TIME AND TIDE

While we are trying, and so far not very successfully, to come to terms with the devastating loss of Tigger, life goes on inexorably. So our excitement at the rapid progress on site has been somewhat muted, and greatly overshadowed by this departure of a close friend.

Overview of progress thus far

This week, the builders have been on site Monday to Wednesday. Friday was a public holiday, and as things go this time of the year, Thursday was taken off for good measure. Progress during these three days has been rapid. The rear boundary wall has been completed up to its 2m permitted height. A storage shed was delivered to site to keep tools and materials safe, now that building has begun in earnest. And the builders have completed the foundation walls of the house, ready to start compaction of the fill in advance of pouring the ground floor slab.

Completed rear boundary wall, 2m high

View towards the street

In addition, on Thursday we received a delivery of 93sq.m of 40mm thick sheets of polystyrene insulation. The polystyrene was supplied by a company called Isolite, which manufactures the sheets in their factory in Philippi, Cape Town. The sheets measure 2.5m X 1.2m. On Saturday we cut a few of the sheets to size, in order to fill in the gaps left over when the full size sheets are laid in position. This is our first major departure from standard house construction in South Africa, where it is unheard of to insulate one's ground floor slab. This 40mm layer of insulation will be placed over the damp proof membrane, and directly under the concrete slab of the house [we are omitting insulation in the Garage]. It should make the tiled ground floor comfortable to walk on barefoot in the depths of the Cape winter, without resorting to under tile heating. This should lower the electricity demand as a result, and make for a more comfortable internal environment.

Cavity wall construction at end walls [brickwork to be exposed]

Solid wall construction at long walls [to receive rainscreen cladding]