All Systems Go

It's hard to believe. After months of delay, we finally got the "Rote Punkt" a couple of weeks ago that means we can do what we want (well, within the bounds of the planning application). What's more, this morning we met with our architect and three of the firms who'll be doing the main works on the house. Tomorrow morning at 8:30, the general builders start with demolishing the extension at the back of the house. They have a week to do this, after which the scaffolding will go up next week, and the week after, work begins on the roof.

In a few days, this ugly thing will be gone.

Demolishing the extension is not a simple task. As the roof is made of asbestos sheeting, they need to do it with protective gear and bag everything. They must also notify the building department, as they might do a spot check to be sure it's all done according to the rules. What we'll be left with is an internal will acting as a thin outer wall, with the bathroom door acting as a temporary back door till the general builder returns from holiday to rebuild the back wall, as well as the other major jobs on his list. But more of that anon.

In the meantime, we have some decisions to finalise about roof windows and what kind of beam do we want to replace the broken one in the living room: steel or a wood composite. The steel will have a smaller profile, but the wood might look nicer if we do not clad it. Perhaps one of the easier decisions to be made...