spyder880:
Getting ready for the start of this project, we usually laminate and paste all government and community development receipts on site before we start working.

This is to prevent issues of people coming to stop work or seize tools because of any perceived non approval misunderstandings that might delay our work.

Work goes on today.

Omo you set out fully prepared. You have understand the Nigeria situation so well

Part of the building space today, we cut down the two trees by the side of the new building space........

Using a chainsaw to cut up the fallen tree so we can remove it from the building space this morning......

spyder880:
Part of the building space today, we cut down the two trees by the side of the new building space........

I see that the falling tree affected the shed you built.

ClassicMan202:



I see that the falling tree affected the shed you built.

Yes, we tried all we can to control the fall but it wasn't possible. We repaired the shed yesterday afternoon. Work continues with the site clearing today.......

Today, we started moving blocks into this site. Good quality 9" blocks being offloaded in readiness for our start. I am expecting as many as 4,000 blocks for a start.

Workers rolling out tree stumps from a space we need to pack more blocks.........

Starting.........

Goodday Sir. I see you prefer getting ready made blocks for your building projects.

Is there any advantage with this pattern? Or no difference (in terms of quality) with moulding it by yourself? Kindly trow more light to this. Thanks

cnnamoko:
Goodday Sir. I see you prefer getting ready made blocks for your building projects.

Is there any advantage with this pattern? Or no difference (in terms of quality) with moulding it by yourself? Kindly trow more light to this. Thanks

On buying already made blocks, the decision was made after molding our own blocks on many sites, and comparing the results. Some of the reasons I considered are;

1. Space.
You must have enough space in the land you plan to build before you talk of making your own blocks on site. Keeping the sand, and spreading out the blocks you need to make will take some extra space that's not on the build space. It's not every site that has this extra space to play with.

2. Supervision.
Before you conclude on making your own blocks, you have to first ensure that you will be there will the block makers to monitor the way they are making your blocks. Or you have to place a knowledgeable person on site for all the hours the block makers are working. This is to ensure that they use your whole cement to make blocks, and not use 80 bags out of the 100 you bought, because you are not on ground. The extra 20 bags could disappear, and you wont find out.

3. Mix ratios
This is the most important matter. The mix ratio of cement to sand and or stone dust, plus water is extremely important. You have to know this, and also ensure that the ratios are applied in every mix, because in your absence, workers will do what is easier for them, without minding what you planned to achieve with your blocks.

4. Turning methods
The turning of sand is a process that has been mastered by block industry owners, and except you are knowledgeable about the methods, the block makers will circumvent the process and do what's easier for them, right in front of you. There is a method of turning, and there is a number of times you must mix, and there is a particular moisture content that must be used before your blocks turns out right. How many house owners knows how many buckets of water must be added into a mix of 1 bag, at what intervals should this water be added?

5. How many blocks per bag
Do you know that owners of block industries can make 45 - 50 blocks from one bag of cement and it will be stronger than the 28 - 30 blocks you made from your bag of cement at your own site? Do you know there are specific cement brands that gives more yield, do you know that there are some sands that will give you a lower yield of blocks, or blocks that break upon minimum impact?

6. Curing process
When are they supposed to start treating the newly made blocks with water, how many times in a day, and at what times of the day should the water be poured on the blocks? Most importantly, who's monitoring this water treatment?

We should carefully go through these points and if either one or more of these important processes are breached, your blocks might turn out to be less strong than the ones they make in the block industry.

I started buying blocks from trusted hands in the past 10 years after finding out these truths, and as you can see from those pictures, none of the 2,000 blocks offloaded in this site was broken. We are using some of the blocks as seats on site now.

Welcome bro.

spyder880:


On buying already made blocks, the decision was made after molding our own blocks on many sites, and comparing the results. Some of the reasons I considered are;

1. Space.
You must have enough space in the land you plan to build before you talk of making your own blocks on site. Keeping the sand, and spreading out the blocks you need to make will take some extra space that's not on the build space. It's not every site that has this extra space to play with.

2. Supervision.
Before you conclude on making your own blocks, you have to first ensure that you will be there will the block makers to monitor the way they are making your blocks. Or you have to place a knowledgeable person on site for all the hours the block makers are working. This is to ensure that they use your whole cement to make blocks, and not use 80 bags out of the 100 you bought, because you are not on ground. The extra 20 bags could disappear, and you wont find out.

3. Mix ratios
This is the most important matter. The mix ratio of cement to sand and or stone dust, plus water is extremely important. You have to know this, and also ensure that the ratios are applied in every mix, because in your absence, workers will do what is easier for them, without minding what you planned to achieve with your blocks.

4. Turning methods
The turning of sand is a process that has been mastered by block industry owners, and except you are knowledgeable about the methods, the block makers will circumvent the process and do what's easier for them, right in front of you. There is a method of turning, and there is a number of times you must mix, and there is a particular moisture content that must be used before your blocks turns out right. How many house owners knows how many buckets of water must be added into a mix of 1 bag, at what intervals should this water be added?

5. How many blocks per bag
Do you know that owners of block industries can make 45 - 50 blocks from one bag of cement and it will be stronger than the 28 - 30 blocks you made from your bag of cement at your own site? Do you know there are specific cement brands that gives more yield, do you know that there are some sands that will give you a lower yield of blocks, or blocks that break upon minimum impact?

6. Curing process
When are they supposed to start treating the newly made blocks with water, how many times in a day, and at what times of the day should the water be poured on the blocks? Most importantly, who's monitoring this water treatment?

We should carefully go through these points and if either one or more of these important processes are breached, your blocks might turn out to be less strong than the ones they make in the block industry.

I started buying blocks from trusted hands in the past 10 years after finding out these truths, and as you can see from those pictures, none of the 2,000 blocks offloaded in this site was broken. We are using some of the blocks as seats on site now.

Welcome bro.

Wow thanks Sir. A great insight and perspective any saw before now. Thanks once more

We have continued our foundation excavation in this site........

More pictures later.

spyder880:


Thank you Sir, about the decking cost, there is really no savings. The money saved from the decking will be added to the foundation, and the roofing, which has just become larger.

And also I feel the decking will also be wider as the propose 2nd decking has been added to the first

buzzcypha:


And also I feel the decking will also be wider as the propose 2nd decking has been added to the first

Yes Sir, you're correct.

Offloading iron rods at this site..........

Buying cement........

Preparing to cast the concrete floor of the security man house.........

Your energy is making feel lazy. I don't know how to manage all these things plus family and still deliver topnotch builds.

I will come for tutoring biko

Enugu has some of the hardest grounds in this country. Foundation excavation taking so long because the natural ground here is like a concrete cast.

Chippings, sand arriving here........

spyder880:


Yes, we tried all we can to control the fall but it wasn't possible. We repaired the shed yesterday afternoon. Work continues with the site clearing today.......

That tree looks like hard wood, look at the middle. I"ve seen you slices tree on site used for paging before any reason for not doing same on this site

spyder880:
Using a chainsaw to cut up the fallen tree so we can remove it from the building space this morning......

That tree looks like hard wood, look at the middle. I"ve seen you slices tree on site used for paging before any reason for not doing same on this site

kopell:
That tree looks like hard wood, look at the middle. I"ve seen you slices tree on site used for paging before any reason for not doing same on this site

Yes we always cut up the wood so we can reuse them, but this tree wasn't going to give us enough wood, it was better cutting up the stems for other uses. We cut some and got good looking wooden poles for electricity from it.

spyder880:


Yes we always cut up the wood so we can reuse them, but this tree wasn't going to give us enough wood, it was better cutting up the stems for other uses. We cut some and got good looking wooden poles for electricity from it.

Nice to hear that, let see what the wooden poles looks like if you don't mind, any opportunity to save doesn't matter how small is a plus in this current economy

spyder880:
Preparing to cast the concrete floor of the security man house.........

Slaughter House for these Laborers!!!!! Na to find Carton put for ground remain for them����

Iron reinforcement works department.......

Column base reinforcement

Column starter bars...........

More materials arriving.......

Foundation excavation works continue.........

More work......

Mere look at that soil and you will see that there's level to soil texture

More trenches,