Site Meeting 30th July 2012

H1983 Waterford Lodge

Notes of Site Meeting No.1
Monday 30 July 2012 at 2.30pm

Present: Mr Gavin Howell ` - Client Cl
Mr Brian Livesey - JG Matthews JGM
Mr Martin Frost - JG Matthews JGM
Mr Simon Cove - Kirby Cove Architects KCA
Mr Lee Jenkins - Kirby Cove Architects KCA

Previous Minutes

Minutes to Pre-Contract Mtg, 3 July 2012 were taken as read and accepted as an accurate record.

Matters Arising

A pre-meeting inspection confirmed
- s/w drainage to follow building perimeter rather than pass beneath slab
- ventilated floor void to drain via pipe sleeve through cavity wall construction

Contract

KCA to prepare JCT Minor Works Contract for signature. KCA
KCA confirmed receipt of JGM insurance documents and Cl confirmed having informed their
mortgage/house insurance providers of the works.
Materials/Construction
JGM are to propose a roof tile sample for KCA/EHDC consideration. JGM
A facing b/w panel is to be erected at the earliest opportunity for KCA/EHDC consideration (in the
main to accept mortar joint – b/w already approved). JGM
It was agreed that facing brickwork (Butterfield Imperial) is to extend down to ground level, all sides of
extension. The red engineering brickwork is below ground only (out of sight). JGM

Contractors Report & Programme

Mtgs held since last mtg:
JGM/KCA/Brick Supplier – Chimney Brickwork
Agreed glued ‘unseen’ brick types may vary.
JGM/KCA - Windows
Window/Stone surround details appraised
JGM reported to be approximately 1½ wks behind programme, caused by groundworker delays and
an unexpectedly thick, 10 inch conservatory slab to be broken up. JGM confirmed that no additional
costs arose out delays experienced to date.
Drainage was reported at 70% completion.
Beam & Block ground floor to commence 2nd wk to mid Aug (any subcontractor layouts/sketches to
be copied to KCA for comment).
KCA urged JGM to make up for lost time.
The Building Inspector had visited site and approved footings construction.
Cl confirmed new fireplace would house a multi-fuel stove – similar to existing.
Cl confirmed that a skip could be placed to the gate side of the garden.
JGM confirmed window ordered and deposit paid.
JGM valuation no.1 to be issued shortly (monthly in arrears)
Requests for Information
Window dimensions information has been issued by KCA.
KCA are to issue ‘feature end’ stone setting out by w/e 3.8.12. KCA
Cl are to advise preferred internal floor finish stone type (to ‘feature end’) such that FFL screed/slab
may be determined (Cl confirmed floors typically to be laminated timber). Cl
Cl confirmed that one window to each pair of two (feature end), is to be opening (reply to KCA e mail)
– btm hinged, opening inwards to top. KCA

Health and Safety

KCA are to issue their project risk assessments to JGM. KCA

Any Other Business

Nil

Date of Next Meeting

Site Meeting No.2, Friday 24th August at 10.00
Distribution
Those present plus Rose Associates (David Rose) – all by e mail
S Cove
30 July 2012

EOD 30.7.2012 

Hopefully this pile of bricks will be gone tomorrow!

Back from holiday and first brick being laid

Well we returned from a wonderful holiday with Mum, Dad and Jo and the good news is that the UK had fabulous weather while we were away and the footings are complete!

The bad news is that we have a new bill from East Herts District Council for £550.64 for their cursory inspection of the aforementioned footings - looks like everyone is getting in on the act.

Today is Day 1 of my Olympic exile at Waterford Lodge as I eschew the offices of Mark Square, London for the dining room home office for the next fortnight.  The sun is shining and the first few bricks are being laid and the office VPN is bearing up well under the strain.....

Today is also the date of site meeting #1 where the subject of red engineering bricks will be brought up.  The red engineering bricks are cheaper and less attractive which is fine, so long as they are below Damp Proof Course (DPC) but I'm now a little worried that some will be visible.  First opportunity to get hit for variation costs...we'll see.

Diverted drainage

Stepped footings

Sorry looking rear view

Don't step out of the back door!

The first (red engineering) bricks

The first row of bricks

Onwards and upwards...

Footings...making good progress

8.30am and the neighbours were roused with the sweet sound of the pneumatic drill....sorry folks.

By 9.45 the hole is getting much bigger, although it's still dry the clouds are looking a bit ominous.  I'm a bit worried about the oil line as it's under the concrete that they're knocking out at the moment, they assure me that they're being careful so fingers crossed!

OMG lumps of debris are falling though the previously enclosed window in the basement.

And it's raining...and a man with a very big truck has turned up to take the big pile of rubble away

Getting rid of the old rubble to make room for the new mess

Reinforcements have now arrived in the form of a much bigger digger. The hole is now getting pretty deep in some parts revealing a thick seam of chalk (which I'm now walking around the house leaving chalky spots everywhere).

Bigger digger

Nice clean chalk

Our new chalk mine!

He doesn't want to tip the digger over now!

As the hole gets deeper all kinds of nasties start appearing pipes, hidden manhole covers and drains. Fortunately I think the oil and gas lines are still intact.  The guy with the pneumatic drill is still battling with the old conservatory footings, it's the toughest bit of concrete he's had to deal with for a while - apparently concrete gets harder as it gets older, if only that were the same for everything!

Deep hole with chalk seam

Smelly stuff in here - don't break me!

Double diggers

Deep chalky hole

One for Tom, one for Wills

Second manhole discovered under a foot of foundations, Concrete still stands resolute top left corner

Digging the footings

Well my suspicions were correct, aside from marking out where the hole was going to go nothing has really happened since last Wednesday when the conservatory came down.

The rain has continued to pour down...until today!


4 groundworkers turned up this morning with a digger, pneumatic drills and big hammers and they are well and truly getting stuck in!

The weather forecast is OK for the next 48hrs so they were on a mission.

However the old conservatory was still putting in a valiant defence, the old foundations took some whacking, hammering and digging before they finally started giving in.

The old retaining wall at the back has also gone  although that didn't put up much of a fight.

Digger 3-0 Wall

Big hole will be to the left of the white line

The foundations giving in with some encouragement

Big pile of rubble

Goodbye old Victorian retaining wall

End of the day and Tom and Wills have a new Tonka toy

Overall the day has shown me just how long stuff takes, 4 guys a lot of equipment and one hell of a lot of noise

Goodbye conservatory - work commences

4pm July 11th - Dead Conservatory

Finally the day has arrived and the conservatory has finally bitten the dust!


The old bugger took some taking down though - far more than I'd expected. I had envisaged a Jeremy Clarkson-like bash it a couple of times with a big hammer and watch it fall to pieces but these 1980's wooden affairs are build of sturdier stuff.

3 guys fought with it from 10:30am to 3:30pm with out a break (I even offered them teas) - oh, and did I mention that it pissed down with rain very hard from about 5mins after they started until just now. Now they've gone we've got blue sky, sunshine and I can hear birds singing.

Martin, our supervisor will come back to "mark out" the area where the groundworkers need to dig tomorrow, plus hopefully they will clear the remnants of the conservatory away.

Forgot to mention the executive "pissoir" arrived today too. The kids will have hours of fun with that!

New 2nd bathroom for Waterford Lodge

I have a sneaky suspicion that today will be a bit of a false start as tomorrow's weather is due to be better and I know the groundworkers have a backlog of "pouring" [concrete] to catch up with due to all the bad weather - so I guess we'll see.