End of Week 7

The lid is done...

Surprisingly after Monday mornings events I have managed to have the roof finished this week. Roofer wasn't there at half 8 Monday so gave him a call. Casually explained that he'd taken a job on in Chesterfield and couldn't have let me know before because he only found out on the weekend! Only in the building eh. Had to get the old google and yellow pages working overtime. Had someone lined up to lath & felt Wed and tile later in the week. In the end mate of the let down roofer was quiet and managed to drop on Tue and had done for Thur. With a few extra hands.

Photos show the detail with regards to venting the roofspace. This was a right headache and was never really sure if it was going to work as planned till it was up. However, the 1:1 sketches on A3 at silly o'clock have all paid off as the eaves detail is spot on (technically regardless of aesthetics).

Rise and fall brackets to support the gutter, which is also all up. Zero maintenance.

Windows & Doors are on order and will be fitted this coming Wednesday. Agreed on styles and spec Wednesday gone so the firm is doing well to get me sorted within a week.

Started studding out Saturday but didn't get done in the day. Room sizes seem generous now they're set out.

End of Week 6

The lid is now on although yet to be covered. Started putting the trusses up Thur and had it done by end of Fri. Spent today nogging out for where the edges and joints of my plasterboards will be. Also have nogged' where the top plate of my stud walls will hit the ceilings. I've done this because i'm going to board the whole ceiling at once. Obviously after the roof is covered but before the rest of the joinery 1st fix is done. Not the norm but seems easier to me and should help with the air permeability test at the end. Super towel was on the top two courses of brickwork which i've had corbelled out and done away with fascia and soffit. Using galvanised rise and fall brackets for the gutter. Should have roof done and scaffold down within a week or so, then insulated cavity closers around apertures. Fit windows & doors then will be 'wind and water tight'

Straight off the pallet, onto the scaffold. Not sure H&S would approve...

End of Week 5

A good lesson learnt this week. Don't try to put full fill insulation up behind lightweight (thermalite) blocks! Absolute nightmare. The insulation expands and pushes your blocks out of plum and all sorts. In the end we've had to run a course in then go back to the start and push the 450mm insulation slab in halfway. I would say the solution is blockwork up first but putting our face brickwork down beforehand enabled us to adjust the aperture sizes to suit the guage of the bricks, as there was variation. So next time perhaps a course of facing bicks to measure appatures, then blockwork first.

Anyway Blockwork is mostly all up to plate with just the lintels to drop on and finish off above Monday. All brickwork is up on corners to 2 course off finished height. These two course will be left off till the roof is on as i'm having a corbelled detail at the top without a fascia & soffit (no maintenance). I'm using galvanised rise and fall gutter brackets which seem to cost the earth!

So two or three days of brickwork left with the trusses being delivered Wednesday afternoon. I'll get all the wall plates ready beforehand so they can be bedded on Wed afternoon. Then start fitting the roof  Thur. Lets hope the weather is good to me.

About 3 weeks off wind and watertight now.

End of Week 4

Facing brickwork all this week. Up to 1.8 the whole way around now, minus 2 course on the front. Blockwork to start Monday with insulation (full fill) in between the 100mm cavity. Scaffold will be going up all around Thur. Truss delivery is expected on the 14th. The pitch is to low to bother with a cut roof or attic trusses.

Have included a pic of the new manhole on the front, still minus lid. From here the run goes into an existing manhole which i'm still yet to take a photo of.