STAGE II - DAMP PROOF COURSE

Loving the meticulous nature of our builders.  The time they’ve spent in ironing out those tiny details such as working out the cuts for the brick and block laying and making sure that the courses laid all tie in nicely with the existing building layout greatly appeals to my own OCD nature.

Working out the exterior dimensions

Is a very exact science

 

It’s all about precision which is clearly evident in their workmanship and this is why it’s so important to invest time in the selection of the right tradesperson for your job. 

 

Just look at those lovely neat corners

We’re almost at the end of week 2 and everything seems to be going to plan.  Mount Chi has disappeared from the front drive and been replaced with a giant red brick Jenga set that has been gradually dwindling on a daily basis.

 

Now if I take a brick from this level ...

And whilst we’re waiting for the initial brick and block courses to be laid up to the existing damp proof level, I thought I’d take a few minutes to talk about how the financial side of things is working out.

 

Builder's Jenga

For larger renovation or construction projects, it seems that most trades favour a system of stage payments made when different milestones of the overall project are reached.  Stage payments appear to be a fair system to both parties allowing you to break down the overall cost of your project into manageable chunks spread over an agreed timeframe and it also enables your tradesperson to cover upfront costs of materials etc without it coming out of their own pocket.  Seems fair to me. 

My builder provided me with an excellent and clear schedule outlining the milestone points and relevant stage payments for me to make.  To give you an idea of what a stage payment schedule might look like, here’s ours: 

• 10% at end first week
• 15% damp proof course
• 10% window sill height
• 15% plate height
• 10% roof timbers and boarded
• 10% roof complete
• 10% windows and door
• 10% dry lining/plaster boarding
• 5% walls made good or plastered
• 5% on completion

All you need to do is set up a spreadsheet to work out the percentage amounts of your overall quoted construction costs then instruct the necessary bank transfers when they reach each milestone.  Simples! 

Always make sure that all work has been completed to your satisfaction before making each payment.  Of course, if you’re not disciplined enough to follow a schedule or don’t want the faff of making frequent payments, you can always agree to pay in full up front or agree a different pattern of payments.  Our guys seemed very flexible on this.

 

Looks very good from where I'm standing

The only thing to bear in mind is that your stage payment schedule may not incorporate those unexpected things that can crop up on projects like these such as additional work requested by the Building Inspector or costs for specifics such as fancy bi-fold doors unless they are already part of the initial quote.  You’ll always need to keep a cash buffer to pick up the tab for any extras but as a budgeting tool, a stage payments schedule is a great thing to have. 

Little by little I can now begin to see my kitchen/diner idea slowly morphing into reality as each brick is laid which is brilliant as I’m really rubbish at working out the dimensions of things unless I can actually see them.

 

Rome wasn't built in a day

Neither are extensions

By the end of this week, we should have enough bricks and blocks laid to the level of the existing damp proof course ready to be inspected by the Building Inspector on Monday.

Matching everything to the existing damp proof course

After 4 days the first courses are coming along great

First levels laid up to the existing damp proof course

FOOT(INGS) LOOSE

As a nation we may have no confidence in our Prime Minister but I have every confidence that our builders are going to give us an extension worth every penny quoted judging by how organised they are and how much they’ve accomplished by the end of week one. 

A dirt mountain the size of a miniature Mount Everest sits in the middle of the garden.  Every time I look out of the patio doors, I think ‘Close Encounters’ especially that bit where Richard Dreyfuss obsessively sculpts a mountain out of mashed potato.  I’m half expecting Mount Chi to erupt any minute!

 

Mount Chi - could blow any minute!

The mechanical excavator which only just squeezed through the alleyway made short work of digging out a deep trench for the foundation.  Fortunately for us, the Building Inspector decreed that no reinforcing or underpinning is required as that could have bumped up our bill enormously but for now, moving swiftly on.

 

Eating through the dirt at the rate of knots

Not only do we have a volcano on the lawn but we’ve also acquired a metre deep moat extending out from the back of the kitchen perfect for hiding dead bodies prior to concreting.  

dirt mountain with a side of moat

Sensing danger and a murderous glint in my eye, the other half has been maintaining a low profile under guise of tidying up the garage.  If only he were minted, the temptation to dispose of him ‘Mafia style’ under a ton of ready mix might have been too great to resist but for now, the penniless pauper is safe.

 

Sleeps with the fishes or in this case, ants & cheesy bugs

A truck containing a mammoth supply of ready mixed concrete promptly arrived the following day, blocking in the neighbourhood Book Club in the bottom of the cul-de-sac.  It proceeded to dump its load into the waiting wheelbarrows of our builders who then tipped the stuff into the gaping trench.  Father and son worked like trojans as a whirlwind tag team to get the stuff quickly from front drive to back garden.  A heroic effort by any means.

 

Monster concrete delivery

Several hours later, trench full of concrete and Book Club released from their parking purgatory. 

 

Level markers in the trench

Adding the concrete

Leave to dry under cover so no-one falls in

Mount Chi now has to be moved from back garden to front driveway ready to be collected by the grab lorry but footings completed and ready for the next phase which is laying the foundation blocks.

Here today, gone tomorrow

Footings dried solid after a day or two

STUMPED

Cast your mind back to November 2021 when we chopped down the crab apple tree (post – Don’t Get Crabby).  Most of the tree except a stump was removed at the time.  To kill the stump, we drilled lots of holes in the top and filled them with water hoping that the damp, cold, wintry British weather would permeate the stump and cause the wood to naturally rot.

 

November 21 - removing the crab apple tree

What were we thinking?  Unsurprisingly, the tree didn’t die out because nature always finds a way and this year’s winter was quite mild so 6 months down the line, we’re having to dig out the stumpy remains of the crab apple.

 

Bet you thought I was dead

It’s hard work digging out a tree stump.  Not sure how much professional companies charge for this sort of job but whatever it is, they deserve every penny. I won’t be giving up my day job to become a stump remover that’s for sure.

 

Digging out stumps is hard work

Not budging an inch

Blackie supervises proceedings from the safety of a nearby wheelbarrow whilst our fat mog, Bertie, is happily snoring under the bed.

 

Any Dreamies under that tree stump?

With stump gone and roots cut back as much as possible, I only hope we won’t see any further evidence at a later date of crab apple growth in the lawn.  Plants are incredibly resilient.

 

I think we got most of it out

Next job on the list – fit solar pond pump in new pond.  Relatively easy unlike tree stump removal, not a drop of sweat on the brow.  Now we have a lovely fountain in the middle of our new pond and what’s more, it’s all powered for FREE!

 

Solar powered pond pump & plants

Stump gone, fountain flowing and the general area at the back of the house cleared, its time for a cuppa and to let the builders prepare for the first phase of our extension build – the footings.  More about this in the next post.

Clearing the garden ready for the builders

All set for work to begin

THE EVE OF CONSTRUCTION

Dawn breaks.  Birds sing.  The cat has been making a right pain of itself since 5 am, meowing loudly for breakfast in spite of the newly acquired mechanised feeders programmed for 5.30 am to prevent this very unwelcomed daily kitty wake up call.

Breakfast time!

 

Dinner is served

I wouldn’t mind since we get up at 6.30 am anyway to ready ourselves for work but having broken our sleep, the bugger then disappears for hours on end for a cat nap!

 

They're up, I can go back to sleep now

I’ve barely slept.  The excitement that finally our extension build is going to begin today keeping me from sinking into the arms of Morpheus.  I’ve been in and out of a dreamless sleep more times than a sausage being dipped in ketchup.  It’s now 07.32 am so only another 28 minutes to go before they arrive. 

Clock watching isn’t going to make them arrive any quicker so I’m off to get another cup of tea then wake the cat.  Now where is that furry blighter?

You know you love me really