2008-06-28

This week has seen the Living Room tiled out and the fireplace put in. The fireplace is a large slab of stone from the old barn, cut into the wall, and held up at the front with 4 inch pipe full of concrete. The slab was VERY heavy, so we used the tractor to lift it, then rolled it through the living room door. The little pallet lifter then came into play to move it in and out while cutting the wall to fit. The pipe has been painted matt black to match the wood burning stove which will sit on top. Job Done! One wall in the hall has been plastered, ready for the stairs to be erected, and then the floor in the kitchen, lobby and small toilet made ready for tiling next week. Good progress again.

2008-06-14

We have been away for two weeks sailing with Paul Menin round the top of Scotland. Some progress has been made in that time, despite a Bank Holiday! The plastering has been finished in the Bedroom and EnSuite, also the Lounge upstairs. The main thing though is the Stained Glass Window from the lounge in Brocks Close has been installed between the Gallery and the Lounge (see picture on the right). The ceiling is up in the Kitchen, Living Room, Lounge and Bedroom. The nice curved edges and wood sheeting can be seen round the Velux windows in the photo on the left taken from within the lounge. There are wires sticking out of the walls ready for fittings. We should see the ceiling finished next week, and with only the hall to plaster now, that should not take too long, once we have the rest of the plaster.

2008-05-24

Great progress this week. The kitchen has 3 walls plastered, the ceiling downstairs is half done out in wood sheeting, and the door frames are done downstairs too. The photo on the left shows Mike & John working on the kitchen ceiling. The plumbing has been moving along well too.
The Plant Room has now got plant in it! the two tanks for the Solar and Heat Pump systems share resources. All the pipes and manifolds have a rather impresive look about them. I hope Dennis labels up the controls! You can see how complicated it is in the picture on the right.
I think Susy was hoping for more storage in what will be our Hot Press (Irish for Airing Cupboard). The water has been connected and the heating system is now full of water, ready to go. No electric yet, but the first fix is done.
The tiles have arrived. Our next report is on the 16th June.

2008-05-17

Not much to see this week at all. However the electricians have been very busy and have pretty well finished the first fix. There has been some filling of the holes and blockwork, with edges in place for the window sills which will be tiles, by the way. The Plant Room is finished now, the foor is tiled, and all cables installed. Just need a plumber now, but he is waiting for the plastering to be finished.
We have collected the oak door frames, seen here in the picture on the right, lying on the floor of the hall.
The Heat Pump has arrived and is sitting on it's concrete plinth still wrapped in plastic, ready to install. It is VERY heavy, so should not blow away! The photo on the left is looking across the back of the house with the pump in the foreground. The rock was cut away from behind the cottage to a depth of nearly 2 metres and a drain installed, then filled with '2 inch clean'. Looks nice!
We are hoping for the inside plastering to begin in earnest next week.
Week 25 - 24th May - Nothing happened this week, the chaps were working elsewhere, but should be plastering next week, all being well!

2008-05-10

Slow this week I think. The lads have been busy rounding off the corners of the windows and walls inside, ready for plastering, which may be delayed a week. We should have the electrician finishing off the 1st fix on Monday, and the plumber starting Monday or Tuesday. The plant room is now fully plastered, and will be tiled on Monday, ready for the water and heating system installation.
The photo on the right shows the Plant Room roof being finished by Dan and John. Interestingly this was the  first part of the building to have roofing felt put on, but the last to be tiled.
The WebCam shows Lorna driving the tractor shifting rock, with Francis supervising. We built a Dry Stone Wall behind the house, with steps, to enable us to walk down from the 'Afternoon Terrace' behind the house and across the back of the cottage to the drive. How nice to have visitors with hidden skills!

2008-05-03

We have been away for a long and tiring weekend singing with the choir in Turnov near Prague . This week has seen the front door installed, so the house is at last secure from the weather. We are very pleased with the look of it all.
The Sheeps Wool Insulation going up and more intermittent electrical fitting. The insulation seen here on the left is in the corner of the bedroom, with the dormer window just visible. I have to say that it is much nicer to work with than fibreglass. It is a little dusty, but there is none of that horrible itching!

2008-04-26

Inside progress now. We have the ceilings being prepared. The heating engineer has put the fittings on the roof for the Solar Panels, and the pipes from there appear in the Plant Room, seen here on the left, as if by magic!
The electrician is busy wiring the house. Nice soft walls for channelling, but we have set them some challenges with network cable and power for the UPS to go into the cottage. You can see a nice mass of wires all over the place in the kitchen on the right. The frame for the front door is just on the edge of the picture.

2008-04-19

Those of you watching the Webcam will not have seen much going on this week, but round the back out of sight the north and west side of the house have been rendered, with nice curved edges in an old fashioned cottage style which we are delighted with. In place of a boring webcam shot of more of the same ther is a photo of the west side of the house with nearly all the scaffolding gone. On the right you can see rendering in action. Dan is applying the first coat. The curved edges to the windows can also be seen.
Next week the electrician arrives on Monday to begin his work, and the lads will be rendering the south and east sides, so there will be plenty to see.

2008-04-12

Back from holiday we are able to enjoy the house without a howling gale running through it. The photo on the right shows the windows in the lounge upstairs from the inside. Work is going on inside finishing the walls upstairs and preparing for the sheeps wool insulation to be added to the roof.

2008-04-05

The Dumb Waiter has been installed now. This hand operated lift enables us to send items from the kitchen up to the lounge. The photo on the right shows the mechanism above the lift before it disappears behind a wall forever. Outside the house the holes have been filled ready for rendering which sahould commence in about another week or so.

Pages