Week 12 - 525,600 tek screws

OMG how the days just fly by......most people say “when you are having fun”, but I might be tempted to say “when you have a deadline and still so much to do”. It’s all good though and the weather has been quite incredible, earlier this week it was so hot and both Keith and I were a bit over-sunned. Still couldn’t persuade him to join me in the water but he did resort to some very short shorts though, and coupled with his tool belt and hard hat looked like he should have been performing “YMCA”!!

This project has forced us into an uneasy alliance with a new piece of technology... the "Tek" screw. The whole shed is held together by these things and there are about 900 in total. Every joint has at least 4 of them. They are supposed to self drill into the steel but that is simply not the reality. We have to pre-drill holes and have consumed all our metal drill bits doing so. We are now onto the 3rd Amazon Prime hard metal drill bit order now! Each day we peer into the "Tek" screw box before filling our pockets and there are still far too many of them! It’s almost as if they are multiplying overnight, even though we have been drilling steels and screwing them in daily! I'm pretty sure this shed will be strong enough to deal with Hebridean hurricanes from all direction!

From photos last week you were probably expecting us to have clad the shed by the end of this week, instead it doesn’t actually look much changed but it does have a shed load (pun intended) more screws in it and all the strap bracing. Tensioning steel straps across the ceiling was a challenge but, with the help of some ratchet straps and some of Keith's ingenuity we seem to have managed to install tensioned steel straps across 6 of the bays. A few more days finishing the roller door, access door and window openings and we should be ready to start with the cladding of the sides and roof. We can't wait to finish the shed and get on with the house...

I have been plagued by an eye infection (stye’s plural!!) this week, either from lack of sleep and/or exhaustion, or more likely from steel filings from the various apex screws going in above my head. Thankfully by Thursday all was resolved although now I not only wear my hard hat (when work is going on above my head on the scaffolding) I also wear eye protection. Not my best look and those that have seen me say I look like a minion. I will leave it for you to decide...

In addition to the “screw-fest” we have also dug the foundation furrows for the concrete footings. Basically this is where the structural walls of the house will be. Reed roots had to be removed as did some bedrock in one corner. It was immensely satisfying to slug away at the rock with a sledge hammer and to see a tiny fissure appear. As soon as you see that you know you're going to win! I spent an afternoon bashing the various protruding rocks and only one defeated me so we called in some help. Sam, a local guy and big surfer (Keith is hoping Sam will show him the island hotspots when time allows) came round with his huge “skill saw” and carved it up. It had a blade the size of a bike wheel! So we now hope all the offending bedrock has gone...

Gone!!!

The next job for the house foundations is to lay the footing concrete and make the “steps” to link up the levels by exactly one breeze block at a time. These have to be exact so the wall which will be built on top of it lines up. We are just waiting for drawings from Paul, our engineer which will incorporate a bit more rebar to counter the bedrock "pivot" risks and then we can start on that. Maybe we will have even finished the shed by then!

As each week goes past, we have a lot of stress coupled with some hilarious moments and this week has been no different! The most hilarious moment was (and thankfully there were no injuries other than pride!) when Keith tripped over a dastardly purlin on the slab, and, unfortunately he was launched into the deepest drainage ditch surrounding the slab. He managed to keep hold of the impact driver but sadly this was submerged and is now a casualty! Once I was sure he was ok, I collapsed with laughter but it took him a while to see the funny side of it... he definitely needed a shower that night!

We tend to work relatively normal hours and generally retreat for a beer or "Budweiser Zero" in my case before dinner. Occasionally we work on as it is still light at 11 here so there is plenty of time if so needed. I cook each night (my jobs are never done!) and Keith does build project admin (or so he says!). Last night I decided we deserved a curry and so we had a chicken/vegetable Goan curry, a dal, homemade naan breads and rice. Yum. There was even enough to have on Sunday night too. So we are not eating badly either.

Fashion this week is right up there. We have been wearing lots of safety kit, Keith has been making use of his Christmas present (a workman’s tool belt), and I have swapped my steel toe capped wellies for steel toe capped boots and as I said earlier have been wearing gorgeous protective goggles. Gloves have always been worn, but they have now been swapped with new and fresher smelling ones!

Hope you all have a good week, and I’ll leave you with yet another spectacular sunset on Coll xxx