Yesterday, the specialist asbestos tile removing guys exposed the bones of our hundred year old roof. Today, all the wooden battens came down. We now have huge piles fore and aft, and Graham is painstakingly de-nailing and cutting them into kindling. (Some of you won’t be surprised.)
We were lucky with the weather, at least until late afternoon. And then the builders had to step on it. They only just managed to secure a tarpaulin sheet before the downpour happened. Today, they have worked doggedly through rain and perishing wind. (N.B. Global warming in NOT happening in Bishops Castle. Nor are we having any lamb weather to see out the March roaring lion).
*
But we do have new battens for old. They’re holding down the roofing felt (there was none in the original roof). And of course plenty of insulation has gone in too. The only downside is all the hammering is not suiting the fragile plasterwork in bathroom and bedroom ceilings. Much mortary fall out and a few cracks in some quarters (Another job then).
And here we have sight of the next big job. Once the roof is done and the scaffolding down, it’s demolition conservatory time; this to be replaced by a properly insulated kitchen, built on the same footprint (single storey), but extending further along the back wall. Half of the rear house wall (furthest away from the present door) will be taken down, a supporting beam installed, so the new kitchen opens into our existing sitting room with its L-shaped galley kitchen. The latter will then become a utility room, and open into an existing cloakroom (window just visible behind the blue fence, which also needs to go).
Meanwhile, our excellent builders have cleaned up all the surviving Welsh slate tiles from the front roof, and begun to rehang them. The gables, which were very fragile and uninsulated, have been reconstituted and will have leaded side panels. (Pity about the plastic windows. They’re early UPVC, and beginning to fail, so their days are also numbered).
So there you have it: the Farrell plans for domestic chaos for months to come, and I haven’t even mentioned the work needed in the rest of the place. Because, after all, it is a modest little house, and until we have the new kitchen, we are in log-jam mode with the rest of it. A tad frustrating, but at least we have the trusty log burner to huddle round on these cold spring evenings, and by day, all the front windows face the morning sun, should it care to shine. And so, muddle and all, it feels like a happy house. Upwards and onwards…
Tish Farrell 
I’m sure it will all be worth it in the end. Courage, mon brave!
Thanks, Ian. I know you’ve covered this territory before me. Hope you and Ann are beautifully settled in.
A change for the better.
Will look smashing when it’s done.
Thanks, Ark. We’re hopeful that it will all come good in the end.
It’s a weird feeling to see your roof gone, isn’t it?!!
It absolutely is, GP. I said to Graham, it makes me feel as if my personal ‘roof’ has gone too. I’ve definitely been feeling more than a bit unsheltered!
It’s going to be beautiful. You’ll be broke, but you’ll live in a fantastic house! We haven’t had the money to do everything at once — though actually, when we first moved here, we did ALL of that including the roof, siding, fencing, driveway, insulation and well. Since then, it’s windows, boiler, bathroom,water heater (X3. Now all the stuff we did 24 years ago needs doing again. I was sure one roof was all we’d ever need but it turns out, nothing is forever.
Yes. you think you’ve got everything sorted, but nothing is forever, as you say. I’m also hoping we won’t be too broke – just in case there some other eventuality.
Just hope you at least get a bit of a break between construction jobs. But houses always need something. They don’t call them “money pits” for nothing!
Money pits, indeed.
Wow! I’m sure there was a great reason for buying this house that needs so much work. It’s already cute, but will be better when it’s done.
Well, Anne, I think we were sold on the ‘happy house’ feel, despite all that needed doing. And we could see it had potential if we chose to bite the bullet. I can’t say it isn’t stressful though.
Just keep thinking of how you’ll feel when it’s done. We will all need to see the pictures.
And when it’s done, oh, frabjous day, as Lewis Carroll put it. You can be sure that there will be photos, Anne 🙂
😊
Just think what a smashing place you’ll have for Christmas dinner this year, Tish! Not to mention all the fun Graham is having. You’re a brave pair! Gardening has taken a back seat.
That’s a good thought to hang on to, Jo, especially as we missed Christmas dinner last year! As to gardening, it’s confined to seed trays at the mo’. It’s too wet, cold and windy outdoors. Brrr.
To make you feel better, Tish, it’s not a whole lot better here. April showers- heavy ones! Hoping it will be dry for the processions this weekend 🤔☔️💙
Wishing you fine days, Jo. Meanwhile our Easter weather looks pretty rubbishy.
We arrive, with a big bag of sunshine, on Saturday evening, Tish. I can dream….
Oh well done, you. Maybe you could bring two bags though 🙂
Wow you have really got the bit between your teeth and an somewhat brave too. Makes what we have done over the past three years on our modernish chalet seem a bit pathetic.
I blame it on other half spending too much time watching YouTube vids on how to build, mend and renovate. This leading to – oh we can do that, we can do this, it would be better if… He’s wholly confident about the enterprise. While I’m being whimpish in his wake. But now the whole thing has kicked off, it doesn’t seem quite so bad. (I think).
You’ve got a lot going on, that’s for sure. But I’m glad to read it’s a happy house and I would be doing that same thing with the nails so the wood could be burned. :-) When we lived in Ohio and had a wood-burning stove, I scrounged wood from everywhere and we never had to buy any. All the twigs that used to be garbage suddenly morphed into much-appreciated kindling, although after we had three garbage cans full, they turned back into trash. Looking forward to seeing how it all turns out.
Love that image of you gathering wood from all quarters, Janet. We are great scavengers too.
If I saw a tree being cut down, I would stop by with my van and ask if I could take some wood. The men from the city who did the tree cutting called me the Tree Lady. Lol.
However much you know it will be worth it, it must be a bit dismal, making-do-and-mending in this pretty awful weather. But at least you have your free(ish) wood. Your husband and mine are obviously cut from the same cloth.
Hammering nails in from the roofers, and hammering nails out from other half in the conservatory. An interesting audio-tapestry 🙂
If not exactly relaxing.
I’m sure it will be worth it in the end, but I don’t envy you the disruptionp. Great that you have good builders. We struggle to get tradies here. Funny how a house can ‘speak’ to you. 😀
It spoke very insistently too, Jude. And yes, our head builder, Alan, is a star – no messing about and on-the-spot problem solving. We are v. lucky.
Oh, Tish! I really don’t envy you the disruption, but it’ll definit3ly be worth it in the end! And Happy House is to be welcomed 😊
Many thanks for you kind thoughts, Sue.
Roofless in Bishops Castle! Is that a suitable title for a suspense thriller? I’ll follow your renovation process with great interest as we prepare to move in to a new place.
Good luck with your move, I.J. Hope all goes smoothly.
A good builder is a treasure to hold on to 😀 I know the chaos is unpleasant and disruptive but I’m sure it will all be worth it, especially your kitchen plans which sound great! I hope we will see photos as work progresses?
You may well get to see some photos, Sarah. Thanks for words of encouragement.
Wow, what a big job. Your house is lovely.
🙂 🙂
Heavens to Murgatriod! Massive ammounts of face-lifting-ness happening. It’ll be wonderful to look at the before/after photos … once you get to the end of the ‘after’ bit. 😀
You hit nail on head as ever, Widders. ‘once you get to the end of the ‘after’ bit 🙂
ah a good, safe and super slate roof over your heads – the best part of a house though the kitchen is next and vital unless you want to live off pot noodles and the like – the cook in you must be champing at the bit! I look forward to following more of the Farrell house change
p.s. no global warming here either – am back to more landscaping – in the rain of course!
Hello, Laura. Yes, the thought of a good slate roof overhead is v. heartening. We’re a little under halfway there, what with Easter, but seem fairly watertight! And goodness this rain. Every time I think I’ll get back in the garden, the heavens open. You’re a determined woman to be out there landscaping. More power to your earthworks.
its a case of dash out and in but have begun with the pond so water water everywhere!
Ha! A pond. Making the most of too-wet weather.
before the toad arrives
You’re expecting a toad? How marvellous 🙂
came last year so fingers crossed for a revisit
oh my goodness, you are brave. Part of me thinks maybe I should be brave too as I have seen a couple of houses that need work, but then the other part thinks oh no. Especially as I don’t have my kindle maker anymore!
Hope the next phases go okay xx
Major house doing-up is not really my notion of a good thing to do, Becky, especially when one’s living in it! But we were lucky to have a retired architect in the family who could give the place the once over, and help us to decide what was worth doing/needed doing.
Many thanks for the good wishes. And best of luck in your search for a new home.
Oh that’s a wonderful resource to have.
It is!
The end result will be worth it 😊
Many thanks for your positive thoughts, Lakshmi.
Looks amazing work. We are still using our old roof boards from the Spanish house’s old roof. Probably more fires to kindle than our years but a precious resource in the wood store!
Good to hear from a fellow never-waste-the-wood enthusiast 🙂
The progress is amazing!
We’re lucky our builder has the bit between his teeth and chivies all the tradesmen he brings in.