Stairway to ...... upstairs

It took the two of us all of 2 days to build a new staircase start to finish.  Basically, it consisted of 3x 18mm  OSB boards [1.2m x 2.4m] and 2x 18mm spruce plywood boards [1.22m x 2.44m] and cost us all of R1200/ Euro100/ USD130.  We procceeded as follows:

 We had the OSB boards cut by a CNC routing company [CNC Routing Cape Town].  They were given the exact tread and riser dimensions, and their computer controlled routing machine cut the boards in the zig-zag fashion required.

 We then laminated these sections together using glue and screws to form 4 sets of stringers.

These stringers were then bracket fixed to ledger supports at the bottom....

.....and at the top of the stairway.

 The stringers were evenly spaced over the 1m width of the stairway.

And finally we glued and nailed spruce plywood subfloor treads and risers to the stringers to complete the structure and create a base on which to lay the final floor finish.  8 LED footlights were also installed either side of the stairs.  All in all, it is not as difficult as one might think it is to construct a staircase.

SUMMER PROGRESS

Quite a lot of progress has been made over the summer months. Firstly, we completed the drainage system for the pool paving surround. Essentially, we dug a french drain soakaway under what was to become a lawn. It is basically a gravel filled trench with the perforated drainage pipe wrapped in a water permeable membrane. This system allows us to replenish groundwater stocks using water collected from our hard surfaces. We provided an overflow to this system to wash excess stormwater into the neighbouring park, which has a water course. We have since also begun landscaping by planting a few plants and had 130sq.m of roll-on lawn laid to reduce the windblown sand.

Pool paving drainage pipe, with lowered french drain junctions either side

Overflow drainage pipe continues through boundary wall to discharge near neighbouring park's watercourse; perforated french drain pipe visible

French drain branch pipe covered with gravel and rubble

We have just had our builder back to erect the fibre cement cladding. It consists of 7.5mm thick fibre cement planks which are 230mm wide and 3.6m long. They are attached with clout nails every 600mm to the timber battens which were fixed to the exterior walls earlier. Each fibre cement planks overlaps the one below, so the end result resembles 200mm wide shiplapped cladding panels. He also put up the gutters [we just used an off-the-shelf PVC guttering system as the gutters are limited in extent and confined to one side of the house]. And we had our builder make some progress with painting some of the hard to reach parts of the house too, so the exterior of the house is now nearing completion....

Pool side cladding; unclad sections between windows are still to receive natural timber cladding

South side cladding

South side cladding; one of the top floor windows has its trim surround

Pool side; the lower-left interruption in the cladding is where the verandah roof will tie into the building

HARD SURFACE

Last week was paving week.  We selected Alternative Concrete as our paving contractor.  They specialise in exposed aggregate concrete paving.  Essentially, after preparing the ground, a specially formulated premix concrete is poured and levelled.  A retarder is then sprayed on the surface, which prevents the very top layer of cement in the concrete from setting.  The next day the pavers are back and remove the top layer of cement with water and hard brushes.  This exposes the aggregate stone in the concrete.  We selected a grey granite stone to go with the exterior colour scheme.  We used the exposed aggregate paving on the driveway, on the south side of the house, as well as on the patio around the swimming pool.

Compacted subsoil and formwork in place

The concrete has arrived...

Laying the concrete at the swimming pool

Pool patio complete

The new driveway

Yoda dismounts the new south patio

THE MARSHMALLOW HOUSE

Koos and his team from PFC-Sprayfoam were back on site the last couple of days, applying their expanding closed cell spray foam insulation to the exterior of the brickwork. The insulation was sprayed inbetween the timber battens, directly onto the brickwork, to a minimum thickness of 25mm. This means that the walls can now act as an internal thermal mass, isolated from the external extremes of temperature. The house is now effectively watertight, draught proof, and very well insulated. We believe this to be the only house in Cape Town [perhaps in all of South Africa] which is insulated in this way and to this standard. The same sprayfoam insulates the roof, we have 50mm polystyrene insulation below the ground floor slab, and all windows are double glazed. We expect this home to be super comfortable in both hot and cold weather, no more need for air conditioning or heating!

Applying the sprayfoam insulation to the north elevation

The PFC Sprayfoam team at work

The south elevation nears completion

The Marshmallow House

COOL POOL

The pool structure was completed this week. The concrete blocks were plastered with a waterproof plaster mixture, and this was then covered with a white swimming pool marbelite plaster. A 150mm strip of mosaic tiles was mounted at the waterline, and topped with a coping. We started filling the pool at 16h00 on Friday, and it was full by 14h00 on Saturday. The water meter shows that it took 32000 litres to fill. All we need now is for the weather to warm up a bit, and we can take a dip!

Friday 4PM, filling begins

Saturday 2PM, 32000 litres later

FORWARD PLANNING FOR A DIP

With the worst of winter behind us and summer approaching, the time is opportune to begin work on the swimming pool. The pool will have an internal length of 10m, and a width of 2.6m, with steps to one side of easy access and egress. The hole was excavated by hand, and the excess soil distributed over the site. Thereafter, a steel mesh was laid on the pool floor with steel reinforcing bar bent and tied to the mesh to form a ring of risers at 200mm centres. A 200mm thick concrete slab was poured over the mesh, and once set, construction of the pool walls began. The walls were built of 190mm wide concrete blocks, which were threaded over the steel reinforcing risers. Once the walls were built, concrete was poured into to the concrete block cavities to tie the entire structure together. All concrete and mortar mixes had a liquid waterproofing compound added to ensure that the structure is watertight. 

The big hole, soon to be the swimming pool

Pool walls built

The built in braai/BBQ structure has also been built. First the foundation walls for the structure and the Pool Pavilion room were built. The infill under the slab was compacted, and a damp proof membrane laid over. This was topped by 40mm rigid foam insulation, and a 100mm concrete ground floor slab. The braai/BBQ structure was then built up, and topped with a cylindrical fibre cement flue. We are currently awaiting the delivery of the cowl to top the flue.

Insulation goes down before the slab pour

The braai/BBQ structure topped with the cylindrical flue

STEPPING UP A GEAR

A lot has been going on lately at the site. Firstly, we've made a start on tiling one of the upstairs bathrooms. We started by 18mm putting ply sheets in between and level with the tops of the floor joists, and covered this with a layer of 12mm fibre cement board. We put a cement screed to fall over this on the shower floor, and built the rest of the bathroom floor up with 18mm plyboard and another layer of 12mm fire cement board. 12mm fibre cement boards were also fixed to the timber stud bathroom walls. The entire floor, as well as the shower walls were then tanked using a bituminous product called Tilesafe, which is applied using a neoprene primer. Glass mosaic tiles were then laid on the floor, and we've made a start on the granite tiles affixed to the walls. All tiles were fixed using Tal Marbleflex, a flexible waterproof tile adhesive.

Ply inbetween the joists...

...covered with 12mm fibre cement board [note the shower drain]

Granite over Tilesafe on the walls, glass mosaic on the floor

RELIEF: Modern conveniences arrive on site

 Out front we also started on the gate structures. These consist of a galvanised steel structure, clad on the outside with vertical wood decking planks. The galvanised steel structure was manufactured and installed by a gate specialist. It consists of a pedestrian gate and fixed fence to one side, and a sliding vehicular gate to the other side. We have since started rivet fixing the decking planks to the steel gate structure. The decking planks are machined from locally grown radiata pine, and pressure treated with a CCA preservative. The pine is FSC certified, and we have gone to great lengths to avoid using any tropical hardwoods in this house. We oiled the planks with two coats of a “teak” coloured preserving oil to provide additional protection, and to improve the colour of the treated pine.

Front gates on a misty morning

Gate close-up

Oops, how did that get in here?  Sparky and Rusty, two new family additions

We are currently making use of our builder Derek on site again. His has fixed pine battens [38x38mm] at 600mm centres to the north and south walls of the house, to enable the shiplap cladding planks to go up. Derek's team also put up one of the main architectural features of the house, the pre-coloured alu-zinc flashings around the upstairs windows on the north side of the house. I am sure you'll agree that it totally transforms the appearance of the house.

North side, with cladding battens and window surround

South side with cladding battens up

The shiplap cladding planks lie in wait

Derek and his team are currently busy laying foundation for the Pool Pavillion on the north side of the house. This will provide a third reception area in the house, and will eventually house a built in braai/BBQ with a strong focus on the swimming pool.

Pool Pavillion foundation trenches

And last but certainly not least, we are very lucky and grateful to have had the assistance of Joe and Margaret who are visiting all the way from Ireland. Many thanks indeed! We could never have done this much in as little time without your invaluable help!