We have a flue!
Actually, it’s a flue liner, not to be confused with the identically named but made of pumice ‘flue liner’ that was already installed with the chimney went up. All very technical, but for the past few weeks, Dave has been developing the plans to make this thing work.
Terry and Josh have made a start on the garage roof. This first requires brackets to be attached to the wall on one side and onto the brickwork on the other. They were making good headway until they got called to build a new skin to a wall in the hallway later in the week.The problem was a very small area of single skin which was going to make the place thermally inefficient and vulnerable. This issue had been brewing for a while as we’d been waiting for approval from the warranty company with this wall design and with a little pushing from Ben, they finally approved the thinnest version which is great because it allows more of the oak frame to be exposed. But it’s a problem no longer, as the thing is now built at long last, and the plasterers can get on and finish it off.
Aaron’s been in to finish the first fix wiring. The wires have been capped and cased all over the house, and they’re making maps of were they are under the plaster so we don’t end up sticking nails through them when we put up artwork.
Once Aaron was done, there was a whole gang of new plasterers that came and put the ceilings up. It’s very high tech with laser sights and grids of brackets to hold up the suspended ceiling that hides the electrics and plumbing under the concrete upstairs floor. They’ll still be about 2.8 m off the deck.
One last trip around the scaffold to check out the finished roof.
The doors arrived at long last. It took four guys to lift them off the truck, and they came pre-assembled in their frames. James, Terry and Josh will fit them next week which will make the building will be almost air tight. This will not be a small undertaking. As you can see, we have yet to choose a doorknob in the centre. Clinton actually bought a brass casting kit a couple of years ago, and we’ve got some thoughts, but it’s got to be good. No pressure!
The plasterers are just about done upstairs and will move downstairs next week. Like the rest of the house, it’s not been straightforward: there are some fiddly bits like in the upstairs hallway and some enormous swathes like the stairs wall and the whole of our bedroom. They’ve done a great job, but they’ve got to get a wriggle on to finish downstairs before the floor goes down.
And then the scaffolding came down….
That is some super serious progress this week! What a huge (YUGE) unveiling with the scaffolding coming down. A very special moment for you, no doubt. It’s beautiful! Congrats! Cool looking plastering and front door (I’m sure the wiring is cool looking too…). I’m looking forward to seeing what you choose for your door knob. Nope, no pressure at all. 😉
Everyone’s working really hard and progress is showing day by day. One of the guys said that the build goes merrily along at a comfortable pace and then everyone starts sprinting towards the end. Still can’t believe we’ll actually be living in this thing–usually I make ethereal things out of pixels or electrons. Even now this feels like another project in virtual space. But that will change soon enough! You must come and visit when it’s real.
Things are looking beautiful~it”s going to be a gorgeous home! Um, got the window washer on speed dial? LOL The windows are amazing along with all the designs. You will be in heaven living in your new digs. XO
Thanks! It will be gorgeous, and that’s down to a bunch of hard work by these guys. They tell me that a chap in a Porsche drove up the other day and asked if it was for sale. James politely told him that he was building it for himself just to shoo the man on his little Italian way.
And for the record, yes, I will be keeping our window cleaners in business single-handedly. They’re guys from one of the local rugby teams that arrive en masse in a bright yellow van every other month, and they’ve been maintaining the old house for years and years. Might have to rev that up to every month after June!
Without the scaffolding it looks ever more like an independent house — and a most impressive one at that. The plastering puts “finish” to the insides emphatically. May you never have reason to visit the roofing as intimately as the last photos. And may you treasure the circuit diagrams for the wiring! Can’t wait for the coming weeks’ progress.