Build Week 1 - Beams and Deck

Finally .. house construction began on Monday 29 April 2019.

After an inconveniently wet weekend, we

spent Sunday drying out the yellow Damp Proof Membrane (DPM) in the base of the foundations and re-taping the joints. Good use of the wet Vax and a sponge and bucket!

Day 1 was all about transferring these 4m long concrete I-beams onto the block and brick walls of the foundations. A hard physical day for the builders because most of the beams had to be lifted manually into position.

The delivery driver was expert at reversing his lorry and trailer down the chicane of our drive.

Unloading the beams. The white Jablite foam is the first layer of insulation above the DPM.

Showing the air cavity underneath the Jablite. The space between the Jablite and the beams will be filled with micro-bead insulation later on.

The beams here have been carefully spaced as specified on the technical drawings.

The concrete edge blocks (in the stack) were mortared in across the end of the beams so that the foundation is totally enclosed.

Laying the timber soleplates in the sun. A timber is plugged and screwed on top of every concrete I-beam to form the base for the OSB wooden deck.

And this is our house being delivered.

It was pre-constructed in "sticks" (mini-panels) at the Beattie factory at Scottow. Ady did well to transport the pallets down the drive using the telehandler.

Our walls in waiting, delivered in 3 lorry loads.

Our team of builders from Beattie Passive - from the left Ady, Billy, Simon and site manager Richard.