The Start of an exciting New Year Ahead

I can't say that I'll be sorry to say goodbye to 2012 with all the stresses of planning the build from the initial work with the architect through planning permission to choosing a builder and raising the funds (though some of it's been fun) but I'm very excited about the New Year to come!!

As you can see from the photo we have the small beginnings of the walls so we can only go upwards from here.... We'll be in our new home for 2013!! WHOHOO!!

Ring Beam

After the piling the ring beam is built which joins all the piles together and forms a strong base on which to start building.

Lots of rainy weather but Graham and his gang of youths got on with it, digging, lining with the yellow stuff and inserting the rebar ready for the concrete to be poured. It all looked so lovely .........but then the NHBC inspector arrived on site and he said NO STOP!!!

He wanted the foundation dug 50ml deeper, a layer of sand put on the bottom and then a layer of cellcore (as you can see in my cool picture below) to allow for heave before the yellow stuff etc is laid.

So a great upheaval ensued. So annoying, but we obviously have to keep all these people happy. Even though building control and our structural engineer were satisfied with it as it was we won't get our NHBC certificate or our mortgage unless we conform to all the NHBC demands.

Next time we were on site it looked like vandals had been rampaging........

How depressing was that!!