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Hi all and welcome to TheWoodHaven2 brought into the 21st Century, kicking and screaming! We all have Alasdair to thank for the vast bulk of the heavy lifting to get us here, no more so than me because he's taken away a huge burden of responsibility from my shoulders and brought us to this new shiny home, with all your previous content (hopefully) still intact! Please peruse and feed back. There is still plenty to do, like changing the colour scheme, adding the banner graphic, tweaking the odd setting here and there so I have added a new thread in the 'Technical Issues, Bugs and Feature Requests' forum for you to add any issues you find, any missing settings or just anything you'd like to see added/removed from the feature set that Xenforo offers. We will get to everything over the coming weeks so please be patient, but add anything at all to the thread I mention above and we promise to get to them over the next few days/weeks/months. In the meantime, please enjoy!
Mike's ext'n & renovation (solar panels)
- Thread starter Mike G
- Start date
If I could ask a few questions, Mike?
Do you have a ballpark figure of what the work would have cost you if you'd employed people? Either a builder to do it all or you to manage with subbies?
The original construction of the house is interesting. Do you think that it was originally a traditional black-and-white with the timber frame visible externally but that they then decided to apply an outer skin of lath and render at a later date ?
Am I right in saying that the original frame always was the full height ? Round our way black and whites over the years have had the roof line elevated to provide an upper storey either by way of a 'half-lift' (my term!) like this one...
or a 'full-lift' like ours
The drawback with both 'lifts', as I see it, is that they seem inherently unstable to side-loading...you can see the top has splayed out in the 'half-lift' and also in ours (but that was because when I replaced some of those verticals to the right of the house about 20 years ago I didn't have a clue about what I was doing).
Do you have a ballpark figure of what the work would have cost you if you'd employed people? Either a builder to do it all or you to manage with subbies?
The original construction of the house is interesting. Do you think that it was originally a traditional black-and-white with the timber frame visible externally but that they then decided to apply an outer skin of lath and render at a later date ?
Am I right in saying that the original frame always was the full height ? Round our way black and whites over the years have had the roof line elevated to provide an upper storey either by way of a 'half-lift' (my term!) like this one...
or a 'full-lift' like ours
The drawback with both 'lifts', as I see it, is that they seem inherently unstable to side-loading...you can see the top has splayed out in the 'half-lift' and also in ours (but that was because when I replaced some of those verticals to the right of the house about 20 years ago I didn't have a clue about what I was doing).
Mike G
Petrified Pine
To answer your questions in reverse order, Roger.
No, this building was always the same height. The frame is unaltered, or at least, it was until I came along. The roof that was on it when I bought it is original too, although I have since hidden it under a new roof. It's also a "no" for the exposed-timbers question. This was always rendered over, with the principle timbers being on display internally, and only the ends of the wall plates/ eaves beams being visible externally.
It would be quite obvious if there had ever been render between studs, rather than across the face of them, and there is no such sign. You'll also note that in East Anglia (in fact, anywhere to the east of the A1), the framing follows a quite different pattern to that of your area. Yours has big squares, with a half-storey height horizontal member, whereas in the east we always have had "close studding", with more verticals timbers, and omitting the mid-storey horizontal. I'm not sure whether cottages in your area were always meant to have exposed timbers, but I do know for certain that they weren't meant to be black and white. The framing would have been whitewashed in with the rest of the house, and that not only looks way better, it also seals the little gaps between timber and render paneling.
We do have lots of 1-1/2 storey cottages around here too, with little dormers. Originally thatched, mainly. The fact that this is a clear two storeys is one of the reasons it was plain to see that this building was built later than the classic period of English timber framed cottages. Plus, it was clearly designed to have a slate roof, and slate was a much later roofing material in this area than the traditional thatch.
No, this building was always the same height. The frame is unaltered, or at least, it was until I came along. The roof that was on it when I bought it is original too, although I have since hidden it under a new roof. It's also a "no" for the exposed-timbers question. This was always rendered over, with the principle timbers being on display internally, and only the ends of the wall plates/ eaves beams being visible externally.
It would be quite obvious if there had ever been render between studs, rather than across the face of them, and there is no such sign. You'll also note that in East Anglia (in fact, anywhere to the east of the A1), the framing follows a quite different pattern to that of your area. Yours has big squares, with a half-storey height horizontal member, whereas in the east we always have had "close studding", with more verticals timbers, and omitting the mid-storey horizontal. I'm not sure whether cottages in your area were always meant to have exposed timbers, but I do know for certain that they weren't meant to be black and white. The framing would have been whitewashed in with the rest of the house, and that not only looks way better, it also seals the little gaps between timber and render paneling.
We do have lots of 1-1/2 storey cottages around here too, with little dormers. Originally thatched, mainly. The fact that this is a clear two storeys is one of the reasons it was plain to see that this building was built later than the classic period of English timber framed cottages. Plus, it was clearly designed to have a slate roof, and slate was a much later roofing material in this area than the traditional thatch.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Carrying on with the north gable, with the work in the following order:
-Celotex between frame (complicated by this gable being the only part of the house using 3" framing depth, rather than 4". Goodness knows why.
-tufts of mineral wool stuffed in to the small joins between celotex & frame
-window surrounds
-horizontal 2x2s
-electrics
-horizontal insulation
-vertical 2x2s
-vertical insulation
-breather membrane (doesn't follow the vertical insulation, so much as goes up the building just in arrears of it, to hold it in place)
-windows
Here are the photos:
Finally, there was the little corner junction between the new utility room and the old part of the house, which has been open for 18 months or more. No longer:
So, I am one window and one door away from being watertight, and one small remnant of wall to finish above the new lounge roof. Sounds like a days work tomorrow.
-Celotex between frame (complicated by this gable being the only part of the house using 3" framing depth, rather than 4". Goodness knows why.
-tufts of mineral wool stuffed in to the small joins between celotex & frame
-window surrounds
-horizontal 2x2s
-electrics
-horizontal insulation
-vertical 2x2s
-vertical insulation
-breather membrane (doesn't follow the vertical insulation, so much as goes up the building just in arrears of it, to hold it in place)
-windows
Here are the photos:
Finally, there was the little corner junction between the new utility room and the old part of the house, which has been open for 18 months or more. No longer:
So, I am one window and one door away from being watertight, and one small remnant of wall to finish above the new lounge roof. Sounds like a days work tomorrow.
Quick plastering questions... I can't imagine these old pieces of wood are completely straight so what happens internally? It looks like you are fixing plasterboard directly to the old Oak - aren't the internal walls wavey as a result. Or do you shim the boards... or rely on the plasterer creating a level or what? Are you only boarding where there are openings to fill and keeping the lath and plaster upstairs or replacing it all?
Not had much to say lately but I do read every post. Thanks for keeping the updates going with so much detail.
Not had much to say lately but I do read every post. Thanks for keeping the updates going with so much detail.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Upstairs, the lath and plaster remains, and so it is just a patching job. Downstairs, the general case is that plasterboard is screwed over the old timbers, and will therefore not be flat. The plaster won't be flat either. I'm not trying to hide the fact that this place is old and wonky. There is going to be one small wall of plastering between the studs, to show them off. Ironically, this will probably produce the flattest surfaces for plastering.
My biggest plastering headache is outside, where I have a tall gable above a slate roof. I have yet to work out a feasible way off accessing the gable for the plasterer, because I need to get the slating done soon before the membrane perishes.
My biggest plastering headache is outside, where I have a tall gable above a slate roof. I have yet to work out a feasible way off accessing the gable for the plasterer, because I need to get the slating done soon before the membrane perishes.
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When we rebuilt my place (1982) we put in 4 dormers that were going to be a pain for access subsquently so I made these brackets and bolted them into the studwork one each side of the four windows.
The hook on the end of the bracket can either take a length of 4x2 or a standard scaffold tube and has been really useful over the years. When we had a scaffold put all round the building for further renovation 10 years ago the firm we used were really pleased to have something to build off.
Maybe you could fit some thing similar Mike. A local blacksmith could easily knock them up. mine are made form 50 x6 mm steel strip hot bent to shape.
HTH
Bob
The hook on the end of the bracket can either take a length of 4x2 or a standard scaffold tube and has been really useful over the years. When we had a scaffold put all round the building for further renovation 10 years ago the firm we used were really pleased to have something to build off.
Maybe you could fit some thing similar Mike. A local blacksmith could easily knock them up. mine are made form 50 x6 mm steel strip hot bent to shape.
HTH
Bob
Mike G":1vhny3qq said:
small scaffold tower at one end (purple). Scaffold boards (orange horizontal)( maybe a couple of boards) from the tower flying across to rest on the laths. Or if you have laid tiles already then rest on a bag of sand to spread the load.
second tower at the other end (vertical orange) and then a Youngman staging board (shown green) that rests on the scaffold boards at one end and the scaffold tower at the other.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
It's the part about resting on the slates which is my issue. Slates are fragile, and irreparable. If they break, you have a tingle or two on show on your nice new roof.
I'm thinking that I'll maybe slate the roof except for a small patch under the bedroom window, which I might be able to finish off later from inside, leaning out through the window. Also, I might leave a temporary ledge screwed to the face of the boarding under the small window in the joining segment (below the tiny window). Again, I'd remove this from inside, leaning out. Unfortunately, though, this temporary ledge and the patch of missing slates couldn't be at the same level.
I'm thinking that I'll maybe slate the roof except for a small patch under the bedroom window, which I might be able to finish off later from inside, leaning out through the window. Also, I might leave a temporary ledge screwed to the face of the boarding under the small window in the joining segment (below the tiny window). Again, I'd remove this from inside, leaning out. Unfortunately, though, this temporary ledge and the patch of missing slates couldn't be at the same level.
Can you not staple another sheet of something on top of the battens to protect the membrane from perishing, do the plastering with that in place, then remove and slate?
Cheers
Mark
Cheers
Mark
Karookop
Seedling
Mike, long time since I made a comment on your build. But I read everything and am still in awe about your workmanship and the amount of work you get done. Especially the wealth of your experience and skills. What stands out is your planning before doing!
It seems that the lower part of the structural beams (ground floor) had more rot in than the upper parts of the building. What is the reason for this?
Keep up the good work!
Regards from SA.
Carel.
It seems that the lower part of the structural beams (ground floor) had more rot in than the upper parts of the building. What is the reason for this?
Keep up the good work!
Regards from SA.
Carel.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Hi Carel.
Thanks for all the compliments.
The sole plates and the bottom of the posts fixed into them were the most rotten because of gravity. The water vapour that got into the wall from inside the house condensed against the inside of the cold outer skin of plaster and ran down it, pooling at the bottom. When that outer skin was lime rather than cement-based, the vapour would be absorbed into the plaster and eventually permeate outside and evaporate, but when they ripped the lime off in the 70s and replaced it with impervious cement-based render, there was nowhere for the moisture to go other than into the timber frame.
Thanks for all the compliments.
The sole plates and the bottom of the posts fixed into them were the most rotten because of gravity. The water vapour that got into the wall from inside the house condensed against the inside of the cold outer skin of plaster and ran down it, pooling at the bottom. When that outer skin was lime rather than cement-based, the vapour would be absorbed into the plaster and eventually permeate outside and evaporate, but when they ripped the lime off in the 70s and replaced it with impervious cement-based render, there was nowhere for the moisture to go other than into the timber frame.
Mike, you're probably sorted now with that gable-end roof.
Just thought I'd mention that I was driving by a place yesterday and what they'd done was cantilever (if that is the right word) scaffold boards off the top of a short scaffold tower. These boards jutted out by maybe 6-7 ft and just 'flew' over the tiled roof below and the free end hovered in mid-air and clear of the tiles.
I'm guessing that the boards were clamped at the other end to the tower.
Just thought I'd mention that I was driving by a place yesterday and what they'd done was cantilever (if that is the right word) scaffold boards off the top of a short scaffold tower. These boards jutted out by maybe 6-7 ft and just 'flew' over the tiled roof below and the free end hovered in mid-air and clear of the tiles.
I'm guessing that the boards were clamped at the other end to the tower.
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Roger these would be the sort of scaff boards that say support every 1.2m on the metal end covers?
6-7 foot overhand sounds very dodgy to me with weight of men plus the reaction to movement when rendering.
Bob
6-7 foot overhand sounds very dodgy to me with weight of men plus the reaction to movement when rendering.
Bob
Mike G
Petrified Pine
I think I may now be on to my 4th camera since this job started. Building sites are a tough environment for a camera, but I'm getting fed-up with the lenses packing up in just a matter of months. Now I have one which is claimed to be shock proof and waterproof, and has not protruding lens. Unfortunately, as a downside, the photos are rubbish. Anyway, that's the reason for the delay, and for the missing bits from this post.
Here is a shot of the north gable with the final 2 windows in place:
To complete the insulated envelope of the house I moved to the southern end of the building, to work on the little triangle on the eastern elevation above the new lounge roof. The render here was the only bit of original render left on the house, saved by being in the roof-space of one of the lean-tos that I demolished a couple of years ago. This is a close-up showing the pargetting pattern, made just by dipping the point of a trowel into the setting render:
I cut a large piece to put aside for posterity, then pulled the rest off, revealing a large rat's nest:
I did the usual clean up of the frame, then Celotex between the timbers:
This next photo shows the wall finished, but is out of order because it also shows the little roof finished too, and there was lots of work in that:
Here are the tiles. What you can't see is that probably a quarter of the tiles are cut. This is the most complicated bit of roofing I've done:
The lead flashing over the top of that pitched roof was a bit awkward, but worked out well. Here are a couple of the clips I used:
This shows half of the cover flashing in place, with the welt prepared and the clips folded up to retain the flashing in place:
The reason it is made in two halves is twofold. Firstly, it is over 1.5metres (5 feet in old money) long, and single piece of lead on a roof should be over this length. Secondly, there is an awkward end to each piece (at the left hand end of the above photo), and it would be very difficult to get a whole piece into position with that going on at each end. Below is the finished flashing, with some little cover pieces at each end tucked under the next row of tiles, and having been cleaned up with patination oil ( a must for new leadwork, as it prevents staining of the roof below):
After doing the other end the following day, I went back and siliconed up any suspect areas with a low modulous silicon. Anyway, here is the other end:
This is the temporary platform I made to access the area:
Another reason for not posting is that pictures of feather-edge boards being painted is not the most riveting thing on the planet. So here you are:
That's a mist coat and a full coat on both sides of 24 boards, plus some 2x1s and some 4x1s. I shall be cladding the two single storey parts of the house in the next few days. It's 2 coats of paint pre-fitting, and another post fitting, and i always, always paint both sides. I also check that any contractors working on jobs I've specified have done both sides of the boards..........for stability, avoidance of cupping, but also because moisture can easily run down the back of the boards.
We've got a front door! OK, it's a temporary one, being an old internal door, but it does mean that we can finally go out and leave the house locked up for the first time since about April. The bottom of the door is approximately finished floor level, so the scrap of ply screwed to the bottom shows the thickness of the build-up of insulation and screed to come:
Now, on to the utility room roof. Firstly, I set out the tiles to determine the verge overhang:
Then I cut back the battens and roofing membrane to suit, before inserting the slate undercloak, which is trapped in place by the battens squeezing it down onto the end rafter. I had deliberately left the last nail in the battens out, and the next-to-last nail "up" (ie not driven home) when I did the felt-and-battens a year or two ago, to facilitate the fitting of the undercloak. Anyway, here are the verges ready for tiles:
My general plan is to board the little areas between the two main bodies of the house, then tile the utility roof and do the feather-edge cladding to the utility and the lounge single storey outshots. Then I'll either slate the lounge roof, or do the brickwork plinth (and the fake chimney). It is too late in the year to be doing lime rendering, so that will have to wait for spring. After the plinth and lounge roof (and my workshop roof), I'll focus on internal walls and floors, to be ready to entertain 11 for christmas dinner.
Here is a shot of the north gable with the final 2 windows in place:
To complete the insulated envelope of the house I moved to the southern end of the building, to work on the little triangle on the eastern elevation above the new lounge roof. The render here was the only bit of original render left on the house, saved by being in the roof-space of one of the lean-tos that I demolished a couple of years ago. This is a close-up showing the pargetting pattern, made just by dipping the point of a trowel into the setting render:
I cut a large piece to put aside for posterity, then pulled the rest off, revealing a large rat's nest:
I did the usual clean up of the frame, then Celotex between the timbers:
This next photo shows the wall finished, but is out of order because it also shows the little roof finished too, and there was lots of work in that:
Here are the tiles. What you can't see is that probably a quarter of the tiles are cut. This is the most complicated bit of roofing I've done:
The lead flashing over the top of that pitched roof was a bit awkward, but worked out well. Here are a couple of the clips I used:
This shows half of the cover flashing in place, with the welt prepared and the clips folded up to retain the flashing in place:
The reason it is made in two halves is twofold. Firstly, it is over 1.5metres (5 feet in old money) long, and single piece of lead on a roof should be over this length. Secondly, there is an awkward end to each piece (at the left hand end of the above photo), and it would be very difficult to get a whole piece into position with that going on at each end. Below is the finished flashing, with some little cover pieces at each end tucked under the next row of tiles, and having been cleaned up with patination oil ( a must for new leadwork, as it prevents staining of the roof below):
After doing the other end the following day, I went back and siliconed up any suspect areas with a low modulous silicon. Anyway, here is the other end:
This is the temporary platform I made to access the area:
Another reason for not posting is that pictures of feather-edge boards being painted is not the most riveting thing on the planet. So here you are:
That's a mist coat and a full coat on both sides of 24 boards, plus some 2x1s and some 4x1s. I shall be cladding the two single storey parts of the house in the next few days. It's 2 coats of paint pre-fitting, and another post fitting, and i always, always paint both sides. I also check that any contractors working on jobs I've specified have done both sides of the boards..........for stability, avoidance of cupping, but also because moisture can easily run down the back of the boards.
We've got a front door! OK, it's a temporary one, being an old internal door, but it does mean that we can finally go out and leave the house locked up for the first time since about April. The bottom of the door is approximately finished floor level, so the scrap of ply screwed to the bottom shows the thickness of the build-up of insulation and screed to come:
Now, on to the utility room roof. Firstly, I set out the tiles to determine the verge overhang:
Then I cut back the battens and roofing membrane to suit, before inserting the slate undercloak, which is trapped in place by the battens squeezing it down onto the end rafter. I had deliberately left the last nail in the battens out, and the next-to-last nail "up" (ie not driven home) when I did the felt-and-battens a year or two ago, to facilitate the fitting of the undercloak. Anyway, here are the verges ready for tiles:
My general plan is to board the little areas between the two main bodies of the house, then tile the utility roof and do the feather-edge cladding to the utility and the lounge single storey outshots. Then I'll either slate the lounge roof, or do the brickwork plinth (and the fake chimney). It is too late in the year to be doing lime rendering, so that will have to wait for spring. After the plinth and lounge roof (and my workshop roof), I'll focus on internal walls and floors, to be ready to entertain 11 for christmas dinner.
Malc2098
Sequoia
Mike,
It's absolutely enthralling following your posts.
I don't know if you realise it or not, but for an enthusiastic diyer like me, who has learned over more than 40 years of making mistakes and learning from them, and from learning from friends in the trades, you give us the confidence, knowledge, theory, practice, tips and tricks etc, to go that bit further and embark on something that we wouldn't thought we could have achieved.
I have learned an awful lot following yours, and other's posts, such that I am about to project manage and construct my own 'shop build that I don't think I could have done without gleaning all the knowledge that is shared on this forum.
I am so chuffed that you, and the others on this forum, gladly share your knowledge for the likes of me.
Thanks.
It's absolutely enthralling following your posts.
I don't know if you realise it or not, but for an enthusiastic diyer like me, who has learned over more than 40 years of making mistakes and learning from them, and from learning from friends in the trades, you give us the confidence, knowledge, theory, practice, tips and tricks etc, to go that bit further and embark on something that we wouldn't thought we could have achieved.
I have learned an awful lot following yours, and other's posts, such that I am about to project manage and construct my own 'shop build that I don't think I could have done without gleaning all the knowledge that is shared on this forum.
I am so chuffed that you, and the others on this forum, gladly share your knowledge for the likes of me.
Thanks.
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Thank you Malcolm, and that's a serious, heartfelt thanks. I told my wife the other day how chuffed I was that there are a few decent workshops being well built around the country at the moment at least partially because of stuff I have posted.
Mike
I haven't commented for ages but I have kept up to date with your progress. Congratulations on being Weathertight and secure, both real milestones. Still enjoying reading all your updates even if my comments are sporadic - one of the main reasons being I am planing a full re-model of my own house starting in May which will include 2 extensions, re framing much of the roof, new roof tiles, moving front door, screed up in places, lots of new steel etc. Its rather filling my time, even though I will be paying people and just selecting a few bits to do myself. The last time I commented you were about to build the fireplace surround around your range. I'll try and comment more in the future.
Mark
I haven't commented for ages but I have kept up to date with your progress. Congratulations on being Weathertight and secure, both real milestones. Still enjoying reading all your updates even if my comments are sporadic - one of the main reasons being I am planing a full re-model of my own house starting in May which will include 2 extensions, re framing much of the roof, new roof tiles, moving front door, screed up in places, lots of new steel etc. Its rather filling my time, even though I will be paying people and just selecting a few bits to do myself. The last time I commented you were about to build the fireplace surround around your range. I'll try and comment more in the future.
Mark
Mike G
Petrified Pine
I've had a week or so off with a bad back. I injured myself walking the dog! I couldn't even sit down for the first few days, but I am back to light duties now. First up, though, a snap of a typical morning view through triple glazing:
That condensation is on the outside of the glass. There is never any on the inside. Not enough heat escapes through the window to evaporate the condensation. Anyway, on with the performance art. Here is the old en suite window:
Before I even fitted it we had decided to get a bigger one, so I fitted it with temporary packers, and now mechanical fixings. It was therefore easy to take out and replace:
My aim is to complete the utility roof. To do that, I need to do all the jobs above it which require me to be standing on the roof, so the window was the first step, and next is the boarding around the window. However, to do that requires the leadwork associated with the roof to be in place, so I have to run a few tiles up the abutment, with their soakers. Here is some lead sheet:
Code 3 (the thinnest stuff), 150mm wide. I cut it into 175mm lengths, and folded them to make my soakers:
This is how soakers sit in relation to the tiles, and to each other:
Eventually, I worked my way to the top. You'll notice the big bit of leadwork at the junction between the main body of the house and the set-back panel? Well, I'll confess to that being poorly thought-through, and overkill. I did it to prevent a build-up of water or snow behind the projecting bit of wall. unfortunately, when I built it 18 months or more ago I had a poor idea of where the actual outside wall of the house was, and therefore where it would finish up once I had renovated and externally insulated. This confusion was because I had no way of seeing how thick the build-up was outside the oak frame of the old part of the house until I stripped it. So, I over-did the woodwork at the junction, which turned the leadwork into a real chore. It ended up a bit ugly, so you don't get a close-up! But, it's watertight.
I did the same on the other side, but it was much easier and neater because I knew exactly where the new wall was (!), and could therefore make a better sized projection at the junction:
Having got to the top with the lead I could then do the boards. First, the battens and window surround:
Then the boards. I left a slight gap under the window so that I can dress some lead in there as a saddle over the ridge tile:
Then I tiled the roof both sides, as far as I could without using mortar (it was too late in the day):
The second side (the front elevation), shows the room I have left myself to access the ridge. With a bit of time left in the day I brought some more tiles around, did some cuts for tomorrow, and lined up and marked the ridge tiles:
That condensation is on the outside of the glass. There is never any on the inside. Not enough heat escapes through the window to evaporate the condensation. Anyway, on with the performance art. Here is the old en suite window:
Before I even fitted it we had decided to get a bigger one, so I fitted it with temporary packers, and now mechanical fixings. It was therefore easy to take out and replace:
My aim is to complete the utility roof. To do that, I need to do all the jobs above it which require me to be standing on the roof, so the window was the first step, and next is the boarding around the window. However, to do that requires the leadwork associated with the roof to be in place, so I have to run a few tiles up the abutment, with their soakers. Here is some lead sheet:
Code 3 (the thinnest stuff), 150mm wide. I cut it into 175mm lengths, and folded them to make my soakers:
This is how soakers sit in relation to the tiles, and to each other:
Eventually, I worked my way to the top. You'll notice the big bit of leadwork at the junction between the main body of the house and the set-back panel? Well, I'll confess to that being poorly thought-through, and overkill. I did it to prevent a build-up of water or snow behind the projecting bit of wall. unfortunately, when I built it 18 months or more ago I had a poor idea of where the actual outside wall of the house was, and therefore where it would finish up once I had renovated and externally insulated. This confusion was because I had no way of seeing how thick the build-up was outside the oak frame of the old part of the house until I stripped it. So, I over-did the woodwork at the junction, which turned the leadwork into a real chore. It ended up a bit ugly, so you don't get a close-up! But, it's watertight.
I did the same on the other side, but it was much easier and neater because I knew exactly where the new wall was (!), and could therefore make a better sized projection at the junction:
Having got to the top with the lead I could then do the boards. First, the battens and window surround:
Then the boards. I left a slight gap under the window so that I can dress some lead in there as a saddle over the ridge tile:
Then I tiled the roof both sides, as far as I could without using mortar (it was too late in the day):
The second side (the front elevation), shows the room I have left myself to access the ridge. With a bit of time left in the day I brought some more tiles around, did some cuts for tomorrow, and lined up and marked the ridge tiles:
Malc2098":aoy8xu19 said:
:text-+1: :text-bravo:
Mike G
Petrified Pine
Today was all about verges and the ridge, so I knocked up a lot of mortar (3:1 sand: white cement), and started with the easy bit, this verge:
The second photo shows what comes next, too, which was a little bit of the other verge, so that I could place the gable ridge tile in position:
I then did the ridge tile at the other end of the roof, so that I could string a line between them:
This entailed a bit of messing about with lead (and silicon) as there is an awkward saddle over the ridge and tucking in under the window cill. Anyway, having got the line in, I then could carry on with the ridge:
The further to the left the ridge got, the more comfortable I was, but the less space I had. In the end. I completed the ridge and brought 3 or 4 rows of tiles down below it, which is enough to be able to slip tiles in under without disturbing the ridge mortar:
I shuffled the scaffold across a bit so that I could reach up to the tiled part at the top without being on the roof, and filled in the missing bit from the bottom up:
This new camera produces photos which are redder than reality. It is rather more terracotta and brown than red. Annoyingly, we had a few good showers as I was completing the verge, which made a bit of a mess of my pointing, but it turned out OK in the end. (Odd UFO in the last photo).....
The second photo shows what comes next, too, which was a little bit of the other verge, so that I could place the gable ridge tile in position:
I then did the ridge tile at the other end of the roof, so that I could string a line between them:
This entailed a bit of messing about with lead (and silicon) as there is an awkward saddle over the ridge and tucking in under the window cill. Anyway, having got the line in, I then could carry on with the ridge:
The further to the left the ridge got, the more comfortable I was, but the less space I had. In the end. I completed the ridge and brought 3 or 4 rows of tiles down below it, which is enough to be able to slip tiles in under without disturbing the ridge mortar:
I shuffled the scaffold across a bit so that I could reach up to the tiled part at the top without being on the roof, and filled in the missing bit from the bottom up:
This new camera produces photos which are redder than reality. It is rather more terracotta and brown than red. Annoyingly, we had a few good showers as I was completing the verge, which made a bit of a mess of my pointing, but it turned out OK in the end. (Odd UFO in the last photo).....
Rod
Old Oak
Looking good
Rod
Rod
Very nice Mike. You're getting better every time you do it, pretty soon it'll be spot on… :eusa-whistle:
:lol: :text-bravo:
Cheers
Mark
:lol: :text-bravo:
Cheers
Mark
ScotlandtheDave
New Shoots
TrimTheKing":2nwh8pjg said:
Pretty sure after this Mike will take a well earned rest for a good long while!
Speaking of which Mike I'm out on two wheels on Saturday for leisure reasons for the first time in 3 months
mjdewet
Seedling
Looking good there Mike!
UFO: Unidentified fingered object...
UFO: Unidentified fingered object...
stephen.wood125
New Shoots
Staggering, and completely compelling.
The level of thought and detail that goes in makes me simultaneously inspired and feel very ordinary indeed!
fabulous work and outstanding to read.
Thanks a lot!
Stephen :text-bravo:
The level of thought and detail that goes in makes me simultaneously inspired and feel very ordinary indeed!
fabulous work and outstanding to read.
Thanks a lot!
Stephen :text-bravo:
Mike G
Petrified Pine
The next job was the utility cladding. There were a couple of difficulties to get around during the battening-out phase, the first being the boiler flue and discharge pipe:
The bottom board has to kick out a little to take any rainwater down the face of the brick plinth rather than allowing it to pool on the top. I cut a wedge to sort this out:
Once satisfied, I cut a couple of dozen more using this quick jig on the bandsaw:
There are two external corners, and two internal corners to deal with in this location. Here is an internal corner:
Here is the build up of the more complicated external corner. First, a piece of 100 x 25 is fixed in place, overhanging the edge of the building by a carefully measured distance (I only had a painted board left, but this doesn't need painting):
Then a piece 65 x 25 and shaped at the top is carefully positioned and fixed to the edge of the 4x1 (note the paint smear on the DPC below. All cut ends are painted before being fixed in place):
Most people these days just nail a 4x2 in the corner, but old buildings never had such a large, visually intrusive corner piece, and I so dislike the look that I worked out this alternative. Old buildings just nailed a bit of 3x1 onto the ends of the boards, which is an unsatisfactory detail. Anyway, this is what it looks like in situ:
Door surrounds (it's the same detail around windows, too):
I did take a photo of the insect mesh in place at the bottom edge. I know I did! Honest. My new camera is obviously malevolent and spiteful. Anyway, there is mesh all around the bottom which allows moisture out and prevents insects nesting in the nice dry void behind the boarding. On with the boards. The bottom board is screwed into place because the overhanging wedge arrangement would break if hammered:
Only the gable wall (with the door in it) has received its 3rd coat of paint). My wife volunteered to do the other two when she gets home. This in situ coat of pain covers the nail heads.
This is my detail for butting boards if a joint is necessary:
Simply a small piece of DPC which would direct any water that got in back out over the board below.
Finally, a little corner detail. The brickwork plinth of the utility room had to be left short of the location of the new plinth around the old part of the house, to allow me to dig a foundation and do the demolition etc (it could have done with being a few inches further away, in hindsight). This means I will be bringing brickwork up underneath the boarding, which will be awkward. To help, I made a removable corner piece, and didn't screw the screws home:
The bottom board has to kick out a little to take any rainwater down the face of the brick plinth rather than allowing it to pool on the top. I cut a wedge to sort this out:
Once satisfied, I cut a couple of dozen more using this quick jig on the bandsaw:
There are two external corners, and two internal corners to deal with in this location. Here is an internal corner:
Here is the build up of the more complicated external corner. First, a piece of 100 x 25 is fixed in place, overhanging the edge of the building by a carefully measured distance (I only had a painted board left, but this doesn't need painting):
Then a piece 65 x 25 and shaped at the top is carefully positioned and fixed to the edge of the 4x1 (note the paint smear on the DPC below. All cut ends are painted before being fixed in place):
Most people these days just nail a 4x2 in the corner, but old buildings never had such a large, visually intrusive corner piece, and I so dislike the look that I worked out this alternative. Old buildings just nailed a bit of 3x1 onto the ends of the boards, which is an unsatisfactory detail. Anyway, this is what it looks like in situ:
Door surrounds (it's the same detail around windows, too):
I did take a photo of the insect mesh in place at the bottom edge. I know I did! Honest. My new camera is obviously malevolent and spiteful. Anyway, there is mesh all around the bottom which allows moisture out and prevents insects nesting in the nice dry void behind the boarding. On with the boards. The bottom board is screwed into place because the overhanging wedge arrangement would break if hammered:
Only the gable wall (with the door in it) has received its 3rd coat of paint). My wife volunteered to do the other two when she gets home. This in situ coat of pain covers the nail heads.
This is my detail for butting boards if a joint is necessary:
Simply a small piece of DPC which would direct any water that got in back out over the board below.
Finally, a little corner detail. The brickwork plinth of the utility room had to be left short of the location of the new plinth around the old part of the house, to allow me to dig a foundation and do the demolition etc (it could have done with being a few inches further away, in hindsight). This means I will be bringing brickwork up underneath the boarding, which will be awkward. To help, I made a removable corner piece, and didn't screw the screws home: