Progress!
After nada for so long we can actually brag about making some progress with the house build. This first layer as I have said in previous posts is a drawn out process which is slowing things down for now. First pic below shows the “front” of the house from the master bedroom end. Currently the highest we have poured is three courses, the full height of these walls is nine courses.
Second pic is the moulds set and ready to pour for the second course of the kitchen area of the house. I have been assisted by my father-in-law for much of the work so far and thanks again Roger, your help is truly appreciated. Third pic is meant to show just how much water I am pouring into the previous bricks to stop the void cracking problem we had encountered with the power room.
As a carry over from the third pic above, the first pic below demonstrates just how the moisture from the new layer is drawn into the previous blocks as seen in the middle group of blocks. Second pic below is old truck and new bus. The Pajero lives on as storage for now and is quite handy to stash things between trips back to town. Last pic shows the kitchen wall area before the moulds were reset. Again you can see just how much moisture the previous layer of blocks is capable of absorbing in the grouping closest to lens.
So far the results we are achieving are pleasing. I’m looking forward to completing the lower level of blocks around the perimeter of the house, from there the pace of the build will increase. We are seeing days in the mid 20’s already which is a bonus with the moulds now coming off after 24 hours. On the downside as things warm up and materials dry out I am already using 5 litres more water per batch compared to last week and having to mix the soil and water for longer to activate the clay. Put simply I now have to keep a very keen eye on the mixes to make sure they look right in texture and mositure to keep our end result consistent.