Our roofers, Roger, Pete and Bo, are back today to start fitting the roof tiles. Another super exciting day, for us anyhow, not for them as they have the fiddly bottom rows of tiles to fit, the rows that run out to compensate for the walls that have moved out. A bastard of a job.
We also have an issue with the lead cheeks on the dormers. The lead should have been fitted at the same time as the dormers ideally, but we didn’t know this, so fitting the lead is is going to be difficult, involving retro fitting an oak strip at the top and routing out the oak posts at the side for the lead to sit into.
Another issue is with the hogs back ridge tiles that we purchased as some of them are beyond saving unfortunately as they are too worn. If water gets into them and freezes then they will crack causing the roof to leak. The tiles that are okay we will seal so this doesn’t happen. We have plenty of them so we should have enough to run along the ridge of the roof, but not enough for the two dormers. This is in fact fine as the hogs back tiles are too shallow an angle to fit the dormers. The main roof is a 35 degree angle whereas the dormers are 45 degrees. Luckily we have some 45 degree triangular ridge tiles in very good condition that will be perfect for the dormers. Normally you wouldn’t mix and match, but we want to put the hogs back tiles back onto the main ridge as this is what originally came off.
Roger checking how the different ridge tiles will sit together.
Pete is not enjoying this bit. He is starting in the most difficult corner where we join our neighbours roof so he has to match them into theirs, whilst at the same time work on the bottom rows where most of the tiles need measuring and cutting individually. Very time consuming. It is also pissing down with rain and in this corner of the scaffolding the rain is dripping down his back…
Alan and Mitch are finishing the first scratch coat of plaster in Zanna’s bedroom and the landing.
Three buckets of plaster that poor Mitch has carried upstairs!
Alan carefully plastering the back of the shelves on the landing.
The landing area with it’s first coat almost complete, with the wavy lines to add a key for the next coat.
It is raining heavily, Mitch is digging the lime plaster out of the palette and into the wheelbarrow. It is muddy and slippy too, but Mitch is still smiling! Him and George have a lot in common.
What we didn’t realise is that the lime plaster comes delivered ready mixed and wet from Mike Wye & Associates. We thought these bags were full of the powdered lime. This explains why they get through it so quickly!
The lime plaster does get chucked it in the mixer for a while as this softens it and makes it wetter and easier to work with.
Bo working on the first few rows of tiles, measuring and cutting all of them on the bottom rows.
Orange dust!
The bottom rows that run out where all the tiles need individually measuring and trimming.
Cat’s favourite job, windows! I think this is the last metal window to do but of course it is the worst so requires a lot of work scraping off the old putty from the outside edge, rubbing down the rust, sealing and painting.
Cat’s new window job is to remove all the finger prints of black putty from the lead, glass and wood with white spirit. Her endless window ‘Groundhog day’ gets worse, so does her head cold and her mood.
Bo and Pete cutting the tiles to fit.
They are progressing well, you can see how much the bottom rows run out here.
So orange!
Roger is working on the back of the roof, the same thing, cutting the tiles to fit the bottom rows that run out and back in again on this side…
The hogs back ridge tiles for our main ridge with the shallow angle, and the triangular ridge tiles that we will be using for the dormers.
The wall of the corridor into Cat’s bedroom, with the radiator pipes left out as these aren’t yet fixed in position.
More plaster has been added to the wall up the stairs.
The landing window recess. We love the organic feel of the plaster, especially around the timber details and corners. Anything straight and angular would not look right in this house.
The first coat of plaster is finished on Zanna’s bedroom walls and it feels like a proper room again!
Jasper has had his bandage removed but that means he has to wear the cone of shame to stop him from nibbling his toe.
Jasper hates me and wants me to take it off him.
Such incredible craftsmanship that you have on this project. It’s amazing to watch and see.
They are all master craftsmen and have a fondness for the house that means they are all doing their best work. The house is very lucky 🙂