the build has started 3rd week of May

23rd may A week in the rain whilst we enjoy the sun in Pitlochry.
Billy starts digging whilst we are in Pitlochry, but soon hits a problem.
The measurements are out. 

 

Life has been so manic recently, it has been a total roller coaster what with the house build and having to take the French around the Scottish countryside. In fact the French loved it, and the weather was glorious, three days walking in Pitlochry and three sightseeing in Edinburgh. It was just a pity that all hell was breaking loose at the same time with the start of the foundations. On my second day away they found that the measurements on the architects drawing were nearly 2m out in height. Meaning that the house would have to drop down a further 2 metres with the result that we would have lost lots of the views and the drive would have been on a slope. Two of the most important aspects we didn’t want, and specifically designed against. The architect, money already in pocket, didn’t see any problem with that suggestion, nice easy solution.

At which point l had a paddy and stamped my feet, and said no way. The house had to be built up to bring it back to the original height. What galls me is that neither the architect, structural engineer or geometric who plotted the lie of the land accepted any responsibility for the error. Its just one of those things.

So we then set about seeing what had to be done. Initially everyone said, build up in block, fit concrete beams and go from there. So l checked prices. what with the blocks, tanking, concrete beams and labour the extra expense came to £25k,. So that was never going to happen.

Sat down with my pad and pen and started seeing what alternatives there could be.

26th May and more holes ready for the footings

 During the daylight hours we were felling trees and cutting and stacking logs

 

 The builders have finished cutting out the footings and are ready to pour the concrete next week. Unfortunately the steel has been ordered and paid for, but as of yet not cut. I will be contacting them next week to ask them to put the cutting on hold until we have the definitive measurement. 

 On the 26th we eventually manage to get the steel mesh and l start cutting it to size whilst Billy and Russel finish off cutting out the footings

 On the 27th we pour the concrete, three loads, but we underestimate and they have to come back the following day to finish off. Bloody hard work. Even with David helping. Three of us pushing the stuff around and Billy dropping it in with either the dumper or big digger.
Find out later that they have charged us standing time as we were over 20 minutes.
 

 To try and minimise the dramatic increase in cost it has been suggested that we use compressed scalloping enclosed in a perimeter of gabion, filled with the same stone. The stone would then be topped with the binding, DPC, insulation and reinforced concrete. This would ultimately act as a floating floor foundation for the 145 high-density blocks being used as tanking. Preferably on the exterior face with the appropriate protection and drain cover, with gabion retainers as previously specified.

The structural engineer came up with what sounded a good idea. Use large industrial concrete manhole rings, two by one metre tall, that sat on top of each other in the 21 positions that support the steel columns. Fill them with reinforced concrete and then fit the steel from there. Down side, the rings are £750 each, so £1500 per pad, and the concrete would cost £250 each to fill. It doesn’t take a genius to calculate the exorbitant costs involved, especially as we have already paid for a weeks excavation for the footings and £4k of concrete to be poured.

So back to the drawing board. Eventually worked out that it would be cheaper to build another layer of steel to bring us up to the right level. This in fact removed the necessity for having any block work or tanking, as it formed a solum, that didn’t require tanking. So we rushed around getting the engineer to verify that my idea was acceptable and then ordered the steel. Although lots of the steel was already on site , all cut short now. More delays. But it minimised the extra cost, only another £9k instead of £25k.


Expressed my displeasure with both the Architect and Structural engineer.
Realistically, if l had been aware of such a dramatic and expensive ground floor, l would have looked for a different solution. We could have had the main building sited at the front, nearer the road, with just the spare bedroom projecting out over the chasm.

Presently l feel that my professional advisor's are not looking after my best interests. I started this project with a £25,000 contingency in my budget. The amendments to the kit to take in the steel, and the delay in the build start date with the ultimate increase in base costs has reduced this by £12K.And all we have are holes in the ground. And the bank balance.

But we push on regardless.

 June and the concrete is poured and cured, bolts and fixings have arrived and we are about to get drilling and gluing the pads into place. Then grouting in. Have to pop over and get ten bags from Jewsons. Less than half the price that at the local Dunoon builders merchant.
They also let us down on the gabion delivery.
Expected them on the Monday, nothing. Tuesday nothing, so phoned, only to be told that they had been let down and they wouldn't arrive for 10 days.
So cancelled order and went direct. Paid more for the delivery, but they arrived on the Friday. 3 days. One big problem.we were out picking up the grout in Greenock.
Not all lost, they came back on the Monday.