Since the last update, we’ve been making the most of the nice weather, so the building work has taken a bit of a back seat. Looking back over everything we’ve done, though, it feels like good progress.

We’ve completed the concrete blockwork up to floor level, apart from the front section where the sliding doors will go. We’re still waiting for the architect to provide amended details for that part.

There has also been plenty happening below ground:

  • We’ve installed the gullies for the gutters and the underground surface water drainage pipes. These will lead towards a soakaway in the middle of the garden. The building inspector signed them off today, so we’ve been able to backfill the trenches.
  • We’ve added a new gully and underground foul water pipe for the kitchen waste.
  • We’ve put in a large section of new underground water pipe for the outside tap.
  • While we were digging, we buried a section of the electricity cable that runs to the bottom of the garden.

Inside the extension, we’ve used 15 tonnes of hardcore to fill the floor area so far. It needs a little more to reach the required level before we compact it. We’ve also filled the cavity on two sides with lean-mix concrete to 225mm below floor level and backfilled the trench beside the rear wall with soil.

The paths on either side of the extension have been dug down, ready for a layer of hardcore to bring them up to the correct level.

We haven’t had much luck getting quotes for pouring the concrete slab, so we think we’ll do that ourselves too. We’ll need to buy a receiver for the laser level to help us get it level.

Yesterday, I emailed the building inspector photos of the new drains for approval. It was the first time I’d sent him photos of our work since February, and he hadn’t inspected in person since before the foundations were poured. I felt a little apprehensive in case the pictures revealed some fundamental mistake in what we’d done.

His reply confirmed that he was happy with the drains, and he added, “It looks like you are doing a fine job there.” That was great to hear.