I added in some more layers to the kick board so that if a ladder was added on top of the scaffolding there was no chance of it slipping off the edge.

I used all sorts of scrap timber, and the kick board forms a wobbly line but it is now very safe up on the scaffold.

Once this was sorted, I took advantage of the kick board to use a ladder to reach on to the temporary roof.

I retrieved a piece of missing flashing and fastened it down properly.

All of this took up half the day.

Jim and Sandy invited me over for coffee and after this I managed to install two more rows of cladding.

This now takes me up to the top of the window.

Next visit I will install some architrave above the window as well as some flashing and then I can carry on upwards.

Wednesday

I worked for my client out on site and did a little work on the building during my breaks.

I installed the architrave at the top of the window and cut down a small strip of WeatherTex to complete the planking.

After this I folded up a strip of thin aluminium as flashing and glued this in place using Sikaflex Pro.

Finally, in the dark, by torchlight I applied etch primer to the aluminium.

Friday

I was out on site again, working on the building during breaks.

I installed the next row of planking.

I realised that the flashing I installed on the previous visit was too minimal and would expose the bottom edge of the cladding to continuous water contact.

I made up a new piece of flashing that spanned the whole face of the latest plank.

In the previous weeks, while I was working around the window, I ended up using two whole planks and two shorter lengths that I needed to cut from full planks.

This seemed very wasteful but it meant I could minimise the number of joins along each run.

I contented myself by planning to use these offcuts once I was above the window as I expected them to be approximately the right length to add on to three whole planks.

I was a little bit disconcerted to discover that the offcuts were 40 mm short.

To avoid any further wastage I have decided to PVA glue a small extension on to these offcuts as I install them.