Recent Progress Photos

I promised some photos of the recent work in my last post.  Here's a view of the end of the finished wall, showing the problematic steps and the patio:

The rest of the dry limestone wall is to the left of the steps and goes along the side of the house - it's about 12 metres long.  Note on the right the small brick wall which retains some earth to protect the footing of the high rear wall; the small wall has the remnants of the paving as coping - and a spare seat!

Here's the view along the side of the house, towards the steps and patio.

Top Tip 1: when doing stone walling, avoid curves and corners - I made life very difficult for myself with my design.

(Left) A close up of the steps, showing the alternative lining for them - when I decided that mortared limestone would take up too much of the width of the steps, I used off-cuts of limestone flooring from the church work last year, cut into one inch strips and held together with NHL 3.5

On a sudden whim, on Tuesday I decided that the weather was cool enough to allow me to do lime work outside, so I decided to finish off the wall end to one side of the front gateway; I did the other side properly two years ago and this side has been dry assembled since 2011 - but was now spreading a bit.  This is the halfway stage when I had done the two levels of stone:

Here's the finished article with the corner coping stone attached on Wednesday.  As you might imagine, I had some difficulty doing this wall with the four year old hornbeam hedge in such close proximity!

Top Tip 2: Always finish a wall BEFORE planting a hedge beside it!!

Well, it's Progress, but not much!

I have been busy this year - honestly.  Much of this year's progress is based on the recent acquisition of my own angle grinder as a birthday present!  However, I don't feel I have much to show for my effort because the list of achievments is largely small jobs, or larger jobs which have been going on for too long.

This year so far, other than normal maintenance, I have:

a. Cut several large coping stones in half lengthways in order to make them a sensible size to cap a 4" thick brick wall.
b. Finished the dry stone wall which forms the fascia to the block/brick wall which holds the garden back, as it is higher than the house floor level.
c. Cut and fitted various items of stone flooring to make the wall lining to go beside the steps up to the lawn.
d. Cut and fitted yet more left-over flagstone into suitable sizes in order to act as coping stone on another low brick wall; these will allow people to sit on them fairly comfortably when we hold a barbecue on the patio!
e. Removed the remaining gunk from two doors and the panelling to the kitchen (the wall is 17" thick) using heat gun plus scraper, then a Stanley knife scraper then sander or just sandpaper, in order to enable painting of the surface. This was a nightmare job.
f. Painted both hall doors (to lounge and kitchen) plus the above mentioned panelling to the kitchen plus the inside of the front door, all in Laura Ashley Eau-de-Nil; although I didn't choose the colour, I am very pleased with the choice and the overall effect.
g. Chosen the shade of Earthborn claypaint for the walls of the hall, stairs and landing, as we finally decided that the yellow limewash done in 2011 was a bit too bright.
h. Painted the back and one side of the shed (see earlier) which I did in early March as I couldn't paint last year because it is too close to a lot of undergrowth.
i. Fitted the bath panel properly (at last!!)
j. Cleared the rubbish (an empty one tonne bag, some old bricks, various tubs of stuff and a rotting pallet) from the area beside the back window.
k. Laid some setts at the end of the paving to hold it away from the wall below the back window, as it's a bit high compared to the floor inside, and laid the last of the paving on sand to fill the gap.

The last of the jobs above to be done was the completion of the wall (b. above); having finished it a couple of days ago, I realise how this interesting but tedious job has been hanging over me for 32 months since I laid the foundations.  Perhaps I do feel that I have something to show for my hard work after all!

Now I have to finish plaster repairs in the hall (these are partly done so not listed above), then paint the hall, stairs and landing with the claypaint.  Then there's a widening of the drive, which will provide some earth to do the last of the landscaping in the back garden, to be followed by some more turf which will effectively complete the back.  Finally in the front I need to build one wall end with lime mortar in place of the present dry construction which was temporarily done in 2012. Then it'll be a few internal details like a new wardrobe and clearing the second bedroom, plus finishing the 2011 wardrobe in our bedroom and a lot of decorating!

I'll put some new pictures up when I've been able to buy some batteries for my camera...

Warm and Dry, or Damp and Cold?

I'm still officially convalescing but I feel a bit of a fraud, as I am actually healing very well and I feel very well. I'm very limited in what I am allowed to do around the house: I'm not allowed to lift things, or go up ladders, or do anything that really classes as "work".  However, I am being obedient and not risking anything, probably until Christmas. The only thing that I don't like to do too much is bending down, as that puts pressure on the wound across my abdomen; this doesn't hurt at all but it just feels like a bad idea!

I went outside the back of the house today for the first time in ages, where it really is cold and damp. I was surprised to see that my new grey limestone slabs all have a green tinge. I presume that this discoloration will last until next Spring, when I would hope that the slabs will dry out as the temperature rises and, like the walls of the house, the green will just disappear.  There is no way that I want to take a pressure hose to these slabs every year!

The conditions outside were a forceful reminder about the way to treat an old building; we are dry and quite warm inside, and this was achieved by using no cement, no damp proof course and no modern plaster in the restoration of the house (although of course the extension was built entirely in the modern way). I've only lit the front room fire once, and the woodburner not at all, as I am still waiting for it to turn cold! After all, I don't want to waste firewood. The secondary glazing helps enormously, and keeping draughts down by closing internal doors helps as well although of course the paradox is that good ventilation is essential. The first rule is that if you are not wearing a jumper then you can't complain about the cold inside the house, and the second rule is that if you turn the thermostat up then you can't complain about the size of the gas bill!

The Back Garden takes shape

This post could just as easily be entitled "The Beginning of the End for the Builder's Yard", which is what my side and back garden has been for the last two years since we moved in.  At last I have made some significant progress to making it look right; I previously reported the completion of the paving here - that was a bit premature as actually there were five left to do, which I wanted to do at the same time as the little back wall. 

As I've said before, this wall is just four courses high but fills several important functions: firstly it provides a good edge for the limestone paving laid on sand; secondly it retains a foot of earth at the base of the stone wall where we had lowered the ground level (this was essential for drainage but I was worried about whether we had gone down too far and that the foundation of the wall might erode); thirdly, it's a home for a good amount of spare earth which I had acquired whilst laying the flagstones and finally, it looks good!

At the far end you can see the foundation for the brick barbeque which I hope to do soon.  The last five flagstones are the ones at the top, beside the wall and the barbeque.

The other major task just completed is that yesterday we collected 20 sq m of turf, which I have laid today. 

This is what now permits me to say that it is now more of a garden than a builder's yard (although you can still see a pallet, my mixer and various plastic tubs in the above photo! Here's a photo of the lawn, (left) with the steps and the unfinished stone wall beside the house (which is just out of picture on the right), and you can just see a bit of the low brick wall which runs across the back of the house (on the extreme right).

Top tip for turfing: buy good turf! It should be consistently thin but strong; if not it's a nightmare (I learned that a long time ago; these were great).

I think you will agree that it's a large change from what we bought almost three years ago:

I reckon the above photo is taken from almost exactly the same place as the one of the lawn above it; the ivy covered apple tree is in the middle at the top of the lawn photo (I just pointed the camera down at the lawn a bit more). In fact this overgrown photo was taken in March 2011 after five months work - the "as purchased" condition was so bad that you couldn't even walk there due to the vegetation.

Paving Part 4 - Finished At Last!

I realise that I never uploaded photos of the progress with the paving - I think that was because my camera batteries expired.  At the time of my last post on paving - here - I had started laying the slabs at the back of the house but had yet to tackle the back door step.  Since then I have made considerable progress:

Firstly, I did the back door step. This uses some old engineering bricks

(in a sort of larger than usual Imperial size) on a concrete foundation set in a rectangle, with one in the middle as well; in the photo (right) there are extra ones inside which were used to support the temporary step while the cement set.  After they were removed, the structure was in-filled with gravel and topped with a 90cm x 60 cm x 4cm limestone slab which matches the ones I've been laying.  The step is above halfway as you have to step over the bottom of the door frame and, in any case, it is quite difficult getting that sort of thing spot on.

The result is pretty pleasing and certainly my grandson finds it easy to use, which is what matters.  The rest of the paving was pretty easy, aided by judicious use of an angle grinder, hired for possibly the last time.

Here you can see the finished back door step surrounded by the paving, with the addition of the stone seat which I bought on the spur of the moment at my favourite reclamation yard. My grandson has already found out with his head how solid the stone seat is!

I'm also quite pleased with the infill up to the wall: this is "self-compacting gravel" as recommended by my groundworker for the driveway, and it seemed a good thing to fill the gap.  Having a thing about dampness, even in a brand new construction with a DPC like this, I didn't want the stone going up to the wall as that would then cause rain to splash on the wall.

Then, last week, we had the pleasure of sitting with the entire family on our patio for the very first time; I now have to do the barbecue - if there is any summer left for entertaining.

Paving Part 3

The paving has been continued around the back of the house, and I have taken delivery of the remaining slabs.  This afternoon I have had to stop laying them as there is the last obstacle to overcome - the back door step.  For this I have a 90cm x 60cm slab (and it's 40mm thick!) which I intend to lay on a bed of old engineering bricks.  At least, I think that's what they are.  They are larger than Imperial bricks in all dimensions, and have the texture of engineering bricks, so I reckon they must be an early version; I found them when digging the foundations for the extension. So, this afternoon, I have made some shuttering - almost of the right size.  This is actually surprisingly difficult, so when your groundworker makes it look easy when doing the oversite for your extension, it is because he is skilled!

Having made the shuttering, I mixed and laid some concrete for the foundation.  [Top Tip - always make sure you have enough cement and ballast for this before you start!  I found that I was about a trowel-full short, which was close enough but too close for comfort.]  Then, looking at the finished article, I realised that I had measured wrongly and had allowed for a slab width for the step of 70cm not 60cm. So I have shaved some off the concrete which is setting perhaps too rapidly in this heat; excuse me while I go and cover it up to protect from the sun... [2 minutes] ...  I've now done that but if 'Er Indoors goes outdoors she might get a shock as I've used an old one tonne ballast bag to cover it.

Tomorrow, the step itself, and then I can finish the paving, although I'll need to hire the 9" grinder again - noisy and dusty!

Paving and Setts - Part 2

At last! My paving stone has arrived, after getting stuck in a container at a dock somewhere in India I think it was.  I've taken delivery of the first 17 sq m, and have been having fun laying them down between the setts which were set in cement weeks ago. Happily,

all my careful measuring has paid off and they all seem to be looking good, with no large gaps anywhere. Here's the first lot (right) of 19 slabs, laid in about two and a half hours.  I'm glad that I chose to bed them on sand; having helped lay the 18 sq m of pretty similar stone in the kitchen in 2011, and then done another 12 sq m in the rebuilt extension all by myself, I knew that getting the level was surprisingly difficult, and so I wanted to retain the option of lifting and re-laying a slab later on.  There are a couple of those set in mortar that I would love to be able to do again!  In fact, when laying large slabs (60cm square, or larger) on mortar, due to the suction it is quite difficult to lift the slab even when you have only just laid it, never mind when it's all set.

The annoying thing about the delay was that I didn't trust my ability to measure accurately enough.  Hence I wanted to get the first half or so of the paving laid beside the house before I turned the corner (literally) to do the back.  Now that the first lot is done almost to the back, I will be able to prove the positioning of the end of the setts; then I can work from that edge and lay the remaining setts accurately beside the half-finished wall. 

That will then allow me to work across the back of the house on what will be our patio; in fact that part is almost a sunken garden due to the high walls, but it still catches the summer sun almost all day even though it's on the north side of the house.  Here's another view (left) from the other direction; the "patio" is at the end and then on the right out of sight behind the brick extension.


I'd just done those first pavers and was thinking of a cup of tea when a light shower started which decided the issue! So I took these pictures and decided to update the blog instead.

Paving and Setts - Part 1

It's been a long time since my last post.  At last the weather has improved, and I've been outside preparing to lay paving. The photo right shows what it used to be like soon after we bought it, and the photo below left shows the view from the other end when the extension was being rebuilt after removal of tons of earth (note higher garden on right).

This excavation gave a recessed pathway along beside the house, and I decided ages ago to put in a retaining wall about six feet from the house (photo below right, taken in opposite direction). 

This retaining wall is essential to prevent the higher ground of the "garden" (I like to call it that - it will be true one day!) moving gently back towards the house; this would again cause dampness and, having spent time and money in sorting this issue, I have no intention of ever letting it return.  However, as you can see, the wall is still not finished!

One of the issues in clearing up the exterior has been the question of what to lay?  For the same dampness reason I have not felt inclined to lay much concrete, or do anything which feels too permanent.  I will admit that I have laid concrete in the front, and just inside the back gates, but I felt this was a neccessary evil.  In the front it is three inches lower than it used to be and there's a recess beside the lounge wall, so I am not repeating the "let's concrete right up to the wall at interior floor height" error which caused floorboards and joists to rot.  Last year, for the back, I purchased some cast gratings which are really heavy duty items (in fact well over the top!); I intend to fit these between the house wall and whatever I do with the paving. 

It seems almost all paving is really quite expensive, but I have made it sound cheaper by comparing it to the cost of carpet.  You certainly get what you pay for; if it's cheap then it looks cheap and you'll regret it.  I did a fair search - cast cement, brick, reconstituted stone, real stone, etc, in a variety of colours and various finishes (but who wants polished stone outside?).  Eventually I found I could get imported tumbled limestone, 30mm thick in regular sizes, for £32 per square metre.  We chose the pale grey (with a faint hint of purple?) which hopefully will set off the greying yellow of the Cotswold limestone.

It seems the modern way is to lay a huge bed of cement, lay the paving of your choice and then add a dry mix for the grouting.  Something in me still rebels at the thought of laying paving on cement - it seems so permanent.  After all, in 2011 we got rid of nine 18-ton lorry loads of hardcore, soil and stuff from this house (and there were yards of concrete path and slabs all at the wrong height) so why should I want to lay more new cement?  So, after a lot of deliberation, I have gone for a dry bed of sand on MoT Type 1 hardcore (which was already laid in 2011). This has the benefit of being easily reversible (a key principle for old buildings) but requires to be held in place with solid edging.  [Top Tip - work out the entire cost before you decide anything - edging can add a lot to your costs, especially for some of those reconstituted stones.]  I decided to use granite setts which I could buy for about £2 each (and they are almost 25cm long); I am also saving a bit of cash and work by laying the sand up to the wall of the new extension (the level being two bricks below the DPC).  Since the extension was laid out with the use of a laser, this also gives me a good level to work from.

So, in the last three weeks I have laid the last little bit of concrete (near the drains) and a lot of setts in a slightly complicated pattern. This is because I didn't
want a straight pathway and, in any case, I have to avoid various obstacles such as the gas meter box and a few drains.  Clearly, you have to get the setts right: the right plan measurements to avoid cutting the slabs, and the right height as well.  The first thing I had to do, therefore, was to cut granite setts.  This is achieved by use of a bolster and a decent mallet; a few good blows with the bolster carefully held yield a pleasing result.  However, it is made more difficult if your setts are not smooth and then the bolster is not making good contact along its length.  Result - it splits in not quite the right direction!

The current situation is that I have finished the preparation along the side of the house.

The setts on the right will separate the paving from a strip of earth so that I can plant a few things to make the wall look pretty.  On the left, iron grating will fill the gap and allow the house wall to breathe.  Notice that the gas meter box is a bit high; this is a good indication of how much lower the ground level is now - when it was fitted it seemed ever so far down!  All I need to do is to work out how much Type 1 and sharp sand I need to order, then I can start laying.  Then I have to do the rear of the house and extension...