Gonna build a house! #3

21st February

Watching the new house appearing is an exciting and interesting business!

I've been eagerly awaiting these processes but I'm amazed at just how excited I've been feeling over something that isn't even a house for me!


After the ditches were dug to clay level for the foundation channels, the next stage was to erect the depth markers - the posts you see in the photo below.

Then the procedure was to fill the base of the channel with a layer of concrete.

23rd February

As mention in #2  of the series, it's necessary to heavily reinforce the foundations since the soil of the garden was so deep.

I'm a poor photographer because I've 'lost' the photos I took of the cement mixer pouring the newly churned concrete down a funnel for the builders to collect in the wheelbarrows to spread on the bottom of the channel. (Should those photos be found, I'll add them later **knuckles rapped*)

23rd February

It looked a bit strange to me to see the 'raised beds' where the main downstairs rooms will be but when explained, it made sense. The earth seen here will be added to at the correct stage for completing the sub-foundations. There was no point in removing all of the earth from areas where the concrete wasn't going to be applied, so it was piled up to the proper 'new ground level' depth.



On the 24th February, large brieze blocks were delivered and stacked, along with bags of cement. By the 26th February, the concrete was sufficiently set for the next stage - building up the below floor level brickwork through which the services (water/gas/electricity) will eventually be laid in. 

24th February

It was strange when the security fencing was set in place since it's hard for me to think of the area as no longer being my property.

However, with an almost 1 year old child and a toddler of 3 and a half years living in my house I'm very glad of that fencing. 

26th February

A crew of 5 builders came in and in what seemed no time at all the walls were built- except these are NOT the walls of the house but are merely the walls of the foundations.

27th February

The perspective of this photo makes it look as though the house will be dinky but in terms of house building in the area what will appear will be a larger than average 3 bedroomed home.

27th February

Daddy's home from work. A bit of inspecting the progress is going on and a lot of imagining of what it is going to be like in a few months.

top right you can see the gaps for where the services will be laid in

Now came the wait for the mortar and brickwork for the sub-foundations to dry out. The expected time was 3 or 4 days, depending on the weather. We've been very lucky and have avoided heavy rain and the snow which some areas near here have been experiencing. Last night was a cold one, with a frosty start this morning, but nothing exceptional for early March in Aberdeenshire.

Stay tuned for the next stage in 'Gonna build a house'. In a few days time.

Slainthe!