All is safe now, or it will be by the morning when the concrete has fully set.

The shuttering.

The trench was a bit deeper at this end, which meant the sides of the shuttering were steeper so the concrete started to slump. I had to shutter the top as I went to keep it in.

All four buttresses in place. The pillar at this end came out with the stump. The corner of the building is currently cantilevered off the next two pillars.

The buttresses are not just relying on mass, they go the full width of the trench to brace against the hard packed stony clay the other side.

I wish I could get away with those foundations on my extension, to meet building regs I have to go down 2.5 metres for a singlestory 🙁

Good luck with the project.

Keep posting with pics, this is great stuff.
Thanks

Do you live in a swamp ?
There’s only about 200 – 300mm of top soil here, below that is dense, hard packed clay with more and more 25 – 150mm stones in it the deeper you go.

Do I live in a swamp, no, I live in civilisation & they want things to last 😉

I’d be hand wrapping them buttresses in carbon fibre wrap and tea spoons if I was you, just to be safe like

It does look a bit fally downy

😆

Gotta love technical terms like that…

*sniggers*

No sign of kevin McCloud yet then!

very interesting chuck – i’d be terrified of things going ‘pear shaped’.

Any updates? It didn’t did it……………..?

Yeah, come on there must be progress of some sort to report.

Er, Erlestoke 12, cracked frame, Bristolbike Fest…
There’s been a bit of slippage on the project completion date. 😳

Oh that’s OK – as long as the gale force winds didn’t ‘get you’ 😀

Not much progress over the last couple of weeks.
Currently clearing some of the spoil from the footings excavations.

Got a catwalk off a lorry as a grid to separate the larger stones from the soil.
Soil’s going to build up an embankment nearby, stones are going on my track.

MTG, this is an excellent thread and im dissapointed i’ve only just found it. I would say its bodgemanship of the highest calibre but your finished wall actually looks really good…atleast to a non brickie who nevers laid a brick in their lives.

edit: did i say wall? I mean self supporting cladding.

allthegearnoidea – Member
I have to go down 2.5 metres for a singlestory

allthegearnoidea – Member
Do I live in a swamp, no, I live in civilisation & they want things to last

There is making it last then 8′ footings!

A bit of progress.

Unloading sand & gravel for concreting with my engine crane.

The back wall’s finished now.

Footings at the front and one corner built.

I hope it lines up when it meets in the middle.

Hmm, he seems to know what he’s doing does MidlandTrailquestsGraham, doesn’t he?

Doesn’t look quite so ‘fally downy’ now. 😀

The wall outshines the house at present 😀

I think we can term the wall ‘standy uppy’

You clearly have a lot of time on your hands. For God’s sake be careful with that crane. I don’t think it will take 20kN…?

What’s with the lifestyle? It’s very interesting, looks fun, engaging and healthy, pray tell us more?

Well, the wall’s still standing this morning. 😀

“You clearly have a lot of time on your hands”

I work full time, including some Saturdays, although I’ve just had a week off as holiday to try and get ahead with all this. I’m lucky that I work shifts as it means that I can work at home in daylight and get to the builder’s merchants while they’re open.
I was hoping to get the whole job finished this Summer, but I’m way behind schedule and I don’t think there’s any chance of that now. I’ll just keep plodding on and do what I can.

It’s a 2 tonne engine crane with the boom on the 1 tonne hole. I can’t roll it with weight on, I have to just lift the bag, drive the Land Rover forwards, then lower it where it is.

There’s about 380 of these chalets in the Wyre Forest, plus a few more scattered along the Severn valley towards Bridgnorth.
I bought one nearly 30 years ago for £4500. They really were that cheap back then. A few years later, I part exchanged it for a slightly more remote one for £5500.
They were originally intended as holiday homes, most have got an 11 months occupancy limit, although a few of them, including mine, are permanently occupied. I don’t know why, I think it’s because I was living here before they got more strict on the rules and I’ve got a sort of Grandfather’s Rights now.

That’s fantastic! Great to see that a bit of fairly alternative lifestyling is still possible in the heart of the uk. Nice one 🙂

Just out of interest, if there’s any builders reading this, what’s the generally accepted tolerances for out of square and so on in the building trade ?

I’m setting all this out on my own on a sloping site, around an existing building which means I can’t check the diagonals.
I seem to get a different measurement every time I check it. 😕
It’s an 8090×6740 building and I reckon I’m within 5mm for level, using a water level.
How does 20mm over 8m sound for out of square ? That’s my worst measurement and works out at 1:400.
Are proper modern houses built that accurately ?

Today’s progress.

It’s not going to be done by Winter at this rate. 😐
The errors in my bricklaying are starting to show up now as well. I think I’ll plant a shrubbery in front of that wall when I’ve finished. 😉

Doesn’t look too shabby now.

Well I think your efforts are admirable!

Just out of interest, if there’s any builders reading this, what’s the generally accepted tolerances for out of square and so on in the building trade ?

I’m setting all this out on my own on a sloping site, around an existing building which means I can’t check the diagonals.
I seem to get a different measurement every time I check it.
It’s an 8090×6740 building and I reckon I’m within 5mm for level, using a water level.
How does 20mm over 8m sound for out of square ? That’s my worst measurement and works out at 1:400.
Are proper modern houses built that accurately ?

If you send me an email address I will send you the British Standard for building tolerances.

You`ve got 4 brick/blocks ending on the same bond……. 🙁

Trailertrash, thanks for that, but I’m OK now. I asked on another thread and ended up downloading BS5606.

tp26, yes, it’s not ideal. I’m laying the bricks English Bond, as you can see, so I’ll stagger the back course by half a brick to span the joint. That’s the full height of the wall up to that plinth brick on the corner, so I don’t think it’s going to be a problem.
In fact, I’ll probably do a sort of fake English Bond for the next three courses.
Bricks are 23p each, blocks are 60p, so I’ll lay one course of blocks at the back and three courses of bricks at the front, using half bricks for headers and making sure a block spans that joint.

looking good G.

Out of interest, what woudl the regs be on replacing the entire structure as opposed to cladding with your self supporting skin?

I made some preliminary enquiries with the planning department, not a formal planning application.
I’m definitely not allowed to knock it down and build a new one.
I can build a “Self supporting cladding” up to 300mm from the existing walls without a planning application.
I can then extend the existing roof over that cladding, but I can’t build a new roof supported by the cladding without planning permission.

so if the “holiday home” were to become uninhabitable, youd have to apply for planning permission to refurb/replace?

pretty harsh.

It’s all a bit vague really.
At the informal meeting I had with the planning department, the one guy was referring to some guidelines they work to.
I asked for a copy, but they wouldn’t even let me read his copy myself.
I haven’t even got the 300mm thing in writing.

There’s some legalese here, if you can be bothered to wade through it.
http://apps.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/wfdc_html/planning/local_plan/html/CHAPTER7_chal.HTM

I own the building and pay ground rent.
I was talking to someone further up the river in a similar bungalow who owns the land and building outright.
He said he had loads of trouble with Wyre Forest District Council getting permission to rebuild his, yet a friend of his with another similar bungalow had no trouble at all because he was even further up the river in the Bridgnorth Council area.

One end wall finished.

The top of the longer section is the internal floor level. The step is to give me three bricks height between ground level and the timber wall where the ground level rises at the back.

I’ve set out the last corner, I haven’t pointed it yet.

I’ll be building the front wall in blocks as they’re cheaper and they will be hidden by the verandah. I’ve used timber noggins to support the bricks on the corner for now.

good work fella. Respect for getting that mortar level and straight. Im doing my barbecue and it look slike Im using 8 differnt sizes of brick the mortar beds are all different sizes, coins are thin or very thick. I maintain it’s “rustic looking” 🙂

When you planning on doing the cladding frame then?

Wasn’t going to ask this on a public forum, curiosity gotton too great, but wouldn’t be insulted if you ignored the question (to avoid informing the authorities)

Once your cladding is done and roof extended, whats to stop you removing the old external walls? (obviously leaving supports for the roof as necessary)

i’m lost here. are those walls being built to hold new walls to the house ?