PERIMETER ALMOST COMPLETED

As the delivery arrived earlier than expected - breakfast time in fact - we've managed to have most of the day starting the build. We've got the sills all laid out and the perimeter almost completed. There's just one part of the perimeter to put in - it had to wait because there was an old vent cover right where it needs to go, this has been removed and the resulting hole filled.

The perimeter sections were simple to fit, just a case of screwing the sections together in the right order. Fixing of the strips which join each section was a little tricky - there must be a trick to this be we couldn't work it out and it was a bit of a struggle, they're all done now though.

Next job is to fix the last perimeter section and then fix all the frames down to the sill (after checking the level), and then on to the roof

THE CONSERVATORY ARRIVES

The conservatory arrived this morning. We've got 10 sections of perimeter windows, 2 packs of sills etc, 32 pieces of glazing and 7 packages containing the roof and fittings for it. I'm pleased to say that everyting arrived in good condition.

It appears that all of the main parts are fully labeled for easy reference so it's just a case of following the instructions.

ANOTHER WAIT

Well, we've got the dwarf walls built, all covered down to protect the insulation from any rain we have. The conservatory top is due for delivery this Thursday (19 March) and hopefully the french doors (for the house to conservatory) will also be here during the week.
So it looks like all systems go for next weekend, let's just hope we have the same weather as this weekend.

RESTRUCTURING THE GARDEN

As the new conservatory will take up some space which was previously garden we've decided to compensate for this by removing some shrubs and extending the lawned area further down the garden. Whilst we've been waiting for the builder we've removed 5 established shrubs ready for the new lawn area. It wasn't planned but when we measured up for the turf we need 12 square metres, exactly the same as the area of the conservatory.
This area will open up the garden a little and also give extra space for the grandchildren to play when they visit.
The turf was collected last night from a local garden centre, we know it's fresh as we loaded it straight into our van from the delivery lorry.

FRENCH DOORS ORDERED

After much searching we've gone with french doors from B & Q. There's a wide choice of french doors available at different prices and qualities. In the end we've gone for one which is probably not the best quality, bit it is after all going to be an internal door rather than one which leads straight to the outside.
What we'll have is a set of french doors with a side panel, this should be the same width as the existing window and all we'll need do is take out the bricks below the window and fit the doors.
Of course our local B&Q don't have these doors in stock, in fact none of the stores within a reasonable distance have BOTH items in stock although a store about 30 miles in 1 direction has the doors and another about 30 miles in the other direction has the side panels! We have therefore ordered both with our local store and expect delivery within about 2 weeks.

SLOW PROGRESS IN PERSPECTIVE

Following the last post about being frustrated by slow progress, I do, through my work see many people who have had conservatories built by professional companies, and waits of nine to twelve months from order to completion are not uncommon reports I hear. In fact I do recall one of my customers who was still waiting 13 months after placing his order for the various small problems on his conservatory to be completed. This I think does put things into perspective for our build and we're still on target for Easter completion.

FRUSTRATED BY SLOW PROGRESS

Maybe it's my own fault for deciding to stry to dig out the footings myself and delaying the start of building, but we're getting frustrated by the lack of progress. The builder is doing another job at the same time (can't blame him for that in the current climate), so he isn't progressing as fast as I would like.

Anyway, we do now have a floor down as you will see from the pictures, and the bricks are arriving tomorrow so this weekend should see some real progress.

Oh, and today I ordered the conservatory for delivery hopefully on the 19th March, or failing that the 26th.