The garage build - part 2

Ah - how little inconveniences add together to make major ones.

The builder was delayed on another site for a few days.  Little did we know that would impact our build.  For those "few days" were perfect weather days. By the time they returned to our site, we had had our first snowfall.  And rain - lots of rain...

And when one needs 20mtr3 of fill for the slab, wet, muddy roads are not conducive for truck travel.  Which naturally means...

Material - dumped at the gate again...

... more material is deposited at the gate - for RMan to schlep up to the house in his trailer.  You think I'm kidding?  Well here is a pic of the pounding our entrance has taken.

The state of our entrance after two cold fronts
and too many heavy trucks

But, finally, the fill ended up where it was meant to be, the waterproofing (gunplas) was laid and the re-enforcing was placed on top.  Now they could start with the floor slab.

Fill in, waterproofing in place,
re-enforcing laid - and, notice
behind the guy on the left.
On the outer edge is where the steps are to be built...

Finally, the slab!  Happy days.  Now all they have to do, in between snowfalls, rain showers and gale force winds is build the ruddy walls.

The slab!

As I mentioned in the caption of the 2nd pic above the space where the steps are to be built.  Well, between the steps and the courtyard wall there was enough space to lay some lintels.  Under those lintels we are going to store the washing machine, and the two generators we have.  It's a perfect size for the three.  And the generator has to run the washing machine, so having them next to each other - ideal!  Above the lintels we are going to install a very, very small loo, basin and shower.  Very cramped, but completely necessary, as we will have to move into the back of the garage once the builder starts phase two of our house - the bedrooms.  Yeah, it meant the architect had to submit a rider to the plans department - so that meant a trip to town to see the architect.  

My idea - use the space between the garage steps
and the courtyard wall above and below

As you can see in the pic below, we are going to be siting the new power room on the back right hand side.  The left hand side will be a small office, (and temporary bedroom) and small bathroom.  Phase two means that the zinc roof above the current bathroom will have to be removed in order to compete the walls / gables / etc.  Which means we would've been bathroom-less... :)  Adding the lintels and providing space for the small bathroom, and having the office to move our bed into means that we (I LOL) will not have to go out in the dark and cold of the night to get to the loo.

Doors positioned

So - Day 1 was doors in place, and lintels positioned.

Wall progress

Day 2 - a good portion of the walls were built.  Our excitement was palpable...

Internal walls go in

Day 3 - internal walls start...

Lintel level

Day 4 - up to lintel level - but there was a delay whilst we waited for more sand, and a couple of missing lintels...

Taking shape

Day 5 - a bit more progress

Garage roof trusses

Day 7 - roof trusses arrive and are off loaded and gable walls are built...

All hands on deck help off-load

...whilst the rest of the team carry on with the gable walls

Trusses are placed on bricks to elevate them off
the damp ground which could cause them to distort.

Day 9 - roof trusses are installed...

So close, and yet so far... But, looking good

... and there it stopped.  Why?

Well, it appears that Resin Roof Tiles, the recycled car bumper / monitor roof tiles company went bang.  And we spent 2 full days trying to source any left over tiles.  We eventually discovered a guy in Johannesburg had purchased the machinery, and the molds, but he will only be setting up the factory in the next month.  And then it will be another 2 week wait.  Which is fine for Phase 2.  But we need roof tiles for the garage now - so that we can install the solar panels, and get the power room installed.  So we had to compromise and order normal roof tiles - for the garage only.  And through doing that, we also had to get the roofing company to modify and supply the extra support beams for the trusses as the normal tiles are heavier than the Resin Tiles.

Then, we had our third snowfall in 5 weeks, as well as over 100mm rain in two days...  I have to get those gutters up so that we can catch some of this precious rain water...

The last time the builders were on site was Friday, 3rd August.  Another significant cold front is hitting at mid-night tonight, bring over 50mm rain and significant snow.  So I can't see the builders pitching before Tuesday or Wednesday...  And, without sun, and with our damaged old batteries, I may not have the power to connect to the internet this weekend.  Let's see...

But - I have to say.  4 snowfalls in 7 weeks - in South Africa?  Unheard of!  Add to that the droughts in America.  And one can plainly hear, and see, the anguish of Mother Earth.

Temporary Hiccups

Please would you bear with me over the next 4-odd weeks for my blog postings are going to be on an infrequent and irregular basis.


Talk about upheaval and turmoil...  Boxes everywhere - here and on the farm, furniture which will have to go in storage in the local town (we have found secure 35mtr2 premises which the owner is willing to rent out to us cheaply for a month-and-a-half until our garage is complete).  We have also managed to secure the services of a recommended building contractor who will take care of everything, or subcontract if he is unable to complete the work himself, as opposed to a local casual builder.  He has given us a fair quote on building the garage and completing phase two of the house - so, all being well, everything should be completed within the next three months - then the farmhouse will finally be our (new) home :)  We were also worried whether we would still be able to obtain more resin roof tiles.  Thankfully, I have managed to track down someone who sells them.  (If the link I have just provided is removed in the future, they guy's name is Malcolm and his contact number is 071 996 9341). Enlisting the services of a couple of the guys who work for my husband, plus the use of the company van, we took another load of boxes and a small portion of the pot plants to the farm last weekend.

Ice crystals on the trailer cover

Before we left Cape Town we were aware that a cold front was headed our way, but weren't aware that there were two of them - back-to-back.  Brrrrrrr - we had our first (early) snowfall on the mountains.  Thank goodness for the Dover stove!  Even so, the house is not completely sealed yet, so the drafts caused the temperature to plummet to 10oC inside the house in the early morning - whilst it was -2oC outside.  Snow usually falls in August / September here - so June is a bit early - another example of the global weather patterns changing obviously...?!

Before the cold fronts arrived, RMan and John, the local community labourer, increased the height of the scaffolding, so that RMan could correct and finish the temporary chimney installation.  You can get a good idea of exactly how high our roof peak is in this pic:

It took 4 sections of scaffolding in order
to reach the apex of our roof!

RMan then also proceeded to complete the painting of the undercoat so that the plastered walls have some protection from the wet weather.

I checked out the trees we had relocated - two of them look like they may be OK - the other three - touch and go. Ah well, at least two is better than none :)

Location of the transplanted trees.  In the
foreground is the pile of renosterbos which
the digger / loader scraped up

And, my final surprise from last season's crops awaited me in the depression we had made for the future cellar, where we are storing the last load of compost we purhased.  Some wind blown rocket seeds had taken root, and they are producing enormous leaves - yummy! 

Self-seeded rocket - the plants are
producing absolutely enormous leaves

We returned to town to discover that the buyer of our home had changed her mind about taking early occupation at the end of June, due to the "domino effect", and wanted to revert to the transfer / occupation only taking place at the end of July.  The transferring attorney's had apparently sent us notification of this on the 6th June - but to the wrong e-mail address! So we have been sorting and packing madly, and were still under the impression that the move was on for the end of this month!  However, yesterday the attorney subsequently spoke to the buyer, and she has changed her mind again (and confirmed it in writing this morning, so there is no turning back now), and has agreed that transfer / occupation can proceed for end of June - thank goodness - I have so much packed and we are living with the bare minimum - to do that for an additional 4 weeks wouldn't be easy...

Don't tell RMan that I've posted
a pic of him in my apron LOL
Doesn't he look cute :)

I have been going through a myriad of emotions whilst packing up / ditching 34-odd years of possessions - some good - some bad.  RMan has steadfastly been my strength, bearing with my ill-humour, and even offering unexpected assistance.  Bless him, he has been an absolute star.  For instance, not having used my oven for over 2 years I gave it a final quick clean out.  RMan volunteered to give the shelves a good scrub - even if it meant that I insisted that he (under protest and very briefly) wear my apron - well, that is wet, dirty work LOL  There is nothing like man-power when it comes to removing baked on dirt - the oven shelves are now so sparkling clean that they look like brand new :)

Now - I just have to tackle all the kitchen and bathroom wall tiles and empty cupboard shelves and cupboard fronts...

Keeping busy

Hmmm - I mean keeping busy once we are on the farm :)

Until then I still have lots of packing to do LOL

But - once we are there, I need to have loads to fill my days - apart from building phase 2 of our home, unpacking the loads of boxes, and re-arranging the furniture and planting trees or tending to the veggie patch.

Obviously I am not going to be mixing lime and cement and laying bricks, nor will I be applying a high lime render.  And I will not be clambering up a half-finished building to assist with the installation of the roof beans or recycled resin roof tiles.  But, I will be helping RMan to paint the walls both inside and out with an eco-friendlier low VOC paint :)

So - I can foresee quite a bit of hurry up and wait time.  And I can't start planting seeds until August, with the majority going into the seed trays / ground in September.

Providing the sun shines, to fill my time I have my solar oven.  If it doesn't, I have my pewter work.  And, thanks to a lesson from DD, I now have a new hobby...

... mosaic-ing.  Perfect!

I came across some numbers which would be perfect for such a beginners project.  And they will provide easy future identification and location of our property.  To try out this new past time, I purchased the tile cutter, relevant numbers and some special mosaic tiles.

The parts required

After deciding on my pattern, I got to work.

Progress shot

A bit of grout, and - Voilà!  We have our property number all ready to be installed on the soon to be purchased farm gate.

Complete, and all ready to place on our
soon-to-be new farm gate

But - that gave me an idea.  We were given a trolley - many, many years ago - as a wedding present.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with the trolley, apart from a broken tray.

Surely this is salvageable

Why could I not join the broken pieces with some mosaics - as long as I don't load that tray too heavily, or remove it from the trolley, it should work perfectly...?

A bit of glue should do the trick...

So - that is what I am going to do.  Why discard a perfectly serviceable item when we can probably still get a good few years use out of it?  And it will function perfectly as a side table on our patio.

The broken tray can go on the lower section :)

Want not, waste not.  After 18-odd years of living in the same home, and completing loads of renovation projects, we have plenty of leftover "spare tiles".  They will be perfect as mosaic tiles.  I'm even considering how to use the glass from RMan's beer bottles...

I have plenty of ideas - and all of them are eco-friendly and involve recycling :)  Bloody marvellous mate :)

As I progress I'll share my finished items with you all - if you'd like to see?

Now - to convince RMan that left over tiles are valuable (to me) and should be schlepped along with us on the move.

"Clutter, clutter, clutter", I can hear him mutter...

Our journey...

Following on my post Make a difference yesterday, and for those who haven't visited my web page, I thought I should share our side of the journey thus far...

Some time in 2007 RMan decided that he'd had enough of the retirement / insurance companies making their huge profits, at his expense, and then paying out peanuts when payment was due.  Their projected income when he took out his policies in the early 1980's, for his retirement in 2018, fell far short of the cost of living increases which we've experienced in the intervening years.  I reckon that is their trick - ensnare individuals to take out a policy which seems to offer incredible incomes on their retirement, with no mention of CoL increases - which reduce that retirement income to a barely liveable amount.  RMan decided that he would withdraw what he was allowed (which under South African law equates to 2/3's of the current value - the other 1/3 has to be re-invested) and with that 2/3's he would purchase a property - our plot :-) 

History has shown that property is the best long term investment - and is not dependent on the R/$ or R/£ or R/¥ exchange rate, like gold, stock market share, etc.

If one purchases a property wisely, maintains it and improves on it, then your investment cannot help but grow.  And, in the case of a recession, such as we've just experienced / are still experiencing, yes, properties will drop slightly in value, but when that recession is done and dusted, property values will leap up again - without the risk involved in gold, shares, etc.

So purchasing a plot for investment purposes was our original intention.

But, then the bug hit - RMan wanted to go to the plot over the weekends in order to escape from city life.  That entailed having to have somewhere to stay - it was pointless increasing the bank balances of the local B+B's as that completely defeated the aim of withdrawing money from his policies!  So we decided to build a small house.  As we could afford it.

But - and that is a big "but" - I saw this as the perfect opportunity of doing it right - of treading more gently on this planet through leaving as small a footprint as possible.  Of making a fresh start in our lives...

And thus my hunt began ... and it started with the question which was the most practical and eco-friendly way to build?  We initially thought of building a sand bag house, but due to the bag on offer at that stage, and due to the wind, which constantly blows, and was blowing away more sand than we could get into our bags, we ditched that idea.

The shower room, constructed with sandbags,
which disintergrated with the wind

My second option was a cob house, as we had stayed in one in Barrydale, and it was amazing - cool in the heat of day, and warm when it was cold outside.  And the atmosphere that pervaded the interior - calm, peaceful and serene.  I loved it - in fact we both did!  However, a cob house takes manpower, and in that we were in short supply.  RMan doesn't like strawbale houses - he is concerned about vermin gaining access to the straw and having a party - for generations to come...

Unfortunately, it therefore had to be a brick build - my proviso was that if I couldn't have a sandbag / cob or strawbale house, then we had to build with local materials.  (And at the time I stamped my foot to emphasise my proviso :-) )

Serendipitously, in our closest town, Swellendam, there were locals who produced clay bricks.  So clay brick it was!  Our brick had a total transport footprint of 25kms.  Our labour we obtained even closer - using the locals from a small village 12 km away.

Thus we were providing employment and income to the locals.  Perfect.  We were giving back as we were taking.

Slowly, slowly choices were made.  We would be off grid in our new home.  I completely covet a wind turbine, and I'm sure that one day we will have one when we are able to afford it.  After all it is a perfect power generator for our windy plot :-)  I am so enamoured with wind turbines that my eyes glaze over every time I see one on the TV :-)

We have installed double glazing (not the norm in South Africa) windows and I found a company which recycles all the car bumpers / computer casings / plastic milk bottles etc. into resin roof tiles.  I also discovered Freecycle, and that membership has provided us with our kitchen counter and burglar bars for all our external doors.

Our cooking and warmth is provided by a wood harvested from alien trees, and cut by Working for Water, and which we burn in our Dover stove, which was also purchased within 45kms of our plot, and our clay floor tiles are again manufactured in Swellendam.  I have to tell you that the warmth (both visually and underfoot)and beauty of natural clay floor tiles is incomparable to what is on offer / what one can purchase at your local hardware store.  Mass production certainly short changes man.

Then I investigated eco-finishes.  I found a manufacturer of low VOC varnish, undercoats and paints in Cape Town, and we transport what we need, when we need it, with us when we go to the plot.  The render we applied to our walls contained a large amount of lime - lime cures by a slow process of carbonation, reacting with atmospheric carbon dioxide over a period of weeks ( www.buildingconservation.com/articles/cement/cement.htm )  Therefore some of the carbon dioxide we have produced whilst we have been building is now being absorbed by the lime render - again a case of taking and giving.  I love it :-)

I have discovered that 12 volts of power is plentiful for our needs and one can still have home comforts such as music (provided by the car radio I bought for RMan) and lighting (12 volt CFL's and LED lights).  There is even a 12 volt TV available which I have my eye on - I have to watch any episode of Grand Designs I can, and RMan needs to watch the Boks beat the Wallabies and the All Blacks. 

Our only problem area is a fridge - and I have sourced a solar powered 12 volt freezer.  I intend to use the freezer to freeze 5lt bottles of water which I will rotate and which will keep a cooler box at the right temperature so that it can be used as a fridge.  No doubt RMan's beers will have to have a stint in the freezer before they can be kept in the "fridge" - wouldn't do if he had to drink warm beers on a hot summers day - or anytime...

The last two items are like the wind turbine - all finances permitting...

And our hot water is provided by the sun in summer, and a gas instant hot geyser in winter.  Plus the grey water from our kitchen and bathroom is being directed to a simple reed bed.

Raised veggie bed in the making...

But the periods between being here in Cape Town and being on the farm are great and I was getting frustrated that my eagerness and new found ingenuity was getting stifled.  There was so much I wanted to do - for instance I was aching to plant vegetables on the farm, so that I wouldn't have to schlep them up with us each time.  But the raised veggie bed needs completing, irrigation taken to it and a shadecloth cover installed over it to keep out the local hares and fallow deer.  So that has to wait.

But, one night, as I was falling asleep, I suddenly had a light bulb moment - a lateral thought.  What was to stop me from doing what I want to do in our "fresh start", right here in Cape Town.  After all, I didn't have to wait for the right moment - the right moment was right now!

Hand knitted dishcloth


So, once again, my investigative powers took over.  There are some seriously wonderful blogs out there, such as  Gillie, Mr H, Mia, milkwoodkirsten, onestraw, Rhonda,and sprig's blogs to mention but a few.  With their assistance I have learnt how to make no knead artisan bread(perfect for my arm), soap, eco-friendly insecticides and household cleaners, essential oils, lip balm, a food dryer, a chicken house, a hot box, a wicking bed, an eco-friendly food dehydrator and knit my own dishcloths out of 100% pure, unwaxed, unbleached cotton, a simple shade cloth tunnel for my vegetable patch, and preserve all sorts of foods, amongst many other things.

And I have started a vegetable patch, or should that be patches, which have all the appearances of providing us with our needs in a couple of months, and which, because I now have the confidence and from which I have already had some reward, I will continue to sow in and reap from.


Shade cloth veggie tunnel




But, the most surprising discovery I have made is that I have enjoyed re-educating myself.  It is the most brilliant on-going journey I have ever embarked upon and one that I highly recommend!

It really is true - one is never too old to learn - all you need, and have to be, is willing.

What we need is to make a concerted effort to inspire and motivate the menfolk in our lives, so that they are willing and eager to join us on our journey ...  trust me though, the eco-friendly journey is a lifelong one - and one whose boundaries are constantly moving as you and I jointly discover, and share, ways to simplify our lives, and the way we live them, and lighten the load we are placing on our planet, without turning back the clock 100 years.

How are you fairing with the man / men / children in your life?  What has been the easiest eco-change to make - and which ones are they resisting most?

Our "footprint" comparison

Our friend, Roy, sent me a text yesterday to tell us that Google Earth has updated the map of our area, so naturally I had to go and have a look.

I'm thrilled, and horrified at the same moment.

Thrilled to see that we're finally on the map, and it's not just a piece of land anymore, but horrified at the chaos we're created.

Admittedly, it will all settle down and the "scar" won't be visible (in a year or so), but if anyone ever wanted to see what their "footprint" can do to the earth's surface, I think this is a perfect example.

For comparison I am showing the image from 2008 that is on my web page together with the latest image from September 2009.  Google Earth literally took the 2009 satellite image the day my husband and son competed the Resin Roof Tile installation.

The new "Voltruis Dam" (Ostrich dam) was entered on our plans as "existing", at the time of drawing them up - apparently it is now illegal to create a dam on your land without planning permission.

To give you an idea of where what is on our plot:

We still don't have any water in our dam - we reckon that we need to possibly dig it deeper.  However, we are going to wait until the rains are finished this season - normally in October / November there is a major downpour - let's see if it will finally remain in the dam...

It is also a pity that none of our trees are visible - guess they're still too small.  Will be interesting to see how they change the image in years to come.

And our grape vines - we need to change the angle at which they're lying - to drain the water away from them and towards the dam.  Grapes don't like permanently wet (clay) feet!

One lives and learns - with many thanks to those more knowledgeable souls who take the time to advise and guide.

And to give you an idea of the distance to our neighbours:

Our neighbour, Roy, is exactly 1.2kms from our gate to his gate along the sand road.  And Tom is approximately 160mtrs.

The "Ghost House", so named by the locals, is +/- 100 years old.  Because it has stood empty, and unloved, for too many years, it is falling to pieces.  The walls are made of cob / earth bricks, and the most recent roof is IBR sheeting, which is rusty and full of holes.  A lovely project - but I reckon one that could empty the purse pretty quickly!  Last year a young couple bought it, and renovated a smaller outbuilding, with a view to staying there whilst they worked on the main house.  However, they have just fallen pregnant with their first baby, and need the money, so they have placed it on the market again.

We are planning on going to the plot for a few days this coming weekend - the hubby wants to get the front porch area in, complete with designated braai (barbecue) area - he's tired of roughing it when he has a braai.  And it's my birthday next week, so I'm going to spoil myself and finally buy myself the Dover Stove from Negosiegat in Barrydale.

Burglar and weather proofing

We managed to slip away to the farm again last weekend - heavenly!  Perfect weather, little wind and enough time to get some all important jobs done.

Firstly, due to the increase in petty break-ins we installed some burglar proofing on the windows.  Very simple system - and I was so busy assisting the main worker that I forgot to take photo's.  Perhaps it was also the fact that I'd forgotten to charge my camera batteries and they ran dry... or that I was so busy cleaning up the dust from the drilling.  I did use the vacuum cleaner hose, strategically positioned, to catch the bulk of the dust whilst RMan was drilling, but some always manages to escape and settle everywhere.

But, the empty batteries forced me to try something that I had been contemplating, and that was to try and charge my camera batteries in my solar light - they both take the same size.  It worked!  So perhaps I don't need to purchase a special solar battery charger for our AA size batteries after all!

But, we also noticed that the kitchen door, which faces south and subsequently never gets the sun, was sticking at the bottom due to damp, so that prompted us to install the back porch roof.  Again I say we, but the main worker did 99% of the work.  And what a good job he did too.  We had extra Resin roof tiles left over from the main roof, and, together with a couple of wooden supports, the job got done.

We still have to get the side walls where the roof meets the walls built up to enclose it totally, but I reckon it's brilliant.  It completely changes the appearance of the back of the house. 

RMan constantly surprises me, even after almost 30 years of marriage, I never knew that he was capable of such handyman feats.

We also made some progress on the raised veggie patch - installing the main support beams.

And we have discovered that apparently a local resident, who is squatting on the land he occupies, has no water connection, so he is helping himself to everyone else's!  Share and share alike - but 13 Kl in a month?!  That is going a little too far - we never used that even whilst we were building.  So we'll have to make a plan.

When we returned to Cape Town I immediately went to check my special lemon tree cuttings - mother hen syndrome I guess.  I had, after all, been away from them for 4 days.  They were doing well - I can even see some tiny leaf shoots growing!  But I thought perhaps I should share my mini-greenhouse system - a perfect way to recycle empty plastic bottles and propagate cuttings simultaneously!

I love it when a plan works.

Resinrooftile goes on

10th September 2009: After hiring a 2 1/2 ton trailer and collecting the Resin Roof Tiles, and scaffolding, RMan and RSon, together with 4 other guys (one a supposed carpenter and the other a "brickie") and braving -2C° INSIDE the caravan when they woke in the morning.

 

It took them 8 days - in driving rain, strong winds and snow on the mountain! Not too shabby for 6 guys who have never heard of hurricane clips nor beam filling, and who have never put a roof on before. The tiles went on easier than the sisalation (which tends to fly about in the wind) but Resin Roof Tiles forgot to give RMan the adhesive weatherproofing strips for the apex of the roof so those will tiles have to come off again so that we can lay that adhesive.

 

When RMan returned from town where he was buying more materials, he found that the "carpenter" had hung the front happy doors inside out, and put the handle on the wrong door. When that installation was queried the carpenter replied that they are correct. After demonstrating to the carpenter how incorrect they were he then re-hung them correctly, and put the handle on the correct door - all of which means that we'll probably have to buy new ones - chipping out the door and frame to hang doors twice doesn't leave a pretty picture - neither does a door handle hole without a handle appeal!

 

We also got the plumber round to install the bathroom basin, and check that the loo was correctly installed - and discovered that plumbers charge R300.00 per tap! Ah, well, guess we do have a working toilet and basin now! And at least the plumber knew what he was doing.