At last, some new photos showing more progress—the ones people signed up for!
Overnight rain meant we had to remove plenty of water from the trench before we could get started today. Once that was done, we installed two more windposts and laid lots of blocks.
The two posts we fitted today each weighed 50kg, leaving a 35kg post and a 36kg post still to install. The windposts sit between the blocks in the inner leaf of the wall, with ties connecting them to the blockwork on either side and further ties connecting them to the outer leaf.
We’re getting quicker at laying blocks, and our technique is definitely improving. At this rate, it won’t be long before we can start preparing the floor slab.
Working out the sliding door threshold
We still need to make a final choice on the sliding doors, because the system we choose will determine the height of the blockwork beneath them.
Our drawings show standard doors sitting on the outer leaf at floor level, but we would like a threshold that sits flush with the finished floor. From what we’ve seen so far, that could mean positioning the door frame roughly 4–8cm below floor level, depending on the manufacturer’s specifications.
Most of the frames and runners we’ve looked at span the cavity, so we’re also trying to work out how to support them. There seem to be several approaches. Filling the cavity with concrete looks the least complicated, although we understand it could allow thermal bridging and reduce energy efficiency. It’s another detail we need to resolve.
Getting help with the concrete slab
I’ve sent some messages to find a professional who could help with the concrete pour for the floor slab. We want to have a go ourselves, but we’re concerned about tackling such a large area while learning, within the time the concrete remains workable.
Our laser level has served us well so far, but it wasn’t particularly expensive and the beam is difficult to see in daylight. We’ll need suitable equipment to get the levels right.
The slab needs to finish 65mm below the existing floor level in the house, leaving room for the underfloor heating.
That’s it for today.