Destination Largs

Starting to get the place ready to move in. Can you guess what this is from?! 

Ensuite complete.

Our own en-suite is 90% complete and fully operational.

The pics can speak for themselves.

Snow joke!

Those of you in the UK will be aware of #thebeastfromtheeast - a major storm that resulted in a Red weather warning -  almost unprecedented. This time they called it right - roads were blocked, buses, train and planes were all off. Only main routes were clear during the worst of it, side road and back roads remained untouched by ploughs - including our road, which was up to a foot deep in snow - but more importantly, suffered a stretch of road with 6ft snow drifts. We've not moved into the house yet but wanted to keep working which meant a 2mile hike each way to get to the house. Through a Facebook, most of the residents kept in touch and helped out with supplies etc. A couple of days later, two shovels arrived and broke through the drifts.

All fun and games!

Just before the Beast arrived. The next day we were snowed out. 

Plough-di

Steps? What steps!

The drift

All cosy inside

Breakthrough

First bathroom complete and operational!

It was a slog, a real slog. Who knew tiling was so involved? It looks easy and not in itself difficult, but you have to think in about 4 dimensions! Where will you start, where will that tile met the roof, where will it meet the floor, where will it meet the opposite corner? If it goes round a corner, what is there that is might clash with? How do you cut them, what order should you do things in, what's the best adhesive (powdered adhesive rather than pre-mixed btw).

Anyway, it was about 4 weeks of solid graft to get this far - a break was required in between. But it's in, everything is working as it should and we're really pleased with it. Only another two bathrooms to go. We have ordered the Utility room and the bar for under the stairs. The list goes on but we are now planning to be in by the end of March and finish the last two bathrooms and the outside details over the summer.

First bathroom complete.

It was a slog, a real slog. Who knew tiling was so involved? It looks easy and not in itself difficult, but you have to think in about 4 dimensions!

First bathroom complete.

It was a slog,

Close, but no cigar!

THe question on many people's lips is 'So will you be in for Christmas?'.

The answer is 'yes, we could be, but we're not.' .

We've made great progress - working flat out but despite technically having met all the requirements of what must be in place to be habitable, we're going to hang fire until the house is 'more ready'- after all, we are in no rush and there is no pressure to move until we are ready.

By the end of the year we will have two shower rooms and two bedrooms to complete.

Carpets went in most of the rooms this week and look great - some pics before they get sheeted over. Dad helped us with all the skirting before the carpets went in, a huge help and saved us a lot of grief down the line. Steps down to the rooms were finished in the nick of time and look rather good despite the simple construction method and materials. Craigs' Mum came down and helped with painting the staircase and sweeping and chipping plaster from the floor.

The phone box has it's own special plinth

And we've started tiling...

The list gets smaller...

A few weeks ago we produced our 'critical path' list of activities to let us get into the house. Some weeks down the line and the list is getting smaller..

We have heat, electrical approval, terrace, lighting, steps to the house, internal steps, hot water, ventilation, stairs, handrail, doors, internal sills and more

We have a glass ballustrade

We have steps to the house. And external lighting!

We have heat

We have stairs

We have a terrace and IR heater

Internal lighting is complete

Garage roof complete!

So we booked the concrete pour and the weather was to be cold but dry. Then we started seeing the usual silly media stories on 'Storm Caroline' - oh joy! 60mph winds and heavy rain all day - although it was to be relatively warm!

Because of the proximity to the road we opted again for a line pump rather than a boom - also the boom pump would most likely have blocked the road. SO concrete all ordered, volumes calculated, cross calculated, calculated again and again and 19m3 was ordered.

Storm Caroline was getting worse with every news report but we went ahead -and as it turned out, Caroline was a bit of a wimp. Barely any rain, winds no more than 40mph! Pour went well - a couple of hairy moments when the shuttering was not braced well enough and had me running about like a blue arsed fly keeping ahead of the concrete. We used a C40 mix with 10mm aggregate, very similar to Agilia but at a lower cost. This poured beautifully and only needs dappled, no vibrating or power floating required.

Garage progress

So finally we got round to getting the concrete poured for the garage and the roof ordered and fitted.

For the concrete, we decided to use a line pump again - we could have used a boom but given how close to the road we were, a 2inch line pump seemed a good idea. And it was :)

We opted to go with volumetric mixers this time to avoid having too little or too much concrete. The first truck turned up slightly late and with an inexperienced mixer operator - he wasn't able to get the (oversanded) mix right and the line get blocking. Soon the second truck turned up and in no time we had the right mix and started pumping. The garage walls are 3m high and 250mm core, so we had over 24m3 to pump. Although I know Polarwall is very robust, I'm always wary about bursts and so the first jeager was done with 5 rounds of the line pump to take us to 1m.

All went well and we did the remaining loaded at 0.5m a time.

Next up was the garage roof. We decided to to for sheet metal decking, which would be laid with reinforcing bar and mesh and poured with concrete. 

It duly arrived and was handballed off. 24 hours later it was up. 

We have a list...

..quiet a long one! But we've narrowed it down to the critical path to be able to move in for Christmas. Might not make it, but will try!

We have finished painting upstairs, the water tank in in place and plumber lined up to do the safety pipework and commission it. Electrician is back and finishing off all the electrics. 

Soffits are fitted on all parts with lights - only two to go. We have booked the concrete for the garage walls. Have completed the first set of steps down to the living room - two more rooms to go. Stairs are due to arrive in a week. Outside hard landscaping resumes tomorrow. Sills are all ordered and due any day (internal), Ballustrade for upstairs terrace has been ordered and baserail due to arrive shortly. Final roof design for garage approved by engineer. Architect has visited and preparing an amendment to warrant for habitation certificate. Most doors are now fitted. Door linings are fitted. Carpets have been measured and ready to order. All lights now purchased and ready to be fitted. Gutter downpipes being fitted in place. 

 Yes, lots going on!