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Friday 31st August
Today was all about backfilling the town’s flood defences and putting in the silt trap. Some form of basket will be needed to sit in the bottom so we can empty it!
There’s still an awful lot of soil to dispose of – a small mountain. The guys will be hoping Jack is back on Monday to sort this out for them. Garden is perhaps a little more level than when it started and at least we have lost some of the rather large roots that were in the ground.
The plasterer popped his head in this afternoon. Another workman with Thatcham Tornadoes connections! He recognised me instantly and I eventually twigged who it was. We have been pencilled in for the end of September, although Malcolm did say he would pop by once a week or so and if there was anything he could get on with, he would.
My fingers are crossed that everything will be nearing completion by the end of October (two months away still!)
Next week, more groundwork outside to be done and extend the patio area before the digger goes back. Also preparation for the steelwork – this is meant to arrive on Wednesday. Oh, and our new bay window and garage window are meant to be fitted later in the week.
Thursday 30th August
Slightly later start today as Edwin needed to take his lad to hospital and Jay was at a wedding. No lie-in – another early delivery – the crates had arrived at 7.20am! Derek was flitting between two sites this morning as both were expecting deliveries.
Confirmation also came through that the architect had confused how many crates were needed – we did only need 8 crates! As 12 had been delivered, 4 would need to be returned.
Edwin a little relieved he hadn’t dug too deep and he and Derek made quick work of the trench and getting the crates in. We do have some massive mounds of earth though. Not sure how anyone with a small garden would be able to get the SUDs crates in!
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We can now sleep safe in the knowledge that we are now set for the 100 year flood and providing the flood defences for the entire street!!
Relief at getting the crates in before the sides collapsed and they started to back fill. To be continued tomorrow as a plate wacker needed to pack the soil back down.
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Whilst digging, the guys unearthed a crisp packet from when the house was built back in 1986! It was muddy but still in very good condition.
Also noticed our grapes were changing colour – we have red grapes!
Wednesday 29th August
Pipework all complete so everything now completed so steelwork can go straight ahead.
The architect came over in the afternoon, and agreed that as little progress can be done in the extension, they would focus on digging out the ditch to comply with SUDs. We were a little surprised that this ditch was now even bigger than expected – 4 crates long and 3 crates deep – Edwin had concerns that the digger wouldn’t be able to dig down that far (further than the diggers reach!) It’s a standing joke that we have flood defences for our entire street being dug in our garden.
Once the ditches have been dug, the would dig out the extension to the patio area. The guys need Jack back to move the excess soil around to the front of the house.
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After the architect left, Edwin started digging out the trench. The digger made light work of the roots still underground and for once, the surround ground didn’t appear to cave in (hurrah!). Back tomorrow to continue the digging!
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Tuesday 28th August
Shorter week this week – a new toy arrived for the guys today – a digger. They wasted no time digging up the patio outside the patio doors so all the pipework could be redirected. Quick reminder that a new washing machine feed would be coming out from the new utility room so this could be sorted before everything was filled in!
One good bit of news for Edwin and Jay … the plans showed new pipework to be laid for the new downstairs bathroom so they were expecting to dig up that part of the patio too. However, showed Edwin there was a soil pipe coming down into the corner of that room which they could tap into. That would make things a lot easier!
