29th August 2010

Typical British weather - it began by raining this morning but I just carried on through that - began getting the rafters up.  Just as I climbed up on to the top of the frame it began to blow a gale - how typical, sunny blue sky but the wind is horrendous. 


So far I have got all the rafter up on one side of the frame which are resting on the ridge board and one rafter on the other side.  I am just praying that the wind doesnt get any worse today but its too bad for me to get up there to secure it.

Here is a pic of how it is so far (for some reason it looks a bit squashed) but it give you an idea of where I am.

27th August 2010

The first sunny day we have had during the week.  The internal stud wall has now been squared off, plumb and is now fixed into place.  More noggins have gone in (just have to mention noggins to keep my mum amused).

Started getting the rafters ready.  Since its a timber frame the bottom of the frame is exactly the same width as the ceiling height (if not I have cocked up massively somewhere!) so instead of messing about up high working out the rafters I can do them on the ground using the wall plates above the breeze block base as the widths.

This section of the roof will have 45 degree rafters so its really simple, mark the centre point, cut a 45 degree cut into two lengths of timber then then using clamps (since the internal frame is up) adjust until you get them spot on including a cut off for the ridge.

After marking off the edge of the wall plate on these rafters I added an extra 100mm overlap then marked the birds mouth.  These timbers were cut and put back into position - then I noticed I had put the birds mouth on the top edge of the timber and not the bottom!  Yes, I have called myself all the names under the sun after doing that.

Top tip - dont listen to the wireless singing like a nutter when trying to work out these things

24th August 2010

It has been one of those frustrating days.  Because I want to use off-cuts of timber for the noggins I am trying to cut all the long sections of timber first so I decided to make a start of the roof.  Managed to cut a couple of rafters ready but as soon at I would get to the top of the ladder it would blow a gale.  So I decided to build the internal stud wall to separate the kitchen from the lounge (the open area closest to the camera in the picture), then it would chuck it down with rain.  To make matters worse some little invisible monster would sneak around and move tools that I am using (that where within reach) bloody miles away!  Glad to have called it quits for the day.

So my progress today is that the internal stud wall is built and in place (not yet fixed), the noggins in the ceiling are gradually going in and I have made a template and cut a few rafters as well as being very windswept and wet!

22nd August 2010

Finally I have managed to get some picture up - see below of my progress.

So far the kitchen area is nearly finished.  The new mains water pipe is where I need it.  All the external walls are up, the windows are in and the ceiling joists are there.

To finish this area (before I start digging again) is to put a couple of studs up, put more noggings in the gable end and then get the frame for the roof up.

My highlight of the day was to see how many times my mum would bang her head on the temporary timber running across the open end of the U (in the pic the ladder is resting on it.

18th August 2010

An early update today.  Generally I have just been continuing adding the studs and the ceiling joists.  Because it is a big U at the moment I have started at the bottom of the U and working towards the gap.  I have to do one stud on either side then add the ceiling joist rather than put all the studs in one side at a time - this is because the gap of the U wont be strong enough to hold my weight.  Because we haven't bought one of the windows for one side I am having to temporary install a stud to lean the ladder against to install the ceiling joist for that run - its a bit dodgy climbing a ladder knowing it is resting on a bit of timber held in place by a couple of clamps!

I have also dug out a tree that had managed to grow up in one of the inside corners (yes - the old building was really that rotten)

Today has been cut short because God's love juice decided to rain down on me

17th August 2010

Just to keep you all update on progress so far on the section I have taken down.

All the blockwork has been completed despite all the rain!  I have then bedded a damp proof course (DPC) over the blocks and then bedded a timber wall straps on top of that secured by tension straps.

Before proceeding any further I had to install all the joists hangers in that section.  Because I want the timber frame to sit tight on the wall plate and I will be top wrapping the joist hangers I had to chisel out small sections (only a couple of mm deep) to accept the top wrap of the joist hangers.

Once all this had been done I began to create the timber frames of the walls.  I would prefer to make all the stud walls first then move them into situ but because it is only me I have had to make a very basic frame (just the sides, top and bottom) then move it into position.  Luckily I had my mum to help me with this so once they were in position and plumb I quickly screwed temporary sections of timber to brace it all together.

Once all the 3 of the frames are up (the section I am doing is a big U shape so there are two side walls and one gable end) I began to add the rest of the studs.  Since I am putting them in after the frames are up I cant screw through the bottom rail so the studs have to be dovetail screwed into position with some waterproof flue applied first.  The top of the studs are easy, they can be screwed straight through the top rail (even if it is a bit dicey going up their on a ladder).

So this is where I am up to now - I have the rest of the studs to fit around the circumference.  The ceiling joists (which are held by joist hangers) and once of the windows to put it.  Once I get all the ceiling joists in it will hold the frame solid.

Sorry peeps but no piccies yet - still looking for software for my phone to upload them.  So if you know of any Linux software for a Samsung DHG900 - let me know.

6th August 2010

The weather hasn't been very kind to me over the last couple of days but I have started the blockwork on the base - I am only on the second course but it is coming along a treat.

At the moment I cant unpload any pics because the broadband is running very slow (15kbs) but as soon as it's fixed I will upload pics so you can all see how I am getting on.

3rd August 2010

Just to update you all on my progress so far:


The sections that I needed to dig out for the footings have been done and it was very hard work.  The depth of foundations vary depending on the soil that is there but as a general rule of thumb the hole needs to be at least 350mm (14") and the foundations need to be a minimum of 150mm (6").

The new mains water pipe has been put into situ.  To make it easier for me I buried it below the bottom of the footings and fed it through some old guttering so it can slide just in case I need to adjust length.

The concrete has been laid for the foundations but unfortunatly I am a couple of wheelbarrows short of what I had planned.  This isn't much of a problem because I am doing the footings in sections (as I take the sections of the bungalow down) so I can just carry on where I finished.

I would have put up some photos today but I am abolsutely cream crackered and just cant be bothered going now to take a photo.

My top tip has to be that if your digging footings yourself, try and find the local village idiot and pay him £20 to do it - its very hard work