Blog
On this page you will be informed, week by week, with our progress as
we build our new house and farm beside Clonmellon. Please join us
through our adventure. You will hear the good and the bad, we will tell
you it all.
© IrelandHorese.com
January febury 2003
Day 15 and 16 Friday 24th January (picture below) The foundation block work finished for the
house, ready for the cement foundation after the week end. More loads of hardcore and
materials arrived.long things take to happen.
Day 17 I should probably not consider a Saturday 'a something happening' day, as not that many
people work on a week end. It's just us 'horsey' people that usually do.
Day 18 Monday, Michael Rock was here again cleaning up the barn area after lorries had made a
wet mess, and generally tidying it up before the hardcore was to be put down. Which Michael
then started to do. The track came off the digger, but with Michaels determination, it was back on
in no time. Richard thought our tractor had been stolen but we had moved it to get another bucket
for the digger only to get that stuck too. It had rained a lot but to my surprise all men arrived and
proceeded working.
Day 19 Last night was a real wet night and even though it all looked very wet, everything
continued on !. Lots of hardcore arrived which was continually spread, for the shed and the road
leading around it, so that the equipment and everybody working here could get on site. The
house had the pipes laid, needed for the radon barrier, which is now compulsory in building
regulations. The hardcore was laid for the house, all ready for the radon membrane and the
ground insulation that goes in first, that arrived too. As I got home tonight, I could see that our
'rather overlong' avenue was becoming a bit treacherous for normal cars (we unfortunately don't
have a jeep) after all the heavy lorries that were driving up. We will have to do something about
that.
Day 20 Today the house floor was leveled with screed and the membrane, radon barrier was put
down, followed by the sheets of polystyrene insulation, which then had metal reinforcing mesh
put on top. (picture below)
Day 21 and 22 SKServices from the North came and laid the under floor heating pipes. These
pipes were attached to the reinforcing mesh in great detail and each time loop back to the
manifold. I have to say I have my reservations about doing it this way because we will be heating
a slab of 6" instead of 3" and I am not sure of the pros and cons of doing this. The amount of
piping per room is calculated beforehand by computer and the length of pipe in each loop must
not exceed 100 meters to ensure that the heat pump can run efficiently. It was a detailed job and
took the two days to do. (Pictured below) After the week end, the raft of concrete will be poured
and the mesh will be lifted so that the pipes will be approximately 2" from the surface.
Day 20 and 21 3-4th February Complete halt due to the weather. The next stage is to pour the
slab but we can't do that if it freezes. I chose to order the stable fronts from Buitenhuis, which I
did last week and they were to contact me yesterday, hopefully today to finalize the exact
measurements. We are building the dividing stable walls ourselves therefore we have to have all
the measurements exact so that they fit in properly. One of the features we like in these stables
is the hay rack design. I will show you with a photo when they arrive. We are having a Monarch
horse walker but have to decide whether we go for a 36' or 45' (45 we will go for) size. With a 5'
or 6'6" track, one needs more rubber floor while the wider means we can allow turning but will
make the track a smaller diameter, as horses always hug the inside track. Whether we go for a
special electronic control unit for approximately €1000 more which can regulate speed and does
an auto reverse. It is that €1000 that could go to roofing the walker in the future, so I can't
decide!...five hours later.....talked with Trevor Holiday and agreed on the whole lot - 45', wider
track, pushers, stoppers, electronic unit, auto reverse, fence and rubber up 4' inside and out. I
can see that it will be many years before we have a roof on it!
Day 22 and 23 5th and 6th February. On the 5th Brendan came and lifted the heating pipes with
the mesh to about 3" above the insulation, ready for the pour, and put in the waste pipes for the
various outlets. Nothing happened on the 6th, we just have to wait. I called in to Peter Conaty of
Conaty's Steel Fabrications Ltd, to give all the detailed measurements for the barn roof, as it will
take at least three weeks to get it ready. Giving the measurements now should mean that, when
the stable walls are done, the roof can start straight away, speeding things up. Our first foal is due
on the 11th March. Will we have a stable for them then? One of the good things of this building
method is that any fixings, bolts etc can be placed in the wall when the concrete is being poured
and it should all happen very quickly. I also organized Garath Wilson of Stable Comfort to have a
meeting with Brendan here on site, to make sure that the floor level and slopes suit the mats we
are having installed in all of the18 stables. (A great luxury, but a cost effective one we think). We
are also having two stables on both sides of the passage divided by a swinging partition, so that
two 12'x12' boxes can become one 12'x24' for a great foaling or foal rearing box. Here the mat
can cover the whole width. Next I have to source water drinkers.
Day 23 Friday, the whole 6"deep floor, called a 'ground bearing slab', was poured, leveled and
smoothed. One half load was a little late arriving so a little corner didn't have the chance of a
smoothing off. You have to wait a few hours before this can be done, but it didn't look any
different to me. This is now the finished floor.
Day 24 Monday, nothing happened
Day 25 11th February, A change of plan due to the fact that the delivery of materials will arrive in
a 40ft lorry and wont get up here. It is decided to start getting the stable pad ready. Micheal Rock
is here leveling the arriving loads of gravel with the lads. Rock is also having to move the bank at
the far end of where the arena goes, back another seven meters, as we had not allowed enough
for parking between the house and the start of the arena. He is then leveling a place for the
walker. Then a list of things which never seem to end! all which we need Rock to do. I ordered
eighteen drinkers from Alfco in Trim at €27.00 each. They are the blue plastic ones with a bung in
the bottom made by JFC. I felt that the drinker with the 'nose push' system would not be ok for
new horses incase they didn't drink on their stay here.
Day 26 Rock is still working leveling the stable pad. Brendan arrived later and the damp course
and reinforcing mesh was put down. The weather is beautiful.
Day 27 Materials arrived first thing. The polystyrene first floor and metal frames, difficult to unload
at the road entrance and it still has to be brought up on site.
Day 28 Friday, Michael was levelling the area for the walker and hay shed as well as trying to
place unwanted clay, by incorporating it in the bank, lots of shoving stuff around. Brendan came
and propped up the mesh ready for pour but the forecast is for more frost so nothing can be done
until after the week end. We just have to wait and wait. Gareth Wilson of Stable Comfort called in
to meet Brendan and discuss how the mats could be best fitted. The necessary levelling of the
floor evenly to one corner was fine, whereas a centre drain would have caused the mats to
wrinkle.
Day 29 Monday 17th. Everything was going to happen but couldn't, frost and the polystyrene
walls are not coming till tomorrow, but the start of the steel frame that fixes to the foundation was
started, Steel channels on the inner and outer part of the outside walls were fixed with nails on a
damp course, while Micheal was making headway with the walker area and the back parking
area.
Day 30 All go. The front two corner walls were put up today. Hardcore, loads of the stuff, had to
come to do the parking area at the back, this will give us another way to come in and a great
place for the lorries to park in the stud season. The bank was finished along the side of the arena.
The middle passage of the stable barn was completed (see picture). The first load was too wet,
so quick action had to taken to contain the concrete as it poured out everywhere. The next loads
were fine. The window guy came and checked the plans again. The architect inspected the build
again, necessary for the mortgage. These three pictures taken on day 30
Click here to continue Or click here to return to main page.