Circular columns in place

The columns are up still in the cardboard tubes. They say it doesn't matter when you remove the tubes because the cement shrinks as it ages making it easier. I had them cut off almost a foot and a half from the tops today as the outside edge was just too high and would give less rain protection. Also thinking it would look better lower. For something this heavy (20 sq meters of cement) it has to attach to the re-bar in the roof so height adjustment is not totally flexible. The old marquesina is only a foot wide and made of Styrofoam panel. This will be over 4' wide

With the new angle we're talking about using curved tiles instead of flat over the cement. I really like the look of curved tiles but you can't walk on them if you need to paint or work above. Only the bottom edge of curved tiles are cemented down so maybe the uppers can be moved for access. Next week is renting a machince to cut into the roof and it's rebar and rent some staging so they can work safely 3 meters up.

Foundation footing

Columns in place

Slinky in a Tube

The guys that worked for me last year have been busy with other projects over the winter and I told them when other work runs out I would have a project or two. This project is to build an awning (marquesina) along the whole side of the house. We built one but lower and it's only about a foot wide. I wanted more shade and rain protection. This will also be above the air vents which leaked in the past.

The circular support columns will be four with a diameter of 25cms which should give good scale to the house and the awning will be at least a meter and a half wide. I was surprised the footings will be the size of house footings -- a meter deep and filled with rock and cement. I was also surprised to find the Sonotubes were not that expensive. These were only $145 pesos and 3 meters long.

The most interesting thing is that they can't use the normal rectangular rebar design in a round tube so we bought a bunch (40 kilos) of wire that's about a 1/4 inch thick. They form it by wrapping it around a 6" drainage pipe until they have a slinky that stretches to 3 meters. Then they wire wrap 4 pieces of rebar inside. I imagine this will take the better part of a month.

Filling up the yard with sand, gravel, cement and next - rocks

Three of the column supports made - and holes where they will go in the grass

Wrapping rebar inside the slinky

Form the slinky on a tube

Just a house foto

Someone asked for a picture of the house so here it is. Pretty soon to be made a mess again with a new awning/roof along the side of the house. The new awning will be for shade and rain protection. The existing one is not wide enough. Still not sure if I want solid cement or wood that supports tiles or lamina. Will have to talk about cost and amount of disruption.

Lately I've been painting the kitchen and bought some cabinets from Home Depot. Gonna be a few weeks before they go up

Water Filters

I forgot about the new water filters we put in last week. Our street water gets dirt/sand in it on a regular basis. Enough to clog shower heads and faucet screens, build up on the bottom of the cistern and stops one-way valves from working.

I've also decided we got too fancy with the valve system that automatically switches from street pressure to tinaco pressure so am going to try to remove them all and run direct lines. Too fancy because sometimes I have no water or my water is draining back to the street.

New gate and garden

Well almost no construction going on lately so no posts. One of the neighbors is a welder of sorts and he has some new equipment so I thought I'd give him a try on a new front gate. I have a few more projects but not sure I'll use him as he's not very careful in his work. I picked the design because I thought it would be simple but he had to come back to fix some easy to notice mistakes. I like it and it's better than the cyclone fence material that was there before.

Meanwhile I've been working on the garden, starting a compost and buying and planting trees ... Coastal Avocado, Star Fruit, Chico Zapote, Almond, 2 Limes and a Banana

My workers are busy this season so when work slows for them I have a few more projects, like; extending an awning, larger shed roof in the laundry/utility area and a small outdoor open room over the systern

New gate

Compost

Lime trees and garden