Floor screed

Well, I'm afraid laying screed doesn't seem to get any quicker.  The good news is that I don't ache quite so much as I did after laying it - still can't really walk properly, but not quite so bad!  We did the floor in the oak bedroom and it took just as long as the first lot - it was smoother though so that's good.  We then did the second layer in the padded cell.  Did I explain that the end barn had to be tanked because it is built into the hillside, so the walls are covered in dimpled white plastic attached by red plastic 'buttons', so it does look like a padded cell.  I'm on the lookout for a straight jacket now!

Yesterday we did the screed in what will be the lounge . . . . it took absolutely ages and it was dark before we'd cleared away!  I have to admit that one of the main problems was that the concrete we'd laid was not very level which makes it awkward to level the screed.  Then the piece of wood I was using to level off had was bowed and followed the dip in the floor so the first strip of screed followed that dip and it took me ages to work out why I couldn't get the next strip to level with it, and then a while to sort it out.  Then just as we'd done that, Elvis came to have  a look!   I got up to shoo her out but she doubled back behind me and left her mark on my lovely smooth screed!   Aaarghh!  I was not best pleased, but really it was quite funny.

So, today we had 4 tonnes of sand delivered and another 28 bags of cement and all the time we were unloading it I kept thinking 'oh no, we are going to have to mix, shovel and lay all this!' .  We had to move some of the sand because it was completely blocking the bridleway so we got shovels and started but after about 5 shovelfuls each we just looked at each other and shook our heads.  We were just so tired after yesterday, it was really hard work.  We did clear enough space for a horse to get through though.  We have also had a bit of a tidy up and cleared the stone extension - that's our next floor to do.  Now that the floor is hard in the oak bedroom we have put everything in there (on pallets so the floor can continue to dry out).  I don't think we will be doing then next lot of screed until Monday, so hopefully we'll feel a bit more energetic by then!