Trying to Find Square
Sat, May 11, 2019This is the first time we’ve left the property without anything to show for our efforts. The only goal we had for today was to get four corners square. Trying to get things square is a 2-man job and I am headed up by myself next week for a few days to start setting up form boards for the footings. If we aren’t able to get things square today, I won’t be productive next week.
Nothing is square and it’s time to go home. Tomorrow is Mother’s Day and neither of us have a hall pass for that.
Things started out pretty well this morning. The plan was to start shooting our corners with the laser. The laser would let us traverse the multiple grades while maintaining a perfect straight (and square) line. Then come back and double check everything by measuring diagonals.
The laser part of this went quick. As we went, we made some corner forms and set them in position with where the laser told us. With the fourth corner to go, we set the laser directly above where the corner should go, and shot the laser down to the adjacent two corners. If everything went well, our laser should intersect the other two corners exactly.
Hmm, off by a couple inches.
More troubling, the back footing was angled in a way that meant we would have to excavate about 18 inches more for the inside side.
Over lunch, we realized this was because we referenced everything from the front wall, and last weekend, we place the front wall as far west as we could. Now our trench was not wide enough on the east side. The simple solution was to move the whole house east by 6 inches and angle it a bit more towards the lake (great!).
Restart. Shoot our corners again with the new reference line.
Hmm, off by an inch and a half. Although not bad for just using the laser. Now we will shore it all up with traditional methods.
Since we didn’t have to excavate as far down in the northwest corner, we should be able to stand a straight 2x4 up vertically with a plumb level on it, and pull a diagonal off the top of that to its opposite corner. Then repeat for the other two corners. If these measures are the same, the footings are square.
Hmm, off by 10 inches.
OK, scoot one corner in and move another corner out. Remeasure.
Off by 6 inches.
We didn’t move the corners in/out enough. Move some more. Remeasure.
Off by 3 inches. Is that okay? We’re measuring 60 feet across. There is at least just 3 inches of slack in the line…
Check our length measures. Off by a foot. What?! Readjust corner. Now the lengths are good.
Check our diagonals again. Off by 6 inches. Not surprising. Move corners in pairs so that our lengths do not get messed up again. Remeasure.
Off by 6 inches still. Did we move the wrong pair of corners? Did we move them in the wrong direction? Man, its hot out. How is it already 4pm? Which diagonal was the long one? Remeasure.
Off by only 2 inches. Hmm, we didn’t move anything, but now we’re only off by 2 inches. One or both of us aren’t holding our sticks plumb, or maybe we are not pulling the tape measure taught.
I am not sure what to do. These diagonals are never going to be exactly right. I can pull the tape a bit harder or lesser to get a different number, but how much margin is acceptable at this distance?
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
Now its 6:15. We agree to work until 7 and then we’re going to call it. Rectangles are a very basic shape but I draw one out and label my diagonals. If this one is long, and this one is short, then these two corners need to move in this direction. Check.
Readjust. Remeasure. Wow, our diagonals are nearly perfect. Less than inch apart from each other.
Check our lengths again. Off by 6 inches.
…
Now its 7:15 and we’ve got to start packing up. We think we’re close but my confidence is really low, and I don’t think I will be coming up next week by myself. No point in building on top of work we are not confident in.
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