a tense few days

However we have tried to plan carefully, things don't always work out!
Russell & Rob began digging down to the sewer on Thursday, but it was much deeper than they expected, and they had to get a special box to enable deeper digging on Friday (this was so the walls didn't collapse).
Unfortunately that was the day that the local sewage pumping station station stopped working, so when they drilled into the pipe, a fountain of sewage sprayed out. I was mercifully collecting an order at the time - but I had the foresight to provide industrial size wipes as the water tap was frozen!
This meant that the mandatory inspection could not be done; and in order to prevent the hole filling up with water, we had to leave a pump on all weekend. Fortunately on Monday, the station was pumping again, the connection could be made & inspected, and the trench filled in.

It was especially important as today, a trench had to be dug for National Grid to lay the gas pipeline, and there would have been no room if the sewer trench hadn't been filled in.
This afternoon, National Grid arrived, but the traffic lights didn't. They were able to lay the pipe on our property, and leave the end to the public highway unconnected. That meant this trench could be filled, and yet another dug for the remaining services.

Edmund managed to get here on Saturday and helped to move the sanitaryware from the secure store into the house - we are most grateful as we hope to be plumbing in our shower room soon.
I spent this morning taking my very first steps in tiling and managed to get 12 floor tiles down.
So tomorrow, we hope that the traffic lights do arrive and the connection to the mains gas can be made; the scaffolding is erected for the garage roof, and I can learn how to cut tiles to fit the edge of the shower room.

here we go again!

Here comes the digger again, to do trenches for the services, which we hope to connect up in the next couple of weeks, and to put in the rainwater harvesting tank.Many thanks also to Tile Choice at Northampton, especially Joel, who has looked after the tiles we chose almost a year ago, and arranged delivery, as well as helping me to collect some so that we can make a start in the shower room.

getting there

First of all, here are 2 just-about-grown-up swans - the cygnets I had photographed over this year, who came to visit this week. we saw an egret this morning - there are a couple who stop by every so often.



I've had a couple of requests to show a photo of the house, and so here are a 2 photos - as you can see, whilst the house is just about complete, the garage, which is in front of it, isn't!



We also take a bit of a backward step as the groundworks now need to be completed, and services connected, which can't be done if there is any scaffolding up.
So for the next 10 days or so, the garage will be roofless.
Here is the plan:
next week, the groundworkers install the rainwater harvesting tank, level most of the site, dig the trenches for the services and connect us to the sewer.
If all goes well, we will be connected to the gas on February 8th - which means we can switch on the heating!
Then the scaffolding can go up around the garage, and the roofers can finish their work.

This is especially good news for Axminster Tools who have had Keith's planer thicknesser in their warehouse for almost a year - as soon as the garage is watertight it can be delivered, and Keith can begin making the kitchen cabinets.
That will also be good news for Bews Electrical who have also been storing the kitchen appliances we bought a year ago! They are a very friendly and helpful company who looked after us well in Caddington, and have given us very good advice over the years.

However, all of you following this blog know that there are many ways the plans can slip up!

We did put up a post-box this week - you can just see it on the fence, and also see that our site is far from picturesque:

the boards

Boarding has taken up most of our time for the last 3 months and finally the end is in sight. We could not finish in some rooms as we had to wait for the plumbers to finish their work and test the pipes. About 30 boards remain to be put up in the house and some will be needed for the garage ceiling.
So I thought I would celebrate with some last pictures:
Keith has just finished cutting holes for the electrical sockets in this board:

Here is one board going up, we have to make sure all the wiring runs to the right places:

And here is our bedroom:

As you can see, I have begun to apply the filler.

In a rare bit of good timing, Mark from AAS was able to fit our aerials on the chimney today before the scaffolding was dismantled. Many thanks for a friendly & efficient service; we were also delighted to find out that at least our co-axial cables are working!

freezing

The weather has been kind so far, and it could be a lot worse; but today, like a few days before Xmas, we didn't get above freezing.
What do we do?
I take a 5 litre container of water from home, for cups of tea, mixing filler, etc. (one day before Christmas I forgot it, so thanks to one of our new neighbours, Jane, who filled the kettle for us)
I bring all the washing up home with me.

That's easy - then today the chemical loo & sink froze; in anticipation I had put wipes for hand cleaning, not realising that they too would freeze! Fortunately we had more inside the house!

Our experienced bricklayer, John has tubs of water ready, in the hope that they don't freeze completely - today he only had to smash through 3" of ice to get at the water. He also adds "frost protector" to the mortar.

Inside, the excellent insulation is already showing its worth. We have a 3 kw fan heater and it certainly helps with the work.

Today was also momentous, because I made what I sincerely hope is my last trip ever up any scaffolding to take down the last of the protective film from the upstairs windows (sorry I forgot the camera to take a last photo!). If all goes to plan, it comes down tomorrow.

Keeping to time

;
Fotheringhay Forge popped in on Wednesday to pressure test the chimney & it was passed, so the roofers came to tidy up the tiling on Friday.

This week we had one of those moments that plagues every build. We have been only able to open the upstairs windows a crack because of the scaffolding. We suddenly realised that the scaffolding lifts had been dropped some weeks ago, so we should now be able to open the windows, but actually we couldn't! The fascia boards came down a little too low and it was they impeding the opening. Fortunately we realised whilst scaffolding was still in place. So Keith has been up there cutting back the boards, which actually looks planned & decorative.

Whilst up on the boards he took a picture of the chimney which does look very fine.


I spent some time insulating half the loft - the other half has to wait for the last ceiling boards to go up. I wanted to get half done, as we have now moved in some of the boxes that came out of the loft at Crosslands! Thanks to Neil who came to help, and even took 3 of his own boxes away with him!
We also moved a couple of my parents' old armchairs into the "office" at The Bright House, so we feel a bit more comfortable during our breaks.

Next week the main scaffolding comes down, and a small amount goes back up around the garage so that the roof can go on. We are looking forward to seeing the "real house" and getting the last protective film off the windows.

Happy New Year

Work has been continuing, and a lot has happened since Christmas.


John & Ali have been building the garage. Those of you with sharp eyes will see that the bond is different to that on the house. I love the classic "tied bond" usually found on Victorian and early 20C houses, associated with a double brick wall, as you can see clearly here. To get that effect on a single wall house, the bricks have to be cut especially, which makes it more expensive. So our house is in the usual, modern "stretcher bond" but as the garage is a double wall, we can have the tied bond.

Steve & Richard, the professional & friendly plumbers from Ian Young Plumbing have been back, installing & connecting up our waste pipes, rainwater harvester, and this wonderful hot water cylinder:

You can't see on this photo, but I have labelled all the pipes with markers so I know what they are. The water will be warmed by the solar panels on the roof, and when that is insufficient, by gas.

We have yet another timeline set up - regulars here can see if this one works!
Friday 13th Jan: Fotheringhay Forge come to pressure test the chimney - we really hope it works, because the following week, the roofers will dismantle the chimney scaffolding and tidy the tiling.
Then the scaffolding can be dismantled, so the garage can be finished.
In the week 30th Jan - 3rd Feb, the trenches can be dug so that the utilities can be connected.
We really hope this works, because we are moving out of Irthlingborough the weekend of 18th/19th February.
We do have 2 kind offers of temporary accommodation in Denford, but hope not to trouble anyone. As long as we have heating & a flushing toilet, I reckon we can manage. The Nene Leisure Centre with a swimming pool & showers is only a mile away. I am too soft to bathe in the river in all weathers, although within my memory one Denford resident never missed his daily dip by the war memorial.
Inside, we have almost finished the boarding, and Mick our electrician will come to do the second fix at the end of January.
To finish, here are pictures of the swans & geese, taken today: