/new year and hopefully a new imputes on the build. I've rethought some of the schedule, a few items were stolen off site over the Christmas period and as a result I'll suspend any internal fit out until the house is sealed. I had planned to get a start on the HRV, 1st fix plumbing and the suspended ceiling frame, but rather than pay for some things twice, or have someone punch small holes in the Qualplex, I'll hold off. Its annoying, but we're not in a rush.
The biggest blocker is still windows. Snow badly delayed the sill fitting, not completed until late December. Measurements were taken by a few companies for realistic quoting and we're waiting on these, once we can get them ordered we're away. In the meantime, there are a few things we can do, and on Saturday we had a meeting with the builder, roofer and architect to plan a few things.
The biggest blocker is still windows. Snow badly delayed the sill fitting, not completed until late December. Measurements were taken by a few companies for realistic quoting and we're waiting on these, once we can get them ordered we're away. In the meantime, there are a few things we can do, and on Saturday we had a meeting with the builder, roofer and architect to plan a few things.
- Chimney - we need to build up the chimney from the 1st floor balcony to the roof, and above. We'll fit in pipe for a 7" flue, and work from that. Blocks to build up to the roof and out, then we can plaster around the chimney and slate to it. That will be the roof pretty much finished.
- Front Door - big decision to go to a double front door - as a result a central pillar there has to be taken out. Good bit of steel rebar in there so I presume cutting it will be fun. But it's what we both want, and I'm not sure where we lost this in the process, I'm blaming myself to be honest. Very often you get caught up in something and afterwards remember to talk about feature x... and maybe I never got there. Still, easier to fix now than in 10 years.
- Stairs - A little studding to be done at the top and a collar for the roof over the stairwell and we can start getting the stairs installed. I'm excited about that - it'll float between floors anchored at diagonal corners only, so it will be some feature I hope. It'll also give my wife a chance to see the 1st floor, she's too afraid of heights to tackle the ladder! It'll make access between floors much easier, esp with any equipment.
- Grouting the hollowcore - This should stop the floods of water hitting the basement where there are clear gaps, that will allow us to clean it out and get ready for 1st fix.
- Service shaft - I still don't know how, but the carefully planned service shaft got fubar'ed on the second floor. We'll have to joint the shafts and draw them on a short diagonal, then up again on an offset hole in the 1st floor hollow-cores. It's probably for the best, there is less of a chimney effect and may be safer for fire and warmer to insulate.. who knows
In the meantime I have to tidy up some of the sill corners with silicon and insulation. Then await the windows!
