My first meeting with a Building Control Officer

The "highlight" of the week, apart from completing the limecrete slab (see previous entry below), was the first visit of a real Building Control Officer (BCO).  I have been trying to develop some sort of communication with BC since early December, and have been in receipt of either poor advice which is contradicted by the next person you speak to, or else they simply fail to respond to telephone calls and even a letter.  So I just shoved in my application, got on with the work (i.e. digging out the hole for the limecrete floor) and called BC when I needed them to do a stage inspection when we were about to lay the limecrete slab this week.

I was actually quite apprehensive about this, but the chap who came was very nice and easy to talk to.  He was also quite frank about the state of the Council's BC team (who have suffered vicious job cuts in recent months), and also about the internal politics which I had viewed from afar.  Basically, Planning, Conservation and BC all have a view of life and the rules for each mean that they are often in conflict!  He believes that BC's hand will be reinforced in the next few years as modern rules on energy conservation are applied more to old buildings, so that Conservation will have less of a say in what is allowed.  Since I had Conservation forbid double glazing in a brand new sash window which is being made for us (replacing a metal framed sixties design), I think that can't come soon enough.  However, I'm sure that there will be a downside somewhere...

I wonder if the BCO was impressed by the amount of spoil outside in the garden?

As I said, the point of the visit was for him to see the construction of the limecrete floor slab whilst it was in progress.  He was interested in the details as he had never seen one before, and so I explained with my customary enthusiasm and he seemed quite happy.  He was well aware that in a listed building he has very little power at the moment and so k-values etc were quite irrelevant.  Logically that's fine (in my view) as what is being fitted well be far better in that regard than what was there, and the point is that if you dig down too far to install a breathable floor then your old building might well collapse.  Presumably someone will sort out this sort of issue before BC do get given wider reaching powers; the idea of a three foot deep hole in such a building does not bear thinking about!

Also this week the plastering was completed for now, and there remains only the kitchen, and a chimney breast in the lounge to be done later.  We have the finished smooth coat on three bedrooms, the bathroom, landing, hall, stairs and lounge.  It has been a lot longer in coming than I anticipated, and my budget was well and truly blown by the extra time and the vast amount of materials required.  The only other thing done this week was finishing the floorboard repairs in the main bedroom.  I replaced two sections of board (which had to be ripped to the right width) and repaired another couple of floorboards which were glued, clamped and screwed successfully so I think I'm fairly happy with my skills on that.  This was all required after the ravages of floorboards being lifted without the necessary love and care (don't get me started!) by certain tradesmen. 

Now, it's Easter and I rested on Good Friday, and even took part in some spiritual events at the church opposite the house.  Today (Saturday) we went for a long walk in the wonderful country around here to make the most of the great weather, and on Easter Sunday we shall be at the sunrise service at the church (you work out the time!).  Then on Monday I shall be back at work on the house - no rest for the wicked!

Laying a Limecrete Floor Part 1

This might be a bit detailed for some of you, but I have been researching the use of limecrete as a breathable kitchen floor for some time and have found very little good advice on t'internet; hence I thought that some detail in the public domain might be found useful.  I shall publish another entry soon detailing some other events of the week.

This week, at last, I bit the bullet and engaged Chris and Shane to dig out the existing floor and help me lay the limecrete slab.  The general deal was that they would do the physical bit and I would provide the technical know-how (aided by desperate telephone calls to Mike Wye).  Of course life is not like that and so I am now absolutely shattered (as indeed they are, and they are half my age!).

When we first saw the kitchen I immediately knew that we would have to sort the floor (photo right).  The red and black 6" quarry tiles, in a pleasing diagonal pattern, were damp and sadly neglected.  They were suffering from a variety of additional coverings (like rotted lino and bitumen), and many (mostly red ones) had lost their flat surface entirely, revealing a pitted face with a white bloom.  I tried various techniques of cleaning but nothing persuaded me (far less Jane!) that we would be able to live with the end result for the duration of our intended retirement.  Delaying this was not an option as there would be no real way of doing it once we had fitted the new kitchen and were living in the house.  Another issue was the strip of bare concrete (foreground on photo) which ran across the room where there used to be a wall; this pre-dated the tiles, as the diagonal lines on either side did not match! 

I made an early decision that what I wanted to do was to lay a breathable limecrete floor, and researched this on the internet.  It can be difficult to get Building Control approval for this material, but there is an exemption for listed buildings on account of the foundations usually being shallower than the required depth to meet Part L (Conservation of Fuel and Power).  I knew that the foundations were about 8 or 9 inches below the floor level, and the essential detail here is to dig down at 45 degrees from the walls at a point a small way above the bottom of the foundations so that the integrity of the walls  is not affected.  If you are cautious like me then that small way is about 6 inches.

I got the team at Mike Wye to do the materials quotation which also gave me the essential design of the floor.  It seemed to me that the quantities required were enormous (4 tons in photo left) so I asked them to do it again; the result was the same so I just had to trust their figures.  Of course, they were very accurate - see later. Their design uses LECA (lightweight expanded clay aggregate) which comes in various sizes but essentially looks like an unappetizing version of Maltesers without any chocolate.  A coated version of LECA is used as a loose lay foundation; this allows the floor to breathe but does not allow any water to rise by capilliary action.  On top of this the main slab is made of a slightly smaller LECA, uncoated (presumably to allow better binding), mixed with NHL5 (Natural Hydraulic Lime).  A breathable membrane is used both below and above the loose lay LECA to prevent migration between the layers.  On top of the slab a screed of NHL5 and sharp sand is laid, on which the chosen floor surface is laid.  Most of the insulation is from the loose lay so I chose to use 200mm of this, with a 100mm slab on top.  This was the task for the week, as we will let it go off before laying the screed and flagstones.

The first task was to remove all the tiles - only about 900 of them - and then Chris and Shane removed (in about three minutes) the old (1950s) fireplace - see result in photo left.  What I had not really bargained on was how much spoil there would be (photo right), and the sheer physical effort in getting it out of the house. Everything had to be lifted up a couple of feet  - well, we were digging down - and extracted through the fairly narrow single French door.

I estimate that they removed something like 10 tons of lime mortar and soil in three days, all by hand through that single doorway.  The end result was basically an empty swimming pool where there will soon be a kitchen.  I also removed about half a ton of rubble which filled the old fireplace - compare the photo left (after excavation, with membrane laid) with the one above.  I was expecting to build a rectangular alcove for the new woodburning stove, and it was there all the time! 

So we worked along from the far end, laying the loose lay LECA with the membrane over it up to a bit of temporary shuttering, then the slab mixture on top up to a couple of feet back.  Then we added LECA in front of the shuttering, removed the shuttering, unrolled the membrane and added more slab mixture, and so moved on.  The addition of the LECA in front of the shuttering is key as otherwise the edge would move significantly when the shuttering is removed and this might allow the slab mixture to drop down a bit.  Here's Chris (right) doing a bit of levelling with some marker stakes for the next bit of shuttering.

 
Finally, we had a floor slab.  I know it doesn't look much for the result of so much work, but I'm convinced that it's a good way of controlling dampness in such an old building.

We actually received 84 bags of the loose lay LECA, and 42 of the stuff to mix with the mortar; we used 81 and 38 respectively - a surplus is far preferable to running out.  The LECA totalled about three tons, and we also used almost exactly half a ton of NHL5.  All that remained was to clear up, including removing the remaining mortar (for the screed next week) from the lawn to the house.  I have to confess that I was surprised to see the entire lawn cleared in just seven hours, and I bet the neighbours were as well, considering that half of the lawn is theirs!

Conservation Officers and Planning Permission

I am SO dischuffed.  Our planning application for an extension at the back of the property has been rejected on the recommendation of the Conservation Officer who considered that an extension would "significantly damage the symmetry of the pair of [semi-detached] houses".  As far as I am aware, this is the same CO who, on the phone last August , recognised the house from my description and told me that my plans sounded "wonderful".  The refusal was terse in the extreme so I don't even know whether there is any future in an appeal or in submitting a revised plan to include something more obviously new (as opposed to matching the original building) such as possibly a conservatory.  The only consolation is that as we changed our plans last autumn, we can still move in; the original idea was to have the new kitchen in the extension, and so a refusal would have had a severe impact on our occupation date.

In any case, we do have to rebuild the existing extension; the end wall, which supports the purlin for the sloping roof, has a large bow with some loose bricks and I think it would be in danger of falling down if we wait too long.  So, back to the drawing board and consider all the options...  Perhaps the new solution will prove to be cheaper than our rejected plan - at least THAT would cheer me up!

We have done some painting at the front (photo right) on the cement rendering (it's not stucco!).  Our bay window on the left is now surrounded by fresh paint, which matches the other half next door.  Also, it makes a statement to the numerous passers-by that the house is NOT being demolished, as believed locally. We'll do the upstairs bit soon, and then do the bit beside the front door (hidden to the left). 

Talking of the front door, we have now got a superb renovated door (photo left) in a new frame which is all very secure (at last).  We just need the electricity company to come and finish their job of fitting new supply cable (we've only been waiting since the first week of January!).

Landscaping, crows and "Vision Technicians"

Following on from the recent granting of Planning Permission and Listed Building Consent for our proposed driveway (through the foliage on the left of the photo), there are conditions: one is that we have to get a landscaping plan approved before we can start work on it, and another is that we have to provide two off-road parking spaces and a turning space BEFORE we can occupy the house.  I was surprised by this second one as the absence of the driveway does not prevent us from occupying the house now, and so personally I'm not sure it is legal.  However, as things stand, we need to get on with getting the plan produced and approved.  Hence, this week, I have contacted a landscaper who sent a designer along on Thursday; she will send a plan very soon and hopefully we can avoid any hassle with the Council by just doing what they want.  In any case, I know I need some advice on what to plant and where, as the garden is very prominent and I don't want the passers-by to be upset when we cut down the huge cypress, the ash and the laurel.  The council Tree Officer thought that none of the trees had any particular "amenity value", either singly or as a group (which I was very pleased with!).

This week I have fought a battle against some crows, who were intent on building a nest in one of my chimneys, as evidenced by the twigs that kept falling into the lounge fireplace.  Despite the lovely weather this week I have lit a roaring fire on three days, sometimes with freshly cut yew producing some lovely smoke.  However, I have to report that I think I have lost as, today, there were no twigs in the fireplace but the birds can still be seen putting them in the top!  Now I shall have to wait until the little blighters have produced their family before I can clear the nest and put something over the chimney pot to KEEP THEM OUT!

There seemed to be some possible progress in The Mystery of the Free Step Ladder (see entry in March).  In church on Wednesday one of the churchwardens asked for my help in a task but said that the church stepladder (aluminium, very light) had gone missing recently.  I said that I had a couple of stepladders in my house and could fetch one in a couple of minutes, so I brought the "new" one (aluminium, very light) across for her.  We were now pretty convinced that it was indeed the missing one, but then someone found the Church's ladder in the church hall, so we still have no idea as to where the mystery ladder came from. 

Other highlights this week included successfully doing a trial fit of a bath measuring 150 cm long in a space 148 cm long (right - note recesses in the plaster on the walls); I have put two coats of satin black on the new front door but am still unhappy with the finish; and I have bought from Adam the joiner 20 metres of specially moulded skirting board which is now being installed in the lounge (left).  One other task was to repair some of the many damaged floorboards; I asked a local pine shop if they could produce two specially sized small boards of less than half a square metre, and thought that a trained man with the right machines would do it in less than 15 minutes.  However, I was astounded by the price - £60! - so I turned them down and, with some small difficulty, did them myself (lower right; ignore the gap to the lower board which is yet to be replaced).

Finally, we often have visits by interested parties, or friends of one of the contractors, or even their wives and children just passing!  On Friday it was a friend of Phil's who was wearing a useful looking leather belt/holster, so I asked him what his trade was.  "Vision Technician" he replied, without hesitation.  Seeing my slightly bemused look, Phil clarified things for me: "He's a window cleaner!"

A week without plastering

This has been quite a varied week.  Firstly, I spent a long time getting rid of over 200 ten litre plastic tubs, which were the containers for the lime mortar and plaster.  These have gone back to Mike Wye in Devon together with six pallets and about 130 lids (see photo left).  It's good that these items will get re-used, but getting them sufficiently clean was really quite tedious.  I even got a small refund and a thank-you for doing such a good job on the tubs, but I'm not looking forward to doing the rest in a few weeks time.

I forgot to mention the experience of the postman recently.  Whilst Adam the joiner was fitting the new front door, which was catching on the floor; the only way that he could open the door when he was inside was to lift gently on the letter hole and pull.  On one occasion, by coincidence, when the postman was actually about two milliseconds from putting a letter through the hole, a hand appeared on cue as if to take the letter...!  Shades of the Addams Family?

A really "fun" job today was re-instating the soil pipe to match the new position of the toilet in the bathroom.  I had previously removed the old pipe through the wall, although this necessitated wrecking the existing branch piece (see photo right) in order to get the wall pipe out.  Chris and Shane had then removed the old branch, plus the entire upper section of the soil pipe (complete, in one piece!).  Since the 100-year old joints in the cast iron pipes were done with caulking and lead, this was not an easy job, but they achieved it and saved me having to buy four sections of new pipe at over £77 each.  Then, this week I went in person to collect the new branch and right angle bend (cast iron, of course); this both saved a rather high delivery charge and enabled me to return some surplus bits (from the roof gutters) for credit.  Whilst I was doing this, the plumber's mate was drilling a new 110mm hole through the Cotswold stone wall; to my surprise, this was successful - he must have a really good drill bit.  Finally on Saturday, Chris and Shane fitted all the new pieces and re-fitted the old upper section which I had re-painted on Thursday.  I just need to fill the hole in the wall, and paint the untouched lower portion to match.  Most satisfying to see a job almost finished, although I must confess that the photo (left) shows a slight kink that I didn't notice before!  Can you spot the old hole in the wall?

Otherwise, this week has seen me doing an array of minor jobs such as fixing the tiles at the door from the hall to the lounge, fitting the boards for the bathroom floor (photo right; I said it was a small bathroom), re-fitting and repairing various floorboards after the electrician's tender ministrations (see "Kurt the Destroyer" last December), removing more loose and damp plaster (the last?) and putting two coats of undercoat on the new front door (photo, left).  The new front door and frame look great, which is more than can be said for the surrounding render and the loose electric cable.

Progress on plastering has been zero as both were off sick all week...  I actually felt quite lonely as it was the first week that I have had in the house without contractors being present for at least four days of the week.

Finally, the week ended on a good note as I found, on the council website, that we have been granted planing permission and Listed Building consent for our proposed driveway, subject to the usual plethora of conditions.