Stupid stupid man.

16 tonnes of crushed brick and concrete

+

7.5 tonnes of crushed stone

+

and totally inadequare tools.

=

an aching back, legs, hands and arms

Not one of my better ideas.

Black!

After a morning of painting the carpport walls are black. It's not the finial finish, just a liquid DPM, but it's starting to look better every day.

This coming week sees the steelwork installed and hopefully the first floor installed.

It gets better by the day

I'm glad it's Friday. Any more progrees at this speed and my face will split from smiling too much.

This has had to be best week yet.

Here comes the science

Ok, it's not science, but it's a bit more detail for those of you who want (need) it

1. Brackets are fixed to the blockwork upstand. Brackets accept shims to ensure the wall plate is level. 

2. Wall plates are bolted to the blockwork. Plates consist of 2No timber members. Bottom member is 150mm wide (width of SIPs) Top member is norrower by 22mm, allowing the 11mm OSB face to dress over.

3. I'm spoiling you here. there's the wall plate, a panel sat on it. The bracket and a loose shim and one of the bolts used to fix the plate down. And if that's not enough there's a panel in the background showing the OSB extending beyond the insulation

4. Panels are then positioned with the joints spliced together. The joints are glued with additional foam applied to the insulation faces to create an airtight joint.

5. Then final operation is to fill any open joint with injectable foam insulation and the installation is complete.

That's the end of todays CPD seminar. Don't forget to log your points.

Can you believe it.

Look at this! We finally have some real walls. You're looking at the side of the kitchen.

And this is the groundworkers leaving for the last time with a van full of scrap rebar ready for the cashing in at the scrap yard.

Bye bye TMW! A good day all round.

Up, up and away!

It's really coming out of the ground now.

But it's a real lesson in how not to install Stepoc blocks.

It's also the end of the concrete works. (hopefully) Tomorrow sees the arrival of the timber frame installers who will let me know if the house will fit.

Do you think I'm nervous? You bet I am.

It's been a while

Ok, I know I haven't updated the blog for a while. I should have as a lot has happened recently and next week promises a whole lot more.

The rainwater tank is in.

Here's the first block above ground. It's not much, but it's a huge step forward for this project.

But look at this, more blocks

all dressed in their Visqueen (and the soakaway crates waiting to be installed)

And the dodgiest Stepoc wall in the world. (But it's up and hasn't fallen over)