Roselea

Category: Build Progress

  • All Compacted, Levelled and Ready!

     Today, we finished off scraping all the trenches of our strip foundations to make sure we have brought up the depth of the trenches so it is more consistent. We worked out that if we had allowed an extra 10 mm of depth everywhere, then we would need another 800 litres of concrete, nearly a cubic meter costing over £100!!

    We then ran around all the trenches again with the compacter to vibrate it all together, and to make sure that in certain areas, it is doubly compressed and isn’t showing signs of sagging. It is looking good actually, even in parts where the sand was so loose with a large grain size, it feels pretty solid.

    Tomorrow, we put the weld mesh around the entertainment room’s foundation and across the air tunnel section, with extra reinforcing bars to make absolutely sure that our tunnel will not collapse in 10 or 50 years’ time!!

  • All Dug Out!

     Today, we started .. and finished (wow!) the digging and removing the “content” of the foundation trenches.

    Some of the sandy soil was easy and could be just scooped out, but some was hard .. very hard and crunchy with layers of stones and even metal rubbish too!

    There is a total of ***90?**** Meters of foundation strips, plus 7 square (1 meter) pads and the extra thick bit around the air tunnel. This makes a total of just over 12 cubic meters of ready mixed concrete needed to do this job of creating our solid foundation for the house to sit on.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-12-2

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-12-1


    We then went around with our heavy petrol powered compacter to make sure the soil is firmly settled down ready for the concrete.

    The next job is to double check the depth of the trenches, using a depth gauge to scrape along each section and compact it all again. Then, we will install some reinforcing mesh and bars where it is needed and that’s it!

     

  • All Shuttering Edging Finished!!

     Yesterday we completed the shuttering of the front to back trench. We then started on the entertainment room.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-10-1

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-10-2


    Then today, we finished off the shuttering around the Entertainment room, and then did the two independent pads!

    We were working in a very light rain some of the afternoon today, but we carried on and finished this phase of the foundation work.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-11

    Tomorrow, we will start the job of digging out the content of the trenches, right around the whole house everywhere. That will probably take a couple of days, some will be easy but some will be very hard! Then after that, we put in reinforcement mesh and additional re-bars around areas where the load is particularly heavy, or the ground is not as firm and solid as the rest of land. We are taking extra care in these areas and compacting the soil and sand as much as possible, but we will also take care to have these extra reinforcing bars to ensure that the foundations are solid at all times in the future.

  • Front Trench Completed and Gone Around the Bend!

     We managed to finish off the front line of trenches, going around the complex air tunnel and chimney section, and continued along the final long side, F6 to B6 front to back trench.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-9-1

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-9


    Just need to do the other side of the side trench and then the Entertainment room box and the 2 individual pads and that’s it!

  • The Front Section Virtually Complete!

     We carried on with the front strip of the foundation, with the completion of the Hall and Entertainment bits and also part of the Utility room too. We were constructing the shuttering around the complicated section of the air tunnel and chimney when the sky opened up and we got wet!

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-8-Rain-stops-play-early

    We dashed in after waiting 5 minutes under the umbrella deciding that it was here to stay as forecasted, even though it was rather earlier than expected! We will resume work on Saturday.

  • The Front Trench Progresses..

     This afternoon, after the morning was rather damp with rain showers, we started on doing the line of the foundation trenches along the front of the house. we have completed the section from the Great Room and the Kitchen, towards the front door extension.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-7-Front-GR-Kit

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    Tomorrow, weather permitting, we continue along the Hall and Entertainment room section and turn the corner to do the final side trench nearest the garage. Then, all that is left to do is the 3 sides of the Entertainment room, and that’s it!

  • Finished Third Strip

     This morning, we quickly finished off the 3rd front to back foundation strip we left over from yesterday. we then also moved some excess soil from around the front of the sticking out “front door” extension, using the mini-digger.

    Then we realized that we ought to repair the Energy Module number 4 first before doing the foundation strip along the front which might mean losing the use of the mini-digger during the repair chore. So we changed task in mid flow!!

  • Third Strip Almost Finished

     For our half day of work today, we almost finished the 3rd front to back foundation strip, with another 2 square pads incorporated in the line. The ground was jolly hard work in places with tough layer of large gravel stones to dig through!

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-6

     

  • Strip 1 and 2 finished and 3rd Started

     Today, in slightly barely cooler weather, completed the first front to back foundation strip shuttering, then completed also the 2nd strip which has two expanded areas to support the legs of the skylight. Then finally we marked out the position of the 3rd strip (working from left to right from F1/B1, F2/B2 and F3/B3).

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-5-2

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-5-1


    We are making good progress – despite the hot weather – Phew!

  • Shuttering Boards Cut and Started Next Section

     This afternoon, we sliced up 6 sheets of the 18mm OSB boards to make a collection of 2 different heights of shuttering. We made 12 pieces of 200mm tall and 16 pieces of 300mm tall.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-4-Boards

    Then we drew out the string between the front and back batter boards at the number 1 position (the left side of the Great Room) and string across the number 3 line running along the front of the house (Great Room and Kitchen), the L3 to R3 batter board position. Two more metal pins were bashed into the soil at the intersection point.

    Lastly, we sweated ourselves in the boiling heat (it got to 31°C today!!!) in digging a narrow trench to make room for the shuttering and we have placed a 200mm high piece at the back  and 2 further 300mm high boards touching all together, coming towards the front of the house.

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    Foundation-Trenches-Day-4

    We carry on with that foundation strip tomorrow and then do number 2 (the Great Room come Kitchen / Bedroom 1 divide).