More balcony progress

Today I am tired again but slightly more positive as there have been some movements on the job front. Nothing firm, yet, but interest is far to be preferred than silence. It's also been a day of progress on the building front.

Heavily overcast start to the day

Bacon and Eggs always helps

Bekir calculating the column heights

This is where the columns will go

Sally makes a start drilling

First thing this morning was really miserable and grey with very low cloud and very nasty. The men were quite late again, so I was cooking breakfast when they arrived; lovely bacon and eggs and very much appreciated however. While they were a little delayed arriving they got stuck in well and after finishing drilling the second hole through for the return beam they got started on measuring and drilling for the four final columns coming up from the floor.

The day turned lovely suddenly

Preparing to fill the hole

Hole filled

Sally drilling a new hole

Sharing baby sitting duties

An ooops moment if ever I saw one

The first two holes were over the garage and at least one went right through into the room below however it was quickly filled with cement and secure to prevent rain water rushing through if (when) it rained. While Bekir was working on that Sally got stuck in to the next two holes, over in front of the lounge, and found the going very hard indeed. It took a long time to get through here and they struggled to locate the reinforcing metal in the concrete. It was just about lunch time and I was just coming down to lunch when suddenly they broke through, into the corridor beneath! When I showed Bekir just how close to the light they had been he laughed. Gotta love 'em.

Cutting more steel

All lifted up

First return beam in place

Test fitting a column

Sally welding

Bekir welding the second column

It didn't take long to get that hole filled and now we've a small replastering job to do. They didn't go through i the bathroom, thankfully, and now that they were waiting for cement to go off they set to the steel work, cutting and welding all the lengths needed to finish both these return beams. By the end of the day the first one, by the bedroom side, was in place and at least the starting weld put in for each column. It's looking good and the space we'll have is incredible, as is the height of the walls so the views are still amazing.

Rosie loves her new bib top

I'll leave you with this lovely picture of Rosie wearing an awesome top that Grandma bought her and shipped across which arrived today. Rosie has been on top form of late, though just now getting her to sleep was a challenge, and gifts like these from my mum are just lovely to receive.

Thanks for reading,