Sitec's House build.

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Originally Posted by grey_ghost

I'm more excited reading this thread than a 16 year old watching his first porno... [emoji1303]

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Best we turn the page then! The next pic is where Row One of the rock retaining wall starts to take place... The backhoe has been pressed into action, and the 'cut and fill' process has started. Directly below the container in the pic is the start of where the rear car port and rain water tanks will be. Each layer of rocks equates to about 500/600mm in height. I'd spend every evening after work 'grubbing out' the soil from the back of the house, going down approx 200mm. The arc of the backhoe allowed for a swath of about 4m wide. I'd work back from 'base level' as the builders call it, until I got to where the back of the carport was to be.. I'd then move over 4m and do the same again... The car port is 8 m wide. Once I'd loosened a decent area, I'd fold the backhoe in, spin the seat and start bucketing the soil in behind the rocks... but only ever in singular bucket piles. I'd work all the way across until the peak of the piles formed a level. Each time I did this, the ground would gain approx 200 mm at the front. This would all then be leveled and back bladed, then soaked with the sprinklers, rolled again with 'Max Factor, and then with the truck (forwards and backwards, and then left to right in both directions as the single front wheels of the truck with a load of rocks and the weight of crane really compacted the ground well)! To complete each 200mm layer would usually take a week. Summer was a coming, the days were getting longer, and I was already getting a great tan!

Trying to work out where the starting edge of the rocks had to be so that the finish level would give me the correct pad size for the house was a bit of pot luck.. I took a punt that the rock face would be approx 45 deg, and allowed 1.5 m from the edge of the house to the top of the rocks.. There was baler twine and posts running in all directions when I was trying to plan it out!! Believe you me, I have learned a lot in doing all of this. Some thought I was mad for doing it, they're probably right.. It was worth it tho!

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by grey_ghost

I'm more excited reading this thread than a 16 year old watching his first porno... [emoji1303]

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I have VERY fond memories of watching Dianna Rigg in the Avengers as a seven year old.

Back to the thread...............

DL

Here's a few close ups of the first rocks to be placed. With a bit of shovel work and perseverance, its surprising how level you can get a row of irregular heavy objects!! I also wanted to incorporate a set of steps that lead up to where the deck was going to be... This took a bit more work to get it right, but was worth it! By now it was mid summer, and shifting rocks on 35 deg days soon makes you cope with heat! I've never drunk so much in a day!!

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Originally Posted by Chops

I'm just not that sure about the porn bit but [bigwhistle]

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That'll come later! ;).... Anyway, here's the last installment for a few days.. The more I dig out from the 'back' of the house, the more it takes shape.... Here's a couple of pics of the carport taking shape and the view from 'Max Factor'! Food for thought... Where that pic (view from the tractor) was taken is now 2m deep!

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Originally Posted by 350RRC

I have VERY fond memories of watching Dianna Rigg in the Avengers as a seven year old.

Back to the thread...............

DL

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In that case, don't watch Game Of Thrones. Although she still has screen presence as Olenna Tyrell, she isn't quite Emma Peel anymore.

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Originally Posted by Sitec

Best we turn the page then! The next pic is where Row One of the rock retaining wall starts to take place... The backhoe has been pressed into action, and the 'cut and fill' process has started. Directly below the container in the pic is the start of where the rear car port and rain water tanks will be. Each layer of rocks equates to about 500/600mm in height. I'd spend every evening after work 'grubbing out' the soil from the back of the house, going down approx 200mm. The arc of the backhoe allowed for a swath of about 4m wide. I'd work back from 'base level' as the builders call it, until I got to where the back of the carport was to be.. I'd then move over 4m and do the same again... The car port is 8 m wide. Once I'd loosened a decent area, I'd fold the backhoe in, spin the seat and start bucketing the soil in behind the rocks... but only ever in singular bucket piles. I'd work all the way across until the peak of the piles formed a level. Each time I did this, the ground would gain approx 200 mm at the front. This would all then be leveled and back bladed, then soaked with the sprinklers, rolled again with 'Max Factor, and then with the truck (forwards and backwards, and then left to right in both directions as the single front wheels of the truck with a load of rocks and the weight of crane really compacted the ground well)! To complete each 200mm layer would usually take a week. Summer was a coming, the days were getting longer, and I was already getting a great tan!

Trying to work out where the starting edge of the rocks had to be so that the finish level would give me the correct pad size for the house was a bit of pot luck.. I took a punt that the rock face would be approx 45 deg, and allowed 1.5 m from the edge of the house to the top of the rocks.. There was baler twine and posts running in all directions when I was trying to plan it out!! Believe you me, I have learned a lot in doing all of this. Some thought I was mad for doing it, they're probably right.. It was worth it tho!

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So, not only do we have "two" carports, one at the front and one at the rear,,, we have one at 8Mts wide :o
In a toffy voice,,,, "Oh, you park the car around the back James",,, [bigwhistle]

So, with more rocks collected, and the days getting longer, I kept building! By this time the builder had had their first melt down... Our home consultant decided he'd have his second site visit! His face was a picture upon arrival! Rocks in all directions, a loop drive carved in, tree gone, backhoe in action! His jaw hit the ground and he said "I didn't think you were really actually going to do all the ground-works!".. To which I replied "Well I wasn't about to pay you $35000 to do it for me!!"

Thinks are starting to take shape now, and I'd started to map out and collect rocks that fitted well together. This meant that the round trips collecting were taking 5-6 hours instead of 3, but the wall was getting better and better as I went. Compaction was working well, as I was able to put the jack legs down with their 6" feet, and not have them sink. Level 2 of the rocks done!

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And a month later, and the final level is laid.. The front of the wall is now approx 1.7m high, and has given the block a totally different feel. Wifetec can finally understand where it's going and what it'll be like. I was pushing to get to this point as I knew winter was approaching....

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And the last pic for today.. Job done. Just the back-filling to do and the 'pad' is ready!

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So, it was now the turn of the builders... finally. First thing to happen was the footings trenches.. There were several attempts at starting this.. They kept finding things that needed an 'additional charge'.. like spoil removal etc.. Luckily I'd gone through the contract bit by bit and crossed my 'T's' and dotted my 'I's'! I'd added allowances for spoil removal, finding rock, restrictive access etc. They'd nowhere to run with me!!