House Project weeks 6 and 7

House Project Weeks 4 and 5

Right to start I would like to apologise for not writing the blog last weekend. This was mainly due to the fact that there was not all that much to write about so I deceided to roll the two weeks into one post. Progress has slowed down over the last two weeks due to the fact funds were getting tight. That leads me on to the great response I have has to our latest plea for funds. Aunty Mary, Jose Luis, Miren, Everybody at JT Magen. I cant thank you enough. Literally a week ago I was pulling my hair out thinking of ways to get the money together because we were about 2,000 euro short. I asked, and I can honestly say that even being 300 euro short of the target figure we will have a house at the end of September for Dona Eulalaia and family. Thanks to everybody who has donated in the last week and throughout the whole project and even before going back to before I left home. This is the biggest and proudest project of my life but you made it possible... Thank you.

The bill for the lamina and 1st fix plumbing and other bits and pieces for the next phase of the project comes to about 540 euro. We didnt have the funds so we did what we could possibly do without spending much money. The first task was putting the lapped sheeting on the gable end walls. In the photo below you can see there is a window left out for a fire escape on the first floor. Hopefully never needed.

Pedro and Diego cutting the last of the tablas on the gable end without a window. The reason there is not a window on this side is that the two bedrooms are connected by a large hall on top of the stairs which will have no actual doors just curtains so access to the fire escape is not an issue. It would also have been looking directly into the neighbours garden and as it is not needed for a practical purpose was left out to save money, and arguments....

This is the most buetiful stair case I have ever seen, well made anyway. Bit on the steep side to be fair but it works and doesnt take up too much space in the living area downstairs.

This is Dona Eulalia trying out her new hammock. All the way from la cumbre...

This was both the first and last supper. First in the house, and final for the Pandora volunteers so they decided they wanted to eat in the house. Lucky enough the rain held off. The chances of getting seven decent, hardworking, warmhearted people in any random group must be a million to one. They all however were I can say hand on heart. Good craic too which always help. Will be missed but there contribution to the project wont be forgotten. Bif thanks to Ivan, Juan, Jose Luis, John, Amaia, Mariana, Miren and Paula. Son mas o menus perfecto.....

As you can see the house at the minute looks like a 5 star chicken coop. The chicken wire is there to tie, the adobe walls that will surround it, to the structure so that is want fall on somebody in an earth quake and it also acts the same way steel does in concrete, as re inforecement. Fixed with U nails. If anybody out there doesnt like the look of their hands, spend two days hammering U nails, they will never be the same again I promise. Anyway, after we got the maya fixed we then painted it with cement and water. This is to ensure a good bond between the maya and the adobe, when we eventually get to building them after the roof goes on. 

We also took the opportunity to do some more levelling up to the site boundaries. Tis a fine site now sure....

Sorry about the quality of the pictures. I was taking photos all day friday and didnt realise I had no memory card in so had to retake them again in the night. I also can assure you that Gavin was actually here working this week with the cement on maya and also the soak away. Thanks Gav, sorry things were bit slow and there is no proof of your endevours...

I will have a better pic of the soak away in next blog. I will give a brief explanation of it now. There is 4 inches of sand in the bottom of the hole to ensure that the waste water is evenly spread helping drainiage. On top there is a layer of small stone and on top of them are a lazer of larege stone with another layer of smaller stone on top. The idea of the stone is to seperate the solids from the waster water so that the water can pass through the soil and the solids will degrade quicker. The rock walls were drilled and rebar placed to build the concrete and stone wall on top. There will eventualy be a concrete roof on top with access hatch along with a vent pipe.

To be fair none of the tasks carried out in the last two weeks were critical but we have them done now none the less and will be less work later on. We are waiting on the funds to pass through the banking system so next week there literally is nothing to be done other than going ahead of ourselves and doing things arseways. The week after however we will be full steam ahead with the roof first then the walls and floor. There will probably not be a post next week but the week after there will be for definite. With some progress I would hope too......

Thanks again to everyone who has volunteered, donated money or given support in anyway...........

If anybody would prefer to keep up to date in spanish. Diego has started writing a blog in spanish which is very well done, to the point and informative.....    http://unamanoparaguate.blogspot.com/