Again this morning, glorious weather. The terrace was dry enough for a good roll in the sunshine.
Thursday
And we're off again...
Another 4 truckloads of concrete. All floors are in. Michel said, the hardest, dirtiest part is now over. Next week, walls begin to go up. The boys did an impressive job yesterday. We had the perfect day for it and they finished ahead of schedule. They even cleaned up all the stray concrete spritzes. Henny remarked, Gilbert gets the windows cleaner than we do. Everyone was happy and satisfied.
Again this morning, glorious weather. The terrace was dry enough for a good roll in the sunshine.
Again this morning, glorious weather. The terrace was dry enough for a good roll in the sunshine.
Friday
Armed and ready
The terrace has been iron meshed and reinforced for the next concrete delivery.
Meanwhile, a gloriously sunny day. Michel knocked on the door to ask if it was all right if the boys had their lunch on the terrace. They were perfectly comfortable in late-January sunshine, sheltered from the wind. Henny's Alignan house had a beautiful south-facing terrace that we often used on sunny days in winter. We've tried our best to find that here with a house that faces east, and by gum, Henny's dream looks like it's becoming a reality.
Meanwhile, a gloriously sunny day. Michel knocked on the door to ask if it was all right if the boys had their lunch on the terrace. They were perfectly comfortable in late-January sunshine, sheltered from the wind. Henny's Alignan house had a beautiful south-facing terrace that we often used on sunny days in winter. We've tried our best to find that here with a house that faces east, and by gum, Henny's dream looks like it's becoming a reality.
Thursday
It's all about the levels
When you're building on slopes, you've got to get it right. The tolerances here seem to be down to millimetres of clearance for pipework running under floors, and the renovation meeting the correct levels of the existing structures. Michel comes to us regularly with a long face. We need a step up to accommodate the well. Then somehow he magically rectifies it. Henny and I breathe a sigh of relief. Today the plumbers came. No, we need 15 cm for our waste pipes. Michel returns an hour later with a big smile. I've got it down to 8cm, we can fix it with a little ramp. (Hopefully not à la the ski jump of a previous blog). But it's going very well indeed considering how tight it all is.
The new terrace is now levelled. Pou thinks we built a giant litter box outside his cat flap.
Here's where it will meet up with the existing. Once you add the top layers of concrete and tiles, you will take one step down to the existing terrace.
Plumbers today laying their pipes before the next layer of concrete arrives in a few days.
This is indeed exciting for us! Now they've confirmed their levels, they can close up the holes in the existing bathroom they made for verification. No more icy trips to the loo!
The new terrace is now levelled. Pou thinks we built a giant litter box outside his cat flap.
Here's where it will meet up with the existing. Once you add the top layers of concrete and tiles, you will take one step down to the existing terrace.
Plumbers today laying their pipes before the next layer of concrete arrives in a few days.
This is indeed exciting for us! Now they've confirmed their levels, they can close up the holes in the existing bathroom they made for verification. No more icy trips to the loo!
The Workshop
Since our garage and our shed were sacrificed for the renovation, we had to squeeze in garden storage somewhere. I had this revelation during a nuit blanche. We've used supporting walls that were created for the parking and separation from the neighbour. They're being built up further, and voilà, our new workshop.
Here's how it looks today from the parking area. There will be a 2 metre terrace/pathway out front. That's where you'll enter. The former kitchen window will be reused to give us a little light. I think it's going to do the job well. Wonder what the architects will make of my plan?
Here's how it looks today from the parking area. There will be a 2 metre terrace/pathway out front. That's where you'll enter. The former kitchen window will be reused to give us a little light. I think it's going to do the job well. Wonder what the architects will make of my plan?
Snow!
On the 16th of January, I travelled back from London by train. There were delays all along the way. Here's why. It was actually worse down our way than it was in the north.
This is the ramp leading from parking space into the garden. Henny's planning a Ski Jump Competition. In summer it'll be skateboarding with a half-pipe right into L&A's pool.
Update mid-January 2013
The work is moving along nicely. More cement arrived, big trucks negotiating our narrow lane.
The foundation walls have gone up. Here our foreman, Michel, in action bravely standing on palettes covering our well. The wooden section is making a concrete lintel over the well. To the left is the parking area. We'll have a manhole here to access the well.
When the cement cylinder that protected the well was removed, everyone was surprised at the diameter of it. You could practically drive a Northern Line tube through. Michel said it's very deep and proclaimed we probably have enough water for all of Roujan. We were delighted with his assessment. It will help us to re-establish the garden when all this is finished.
The foundation walls have gone up. Here our foreman, Michel, in action bravely standing on palettes covering our well. The wooden section is making a concrete lintel over the well. To the left is the parking area. We'll have a manhole here to access the well.
When the cement cylinder that protected the well was removed, everyone was surprised at the diameter of it. You could practically drive a Northern Line tube through. Michel said it's very deep and proclaimed we probably have enough water for all of Roujan. We were delighted with his assessment. It will help us to re-establish the garden when all this is finished.
At the end of the day, the work is finely inspected from another perspective. How is it that on the wall he looks like a cat, but in the shadow, I see a piglet.
Wednesday
Progress Report
A catch-up blog. The boys drilled the last bit of the cuve out of the tower walls in cold lashing rain. They worked under a tarpaulin, which didn't help them being soaked to the bone anyway. The digger did the big work pronto, but the last 40 cm were left to do with jackhammers to avoid damage to the inside. It took two men the better part of two days.
The delivery of cement blocks arrived. These will be used to level-up our sloping land in three areas: terrace, parking, and the building on the north side.
The delivery of cement blocks arrived. These will be used to level-up our sloping land in three areas: terrace, parking, and the building on the north side.
Footings have been dug ready for concrete.
And here it comes. The concrete pump was higher than the tower. They move it around with a remote control the fellow in the green shirt is wearing around his waist.
Here are the poured footings. The last bit was finished in the cold, dark and wet, but they were done the Friday before the Christmas break as promised. Impressive.
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