What we did:
- Partitions started,
- External rendering and paint.
This week, the carpenter was back onsite to set out and build the internal partitions, whilst a couple of the guys brought the external blockwork to life by applying the finishing render and paint. By the end of the week the scaffolding had also come down, revealing for the first time the contemporary design I had envisaged 4 years ago!
Internal layout coming together
Monday morning was a marathon session with the carpenter and his special laser-level which was a pretty neat and expensive bit of kit! As you’ve probably gathered now, I’m a fan of precision and detail, so took some time measuring out the position of the internal first-floor partitions to the nearest mm.
Some time and a lot of long sighs by the carpenter later, he cracked on with building the timber ‘studwork’.
At this point I could really get an accurate sense of the space and if the design works – so far so good! I don’t get credit from the contractor often, but this time I did get some praise for the high vaulted ceilings, which really brought a sense of openness to the small bedrooms.
External design coming to life
Attention now shifted to the external walls of the building, as the render was applied to the grey blockwork. Render is a mix of sand and cement, which is applied in a 25mm thick layer, leaving a fairly smooth finish, allowing it to be painted.
The paint I chose is ‘Chalk Hill’, a light beige, contemporary colour, which was quite fitting as the building literally sits on top of a hill made of chalk!
At the end of the week, I walked down to the site and had my biggest ‘Wow!’ moment after catching the first glimpse of my finished external structure, exactly how I had planned. What a great feeling!
External building painted