I blame you lot.

[tycarregydwr]

When we took this place on we knew there was a lot to do and while not fans of PVC windows, we weren't particularly thinking about full-on restoration. Having lurked on here for the past month I went and took out a stack of books from the library and have been reading all about the wonders of lime. I even found a book about Welsh vernacular buildings, focussing on the very type we own. And on Saturday while driving I was mentioning to my other half how it would be good to get a specialist in to at least give us an idea of what de-cementing the place would entail... no sooner had I uttered these words than we drove past a house with a sign 'Steven so-and-so, Conservation builder, Lime and Stonework'. It seemed serendipitous. Even more so when,after leaving a message this morning, I actually received a call back later the same day. So now a nice chap is coming round later this week to tell us how we can spend many thousands of pounds more than we bargained for...

In all seriousness, it's not a huge priority since the house doesn't currently appear to be suffering hugely and we have to work our way through this project as we can afford to. But I am excited about the potential. And I doubt we'd have even been considering it (or certainly not at this stage) if I hadn't joined PPUK. So thank you!

 

[Zebra]

Yes you have to watch out for this lot, they're a bad influence, they inspire you to be brave and true to your house, giving it lime and patience and all the things it needs, then when you've been two years with no kitchen, living off tinned soup and bathing in a bucket, with tarpaulins for windows, no roof on half the house and ankle deep in filth, they'll say oh that's nothing, we had enormous holes in the walls during the snow, or lived in a tent inside the house for six months, or had no running water for two years, and being clean is overrated anyway........ :wink:

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Yes you have to watch out for this lot, they're a bad influence, they inspire you to be brave and true to your house, giving it lime and patience and all the things it needs, then when you've been two years with no kitchen, living off tinned soup and bathing in a bucket, with tarpaulins for windows, no roof on half the house and ankle deep in filth, they'll say oh that's nothing, we had enormous holes in the walls during the snow, or lived in a tent inside the house for six months, or had no running water for two years, and being clean is overrated anyway........ :wink:

Oh that's nothing...we did this for six months, living in one room all together. It was cold, except we were so close it wasn't.

 

[middi]

Just because you have a SELF INFLICTED restoration bug addiction there is no need to blame us for it

( enjoy the trip :wink: )

Middi

 

[JohnB]

I know a local conservation builder if you want a second opinion.

 

[tobydog]

All good and fair points Zebra. And where are they to help when the bills start coming in eh? On another thread talking about chickens, that's where :wink:

 

[tycarregydwr]

JohnB, that would be great, thank you.

The rest of you <lalala> fingers in ears

 

[JohnB]

JohnB, that would be great, thank you.

The rest of you <lalala> fingers in ears

You've got a PM.

 

[88v8]

In carrying out various unanticipated, unbudgetted, work on our 1620 house, we have used Brownstone Construction from Abergavenny, and even though they're 80 miles away, will continue to use them so long as they're willing to travel. Stonework, lime work, limecrete, and no doubt other stuff.
http://www.brownstoneconstruction.co.uk/#1

And I'm speaking as someone who barely used builders over the last 35 years, and thinks they are all bodgers... except this lot.

Ivor

 

[LadyArowana]

Just because you have a SELF INFLICTED restoration bug addiction there is no need to blame us for it

( enjoy the trip :wink: )

Middi

:lol: :lol: :lol: Well said, lots of people can pop into the pub or the liquor store without becoming alcoholics. Personally I don't find that visiting PPUK has had any negative effects, and the fact that I spend most of my time in a concrete and steel box on the other side of the world has NOTHING to do with it, either that or the bad case of 'elephant collecting bug' makes me immune to further infection. Although...... I wonder how much lime render we would need!

 

[Jellyfire]

I'm not addicted. I could stop anytime I like.

Just one more wall in lime and I'll give up....

(Seriously I started exactly the same as you. A small list of essential decorator works which still aren't even started 4 years later, and I now find myself cutting down trees in the garden to make wattles to rebuild my walls. Not sure how this happened but I definitely hold PPUK responsible!)

 

[FamilyWiggs]

I'm not addicted. I could stop anytime I like.

Just one more wall in lime and I'll give up....

(Seriously I started exactly the same as you. A small list of essential decorator works which still aren't even started 4 years later, and I now find myself cutting down trees in the garden to make wattles to rebuild my walls. Not sure how this happened but I definitely hold PPUK responsible!)

And I blame my expanding waistline on the "Penners Approach to Proper Planning of Period Property Procrastinations"... Multiple kitkats. :roll:

 

[skier-hughes]

Which reminds me the kettle will have boiled, so a cup of tea before getting the pipework connected and water back on I think!!

 

[Feltwell]

I have heard that FamilyWiggs is something of a master at procrastination. He mentions his expanding waistline above, but apparently he has also gained some height and aged a bit since the picture he posted below, taken at the start of his project. Very brave of one so young to take on that big a project though, when all his friends were just building with Lego.

 

[tycarregydwr]

I have heard that FamilyWiggs is something of a master at procrastination. He mentions his expanding waistline above, but apparently he has also gained some height and aged a bit since the picture he posted below, taken at the start of his project. Very brave of one so young to take on that big a project though, when all his friends were just building with Lego.

:lol:

 

[Zebra]

I'm not addicted. I could stop anytime I like.

Just one more wall in lime and I'll give up....

(Seriously I started exactly the same as you. A small list of essential decorator works which still aren't even started 4 years later, and I now find myself cutting down trees in the garden to make wattles to rebuild my walls. Not sure how this happened but I definitely hold PPUK responsible!)

:lol: :lol: Yes I'm exactly the same. I kind of promised the house it could have a lath and plaster ceiling in the bedroom, but not having enough laths, I'm looking at the oak tree in my Mum's garden thinking "how hard could it be......?"

 

[Feltwell]

Be careful what you wish for. Someone may be looking at you thinking "She'd make a lovely stripey rug for the bedroom floor you know" :wink:

 

[Penners]

I blame my expanding waistline on the "Penners Approach to Proper Planning of Period Property Procrastinations"... Multiple kitkats. :roll:

Oh, come on now, FW! Which is better, hacking off cement rendering or munching on a Kit-Kat?

I rest my case.

 

[FamilyWiggs]

Well, not enough kitkats this morning....

I started with a thirty minute job this morning to fix a shower here in the modern extension:



Three hours later I'm fitting a new larger cubicle and tray, a towel radiator, and a new floor:

 

[Penners]

I started with a thirty minute job this morning to fix a shower here in the modern extension

If I didn't know you better, I'd say that was a naive statement. When did a thirty-minute job ever last less than two days?

By the way, I hope that cable emerging from the wall isn't for the shower. It looks decidedly lightweight for that job.