Thursday, November 04, 2004
Three new Velux windows
Whilst the builders were working away downstairs my friend Ian and I have been beavering away upstairs fitting three Velux windows in the slate roof at the back of the gites. They are fairly straightforward to fit, but one word of advice, remove more slates than you think are necessary, especially at the top of the window. It's much easier to work and refit the slates when there is a larger gap to create more 'give'. Cutting through the beams to make the holes for the windows was a little nerve racking. The largest window (118cm by 114cm) leaves a big hole in the roof and you need to remove quite alot of the structure. I suspect we over engineered the replacement bracing and strenthening, but it's better to be safe than sorry. I'm a big fan of Velux windows as they let in so much light and really brighten up a room.
Three new Velux windows
Dividing gite wall built
The builders arrived yesterday with a huge cement mixer and a fork lift truck with a telescopic arm. The parpaing, concrete blocks, they were using were very very heavy (essential for good sound insulation between the gites) and without the fork lift I think it would have taken all day just the move the blocks let alone build a wall.
At the corners and ends of the wall (the wall has a kink in it to prevent building up the middle of an existing window) they knocked out a precast hole in some of the blocks in order to drop in strengthening metal rods from the top down to the floor. I didn't see it happen but I also think they drilled the foundation of the wall and inserted vertical metal rods which they then built the wall over. Once 2.5m high a special row of U shaped blocks was laid and a metal lattice placed horizontally in the U in and tied to the vertical metalwork. The U was filled with concrete/mortar and the vertical holes also filled. Apparently it's necessary for (free standing ?) walls over 2.5m to stop them toppling over. It's now finished and I wish I'd taken a photo of the wall part constructed.
| 8:33:19 PM
Dividing gite wall built
