View from the footpath.
There is no way of stopping Adam exploring!
Upstairs. Alex's bedroom and landing/den.
Upstairs. Master bedroom and study.
Boys' bedrooms.
Roof detail.Thursday, September 6, 2007
28 August 2007 - Upstairs
View from the footpath. There is no way of stopping Adam exploring! Upstairs. Alex's bedroom and landing/den. Upstairs. Master bedroom and study. Boys' bedrooms. Roof detail.
Sunday, September 2, 2007
Roof Goes On
In August the second floor has gone up and the roof has gone on. We have also sold our flat, so have the finances to continue! We have agreed with the buyers that we will move out by the end of October, so we will have to move into the house then, even if it is not finished!
Due to the summer holidays, everything has been progressing more slowly than we had hoped. On average, only two builders have been working on the site at any one time. In the next week or two the windows and doors should go in, the panels should go on the outside of the house, and the cellulose should be blown into the wall cavities. The water-tight shell will then be compete
23 August 2007: The roof tiles go on.
Adam is fascinated!
18 August 2007: The house is taking shape. The downstairs windows are those of the guest room; the upper left window is that of the main bathroom and the upper right that of the den.
11 August 2007: The roof frame will have cellulose blown into it for insulation.
11 August 2007: The front of the house. From left to right the windows at the top are those of the master bedroom, ensuite bathroom and main bathroom. On the ground floor are the kitchen window and front door.
11 August 2007: View of the roof from inside.
1 August 2007: The frame of the first floor and the base of the the roof are completed.
28 July 2007: The first floor is nearly finished.
Due to the summer holidays, everything has been progressing more slowly than we had hoped. On average, only two builders have been working on the site at any one time. In the next week or two the windows and doors should go in, the panels should go on the outside of the house, and the cellulose should be blown into the wall cavities. The water-tight shell will then be compete
23 August 2007: The roof tiles go on.
Adam is fascinated!
18 August 2007: The house is taking shape. The downstairs windows are those of the guest room; the upper left window is that of the main bathroom and the upper right that of the den.
11 August 2007: The roof frame will have cellulose blown into it for insulation.
11 August 2007: The front of the house. From left to right the windows at the top are those of the master bedroom, ensuite bathroom and main bathroom. On the ground floor are the kitchen window and front door.
11 August 2007: View of the roof from inside.
1 August 2007: The frame of the first floor and the base of the the roof are completed.
28 July 2007: The first floor is nearly finished.Saturday, July 28, 2007
19 July 2007 - The First Floor Goes Up
In the hottest week since weather records began, and with temperatures reaching 40 degrees plus, the frame for the first floor went up. This was not a good week to be working on a building site!
Don't drop it!
Adam explores. The floors inside will be 30 centimetres above the current base.
Adam and the views from the living room windows. Unfortunately, more houses will be built on the plots next to ours.
At this point we went to the neighbours for a cool drink and for Alex to play in their pool!
Peter and the electricity meter.
20 July 2007: inside the house. The gap in the ceiling is where the staircase will go up. At the moment the beams are covered with OSB boards, so that the builders can work on the first floor. In the end they will be covered with nice planks of wood. Our nearest neighbours' house is visible out the back. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford to buy that plot as well.
Don't drop it!
Adam explores. The floors inside will be 30 centimetres above the current base.
Adam and the views from the living room windows. Unfortunately, more houses will be built on the plots next to ours.
At this point we went to the neighbours for a cool drink and for Alex to play in their pool!
Peter and the electricity meter.
20 July 2007: inside the house. The gap in the ceiling is where the staircase will go up. At the moment the beams are covered with OSB boards, so that the builders can work on the first floor. In the end they will be covered with nice planks of wood. Our nearest neighbours' house is visible out the back. Unfortunately, we couldn't afford to buy that plot as well.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
15 and 16 July 2007 - Airtightness Tape and Beams
The airtightness tape is an essential part of our passive house as it covers all the gaps and holes where air and moisture could seep in or out. It is really important that the house is as airtight as possible in order to stay warm in the winter. Generally, air moves via the cracks and crevices in the structure of any house because of temperature and pressure differences inside and outside. When warm air flows out via the holes, the heat flows out along with it. Also, cold air flows into the house via the same holes, thus cooling the house. So if a house has lots of holes, you need to pay more to heat it. Also, if there are lots of cracks in a structure, moisture enters it more easily, which also makes the house lose heat.
In a leaky house the air is exchanged naturally, which it must be to make the house habitable. In an airtight house, the same effect is provided artificially via an energy efficient ventilation system with a heat exchanger. The ventilation system forces the stale air out of the house via the heat exchanger, in which the incoming air is warmed up by taking energy from the outgoing air.
Bjorn, the architect and project manager, rolling on tape.
Marian, the building contractor, cutting tape.
Zuzana, the architect, cutting tape.
The beams will remain visible.
The first beam is fitted over the taped-over holes.
The ground floor frame with beams in place.
Rudolf, the carpenter/builder and other builders slotting the beams into place.
Rudolf, the carpenter/builder. Also note the airtightness tape!
In a leaky house the air is exchanged naturally, which it must be to make the house habitable. In an airtight house, the same effect is provided artificially via an energy efficient ventilation system with a heat exchanger. The ventilation system forces the stale air out of the house via the heat exchanger, in which the incoming air is warmed up by taking energy from the outgoing air.
Bjorn, the architect and project manager, rolling on tape.
Marian, the building contractor, cutting tape.
Zuzana, the architect, cutting tape.
The beams will remain visible.
The first beam is fitted over the taped-over holes.
The ground floor frame with beams in place.
Rudolf, the carpenter/builder and other builders slotting the beams into place.
Rudolf, the carpenter/builder. Also note the airtightness tape!11 July 2007 - The Carpenter's Workshop
The first floor and beams fill Rudolf the carpenter's workshop. Everything is prepared ready to be mounted on the site in just one or two days.
Beams to separate the floors (on left).
First floor walls on the left and the outer wall beams with slots.
Alex climbing on a huge pile of sawdust.
More beams.
Beams to separate the floors (on left).
First floor walls on the left and the outer wall beams with slots.
Alex climbing on a huge pile of sawdust.
More beams.
7 July 2007 - The Ground Floor
We needed the ground floor in order to get an official valuation done for mortgage purposes. Building on the plot came to a standstill for a few weeks while we waited for the money to come in. Meanwhile, the carpenters were busy preparing the first floor and the beams and roof (see next post).
View from the footpath that runs past our house.
Our roof tiles will be similar to the ones on the house through the window.
Holes drilled into the concrete to hold the screws connecting the frame to the foundations.
The base of the house.
The living room and terraces.
What are these metal pieces called?
View from the footpath that runs past our house.
Our roof tiles will be similar to the ones on the house through the window.
Holes drilled into the concrete to hold the screws connecting the frame to the foundations.
The base of the house.
The living room and terraces.
What are these metal pieces called?Sunday, July 15, 2007
21 June 2007 - The Calm After the Storm
No sooner had the first walls been raised than a huge storm with gale force winds hit the area, bringing down trees and taking roofs off buildings! Emma drove out later in the evening to check that the walls were still standing, and took the beautiful rainbow arching over the hillside as a sign from God that all was well, which it was! 
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