All of the windposts are now installed!
An architect came to the house this week to discuss detailed drawings for the sliding door threshold. He was impressed by how neat the windpost installation looked, which was reassuring.
The foundations weren’t entirely flat, so we needed to pack beneath some of the posts. We cut up steel restraint straps to use as packers, and it took time to get every post aligned and perfectly vertical.
We’ve also started adding more hardcore to the floor area. The ballast has arrived, ready for us to make the lean-mix concrete to fill the cavity up to 225mm below damp-proof course and floor level. We already know we’ll run out of hardcore before reaching the height we need.
With the windposts in place, we can backfill the holes outside the walls too, which will make access around the site much easier.
Planning the next stages
There’s still plenty to think about. We don’t want to order materials too early and have them sitting in the garden for longer than necessary, but we don’t want delivery delays to hold us up either.
We’ll soon need more blocks and the steel beams. We’ve found sliding doors we like at a reasonable price, with a delivery time of about eight weeks. Our aim is to be ready to fit the windows before the end of October.
I’m also thinking about how we’ll work above head height. Scaffolding seems the obvious answer, but the weekly hire charge worries me: at our pace, it could become a large bill. I’m considering buying a scaffold tower that we can move relatively easily, then selling it once we’ve finished.
Making room for family life
Now that the weather has finally improved and the rain has stopped, I thought I might make good progress in the evenings this week. Instead, we’ve had bike rides, games and time in the hot tub with the kids—which matters much more.
We’re conscious of not letting the build take over. Work and school carry on as normal, and I think we’ve found a good balance. Today, I only managed a few wheelbarrow loads of hardcore amongst everything else.
Sometimes I look at the building site we’ve created and question our sanity in taking on a project like this with no real experience. But as we develop an understanding of the processes and regulations, the work feels more manageable.
We bought a hot tub for Marina’s birthday, so I’ve spent the last hour in there watching YouTube videos of people pouring concrete and fitting damp-proof membranes. That’s it for today!