Accommodations

Three weeks ago I was told that the subcontracted bricklayers would start work 'next week'. A few days later I clambered over my neighbour's wall to see how far they'd got and they hadn't started. Two weeks ago I was told that they'd start 'next week' but it turned out that by then they were on another job. Last week it poured with rain so the brickies went for sheltered jobs and my builder bought in some scaffolding with corrugated iron above to try to entice them back. So far they've stayed away. It's not the end of the world - there is plenty that the employed labourers can be getting on with - but it will be good to see brickwork start.

Meanwhile at today's site meeting we talked flooring (the few old floorboards that are reclaimable will be used to fill gaps), shower alcoves (I compromised), a floor hatch (I decided to abandon it because if it's done to passivhaus standards it can't be walked on), the old fireplace (it will be an alcove rather than boxed in)...

and plastering. The fiasco of me removing blown plaster a month ago left me feeling very dejected but it seems that it wasn't all bad. The labourers have removed the rest of the plaster and disposed of it properly and there was one partition they were planning to leave that I had damaged so badly they decided it was easier to take it down rather then work on flooring around it. It would never have occurred to me to remove it completely but I like the open space and I'll probably ask them not to reinstate it. My hall is very narrow and seeing the party wall without plaster also made me realise that I can gain space and save money by sealing or painting it rather than replastering it. On balance, I'm glad that all the old plaster has gone - I'd rather not have it there than have it covered up.

After the meeting I was preparing a space in the garden to stack the tiles when they arrive next Tuesday when I was summoned by a man in the car park behind my garden. I was extraordinarily lucky over two years ago that the owners of the building that belongs to that car park agreed to grant me access to my garden - because since then the building has been sold twice and it seems that the current owner would not have granted access if the agreement hadn't already been in place. Then absolutely everything - steels, blocks, insulation etc in and rubbish out - would have had to go through the house. As it stands the current ownership means that deliveries have to be finished by 8:30 or involve a negotiation. It now seems that the new owner will be doing some building work himself - the summoner was his builder-in-chief - which will further constrain things. I got him to talk to my builder-in-chief but we are going to have to tread very delicately. At least most of the carting in and out is now done.