Monday, 27 August 2012
Week 59 - WORK IN PROGRESS
Just getting around to catching up on our blog ... will update weeks 59-63 in the next week, bear with me.
Friday, 4 May 2012
Week 58 - Funky glass, tasty lights, and lots of floors!
Hi folks,
Well, another week in ... 58 down and
counting! This has been quite a
rewarding week to see because it actually feels like we can see the end in
sight now. I think the fact that
the deck is now finished, lights/switches/sockets have turned up onsite, more floors going down and the store is nearly
complete, means that we are soon to be focusing on the details and finishes now rather than building stuff (ignoring the breezy entrance of course!).
You need to see the photo below for the wacky double glazing ... quite possibly the coolest windows I've ever seen! I see how the template was made, but have no idea how these units were actually made. These are getting fitted in next week.
We also played around with landscaping some
more this week so think we’re almost there on that front. Cedar hot tub has been ordered (see
rustictubs.com), so space has been made for that bad boy next to the river!
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| Entrance getting ready for the glass - drainage and tiles |
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| Edges for drive way and paths going in |
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| Store coming together nicely (still needs extra cladding) |
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| Decked area looking really fab now |
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| A view West, upstream along the Feugh bank |
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| Wood flooring arrived - Kahrs Oak |
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| Our lovely Caithness slate down in the utility |
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| Caithness slate for the entrance hall |
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| The coolest windows ever for guest room - check out the profile!! |
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| View from dining space to the deck |
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| Occhio Piu Alto LED lights ... a wee treat for main extension |
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| Another Occhio treat for the granite wall inside the Mill - called Puro, these are so cool! |
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| One of the external lights |
Week 57 - Pellet store going up; decking going down!
Hi,
A few big work fronts have been ongoing this week. Firstly, the composite deck has started to be laid at last - really dark when I visited site this week but can tell it was looking good. Product is called TimberTech, really great looking stuff ... plus maintenance free so we never have to stain or protect it ... yippee!! Outside there was also some major work ongoing with the erection of the pellet store which is now taking shape.
Inside, the bathrooms were continuing to be installed with some showers and fittings going in. In the kitchen the remaining appliances were starting to get hooked up.
One of our biggest remaining worries is still the glass for the entrance hall, but we had some good news on this and apparently it will all arrive on 10th May. Some of it coming from Scotland but the biggest bit comes from Europe somewhere. Fingers crossed it comes intact and fits first time as we're booking removal vans for the 28th May, so there is LOTS to do!!
Apologies for the rubbish pictures this week ... it was nearly pitch black when I made it out!
A few big work fronts have been ongoing this week. Firstly, the composite deck has started to be laid at last - really dark when I visited site this week but can tell it was looking good. Product is called TimberTech, really great looking stuff ... plus maintenance free so we never have to stain or protect it ... yippee!! Outside there was also some major work ongoing with the erection of the pellet store which is now taking shape.
Inside, the bathrooms were continuing to be installed with some showers and fittings going in. In the kitchen the remaining appliances were starting to get hooked up.
One of our biggest remaining worries is still the glass for the entrance hall, but we had some good news on this and apparently it will all arrive on 10th May. Some of it coming from Scotland but the biggest bit comes from Europe somewhere. Fingers crossed it comes intact and fits first time as we're booking removal vans for the 28th May, so there is LOTS to do!!
Apologies for the rubbish pictures this week ... it was nearly pitch black when I made it out!
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| Side view of new store area that will house the pellet hopper (and tons of garden junk!) |
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| Decking started ... balustrades not in yet |
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| Decking again ..... different view |
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| Kitchen plumbing getting hooked up |
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| Master shower ... can't wait to use this! |
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| For the techno-geeks ... this is a duct outlet for ventilation system (now installed) |
Friday, 20 April 2012
Week 56 - Back to work after the holidays! The home stretch?!
Hi everyone,
With the easter holidays now behind us, everyone pretty much back to work onsite now. There were quite a few work fronts going on this week. Inside the guys continued with the kitchen installation and bathrooms. Outside the aluminium guttering was starting to be fitted, as were the decking beams in readiness for the composite deck boards going down (all the aluminium balustrade posts were fitted two weeks previous). Foundation and drainage channel work also progressed on the pellet store and entrance walkway respectively. The latter was getting set in readiness for our Caithness slate tiles arriving soon which will cover the floor in hall and provide slabs for walkway to front door (i.e. same inside and out).
We had to cover the wood in the entrance hallway this week as we still don't have a delivery date for the structural glass so we don't want the wood getting damaged by continued exposure to the elements. Hope it will turn up soon as we need to get fully water tight and moved in at the end of May! We have no choice now as our rental property went up for sale this week .... panic stations, argghhh!!
With the easter holidays now behind us, everyone pretty much back to work onsite now. There were quite a few work fronts going on this week. Inside the guys continued with the kitchen installation and bathrooms. Outside the aluminium guttering was starting to be fitted, as were the decking beams in readiness for the composite deck boards going down (all the aluminium balustrade posts were fitted two weeks previous). Foundation and drainage channel work also progressed on the pellet store and entrance walkway respectively. The latter was getting set in readiness for our Caithness slate tiles arriving soon which will cover the floor in hall and provide slabs for walkway to front door (i.e. same inside and out).
We had to cover the wood in the entrance hallway this week as we still don't have a delivery date for the structural glass so we don't want the wood getting damaged by continued exposure to the elements. Hope it will turn up soon as we need to get fully water tight and moved in at the end of May! We have no choice now as our rental property went up for sale this week .... panic stations, argghhh!!
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| Kitchen starting to take shape |
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| Another angle taken from the dining area |
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| Looking from dining space out to the (soon to be) decked area |
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| Glass front now on the fully installed Hwam stove ... I love this!! |
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| Beams getting fitted onto steel deck substructure |
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| Nice view back to the house |
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| Aluminium guttering pipes |
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| Concrete now poured and set for the pellet store foundations and floor |
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| Cementing in the drainage channels at the front door |
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| Looking towards the "soon" to be front door and glazed hall |
Thursday, 19 April 2012
Week 55 - Trades holiday .. but bathrooms keep going in
Hi again,
This week was the easter break for the builders and most trades. However thankfully the plumber and a few others kept soldiering on through the holiday and managed to get some things done like sinks and toilets fitted. We also finalised marking out our drive layout and started moving things around for landscaping in the garden. Can you believe the weather this week?? Gone are the 20 degC temperatures to be replaced with snow!
This week was the easter break for the builders and most trades. However thankfully the plumber and a few others kept soldiering on through the holiday and managed to get some things done like sinks and toilets fitted. We also finalised marking out our drive layout and started moving things around for landscaping in the garden. Can you believe the weather this week?? Gone are the 20 degC temperatures to be replaced with snow!
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| Master bathroom - sharpen those elbows! |
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| Our funky taps |
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| Family bathroom with sink and toilet now in |
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| Looking into guest bedroom/ensuite |
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| Marking out the driveway |
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| Remnants of April snow! |
Week 54 - Kitchen time and back to foundations!
Hi folks,
I'm playing catch-up on a few weeks tonight! Week 54 saw the kitchen and utility units arrive onsite now that the kitchen / dining area has been tiled. Fitting of the units was started and spaces are looking good. It had been so long since we picked these that we'd forgotten what they actually looked like!
The first coats of paint were also started this week, with the kiddies getting the only shots of colour at the moment! Other jobs this week included fitting of staircase oak handrails, fitting of the entrance hall Douglas Fir beams and rafters, and the foundations for the pellet store were started.
I'm playing catch-up on a few weeks tonight! Week 54 saw the kitchen and utility units arrive onsite now that the kitchen / dining area has been tiled. Fitting of the units was started and spaces are looking good. It had been so long since we picked these that we'd forgotten what they actually looked like!
The first coats of paint were also started this week, with the kiddies getting the only shots of colour at the moment! Other jobs this week included fitting of staircase oak handrails, fitting of the entrance hall Douglas Fir beams and rafters, and the foundations for the pellet store were started.
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| Pink as requested! |
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| Family bathroom shower and cupboard |
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| Handrails fitted - just waiting on the glass |
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| Floor tiled and kitchen starting to take shape |
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| Utility units going in .... |
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| Glass ordered so wood beams started for supporting structure |
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| Foundations for pellet store |
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| Goodbye septic tank ... |
Monday, 26 March 2012
Week 53 - Internal doors, Septic tank and entrance hall beams ....
Hi folks,
This week we started to see the internal doors getting hung and ironmongery fitted. What a difference a door makes! These are looking even better than we thought fitted and suit the design of the house well. Doors and ironmongery are from International Door and Windows in Aberdeen, product suppliers are LPD and Karcher Design respectively.
Other than that, another main focus this week has been on getting the septic tank location dug out and unit in place. Quite a big hole to house that bad boy as you can see from the photos ....
Now that the 3 steel beams are in for the main entrance hall, the builders have started to fit the solid Douglas Fir rafters (steel beams will be clad in same material). You won't see them in the picture as they were removed again until we get the glass on site. There will be 5 of them running North to South, with the glass sitting on top in sections. Again, the glass has been a total hassle but it seems like today (26th March) we may actually have someone down in Enger-land who is prepared to specify the glass spec so we can move forward with this order. This is the biggest threat to us becoming homeless in May!!
All going well this coming week, floor tiling should start and kitchen will be delivered ... watch this space!
Ta ta until then .....
This week we started to see the internal doors getting hung and ironmongery fitted. What a difference a door makes! These are looking even better than we thought fitted and suit the design of the house well. Doors and ironmongery are from International Door and Windows in Aberdeen, product suppliers are LPD and Karcher Design respectively.
Other than that, another main focus this week has been on getting the septic tank location dug out and unit in place. Quite a big hole to house that bad boy as you can see from the photos ....
Now that the 3 steel beams are in for the main entrance hall, the builders have started to fit the solid Douglas Fir rafters (steel beams will be clad in same material). You won't see them in the picture as they were removed again until we get the glass on site. There will be 5 of them running North to South, with the glass sitting on top in sections. Again, the glass has been a total hassle but it seems like today (26th March) we may actually have someone down in Enger-land who is prepared to specify the glass spec so we can move forward with this order. This is the biggest threat to us becoming homeless in May!!
All going well this coming week, floor tiling should start and kitchen will be delivered ... watch this space!
Ta ta until then .....
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| Tank in a big hole ... that's a technical description! |
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| Entrance hall from river side - beams in, rafter cut, waiting on glass! |
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| Upstairs bathroom ... we love it, lucky kiddies! |
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| Internal doors |
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