Have we made progress?

As reported by Sheila, we have had more than three months of nothing being done on the site. This week some activity returned, as evident by the erection of scaffolding.

What can't be seen is that they have taken the step that has delayed things for so long, that is, breaking into the roof line of the original structure to facilitate the connection of the new to the old as well as the enlargement of three windows in the kitchen / dining area.
What has also been completed is the demolition of the section of the side wall that creates the gap through from the new living room in the extension to the dining / kitchen area. Two more sections of wall have been demolished to create access from the kitchen to the pantry and utility room and to allow access to the dining area from the top of the re-sited staircase.

Three months ago the main contractor was adamant that doing this would cause serious problems with the original roof structure. It didn't.

Let's hope the resumption of work continues to next week.

Meanwhile...

If only I was a shepherd...

An update from Sheila

Time either passes very slowly or very quickly here in West Kerry. It also takes a long time to make things happens and for us that meant no work on site for 11 weeks which is both annoying and frustrating. 

And here it happens so easily. 

Week 1 Architect/Project Manager to our builder.  

The builder is given the instructions and drawings to knock into the roof on the old house in order to raise up the height of the windows. 

Week 2 Builder to Architect/Project Manager 

Builder is not happy carrying out the work as instructed as he believes the roof will collapse due to the condition of the rafters.  

Week 3 

We engage a structural engineer. The report when it finally arrives confirms that the roof is in good enough condition for the work to be carried out as per the drawings. The builder then produces a quote for this unexpected work which is way beyond what we were expecting. 

Week 4 

The builder proposes a new roof which would enable us to raise the roof level by one concrete block. This all sounds appealing to us and we ask for a quote. 

Week 5 

Quote for roof comes back and is in the opinion of our architect unacceptably high. 

Week 6  

The quote for the new roof is sanity checked by our quantity surveyor who agrees that it is way over the top. The builder is told to go back to the original instructions but is still concerned. 

Week 7 

Builder engages his own structural engineer 

Week 8 

Builders structural engineers confirms what our structural engineer said which is reassuring. A formal quote for this work is requested. 

Week 9 

Formal quote is received, and it is way beyond our expectations. Our QS reviews it and agrees. The builder is told to revise it and we await a new quote. 

Week 10  

A new quote is received. We meet with our architect/project manager and agree the strategy.  

Week 11 

Agreement is received in principle and work should recommence this week. Only now the scaffolder has gone on holidays and new company is needed!  

And that’s how weeks can pass by in West Kerry without any building work going on. 

The question now is will we be in the house for Christmas. When I say that I mean Christmas 2019... and if we are in can we cook a turkey. A turkey other than the builder 😊  Time will tell but at least work should restart fairly soon. 

April 17th report

This might be best read by clicking through the link to the blog itself.

After horrendous wind and rain on Monday, it looks like there will be no work on site this week. This snap, from the road, shows the house at a key stage.

The next step for the extension is to get the roof on. For the original structure, the next step is to break into the roof line to extend the first floor window apertures to their full size. This is the bit that the builder has been hesitant to do and we had to get a structural engineer in to certify that it was safe to do it.
The snap below is a view of the first floor of the original structure. On the right you can see the windows that need to be enlarged into the line of the roof.

The aperture on the left will be made into a doorway that will lead in to the new rear extension, in to a space we will use as a pantry and then on in to a utility / plant room. From this point of view, I am standing where we intend to put the dining table and the kitchen will be (largely) on the back wall.  For the snap below I now have my back to that back wall and looking to where I was standing for the snap above.
Now, on the left are the windows to be enlarged into the roof line. The aperture on the right will be expanded and this is, approximately, where the stairs will rise from the ground floor.

By the side of the blue sheeting you can see the start of demolishing part of the wall to create the connection between the old and the new - the way to the new living room.

A glimpse through the part demolished wall into the living room in prospect.

One final snap for this message. I am not sure why we did not realise this before, as it has been part of the plan from the start, but we have an unanticipated view.

This is the window in the back of the new living room, we didn't think through that we would have a view as good as this.  I think that this was partly because, in our mind's eye, the window was going to be higher up the wall and be more like a letterbox. As it is, we are delighted - hope the neighbours are as well.

Progress after ten days away

I wish I wasn't posting this on April 1st!

First glimpse on the first floor of what will be our living room

The shape of the big window that overlooks Smerwick Harbour is emerging. Exactly what we hoped for. If only the wind would drop and it stops blowing over newly laid blocks. Sigh

A better lit view of the front

The original front door will be a window in the main bedroom. We are making the window to be  the approximate size and shape of the door. The idea is that we will have a facade that echoes the original symmetry of the front of house. 

And now the first floor walls start to rise

At first sight there does not seem to be that much progress in the two weeks we have been in Dublin - but then the weather has been a tad difficult.

The view road across the road - it was a very grey day. The big window in the living room is starting to come clear

The view from the side - which will be the new front of the house. The aperture on the left on the ground floor  will be the entrance door

The steel that will form the apex of the big window is now on site

The stud-work frames that form the downstairs rooms is now complete and the joists have all been boarded with (what looks like) OSB. There is supposed to be a site meeting later today so I might get a chance to get on to the first floor but we have 30mph winds just now, so perhaps not.

Stud work appears on the ground floor

Major Steel Fabricator in Dingle

Sheila writes a follow up to the last post...
We were told by Sean, the possible staircase manufacture, at least in wood, that if we were considering a steel/iron staircase or a steel/iron balustrade, we should talk to Tommy Lennon in Dingle.
"Grand" says us, "where can we find him?" "Go up the road up to the Conor Pass, turn left at Creans and go right to the top and it’s up there."
Off we head, up past The Dingle Brewery, brewers of Creans Irish Lager, past some of the new estates now surrounding Dingle town, until the road literally runs out.  Well when I say the road runs out, technically it doesn’t, it becomes a farm track.
OK, so we clearly missed it we decide, as we drive slowly back down the road until we are nearly back at the brewery. Um, OK let's go more slowly and considering more options which means that it doesn’t take us long before we are turning into a farmyard which might just be a steel fabricator.
There’s no one about and we decide that this is not the right place. Off up the road we go again, and we park up where the official road ends. Himself says "oh let's go up the farm track and see what's up there". He can say that cos he is navigating, and I am driving.
Up the single dirt track, past a derelict farmhouse and fields. As the hedges become lower over on our left I spot what looks like a very large farmhouse and outbuildings. The road turns left and voilá we think this is our destination. What’s also amazing is that up close, it is a very large and incredibly well-maintained steel fabricators with a four-story office building. Well when we say four story, what makes up the four floors are 40ft cargo containers piled on top of each other.

And there we meet Tommy Lennon, or TOL Engineering as the business is called. He hands us over to Padriag who confirms that they can help you, and we go up to the office and meet the team.

The office is fitted out with high tech equipment, high spec PC’s with the latest technology and we look at each other and say this is a serious operation. We are taken through what they could do for us and then they say to us had we considered a steel staircase... because I have previous experience in an engineering company that made steel staircases. Himself says "Would that be O’Carrolls by any chance?" and Padraig smiles, as do his colleagues and confirms that it was. Peter replies by saying we’d been to O’Carrolls and the quote we got is way out of the ball park and that’s why we’ve begun another search!

The long and the short of it is that we’ve left our drawing with TOL Engineering in Dingle and asked them for a quote on a stairs. Time will tell what happens next.

The Day We Discovered a Staircase Manufacturer in Ballyferriter

Sheila writes...
We thought we knew most, if not every, building in the village. After all there are only just over 70
buildings, so how hard can it be to work out what’s what.
Then last week over a casual conversation in the village shop we discovered that there was a person
in the village who makes staircases.
How did we miss that we wondered?
What happened?
Last week himself potters out, as is his want, to buy the morning paper and then on up to "the site" to
find out what’s going on.
In the shop there’s the regular chat as Nikki asks how the build is going? It makes for a good
conversation because most people in the village are up to date with the works. It should really be
the other way round as we get updates from them as to what is happening on site.
Anyway back to the conversation last week. Yer Man says "oh fine".
The conversation moves on to the renovation of the upstairs of the shop, which Colm, Nikki’s husband, is carrying out. She says that theirs is going okish… "Sure why not come up and see what Colm is doing with our build."
Being a friendly chap, and a man who wants to feel part of the village, he says yes. I know readers, he is an amicable guy, and so up the stairs he goes.

Nikki and Colm have done an amazing job on the renovation of upstairs, according to the "Ballyferriter Dermot Bannon", the renovation is on course to be a super home for them. A conversation then takes place in which we discover the staircase manufacturer...
Himself “Oh who did your stairs”?
Nikki “Sean in the village”
Himself “eh Sean? Where is he? Because we need a stair building”?
Nikki says “oh he is over the other side. Head down the road towards the golf club and before you
get there take right. (surprisingly we know which road she means) Then go along a little bit past a
clump of trees and behind those there’ll be a workshop. Sure, isn’t he home before you know and saying to me, guess what there’s a place in the village that could make our stairs!

Off we head in search of the Ballyferriter Staircase Manufacturer. Down the road to the golf club,
turn right and find the clump of trees. We turn into the yard and we know it is sort of occupied
because there is a guy sitting in a white van by the front. He sees us and nods, as he eats his
sandwich – lunch we think.
We pull up and I walk over and say “we’ve heard that you make staircases, is that true”? Oh yes say
he, hang on a minute and I’ll call Sean. He calls Sean and tells us the main man will be here in five
minutes. We hop back into the car, no cushy waiting room here and within 5 minutes a larger white
van comes screeching into the yard as if the gardaí are chasing him.
"Sure come in" says he and into a very large workshop with all the manufacturing equipment you would need to build a staircase. And to confirm this view there is a beautiful wooden staircase in the middle of the floor.

"Oh that’s mine" says he, "I’ve been working on that for seven years so I might get around to finishing it soon."

We have a very fruitful discussion with Sean. Turns out Sean will make anything as long as it is in
wood and he specialises in stairs. We mention to him that we are considering a iron or steel balustrade depicting a local or Celtic symbol but are unsure where’d we go for that.
"Oh" says knows and tells us about the steel works at the other side of Dingle.  Another possible gem of local knowledge more on this later.
We find out, again, through a chance conversation with locals that we don’t need to travel afar for
what we need.

And this is the entrance hall in development, at the end of which the staircase will rise.