The final footings

Here's a nice view of the finished footings. Surprisingly (to me), they took one relatively damp afternoon to dry. The water just rises to the top and either evaporates or runs off. The three footings inside the house are for the chimney (right) and interior posts (two footings at left). These were poured about a foot too far to the left. I caught it though with my trusty measuring tape. The foundation contractor just extended them one foot to the right. Good save, Roger.

Concrete, if used correctly, is a fine thing. Sure, it has a nasty carbon footprint, but note how the footing keeps the water from that little spring pooling in the crevice at bottom right. This is good, because it is not pooling inside the house. Water pooling under the house is not environmental; it leaves mold. We filled this pool with extra concrete left over after the foundation pour. The spring now drains behind the house (to the left of the photo).