Ready For the Next Level, More Mistakes Found

After a furious three days, I am now ready for the next level.

I eventually managed to fill up the sides with 30 cubic metres of gravel. I've got a tiny bit left that is still out the front - but it will not be in the way of any trucks delivering timber. It is sure tiring work. I noticeably slow down as I got through the day - there are limits to my personal drive. I suppose it would help if I stopped for lunch and drank more water - but it all takes valuable time.

I did a basic tidy up of the site and I took a load of rubbish out to the tip. It contained some concrete cow pads that I said I would take to the concrete recyclers. It was a good idea as the council run tip only charged me $25 instead of $45 for the load.

If I have time on Monday I will sweep out the garage and try to get rid of some of the water from the bathroom.

I've finished leveling the blockwork - those guys were so dodgy. I used this non shrink grout to do the topping. The reason being is that you can lay it 10mm thin and being non shrink, it should not become drummy or develop any cracks. You can't really lay that thinness using normal concrete as initialy and over time it will just break up. It looks good to run your eye across the top - it looks pretty much perfectly level within a couple of millimetres. I troweled the top smooth and flat, but the sides are a bit crazy. You will not see them, so that is fine.

I discovered a new problem, one of the internal walls is out of plumb - around 5cm difference between the top and bottom. It is in the stairwell so I don't know whether it will be noticeable. To be honest, if I had noticed, I would not have paid them until it had been fixed up. Lessoned learnt I suppose. You don't want to mess with me when I get stroppy! Fortunately it does not present a structural problem. Unfortunately I don't have the time to take it apart and get it relaid.

On a different tangent, not that I am a fan of the big corp, but Bunnings employees seem to have more product knowlege than other hardware shops. The other hardware shops just seem to know about things they sell, but in bunnings it can be "yeah I know what you are talking about" or "we use to sell it, but.." where as the others tend to look at me blankly -looking confused. I guess there is an inherit conflict of interest between someone that owns a store and is the sales person. Foremost they want ot sell, where as in Bunnings they are not on commission and are just focused on giving good service.

Questions, Belt, Blockwork and Grout

The first couple of times that people have come up to me and asked me what I am building, I thought how quaint, how friendly and fair enough and I said "a house". Now it is getting a bit of a worry - what do people think I am building - I mean come on, what are the options - an airport?

I got so fed up today with continuously pulling up my pants so I could move properly without my pants getting caught on my thighs and I made the move and drilled another hole in my belt. Liz (my wife) is worried that I might start loosing too much weight.

The blockworker came yesterday and "fixed" up the blocks. To make them straight (within 10mm) he had to really noticably offset the blocks. Oh well at least the problem is confined to the corner. To my absolute annoyance, the guy told me he knew that there was a problem when they were laying the blocks and told someone and yet no one elected to tell me - I suspect the worse. And to think that when I initially complained about it, the boss man said someone must of lent on it. I just lost some trust in trades people.

I took a laser level over the blockwork and I found that the difference between the minimun and max is 50mm. I'm using expensive non-shrink grout to level off the blocks - apparently the min thickness is 10mm. I formed it up using planks of pine lined with foam. I laser level the planks and then screed off them. The foam creates a tight joint between the pine and the blocks. I tried using F clamps to hold the pieces of pine against the block wall - I found my 12" G clamps work much better. I mixed the mortar in my wheel barrow using a garden hoe - much easier than a shovel - something I learnt from the blockworker who came yesterday and asked me to mix up some mud for him.

I don't understand these blockworkers - I mean the concretor (who recommended them) knows what sort of job they did and the carpenter (who was recommended by a blockworker) also knows.

I have kind of finished the backfill - there are however some significant low spots to fill. A total of 30 cubic metres or 42 tons of gravel.

I also got a spinter yesterday and I tried to remove it using a toothpick - not a good idea - all it did was just drive it in. I ended up gouging it out with a sharp knife.

Cohesive Fill

The engineering spec called for non-cohesive fill around the outside of the retaining wall. In removing some of the plywood, I found that the sand was keeping it's cohesive shape.





It has being very dry over the last month or so. Not bad for winter.

Side Backfill

I finished off the north side back fill. I've only got the south side to go :). I think I will need to order another 10 cubic metres of gravel. I'm onto my second load now and I have almost finished moving it. It is not too bad considering I can carry about 0.1 cubic metres in a wheel barrow - only 100 trips. Interestingly that is about 3000 shovels.

I have worked out that I can confortably move a 14 ton / 10 cubic metres of gravel in 2 days - via wheelbarrow through the park.





The block layers did not come to finish off the job today. I'm a bit disappointed. He promised me that Doug will come on Tuesday.

Stairs and Backfill

I got the concretors to put in the stairs. I was a bit tricky as the last step was like a hob. They are re-inforced and the concretors assure me I will have no problems. The width of the hob is just 80mm. The rising and going is a respectable 170mm and 270mm. The minimun opening into the utility area is a good 940mm - more than enough for 600mm wide wheelie bins.

Here is the formwork of the stairs. They hammered nails into the mortar joints and was able to brace everything against other walls so as not to put any holes into the concrete.

The concrete truck driver came along with 0.5 cubic metres of concrete. It was wheel barrowed over 10 or so metres in about 5 loads in my dodgy wheel barrow. It was meant to be 80mm slump but it was more like 120mm. As a result, it took ages (3 hours) to go off enough for the guy to strip the formwork and rub everything down (to give it texture) and fill up any voids behind the formwork. Next set of stairs, I might just do it myself.

I have almost finished the backfill of the rear wall.

Pulling Up the Shoring

One of the reasons why I used expensive plywood for the shoring - other than being safer - is to enable me to easily pull it up using a car rescue winch. After backfilling most of the trench, I could slide out the pieces of ply. You can see the agri pipe coming up the side. It follows the back wall and then down the side. I'm doing the same on the other side.



Here is the recycled aggregate in the trench. I'm going through it quickly. I'll soon need another truck load.

Phone Repair

Over the last 2.5 months my phone has undergone some serious stress in terms of water, sand and dust. The keyboard had become so intermitent, that only a few buttons were working. It became obvious that either grains of sand or corrosion were effecting the keyboard's electric membrane. The solution - take it apart - clean it and put it back together.

I did this, obviously voiding warranty of this cheap Telstra branded phone, but it is now good as gold - or at least tarnished brass. One of the pesky side buttons would not go in, so I just covered it in sticky tape - I made it stronger. It is such a crap mobile. Simple things like storing a person's address can't be done. And the GPS feature will not work without being connected to the internet.

French and Vertical Drain

I've installed my vertical drain and I am in the process of putting in a french drain.

A french drain is the easiest thing in the world to build. Here are the steps:

Step 1: Order 14 tons of recycled agregate.



Step 2: Calculate how many buckets you will need to fill up. Around 1000 in my case.

Step 3: Console yourself in the fact you will probably need to order 2 more trucks full.

Holding up the vertical drain in tricky. I ended up not bothering to try to stick it to the wall. I'm now just using short posts.



After putting down 30mm of gravel, I put down the slotted and socked agricultural pipe.



I'm installing two separate pipes with an opening at both ends. By doing this, I can flush the sediment out.

The recommendation is to surround the agregage with geotextile fabric. However, instead of the pipe getting clogged, the fabric does - you can't win!

More wildlife

I haven't seen the possum* in the park for quite a while, but the birds are still around. In addition, in recent weeks a white-faced heron has taken up residence. It seems to find lots of worms.


* But according to Graham, there are plenty of possum droppings in the garage.

Road Trip

Today I went on a road trip to Prospect (to collect 6 plain faced blocks) and Campbelltown to collect the drains. It took ages. I left around 6am and didn't get back till 11am.

I went to Freshwater in the afternoon to finish off the coats of water proofing. It is official there are now three coats applied with most of a 20L pale left.

Here is a picture of the blocks removed.

Here is the narrow gap that I get down to apply the water proofing. I'm guessing it is between 150 and 200mm wide.

Kiddie Training and Demolished Blocks

I've being training my three year old daughter to get me a beer from the fridge. It is going well. She has finally stopped shaking them up (who taught her to do that?), learnt to close the fridge door and can identify different types of beer. I think it is good to get in early in terms of getting her to do chores around the house. I'm sure she is going to make someone a terrific wife.

I demolished the offending core filled blocks today. A lot easier than I expected. The concrete was still green :) and the blocks were no too heavy. I used a diamond blade to cut out as much as I could around the block outline and then a crowbar to leaver them off.

Tomorrow I plan to head out west to get the replacement blocks.

Block Work Disappointment

I spoke to a carpenter today about putting up the frame. I showed him some of the blockwork that looked a little bit bowed to me. He shook his head and said it must be 30mil out. I rang the block layers straight away and complained. After a few phone calls, they aggreed to come out and fix it, but I have to demolish the existing blocks (core filled and reinforced - don't forget) and get some new ones. The main guy said someone must have knocked it or something.

Very disappointing, but I didn't noticed it until yesterday. Hopefully I have learnt a lesson to be more observant - I'm generally good at observation. After getting over the disappointment, I think it will cost be about a day.

I even remembered the block layer who laid that section. His is not as concientious as the others - the main guy and the other one is - asking for steel etc. It is funny how you get to know different people's personality very quickly when it has a direct impact on you.

I put on some more water proofing paint before rain stopped play. After that I took out some of the rubbish to the tip.

On another note, the tail of my belt is getting annoying - it flops around getting in the way. I must look like a dag with an over sized belt.

Garage Structurally Finished

The garage is now structurally finished. All of the internal walls are done and core filled.

For the first time I now have an idea of space and whether the layout works.

I'm pretty happy with how it is turning out.

The block layers were all finished by two thirty, so that was good.

Still building internal walls

The block layers didn't finish laying the blocks today so it is stretching over to Saturday. They started off really quick on the external walls, but began to slow down when they returned to the internal walls. I think they were disappointed. I spent most of the day putting in steel and making sure everything is just right.

One of my friends told me about an architect that would go through and smash anything that was wrong with a sledge hammer. I took a leaf out of that book and removed some of the ventilation blocks that were not right. Kind of the Israeli strategy of creating a reality on the ground. It was only 5 blocks, but it made a real difference. The main block layer arrived looked, I explained they look like shit and he was fine. A tough day at the office. I'm really not into confrontation, but I know what has to be done. No point complaining once the work has been done.

I find the people working at the building supply place funny. Obviously they have been instructed not to give advice like you would get from a civil engineer, but they know how it is done. I can't imagine anybody seriously suing these guys for bad advice. I think it comes down to framing the question in the right way.

I have core filled one in four cores because the BCA (building code of aus) tells me that if you do this and reinforce it with steel then it counts as reinforced masonary. Now I'm not too sure why I need a reinforced bathroom, stairwell or utility room, but it sounds good to me. Maybe if there is a storm, we have some where to hide.



You can just see the pieces of fibro that I have put on some of the cores to blank them out. The alternative tis to shove newspaper down them after they have been laid. I re-inforced the top three course with steel and concrete to make them strong.

Garage Internal Walls

The garage internal walls are going up.

It is mostly as I have planned. Some bits have been much tricker than the others.

Slab Still Ok

The slab is still ok with no cracks.

It was a big day today. I spent all day preparing for the block layers. I put in more starter bars. Really to stop lateral shift. I drilled holes and used sikafex to glue them in. It won't do much in the hold down department. The block walls are designed to be minimally classified as re-inforced masonary. There is a reinforced three brick high bond beam across the top. I cut and bent extra steel for the top as well. One in four cores are filled with concrete.

Slab is Ok at the moment

There does not seem to be any cracks forming in the slab. However, the next 24 hours is critical. The Zypex guy turned up to inspect the slab. Apparently they have a solution if it starts cracking.

I kind of though water proofing the concrete would be a good idea. It was part of a holistic approach to keeping the garage dry. It really wasn't so serious for the Zypex guy to turn up. I really don't think I will have a damp problem. My neighbour has excavated a wine cellar that rarely floods. The park next to me falls sharply away - I have been siphoning water using a garden hose out of the beam footings into the park. On the other hand a damp and dank garage would represent a failure to me. I get the feeling that the main benefit of using zypex is to prevent concrete cancer.

An indirect benefit of the zypex guy is that he ensures that the pour is done by the book. He checks the steel, each truck load of concrete, vibration, screeding, troweling and application of curing compound.

Slab is In

The concreters poured the slab today. 36 cubic metres - lots of concrete! I got them to put zypex in again for water proofing.



They formed the step down for the bathroom on the fly using screeds. The guy would let it sit there for a bit while the concrete kind of set.



The slab slightly falls towards the centre. It does not have any fall towards the front, but it is good that any rain will pool in the centre rather than the walls.

I requested a slight upgrade to 32mpa concrete over the specified 25mpa. I'm not too sure why, but it is fairly common. Anyway, the zypex guy kicked up a fuss and so pragmatically it was put to 40mpa. I'm really hoping that there are no cracks.

The zypex guy came to supervise everything. He thought the steelwork was fine. Some of the steel was a bit high, so we ended up pushing it down a bit.