Filling gaps between flagstones

[Penners]

make sure the local toothless crones sucked the last bits of sinew off the bones

Or sell them to a hamburger chain to make their top-quality meals (the gristly bones, not the crones).

 

[JoceAndChris]

Don't know if you looked round the rest of that knucklebone preparation site, Joce, but they also do (at the risk of reopening an old thread), chicken houses:

http://www.rafflesgb.com/html/gal8.html
http://www.rafflesgb.com/html/chicken_house.html

Now look what you've done, I'm going to be jumping up and down demanding a £4500 chicken house for my expanding flock. (Not quite expanding yet but Nathaniel's already got that glint in his eye, Georgiana's the one). Where do you get all these amazing chicken houses from? Thanks again!

McDonalds is the modern version of knucklebone stew for the poor isn't it? It's just struck me, and it's another example of how supposed progress is actually b*llocks.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Mmm, just seen that two examples of the Raffles' work are at Belvoir Castle, just bought a season ticket, will go and see. What amazing summer houses they are.

 

[Cloudscape]

McDonalds is the modern version of knucklebone stew for the poor isn't it?

Erm... I don't think that's what their latest ad campaign said. :shock: One of the ads shows children playing in a slightly scruffy (!) farmyard, and extols the virtues of McDonalds products and their naturalness. I know the farm where the ad was filmed. The locals thought the crew and the ad were hilarious. The ad is based on circles (to echo the burger shape) and the crew wanted to film a round field... :?

I'd have thought that McDonalds buns might make a suitable temporary grout for flagstones?

 

[Penners]

Is it early 1800s? And is that the front or the back?

Close - it's actually late 1700's. Just a few years before Victoria. That's the back of the house, although the building actually stands sideways to the lane.

It's a funny old place, that's growed like Topsy, with bits being added on here and there over the years/decades/centuries. Think Steptoe & Son.

 

[JoceAndChris]

To update an old thread - I'm seriously onto this job in the hallway now.

I could a) leave the gaps alone b) fill the big ones with lime mortar c) rake out all the old grout/ cement filler and refill with lime mortar d) use a bit of dark coloured grout in the worst places

Chris wasn't keen on the great big chunks of mud between the flagstones, but isn't that pretty authentic?

My concerns are that the filler, whatever it is, should be very dark grey, and also that raking out the old cement filler (which looks fine) risks chipping the edge of the flagstones - they're made of a pretty soft kind of stone. Had a little go, very scary.

By the way, in case you're wondering about breathability, the sandwich here (working upwards from the basement) is vaulted brick ceiling with some cement pointing and some lime pointing, maybe structural timber(?), original flue, sand, flagstones. The flue makes the flagstones warm!

Does lime mortar have to be off-white?

 

[Schoolmarm]

Here is a link to the pigment sold on this site.

http://www.periodpropertyshop.co.uk/acatalog/Pigments.html

You could check with a lime supplier if they are compatible.

 

[JoceAndChris]

Thanks Carol - that's very interesting. I'd love to see that pigment mixing in action. I'd really need to do a dummy run somewhere, it's too prominent a spot to go experimenting. After consideration, I think this is a job for the professionals.