Sun, Sep 16 2007 - Habitat for Humanity: Elliott House Restoration (View Original Event Details)
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The TOC volunteers spent a very productive day working on the old Elliott House. Most of the team spent time in the morning cleaning up the asphalt taken off the roof earlier in the week – the roofing company was just pitching the old material over the edge and other companies were coming in the following week to set up more scaffolding, starting to clean bricks and other work that needed clear access to the building..
Once the ground was clear, all TOC’ers were put to work building concrete formers for the foundation The Elliott House is rather unique in that its foundation is not being built as modern buildings are. The house is currently sitting on large, steel beams which were used to support the structure during the move from the original site to the current location. The lower 4 feet of the foundation was poured before the house-move but because of the need for the towing vehicles and the rig to get right over the foundation, the upper part is being completed now that the house is in its final position.
The upper part of the foundation is somewhat hampered by the presence of the steel beams so must be built in two phases. Phase one is to get the building onto concrete pillars so that the steel beams can be removed. Plywood formers are built and installed in each location where clear access can be achieved – each one is custom built for the available space. Once these are complete, and the structural engineer has approved the pillars, the steel will be removed. A second set of formers will then be built and the balance of the foundation will be cast in place.
Everyone pitched in, in teams of two, working on separate formers. Power tools could be heard buzzing, hammers were banging, drills were whining away all around the house. No toes were crushed, and no fingers were lost during the day (although the hard-hats were well-used given the low workspace under the house and the presence of the steel beams) and the team pronounced themselves well-satisfied both with the work completed and their participation in making it happen. A second TOC Habitat Build event has been scheduled for October 21, so if you have ever wanted to work on a real construction site, now’s your opportunity.
Have some photos from this event that you'd like to share in our photo album? Please forward them to Erik Sonstenes at photos@torontooutdoorclub.com. Please note that we prefer to receive the photos in approximately 640x480 or 750x500 pixels - do NOT send original high-res photos. If you have a LOT of photos, please submit up to twenty of your favorites (only) for a day event, or up to forty of your favourites for a multi-day event. Thank you.