Benching time

Phase two of the pergola build is to get the three walls built level and upright, easy if your a builder but I am not in fact I have never
laid a brick before. Still I have watched DIY SOS and they make it look easy what could go wrong.

With the first row in I realised I could not lay them with sharp sand as they would not move around. I put a fillet all around the bottom to set them well on the foundation, I had all the muck knocked up so had to use it. So back to wicks to get some soft sand and another 20 blocks, I need 18 so have two spare! The pictures don’t quite show that the levels are all over the place.

Two more rows up now and the levels evened up, now to get the first timber in. The right hand side is the back and going to be my pot store with a larger shelf at the bottom and a small one higher up. I decided to let the two timbers come through the wall so I have a large shelf to put something on.

This row had to have the blocks cut to go around the timber, doubling the time for this row.

Nice simple row of three blocks to finish off the day.
Only had half a day on day two as had to do some of the day job. So I spent two hours cutting and chipping away at the blocks to fit in the second pot shelf this time it was not to pass through but stop within the wall.

I also was getting a bit to high so decided to take a third off one block to keep it down a bit. This is where I broke my first block.

Hooray all blocks up and level (ish) to make use of the time I decided to paint what was dry from the previous day.

Home straight now so this morning it was back out and paint the rest
.

With it all painted it hides my laying skills or lack of them, last job is to get the timber on.

A good sense of achievement getting all the timber on, just one thing missing trees. Just at this point my Steph came up to see me and decided the low bit was hers so off she went to get her two trees and claimed it.

Bet you would like to know what it looks like with trees on, so would I as other things got on the way. O well bring on tomorrow and let’s fill it up.