Long time...No post!
It seems like forever since I updated my blog, although back in Corfu our house is rising from the rubble and taking shape again!
When Simon and I returned to the island in late May, it was with some trepidation that we drew up at the bottom of the lane that leads to Ano Kato. We held hands, and with lumps in our throats looked upwards towards our house!
We needn't have worried, as our builder and his team had been hard at it throughout the Corfiot spring, pouring 25m2 of concrete on top of several tons of steel reinforcing mesh to create a hefty, and (hopefully) earthquake proof foundation on which to erect the hollow block walls.
The house is going to end up being somewhat bigger than we originally expected, as the original rubble walls were up to a metre thick, as opposed to the 300mm brick that they are now constructed of!
The house now has two ring beams to brace the structure, again another must for areas prone to earthquakes - in fact, a 5.4 magnitude 'quake was felt on Corfu on 29 June 2007!
Our wonderful builder was hoping that he would be able to start erecting the roof beams shortly after we returned to the UK, but we were able to see some of the wonderful cypress beams that are being used as ceiling joists - the roof will be having similarly sized timbers.
The builders on site hop from timber to timber, but I was not brave enough to try, although Simon did gingerly tread some boards that had hastily been laid for him to use!
Every time we looked out over the southerly countryside from what will be our verandah/balcony, it reminded us why we were undertaking this insane project, and why we cannot wait until mid-October when we will again be back in the gentle arms of a Corfiot autumn or 'Second Spring'
When Simon and I returned to the island in late May, it was with some trepidation that we drew up at the bottom of the lane that leads to Ano Kato. We held hands, and with lumps in our throats looked upwards towards our house!
We needn't have worried, as our builder and his team had been hard at it throughout the Corfiot spring, pouring 25m2 of concrete on top of several tons of steel reinforcing mesh to create a hefty, and (hopefully) earthquake proof foundation on which to erect the hollow block walls.
The house is going to end up being somewhat bigger than we originally expected, as the original rubble walls were up to a metre thick, as opposed to the 300mm brick that they are now constructed of!
The house now has two ring beams to brace the structure, again another must for areas prone to earthquakes - in fact, a 5.4 magnitude 'quake was felt on Corfu on 29 June 2007!
Our wonderful builder was hoping that he would be able to start erecting the roof beams shortly after we returned to the UK, but we were able to see some of the wonderful cypress beams that are being used as ceiling joists - the roof will be having similarly sized timbers.The builders on site hop from timber to timber, but I was not brave enough to try, although Simon did gingerly tread some boards that had hastily been laid for him to use!
Every time we looked out over the southerly countryside from what will be our verandah/balcony, it reminded us why we were undertaking this insane project, and why we cannot wait until mid-October when we will again be back in the gentle arms of a Corfiot autumn or 'Second Spring'
posted by Becky at 7:03 pm
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