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Self build 2: The Sequel…

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Read more about Still not quite to damp…

Groundworks and Foundations

Still not quite to damp…

Forgive me holy Bill Dub, it has been many weeks since my last confession: and in that time I have uttered much profanity and at times, I have edged a small way towards despair.  I used to think I was good at working alone, and I sort of am when I have confidence that I have a good idea of what I am doing.  The other thing about working alone is that it’s dangerous - especially with net access and faceache marketplace.  Guess who now has a fridge freezer in the site hut (vital, darlings) and a b

• 6 Comments
• 3804 views

• G and J in Groundworks and Foundations
• July 20, 20251 yr

Read more about A pause for breath… (& to take stock of cost of foundations…)

Groundworks and Foundations

A pause for breath… (& to take stock of cost of foundations…)

Well, sort of.  Working physically hard is sooo emotionally easy compared to the frenetic whirlwind of strip foundation digging and filling.   If that means that to you, I sound an emotional fruitbat then I commend your perceptivenes.  I find it impossible to predict in advance the bits that will be most stressful.   In the last two weeks I’ve had all but two days on my own on site, as Steve has been on his hols.  So it’s background organisation tasks and planning for the most part.  T

• 16 Comments
• 3681 views

• G and J in Groundworks and Foundations
• June 8, 20251 yr

Read more about Choose your panics with care…

Groundworks and Foundations

Choose your panics with care…

We start the week with the latest quandary: how to show the warranty surveyor enough trenches so he can confirm he’s seen 50% of them.  He saw some last week and if we dug the rest of them then that would add up to enough.   However, if we did that we’d have a massive issue with spoil and we would not get the concrete lorry on to pour, so it would be barrows.   Apparently pumping is an option, but we’d need to close the road which is a lot of cost and a great deal of time wasted.   So,

• 3 Comments
• 2293 views

• G and J in Groundworks and Foundations
• May 26, 20251 yr

Read more about Scraping and digging and filling.

Groundworks and Foundations

Scraping and digging and filling.

Clearing the site…   (Last weekend I didn’t think there was enough for a blog entry.  But this weekend, after a week and a half at groundworks it turns out I had more in my head to clear out than I realise, so it’s a bit longer than expected…)   After the grunt and sweat and fatigue of manual demolition it felt like one big ‘Hurry Up -Wait!’, the wait partly imposed by Steve (semi retired builder) being on holiday.    The plan was to start groundworks at the beginni

• 4 Comments
• 2195 views

• G and J in Groundworks and Foundations
• May 18, 20251 yr