Onwards! A Bit...
So, the foreman got over his man flu, the builder strapped up his back. Back to building the retaining walls. It has been decided to double up the wall thickness, add re-inforcement and supporting pillars. This is because of the fragility of next doors old stone wall. The project manager suggested that one good tremor could have the whole lot down, which echoed my thoughts regarding the urgency to get this work done.
Yes, it's worth noting that paradise is on a volcanically and seismically active area, where three of the earth's tectonic plates meet and grind away like merry hell together on a regular basis. More of this in detail in a later post perhaps...
So, this is the start of the first skin (which will not be seen) and is re-inforced with steel. In front of this will go the second facing wall. Pillars are placed at strategic points. The back will be infilled with spoil and rocks I think. It all looks a bit stark compared to the traditional stone wall of next door's property - but give it time and some weeds and moss!
Not only that, but similarly extra work is going to be put into the drive's supporting wall. As mentioned earlier, the weight of the caterpillar-tracked digger had made the drive and joining wall collapse. So a strong solution is required to stop this happening when plant is moved onto site.
And here is a workman demonstrating how to knacker your back. But hey, figure another way to do it, as they say; back breaking work. Hero. Here we can see the substantial re-inforcement. Notice also my new telegraph pole :)
I have a picture of the sort of drive finish that will be initially laid... My Project Manager has a name for this, but it roughly translates into "Volcanic Slag" - Nice! But obviously, we are trying to use local materials wherever possible.
I think this is what the drive will look like when laid... I hope it will be as tidy, although as we can see here, some landscaping has been undertaken, regarding the edge stones. My point of posting this image is to show the surface finish... although I'm not sure if this is 100% correct.
Having done a bit of research on the old 'volcanic slag' I think this is what it looks like close up. Quite an attractive old slag, if I say so myself.
Other progress is mainly paperwork based: All the documents required by the Camara (local authority) are now in place, but we are still awaiting the building licence. It's really urgent that we get this quickly.
In the paperwork from the architect I found the outline building schedule, which is shown below.
To save you the hassle of translation, here are the stages in order... Foundations, Structure, Building Structure (block-work, I think), Finishes.
Finishes, obviously covers a lot of time - and I guess this is because it will include the glazing, under floor heating, flooring, plastering, stairs, woodwork... electrics... plumbing, decorating., the list goes on! I have to admit, it is scary shit :)
The upshot of this is that if we start promptly and work to schedule then most of the structural and outside building work will be completed at the end of August. This ties in with my visit to the island. Also, some internal fitting will have started by this time, so I can go shopping for finishes such as tiles, flooring, bathroom fittings, etc.etc.
Meanwhile, I have obtained a rough quote for a 20ft container from the UK to the island, door to door, including packing and unpacking. Yes, packing has got to be done for me for customs and security reasons - so the packing guys know what's going in the container and can sign it off. The cost, whilst not "cheap" was a little less than I expected. And at the other end, everything is placed in the rooms designated. Cool.
Did someone cut the truck in half? Oh, what a cutie... has anyone ever said that about a container before? Imagine your entire life in a box. Well here it is.
On the back of this I have started a little shopping - yes, advanced thinking is required here. Goods must be owned for 6 months before import (and classified as 'used') to avoid import tax. I must say, I'm a bit confused about that, because we are still part of the EU (at the moment!) and have paid VAT on the goods. Perhaps I have this wrong....
Anyway, it matters little: I have been making some house purchases, mostly small kitchen stuff that I want to replace and upgrade anyway. So I have a new microwave, Kilner Jars, Ovenware and such. In a later post I'll detail what I have purchased and why, so anyone thinking of moving abroad can have an inkling of what's involved in "making a new start", or rather "refresh" things for a new feel.
Well, that's it for now folks. Next Up: Walls Getting Done...
