) while I had planned to work out there and try to get a lot done, the weather has had other ideas in mind for me. Lots of thinking on the fly as this has progressed but the overall plan is shaping up. I'll get some pics and post before too long.

I'm glad your farm location is permanently saved in my GPS and Phone. I'm ready for a fishfry picnic.

You gotta stop working so hard at your job, or you'll end up as crazy as me!

This month has been one of the nicest of my professional life. If I just didn't have to deal with reality in between these two weeks off, it would have been perfect! With a little luck, we could have this whole thing wrapped up in a few weeks and then the fish fry will be on!

So, here are some pics updating where we are right now.

This first one shows the start of the form for the pavilion. It is connected directly to our existing building and the roof line will line up with the existing roof line and run an additional 24 feet.


This one shows one of the builders eyeballing the overall shape of the concrete pad prior to doing the fine tuning on the rounded end.


Here is the form completed with the fire pit starting to take shape in the foreground.


And with the gravel base all in place as well as the form for the fire pit. At this point it was just about ready for concrete after a little more tweaking to get all the prep work tied up.


And here is the finished pour.


My wife wanted to have seating all the way around the fire pit but we wouldn't have had enough room to do that and still have an appreciable covered section. In the end, we decided to add a four foot extension to the rounded end and will conceal the seam with a row of bricks inserted into the concrete. I think it will end up making a nice decorative touch to make the pad more visually interesting, plus only you guys, my closest 9228 friends on earth, will know the real reason! That extension has been formed up and, weather permitting, should be poured on Thursday along with a ramp into the back side of the building for easier in and out with the utility tractor, lawn tractor, and 4 wheeler.

Just before the initial concrete pour, we finished the main electric supply with the line into the breaker disconnect and a conduit stubbed out towards the site of the eventual house construction. I was tickled to read the meter at all zeros and figured I'd memorialize it in a photo since it will likely never show this again!


And the final one for now is the rough frame in of the full bathroom. This is 12 feet wide by 6 deep and leaves a 4 foot "nook" on the pond side of the pavilion. I'll keep a grill and refrigerator in that area for entertaining and the bathroom structure will provide a little protection from the elements.


The front wall of the bathroom will be reworked to tie in to the roof line once that goes on. Starting tomorrow, the 8x8 rough cut poplar posts will begin going up to be followed by the beams that will frame in the top. Once those are all in place, we'll be doing 2x6 rough cut tongue in groove lumber for the roof sheathing instead of plywood. That lumber will all be exposed in a cathedral ceiling style with just one main 4x6 beam running from the existing building out to the end of the pavilion roof with 4x6 trusses angled up to it. It should be a pretty clean looking design. All of the wood will be stained a reddish brown. The bathroom walls and the entire back wall of the building will be finished in T-111 that is also stained to match.

It looks like we might have a week that is sparse on rain, so with just a little luck, we may see some solid progress this week. I had hoped to have this whole thing done by the time school let out at the beginning of June. Now I'm just hoping it might be done before the kids go back to school in a month!

More to come!

Looking good. I'll bet that it's a relief to see progress.

Aha!....already afflicted with 4-footitus. You're doomed, but it's a good kinda doomed.
I like it. Take your medicine and get back to work!