Off to Donegal

Headed to Donegal at about six, herself thought we were off to Carrick, good suprise when she realised we were not!
Dad continued the cleaning.

Battens Down

Battens upstairs started tonite, we have a batten that is 2" by 1.5 inches. I have 70mm screws to hold them in place on the OSB.
We then used the strips of insulation, 25mm thick to put between the battens.
Gerry gave me a few hours, appreciated.

No work done

I got back form Manchester about 1.30pm and returned to work. Was there until near 8pm, up the walls totally so forsee little time for the house!
Stone masons working away.

Goods gone awol!

Delivery from Heitons due yesterday still had not arrived by 1pm! I rang and they said it left at 8am! For the love of god what are they at!
I headed off to Old Trafford for the Benfica match, we won, made my debut on MUTV (the official

Stone Matters

Stone masons due to start today but the stone never arrived, I rang lacken but they said it would be Tuesday. I actually arrived in the afternoon!
Delivery from Heitons due today.
The mason arrived for 2 hours and started the hearth. Myself and dad cleared out the rooms upstairs.

Ready For Stone

I finished off outside, more rain!! I also cleaned up old slate and blocks from around the windows and scaffolding.

Miserable weather

Spent the day outside myself and dad, needed to clear the front of the house for the stone as it is arriving on Monday.
Got drown! Bags and bags of rubbish.
In the evening we went to Skye Furniture to look at some stuff.

Cills Near Finished

Dad was on site, he lift 2 of the cills into place, I was not happy as he could have hurt himself, will not listen.
Plastered in around them, took 5 buckets, a lot more than I expected!

Advice on Boards.ie

I talked to a few lads on www.boards.ie and the assured me that the big lights will always show up the plastering, I agree with them but at the same time it is crap work.
I will have to have words and spend hours sanding

Plastering Nightmare

Got the 1000w spots on today to clean up and then began examing the plastering, all I can say is that I walked out in disgust, it is a fkn joke and words will have to be had with my "plasterer".

Picked The Stone Mason

We decided we are going to go with Barry and the lads with the stone, they are top notch so expecting a good job. They hope to start next Monday so off we go to organise materials. The stone for 25 ton is nearly 1k.

Plasterers Gone

The lads are gone now so the clean up begins. The power is gone from the lead sean gave us so have to fgure out why. Dad found the nick and taped it.
We did a bit of brushing up but we are still a bit wrecked after the slabbing!!

Few Pics Below of what it looks like now.

Weekend Away

Went up to my nieces baptism in Kildare and then onto the David Gray concert in the Olympia, excellent weekend.

Plastering Continues

We cannot really do a lot as the lads are still inside and we cannot clean up until they are gone, I paid John his money, think it will be grand.

Stone Mason Quotes

I met with Barry the stone mason and gave him our camera to take pics of the fireplace, we will make a decision on who gets the job this weekend.
The lads finished off the external of the house, just about 2 days to finish off the inside now.

Nite Off

United on the TV tonite, no work done. The front door is still an issue, due for next Tuesday. Wrecking my head this now, it better be right or I will not be a happy camper.
The lads have now plastered all the back of the house and they skimmed the kitchen and hall.

Scratch Coat Done

Arrived on site this evening, was very suprised to see the whole outside scratch coated, did not take them long and it changes the whole house!
We took off the casing on the cill on the gable and it looks spot on.

Dark Work!!

The gable cill had to be put in place, we managed this and then I decided that even though it was dark to use a torch and point the rest of the cills!! I think the neighbours believe i am mental at this stage!!
We also cased off the other gable cill and filled it with cement to shape it correctly.
At least we are in a situtation for the lads to head outside later on in the week

Pointing

Match at 12pm against Swinford, we won 6-0, season over no silverware, sin é!
Got back to the site at 4pm and dad was there, we got the bedroom cill in place and then levelled it off.
We then got Emmet and Gerry to give us a lift with the kitchen cill, a lot of weight in these guys!!

One point to note, something we did not realise until we near finished, the bottom lip of these windows could have been clipped off and this would have saved us the need to cock up the cill to slide it in, time and effort!! Lesson learned!!!

We decided to start pointing the cills with a good strong mix of cement, mixed four buckets a stuffed it in around and under the cills, slow job but at least another job is getting done!

Cills

I had Damien with me today for the work with the cills. We started grand, proped the cills with slate so that they fitted nicely to the bottom of window.
There is a 3" lip is left either side to the window opening for the overhang.
We managed to get the sun room, 4 windows on the gable and the bathroom cills in, not as quick as we expected but the weight of the large cills, especially the 5ft and 6ft cills in big and it nearly bursted the 2 of us to lift them round the back of the house.
On the "railway" gable there was an issue with one of the cills where when the pitch of the roof had to be changed it meant the roof was going to encrouch on the window cill.
This meant we needed to shape the cill to take the plinth on the gable, we managed this with the angle grinder and hoofing and poofing to get the cill into place.

End Of Season

I had training today, the last one with our manager Briano who is leaving at the end of the season. Cannot say I am sorry that the season is over, or will be Sunday, house and football are taking its toll!
I went back to the house after training and finished off the clearout of downstairs.
Dad had built up all the areas where the cills would rest with either cement or brick to allow us to cover the back of the cill with mastic and then slip them in behind the window.
We made a timber guide to ensure we had the correct room left to lift them into place.
Tomorrow the cills outside have to be done, not looking forward to it at all.

Clean Up

I decided to do a final run through the downstairs screws and make sure that they are all in. Slow job but has to be done.
We then started to clear the downstairs, again more slabs and dirt, all this again takes time and is another necessary job so that the lads can setup their scaffolding correctly.

Ireland V France

Today was day relax!

I rang the lads about the front door, it will definately next Wednesday!! It better be!!

I also called into the stone mason who were working on a house on the West road in Westport, Duffy lad, said about 100e per sq metre. Good price.

I also got a call from Barry who came out and measured with his mate. Quote next week.

Dad did all the window boards, they look well.

headed off to see Ireland getting beat!!! First even off from doing anything in a long while!!

Howdi to my cousin and mates Peter and Mary who visit for the updates!

Facia + Soffit

I picked Damo and Adam for 8am, there job was to finish the sun room and check all screws are in corretly and clean up the house.

No sign of John today, his 2 mates were there but enjoyed sitting in the cars instead of working!!!

The guttering company arrived today, they have all the soffit on, the facia on 2 gables and on the back, they also completed the whole of the 2 dormers, looks well!!

When I arrived for 6.30 dad was finishing the hall and Adam was finishing the sun room, it seems the sun louge took much longer than expected, whats new!!!

We set at it and got all the slabbing pulled downstairs, there is a strip to go all along the top of the stairs, around the landing.

I started to wheel out the rubbish slabs into a bunch, I also took the tools upstairs and filled the wardrobe with them!

The 2 lads headed off at about 9pm, it took me another 30 minutes or so to complete the stairs and clean up again.

It is excellent that there will be no more slabbing or insulation, good ridince!!!!!

Nearly There

Today the facia and soffit was meant to be installed, but by 1pm there was no sign, I rang Eamon and they had forgot, he guranteed they would start tomorrow!
The lads were over and finished the sitting room and dining room. Only the sun room left to do, in here we decided to install the insulation and plastic it. At least all insulation and plasticing is now finished!!
The place looks so bright!

I stayed until 9.30 and went through each of the rooms to ensure all screws are put in correctly and that there are none lose.

The plasterers have the 2 bedrooms, the ensuite and bathroom skimmed. They are moving fast!!!

Struggling Now!

Today Mick said he would finish off putting the lath up for the soffit to be attached to, he was out last nite so is not feeling the fred west!
Took him maybe an hour or so to it, I was there for about 9am, motivation levels are at an all time low but I get stuck into the sitting room. I had a match today in Charlestown, if we win we gurantee 2nd place. I had to head off for one.
I arrived back from the match, we lost 2-1, fkn ref was a joke, if I did want to rip his head off the fool, he has cost us dearly in the league!!
Had a serious migraine and was tempted to head off but when dad arrived I said I would wait.

There were 2 blocks missing at the back of the house, one over the door and the other at the gable so we mixed a bit of cement and put them both in.

Then we set to doing the "TV" wall, this is where I have 7 double and one single box, for TV, phone, network and power, and two double for future proofing!!!
took a good while but we got them done, we headed off at about 9pm, with only around the bay window to slab.

Many hands Make light work

Today is going to be busy, a hell of a lot of work to do, so if today goes well I will be happy if it does, if not then we are in big bother.

Myself and damo had to go to Sam Hire for a hilti gun and Heitons for more staples, a stanley knife and measuring tape, the feckers don't last long!
Arrived at heitons for 8.20am and nearly dropped when they don't until 9am!! sitting around.
Eventually we got the hilti gun (90 euro) and all the other stuff, arrived out for 9.20am, Mick was there and was making the boxes.
It was a great relief for him to be there, a bit of know how would get them done fast.

John was there also plastering the landing.

Myself and damo started to do the closet, again it was slow but we got it done. John Grady arrived also out of the blue and he did the window surrounds.

Dad and John started out doing the sitting room and we then followed up with the hall.

Today seems to have flew, but at least there is excellent progress. Mick had done well outside, 6 boxes done and gables and back are also done.

Good Progress

I picked the 2 lads at 8am and they worked away to get the back bedroom and kitchen completed, they did 1/2 of the utility room

Dad was there when I arrived at 5.30 and he said they would head off after the utility room.

I had training to had to head off.

Siobhan and myself went to Alpha kitchens in Claremorris to get a better idea of the doors and style we are looking at and were happy with what we saw.

I headed to the house after training for about 9pm, Damo decided to bring all coffee and sandwiches with him so I was left with 2 bars of chocolate to eat,

I worked on the utility room and finished it, in between talking to my sister Noreen who is also building a timber frame in Kildare, except they are using a builder,

Headed off at about 12.30am.

Another long day tomorrow!!!

Plasteres Arrive

On cue and for what must be the 1st time on record a tradesman arrived on time to a site!!!

He moved in upstairs.

I can honestly say that my body was the sorest and stiffest I have ever been, luckily I could sit down at work, the lads don't have the oppurtunity!

We arranged that Dad would collect Adam about 3pm and they would complete the insulation in the bathroom and plastic the same, then "green" slab the toilet,

Dad also went to Heitons to get a 7" window board, red deal, look well.

When I arrived dad headed upstairs to install the boards but nearly hit the roof when he discovered that the 16ft * 7" boards he bought were in actual fact 15ft * 6.25" wide!! So he had to cut a strip and screw it together with a full window board to make it fit perfectly. Another pain in the arse!!

When we had finished dad headed off and myself and Adam plasticed the back bedroom and did 2 of the 4 walls, progress is definately much faster, thank god!!

We stayed until 1am, both were wrecked and enough was enough!!