Buffer store enclosure, ta da! - Update # 23

24 November 2014

Attached to a typically cryptic email received yesterday, Chas sent this photo of the buffer tank enclosure. The photo was taken on 10 November. Clearly, it's a secret and G and I don't know the password.

As Chas says, it looks a little 'red', but hopefully it will weather with time. It looks OK, otherwise, as far as we can make out. Could he have got any further away, one wonders? The door mechanism, etc might as well be drawn on in permanent marker, for all we know.

The plumbing side of things is still not finished. Good thing we aren't going for Christmas this year. Do we dare hope that it will be ready for next year?

There's a crack, a crack, in everything....

19 November 2014

...that's how the light gets in. (Leonard Cohen)

Not any more, though. In an overnight missive from Tom, he explains how they repaired that pesky crack, and strengthened the wall:

"The crack I showed you had stones cemented in place on the outside where possible to hold the concrete in place, and then when the concrete was poured we opened up the crack at the top and poured concrete down. The other method we used here was to stitch the crack with reinforced steel rods placed horizontally across the crack, in the same way that you would stitch a cut, this steel bar will not be seen as it’s in the middle of the wall. It wasn’t straight-forward to do, so there may be some more making (Ed. 'good') to do once the shuttering comes off."

So, now you know.

Saving the dépendance - Update # 22

17 November 2014

As promised, Tom and Gregg began on the dépendance at the beginning of November.

Tom took delivery of the custom-built A-frame king post truss last week. He photographed it before having to dismantle it so that he could transport it to the barn. Check out the pins holding it together...

This will face the barn and we will glaze between the beams in time 

I'll let Tom describe the process for y'all:

"... we took the roof off a couple of weeks ago, and then last week we took out the beams tying the two walls together, and then quickly began the shuttering. Every single timber in the building was rotten as a pear.

Removing the timbers exposed the poor condition of the stonework. Gregg has been repairing some of the big cracks and holes in the walls, and I’m relieved to say we have now poured our steel reinforced concrete, and we didn’t lose any more stonework than was anticipated.

So, without wanting to be too dramatic about it, the building has been 'saved' and we can now put a new roof on and make it look pretty again..."

Roof off, and masonry collapsing :(

The far gable end is in good shape, though

A vertical crack appears when the timbers are removed and the walls are unsupported

The unseasonal warm weather is clearly over

Looking though the doorway into the dépendance 

Feature (but no-longer-functional) corner oak beams have been removed

There's that worrying crack - it wasn't there before

OK, OK, we get it; there's a stonking great crack in the wall

Shuttering...

...and a lovely shot of our new and G's favourite mug

The 'good' gable

Tom busy saving the dépendance!

This shows the extent of the shuttering which will result in a horseshoe- or U-shaped concrete beam, which will hold the walls 

The walls at this corner must be far off true

Concrete done! The A-frame will rest on this at this end...

"Now we must wait a couple of weeks for the concrete to dry out. Then the A-frame goes on, and then the stone gable will be repaired, (we need the A-frame to be in place to match the heights and levels of the two gables, thus making the roof nice and easy for us.)"

The photos show the dire state of the little building. G and I are so happy that we chose to get it repaired before another damaging winter set in.

Hotting up - Update # 21

6 November 2014

Not really. Chas has been characteristically silent and, only after various prompts, admitted that he is behind schedule. Tell us something new, Chas.

Anyway, he is in the process of sourcing materials (slate and larch) to match those used on the barn, and should be able to finish this week.

In the meantime, here's a photo of the little structure he has built for the expansion tank and pellets storage. Unfortunately, he had to destroy a grape vine that was happily climbing the back left corner. We discussed this in August, so we were well prepared.

And in other, happier news, things are starting to happen for the dépendance. In an email from Tom yesterday:

"...things are now moving with the dependence. I am picking up the A-frame on Monday the 10^th November, photo’s (sic) of A-frame/Demolition work/masonry work will be on their way to you by the middle of next week..."

And, as we know, Tom is a man of his word.