BlaenCwmBychan

BlaenCwmBychan

Monday 26 October 2015

floorboard sanding, and started work in the Inglenook

This weekend we hired a floor-sander, and I started with the library floor.
The floorboards in the library were delivered pre-planed, so it was pretty easy to sand them back. Once that was done, I started on the first floor bedrooms (both rooms and landing area), which have been waiting to be sanded for a long time.
Meanwhile Jan started painting the library floor. Two coats of a grey wash will give it a dark-ish look, but with the wood still visible through. Then a final coat of matt varnish to protect it (next week).

Sanding back the bedroom&landing floorboards was a much tougher job, but finished it by lunchtime Sunday.
Not the most pleasant of jobs...very noisy, and very very dusty, so ear-defenders, and dust-mask worn all day, and even then every orifice is still full of sawdust.
But a great job to get done, and now the floorboards can be appreciated in all their glory !

Photos to come, when the floors are all finished !!


While Jan continued painting (I think she will be painting some surface or other for many weekends to come!!) ...I started digging up the Inglenook.

We have ordered a new woodburner (the existing one was a stop-gap, and not very effective)
https://esse.com/range-cookers/esse-ironheart/
We will be without a stove in the room for a few weeks, but by then the Library will be up and working..... although we wont be able to cook, so will be utilising the local pub :)

In preparation for this, we will be digging up the Inglenook floor, which is a mix of old bits of brick, tiles and cement slab...a real mess.
I will be relaying in with red/blue ruabon tiles to match the rest of the room
At the same time we will tidy up the back wall of the inglenook, which is a mess (but structurally ok), and lime it. Jan had the idea of painting it with a yellow limewash, to hid the inevitable staining from soot etc...which is impossible to get rid of....we will see?!
We will also black lead the old bread oved in the corner, which will look really nice against the new lime.

That should take us a few weeks, and hopefully in time for delivery of the Ironheart..!!!

how it looks now...wait for the transformation......


Thursday 15 October 2015

Progress in the Library

Work has continued in the Library...
  • Floorboards down and nailed
  • Trapdoor to basement below built and installed
  • Grill to basement below for vemtilation installed
  • Fireplace complete
    • Initial (suspended between joists) slab of vermivulite concrete (nice and light)
    • Laid in the old (Ruabon) black/blue tiles resqued from the hallway floor
    • Grouted, cleaned and sealed
    • Log fire fitted back in
    • Old original (?) Fireplace surround painted and re-fitted
  • Panelling on the partition wall fitted, filled and ready for painting
    • A mirror image of the Inglenook room wall
  • Panelling around the sash-window fitted, filled and ready to paint
    • Inluding a window seat
  • Skirting fitted, ready to paint
  • Lime rendering of walls nearly complete




Jobs to do....
  • Finish Lime rendering (one final smooth layer on the back wall)
  • Lime-wash the walls
  • Paint the panelling (wall, window, and skirting)
    • We have chosen F&B Stiffkey Blue
  • Sand and paint the floorboards (haven't decided on a colour yet...but it will be dark)
  • Figure out what to do with the ceiling !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Furnishings...
I was planing to build a bookcase against the back wall, of my own design, but am considering buying a bespoke piece, as I am not that level of craftsman !!!
We will see if we can afford it

The rug, sofa and chair were used temporarily, as we had a family event there a few weeks ago, they will be removed as we finish off the jobs above.

Nearly there !!!! :)


As it was.....