Roofdeck / Covered Patio - Swissline week 6

This roof-deck / covered patio is constructed of German Spruce, SA Pine, and Massaranduba decking.

The main beam sits in the wall at both ends and is supported by a galvanized steel post.  The joists are bolted to the beam and fixed to the walls with steel dowels and epoxy.  A tongue and groove Ceiling is then installed above the joists.  A torch-on waterproof membrane is then applied.

 German spruce is clean and straight.

The substructure which supports the decking is treated South African pine.  It is treated further with a brush on bitumen paint from ABE.  This provides further protection against water damage and also conceals the light coloured pine so that it is not seen between the Massaranduba decking.

Massaranduba decking is a hard wearing hardwood that has very little movement. It requires very precise cutting and fastening.  Every screw is fixed into a pre-piloted and countersunk hole that was carefully placed along a chalked stringline.

The handrail and balustrade are yet to be completed and will be constructed of Larch, a softer blonde wood that has excellent resistance to weather.

The staircase will be added on the right hand side parallel to the gutter shown in the photo.

At the client's request, we will not continue the project until mid April.  I will post an update when it is completed.

Multi-Function Day-Bed Couch

My old rented apartment at Upper East Side was such a cool but unusual space.  Ceiling height and finishes made it awesome, but the layout was a bit ridiculous.   I would have planned the layout quite differently, but this is where the DSTV and plug points were located.  I wanted to show you the space where my creation would have to sit, and this is the only photo I have of the area prior to this project.  Maybe one day I will blog about making an awesome painting with very little money and even less skill, but this post is about my sofa / daybed design.

The requirements were as follows.  I wanted a cushy comfy spot suitable for T.V watching and naps.  It had to be broad enough to facilitate spooning.  It should accommodate an overnight guest comfortably.  Some kind of storage would be cool.  I wanted it to relate to the industrial feel of the flat.

So it is a bit cliche, but castor wheels would go a long way to provide the industrial look, and it is always handy to to have mobile furniture.  Two wheels with strong locking mechanisms, two without. Plywood base, neat trim, and I will spare you further construction detail because it was as easy as it looks.  The base was 150mm high so that the finished seat height would be a little over 400mm.  Standard sofas range between 400mm and 450mm seat height.

Two sliding basket drawers beneath to hide away magazines and remote controls.

Primer, then enamel paint.

I have a couple of reliable upholsterers that will make custom pieces.  I found a durable grey fabric at one of the discount fabric houses.  I designed a thick cushy base / mattress and cushions that lean against the wall in couch-mode, or can be tossed aside for sleep mode, or as head and shoulder support for stretched out T.V-mode.  The mattress was almost 30cm thick filled with well packed chip-foam and unicurl.  My 100kg backside could never feel the hard base beneath.  I had them line the fabric with a thin foam liner and stitch a pattern of squares to give it a subtle textured quilted effect.

So here it is, looking the part in my unusual place. Total cost less than R2400.00  When I moved out of the flat, I sold it for R2000.00.  Loads of fun to make, comfort, style, and awesome versatility enjoyed for 18 months and it only cost me R400.00.  I love design and DIY.

Modern Table / Bar for a long narrow kitchen

Early in 2009 I moved into this industrial style flat in the older part of the Upper East Side development in Woodstock.  It had really high ceilings, and the kitchen had a long narrow tiled area.  The division between the two floor finishes really defined two zones and it felt very odd to sit a traditional table with legs in both spaces.  In consideration of the high ceilings and the parties i like to have, I thought I would do something that was tall so it could double as a stand-around bar. 

I designed these legs and had them welded up in mild steel.  I wanted the most strength for the lowest cost in both materials and welding.  The welder kind of butchered them when he ground the welds off, so I used auto-body filler (took auto body repair in high school) to fill the areas  he ground and then primed and painted them right there in my kitchen.  (my fiancee is incredibly tolerant)

 The top is a 1.8m long laminated pine 'work-top' that you can buy at your local timber & hardware.  I asked for the hardest smoothest lacquer type product and was given something by woodoc.  I added a blue dye that gave an amazing translucent blue effect that these pics unfortunately don't show.

 And voila! Total cost R1050.00  Goodluck finding anything this cool for less than R3000 in Cape Town.

I didn't keep this many stools around it full time. I hid the spares away until needed.

4th week Swissline Designs

Finally finished the house in Vredehoek.  This house is not typical of the work that Swissline does.  Rarely do they take on renovations.  Most building work is on new builds, or decks, stairs, joinery added to existing homes.

Most often, the structural timber used is German Spruce imported by Swissline.  Like Canadian construction timber, it is clean dry and straight.  South African Pine has a loose grain (I'm told due to a long warm wet season that causes quick growth spurts) that makes it susceptible to movement.  Also, it is cut, planed, treated, and sold wet. This means that as it drys it can still move and twist quite a lot.  Structural timber in North America and Europe is machined and sold relatively dry so it is much more stable, straight, and smooth.

Due to budgetary constraints, this house had only a few columns and ridge beam in beautiful straight perfect German Spruce.  All rafters and joists were South African pine, and sat on already irregular walls so there were many irregularities requiring bespoke solutions.  For example, each and every fiber cement soffit board had to be measured and cut, fit, removed and re-cut, pre-drilled, and finally fit permanently.  The gables had unusual eaves with broad triangular soffits.  These were tricky to measure and cut with accuracy and the size makes them very heavy, so it was a challenge to say the least.

On this job, I was the foreman on site.  Unless I wanted to call the boss or experienced guys every 5 minutes, I had to figure things out and make decisions on my own.  There were no detail drawings to show how the triangular gable eave met with a horizontal eave below it (see photo below).  I took some broken tiles that i had on site and arranged them on the battens do determine their height and made a flashing to lay on top and then cut and secured the last triangular soffit board on top of the flashing.  When the rain sheets down the soffit, the flashing will guide the water onto the top of the tiles so it can run to the gutter on the lower eave.  I was pleased when the tiling team arrived and liked it.

It was great to finish my duties at this project  and the result is really neat and tidy.

Roof replacement and Rooftop Deck

When I climbed onto my roof the first time I knew I had to have a little spot to hang out up there.  I have an interesting view of the working part of the harbour and a bit of table bay and onward to some mountains that I have yet to identify.  I also have a full postcard (almost) view of table mountain.  Lucky for me, the previous homeowner seemed to have the same idea and raised the parapet wall to about 1.1 meters above the roof.  This gives me privacy from the street, wind protection, and a sense of safety.

My next door neighbour has a rooftop deck and she has had a slight leak that has given her trouble for years that she can't fix properly without dismantling her deck.  This was a big concern for me, so i decided to replace my roof with a structure that can bear plenty of weight, add a reliable waterproof membrane, and lay a light, modular deck directly on the roof surface.  I designed and built it to be easily dismantled in sections.  Should the roof or membrane require maintenance or repair, a quarter of the deck can be dismantled and rebuilt in an afternoon.

Here is a quick sketch that I used to communicate my vision to my fiancee:

The roof work had to be done quickly and reliably because our brand new kitchen is under it, so I hired a roofer.  Once it was closed up I would have my fun building the deck on my own.

After removing the IBR roof sheets, I had 228 x 38 joists installed at 500 centres.  One end of each joist is wrapped in DPC and built into the wall and the other end rests on the wall plate.  Noggins brace the joists and prevent twist.  Plywood sheets are then screwed to the substructure in a staggered pattern with joints directly over the joists and noggins.

Two layers of bitumen membrane were then applied.  The first was nailed down with small wire nails with broad heads.  The torch on bitumen membrane won't adhere well to the plywood surface, so this membrane is fixed in place and then the torch on layer fuses to it, giving me a 6mm waterproof barrier.  The parapet walls are then waterproofed with a cloth membrane and acrylic brush-on product which overlaps the torched membrane providing a very thoroughly protected roof.  The membrane hangs over the edge directly into the gutter (gutter not shown in photo).  A product called Silvacote  reflects the suns damaging rays and preserves the bitumen.

So at this stage I've got a super strong well protected roof, ready to support my deck!

I chose treated pine because it is cheap, sustainable, and we use it almost exclusively in Canada, so I know it can handle the weather.  It is very important however, to specify H3 treatment which is not what you find "off the shelf" at your local timber & hardware shop.  The hardware shops stock H2 timber which is used in roofs and covered structures that may be exposed to minimal moisture.  H3 treatment can tolerate full outdoor exposure above ground.  H4 treatment ratings can handle submersion in water and burying in the ground, but that is not necessary here.

The joists or 'feet', for lack of an appropriate term,  are cut in wedges to correct the fall.  The bottom edges are rounded so as not to cut or dig into the bitumen membrane, and an additional 4mm thick strip of bitumen is laid beneath each.  I can inspect these strips annually or bi-annually and replace them if they show wear and never compromise the waterproof membrane.

I wanted any person who might conduct maintenance to see clearly that removal could be done in sections, so I chose not to stagger long decking planks but rather align the joints of each section of deck.

I included planter boxes which would hold bushes grown in buckets not only for aesthetics and atmosphere, but to provide a sturdy base for handrails in the absence of a sturdy substructure.  The bushes and planter boxes were also intended to prevent anyone from putting their full body weight against the railing. In any case it turned out to be more than strong enough.

If I have one regret it is that i stopped the planter box short of the stairway.  I wanted the stairs and landing to be small so as not to block sunlight into the windows, and for some reason I didn't want to crowd the small opening.  One day I may alter it and bring the planter over to the stairs.

I am very pleased with the design and construction of the staircase and landing.  It is unique and adventurous and it is the result of several restrictions.  I wanted to look out of my windows and see my open uncrowded small courtyard.  I didn't want awkward posts to break up my space.  I didn't want to block much sun.  The run of the staircase was restricted because of the entrance to a planned outdoor kitchen.  I needed something steeper with a shorter run.

I decided to hang beams between the two walls of the courtyard eliminating the need for posts to support the stairs.  I designed an alternating tread 'space saving' staircase up to the landing, then a traditional flight up to the top.

The tread height is a comfortable and manageable 195 mm.

Overall I am very pleased with the finished project.

2nd & 3rd week with Swissline Designs

It seems the new guy gets the work that the vets don't really want.  The past two weeks I have been working overhead, on scaffolding, doing work that is less than exciting. We built a framework / substructure for the soffit and fascias using 38mm x 50mm treated S.A Pine.   The soffits and fascias are fiber cement boards commonly called 'Nutec' (one of the brand names).  These are best cut by the supplier, but since this is a renovation of a 100 year old house, the walls are irregular and we had to cut them on site with an angle grinder fitted with a diamond blade.  I took measurements at 3 points for each 2.4 m length and custom cut each soffit board to fit neatly against the irregular walls.  There really isn't a countersink tool suited for masonry so each heavy soffit board had to be cut, held in position, marked for screw holes, then taken down and drilled with a small pilot and larger countersink and then fitted in place.  It is a time consuming process with a lot of climbing up and down scaffolding.  It was a nightmare on days when I only had one assistant.  With an overhang of 500mm, the 9mm boards are quite heavy. 3 guys are required for installation.

I would love to explain a few of the challenges that I ran into due to the non-traditional design of this roof, but they really require a look at the plans or photos to be understood.  There are no available detail drawings and the plans don't show the necessary detail, so there was a lot of troubleshooting along the way.

I noted a few things that could be done differently in future to save us from frustration and things that differ to what i have seen in Canada and England.

One example is the hoop iron tie-down used to hold the rafters down to the brick walls.  This is sometimes done with wire or with hoop iron and doesn't interfere much with the purlins or battens to which the tiles or sheets are fixed.  In this case, however, the architect specified battens running along the top edge of each rafter holding the membrane in place and creating more space between the membrane and tiles.  The hoop iron is 2mm thick and when bent over the angled rafter it protrudes another couple of mils. After the membrane was rolled out and we struggled to fit the battens flush to the rafters we had to pound all the tie-downs as flat as we could to get an acceptable result.   I would have made two little cuts across the top of each rafter about 5mm deep.  The space between these cuts can then be hit with a hammer and a very neat tidy channel will result so that the hoop iron could fit in below the top edge of the rafters.

Another thing that I noticed was that the timber floor joists didn't have noggins / blocks between them. The joists span about 3 meters.  Since these joists were 228 x 50 they are a little less likely to twist than a thinner board, so that may be why they are not used.  The subfloor is osb (oriented strand board) and each long butt joint lies along a joist, the short butt joints, however,  are not completely supported as they cross from joist to joist.  It seems possible to me that there could be movement at those joints. In Canada and England a tongue and groove osb system is used for the subfloor so all joints are locked.  We also glue every board to the joists in addition to fixing them with screws.  Swissline didn't install the subfloor on this house, but whoever did, didn't glue it.

Construction Details

Hands on construction will make you a champion of detail drawings, and an architect loved by builders instead of hated.  I don't have time to prove it, though.

Swissline Designs - First week - Feb 18 - 23

I have experience and great interest in timber construction, so I was pretty pleased to get a job with Swissline Designs where I will work under Swiss Master Carpenters.  I had a great first week working on a house in Vredehoek.  A very old single story house has been gutted, and a second story / roof living space is being added.  The original brick walls of the ground floor have been kept and a new suspended timber floor added.  The 2nd storey, which may officially be called a roof-space, consists of exposed timber rafters supported by a large laminated timber ridge beam on timber posts.  Set back from the ground floor walls, are dormers running the length of the building on both sides, allowing light and views.  (photos coming soon...maybe drawings if i have the time)

I spent the whole week balancing on battens and purlins on the rooftop.  It was tall, steep, and hot as heck, but sure beats sitting in an office.  We installed a membrane called Alububble which acts as an insulator, a reflector of radiant heat, and a moisture barrier.  We secured the Alububble using 38x38 treated pine battens nailed directly to the top edge of each rafter.  Not crossing the rafters like purlins or ceiling battens, but along the tops of each rafter.  The purlins were then nailed to these (right through to the rafters) in the usual horizontal manner.  I was told that the architect wanted the 38mm battens to increase the space between the roof tiles and the membrane for greater air flow.
 *****

I started writing this post on Saturday and got sidetracked and thought I could finish it on Monday. Its Monday now and was hotter than hell on site and I'm completely exhausted so although I had some other stuff to add, this is the end of this post.

Mansvelt Construction Feb1 - Feb 8

I began working for Mansvelt Construction www.mansveltconstruction.co.za on Feb 1st.  I was hired as foreman for an addition & remodel of a home in Constantia.  Mansvelt is a small firm building upmarket residences, including a current project in Tamboerskloof for Philip Olmesdahl of SAOTA.  There are three projects/ sites under construction  with a long term employee of Mansvelt running each.  The Constantia job is a new contract thus the firm hired me as a new foreman.

For the first few days I rode along with the project manager to see the various projects and meet the team.  I  was also given the plans for my project to study.  We were to build a second storey addition on top of an existing part of the house that had a concrete slab roof.  There was an open plan bathroom, dressing room, and bedroom with a thatch roof that would tie into the existing roof.  Then several doors and windows were to be replaced in the existing house, a large deck was to be built, and another bathroom to be renovated.

The boss challenged me with creating the program of work using a software program called Gantt.  Planning the program involved working through the entire job step by step in my mind, which was an excellent exercise as I then felt very confident about getting to site to build it.

Unfortunately, on my 7th day on the job the client stopped us while we were busy establishing the site.  He told us that the engineer had a concern over the foundation and the job may be on hold while they redesign.

In conversation with the boss, I asked what we would do if we don't get back on site soon.  The boss said that if we don't get back on site within a couple of weeks, we would have to take a "break".  It was obvious that without this project, it did not make business sense for the boss to keep me on.

I left the office very disappointed, but immediately started to pursue other work.  Since I have a great interest and experience in Timber Construction, I decided to contact Swissline Design  www.swisslinedesign.co.za, who ended up offering me a position beginning Monday the 18th Feb.  The boss at Mansvelt construction was understanding and wished me all the best.

I'm really looking forward to building homes with Swiss Master Carpenters.

About Rayan

I am a Canadian and South African living in Cape Town since 2002.  I studied Organisational Psychology at The University Of Cape Town and I presently  (2013) study Architectural Technology at Cape Peninsula University of Technology.

Throughout my secondary and tertiary studies, summer work was always in construction.  I was a general labourer and timber framer on many projects in Canada and a few in England.  At the end of each summer I would return to school or varsity to prepare myself for some sort of 'white collar' career that i would eventually begin and develop, only I never really stayed on one road.  I excelled in each of my various roles / jobs but was always unfulfilled and always felt a need to keep moving.  Between those endeavors I usually went back to construction and was always welcomed back on site because I work hard, solve problems, and try to make people laugh while we're at it.  I always enjoyed building, but just didn't consider it as a long term option at the time.

During the remodel of my own home which I designed myself and undertook with the help of only a brick layer, a plasterer, and a labour hand, I finally realized that my passion is for a combination of design and construction. I love to customize, improve and adapt things!  It seems that I am only fulfilled when problem solving, creating, and working with my hands.  My father is an Engineer, and my Mother an Artist. My interests and aptitudes seem to come in equal parts from the two of them.   So it was back to school to study Architecture!  It is never too late.  

here's a model

Internship entry

Entries labelled 'Internship journal' will be written specifically for the attention of my lecturers and program facilitators.  They can be found under the shortcut headings on the right hand side of my blog page.