Water & electricity
July 23, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
On the 22nd of July the approved contractor was doing the necessary road works to make the water and electricity connection possible. We thought this was done by using some kind of “mole” device, however these pictures show that the road has been opened up to make the connection.
Update: 22-07-2006
July 22, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
Just before leaving the island for a well deserved holiday, Jon sent me some pictures on the progress of the past week. It appears that weather conditions on Skye are on an equal level with Holland, so good progress has been made. Also, there was activity from the contractor responsible for doing the road crossing for connecting the services.
On the west side of the house: The block work is steadily beginning to cover the blue cloth. This cloth is a membrane against dampness, which is no luxury in the Scottish climate.
On the loch side entrance of the house, where the patio doors give access to the kitchen, block work looks nearly complete here.
On the south side: This picture shows that the house has three chimneys. The two chimneys over the main structure are dummies. The chimney on the far right side is the only working chimney, connected to the fireplace in the sitting room.
Update: 17-07-2006
July 17, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
Again Jon Howarth drove over from Edinbane to Skinidin to catch the latest progress in digital image. Thanks, Jon! As you can see blockwork and slating are now progressing steadily. James plans are to have the outside work finished by the end of this month (that is July) and then continue working on the inside of the house.
The house seen from the road, sheltered behind the ledges in the plot: The progress of the slating is clearly visible as the green roof cloth is slowly covered by the slate.
The front side of the house, seen from the north-west: Block work steadily progressing. Looks like a nice day with clear blue skies!
The lounge. block work is nearly finished here. While there, we discovered a birds nest between the roof trusses. To allow them to travel outside, James left a opening in block work. By the time they leave the nest, James will close this one up.
Update: 10-07-2007 (inside)
July 10, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
Although nothing much has yet been done on the inside, here are some pictures to give an impression on the current state of the inside of the house. Clearly visible are the drainage pipes for bathrooms and toilet and pipework for water and electricity coming out of the concrete floor.
The basis for the chimney has been constructed. This picture was taken only moments after the builders had left and block work and cement are still wet. The height of the fireplace will be 1.20 meters.
Further in the thumbnails below:
The future kitchen area, now used as a storage for the panels from which the inside walls will be constructed.
A picture taken from the dining room looking towards the kitchen and beyond the bedroom.
Standing in the master bedroom and looking towards the kitchen.
The roof trusses of the main structure of the house. These trusses support the roof and create a loft area which can be used in the future. The trusses in other parts of the house are considerably smaller than these.
Update: 10-07-2006
July 10, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
The outside of the house now really begins to take shape. Remembering the first inspection when only the foundations were poured and the outlines looked really small, it now looks really impressive! Notwithstanding its dimensions, the whole structure really blends in very well with the shape of the plot. As the house is neatly tucked away behind a ridge in the plot, it’s appearance is largely hidden from sight.
The east side of the house: The structure with the large vertical opening is the sitting room. The opening is the location of the yet to construct chimney.
The other thumb nailed pictures…
Another view on the east side of the house but now a more distant view. As usual for a build site there’s lots of materials lying around. Two slaters are working on the roof section and the wooden scaffold is used to reach the upper area of the roof.
The north side of the house. From left to right the sitting room (3 windows), the dining room (2 windows), the kitchen (3 windows) and one of the bedrooms (2 big windows and one small window for the en-suite bathroom). The north side overlooks Loch Dunvegan and beyond on clear days towards the Outer Hebrides.
The north-west side of the house. Progress on the outside block work is clearly visible here. Also notice the horizontal scaffolds on the roof as a preparation for slating. The outside wall has vertical openings filled with board-like materials. These openings are to allow the walls to expand and shrink due to changing temperatues. Not having these would result in cracks in the wall. Another remarkable thing are the small white elements sticking out of the walls, close to the ground. These are ventilation elements which allow damp to evaporate.
The south-east side of the house. The south pointing “wing” of the house adds a really pretty accent to its structure and - at the same time - makes it an impressive house to look at.
A close-up picture of the connection between the dining room and the sitting room. To make a smooth finish of the outside wall possible, the kit has a thickening just above the roof of the dining room. Also visible is the lead slab to make a water tight connection.
Update: 09-07-2006
July 9, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
Slating of the roof has now started. Reaching the upper parts of the roof requires scaffolds across the full length of the roof. For tailor sized slates, the builder has an ingenious tool available with which he cuts and shapes the slates to the required size. The slates are fixed using special nails.
Update: 02-07-2006
July 2, 2006 | Leave a Comment |
Jon sent some new pictures which reflect the latest progress. The house is now surrounded by scaffolds and a start has been made on the block work. Also the roof membrane is put in place, as a preparation for the slating of the roof.
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Hair (1968, Original Broadway recording). Some naughty lyrics for that time!!
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