So i've decided to start updating this Blog, so that I can at least look back and see how much work we have done. It sometimes feels very slow and very little progress. Also i'm hoping that someone out there may find this of interest..
So before we start on 2014 a quick recap of the acheivements of 2013...
- Chimneys are a theme...started the year with scaffolding still up, Repairing the Chimneys, fitting the steel lining(down to the Inglenook and the Library). Topped off with lead and cement. Replaced all the leadwork, repointed and rendered with Lime...and for a while they didnt leak...more on this subject in 2014 methinks.
- After the success of repairing the Main beam between the Libary and Owen's bedroom in late 2012 (New end piece, Post and Brace (see photo below). It was time to put the joists back, replacing the rotten ones (8 new oak joists). Then laying the MDF boarding, the underlay insulation, and then the new Pine (12inch wide) floorboards into Owen's Bedroom.
- Then started on the Landing floor/Hallway ceiling - took out the old crap joists (just plain 4x1 !), and replaced with dressed Oak joists...nice
- Extended the floor boarrding/insultion and floorboards into the landing
- Carried on into Alys' bedroom. Ripped up the old floorboards,and replaced a few rotten joists (4). Fitted the biscuit-board/insulation onto the Inglenook ceiling, laid in the sheeps wool insulation. Fitted boarding/underlay insulation and floorboards. This allowed us to get the pile of floorboards out of the way !!!...phwew that sentence sounds pretty simple...quite a job!!
- With Owen's floor in place, fitted the fireplace, with nice simple slate hearth.
- Then on with the Liming ! Rough coat on the 3 walls, Simple whitewashed finish for the Fireplace wall.
- Made and fitted the widowsill and fitted the sash weights
- Fitted the door liner, Architrave and skirting
- Then on with the smooth(ish) second Lime render coat. Limed the Ceiling (between the joists).
- Jan whitewashed everything in sight !...and hey Presto by December a new bedroom was functional, brought the Iron double bed down from the attic bedroom (Tom's) and put the two metal single beds up there.
- Meanwhile I carried on Liming the landing (first coat), made and fitted the windowsill and fitted the sashweights.
- Limed(first coat) Alys bedroom. Three walls. The end wall will be whitewashed.
- Limed(first coat) the hallway wall(around the door) too. This was a mess, so made quite a difference.
- Electrics...As well as laying in the ring main on the first floor, Jan took on the task of the hall/stairs/landings. Lots of research, diagrams, and DIY books later and 3 way switches and litghiting in place, very impressive !
- Replaced the old fuse box with a new Consumption box/RCD's much safer
- Finally wired in the shower in the shed...working hot water !!
- In the Orchard this year, we cleared half of the bramble bank ( a big job made easier with the Scythe), and kept on top of the grass (another new lawnmower in 2014 we think). A very good apple crop, made about 7 gallons. One gallon from one tree alone ! (One tree brew)
- By this time it was getting too cold to carry on liming, so focused on woodwork and getting the Inglenook room more liveable. Fitted biscuitbaord to the partition walls, with insulation. (did the same in the Library room).
- Made and fitted a windowsill for the Inglenook room. Made it from Ash (As opposed to the first floor windowsills which were made from spare floorboards). Fitted sash weights(getting good at this now !)
- Emptied the Inglenook of all the tools, and bags of Lime into the Library. Which is now the defacto workshop.
- Installed a kitchen cupboard (1950s classic from WOTNOT...more about this place later)
- Finally added a rug, and old armchair, plastic tablecloth on thte old kitchen table, and hey presto a (relatively) liveable kitchen/living room (Inglenook room)
- Final Outdoor job of the winter....fitted new guttering on the front (black powder coated aluminium). With no downpipe for the last year the end wall was very wet(and was making the corner of Owen's room damp too), so hopefully this will start drying out now.
- Final Indoor job of the year - Made 4 doors, and fitted 3 of them. Made the two ground floor doors to the Inglenook and the Library from 1.5 inch Tulip wood. Made the 2 first floor doors to Owens and ALys' bedrooms from remaining floorboards. So now the library workshop can be closed to keep the mess in. The inglenook can be kept relatively warm and tidy, and Owen's room is complete ! ALys's door is nearly finished and will be done in 2014.
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