19/10/05 -Well, we had a nightmare gable concrete pour last Thursday (13th - naturally) due to the concrete being far too runny (which I didn’t realize until too late) - we ended up having 2 blow outs with concrete spewing in all directions. Anyway, once the mess was cleared up we had about 0.8 cubic metres to do by hand. Tarmac, the concrete suppliers - were gracious enough to knock half off the concrete bill.

Fortunately I have managed to acquire an old cement mixer and having un-seized all its bits and re-wired its motor it works very well. My chum Mike Peake (lives in Hunsdon) gave me a hand on Monday to mix and hoist it all to the top of the apex of the gable concerned and it only took a couple of hours - all before a night shift at ‘real’ work!

Since then the trusses for the back roof ‘wings’ arrived Sunday night and with the indomitable Peaky’s help they all went up today.  Hopefully the felt will be here Monday and the back half of the house will be dry (‘ish) before too long.

09/11/05 - The ‘wings’ roofs - felted and temporarily battened out to try to keep the worst of the rain out.  In the foreground is the main roof ridge beam ‘pocket’ in the top of the South concrete gable.  The flimsy bits of wood form the apex to get the alignment of all the ridge pockets correct prior to dropping in the RSJ - Rolled Steel Joist (or UB - Universal Beam) which is 305mm high by 132mm wide and 12m long.  It weighs around 500kg - therefore, a crane job to install.

Here we can see the other two concrete gables - the nearest has a 4” wide concrete core and the farthest, 6” like the one I am standing on.  Aside from the main ridge beam pockets, you can see several others.  The vertical one on the nearest wall (one down from the top) is for another, smaller section, UB.  The others, which are at right angles to the top of the gable walls, are for 8” x 8” green oak beams (purlins in fact).  Together these steel and oak beams will support the front of the main roof. Steel ones for areas which will not be seen, oak for those which will.

The steels arrive tomorrow - allegedly.  The oak beams next week.  The tiles are due to be delivered on Friday so if there is a lull anywhere before the rest of the roof structure goes on, I may get a bit of practice in with the tiling.

Meanwhile the SIP’s (Structural Insulated Panels) for the main roof are now ordered and are due to arrive in about 4 weeks.  Roof on by Christmas?  You never know!

30/06/07 - Back roofs hips and ridges finished...

One finished flat roof...

29/08/08 -  Wall footings rebared and ready for concrete.  Looking North.  This will have a brick and concrete block retianing wall on it.  Further up it changes to brick and brick, non-retaining...