Author: Max Heron

The last 2 weeks has been taken up with backfilling around the basement walls.  This ostensibly simple task has been made more tricky due to the slope of the site and the difficulty is getting behind the backwalls. The initial solution was to use a set of conveyors to transport stone from the front to […]

The past 2 weeks has been focussed on drains and backfilling.  David and Martin of  Insul Hub have been with us all this week operating the machinery.  Getting to the back of the house is tricky due to the sloping ground and the size of the hole that we had to excavate for safety reasons.  […]

This week, the focus has changed to waterproofing the basement walls and structure.  The waterproofing for the basement was designed by David from Structural Waterproofing Design Consultants.  Basement waterproofing involves having to install at least 2 systems to ensure that water cannot access the outside of the structure of the building or, if it does, it […]

The basement walls were poured successfully today. The Insul Hub team, led today by their concrete specialist Dave and ably supported by the team of Dan, Harrald and David had a long day on site.  Arriving at 0730 hrs this morning to get the final details in place and inspect all the joints prior to […]

The team from Insul Hub (Dan, Harrald and David) have made great progress over the past week and we are now on the eve of pouring the concrete for the basement walls. We will be pouring 11 courses (2.75m high); corners are reinforced; everything is ready to go.  

Dan, Harrald and David have constructed the first window frame structural opening for the basement window. Insul Hub construct boxes to form the structural openings and the blocks are then laid up to the boxes.  There are no separate concrete lintels with this system; the lintels are formed in situ using special Isotex blocks which […]

It has been a frustrating few weeks!  Just when we thought that we were up and running again after our local difficulties, the key HB20 (200mm wide) blocks that we needed to complete the basement were stuck in transit from Italy.  So after one week on site, the team had to go to other sites […]

After a 3 week pause, we are now finally moving forward again.  Dan and Harald of Insul Hub have been on site this week and have already laid 6 courses of blocks for the basement.  The first window on the front is taking shape and the internal walls for the garage and basement will be […]

The first delivery of Isotex blocks has arrived direct from the factory in northern Italy.  This comprises all of the blocks required for the basement and the first of the blocks for the ground floor. All the Isotex blocks are 500mm long and 250mm high: “Lego for Adults” as Insul Hub calls them!  However, they […]

Building Control paid their first visit to the site on 25 May and confirmed that everything was up to standard and ready to pour the ground floor slab.  We have used Build Store at the NSBRC or all of our site insurances, building warranties and building control inspections.  This puts all of the key activities […]