After we've succeeded to gather more money we've finalized the rest of papers needed for the construction. During the winter we were enough stressed and tired to work, so we were visiting the construction site just once a week.
When the spring came, we were ready for the installations part and we started to check different plumbers. We've found a serious firm for the heating installations, which was probably the first pro team that worked at our house. We've learned our lesson previous year. So this team has done the heating part of installations except the water installation because they were not interested (it wasn't to profitable for them as the heating installation). In the middle of the summer we didn't found yet a team for covering the roof with shingles. I've invited a few people to see the roof, but it was quite abrupt and they weren't interested. at least here I can't be fooled. Who was scared about the height couldn't go on the roof.
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Thursday, January 10, 2008
winter problems
At the beginning of february 2007 after a violent wind, the carton that was covering the roof (that was a temporarily solution for the winter) have been got off its nails and was going to uncover the roof on large areas. I had to call the roof workers team back.
Another thing... Because nobody was living in the house we were "visited" by unwanted guests, usually kids that were playing with balls in the front of the yard. Other "visitors" were some guys who were parking their truck (they were selling wood for heating). The frustrating part was the feeling that the place is kinda abandoned and I was regulary finding garbage near the fence, in or outside the yard. I was visiting the construction site about twice a week, so the construction site was looking abandoned. I spoke with neighbours and I strengthen the relations with these in hope that were giving an eye by time to time to check if everything is ok.
Another thing... Because nobody was living in the house we were "visited" by unwanted guests, usually kids that were playing with balls in the front of the yard. Other "visitors" were some guys who were parking their truck (they were selling wood for heating). The frustrating part was the feeling that the place is kinda abandoned and I was regulary finding garbage near the fence, in or outside the yard. I was visiting the construction site about twice a week, so the construction site was looking abandoned. I spoke with neighbours and I strengthen the relations with these in hope that were giving an eye by time to time to check if everything is ok.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
end of year
For the end of the year one of the last thing to do was to cover the window holes in the walls and to clean a little the yard. Because I was more than tired of all this run after builders and materials I couldn't clean too much, just to organize a little all the stuffs. I mean to put the wood in one place, the iron in its place and so. I had lots of materials spreaded in the entire yard, but the building site was close by now.
Before I begun to raise the building I had much more things in my plan to do in 2006, but it wasn't so at the end. Anyway I was satisfied that I had a roof finally.
What was different than I thought at the beginning ? Well, let's make a list:
- the garbage; I haven't calculated the price for getting rid of it. Also how much sweat and work I will put in this.
-materials depositing; the yard wasn't big enough for sand, wood, iron and garbage. For a while I had to let some of them on the street and I was almost penalized by authorities for that. Not mention the desperate run to get it in the yard.
-the builders; I had to change the teams very fast. That was very frustrating. I couldn't trust any of them. I wasn't sure if they are well intentioned or not.
other things I will say it when I remember.
Before I begun to raise the building I had much more things in my plan to do in 2006, but it wasn't so at the end. Anyway I was satisfied that I had a roof finally.
What was different than I thought at the beginning ? Well, let's make a list:
- the garbage; I haven't calculated the price for getting rid of it. Also how much sweat and work I will put in this.
-materials depositing; the yard wasn't big enough for sand, wood, iron and garbage. For a while I had to let some of them on the street and I was almost penalized by authorities for that. Not mention the desperate run to get it in the yard.
-the builders; I had to change the teams very fast. That was very frustrating. I couldn't trust any of them. I wasn't sure if they are well intentioned or not.
other things I will say it when I remember.
Friday, December 7, 2007
the roof
The roof part is one of my favorites. The neighbour that helped me with the concrete belt was charging me too much for the roof and I looked for other team. Luckily, a woman from the neighbourhood directed me to an old man, but very qualified who built her roof.
In the late summer I talked with him, but was already involved in a job, so I looked for other team. In the begining of october I asked him again and this time was "open" to my roof.
He was 71 years old and he was making team with his son. They've charged me just with half of my neighbour's offer. I didn't expect to make big job, because the old man looked quite incapable to carry heavy stuff. Surprisingly, they were moving faster than expected, and after 3 days they've already finished half of the roof.
I remember that in a friday at the sunset they were on the roof and I was collecting wood pieces from the yard and the wood smell was so strong and beatiful... As the sun was getting closer to the horizon, its beams were falling on the roof... I think it was the first moment when I liked this stuff, of building a house.
Anyway, in about 10 days they've finished the roof. I could finally sleep well. The thing with the roof was very important because the rain was affecting the ground floor. Moreover, if I couldn't do the roof till winter, the snow that would fall on the concrete floor that was over the ground floor, could frozen and crash.
In the late summer I talked with him, but was already involved in a job, so I looked for other team. In the begining of october I asked him again and this time was "open" to my roof.
He was 71 years old and he was making team with his son. They've charged me just with half of my neighbour's offer. I didn't expect to make big job, because the old man looked quite incapable to carry heavy stuff. Surprisingly, they were moving faster than expected, and after 3 days they've already finished half of the roof.
I remember that in a friday at the sunset they were on the roof and I was collecting wood pieces from the yard and the wood smell was so strong and beatiful... As the sun was getting closer to the horizon, its beams were falling on the roof... I think it was the first moment when I liked this stuff, of building a house.
Anyway, in about 10 days they've finished the roof. I could finally sleep well. The thing with the roof was very important because the rain was affecting the ground floor. Moreover, if I couldn't do the roof till winter, the snow that would fall on the concrete floor that was over the ground floor, could frozen and crash.
Monday, December 3, 2007
cold
2 weeks ago, me and my wife we've just moved in the house. We've finished only a part of the ground floor, but is enough for a decent living. We can't continue working now because is too cold and the holidays are knocking at the door. I haven't posted lately because I've been sick - I got a strange ear ache that appears when is cold - and just 2 days ago we have the internet connection installed. It was a little bit freaky when we moved. No tv or internet, just old movies from dvds. Anyway now I'm back online although I'm not helthy yet.
Thursday, November 22, 2007
the belt - the after - effects
While I was working at the belt, the gloves have broken and the pail that I was carrying have injured my fingers. This damn combination of metal that injured my fingers, the water that softened my hand skin and the cement that was poisening me was enough to make my hands useless for a few days. After I finished that day I poored some alcohol on the wounds, but the bottle was almost empty and i inserted a finger inside. That was a bad idea. I got my finger stucked inside and was really burning.
At the dinner I had somthing with chicken to eat, but I couldn't even keep the chicken in my fingers. Thanks to my wife, which feeded me, I survived to that starvation. Was frustrating to have my hands injured. I couln't open the doors, to eat or to put on my shoes. Obviously I couldn't work for a few days.
At the dinner I had somthing with chicken to eat, but I couldn't even keep the chicken in my fingers. Thanks to my wife, which feeded me, I survived to that starvation. Was frustrating to have my hands injured. I couln't open the doors, to eat or to put on my shoes. Obviously I couldn't work for a few days.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
the belt
The toughest moment of 2006 was probably the building of the concrete belt between walls and the roof. I had no working team, no time and the money were running out. I've accepted my neighbour's offer - which was quite bad for me. This operation took 4 days. We agreed that the team leader will have the workers and I'll help around. In the first 3 days we've made the encasement and in the forth day we've cast on the concrete. Well, that forth day was special.
At 6:30 AM I was their, ready for fight. I'm very tenacious and I have more than 7 years of hard endurance background athletics. If in the first 3 days I was standing a little bit on the "right" of the road, that day I was in the front line. The team leader didn't bring workers except a 16 years old boy and an old man of about 60 years old. He said that he thought that I would bring a man or two.
Ok...
First thing to do was to climb on the first floor with the 120L concrete mixer.Next was to get the sand over the ground floor.Lots of pails,shovels and barrels. That was hard. We've filled the barrels with water and organized the team. The kid had to go to school at about 12 AM so the old man was mixing the concrete, I was carrying the pail with concrete and the team leader was filling the encasament with the concrete from pails that I've carried. I was very very hard.
All day was cloudy and from time to time was even raining and the clothes got fatter and heavier. A few times I've dropped concrete on my clothes and was even worse.
At a moment the encasement of a pillar had collapsed and the concrete had spread on the yard. I throwed a shovel to get the spreded concrete and unfortunelly it broked.
This operation took about 9 hours and we didn't get a brake at all, except me. At a moment I made coffee for each of us.
With all this for me was a succes.
At 6:30 AM I was their, ready for fight. I'm very tenacious and I have more than 7 years of hard endurance background athletics. If in the first 3 days I was standing a little bit on the "right" of the road, that day I was in the front line. The team leader didn't bring workers except a 16 years old boy and an old man of about 60 years old. He said that he thought that I would bring a man or two.
Ok...
First thing to do was to climb on the first floor with the 120L concrete mixer.Next was to get the sand over the ground floor.Lots of pails,shovels and barrels. That was hard. We've filled the barrels with water and organized the team. The kid had to go to school at about 12 AM so the old man was mixing the concrete, I was carrying the pail with concrete and the team leader was filling the encasament with the concrete from pails that I've carried. I was very very hard.
All day was cloudy and from time to time was even raining and the clothes got fatter and heavier. A few times I've dropped concrete on my clothes and was even worse.
At a moment the encasement of a pillar had collapsed and the concrete had spread on the yard. I throwed a shovel to get the spreded concrete and unfortunelly it broked.
This operation took about 9 hours and we didn't get a brake at all, except me. At a moment I made coffee for each of us.
With all this for me was a succes.
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