25/06/18
Lots been going on over the last few weeks. The extension parapet walls have been built up to height. All the insulation added around the sides. There is a thick layer of insulation that will sit on the flat roof and be boarded over before finishing with a single ply membrane. The firrings have been fitted that will create the slope back towards the main house for the rainwater to run. This will then run along hidden guttering between extension and main house before exiting each side of the house and down. The extension rooflight reveal has been created and the triple glazed glass unit delivered ready to drop in. It’s a big boy 2m x 1m panel an will let light into what will be the darkest part of the house.
The enormous steels are mostly now in. One more piece is needed up top which was going in as these pics were taken. There will be one more horizontal piece fitted later at the level of the staircase landing, adding more strength to the large window opening. It’s the first time we saw the reveal open, without any plastic sheeting covering it, and the light really poured in. The new living room opening was also without plastic for the first time so was letting the light flood in as well. Nice to see.
Lots more pipework and first fix work has been underway at the same time. Insulation is being laid on the ground floor ready for metal trays to be laid on top carrying the underfloor heating pipes. Been told that’s happening next week. There’s also a lot of timber battening going around all the windows so they can finally be measured up ready to order. This is the thing that’s going to hold up moving in as they take a good 10-14 weeks to arrive. Must be patient.
There’s been plenty more main roof work done with the new side drainage channels starting to be finished and membraned along with the hidden guttering that sits behind the parapets. The roofers are finishing this first before felting and battening the entire roof. The following week the PV panels will be fitted on top of the newly watertight roof. Finally the slate will be fitted once ready. In the garden we did our best to collect up as much rubble as possible and dispose of it under the exposed living room floor. More to go but we got a lot done so a good start. Still concerned about the sheer quantity of topsoild we’ll need to lug down. 12 bags was hard enough work and rough calculations mean we need something in the region of 400 :)
Lots been going on over the last few weeks. The extension parapet walls have been built up to height. All the insulation added around the sides. There is a thick layer of insulation that will sit on the flat roof and be boarded over before finishing with a single ply membrane. The firrings have been fitted that will create the slope back towards the main house for the rainwater to run. This will then run along hidden guttering between extension and main house before exiting each side of the house and down. The extension rooflight reveal has been created and the triple glazed glass unit delivered ready to drop in. It’s a big boy 2m x 1m panel an will let light into what will be the darkest part of the house.
The enormous steels are mostly now in. One more piece is needed up top which was going in as these pics were taken. There will be one more horizontal piece fitted later at the level of the staircase landing, adding more strength to the large window opening. It’s the first time we saw the reveal open, without any plastic sheeting covering it, and the light really poured in. The new living room opening was also without plastic for the first time so was letting the light flood in as well. Nice to see.
Lots more pipework and first fix work has been underway at the same time. Insulation is being laid on the ground floor ready for metal trays to be laid on top carrying the underfloor heating pipes. Been told that’s happening next week. There’s also a lot of timber battening going around all the windows so they can finally be measured up ready to order. This is the thing that’s going to hold up moving in as they take a good 10-14 weeks to arrive. Must be patient.
There’s been plenty more main roof work done with the new side drainage channels starting to be finished and membraned along with the hidden guttering that sits behind the parapets. The roofers are finishing this first before felting and battening the entire roof. The following week the PV panels will be fitted on top of the newly watertight roof. Finally the slate will be fitted once ready. In the garden we did our best to collect up as much rubble as possible and dispose of it under the exposed living room floor. More to go but we got a lot done so a good start. Still concerned about the sheer quantity of topsoild we’ll need to lug down. 12 bags was hard enough work and rough calculations mean we need something in the region of 400 :)
25/05/21
Last couple of weeks have mostly seen roofing work going on. The front and rear parapets are complete. These raise both the front and rear walls upwards, concealing the guttering that will then run downwards along the more hidden side of the house. The gable walls have been raised using timber battens. Once complete, the gable walls should run flush with the new slate roof tiles. On the front roof will be 8 horizontal inset flush PV panels making up a modest 3.5kw system - as large as the roof will allow. The roof pitch joists have been raised up a touch to create an air gap between the insulation and the new slate tiles. Between the joists we’ll have 75mm foil backed insulation boards and then another 75mm on the inside of the pitch. Not bothering with plaster board on the inside as the loft is just for storage and it’ll trim down the costs a touch. The existing slim loft floor joists (100mm) will have mineral fibre insulation put inbetween and then chipboarded. On the back of the house the new lintels and openings are complete for the kitchen and living room. The massive central opening looks to be pretty much done, albeit hiding behind plastic sheeting. Next up are some steels to be fitted around the opening to add strength. Once done, the windows can be measured up and ordered. Inside, a lot of the first fix plumbing is now complete. Insulated pipes running all over. Soil pipes from upstairs running externally down the side wall ready to be hidden within the insulation. Electric first fix to begin very shortly.
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Started to try and drill down into window colours given it’s just about time to order them. Current favourites are RAL 1035 Pearl Beige (an ever so slightly brassy brown colour) and RAL 7032 Pebble Grey - a very rough and probably inaccurate representation of it below. Render colour has been whittled down to a K-Rend Ash White in a 0.5mm finish on the top half of the house and a 3.0mm on the lower half and inset spandrels. Hopefully there will be enough of a visual difference betwen the two once complete.
Last couple of weeks have mostly seen roofing work going on. The front and rear parapets are complete. These raise both the front and rear walls upwards, concealing the guttering that will then run downwards along the more hidden side of the house. The gable walls have been raised using timber battens. Once complete, the gable walls should run flush with the new slate roof tiles. On the front roof will be 8 horizontal inset flush PV panels making up a modest 3.5kw system - as large as the roof will allow. The roof pitch joists have been raised up a touch to create an air gap between the insulation and the new slate tiles. Between the joists we’ll have 75mm foil backed insulation boards and then another 75mm on the inside of the pitch. Not bothering with plaster board on the inside as the loft is just for storage and it’ll trim down the costs a touch. The existing slim loft floor joists (100mm) will have mineral fibre insulation put inbetween and then chipboarded. On the back of the house the new lintels and openings are complete for the kitchen and living room. The massive central opening looks to be pretty much done, albeit hiding behind plastic sheeting. Next up are some steels to be fitted around the opening to add strength. Once done, the windows can be measured up and ordered. Inside, a lot of the first fix plumbing is now complete. Insulated pipes running all over. Soil pipes from upstairs running externally down the side wall ready to be hidden within the insulation. Electric first fix to begin very shortly.
Started to try and drill down into window colours given it’s just about time to order them. Current favourites are RAL 1035 Pearl Beige (an ever so slightly brassy brown colour) and RAL 7032 Pebble Grey - a very rough and probably inaccurate representation of it below. Render colour has been whittled down to a K-Rend Ash White in a 0.5mm finish on the top half of the house and a 3.0mm on the lower half and inset spandrels. Hopefully there will be enough of a visual difference betwen the two once complete.
25/05/02
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Starting off this update with a sunny power shot. View from on top of the extension roof terrace. View really coming to life with the lovely spring weather we’ve been having recently. Beams in place with the rest to shortly follow. Enormous scaffolding now wrapping the main house. The front of the existing roof has come off which weirdly gives a glimpse of what it’ll look like once the new roof is both recessed and in slate. The inside of the extension feels a bit bigger than prior to the beams going on and blockwork finished.
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Starting off this update with a sunny power shot. View from on top of the extension roof terrace. View really coming to life with the lovely spring weather we’ve been having recently. Beams in place with the rest to shortly follow. Enormous scaffolding now wrapping the main house. The front of the existing roof has come off which weirdly gives a glimpse of what it’ll look like once the new roof is both recessed and in slate. The inside of the extension feels a bit bigger than prior to the beams going on and blockwork finished.
25/04/20
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Definitely hit that part of the build that requires lots of deep breaths and a level head. All front window openings are now complete including the one for the first floor central study/office. Side kitchen windows both complete. Extension topping out. Beams about to go in any minute. Despite looking like the Somme the garden grading has improved a lot over the past week. We had to rush in last weekend and attack the Hedge of Despair, removing the lowest 2m high x 2m deep as the digger was struggling and just piling up rubble against it. It still looks beyond hope but the levels are kind of sorta there - if you squint and a think positively anyway. We’re thinking the only path forward is to buy a proverbial shit tonne of topsoil, lug it down there by hand and then pin down in place using biodegradable hessian/jute fabric. Oh, and before that we’ll have to hand pick visible rubble/hardcore out and dispose of this..... somewhere.... The soil can then be pinned tightly down to stop erosion whilst any seeds take root. Sounds easy :) Not much to show inside the house this week. The carpenter has been busy leveling the first floor ceiling as surprise surprise it was woefully unlevel.
Hoping by the next update the digger is offsite, the grading at the side of the house well underway or complete, the extension beams and roof in, and the new scaffolding up around the house. Think positive.
Definitely hit that part of the build that requires lots of deep breaths and a level head. All front window openings are now complete including the one for the first floor central study/office. Side kitchen windows both complete. Extension topping out. Beams about to go in any minute. Despite looking like the Somme the garden grading has improved a lot over the past week. We had to rush in last weekend and attack the Hedge of Despair, removing the lowest 2m high x 2m deep as the digger was struggling and just piling up rubble against it. It still looks beyond hope but the levels are kind of sorta there - if you squint and a think positively anyway. We’re thinking the only path forward is to buy a proverbial shit tonne of topsoil, lug it down there by hand and then pin down in place using biodegradable hessian/jute fabric. Oh, and before that we’ll have to hand pick visible rubble/hardcore out and dispose of this..... somewhere.... The soil can then be pinned tightly down to stop erosion whilst any seeds take root. Sounds easy :) Not much to show inside the house this week. The carpenter has been busy leveling the first floor ceiling as surprise surprise it was woefully unlevel.
Hoping by the next update the digger is offsite, the grading at the side of the house well underway or complete, the extension beams and roof in, and the new scaffolding up around the house. Think positive.
25/04/10
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Extension walls are going up fast and about at the top now. The three rooms are now visible. Second bathroom feeling very small at 3m x 1.5m, but put in context of our last house (2.5 x 1.5m per bathroom) doesn’t seem so bad. Work has begun on the internal rear entrance into the extension.
The grading of the garden spoils is well underway but needs some work. The backfill up to the rear of the extension is done to around 3m out, and possibly needs a bit more. The plan is to let it settle over the course of a year and then attempt to lay a deck over it. Hoping we can bury as much rubble as possible over the next week or so and create some more formed levels, as at present it doesn’t look so hot. Some of the hedging on the inside has to go this weekend to allow the digger to access as close to the boundary as possible.
Out front, the glulam beams are on site which will provide the basis for the flat roof and also be exposed within the living area of the extension. Will keep these raw for the time being as we’re unsure how we’ll finish them - either a lacquer or paint white. The central ground floor front door/window opening is now complete and they’re moving onto the first floor one above it that will run in line with it.
Extension walls are going up fast and about at the top now. The three rooms are now visible. Second bathroom feeling very small at 3m x 1.5m, but put in context of our last house (2.5 x 1.5m per bathroom) doesn’t seem so bad. Work has begun on the internal rear entrance into the extension.
The grading of the garden spoils is well underway but needs some work. The backfill up to the rear of the extension is done to around 3m out, and possibly needs a bit more. The plan is to let it settle over the course of a year and then attempt to lay a deck over it. Hoping we can bury as much rubble as possible over the next week or so and create some more formed levels, as at present it doesn’t look so hot. Some of the hedging on the inside has to go this weekend to allow the digger to access as close to the boundary as possible.
Out front, the glulam beams are on site which will provide the basis for the flat roof and also be exposed within the living area of the extension. Will keep these raw for the time being as we’re unsure how we’ll finish them - either a lacquer or paint white. The central ground floor front door/window opening is now complete and they’re moving onto the first floor one above it that will run in line with it.