Week 9 - a floor but not much more ...

Hello,

I've been slack with my updates for last week ... a bit too busy to sit down at the computer!  Week 9 didn't see a huge amount of progress to be honest.  The first floor joists were pretty much complete during the week, but other than that, nothing much to report.  We've been at a stalemate trying to resolve some issues around how to rebuild the granite opening and also on some other tender related things.  It is all resolved now so hopefully the next weeks blog will have more progress to show.

See ya!

Hardcore now all filled in and compacted

Looking up to the other first floor bedroom floor

Structure looking more visible now - pipes are for bathrooms

1st floor ends - then into full height hallway

A view from above ...

Another view from above ...

Opening will be reformed within the next week or two

View from West side again

Sun streaming in

A lovely sunny evening :-)

Week 8 - we like Hardcore!

Hello bloggers,

Week 8 is now behind us and we are still seeing decent progress on site.  The extension monster foundation walls are now fully complete and the hardcore has started to be deposited to raise the levels.  It is looking fab.  Amazing amount of rock going in there.  I also still don't really know how the builder managed to get his digger in and out of the extension area!

Digger getting to work ... not sure how he got it in!

Keep the hardcore coming please ... (can you not get arrested for saying that in some countries?)

The great pyramid of Finzean! .. no digger now!!

Almost there with the main bit ... but still the east foundations to do!!

Inside the main mill building the room structures have made some progress also in the past week.  We have had the initial first floor joists starting to go in for one of the kids bedrooms, and the lintel replacements are almost complete.

Looking from master bedroom to en-suite and staircase/hallway

First floor joists (looking up at bedroom 3) - this floor will straddle a window

The old mill front/side doorways are now almost at their finished size, with the original granite being reused to reform external wall and inset.  Looking good.  Amazing to think that just a couple of months ago there was an old purple door and death trap of a hayloft above these openings!  I have included a few before and after pictures so you can see some how these have changed.

New East facing window

Old East facing door (dangerous)!

New North facing window

Old North facing door!

North facing aspect ... work in progress

Week 7 - Big foundations please!!

Hello Folks,

Welcome to our blog for Week 7!  A wee bit delayed but hay-ho, good things come to those who wait!  The past week has seen some serious progress on the foundation walls for the extensions.  These have grown up out of the pad foundations and are starting to look the business.  You can really get a feel now for the building scale, shape and height of the finished floor levels above the Feugh.

Let the mother of all Lego builds begin!

Blocks starting to get to position - another view

By mid-week, in the immortal words of Tommy Cooper ... just like that!

The east part of the extension is taking shape too

This is the support area for the fireplace ... yes, it's a biggie!

Peek-a-boo ... now that is a WALL old Pa is checking out

It hasn't all been sunshine, we did have terrible rain Sat/Sun, which meant the Feugh got angry pretty quickly!  All that pre-planning flood modelling was fine, but I'm just glad we've got the mother of all retaining walls and foundations on the extension so we can enjoy the G&T's with the fishing rods dangling knowing we're sitting on something akin to Fort Knox.  P.S. for the record, the building footprint is designed to be well out with the 200year (+ 20% for climate change) flood plain!!

an angry Feugh (around 4:30pm on 8th May 2011)

Inside the mill, the structural supports and framework are starting to go up for the first floor.  These are designed to be reassuringly robust and will be utilising steel beams and timber.

First steel beams arrive on site

A view from the master en-suite ... looking into the main / upstairs bedroom

The lintel and supports above the front facing window in the main bedroom

Another large support beam running above the guest bedroom ... hopefully stronger than a Stewart Milne Kepplestone flat floor!!

Last but not least, our busy new site worker Abbey is making her mark!!

A giant sand pit - she loved it