Weekend money matters
The building contract requires 10% of the total cost to be paid upfront on the start of work (to buy materials and pay for labour costs in advance, helping with cash flow) and then weekly instalments will be invoiced based on the value of works undertaken since the last payment.
I paid the deposit on 20 June, by which time we had (almost) agreed the total cost of the project - bar a few minor queries. Although that was a couple of weeks ago, the guys have only recently come close to completing 5 days work on site. I wasn't surprised therefore over the weekend to get the first "valuation" and invoice for work carried out to date. However, I was surprised by the sum set out on the invoice
When I looked at the valuation, the figure was based on clearance (started but still not quite finished); completion of the extension (which has in fact only reached foundation level); drainage installation (not done at all); removing the deck and storing boards safely, ready to reinstall when drainage works are completed (only a few boards removed to dig the footings, and those boards have been used as ramps to wheel the barrow in and out of the house, rather than stored carefully) plus works to reinforce the corner of the original house, if necessary (not done, not known if necessary).
Naturally I have queried this valuation and invoice, sent photos of the works actually carried out to date and requested a revised valuation based on these works. I can only think that whoever did the valuation based it on the works should have been completed by now (five weeks into the build), rather than what has actually been undertaken to date.....
Monday 9 July
I wasn't sure what was going to happen today, since we are still waiting for the facing bricks to be delivered....However, around 10am the builders arrived and there was a lot of discussion on site about preparing for the next stage of the build. Not easy on a small site with very little space inside or outside to store materials....
In the end, most of the guys left again. One man stayed behind to move the sand piled up on the footprint of the extension into a builder's bag in the garden. Once this was done, he was able to lift the last of the paving slabs in the sideway which had been under the pile of sand, and begin to reduce ground level in this area ready for the hardcore base layer/screed to form the internal floor on which the underfloor heating system will be laid when the time comes. Now there's even less room in the garden - it's an obstacle course to water the plants, and I won't be able to sit in my garden chair for the time being!
Text from the man in charge to say that the facing bricks will be delivered tomorrow. The delay is due to the builders merchants having a problem with haulage. We should be able to move forward then. Perhaps it will really kick off tomorrow, at long last!
Tuesday 10 July
I was SO excited this morning when I returned home after a local errand to see the builders merchants lorry parked in the middle of the road. Bricks at last!!
I sent a text to the man in charge at 10:40 to say that the bricks are just being delivered! At 10:41 I sent another text. I was wrong. Not bricks, just more blocks.....
However, two of the guys are here today, finishing reducing ground level in the footprint of the extension so that its flush with the top of the external wall foundations. All that's left now is a raised area over the drain inspection cover. That will come out when the new drain is installed. Blocks are piled up, ready to go when the facing bricks arrive. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe....
Wednesday 11 July
Another visit from the builders merchant's truck shortly before 9am, and this time - success! It IS the bricks being delivered, at long last. Not an easy task given the telephone wires overhead (apologies for the blurred iPhone image...my hand was shaking - it was a bit scary!)
Text the man in charge to tell him the good news and shortly thereafter the builder's guys arrive. Because of the position of my neighbours conservatory (not quite square and slightly encroaching over the boundary) it isn't possible to construct the extension quite as wide as shown on on the architect's drawings. However, we measure the narrowest gap between the conservatory and the wall of my two storey wing, and take that dimension as the new width. The line of the conservatory wall is set out in string, and I leave the guys to tidy up the ragged edges of the excavation while I pop round to see my neighbours to tell them what's going on. No one at home, so I'll have to catch up with them later.
Tidying up the rough edges of the excavation was a noisy, very dusty job. Good job my neighbours were not at home and there was no washing hanging out....all I could do was go round shutting windows in my house (wide open because of the heat) in the hope that most of the dust would stay outside....Then I disappeared myself on various errands out of Oxford.
By the time I returned home, the messy bit of the process was over and the guys had started putting in the base of the walls using engineering bricks on the outside and blocks internally with a gap for insulation in between, on the line I had agreed with my neighbour (no gap between my extension and their conservatory to prevent damp penetration and small animals - specifically rats - getting in between the two structures).
When I went into the garden to take some "progress" photos, my neighbours were in their garden, not looking very happy.....It transpired that they thought "no gap" meant that there would be a gap between the structures, but that the space would be filled with something. They were worried that because the two structures were so close, it wasn't possible to lay bricks "over hand" to achieve a neat finish. If at some point in the future their conservatory were to be removed, the exposed side wall of my extension would not look good.
I was somewhat surprised at this reaction, bearing in mind the appearance of their conservatory wall along the common boundary; the brick base had been built so close to the boundary that the cill had been notched around the former fence posts, blobs of foam filler had spilled out and clearly it has not been built "hand over" judging from the brickwork pointing...as well as not being square, the brick coursing wasn't even level...
However, the good news is that neither of us wanted to fall out over this matter and I was happy to undertake that if at some point in the future they removed their conservatory and replaced it with something smaller or not at all, I would ensure that the exposed bit of my wall would be repointed if necessary to make it look acceptable. It's not a huge area, maybe about 1 metre high by 2.5m long, so I was happy to make the offer to pour oil on troubled waters. I'm please to say, peace has broken out...but it just shows you how a communication misunderstanding can cause potential problems, even between friends.
Thursday 12 July
A full on day of brick/block laying!
Managed to avoid one small problem concerning the position of an air brick in the extension's end wall which the guys were about to install below deck level (not much air circulation in that enclosed space!) We agreed where it should go - above deck level with its "periscope" attachment taking the vent pipe down below floor level where it would link up with the air brick serving the suspended timber floor of the main house. Potential condensation disaster avoided...just shows you the benefit of being on site, keeping an eye on things and having at least a rudimentary knowledge of how buildings work!
As work progressed, it struck me that I had yet to agree the dimensions of the window in the end wall of the extension, looking into the garden. It had been necessary to make some changes to the plans to accommodate installing the new boiler in the corner of the extension, rather than upstairs in the smallest bedroom which I use as a study/home office.
Fortunately, it was possible to work out how much space would be need to install the boiler in a bespoke cupboard in the corner of the extension and the consequent impact on the size of the nearby window by checking the required boiler dimensions and clearances online. A quick email and text to the man in charge to ask him to look at the calculations ASAP and if happy, advise the guys on site so that the window opening could be constructed to the right size and in the right location before the brickwork reached that stage. To his credit, the man in charge responded quickly, came to site and we talked it through with the guys doing the work, thus avoiding a potentially costly mistake.
By the end of the day, work had progressed well - the walls are rising in the right place. Yay!!
The garden is suffering a bit with all the building paraphernalia, and pots of plants have been moved around to make space of the cement mixer to operate. Even more difficult to water now...but if most of it survives intact, I'll be happy :)
I spent rather a lot of time exposing the screws on the deck boards to make them easier to lift when the drains are installed, in the hope that the boards can be salvaged and reused. Replacing the deck isn't in my budget, but I think it likely that's what will happen....ah well, that's what a contingency fund is for...
Friday 13 July
An early start - the guys arrive shortly after 8am, but I'm ready for them. It seems they are not going to lift the deck today after all, but will carry on building up the walls to get as far as they can while the weather is still good (thunderstorms forecast this afternoon).
The cill on the side of my neighbour's conservatory has been trimmed to make it the same depth all the way along, smoothing out the ragged edge where it had been notched around fence posts, encroaching over the common boundary in the process. When the extension brickwork reached the height of the cill on the adjacent structure, a damp proof membrane has been inserted over the small space in between the structures. This will be topped with lead to prevent water penetration.
Above the brick plinth of next door's conservatory, the timber frame with its solid and glazed panels is inset leaving just enough space to construct the extension walls "over hand" enabling a good finish to the pointing. Fingers crossed that my neighbours will be happy with the standard of work, when they see it...
By the end of the working day, good progress has been made...the extension is beginning to take shape at long last :)
The building contract requires 10% of the total cost to be paid upfront on the start of work (to buy materials and pay for labour costs in advance, helping with cash flow) and then weekly instalments will be invoiced based on the value of works undertaken since the last payment.
I paid the deposit on 20 June, by which time we had (almost) agreed the total cost of the project - bar a few minor queries. Although that was a couple of weeks ago, the guys have only recently come close to completing 5 days work on site. I wasn't surprised therefore over the weekend to get the first "valuation" and invoice for work carried out to date. However, I was surprised by the sum set out on the invoice
When I looked at the valuation, the figure was based on clearance (started but still not quite finished); completion of the extension (which has in fact only reached foundation level); drainage installation (not done at all); removing the deck and storing boards safely, ready to reinstall when drainage works are completed (only a few boards removed to dig the footings, and those boards have been used as ramps to wheel the barrow in and out of the house, rather than stored carefully) plus works to reinforce the corner of the original house, if necessary (not done, not known if necessary).
Naturally I have queried this valuation and invoice, sent photos of the works actually carried out to date and requested a revised valuation based on these works. I can only think that whoever did the valuation based it on the works should have been completed by now (five weeks into the build), rather than what has actually been undertaken to date.....
Monday 9 July
I wasn't sure what was going to happen today, since we are still waiting for the facing bricks to be delivered....However, around 10am the builders arrived and there was a lot of discussion on site about preparing for the next stage of the build. Not easy on a small site with very little space inside or outside to store materials....
In the end, most of the guys left again. One man stayed behind to move the sand piled up on the footprint of the extension into a builder's bag in the garden. Once this was done, he was able to lift the last of the paving slabs in the sideway which had been under the pile of sand, and begin to reduce ground level in this area ready for the hardcore base layer/screed to form the internal floor on which the underfloor heating system will be laid when the time comes. Now there's even less room in the garden - it's an obstacle course to water the plants, and I won't be able to sit in my garden chair for the time being!
Text from the man in charge to say that the facing bricks will be delivered tomorrow. The delay is due to the builders merchants having a problem with haulage. We should be able to move forward then. Perhaps it will really kick off tomorrow, at long last!
Tuesday 10 July
I was SO excited this morning when I returned home after a local errand to see the builders merchants lorry parked in the middle of the road. Bricks at last!!
I sent a text to the man in charge at 10:40 to say that the bricks are just being delivered! At 10:41 I sent another text. I was wrong. Not bricks, just more blocks.....
However, two of the guys are here today, finishing reducing ground level in the footprint of the extension so that its flush with the top of the external wall foundations. All that's left now is a raised area over the drain inspection cover. That will come out when the new drain is installed. Blocks are piled up, ready to go when the facing bricks arrive. Maybe tomorrow? Maybe....
Another visit from the builders merchant's truck shortly before 9am, and this time - success! It IS the bricks being delivered, at long last. Not an easy task given the telephone wires overhead (apologies for the blurred iPhone image...my hand was shaking - it was a bit scary!)
Text the man in charge to tell him the good news and shortly thereafter the builder's guys arrive. Because of the position of my neighbours conservatory (not quite square and slightly encroaching over the boundary) it isn't possible to construct the extension quite as wide as shown on on the architect's drawings. However, we measure the narrowest gap between the conservatory and the wall of my two storey wing, and take that dimension as the new width. The line of the conservatory wall is set out in string, and I leave the guys to tidy up the ragged edges of the excavation while I pop round to see my neighbours to tell them what's going on. No one at home, so I'll have to catch up with them later.
Tidying up the rough edges of the excavation was a noisy, very dusty job. Good job my neighbours were not at home and there was no washing hanging out....all I could do was go round shutting windows in my house (wide open because of the heat) in the hope that most of the dust would stay outside....Then I disappeared myself on various errands out of Oxford.
By the time I returned home, the messy bit of the process was over and the guys had started putting in the base of the walls using engineering bricks on the outside and blocks internally with a gap for insulation in between, on the line I had agreed with my neighbour (no gap between my extension and their conservatory to prevent damp penetration and small animals - specifically rats - getting in between the two structures).
When I went into the garden to take some "progress" photos, my neighbours were in their garden, not looking very happy.....It transpired that they thought "no gap" meant that there would be a gap between the structures, but that the space would be filled with something. They were worried that because the two structures were so close, it wasn't possible to lay bricks "over hand" to achieve a neat finish. If at some point in the future their conservatory were to be removed, the exposed side wall of my extension would not look good.
I was somewhat surprised at this reaction, bearing in mind the appearance of their conservatory wall along the common boundary; the brick base had been built so close to the boundary that the cill had been notched around the former fence posts, blobs of foam filler had spilled out and clearly it has not been built "hand over" judging from the brickwork pointing...as well as not being square, the brick coursing wasn't even level...
However, the good news is that neither of us wanted to fall out over this matter and I was happy to undertake that if at some point in the future they removed their conservatory and replaced it with something smaller or not at all, I would ensure that the exposed bit of my wall would be repointed if necessary to make it look acceptable. It's not a huge area, maybe about 1 metre high by 2.5m long, so I was happy to make the offer to pour oil on troubled waters. I'm please to say, peace has broken out...but it just shows you how a communication misunderstanding can cause potential problems, even between friends.
Thursday 12 July
A full on day of brick/block laying!
Managed to avoid one small problem concerning the position of an air brick in the extension's end wall which the guys were about to install below deck level (not much air circulation in that enclosed space!) We agreed where it should go - above deck level with its "periscope" attachment taking the vent pipe down below floor level where it would link up with the air brick serving the suspended timber floor of the main house. Potential condensation disaster avoided...just shows you the benefit of being on site, keeping an eye on things and having at least a rudimentary knowledge of how buildings work!
As work progressed, it struck me that I had yet to agree the dimensions of the window in the end wall of the extension, looking into the garden. It had been necessary to make some changes to the plans to accommodate installing the new boiler in the corner of the extension, rather than upstairs in the smallest bedroom which I use as a study/home office.
Fortunately, it was possible to work out how much space would be need to install the boiler in a bespoke cupboard in the corner of the extension and the consequent impact on the size of the nearby window by checking the required boiler dimensions and clearances online. A quick email and text to the man in charge to ask him to look at the calculations ASAP and if happy, advise the guys on site so that the window opening could be constructed to the right size and in the right location before the brickwork reached that stage. To his credit, the man in charge responded quickly, came to site and we talked it through with the guys doing the work, thus avoiding a potentially costly mistake.
By the end of the day, work had progressed well - the walls are rising in the right place. Yay!!
The garden is suffering a bit with all the building paraphernalia, and pots of plants have been moved around to make space of the cement mixer to operate. Even more difficult to water now...but if most of it survives intact, I'll be happy :)
I spent rather a lot of time exposing the screws on the deck boards to make them easier to lift when the drains are installed, in the hope that the boards can be salvaged and reused. Replacing the deck isn't in my budget, but I think it likely that's what will happen....ah well, that's what a contingency fund is for...
Friday 13 July
An early start - the guys arrive shortly after 8am, but I'm ready for them. It seems they are not going to lift the deck today after all, but will carry on building up the walls to get as far as they can while the weather is still good (thunderstorms forecast this afternoon).
The cill on the side of my neighbour's conservatory has been trimmed to make it the same depth all the way along, smoothing out the ragged edge where it had been notched around fence posts, encroaching over the common boundary in the process. When the extension brickwork reached the height of the cill on the adjacent structure, a damp proof membrane has been inserted over the small space in between the structures. This will be topped with lead to prevent water penetration.
Above the brick plinth of next door's conservatory, the timber frame with its solid and glazed panels is inset leaving just enough space to construct the extension walls "over hand" enabling a good finish to the pointing. Fingers crossed that my neighbours will be happy with the standard of work, when they see it...
By the end of the working day, good progress has been made...the extension is beginning to take shape at long last :)
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