The Build - Week 2

Hello everyone,

First - apologies to those of you who have contacted me to say......where is week 2!!!!!!

Well, here it is.........

Quite an uneventful week as it happens -well, in comparison to last week that is! The phrase "it always looks better once it comes out of the ground" was used as lot this week - and do you know....they are right. Once the blocks and bricks appear then it takes on a whole new character. The other interesting thing is that the footprint, once outlined by the blocks, ALWAYS looks smaller that the finished job - never really understood that one?!?!?!

Building inspector continues to appear happy after each visit - Idon`t talk to him (I let Dan do that) but as I sit watching them, through the dining room window while I`m working on the PC, I`m reminded of scenes from that very funny Eric Sukes film "The Plank" much gesticulating, pointing and head scratching and no audible conversation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JyU6SonN6mc

The promised wet weather has also kept away which is brilliant - mind you as I`m writing this, the skies have taken on that look of old weathered church roof lead - so lets not get too confident!!

As ever with any build much discussion has been of creating features that don`t appear anywhere on the plans!! - "can we have that window there now"........ "how about putting some stone on that bit rather than brick"....... "lets make that opening a little wider" .....did I really ask for that?

Many more of those conversations to come I suspect....

So, foundations in, DPC membrane laid, first stage of sub floor on and set, three courses of brick laid - we`re all happy!!!!!

Speak to you all next week with more news of progress

The Build - Week 1

Hello there,

We are having some alterations done to the house in order to give us some more space (not a lot more in reality - anyway the more you have the more you need!! as some of you will know?!?!)

Rather than send random pictures to those that are interested It has been suggested that I post the developments as a weekly Blog - thereby ensuring that those who have no interest in the project don`t have to be subjected to a boring set of pictures! - anyway enough babble and onto the detail.

Week One

Monday.
The beginning of the dig, quite exciting after a two year planning and discussion process. All went well - top-soil scrapped off and given to my neighbour John in return for the loan of one of his fields - I needed somewhere for deliveries, spoil and machinery parking etc etc etc- thanks John!
Next came the levelling process - quite a bit of soil had to come out - say 2-3 grab lorry loads. Then came the digging of the footings - 2mtrs down owing to the clay around here - then came the building inspector who said oh, I would have been happy with 1.5! but you know what would have been said if we stopped at 1.5.........?

Tuesday
Now, Rob is a great driver, very careful and nimble with a digger - all is going well we are digging away. By now it`s 4;30 and nearly time to go home. Dan, (who's company I`m using) is in the kitchen talking to me about bricks and stuff when a head pops around the corner and says - Dan we have a problem..............
The front teeth of the bucket has gone through the mains water pipe!!!!!! the mains valve is in the driveway under gravel, under a rusted cast iron cover, sat in a sodden pit 2 feet deep with a rusted valve at the bottom of it!........Dan, we certainly do have a problem!!...... Twenty minutes and  many tens of gallons later we have the water off, repairs underway and a 3 foot deep miniature ship canal in the garden!!

Wednesday
A 7am start this morning. Pumps are in place and the process of emptying  the canal is underway - no real pressure !!!- building inspector is arriving at 10 am, 9 cubic metres of Redimix arriving at noon and still a small footing to finish!! Somehow it all happened on time and by 6pm everyone was ready for a beer!!!

Thursday
Blocks arrive!!!!!! and brickies get to work. It is now taking shape - ground works are always tricky - and never look like they have taken a lot of effort but when the blocks start going up - that`s when it looks like progress!

Friday
More blocks, more shape and form and most importantly............no disasters!!
The boys have tidied up, packed away and gone home for the weekend.

.......and I`m having a beer!!

More next week