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  • About
    • Now Happening
    • Advocacy
    • Careers
    • Current Builds
      • Apostles Build
      • Fund for Humanity Builds
      • George Hammond Build
      • Interfaith Build for Unity
      • Maverik Build
      • Paul Johnson Memorial Build
      • Veterans Build
    • FAQ
    • Faith in Action
    • News & Media
    • Our Board of Directors
    • Our Global Impact
    • Our Staff Team
    • Reports and Financials
  • ReStore
    • ReStore Donations
  • Volunteer
    • FAQ
    • Volunteer – Individuals & Groups
    • Corporate Opportunities
    • Committees & Special Projects
    • Volunteer Appreciation Event
      • George Hammond Award
    • Women Build
  • Housing Help
    • Homeownership Program
    • Home Repair Program
    • Pikes Peak Habitat Support for Veterans
    • Pikes Peak Habitat Homeowners
  • Contact
    • Join Our Mailing List
  • Blog
  • Donate ♥
    • Donate Online
    • Planned Giving
    • Donate Land
    • Donate Your Vehicle
    • Donate Materials to the ReStore
    • Earn 25% State Income Tax Credit
    • Other Ways to Give
June 22, 2023 In Uncategorized

A Walk Around the Construction Site

Color-coded pipes and matching pieces of wood Large hole in the ground

Part I

When you visit the Pikes Peak Habitat build site at The Ridge at Sand Creek, it’s obvious that there’s a lot going on — but understanding the details can be tricky for those of us who aren’t construction experts! That’s why walking through the site with Eric Wells, Pikes Peak Habitat’s construction superintendent, is such an educational experience.

Surveying the Site

Stake in the ground with boards stacked nearbyOne thing you’ll see, notes Wells, are “stakes all over the place. They show us where our property lines are,” he says. “We’re able to measure off those stakes so we can get the foundation in the right place and square on the lot as well. The surveyors do their magic, and it’s a really important step.”

He adds, “I remember when I was a kid, I would go on the construction site and I’d pull these stakes out like it was fun, but now I understand, well, that’s a pain in the butt. It causes the people building the house a lot more headache, no matter how fun it is!”

Water and Sewer Pipes

That big hole near the stakes? We’ll build two homes there. Right now, all that’s visible are two pipes sticking out of the ground on each site.

Two pipes sticking out of the ground“The blue one is for water,” explains Wells. “The green one is for sewer. We want to have a way to connect to the sewer line and the water lines before we pour our concrete. I don’t want to dig underneath it. We’ve already got a really good, compact, level ground here. If we dug underneath our forms, our foundation, we would cause some issues.”

The pipes are placed first, then the form of the home is built around them. Wells says the pipes go about 12 feet down.

“That accounts for how cold it can get here, so you don’t have things freezing and bursting,” he explains.

The construction crew also places color-coded wood to indicate the termination points for the pipes, and they mark an W and an S on the curb to show where the lines come in from the street.

Installing the French Drain System

Next door to the hole is the foundation of what will eventually be a one-story, three-bedroom home. Wells explains how much more there is than meets the eye.

“Underneath this dirt where we’re standing, we’ve got some plastic draped down, and then we’ve got some corrugated plastic piping,” he says. “Then we put gravel on top of that and cover it with a permeable fabric.”

Why? “When water gets in this dirt, instead of traveling into the house, it’s allowed to drain and filter through the dirt, filter through that fabric, filter through that gravel that we put down and into that black pipe, and it’s directed to a sump pit,” he explains. “Then there’s a sump pump that pumps it out and away from the house.”

View of Pikes Peak, fence, and home foundationEven in Colorado’s arid climate, this is a necessary step. “There’s a lot of water that can get into the ground. It’s not just like this little area between the house and fences, but it all sheds off the roof as well, so we’re talking about the entire footprint of the house that water is coming down the gutters. It can be a lot,” he says. “Gutters can help direct it away, but if those don’t work, there’s always this additional system, the French drain system.”

Once the French drain and radon systems are in place, the construction volunteers and staff begin building the foundation.

Stay tuned for Part II!

Previous StoryJessica Shares Her Story at 3rd Interfaith Build for Unity Launch
Next StoryHow Do We Handle Stormwater at the Build Site?

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Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit recognized by the IRS. Our tax ID number is 35-1640064 and your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.
Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity Business Office:

719.475.7800

office@pikespeakhabitat.org

2802 N. Prospect St. Colorado Springs, CO 80907

Pikes Peak Habitat for Humanity ReStores:

719.667.0840

donations@pikespeakhabitat.org

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6250 Tutt Blvd., Colorado Springs, CO 80923

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