Going....Going....but not gone

We now have a complete staircase, and access to upstairs is now significantly easier.  However, to gain access to the roof, it was still necessary to climb up to the first floor scaffolding and then up a further ladder to the scaffolding at roof level.

Two levels of the scaffolding

Whilst the brickies were busy bricking the walls, the chimney has been completed on the north roof.  On the south roof, the solar panels have been fitted and all the slate completed.  Before the scaffolding comes down, we took the opportunity to view the roof from the second level.

Finishing touches to the velux windows above the kitchen

The completed south roof, with one of the owners. . .

 

. . . and the other!

Today, a significant portion of the scaffolding has been taken down.  The north and west sides of the house are now clear of scaffolding.  The scaffolding on the south side will come down in a couple of days.  The scaffolding on the east (canal) side will remain as this is needed to install the large and complicated windows in our bedroom.  So although a lot of the scaffolding is going, it will not yet all be gone.

The west side, free from scaffolding

Scaffolding remains to access the complicated windows

All the window openings have been measured and the drawings signed off.  Not surprisingly there will be a delay whilst the windows are made before they can be fitted.  This is reckoned to be around 4 weeks, and since the house will not be secure until the windows and doors are fitted, it is not possible to start the second fix works for another month.  So the focus will now switch to work outside.  Specifically, completing the terrace walls down to the 'canal level', and starting work on the foundations for the garage.
Since all the walls are now plastered, the kitchen fitters are coming tomorrow to take the final measurements before the kitchen is ordered and built.  We can expect the bathrooms to be fitted in mid June, and the kitchen at the end of June. 
The builders still claim that they are on course for a moving in date at the end of July.  We really hope they're right!

One step at a time

When the SIPS panels were initially constructed, a temporary staircase was put in to allow access to the upstairs.  

A reminder of the days when we had a very steep, but functional temporary staircase

However, to allow internal plaster-boarding, skimming and an initial coat of paint to be applied, that staircase had been removed.  This meant getting to upstairs was slightly more of a challenge with the route something like:

- Go into the lounge-diner, through the hallway, and out of the front door;

- Climb the scaffolding ladder to the first level of scaffolding (we had 3 levels at one point!);

- Go around the house to the opening for the bedroom window overlooking the canal;

- Climb the 4 steps and enter the bedroom using the window opening.

The last 4 steps

As you can imagine, this was a tad inconvenient with the near vertical ladder climb to the scaffolding making it difficult to carry anything.  So we have been looking forward to the day when our proper staircase could be fitted. On Monday, the kit of parts arrived, taking pride of place in the centre of the lounge-diner!

Part of the Staircase Jigsaw

...and the other part!

On Thursday and Friday, a specialist fitter was engaged to convert the many apparently random pieces of wood into something that could be used to safely traverse from one floor to another.

This was nearly completed by the end of Friday, although a gap still remains between the top of the stairs and the landing.  We expect a complete, usable staircase on Tuesday.

Clues for construction are also provided

Stairway to nowhere

Getting there

Nearly, but not quite

The post holding up the final quarter-landing is temporary.  On Tuesday, this landing should be fixed and suspended from the floor upstairs, and allowing the final two steps to be added.  This will mean that the Juliet balcony we currently have upstairs will cease to exist and will become a proper landing!

Apart from completing the staircase, the priority next week is the finishing of the external brickwork and the final measurements for the windows so that manufacturer of them can begin.  It will be a further 3 or 4 weeks until they are installed though.