The flyscreens have arrived and are gradually being installed.
Being such a tight build, windows are a important part making the 5×4 building feel spacious, even more so when they are open. Flyscreens will help keep bugs out while the windows are open. They were also made by Paarhammer to fit the windows exactly.
Sam from Creative Earth Landscaping and Phil Withers (Phillip Withers Landscape Design), met today at the 5×4 site and made some planting decisions about which edible plants will go where and in what order within the 5×4 planter boxes.
While Phil Johnson (Phillip Johnson Landscapes) designed the garden with the help of Phil Withers, Sam will maintain the plants in the coming weeks and educate Ralph on how to best care for them.
Phil Withers, collaborator of Phil Johnson Landscapes, talks with Sam from Creative Earth.
With a second coat of dark stain being applied to the wooden floors, stairs and bench tops, the patterns in the ASH timber are starting to come into their own.
The stain comes from a dilution of stainless steel soaked in vinegar. Don’t be fooled by the simplicity though – it’s quite hard to apply uniformly, but Timber Care were a match for the task.
It was time for the side solar panels to be installed on the western wall of the building, to make up for the lacking roof-top space.
Alfasi Hire took up the challenge in providing one of their many machines for hire, which needed to be able to fit down our little lane way whilst still being able to reach up and around the 5×4 building.
The floors received a (rather noisy) wire-brushing from Timber Care, which scrapes away any soft wood, leaving hardwood behind for durability and the smooth finish of floorboards.
Over the past few weeks there has been focus on the electrical side of things, with wiring being installed on all four floors by The Torus Group.
This electrical stage has been more complicated at FivebyFour than the average build because a number of extra products are being installed, including an energy monitor, DAS Home Security and Yingli Solar Panels.
It’s a slow and difficult process. Not only dealing with large amounts of tangled wiring but also working with the delicate membrane of the wall systems in an effort not to effect the airtight factor of the building.
Timber Care came and experimented with a number of stains. We finally settled on using the darkest stain for our kitchen bench tops and floors, which is made from vinegar and steel wool stain.
For the eco-plywood cabinets, Timber Care used a white diluted concentrate as an undercoat to ensure the oil wax did not yellow the colour of the wood.
After the stains, hard wax oil is applied to make the wood waterproof. This is particularly important for the bathroom, which has wooden benches. Unlike varnishes, the hard wax oil does not need to be sanded to be renewed.
The Geothermal Heat pump system is being set up by Direct Energy. The heat pump and compressor are being instated and connected to the geothermal pipes. Ventilation ducts are being weaved through the walls to all four levels.
The Geothermal Heat Pump System will cover the heating, cooling, hot-water and ventilation of the 5×4 building.
Water has been added to the hot tub, completing the final step of the installation.
The tub, crafted by Ukko, is designed to leak for the first few days until the wood expands and fills in any gaps.
With water in the tub, the smell of the wood is filling the top level of the build. The tub has a corona discharge ozonator and an ioniser which means the water will have minimal chemicals.
The lifestyle appliances are being installed, and the garden planter boxes are bringing a bit of life to the construction site.
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