⁄PAREDES

A delivery of blocks.  We got 500 in two truckloads:

The front room, a way station to the work area:

The walls go up:

The view from the back with a space for the door:

We've been doing some research about rising damp, and the only sensible thing to do in new construction is to install a vapor barrier at the bottom of the wall.  So we told the architect we wanted to do that, and he told the albañiles how to do it.  First, this adhesive was spread on the top of the footer:

Then this fabric was laid over the stuff above, followed by the first course of block:

This tubing is used as a level.  It's filled with water.  One man stands with one end against a rebar support and gets the water in the tubing to the desired level.  Another stands across at the opposite rebar support, and the water in the tube shows him where to make his mark.  That way, when the courses of block are laid, they are at the same level all around the building.  If you want a more detailed description of how it works, ask my brother-in-law, the follower named Petey Boy.  Pete says this method can be used to re-calibrate carpenter's spirit levels when the bubbles go bad.

The architect came to call and we talked electric outlets, kitchen plans, etc.  Soon we'll actually be getting specs for appliances so the workmen will know how to construct the counters and cabinets.