All Wrapped Up

Yesterday was our first visit to the plot since the roof had been finished and we are so pleased with it. It looks like a proper house now, settled into the plot.

We also put the breathable membrane (builders paper) around the house. This protects the timber frame and absorbs the woods 'sweat' and allows it to breathe. We have the garage to do next Saturday and to fit the electric meter box ready for the electric connection within the next few weeks.

The Eurobrick panel is now on site and ready for inspection by the Council tomorrow so they can finally finally finally give the final OK and we can contact Eurobrick and place an order.

We also have to have a clear up! Not impressed with the amount of rubbish that has appeared on site, some of which is the roofers' (the majority of which they're coming back to take away this week), some of which has probably been dumped there by those around us due to the fact there is so much rubbish on there at the moment anyway, including a shoe, a bottle of tomato sauce and a roof rack!

The Roof Is Finished

Finally. Can you believe it?!

More Roof Update

The roof is still going on. We're bored with it now!

It seems to have taken s o o o o o long. One of the downsides of not being on site all the time I suppose, no one to keep an eye on things and to put pressure on, you rely on phone calls and unfortunately we're not always convinced.

Anyway, Dad and I went to site on Tuesday afternoon when I was up in Shropshire on exciting job prospects and Dad kindly went up the scaffolding and took these photos. I can report that two men were present, one knocking in nails and one cutting slate. The latest up date from the chap cutting the slates was it should be finished Friday or Monday.

We wait and see!

Roof Update

Mum and Dad went to site yesterday evening and took some photos of the roof in progress. Not a huge amount done in two days (if you don't count yesterday because it was raining).

More Walls

Yesterday Darran and I spent the morning starting to put up the rest of the internal walls. We have decided that we will do it over the next two Saturdays. We can only work until 1pm so it's just right at the end of a week at work.

Here is what we did; this is the bedroom wing showing the bathroom and en-suite walls.

We've got the sitting room / kitchen dividing wall to do next Saturday and to finish putting a few studs in and the noggins.

When this is complete it means that both the architect and the structural warranty inspector can finally sign off the timber frame stage.

Here are some pictures of the slating in progress.

Not too much had happened as one of the chaps had been 'off sick' apparently. I know we shouldn't be so suspicious of people but you do wonder sometimes! Anyway, they are back on it in full swing this week and the main chap knows we're back up next weekend so we hope to see a big difference.

Roof In Progress

Mum and Dad went to take some photos for us at the weekend of the roof so far. Looks like they have most of the felt and battening done. Darran spoke to the main chap on Saturday and he said they had slated the back elevation.

We're going up next weekend to start to put up the rest of the internal walls so we'll see a big difference then I'm sure.

Finished! Phew!

The roof is finished (with a little help from our friends!). Darran worked so hard to get it done in a week, and what a week it was! Here are some pictures of it complete and ready for slates.

Darran spoke to the roofing contractor yesterday and they were hoping to start on Thursday. Some of the slates had been delivered yesterday but there had been a mix up with the hire of a fork lift and one hadn't arrived which meant the slates spent the night roughing it on the pavement! Mum and Dad drove by this morning to see more being delivered so we hope the fork lift is sorted out!

Next on the list for us is to sort out the windows and doors and place the order, and to finish putting up in the internal walls in order to get the timber frame stage signed off. We also need to erect the sample from our brick slip supplier so the Council can give the final nod of approval. We will probably do this at weekends for a while to get back to some normality at home for a while!

Roofing (with Mother In Law!)

Site took on a different atmosphere today; Darran not only had me as a helper (well, more of a sitter and supervisor today), but Mum too. It was apparent that a 'mummy' was on site as a pot of Carex hand wash and hand towel appeared at the stand pipe.

Mum was up on the scaffold with Darran painting the rafter feet (the ends) in Weathershield paint. She was soon promoted to helping to stand the trusses which was a great help.

(Getting instructions - above!)

They got on really well, and we now have a roof that is almost finished.

(The black bits you can see here are the rafter feet that Mum painted.)

It's hard to get the true feel of it as all the scaffolding is still in place. There are still the hip-ends to finish (where the roof slopes down to the end wall) and ply to put around the bottom of the trusses to aid the roofers, who should start next week.

All Trussed Up

Now Darran and I are in the same part of the world, we can post the latest photos of the roof that Darran has been working on this week. And wow, we now have part of a real roof!

It's been a slow start but there is a system going now so it should start to flow. Darran is still hopeful to have it done by Sunday; tomorrow is judgement day on whether he will or not. Mum is helping tomorrow and we're painting the rafter feet and some ply wood to go around the bottom.

Raising the Roof

This morning Darran went up to the plot to start to stand the roof trusses. I spoke to him at lunch time and it was all going well and the trusses were coming in batches which made them easier to manage. Unfortunately the van driver was a bit of a wimp and although the manufacturers had told us they could get the van up there, the van driver decided he couldn't. So, this meant Darran had to carry them up to the plot (with the help of a chap who was working on the house at the front).

The scaffolders hadn't quite finished so were also on site doing the garage.

The house seems to have faired pretty well in all the wet weather, although there is water stood on the slab. The sooner we get the roof on and covered over the better.

I go up on Thursday for a long weekend, I'm not sure what I've been marked down for, painting was mentioned yesterday so perhaps that.

In other news, gossip from site is that the Council received a complaint from one of the neighbours that the house was too big. A planner was on site last week measuring, but we assume everything was fine as we weren't contacted.

PS - the photo is a bit of a long shot as I was struggling for something appropriate, hopefully we won't have pigeons on our roof.

Quick Update

Things have been quiet on the self-build blog for a few days now. Just to reassure you we're still busy in the background sorting out scaffolding, delivery of roof trusses and roofing contractors, as well as getting in quotes for windows and doors, floor insulation and screed, so things are still ticking along.

Darran will be standing the roof trusses week commencing 3rd August and I will be going up to join him on the Thursday of that week to give moral support for the final few days.

We also need to get our thinking caps on for a house name so we can register the address properly. Any suggestions gratefully received as we're struggling a bit!

Better Slate Than Never

We had the Council decision yesterday on the slate and we can use the Marley Birkdale slate which was our preferred option. This is good news as we can now confirm the dates for trusses and instruct a roofing contractor.

We're now waiting for Eurobrick to deliver the materials to make up a sample panel for the Council to have a look at to give what should hopefully be our final 'yes'.