Just moved into our project :-)

[jackpoint]

Getting on ok but there just aren't enough hours in the day!

Sadly the original slates are running out and rain is on the way :lol:

 

[Zebra]

On an unrelated note I see we have another fame hungry vacuum cleaner vying for attention like Zebra's Henry.

"Humph" says Henry, looking over my shoulder at the screen. "That one doesn't even have a face!"

 

[jocelyn plummer]

My goodness me what amazing progress you are making--all looking good.

 

[middi]

Is that a row of " new" tiles ?
If so why didn't you get the missing new tiles at the beginning and mixed them up evenly amongst the old. Unless you can get " old tiles" to match, the " new" tiles will look a bit odd bunched up toghether all on one side of the roof.

Middi

 

[jackpoint]

Hi Middi
That won't be a row of new slates, that's the start of the new slates
Quite a few of the originals have gone around from the side you can see in the photos (which only we can see)to complete the side that everyone can see from the lane.
It looks like it will need about 2/3 new slates on this side, pretty much from there onwards, so if we had mixed them up it would have looked like a chequerboard.....Tricksy choice either way I reckon

 

[jackpoint]

Ducking and diving the weather but finally the last ridge went on.....

For a complete amateur I'm a happy chappy. Give it thirty or so years and those 'new' slates will blend in just fine :lol:
Got to do a little woodwork and pop some paint on then the scaffolding can come down.

 

[Zebra]

Wow! Well done! Looks very good!

 

[jackpoint]

Thanks much!

Scaffold is due to be taken down (struck?) sometime this week/early next so that should make things look a whole lot different.

Knocked some lime mortar up a couple of days ago to this advice, which I absolutely love....

I still think the wine analogy is good. You can read thousands of books, spend zillions of pounds and wax lyrical with adjectives conceived for quite different purposes.
Or you can go to the nearest supermarket and grab a couple of bottles of whatever is in the bin by the door. I can't usually tell the difference.

If you buy a bag of 'lime' from the nearest builders merchant and pretend it is cement it works just fine. Mix it dry, one part of the dry white powder and three parts of sand as dirty as you like (I fish the larger leaves and twigs out), add water to taste as use straight away. I can't usually tell the difference.

Unlike cement, if you add too much water it doesn't matter - just leave it overnight and then pour off the water that has settled out on top.
Unlike cement, if you've made too much and don't use it all, stick it in a container and add an inch or two of water to cover it. It will keep forever.

Thanks BV!

Had a little try on a couple of spare bricks to see if what I made up works :lol: and I'm all ready for project the second, which is taking this wall down

and rebuilding it. The ivy got to it (and through it) and has done some unspeakable things :evil: Although the photo doesn't show it too well the wall is VERY out of shape and has popped and dislodged the bricks tying it to the corner of the house :shock:
Anyway a start has been made and bricks have been cleaned. I love cleaning bricks :roll:

More of the same for a few days me thinks

 

[Zebra]

And are you still sleeping on the landing?

 

[jackpoint]

No, bleached the crapola out of the bedrooms and we ended up with one useable room...

Not as romantic as sleeping on the landing but a damn site comfier. Just off up there now

 

[JoceAndChris]

Fancy coming and doing my house next?

Seriously though, that's very quick and impressive work. Looking good.

 

[Zebra]

Jackpoint, a bee appears to have left its jumper on your bed.

 

[jackpoint]

The bee in question gave the best quote ever today....

I'm your wife first and your labourer second!

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Well todays work was a bit of a mixed bag....
The lower kitchen cupboards are the last remaining damp things that we can find in the house, so as we are repairing the garden wall between us and our lovely neighbours (the matriarch of the house was my dinner lady at primary school) the problem became glaring obvious; namely the soil is approximately 20 inches higher on their side

My lovely wife (and labourer ) would like to point out her repointing that can be seen on the right hand side of the above photo - it's her first bash at it and it's come out really well!
Soi, I've dug a hole to start the trench...(and the repointing is not that bright in the flesh!)

The plan is to use geotex membrane around polystorm crates to give a nice big airway (and let any water drain to the front of the house)and top it off with paving slabs, so we will have a dry wall and the neighbours won't notice much difference with their garden.
Anyhow, while digging and popping a couple of bricks in the corner wall of the house the wife/labourer starts picking at the render (concrete )
Next thing you know a quater of the house is naked :shock: Do you like the butt joint between the original cottage and the extension.

All the render has come off really easily (truth be known it was almost falling off) so we will now remove it all and see how it cleans up.

Thanks again for the kind words! Updates as we get them

Cheers all

 

[Zebra]

That render came off nice and easy, goodo. Well you two are steaming ahead! And it's probably more advisable to have your wife be your labourer than your labourer be your wife, but not in all instances.

 

[robgil]

I wish I had a labourer, even some one to put the kettle on would be a massive help. How old do children have to be before they can safely boil a kettle?
Good luck with the project.

 

[plasticpigeon]

Good work!! I know this is a really geeky question but are all the bricks in your walls headers?? I don't think I have ever seen that! Are you going to leave it brick or re render? I really like the look of bricks, but your house also looks good rendered.

 

[jackpoint]

I know this is a really geeky question but are all the bricks in your walls headers??

No sir, back and sides aren't. We must admit it's a bit of a tough choice on the render/brick but we thought we would start by taking it all off and see what it looks like. If there's a big patch of bad brickwork hidden somewhere I guess that will make our minds up for us.

Cheers all

 

[LadyArowana]

We must admit it's a bit of a tough choice on the render/brick but we thought we would start by taking it all off and see what it looks like. If there's a big patch of bad brickwork hidden somewhere I guess that will make our minds up for us.

Cheers all

Well done, if the stuff is coming off that easily then it's probably a good call to get rid of it. Can't wait to see pictures of the whole thing naked..... that phrase doesn't sound quite right, but I'm sure you know what I mean :lol:

 

[jackpoint]

Nearly naked :lol: and we've started to uncover a door/window that's been bricked up.

The scaffold round the shed came down today too which made it look a whole lot different. I quite like the slate tetris game

 

[plasticpigeon]

For what it's worth I like it in brick. Those brick arches were made to be shown. Is the one above the right window as fallen as it looks?