esoorita: Well done Brabus, I'm amazed that in the 21st century,a swimming pool is being dug manually. With the advent of mechanical digger I would have thought there's no need for energy sapping and back breaking manual digging. I think it's cheaper and quicker to use mechanical digger or what do you think?

You're very right bro. However, digging of the swimming at this stage was an after-thought while trying to work around accessibility issue.

First block laid. Walls going up. Picture updates later in the evening.

Picture updates from The Chateau

The mansion is coming up nicely. Keep doing the good work and never the project to anyone to oversee for you.

Hajji Mufutau

It's drizzling all day.

Blockworks: End of Day 1

We made some good progress today despite the start and stop conditions due to rain - we managed to make a start on the internal and external walls for the Chateau and got a fair bit of the walls done. We are still doing well so no need to rush. I'm praying for a fair weather tomorrow. All things been equal, we should be working on the first floor slab by next Wednesday.

Driveway update: Trucks were using my driveway now and material delivery seems not be a major challenge again.

End of the day pictures

Marpol: @brabus, is it compulsory to do the german floor first before the block work or can one build then do the german flooring later?

what are the merits and demerits

Since each building have its particular features, followers/readers must not interpret information contained on this thread as a professional opinion on his or her own case. Please note that, even though the answers I'm giving here may correspond to today’s most frequently used construction techniques, your house may need to be built quite differently.

Slab or German floor is not 100% compulsory in building. WHY? The foundations of a house rests on the footing. The walls of the foundation rest on the footing. The slab forms the floor of the house basement and it rests on the backfill and the interior ledge of the footing and remains independent from both footings and foundation walls. So, the slab or german floor does not serve as a structural support to either a column or a load-bearing wall.

If you can get your backfill and infill materials right, you can get away with pouring your slab after block works but if you'll still do it anyway, why not do it at once before the block work and take your mind off it at once.

I'll share the merits and demerits later on this thread. Of course, I do pour all my slabs before block works.

mufutau55: The mansion is coming up nicely. Keep doing the good work and never the project to anyone to oversee for you.

Hajji Mufutau

Hajji, I'm a quick learner o. I've learnt some good lessons.

Lesson learned: Bad things are always going to happen in life. People will hurt you, don’t use that as an excuse to fail or to hurt someone back. You’ll only end up hurting yourself. After all, what matters is not the first, but the last chapter of our life which shows how well we ran the race.

Awesome work Brabus, despite the hassle with the driveway the work progress is quite impressive.
As for the 3 gates pictures you posted, I think they are quite too simple for house of this magnitude. Post more gate pics

brabus:

Hajji, I'm a quick learner o. I've learnt some good lessons.

Lesson learned: Bad things are always going to happen in life. People will hurt you, don’t use that as an excuse to fail or to hurt someone back. You’ll only end up hurting yourself. After all, what matters is not the first, but the last chapter of our life which shows how well we ran the race.

I agreed with you 100% and I like your attitude towards life. Good work. Keep it up. And God bless.
And like my tag says below... one day I intend to be one of your client.

Hajji Mufutau

sheade: Awesome work Brabus, despite the hassle with the driveway the work progress is quite impressive.
As for the 3 gates pictures you posted, I think they are quite too simple for house of this magnitude. Post more gate pics

Oh! The fence. I knew it myself. Even my client was silent on this. So, I believe the fences didn't wow him. My client likes WOW things. I better find a nice one before he asks me.

MastersTouch, I need beautiful fence designs for this edifice.

The Chateau

..dis speed past jet o o o...

segcy.moor:
..dis speed past jet o o o...

Don't be surprised my bro! I'm miles ahead in my preparations. My worries at the moment is the first floor slab. All the reinforcement for this structure to first floor slab have been prepared. In fact, I'm already working on where to buy my roofs, whether Benin or Lagos.

That's how I work. I can time travel. I can go to the past to learn few things and also jet into the future to effect the present time.

[b][quote author=segcy.moor]..dis speed past jet o o o...[/quote
It's gone supersonic like Concorde! Brabus, I'll be surprised if the delivery time of this project is not beaten going at this rate. The owner of the project better start shopping for furnitures ASAP

esoorita: It's gone supersonic like Concorde! Brabus, I'll be surprised if the delivery time of this project is not beaten going at this rate. The owner of the project better start shopping for furnitures ASAP

I think it's better to 'under-promise' and 'over-deliver' than to 'over-promise' and then 'under-deliver'.

Progress is when half of the building is at lintel stage and the carpenter is warming up for a take-over tomorrow. To ensure we don't have problems with the blocks, we decided to reduce the mix ratio to 1 bag of cement to 8 headpans of sand using Dangote cement.

Extra 5 bags of cement won't make us cry!

@Brabus what is the standard recommended mix ratio to 1 bag of cement to headpans of sand using Dangote cement, with today's cements how long do the takes to dry or compound in time of a decking work on a building.

All walls up to Lintel level. Picture updates later in the evening.

@Brabus you know want answer my question?

Oga Kopell, I no fit ignore your question. Just give me some time. I'm rounding off today's work and making plans for tomorrow.

Okay sir take your time.

brabus: All walls up to Lintel level. Picture updates later in the evening.

Weldone bro, keep the good job moving.

It rained so hard today. The heaviest rain since we started this project. However, we don't have to worry about anything cos we have finished block work to lintel level. The planks for the lintels are already on site. Granite and stone dust for the casting have been delivered. So, there's nothing to worry about! Let it rain!!

Pic updates shortly. I need hot coffee now.

The only thing to worry about is that I couldn't wait to take the end-of-the-day picture of the project as the rain won't allow us.

You'll get that tmrw.

Pictures from The Chateau

Men at work...

Planks for the lintels and columns been delivered to site.

The front pillars in the making

Then, it started raining...