Better Ventilation

Another week done, and we enter the weekend and tonight I have a whisky night with some UK friends so I'm going to power through this update before I go have some fun.

Low clouds in the late evening

Sun behind clouds

Working in the roof space, welding reinforcement

Red hot weld

Bekir securing the other beam

Bekir fixes some more securing screws in place

Last night I caught an awesome shot of the sky late in the evening on the back bank; the weather was really glowering and it did rain again. This morning we were treated to a cloudy start but the sun did try to come through. I was busy with hobby stuff as I had forgotten about my whisky night and the men arrived while we were having breakfast together. Their first task was to go into the roof and finish securing the beams with Sally welding a huge amount - it was glowing red hot. Bekir was working on the lower beam fixing plates in and then they later on carried a load of cement up and fixed it all in place. I haven't got pictures since the cementing, though, as I was busy at the time and then forgot until just now. Once the men had finished in the roof Bekir did a little extra strengthening on the decorative roof edging.

Sally on the roof, Bekir filling the hole

Softening the pipe so it can be stretched

Bekir about to remove the old ventilator

After this it was to the main task of the morning and early afternoon - Bekir worked on filling in the holes left in the side of the house from the outer two beams (he did this one on the front, and also the one on the back but we still have damage inside to the bedroom to be repaired while Sally was on the roof cutting and hacking to allow for the toilet ventilation pipe to protrude through above the roof. While I was out watching I saw the eagle circling again (as it happens I've just seen it now while on the roof terrace taking the final picture for this blog) so I got a very bad video of it. A bit later Bekir and Halil were working on a length of plastic pipe that will go above the existing one. They use fire to soften the plastic then Bekir wiggled another short length of pipe inside to widen it so it can fit over another pipe. Even later on Bekir was up the ladder trying to remove the old ventilator and then a sudden downpour occurred which sent us all running for cover.

Sally putting the tiles back in place around the new pipe

After that downpour, and before another two or three that came through, the new pipe and ventilator was fitted down through the hole and it is now up there spinning away nicely. If this doesn't resolve the issues I've had then I'll be totally rethinking the toilets and going for a complete redesign. I do hope that it does work out how it is now as it'll not be quick to do my new idea but if I get rid of the reservoir then I no longer have to have a fan running 24/7 and we'll be even greener.

Water running into our covered area from the rest of the balcony

Halil chiselling out for the step

Simple wooden shuttering

Cement being poured

The downpours we had in the afternoon proved the roof but highlighted that the gap for the door was allowing a lot of water to run through. We wanted to have a step here, for this reason, so I got Bekir and Halil (after a bit of tidying up) to put a 5cm high step. When we get our doorway in there'll be more of a lintel there as well so this should keep rain and snow from bothering us. This was the last thing they worked on and next week they'll be putting the tiles back down, fixing the light fitting, and then maybe moving on to the next job which is the rest of the balcony.

We spent quite a bit of time on the balcony today with Rosie and it really is going to be used more now we have the roof on. We will probably be ordering the roof tiles next week as I am starting work on Wednesday I think, and also we're going to think very much more seriously about the windows as with those in place we will have a fantastic place for Rosie to play in the shade but still be outside. It won't be cheap, but it'll be worth it.

Sunset to end the week

I'll leave you with this lovely photograph taken just as I started writing the blog - a lovely sunset to end the day. Now. Whisky.