weekend #3 in the inglenook

a long weekend and thankfully still mild weather!!
I have been trawling reclamation yards picking up original read&black/blue Ruabon tiles.
So this weekend layed them in (not easy!) and then grouted them in.
Then spent a day in the Library, painting and tidying while the tiles dried
So on Sunday acid cleaned the whole room and wax sealed it .

Now just need the Esse to be delivered and installed soon please!

weekend #2 in the inglenook

Well what an amazing day today, it felt like summer (actually probably nicer than most of the summer days!)...it was at least 18c, and even warmer in front of the house, which is a real suntrap!.

More progress inside, Jan continued painting and varnishing the floors of the Library and the bedroom above.
Library looks really nice now...we will move in next weekend.

and as it was....(notice the fire surround, resqued, painted and re-fitted)

 that floor was a deathtrap!!

I was working in the Inglenook. I dug out more of the floor on Saturday, then on Sunday took out the fire(stored in the workshop...I will use it one day when I build the orchard house). and dug out the rest of the floor. It is now ready to lay in tiles next weekend.

We have plenty of the red tiles (rescued when I dug up the hallway floor). We need the same amount of black tiles, so will call into Llanelli salvage next weekend.

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......

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..... 

Library floor down...(first layer anyway)

Recently, we have been splitting our time between keeping the orchard under control, and continuing work in the Library.

With the basement finished, we have put in the electrics. Basement lighting and power, and power points in the library. We also took this opportunity to put in an outside light over the front door.
A beautiful evening last weekend...

I have finished laying the chipboard floor. Over this will go a layer of foil/bubblewrap insulation, and then the new (12" wide) pine floorboards, which I took delivery of this weekend, so I can start laying them next weekend.
With the cellar trapdoor hole of course

library floor and basement stairs

This weekend was beautiful, with clear skies, lovely warm weather. Saturday was hot, Jan struggled to cut grass in the orchard, and had to rest reguarly. This time of year the big black fly's (horseflies?) come out and although slow and easy to swat, they are persistent and bite !!...So it was hard work, but essential to keep the orchard under control, and the cleared brambles remain cleared !!

I was lucky enough to continue work in (cool) basement, laying in the remaining joists This included the joint work around the fireplace, into which I will be laying a block of Vermiculite concrete(lightweight and thermo efficient). Onto that I will be laying a slate hearth.
With that finished on Saturday afternoon, I was able to start laying in the first layer of floor-boarding, cutting holes for the trapdoor, and small hole for a floor-vent over the basement window, for CO2 safety (Building Regs requirement).

On Sunday I started building the wooden steps down to the basement through the trapdoor.
It's a steep incline, so had to thought long and hard on the design, then found a Pinterest post that solved the problem...

So here it is...in place...

I am not 100% happy with it.
I had to use what I had lying around the workshop (old floorboards, and bits of battening)
So I will see how it works in action, but may replace the treads with more robust pieces, or at least re-inforce the battens with dowel ( I had to use screws as not enough dowel of the right size).

At least I know the pattern works, and I can replace it more easily...if necessary

The basement looks great and ready to start storing our Autumn harvest...(we are expecting a bumper harvest of apples and damsons this year)

moving on up

So with the basement marathon coming to an end, its time to start the welcome task of moving up into the library.... the first steps at least.

I finished laying the cobbles last weekend, a thoroughly rewarding exercise, it looks almost original. Walking and working on it (and constant sweeping) is starting to rub back the lime, and polish the cobbles. Not as good as years of livestock walking on it (as it originally would have been used ), but its a good start.

With that and the lime rendering finished, it was time to start laying in the new oak joists.
This is heavy lifting, each one weighing about 40kg(or at least it felt like). Each one needs lifting, measuring, cutting, adjusting ( 2 or 3 times) leveling, then onto the next one...quite a workout!!

Made good progress this weekend, but didn't quite finish in time, but at least I broke the back of it.
Should finish it next weekend, and can start laying the floorboarding, insulation etc.

We picked up a bench (old church pew) last weekend, so set that up with the long table, ...it fits perfectly, and looks great...just need lots of vistors to fill it up now

Also managed to give the new lawn its first cut...looking pretty lush !!