March 2003

It's amazing how much progress can be made when the weather's favourable.

Two good weekends has seen the roof and decking completed and the rainwater guttering installed. It won't look complete until the handrails and spindles are added but these cosmetic touches can wait until the interior is finished.
with decking

Finally the path is complete giving dry access. The path resembles hard packed gravel and is achieved by first tamping down a general concrete mix (4 gravel:2 sharp sand:1 cement) then sprinkling wet pea shingle over the surface which is then tamped in until the wet concrete slurry just covers it. Cover and then about 18 hours later wash and brush the cement off to expose the small stones.
stone effect

Now for the ECO bit. Not wanting to let rainwater go to waste, half the roof drains into this water butt. Some onduline offcuts were used to shore up for the concrete support pillar, hence the flutes. Just need to find somewhere for the other half of the roof to drain to......
water butt

That pile of bricks reminds me, I must finish that garden retaining wall at some point.....