17. Fixing the old roof.

Recently I've been working 7 days a week to repair the roof so there hasn't been much time for blogging. Eventually we seem to be getting there though...

The existing roof over the bay had dropped quite badly.

Stripping back the tiles reveals there's not much holding it up. So far I haven't been impressed by the standard of 1930's builders...

...although it seems that generations of birds weren't too bothered.

Several areas have seen better days.

Nothing to do but rebuild the area above the bay using some serious timbers. The carpenter spends a day on it...

...leaving me to finish things off. There's no way this roof is going anywhere.

After a week or two making various other repairs, I can get back to the good bit. New fascia and soffit means it's starting to look more like a roof again.

Eventually I have to give in and draft in some hired help. The roofer puts the lath and felt on in two days...

...although it seems that for tradesmen, this is an acceptable way to leave the site. Looks like I'll have to get my broom out again. Great.

16. Chimneys

As we plan to install a woodburning stove at some point, we'll be needing a functional chimney. While the roof is scaffolded, it makes sense to do the necessary work now...

The existing chimneys had at some point been lowered and capped. They were also leaning quite badly...

...so the decision was made to take them down.

The stack at the front of the house was no longer required so it was capped below roof level and tiled over.

Time for the brickies to come back to rebuild the rear stack.

More scaffolding and the chimney is restored to its former glory. The pattern was taken from a neighbouring house which still had its original chimneys.

Inside the house, the flue is exposed...

...allowing the new stainless steel liner to be lowered in from above.

The liner is bricked in and backfilled with vermiculite for added insulation.

The reclaimed chimney pots complete the job, and luckily the rain holds off. Thanks again to my dad for his help - fitting the liner is definately a two man job.

A final look out from the top of the scaffolding before it's taken down. I'll miss the view but not climbing those ladders.

15. Interlude

Not much has been happening on the building front this week, I've been far too busy visiting my wife in hospital, who gave birth to baby Thomas on Wednesday.

Mom and baby are doing fine and should be out of hospital soon, all being well. Which means I need to get back to work so that Thomas can have his own room when he's a bit older...

14. A floor and a roof

The hangers are now bricked in, giving me chance to install the floor joists for the bedroom extension.

Meanwhile, the scaffolders are back to install the final lift.

This allows the brickies to complete the brickwork...

...and me to install the wallplate ready for the roof to go on.

Two days work from the carpenter sees the extension roof complete. Which would probably have taken me two weeks. Money well spent.

13. The bricklayers are back.

Another day's work from the bricklayers sees the rear extension almost up to wall plate.

Meanwhile, I get to work on the existing side elevation...

The old fascia boards and windows are removed, and an opening is made for a new window. Any loose brickwork is removed and the joints are raked out ready for repointing.

Finally, another day from the brickies sees my week of demolition put right. Bricks for the patching up have been reclaimed from elsewhere on the job so the joins can't be seen.

Next week should see the return of the scaffolders for the final lift.

12. Back to knocking stuff down.

The old chimney is taken down.

Stripping back the roof tiles reveals the fascia needs a little tlc...

Strongboys are inserted to hold up the roof while the brickwork below is removed.

The first few rows of tiles are removed for access to the top of the brickwork.

A new 9"x3" timber beam is inserted to hold up the existing roof above the extension.

With the beam and strongboys in place it's safe to start removing the brickwork below. Skip number 10 is full and I realise just getting rid of the rubble has cost well over £1000.

The first lift of scaffold goes up and the bricklayers are back for another day's work. The extension is really starting to take shape now.

Next week I'll be grinding out the mortar on the side of the existing house ready for repointing. Nice.

11. The steel arrives.

The big steel lintel which will span the opening for the folding sliding doors on the rear elevation. At 6 metres long and weighing in at 400kg, it's a monster. It took 3 of us to push it up the drive (Thanks, Jim A).

A bit of adjustment [with a sledgehammer] was required to the wall of the old garage to manoeuvre the lintel to the back of the house.

It's a tight squeeze.

After the best part of a day levering the lintel around, it's finally onto the hired genie lifts.

Nervous moments as nearly half a tonne of steel teeters above my new brickwork. And my head...

The two 60kg universal beams are a walk in the park in comparison.

Steelwork in place, genie lifts back at the hire shop, and no slipped discs or squashed toes. Result.