Moat filling nicely

Water collecting around the outside of the cellar

We have a bit of rain - nothing amazing but a fair amount.  This has helped to create a moat around the cellar.

Moat with pump outlet shown (pump is not running)

Moat along Riedsbach side of cellar

Health and safety measures in place.  What could go wrong?

The builders are not very concerned but may come around and turn on the pump later today.  They have burnt out two pumps already by leaving them running 24 x 7 when there was no water to pump out.

Cellar walls complete - winter break started

Cellar walls complete

During last week the remaining work on the walls in the cellar was completed.  The walls of the staircase and the other supporting columns still have their shuttering on, but the concrete has been poured.

Looking into the "table tennis room" through the (not existing yet) floor of the living room

We had a chance to have a close look at the foundation plate and the cellar walls now that the builders have started their three week holiday.  The concrete looks rather thick, but the picture below doesn't really show any scale.

Cellar walls sitting on the foundation plate

 The texture of the waterproof concrete is very smooth.  In fact we may be able to simply paint some of the walls in the cellar and save plastering them.  Maybe we could just varnish/polish them and enjoy looking at that lovely concrete.

View along the cellar wall parallel to Blütenweg.

If you have read this far, I wish you a very happy Christmas and an exciting New Year.  The building works are paused now until 14 January, when work should start by removing the shuttering, and getting going with the cellar roof.

Break in the weather - cellar work resumed

Break in the weather - cellar work resumed

It has warmed up enough to allow the builders to carry on working in the cellar.  As of Tuesday morning, they were building the internal walls in the cellar - at least those made of concrete blocks.

Block build interior cellar walls under construction

The re-enforced concrete walls in the middle of the cellar and around the stair well will come next I expect.  Maybe by the end of this week.  The cellar roof - ground floor floor (clear?) will not be started before 14 Jan 2013.

Light snow fall and cold weather

Light snow fall and cold weather stops work

The weather has turned colder meaning the builders have had to stop work for a while.

View into cellar from Ringstraße - interior gantry in foreground

They have covered the outside faces of the walls with some kind of sheeting - but not the interior faces.

Corner of cellar where heat pump will be - Blütenweg in background

Cellar walls finally poured

Cellar walls finally poured

The last parts of the exterior cellar walls were poured today.  I thought it was too cold (about +1 C) but the concrete itself was 13 C, and that is what they were interested in.

Wobbly bridge to let builder get to inner cellar gantry

Curved corner of the cellar near junction of Ringstraße and Blüten Weg

View along the top of the cellar wall along Blüten Weg (standing on the wobbly bridge)

The next step should be the removal of the shuttering next week.  The waterproof part of the house is now basically constructed.

We have the biggest private swimming pool in Roßdorf ready in time for winter.  Yippee.