Monday 31 March 2008

Wow!

I get excited about silly things probably- but I think this roof is pretty amazing, the tiles appear almost a dark chocolate brown in colour - I've been told they're grey!
Our own windows! I can't wait to open and close them.

Tiles in close up!
Meanwhile on the other side of the roof, the dormer windows take shape. I know they're a bit of a hastle to do, but they do look good and make such a difference to the size of the house. Come on chaps there are only two more to do! And you've got that lovely view!

By the front door bags and bags of insulation waiting in turn to be added to the house
Now we even have an upstairs!

A room with a view! This is looking out of our bedroom window

It looks so good and sits so perfectly on the site, Everyday there is something different to see as it gets one step nearer to completion

Sunday 30 March 2008

Up on the roof - mainly

The wreath slipped off its perch in the strong wind, but at last the flags flew - Danish on the one side and Scottish (hidden from the camera) on the other
We couldn't wait any longer for the Building Warrant Officer to give a decision on the underlay - so rather than lose time it goes on. This type of house hasn't been built in Scotland before and we were told that the Building Warrant Office has only had one other request in the last fifteen years arguing the case for not using underlay under the roof tiles

Our 'stick up' roof tiles clipped on to the batons and held tightly and securely in place with Velcro - this keeps them weather tight thus doing away with the need for underlay. It also stops them rattling in the wind.
The work on the roof continues

No worries about falling off then!


My sitting room!

Looking along the length of the ground floor. To the left, in between the wind bracing walls there will be a shower room and the hall and in the far corner Niels' study.

I love this bit. It means I can walk all the way round the outside of the house and stay dry! The Planning Officer while pointing out that these roofs weren't typical to the highlands agreed it was good to be able to walk round the house and not get wet!
I can't get over the speed the builders are working. They do a 10 hour day and work really hard. The house does look truly amazing

Thursday 27 March 2008

Work in progress

Our house next door to Annie's house, I've taken the picture from the garden of the house we are staying in at present, it's wonderfully convenient being so near to the house site.
The sun shone and even the flags fluttered - sometimes!

Niels and Alan have gone to pick up some velux windows, and to take some more BS EN numbers to the Building warrant officer. He likes those, together with more photographs of the foundations (he likes though too). As yet we haven't had a building inspector visit the site which means everything needs to be recorded in detail so if they do drop by they can see exactly what has been done

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Topping Out

The first roof rafters go up!
And after lots of hard work and one or two of these -

the roof begins to take shape. They lift the beams up and assemble the 'A' frame before fixing them into position



Bit by bit the roof grows


Until finally the last rafters are put in place

It looks amazing and makes a huge difference to the size. The proportions seem just perfect

Not a breath of wind, and the two flags, one Danish, and one Scottish refuse to flutter even a tiny bit, and the wreath, made on Sunday afternoon out of what appeared to be half a fir tree, is now barely visible to the naked eye! Nevertheless we hold our own 'Topping Out' ceremony

And as the dusk sets in and the night air chills we have a cold Carlsberg and a hot (warm) dog and admire our beautiful timber framed house

I think Niels is shivering!
Thanks chaps! It looks brilliant. You can go inside now and warm up!

Tuesday 25 March 2008

Spring!

This was the view from the bathroom window yesterday morning as I was brushing my teeth. Somebody left the door open! I wonder if we should brush the snow off the house? The builders arrive back today from their Easter break. Today is the last day apparently for snow, tomorrow returns to rain, clouds, showers, sleet and sunshine - so that will be fine then!

Before the snow started to settle I went to inspect the 'garden!' In amongst the devastation and felled trees I spotted what I think are bluebells

There would be carpets of them if it weren't for us clomping over them, trees falling on top of them, sheep nibbling them and tons of earth and rubble being tipped over them. They seem quite hardy though, and hopefully, next year when they realise we're not waging war against them they will pop up to be greeted by less hostile conditions

At the bottom of the garden I found this. It's growing up and over old and decaying wood. What is it? Will it have a beautiful flower and fill the garden with scent?

Competing with the sheep's poo, mud, and general disarray, there are all sorts of mosses and lichens and ferns growing over and out of old walls and tree stumps





Thursday 20 March 2008

Events almost unnoticed

Niels had a birthday at the weekend! We went and had a delicious meal at the Ceilidh Place in Ullapool together with our little family of builders. We all managed to stay awake to the end. It must be the fresh air! Yesterday the electricity board showed up on time and on the day they said they would!

And broke through from our garden to Annie's! Such excitement - it must have felt similar when the drill bored through the remaining rock under the Channel joining the English and French sides of the tunnel in the middle!
Now we can look forward to electricity bills again!
And last but not at all least, we have bought a tiny second hand caravan. It can best be described as 'cosy.' It has tiny real life things inside like a toilet, sink and table - from the out side it is perfect life in miniature! But it will be better than camping on dusty concrete floors, and will do until the house is ready for campers!

Wednesday 19 March 2008

A break for Easter

I'm losing track of the days! This was going to be such an accurate recording of the house going up. Never mind - I think this was the day before yesterday. The wind bracing walls have been put in
And these two are working really hard. They are a man short, due to illness, and are hoping, after Easter to add a fourth to their team

Builders mates!

It looks great and the smell of wood as you come down the drive is wonderful
The roof rafters are laid out and cut to size. This was another set back as this would normally have been done before leaving the factory in Denmark.
They set to and make light work of it using both the old
and new
It has been decided that, as the weather is not looking good for this Friday, they will hold back putting up the roof beams until after Easter when they can be properly secured.

So the roof timbers are stacked, cut to size and drilled ready to be assembled when the team return next week
A last check that all is in order before leaving for the long drive back to Devon


They have done an incredibly good job. Niels has helped where he can and Alan has been a great organiser and held the team together - he has transformed the shed into a place of order instead of its usual chaotic dumping ground! His sandwiches are second to none too! Well done chaps have a good Easter and come back (please) after a well earned break spent with wives and children.

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