Slab!

The slab was laid today! 3 loads of concrete starting at 8am (well, 8.03 but who's counting). Funnily enough the kids didn't have us up at 6am this morning so we were getting dressed when Rob and Pete arrived at ten to eight.




By their own admission, not the smoothest job they've ever done - but given we're putting 100mm insulation and 75mm screed on top of the slab, I suppose we can let them off.... Full speed ahead monday.

And we've sorted how the drains will go in. The kitchen waste will curve to run parallel with the main pipe into the rear manhole. The downstairs loo will get a straight run to the rear manhole, and the existing surface pipe that the loo joins will become a spur from the new toilet pipe. The existing main soil which runs under the house goes straight to the rear manhole so no problem. The new en-suite will get a manhole at the rear corner of the house then run across the join into the existing main soil before it reaches the manhole - this is so it doesn't do a u-turn within the manhole - well thought out Geoff!

Unfortunately it means we'll have no back door for a while as the drains are right outside and the new porch needs building to join into the back wall of the extension... so getting out to hang the washing is a bit tricky! And we have to keep the door locked to keep the kids in... oh well.

Almost Concrete!

No concrete today as we had to wait for the building inspector to check the drains, DPC etc. A slight confusion about the DPC - this is the plastic sheet within the outer brick wall. It must have three courses below it, which ours does, but there was a bit of confusion. A bigger issue was the cavity. Our regs drawings show block, 100mm cavity containing 50mm Kingspan insulation, then the outer brick leaf. Geoff has used Airtex blocks (which are more thermally efficient than concrete breeze blocks) and has left a 75mm gap he plans to fill with Rockwool. Once the inspector had checked the specs of the blocks this was okay, but there was a slight panic when we thought the bricks might have to be moved....

Anyway - this is the drain outside the back door. A bit awkward and likely to remain so as 2 pipes run into it - one from the kitchen sink, and one from a shared rainwater pipe which is also the outlet for our downstairs loo and the sink in the utility... And this is in the extended rear hall so chances are it will have to all come out and new pipes laid to the other manhole which will still be outside the house.



And today they 'whacked' the sand and hardcore and laid the DPC Viscreen. They've also laid out the new bay at the front and built a few courses of outer brick with wallties in there. These are butterfly ties made of stainless steel so they shouldn't rust, and any condensation should drip into the cavity, not run against the wall.


Concrete tomorrow. The existing covered soil pipe needs water testing to check for leas, but fingers crossed we'll have a slab by lunchtime! Then they can really get going

Bricks!

Some progress: The concrete went in for the underpinning and the pillar (with steels!)


Rob the brickie started the pillar construction - enough to stand proud of the concrete slab..


The sand went down to protect the Damp proof plastic sheet from any sharp stones ready for 'whacking' (compacting)...


And Rob put a couple of courses of brick round to put the DPC over.


All being well, the whacker will arrive tomorrow and the concrete slab will get laid. The foundations for the rear porch were dug today (since the whacker wasn't available) but we need to sort out the drains so we don't have a manhole cover in the rear porch.

More holes....

Well, Paulo the builder has been busy again. The building inspector came on friday and wanted the big hole for the pillar expanding, plus some underpinning between the chimney breasts where one of the beams will rest above. As a result , we have a bigger hole and a new hole. Once the inspector comes tomorrow lunch time we should get the base of the pillar poured and the underpinning in. Also the first few courses of bricks for the pillar - enough to sit proud of the main slab. Then the inspector comes again, the hardcore under the slab is compressed and the slab can be laid. Then things should speed up. 5000 bricks are coming on tuesday so plenty for the lads to go at!



The hole for the pillar:


A rather unusual view into the lounge:


The new hole for the underpinning... digging this was a pig - the clay was as hard as concrete and the main electrical supply cable for the house was just behind Paulo's legs! And that's the main soil pipe so not much room for manoeuvre...