Day 87: Let the Rendering begin!

​I figured out what that bit thing in the back of the workshop was. They guys were preparing to render the ceiling! When I arrived today it was all done.

Here's a video of how they start it.

This is the ceiling in the back of the workshop. It's finished. but the wall below (in the same picture) is only at the first step. They slop on the mixture (cement and sand) They let it dry a little more, then they level it with a "ruler" i don't know what the proper english word is but it's what they call it in this house (I can't even say if that's what they call it in spanish...these guys have their own vocabulary) then they wet it again and smooth it out with a trawl and then again with a sponge to smooth it out...and tadaaaaa!

This is the east wall of the dance studio.

This is the bathroom and change room of the dance studio. The doorway on the right is the secret entrance into the workshop.

Same room but a shot so you can see the ground as well. all that mortar you see on the floor is the stuff they cut off the wall when they were levelling it with the rulers.

Here's Esteban working under the stairwell.

This is the west wall of the pantry in my home. This wall will be full of shelves when it's done. It's going to be the main storage area in the house. What a difference from the bricks eh?

Here's the bucket of water and sponge for the final touch. FYI: I asked Luis about the spray machine that someone told me about for rendering and Luis said it's crap. He says it goes on fast but the problem is when you spray it on, you're not rubbing it in and putting in on the wall with enough pressure. So what happens when you spray it on, is that it comes off very easily and it isn't as dense and solid as rendering it by hand. When the wall gets scratched, the sprayed stuff falls off really easily and it's easier to chip. The only bonus to the machine is that it's fast. but in the end it's not worth it. Luis says it usually only lasts a few years and then the walls get dented and look like crap. Luis says each guy can do about 20m2 a day! it's a lot of work and slow. He says it ends up being more expensive for him but he says he'd rather do the work well and feel proud that he's done a good solid job!

While I prodded along...again... same old same old. but today I had to chip off a lot of the cement that leaked through when they were doing the rooftop. But I think I spend more time doing it than I needed to because Luis didn't seem too worried when I left some parts uncovered and some parts sticking out. I'll point them out in the pictures.

There was a lot of cement to chip off here and I only had the spatula to chip it off. The spatulas are surprisingly strong but not strong enough. So I quit and left the cement for the guys to do. Later I spoke to Luis and he said not to worry, the guys will take it off with the drill! WTH? and I was trying to chip it of with just a spatula?!?!?....OMG.....(rolling my eyes)

There wer 2 big chunks of cement in the right corner and there were steel rebars sticking out of the cement. Luis says the guys will cut it off with the angle grinder later.

I didn't get much done in the 4 hours I was there today but I we have good days and bad days. No big deal. Any help I give is extra. I think the only thing I have left to do is the back terrace and the stairwell and upstairs...I'm not sure if they want me to do the upstairs yet...but I don't see why not?