Pre-Christmas cheer

21 December 2013

We've waited a couple of weeks for the latest batch of photos, but they do not disappoint. Tom and Gregg have been working hard - Gregg on the gable-end stonework above the upstairs French door, and Tom downstairs, on the stud work for the shower room. Tom says that with all their tools out, it's getting pretty tight, working in those close confines, so it will be interesting when the other trades need to gain access.

The weather has been fantastic: very cold mornings, but double figures by lunchtime, and no rain.

The stonework on the gable end is nearly complete, and once again, Gregg has done an amazing job. He really knows his stuff. The pinkish colour (from the mud/dust) will wash off and in time, the stones will weather to the same colour as those around them.

Phil has been over to fit his front door frame, ready for the wood and glass still to come. It is quite a visual change, to see the huge entrance 'tamed' like this. Another fine craftsman shows his skill: the frame fits perfectly, according to Tom.

Oh dear, visions of elderly Mr le Voisin having to clamber over the sand and tools in order to get to his shed to chop wood for the fire... I think I can see a thank-you bottle of whisky in his future...

The shower room is taking shape. Hopefully, it won't feel too much like a lift shaft. The ceiling height is about 3m.

The second long wall has been lightly rendered, prior to cladding. In the shower room, a small wall recess (one of about a dozen) is to be retained as an original feature. Another original feature is the small window on the ground floor gable end, to the right of the French door (see below). Tom and Gregg are plotting and planning their approach to this, and we have confidence that they will make it structurally sound, without compromising its quirkiness.

Next up, Tom will be insulating the walls, building the sloping ceiling framework and laying the floor upstairs. We have to make a decision regarding the subfloor material, since it will be visible from below (no ceiling planned as part of our industrial aesthetic). We could forego a subfloor and just have floorboards, but a subfloor would a) somewhat dampen the sound of footsteps upstairs, b) make life easier for the electrician and plumber to fix their pipes and cables and c) allow Tom and Greg to work upstairs on a floor that does not need to be protected from scratches etc.

Also in the next week or so (ignoring the small scheduling hiccup commonly known as Christmas), it will be time to call in Charles (plumber) and Brian (electrician).

If all goes according to plan, the barn will be weather proof and LOCKABLE by the New Year. A momentous start to 2014 indeed.

'The days seem to fly by'

29 November 2013

A bumper crop of photos this week, as Tom and his team make good progress:

             "The view from the upstairs window is fantastic, the photos don’t do it justice ... It's been cold and crisp here all week, with low temperatures overnight. Its been very enjoyable  working on the barn, your planning is coming together nicely. The days seem to fly by."

When the builder is happy, and even he comments on the scenery, that has to be a good thing, right?

The kitchen window proved to be tricky and they lost a fair bit of stone work above the lintel. 

The lintel will be cleaned up later on.

The teeny shower room window with its oversized lintel :). It's centrally placed on the wall when you are inside, but because of the thickness of the stone walls, looks off-centre here.

Upstairs, work has begun on the French door overlooking the valley. We were sad to see the small existing window go, but in order to get a reasonable height on the door, we had to sacrifice it. The gable stonework will be replaced; it's not going to be a Grand Designs special, with an all-glass gable end. Sorry to disappoint, folks.

This morning in my inbox, more photos, taken yesterday morning and evening...

The cladding of the right hand wall is underway. The stairs will rise along this wall and turn just short of the central beam.

But don't take my word for it; come and see for yourself. Only not yet. The beds aren't made and I have to Hoover.

Reflections in the glass

20 November 2013

Light is reflecting off the glass in the new window and doors, and suddenly the barn feels as if it has p for personality.  Since our last update, Tom and team have put in three French doors and three windows. There are still three more windows and a French door to come.

He has also rendered the wall on the right as you enter the barn, in preparation for the lining. No draughts or meece allowed!

This is the view over the valley from the living room.

And yes, there will be a step up into the barn as you approach from outside. That was a deliberate decision and is a good idea in case of bad weather and flooding. At the gable end, the land falls away quite steeply, so we may have to build up the garden a bit there, or fix a garde-corps, to stop all you lot from toppling out into the raspberry canes in an unguarded moment.

The windowsill is clearly a very useful place to keep your miscellaneous stuff.  Like UHT milk.


Although G and I chose really good windows and doors - all framed in oak - seeing them installed is a tiny anti-climax. After all, 'custom-made' and 'rustic solidity' would describe the materials and workmanship so far, and now we have to accept 'factory-built' and 'modern'.

Ah well. (It's what Cal would call a first-world problem.)

I think in time, the juxtaposition between old and new will soften. The shutters will help, too. And the odd hydrangea. Only odd ones need apply.

Interior pics and the view

4 November 2013

Now that there are floor joists, the final floor and ceiling heights are starting to emerge. I don't think we'll be bumping our heads on the ceiling downstairs - Gregg, in the doorway, is 6'4"!

And it is now possible to get an idea of the views from the Velux windows upstairs.

Not too shabby.

Big Daddy of a lintel

30 October 2013

Tom has admitted to losing sleep over the replacement of the rotten lintel over the main barn entry. It took weeks of cogitation and consultation with Phil, the carpenter and other builders but finally, he had a plan of action designed to avoid losing stonework as much as possible. He even went over to England to get hold of some equipment for strengthening the gable end.

In the meantime, they have been working on the upper floor joists.  And it looks as if head-height is not a problem.

Last week they began by supporting the gable end over the beam. It took them 4 days to get it ready.
And then the pictures speak for themselves.

Simply magnificent.