THE END.....OF THE BRICKWORK

The brickwork is finally done! The final profile shape of the house is now clear, and is pretty much as expected. It does not overpower the surroundings, but it certainly has presence. All that remains is for the builder to build the roof rafters into the brick walls either side.

Internal cross wall to finished height

Finished height of the gable overlooking park at rear of site

View from West corner

The roof timbers were delivered to site today. They were supplied by Okavango Trusses, who also provided the necessary structural design for the roof. The main part of the roof structure is the 228x76mm rafters, in SABS Grade 5 treated structural pine. Each of the 20 rafters is 6.3m long. Their ends will be wrapped in damp proof plastic sheeting, and built into the tops of the brick walls. Although the pine will be hidden behind ceiling boards, it has a beautiful grain and is quite knot free. A very underrated timber.

Pine is much maligned in South Africa, due to its thirsty habits [this is a dry country after all]. Although it may be true that pine plantations do rob river courses of much rainfall run off, I think people tend to ignore the real point of building with wood. Not only is it carbon neutral and completely renewable. I am certain that a home built of plantation pine uses far less water in the production of its structure than an equivalent concrete or brick home, due to the energy and mining intensive nature of cement and brick production.

The roof timbers lie in wait

Nice grain

This past weekend we also dug a trench from the house to the electricity distribution box on the street. In it we buried 20m of SWA [steel wire armoured] cable, to enable Eskom [the local electric utility] to hook us up to the grid with a temporary connection for building work.

Electric cable follows side of house....

...then runs diagonally towards the street...

...and under the boundary wall foundation to the electricity box.

So this week the roof structure should be up, and then all that remains of the builder's contract is the screeding of the ground floor slab, and chasing three ducts on the outside of the brick walls for bathroom soil pipes. Hope he gets it all done by Friday!