Easterday Construction

Grace Baptist Church Anniversary

by

Grace Baptist Church in Plymouth will be celebrating their 50 year anniversary this summer.  They have a dedication marker in the corner of their front entrance commemorating the 1961 establishment of the Church.  There has been some debate regarding whether there is a time capsule behind this stone.  Some of the Church Elders believing that there is a time capsule there and would like to open it as part of the anniversary celebration.

Because of the various projects we’ve completed for the Church, Pastor Elliott asked if we knew if there was a time capsule there or if there was a way of finding out without damaging the marker.  I looked at the marker and the wall and was a little skeptical.  The marker is carved limestone.  From all indications the wall is block with the limestone exterior as a veneer.  The thickness doesn’t really lend itself to allow for a cavity since the total wall thickness is not much more than 12″.  That would allow for 8″ block with 4″ limestone veneer.  If the marker stone is 2″ thick, there might be a 2″ cavity behind it.  If they had also switched to 4″ block in this area, they could have possibly created a 6″ cavity.

I discussed removing the marker with Pastor Elliott.  Even if the marker is only 2″ thick, it would be difficult to cut the mortar surrounding it.  We would not be able to cut all the way to the corners to the full depth with a circular blade without damaging the surrounding stone.  If we stopped short of cutting full depth at the corners to protect the surrounding stone, we would be forced to chip out the remaining mortar taking the chance of damaging the marker.  This on the chance that there is a time capsule…

Matt Peregrine

I made an alternate suggestion that we drill a hole in the block behind the marker and use a camera to check for a cavity.  Matt Peregrine of Peregrine Heating and Cooling has a camera and volunteered to donate part of his Saturday to help.  Matt’s son Steven just completed 5th grade at Grace Baptist School and came along to check out the exploration.  We met this past Saturday, May 28th, to see what we could find.

We used a hammer drill and drilled three holes in the wall.  The first hole was drilled directly behind the marker.  This hole found no cavity.  Not even a block core void.  We went as far as we dared for fear of damaging the marker and were in approximately 8″ when we stopped.  The second hole was drilled above the marker with the idea that we could look down into any cavity.  We had difficulty bending the camera to see down in the gap between the block and stone, so we used that same hole as a starting point and drilled at a 45 degree angle down towards the marker.  In second and third holes we were able to see the gap between the stones, but found no void.   While this didn’t conclusively eliminate the possibility, we felt we had pressed our luck far enough and the Church Elders needed to hear what we found and decide if more destruction was warranted.  I spoke to Pastor Elliott this week and he is going to report our findings to the Church Board.  At this time they plan no more exploration.

I want to thank Matt Peregrine for generously donating his time.  He told me he felt like Geraldo Rivera when he was looking for Al Capone’s vault since the whole thing had an anticlimactic ending.  Apologies to Steven.  I guess he didn’t get to be the first to see the time capsule, but he did get to see his father giving generously of his time and equipment.  Hopefully that will inspire him in the future.

Outdoor Living Project II

by

We previously told you about our work on an outdoor living project here.  Indiana weather hasn’t helped us with progress this Spring.  We had to wait for the weather to warm up enough to complete the masonry on the fireplace before we could make the tie-in with the rest of the structure.  Once that happened in March, we were able to complete the framing, but then April came with nearly constant rain delays.  Since that time we have completed the roof structure, installed the shingles and the EPDM roof on the flat section.  We have completed the barrel ceiling framing.  We have also completed the perimeter retaining wall.

Next on the schedule is the electrical rough-in.  The Owners finalized the lighting layout and have made most of the fixture selections this week.  We will be running the electric in flexible plastic conduit for maximum future options.  The Owners use a computerized lighting and security system in their home.  This system will be extended to the cabana to allow remote control of the lighting and other electrical systems.

We are also about to begin the installation of masonry walls that define the room.  The walls are solid core decorative retaining wall blocks that are designed for mortarless installation with vertical installation.  The critical area will be around the kitchen area where the interior dimensions are crucial for the kitchen cabinets and appliances while the exterior dimensions are crucial to the column alignment and hurricane shutter locations.

Check back for futher updates where we’ll have additional pictures of how it all comes together.

Culver Academies Woodcraft Camp Cabin

by

We are currently working on a new cabin for the girls’ section of the Woodcraft Camp.  We are duplicating the existing cabins as much as possible, using cedar for nearly everything that is exposed.

We had a false start where we got off square due to tree roots, but we regrouped and are back under construction with walls standing and our first rafters in the air.

Culver Academies have 70 cabins in the Woodcraft Camp as well as about a dozen or so other accessory buildings.  The camp has been in its current location for almost 50 years.  Prior to that it was part of the main campus.  The Woodcraft Camp program is celebrating its centennial this year.  I’m not sure what all will be included in the celebration, but I’m guessing they will do it up right.

From A Salute to the Woodcraft Camps by Robert B.D. Hartman

The cabins have changed very little over the years.  The first one was built as a display and transported to the site for placement on concrete piers.  The roofing material has changed over the years, going from cedar shakes to composite faux cedar shakes, to the current use of architectural shingles; and some of the hidden structure has been changed to treated lumber.  Beyond those changes, great pains have been taken to match the authentic original designs.

As I’m writing this, more changes may be in the works though.  We currently have a variance application at the State requesting a waiver on the new rules that would require this cabin to have a fire sprinkler system.  Aside from the fact that this would be the only sprinkled cabin on the site,  it would be extremely difficult and costly to extend adequate water lines to supply a sprinkler system.

The plan is to have this new cabin completed in time for the 2011 Woodcraft Camp starting in June.  We’re pressed for time due to the wet weather we’ve been having, but we’re making good progress.  Watch for more enteries here as we progress.

For those of you interested in additional information on the Culver Academies Woodcraft Camp, I would suggest you take a look at A Salute to the Woodcraft Camps by Robert B.D. Hartman.  I have attached a copy here.

New Look

by

The Easterday Construction Co., Inc. website was looking a bit dated and with changes in computers around here, I didn’t have a program that allowed me to edit it.  I’ve also been reading about the various things that make a site visible and there was no doubt that ours was lacking.  When we first put it up in 2004 I thought the “Under Construction” moniker was a cute visual play on words for a construction company site, but it was no longer cutting it.  The previous editing program made adding content such a chore that it was hard to find the time and ambition to add content and work with the site.   Since I do most of this at home or on lunch hours, procrastination due to frustration took over.

Satellite Software LogoI spoke to Pat Renneker of Satellite Software, our web hosting company, about it.  He suggested since I was using WordPress for the blog and was comfortable with it, it made sense to switch the website over to that format as well.  Pat did all the transfers for me.  He also updated and transferred the blog so that it is a more seamless part of the site.  He went above and beyond for me and I appreciate it.  I’m sure there are some glitches yet to figure out, so if you see anything, let me know.  Hopefully it will be easier to add content and refresh the site with the new tools, but there will be a learning curve.

I am using the ITWORX II theme which Pat helped me select.  It offers a myriad of options which I am starting to explore.  Hopefully you’ll be seeing additional changes and additions in the coming weeks.

CMS Career Day 2011

by

Last Friday I spoke at Career Day for the Culver Middle School.  This was a presentation to the seventh grade class.  The class was broken into 4 groups and they made the rounds between several of us who had volunteered to speak.  Last year I had to compete with Angela Ridenhour’s presentation on Photography.  Apparently she was the favorite.  This year one of my fellow presenters was a police officer from the K-9 unit with a police dog.  What did W.C. Field’s say?  “Never work with animals or children.” I’m guessing I was upstaged.  <sigh>

In any case, I did a presentation on Landscape Architecture since it is National Landscape Architecture Month and I hold a Bachelor of Science in Landscape Architecture from Purdue University.  I made it somewhat a duel discussion on construction as well since I was introduced as working for Easterday Construction Co., Inc.  I was able to draw on my experience from last year, so not much preparation was required.  I learned last year that having at least a loose outline was important as by the third or fourth time it becomes difficult to remember what I had said to the current group vs. the preceding groups.

I discussed the profession, the degree requirement, licensing requirements and a general range of what the degree qualifies you to do.  I also took them through an impromptu white board sketch of  the considerations in developing a lot.  I discussed  solar heat gain, wind rows and topography considerations as well as the relationships with other homes on adjacent lots.  I was also able to discuss the various things happening in Culver with the recently annexed land on the south side of Town and how I have participated in helping revise the Zoning Ordinance and help with guiding decisions on how the land may be used in the future.

It was an interesting experience.  The first group was not particularly vocal, but the remaining groups had a mix of interesting and off-the-wall questions.  Each group had a different area of interest which actually made it kind of fun.  There’s no way I want to become a teacher, but it was somewhat gratifying to think I made a positive impression.

Apparently I actually did.  An employee told me that he had a daughter in the class who came home talking about what I had said and actually discussed some of the points that I made.  That was fairly impressive.  Maybe the dog didn’t take top honors this year?

Anyway, this was a good way to give back to the community.  As seventh graders they have a lot of time before they have to decide what they will do with their lives.    Hopefully I influenced a few kids and gave them some career options that they hadn’t previously considered.  If I did, it was worth a couple of hours on a Friday afternoon.  Maybe next year (if asked to participate) I will bring along my dog!