25/03/11
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Blockwork North wall making fast progress. They’re just about at the height needed to drop the beam and block floor into place. Then the rest of the walls will continue upwards. Hopefully we can lose a bit of the mud internally in the deep part of the void underneath.
Blockwork North wall making fast progress. They’re just about at the height needed to drop the beam and block floor into place. Then the rest of the walls will continue upwards. Hopefully we can lose a bit of the mud internally in the deep part of the void underneath.
25/03/08
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Sunny early spring day and some nice progress to see at the front. Two of the three new ground floor window openings are more or less complete. The third in the centre will presumably follow this - RIP 50’s elegant arch entrance. Unsure if the centre upstairs opening will be done prior to scaffolding - assume maybe not given it would hard to do without access to both sides.
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We both got a bit excited to see the opening complete, as the tall, full height 2.4m nature of it feels kinda cool. Noticably different anyway from what was there previously, and we can start to imagine how the light will flood in front and back . The living room will open out into the front garden with two large glass doors. The kitchen will be two windows and a sandwich panel underneath. The size of the big boy front door is starting to hit home :) Weirdly enough, the increased height of the three openings stretches the house up a touch, and makes it feel a tiny bit taller than it was before they went in.
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In the back the blockwork extension walls are well underway. The rest of the week looks to have been taken up with laying the new drainage waste pipes. These flow downhill into the base of that big black cylinder, on top of which will sit a new manhole. Maybe it will be even taller as the mud mountain is going to come back towards the house and go right to the top, if not the beyond it in height. In the picture below you can just make out the end of the gargantuan 1m x 1m x 3m concrete footing on the right hand side. Holy moly.
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Sunny early spring day and some nice progress to see at the front. Two of the three new ground floor window openings are more or less complete. The third in the centre will presumably follow this - RIP 50’s elegant arch entrance. Unsure if the centre upstairs opening will be done prior to scaffolding - assume maybe not given it would hard to do without access to both sides.
We both got a bit excited to see the opening complete, as the tall, full height 2.4m nature of it feels kinda cool. Noticably different anyway from what was there previously, and we can start to imagine how the light will flood in front and back . The living room will open out into the front garden with two large glass doors. The kitchen will be two windows and a sandwich panel underneath. The size of the big boy front door is starting to hit home :) Weirdly enough, the increased height of the three openings stretches the house up a touch, and makes it feel a tiny bit taller than it was before they went in.
In the back the blockwork extension walls are well underway. The rest of the week looks to have been taken up with laying the new drainage waste pipes. These flow downhill into the base of that big black cylinder, on top of which will sit a new manhole. Maybe it will be even taller as the mud mountain is going to come back towards the house and go right to the top, if not the beyond it in height. In the picture below you can just make out the end of the gargantuan 1m x 1m x 3m concrete footing on the right hand side. Holy moly.
25/02/27
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Concrete finally poured for the extension foundations. A very wet period when trenching ended and they went for the pour. Cue super cold nights with sunny days for it to start curing.
Concrete finally poured for the extension foundations. A very wet period when trenching ended and they went for the pour. Cue super cold nights with sunny days for it to start curing.
25/02/25
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End of February brings with it the final chapter of ecocide in the back garden. What was once living, no more. Trenches for the extension footings finally dug and the grand total of spoils is now on display for the neighbours to shake their head at. The 4m of underpinning that we needed to do on the rear corner of the house is on display and hopefully doing it’s job. Hopefully there’s concrete being poured this week ready for the extension to begin.
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Given the unsettling amount of rubble and mud we have to keep on site, it has been decided to grade an landscape it into rough terraces. It was too costly to do anything else, be it take off site or retain behind either masonry or timber walls. This seems like the only option we have but should hopefully give us a couple of flat sections of garden that we can work with. The most important one being the bit just outside the extension, meaning you can walk out onto a a flat piece of earth. The terraces will be formed using the digger on site and be bound into place using some sort of geotextile membrane that’s fixed into the ground. Basically big-ass chicken wire and pegs. Seems legit.![]()
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Elsewhere, work has started on creating the new window openings on the front of the house. These need to be done prior to the wrap around scaffolding being put into place in the next few weeks. The pic above shows the new full height front window that will open from our living room into the front garden. There’s about to be a new lintel put in there that will run flush to the ceiling. Inside the new window openings for the side of the kitchen have taken shape. The exterior skin openings will be done once the massive ramp outside is removed. Upstairs, the floor joist replacement looks nearly done ready for the new stud wall to go in that will seperate the second bedroom and bathroom.
End of February brings with it the final chapter of ecocide in the back garden. What was once living, no more. Trenches for the extension footings finally dug and the grand total of spoils is now on display for the neighbours to shake their head at. The 4m of underpinning that we needed to do on the rear corner of the house is on display and hopefully doing it’s job. Hopefully there’s concrete being poured this week ready for the extension to begin.
Given the unsettling amount of rubble and mud we have to keep on site, it has been decided to grade an landscape it into rough terraces. It was too costly to do anything else, be it take off site or retain behind either masonry or timber walls. This seems like the only option we have but should hopefully give us a couple of flat sections of garden that we can work with. The most important one being the bit just outside the extension, meaning you can walk out onto a a flat piece of earth. The terraces will be formed using the digger on site and be bound into place using some sort of geotextile membrane that’s fixed into the ground. Basically big-ass chicken wire and pegs. Seems legit.
Elsewhere, work has started on creating the new window openings on the front of the house. These need to be done prior to the wrap around scaffolding being put into place in the next few weeks. The pic above shows the new full height front window that will open from our living room into the front garden. There’s about to be a new lintel put in there that will run flush to the ceiling. Inside the new window openings for the side of the kitchen have taken shape. The exterior skin openings will be done once the massive ramp outside is removed. Upstairs, the floor joist replacement looks nearly done ready for the new stud wall to go in that will seperate the second bedroom and bathroom.
25/02/15
January was busy and saw a lot being done. Internal demolition proceeded and the remainders of the chimneys were removed as the two new masonry walls went up until they met the loft area. Now they’re built, the new window and door openings on the front of the house can begin.
A couple of big setbacks though meant big expenses that we didn’t account for. The first was that due to the skewed nature of the existing house and how twisted the joists were, it was decided to replace them all i.e. the entire first floor. Hmmm.... The full height doors we’re using have little in the way of tolerance so hopefully this removes any potential problems with them going forward whilst also providing a perfectly level first floor and ground floor ceiling.
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Some new studwork was started for the master bedroom area on top of the new joisted and chipboarded floor. This will create a dressing area and also the end of what will eventually be a built in wardrobe.
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Meanwhile the new floor started to be installed on the other side of the house where the bathroom and second office will be. Below this in the kitchen area the internal left hand side wall has been removed and new blockwork started in it’s place to create the two new slim window openings alongside where the bench will be.
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In the garden things have gotten much worse and it now resembles a giant clay landslide. Sadly we found a stepped foundation underneath where the existing concrete steps were. The knock on from this is we had to underpin approximately 4 metres of foundation. Reason being as they were stepped up, the extension floor level would be above them. Cue big expense. They’re now done though and digging for footings is scheduled for this coming week. Still lots of ongoing discussion as to how the hell the very large amounts of earth and spoil will be buried/hidden as there’s a disgusting amount that will cost a fortune to remove.
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January was busy and saw a lot being done. Internal demolition proceeded and the remainders of the chimneys were removed as the two new masonry walls went up until they met the loft area. Now they’re built, the new window and door openings on the front of the house can begin.
A couple of big setbacks though meant big expenses that we didn’t account for. The first was that due to the skewed nature of the existing house and how twisted the joists were, it was decided to replace them all i.e. the entire first floor. Hmmm.... The full height doors we’re using have little in the way of tolerance so hopefully this removes any potential problems with them going forward whilst also providing a perfectly level first floor and ground floor ceiling.
Some new studwork was started for the master bedroom area on top of the new joisted and chipboarded floor. This will create a dressing area and also the end of what will eventually be a built in wardrobe.
Meanwhile the new floor started to be installed on the other side of the house where the bathroom and second office will be. Below this in the kitchen area the internal left hand side wall has been removed and new blockwork started in it’s place to create the two new slim window openings alongside where the bench will be.
In the garden things have gotten much worse and it now resembles a giant clay landslide. Sadly we found a stepped foundation underneath where the existing concrete steps were. The knock on from this is we had to underpin approximately 4 metres of foundation. Reason being as they were stepped up, the extension floor level would be above them. Cue big expense. They’re now done though and digging for footings is scheduled for this coming week. Still lots of ongoing discussion as to how the hell the very large amounts of earth and spoil will be buried/hidden as there’s a disgusting amount that will cost a fortune to remove.
