Hi Guys – How y’all doin’? It’s Bank Holiday Sunday here in the U.K.
– Sarah and I went to a party yesterday afternoon (late one!), and we’re off to another one in a bit, so I thought I’d get this post in before we go.
Firstly, chaps, what a great set of posts and compliments, thank you all very much indeed. God! Don’t I just sound so English!
Kevin – So good to hear from you, mate, and thank you for the kind words. Your curved wall is a joy to the eye, but I don’t think it’s possible for anyone to top the ‘Rock Wall’ – incredible! Well done.
Tom – I’ve been following your thread as well, mate. Could you please let me know where you got your neon sign from? Contact details of where your wife purchased it would suffice. As for the photos-to-work ratio, nothing clever here at all, other than always having the camera to hand. Thanks for the encouragement, kind Sir.
Keith – as always, mate, very many thanks. (Glad you, too, like the ‘arty shots’.)
Geoff – Thank you, too, buddy.
Joey – I’ll tell you it’s 3 core, but that is somewhat misleading since there’s about 15 strands of heavy duty copper in each core, it’s around 25mm in diameter, and yes it is powered from the ‘twin and earth’ pictured above the isolating switch, but that’s not twin and earth you see, my friend! Now, I’ll try and clarify this for you if I can, but
get a spark*, dude, trust me you won’t get this one right on your own. (Yes, I know you said you were going to get someone – but hey, just making sure).
U.K. regulations dictate that you cannot have the ‘tails’ (that’s what you’re actually seeing) from your meter to your consumer unit longer than 3 meters without an isolating switch. If you recall my previous posts, the new meter box is now on the front of the property, pretty much on the other side of the wall to the new isolating switch. So, yes the armoured cable is being powered by those tails, it’s now running back through the studio (in the screed level) to the new consumer unit location inside the house, from there a separate feed will be fed back to the studio for power. I’m sorry if you’re still confused, but Graham (my spark) is here all day today, I’ve taken pictures of course, and will update when I have more time.
* for overseas readers “Spark” = Electrician!
So now to the update – yesterday, frankly Gentlemen, was the pinnacle of the project so far! An almost monumental milestone was reached, the bonding of human understanding was ‘cemented’ forever!
Boy, what a ‘bitch’ and not without complications……………………….here it comes!
TTP (time to pour) -1hr 40 mins and I’m instructed by phone to set up the ‘Dumpy level’
The bubble in the center of the circle is proof that I got that bit right… phew!
Using this preset level and the staff, pins are then placed all around the perimeter of the studio floor area so that we basically know where we are when the concrete arrives.
Then using a piece of hand picked 2” x 4”, a tamp is put together in an instant.
Finally – the ‘running boards’ are strategically placed over the pour area.
TTP -30mins, and it’s clearly the calm before the storm. (More like a bloody Hurricane!)
TTP -5mins and 16 tonnes of Fibred RC35 slump 70 reverses up our driveway.
This is a big wagon, carrying a shed-load of concrete which has to be placed in exactly the right place.
TTP Now! It starts, I mean really starts. It was impossible to accurately photograph everything that happened in the next hour and 15 minutes, but I’ll do my best.
As the concrete came out it was too thick – practically unworkable! No probs, concrete trucks always carry a full tank of water, don’t they? Not this Guy – we drained him in 2 minutes flat! “Go get the bloody hose, Lou, and quick, Mate, or we’re screwed!”
Then I get assigned to ‘chute duty’ which is basically holding the chute over Pete’s barrow until he’s full and then swinging it out of his way so that he can pour!
Span checking as we go – everyone working hard and really concentrating.
Timing is everything on this, and I actually feel like I’m helping!
Then unexpected complication no 2, and an almost unbelievable disaster – the ducting starts to float out of the concrete – no, I’m not kidding, the mix was so heavy, hard and strong etc that it was basically getting under the ducting and lifting it and the steel. Also, of course, plastic ducting pipes, when not full of ducting…are full of air! Span says “Go get a load of concrete blocks to hold the $””%%^$& down!”
Final bit.
We barely had half a wheelbarrow left over, so that was another cause for concern!
Then on to the fine art of ‘tamping’ which is, of course, what the tamp was made for.
Then, after just an hour and a half of sheer brute force, determination and male camaraderie, ‘Studio 4’s’ 6” steel reinforced ducted, and isolated concrete slab is down! Guys, I can’t tell you how good that felt, but those of you who have done it will know exactly what I mean.
Then a ‘stroll in the park’ dig for gas and electric to come back in to the house. (Electric is being relocated Tuesday morning)
Then, a very well earned beer with the workforce. One thing that I didn’t mention was that, despite the totally crap weather we’ve had generally this year, yesterday was an absolute scorcher – up in the nineties! In other words, exactly the sort of weather you don’t need when you’re laying 16 tonnes of concrete. So, rather than stay celebrating with Span, Pete and Trev, I decided to get back and keep an eye on the slab. Well, at least until the sun had moved around the back of the house!
Sad, I know – 2 ½ hrs watching concrete set whilst the sun moves off it, but I have to report that I was able to sleep last night, and when I woke early this morning, I went out to inspect the slab (before I’d put any shoes or socks on) and all was well; solid, level, no cracks anywhere.
That’s it for this one, guys. Thanks as always for reading.
Phil and Dave are back off holiday tomorrow and start here 7.30 Tuesday morning to get the rest of the front brickwork done.
Regards
Lou
but of all the build topics, the air con has me most confused
Disgusted because I wish I could be doing the same! 