Category: Local (To Me !!!)

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 9


5J7A0480_1
Conservatory – South wall blockwork completed and connected to the garage.
5J7A0481_1
Conservatory – Although the blockwork is to full height theouter brickwork is yet to reach the same height.
5J7A0482_1
Conservatory – North end window pillars are complete, both blockwork and brickwork.
5J7A0484_1
Conservatory – Facia board has been cut into in preparation for connection to the new build.
5J7A0485_1
Conservatory – Close up of intersection between south wall blockwork and the garage wall.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 8


5J7A0474_1
Conservatory – Wall Starter Ties, being used where the new conservatory wall butts up to the house wall.
5J7A0475_1
Conservatory – Showing the progress of the end wall pillars, including the internal blockwork and insulation.
5J7A0476_1
Conservatory – Wot No Window. Good job the floor level is going to be raised too.
5J7A0477_1
Conservatory – Looking through the bi-fold aperture towards the end wall pillars.
5J7A0478_1
Conservatory – Looking through the bi-fold aperture towards the end wall showing the newly laid blockwork.

Drismal


Here we are and it’s Day 8 of our conservatory re-build and we have been really lucky with the weather since the works started. The only rain, so far, has had the decency to hold off until the end of the working day. Sprinkling while the guys have been packing up. Seems our luck has run out and this morning is starting out dull, with a light drizzle, a condition I like to describe as drismal. So it’s on with the jackets for Bob and Simon, the brickies, suitably fortified with a hot cup of tea.

So I have been pondering the economics of home construction work and have come to realise that an essential item has been missed from our costing.

Tea !!!

Or rather I should say Tea, Milk and Sugar. It seems the great british workman is fuelled by sweet tea.

During a normal week we consume perhaps 30 – 40 tea bags, 1 – 1.5 pints of milk and no sugar assuming no sweet toothed visitors.

However, consumption has ramped up significantly and seems to be running at around 64 tea bags, 3 pints of  milk and around 500 grams of sugar. This is just a rough guesstimate as the number of bods on site fluctuates. There is just the two of us but the workers vary from two to four and all but one drink their tea in the “white with two sugars” mix hence the sugar explosion.

And so I issue a word or two of advice to those considering a significant construction project on their own back door…..

If you want to keep them sweet, don’t forget to factor in the costs of providing regular teas to your workers.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 7


What a difference a day makes……

Conservatory - View down the side access. We need taller brickies to finish this wall.
Conservatory – View down the side access. We need taller brickies to finish this wall.
Conservatory - close up of the meshing of old and new bricks. Not a bad match for the bricks compared to the original build.
Conservatory – close up of the meshing of old and new bricks. Not a bad match for the bricks compared to the original build.
Conservatory - view showing the window pillars starting to grow. You can also see that the wall repair has been completed.
Conservatory – view showing the window pillars starting to grow. You can also see that the wall repair has been completed.
Conservatory - view across "siskin henge". You can see just how wide the bi-fold door aperture is going to be.
Conservatory – view across “siskin henge”. You can see just how wide the bi-fold door aperture is going to be.
Conservatory - looking a little less like a builders yard. Once the base is completed I guess all the pallets will go. Then it will be time for glass and plastic to be delivered.
Conservatory – looking a little less like a builders yard. Once the base is completed I guess all the pallets will go. Then it will be time for glass and plastic to be delivered.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 6


Not much to report for yesterdays progress. The brickwork at the utility room end is up to the level where the new back door will be fitted.

Conservatory - End wall viewed from the side passage.
Conservatory – End wall viewed from the side passage.
Conservatory - End wall viewed from the kitchen door, looking out.
Conservatory – End wall viewed from the kitchen door, looking out.

At the opposite end, adjacent to the back door where the old conservatory had pulled the bungalow brickwork out of the vertical, repair work is almost complete.

Conservatory - Bungalow wall repair.
Conservatory – Bungalow wall repair.

The repairs would have been completed, were it not for the super hard screws used to secure the bedroom window. There were two and they seemed impervious to both of my hack saws, even with new blades fitted. Craig arrived early this morning and made short work of the screws using a mini disc cutter.

In the picture you can see that two different types of bricks are being used. Those nearest the door will not be seen when work is finished as the interior walls are being plastered. For those nearest the window frame and down they are reusing the original bricks as they are exterior to the conservatory and will be visible.

Conservatory - Kitchen Door Fixing. This explains why the door stayed vertical while the wall was pulled out when the old conservatory shifted.
Conservatory – Kitchen Door Fixing. This explains why the door stayed vertical while the wall was pulled out when the old conservatory shifted.

This picture shows how Barratt Homes fit doors in timber frame houses. Obviously it is robust enough but to my untrained eye it seems a little flimsy. After all it is plastic, not metal.

Bob and Anton are back this morning and are now, much to everyone’s surprise, to be assisted by Simon, another bricky. So the brickwork should progress quite nicely.

Conservatory Re-Build – Day 5


Here are just a few pictures to show progress so far. Nothing much to say as the day was event free. The guys just got on and laid bricks and blocks.

Conservatory - The beginnings of the end wall. The garage side wall has been prepared for the building of a support pillar.
Conservatory – The beginnings of the end wall. The garage side wall has been prepared for the building of a support pillar.
Conservatory - Opposite end, where you can see the beginnings of the pillars which will separate the three full height windows.
Conservatory – Opposite end, where you can see the beginnings of the pillars which will separate the three full height windows.
Conservatory - The long wall, here you can see where the utility room window and door will be.
Conservatory – The long wall, here you can see where the utility room window and door will be.

We had a sprinkling of rain towards the end of the day, thankfully not enough to stop work. By close of play yesterday they were up to the DPC.

Apparently, todays main task is the end wall which is full height cavity with no doors or windows to break up the brick runs.

More later.

The New Conservatory Begins


After a well-earned weekend break the team from Executive are back on site and working. Gone are Anton and Angus, replaced by Bob and Connor. Still under the watchful eye of Craig.

I’ll say one thing for these guys, they arrive early and get underway pretty soon after, allowing for the time obviously. No machines until 08:00.

Starting today is the base brickwork, so compressor and pneumatic drill were picked up around 07:00 and shortly after cement mixer and barrows were delivered.

I’ll post pictures later today when there is something to see.

First Footings


Day four and the guys have worked really hard. A little bit of hand digging to finish off the footings trench then it was on to preparing the steel reinforcements.

Conservatory - Steel re-inforcement for the footings
Conservatory – Steel reinforcement for the footings

The picture above also shows the first barrow load of concrete poured into the trench.

Conservatory - Concrete delivery
Conservatory – Concrete delivery

The guys had to barrow all the concrete round from the front of the house to the back.

Conservatory - Barrowing concrete
Conservatory – Barrowing concrete

Two deliveries later and the footings were complete…

Conservatory - We have footings
Conservatory – We have footings

In between concrete deliveries the grab truck returned to remove the last of the spoil and the mini digger was collected and taken away. We have also had a delivery of bricks.

The guys now have a the weekend off. Back on Monday morning to start laying the brick base.