David & Karen's Barn Conversion

2008-03-27T14:40:00.000-07:00

March update - Week 104 (2 years!)

Whoopee!! we have achieved Practical Completion (apart from a few snagging items which will probably always be there to do) - it has taken 2 years from start to finish and we are both absolutely exhausted. It will be very strange staying there without having to pick up a saw or power drill!

We could not have done this without all the support and understanding of our friends and families so a big thank you to all of you and I hope you will come and stay soon and let us show our appreciation.

2008-03-27T14:29:00.000-07:00

March update - week 104 cont...

2008-03-27T14:24:00.000-07:00

March update - week 103

2008-03-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

March update - Weeks 101-102

This week we started to make the huge kitchen table. First we planed the long pieces of semi-seasoned oak to ensure tight joints. We then biscuited jointed the four lengths and sash clamped them together overnight (see photo). Thanks to Jock lending us the clamps for the weekend we managed to make six bedside/coffee table tops. The next day we worked on the legs ready for constructung the final furniture.

During the week snagging continued as well as belt sanding and oiling of the tables. The downstairs WC and sink are now plumbed in (at the third attempt!).

2008-03-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

February update - weeks 99/100

The boiler was installed and the flue fitted. We finally finished all the tiling and thresholds between rooms. The final lengths of skirting were fitted and plugged.

2008-02-22T13:45:00.000-08:00

February Update - week 97/98

Mid wales was lucky to have another beautiful spell of good weather which makes you forget all the rain we experienced over the last couple of months.

Dave was stuck inside however still attending to snagging items and built a stone plinth around the woodburning stove base (picture to follow). We turned our hands to carpentry at the weekend when we constructed shelves for the study.

Plumber and electrician due on site next week.

2008-02-22T13:32:00.000-08:00

January/February Update - week 96

We are into final snagging of the decorations whilst we wait for the plumber and electrician to attend site for final connections.

After fitting the solid oak tread between the kitchen and lounge (above) snagging included making good all the triangles (too awkward/small for the plasterer to attempt), all 18 of them! Who designed the oak beams?? okay I suppose we only have ourselves to blame but the finished look was worth it. Other snagging items included plugging all the skirting fixing holes with oak plugs and more coats of oil on all architraves.

2008-02-22T13:26:00.000-08:00

January Update - week 95

Finally the utility room gets some attention; we fitted the units, worktop and sink over the weekend leaving dave to plumb in the sink, connect washing machine hoses and fit the wall units himself.

2008-02-22T13:21:00.000-08:00

January update – week 94

It was such gloriously sunny weather we just couldn’t resist climbing up the hill behind us. At over 1500 ft there are fantastic views from top as you can see, Dave is pointing out the roof of our barn just seen.

Dave managed to do all the finishing touches to the bathroom this wek so now the washbasin is plumbed in with a tile surround, mirror and light.

2008-01-16T12:33:00.000-08:00

January Update - week 93

Hurrah helpers for the weekend and we now have a completely finished ground floor; all grouted and sealed. Thanks mum m.

The bathroom was also suddenly transformed this week with a hand made oak bathroom cabinet fitted and the wash basin, towel rail and radiator being plumbed in. A nearly finished room and our vision is slowly becoming a reality.

2008-01-16T12:19:00.001-08:00

January Update - week 92

The double doors in bedroom two were hung and all the door furniture fitted.Quite a complicated job as these doors are designed to fold all the way back allowing maximum light to flood through the bank of velux windows through to downstairs.

Dave had fun making a right mess in the utility room grouting the newly laid tiles.

2008-01-03T13:34:00.000-08:00

December Update - Week 91

With 17 layers on (honestly!) we braved the bitterly cold christmas period and fitted all the architrave upstairs, hung the internal bedroom and bathroom doors and fitted nearly half of the skirting boards.

All is ready for the carpet to be fitted now!

Adam and Andy, two very competent joiners, came and finshed installing the staircase which has transformed the place.

2008-01-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

November/December Update - Weeks 86-90

Working around a very enjoyable break in South Africa Dave managed to finish the limestone flooring.

2007-11-18T10:58:00.000-08:00

November Update - Week 85

Dave spent all week laying yet more limestone floor tiles (well we have got almost 100 sq m to cover!). We also boxed in all the pipework in the ensuite after connecting both the upstairs toilets.

At the weekend we finished tiling the ensuite shower (we are becoming quite the tiling experts!)

2007-11-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

November Update - Week 84

Finally the staircase arrived! Luckily Adam (the staircase joiner) and his helper Andy agreed to come down and fit it themselves. It took all day to fit the main staircase. Next month they will come down to complete the balastrades up the staircase and along the landing.

In the meantime more limestone tiles were laid (nearly finished).

2007-11-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

October Update - Weeks 82-83

We started plumbing in the bath and shower upstairs. We then pressure tested the pipes to 3 bar pressure and no leaks!

Second fix electrics continued (wiring smoke alarms, thermostats, dimmer switches etc).

We started tiling the walls in the bathroom and at the same time Jock and Tim came down for the weekend to install the oak kitchen which looks fantastic (excluding work tops for the moment).

2007-11-18T10:32:00.000-08:00

October Update - week 81 Mum M (grouting expert) kick started the grouting of the limestone flooring and bathroom travertine floor tiles.

Work continued on the electrics and another few rows of limestone floor tiles were laid (see Dave hard at work in background of photo).

2007-11-18T10:24:00.000-08:00

October update - week 80

With the help of Dave's Dad we finshed the woodshed, complete with slated roof and faced at the ends with larch.

Another few rows of limestone floor tiles were laid as well as finishing all the external sealing of windows, doors etc

2007-10-08T12:39:00.000-07:00

October Update - Week 79

The limestone tiles finally arrived last week, all 100 sq metres of them! David had levelled the concrete floor in preparation so at the weekend we put all our practicing on the bathroom floor into action. With some tiles measuring over half a metre squared it was slow work.

We also had some valued help in the form of mum and dad A. Norma was put to work oiling all the oak skirting boards, architrave and the internal doors. While John was given responsibility of tiling the wood shed - picture to follow next week...

2007-10-01T13:45:00.000-07:00

September Update - week 78

Outside the barn deserves a bit of a mention this week as the lawn is springing into life- it is the first time since we first bought the barn back in March 2006 that we have seen greenery surrounding the building!

Dad M has for the last few weeks been working tirelessly doing second fix electrics, ie attaching power sockets, installing spot lights etc as shown below in their semi installed state. You can also see that we have put up the main entrance curtain pole.

2007-10-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

September Update - week 77

Another week on and more painted walls to show for it, with the protective plastic finally coming off, the oak trusses can be seen in their full glory.

The next new skill acquired this week included floor tiling starting with the bathroom using travertine floor tiles. This small area didn't seem daunting but it will be a whole different ball game when the ground floor tiles get delivered in approx two weeks.

2007-10-01T13:10:00.000-07:00

September Update - week 76

The repointing of the barn has finished this week just in time for the wet autumn weather on its way. We added the finshing touches of the solid slate door steps in front of each door.

Then back on to more painting

2007-09-13T13:08:00.000-07:00

September Update - weeks 74/75

The plasterer has finally finished after a couple of weeks off with a back injury! He left the hardest job til last and drafted in some helping hands to plaster the main downstairs ceiling.

With Gary hard at work inside, we spent a long weekend spreading top soil over the top half of the garden and sewing grass seed.

And so back to the painting for the next couple of weeks......

2007-08-30T13:55:00.000-07:00

August Update - Week 73

Another glorious week of sunshine in wales so we made the most of it and having two helpers in Caroline and Chris we undertook a bit of landscaping. Two days later and we have garden steps and a slate seat!

Expecting a top soil delivery whilst the weather is fine we also levelled part of the garden. Where's Groundforce when you need them?

2007-08-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

August Update - Week 72

The painting has started in earnest! At least four coats everywhere is going to take a little while but we were lucky to have Mum & Dad M down for the week. In one week we have finished three bedrooms with all the second fix electrics in!

Bedroom 2 below...

2007-08-30T13:03:00.000-07:00

August Update - Week 71

With the plastering nearing completion we concentrated on external jobs and fitted half of the slate sills outside the kitchen windows.

For the rest of the week with the plasterer off site Dave started sanding all the oak beams before we started painting. Not a particularly enjoyable task.

2007-08-13T13:18:00.000-07:00

July / August Update - Weeks 69-70

Another two weeks speed by... the plasterer is still on site so combined with the good weather we were able to tick off some external jobs.

We were very lucky to have two very enthusiastic helpers to help build a stone retaining wall with the endless pile of stone created when the south gable wall was taken down. Thanks Louise for all your valued help, especially in your 'condition'.

Hugo was more comfortable with the heavy duty cutting equipment so he and Dave cut through all the solid flagstones (the original barn flooring) to create front and back doors steps etc.

Last but not least a photo of the very camera shy Garry hard at work plastering the kitchen. We were very lucky to find such a hard working, conscientious guy, the fact that he once won National Plasterer of the Year helped too! His plastering is faultless and he is working so hard it will be finished next week.

2007-07-23T13:13:00.000-07:00

July Update - Week 68

The plasterer has been on site for 1 week and has plastered all three bedrooms! (thats bedroom 1 in the picture).Downstairs is all ready for plastering and dab & boarding (on the gable end wall which is breeze block inside as you can see below).We somehow managed to miss all the wet weather the UK experienced over the weekend so were able to start building the small retaining wall alongside the east facing side of the building. We certainly have enough stone left on site to build it with but obviously the stone masons got to all the regular shaped stones first.

2007-07-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

July Update Week 67

Firstly a picture of our new flat garden (still with a mountain of old oak timbers) created by John the 'diggerman'.

This week was frantically spent sanding and protecting the oak trusses inside in advance of the plasterer starting.

2007-07-09T05:54:00.000-07:00

July Update - Weeks 64-66

Groan- I'm aching all over, but it is worth it, after a back breaking weekend of putting up the ceilings we can just about say we have finished the plasterboarding!! I think we were both a bit downheartened by the length of time it all took but is very rewarding as the place is transformed into a light airy space. The wires you see are for the spot lights throughout the ground floor.

The plasterer is due on site next week so we have a bit of preparation and protective coverings to get in place before that happens.

While we were stuck indoors missing out on the sunshine, John, the digger man, spent 3 days outside levelling the garden while the weather was fine. We now have a terraced area for lawn and a flat parking area round to the side of the barn- photos to follow next week.

2007-06-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

June Update - Weeks 61-63

Another two weeks of plasterboarding and we are nearly there!

Rooms are suddenly taking shape (slowly) and all that is left is the downstairs ceiling, yes okay we left the worst til last! At least we have prepared by inserting most of the sound insulation between the first floor joists.

We also had a nerve-racking time pressure testing all the plumbing, we are now leak free!

With Dad doing sterling work preparing for second fix electrics we will be ready for the plasterer to start on site in July.

Thoughts start turning to final finishes at last.

2007-05-29T08:00:00.000-07:00

May Update - Week 60

Another week of plasterboarding ably assisted by Caroline at the weekend- thank you!

We probably put up a total of 70 sq m over the weekend and are now definitely over half way (we hope!).

2007-05-23T09:41:00.000-07:00

May Update - Weeks 58-59

Still plasterboarding which believe it or not is actually very rewarding as we start to see the oak beams reveal themselves again. Come back to see each room take shape....

2007-05-14T01:02:00.000-07:00

May Update - Week 57

Even though it was a gloriously sunny week in wales, we spent the whole week inside as we are at the plasterboarding stage at last!

Suddenly we are starting to see the finished barn take shape upstairs. With the help of parents and Simon & Cath we completed all the insulating round the perimeter walls using Kingspan rigid urethane insulation with moisture resistant foil facings.

Now for a few weeks of plasterboarding..

2007-05-01T06:13:00.000-07:00

April Update - Week 56

With first fix electrics completed this week, the barn is a mass of wires, including the satellite, TV and telephone cabling - as shown above.

The second photo shows the prepared stone work ready for re-pointing and the windows & doors nearly all in!

2007-05-01T06:04:00.000-07:00

April Update - Weeks 54-55

Thankfully the April showers failed to materialise this year so we were able to start hanging the external doors with the help of Dave's parents, John & Norma.

We decided to advantage of the dry spell to clean and rake out the exterior stone work ready for re-pointing in the summer, any volunteers?

Norma also did a fantastic job of clearing much of the site ready for landscaping.

2007-04-13T06:10:00.000-07:00

Girls sawing.... need I say more!

April Update Weeks 52-53

Bit of a milestone- we have now worked on the barn for over a year, and we certainly have the scars and blisters to show for it! But as you can see it really is taking shape inside now.

Easter weekend was spent putting in the last few partitions and upstairs ceilings with the help of Dave (brother) and Surinder.

2007-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

March Update Weeks 50-51

As a break from partitioning we started insulating the roof this week. Using Tri-Iso Super 10 (which reduces the thickness of insulation required whilst achieving the same U-value) and another newly acquired power tool- an electric stapling gun we insulated the whole roof space in 3 days.

Another delivery of 50 lengths of 4 by 2 later and we were back to partitioning, this time battoning out the ceilings and roof voids ready for plaster boarding.

We also managed to fit the majority of the internal oak door linings.

2007-04-01T14:07:00.000-07:00

Feb/March Update - Weeks 48-49

Work continued on the mammoth task of partitioning the barn. The majority of work being upstairs and around the awkward windows and entrances.

The little slit openings that originally were head height downstairs have to fall between the floors due to their length.So we now have a mini windows at floor height in bedroom 3 and in the lounge providing some needed daylight.

By the end of these two weeks all the upstairs rooms were taking shape so we were able to fit all the electric backing boxes for switches and sockets.

2007-02-28T09:38:00.000-08:00

February Update - Week 47

We both got very excited this week at the prospect of getting a heat source in the barn, we have connected the wood burning stove flues to reach almost to the ridge. We just have to wait for a dry day to punch it through the lead flashing unit and we can finally start trying to reduce our very large wood pile outside.

The rooms are also taking shape very quickly as we begin partitioning between the rooms- see below. We have used over 460 metres of 4x2 already and what must be thousands of screws!

2007-02-20T05:43:00.000-08:00

February Update- Weeks 45-46

After a week off for Dave's MBA exams it was back to preparing the inside of the barn for first fix electricals and plumbing. We ordered in over 400 metres of 4x2 treated timber for battening the internal walls ready for insulating. As none of the walls are vertical inside we ended up losing quite a bit of space as you can see from the pictures.

We were lucky to have the help of Hugo and Louise at the weekend and with their valued input we noticeably transformed the barn into 'house'. After a lengthy debate we also managed to fix some of the electrical sockets in the lounge and bedroom 3.

2007-02-20T05:23:00.000-08:00

January Update - Weeks 42-43

After the excitement of the weekend fitting windows it was back to the slow steady progress only being two on site.

However we have officially reached a wind and watertight stage having fitted the majority of the glazing. It was a nerve-racking process delicately manouvering the double glazed units into position which wasn't helped by the fact it was almost freezing conditions outside!

We also picked up the wood burning stove- all 220 kilos of it, which now stands in prime position in the centre of the barn.

2007-01-15T05:31:00.000-08:00

January Update - Week 41 (sunday)

Two windows down and one to go...

Luckily we were blessed with the weather on the sunday as we moved to the western elevation (the windy side). Before we fitted the frame in, the first task was to lift one of the original flagstones inside for the wood burning stoves to sit on. It felt like a team building event at first while we decided how to go about lifting a piece of slate the weight of a small car! Eventually between 8 of us the flagstone was in place in the centre of the barn.

Back to fitting the window frames and within an hour we had the main barn door frame in place (after removing a few badly positioned stones). So I would like to acknowledge the help of our very enthusiastic volunteers; (pictured below, l-r) Vicky, Noodle, Claire, Chris, Simon, (Dave), Chris, Dad, Cath and Dave. Thank you guys.

2007-01-15T05:18:00.000-08:00

January Update - Week 41 (Saturday)

With the delivery of the largest oak window frames last week we knew we would need a few extra hands to help lift them into place, time to call in the favours; it turns out we had used them all up already but luckily we managed to convince 8 of our friends that it would be great fun anyway.

So on the wet and windy saturday we managed to fit the long bedroom window which was a bit of a squeeze aswell as the east facing barn door opening.

2007-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

January Update - Week 40

With the underfloor heating in place and tested we could get on with laying the floor screed, the final layer before the floor tiles.

It took most of the week to finish the whole floor as we chose not to get a pour but instead Dave must have mixed over 100 barrow-fulls of screed.

The other picture details the roof trusses from below

2007-01-08T06:58:00.000-08:00

December Update - Weeks 38-39

Around a short break for christmas we managed to lay the nu-heat underfloor heating system. We chose a warm water underfloor heating system which works by pumping controlled flows of warm water from a boiler through plastic tubing embedded in the floor. Because the emitting area is large, the warmth provided is quite sufficient even on a cold winter day without the need for any extra heat source.

We liked the fact that underfloor heating gave us the freedom to design room layouts as we want them with the added advantage of savings on fuel and maintenance costs. The picture below shows the optimal manifold (which looks more complicated than it is!) where it all happens.

2006-12-19T11:50:00.000-08:00

December Update Week 37

Back from holiday and raring to go, Dave and dad have had a busy week and have oiled and fitted four of the oak windows. The three kitchen full length windows which face south and the bedroom three window on the north facing gable end of the barn.

The utility room is now fairly sealed to the elements after the framework and breathable membrane was fitted to the south facing gable end wall of the utility room. This will eventually have horizontal wood panelling on the exterior.

With my (and Noodle’s) help at the weekend we managed to lay all the floor insulation (60mm thick Kingspan Kooltherm; a rigid phenolic insulation core with foil facings) on the ground floor. We also attached breathable membrane to the inside of all the external stone walls to prevent any moisture ingress.

2006-12-19T11:44:00.000-08:00

December Update Week 36

As the barn is now virtually watertight we allowed ourselves a holiday so no update for this week except for a couple of beautiful pictures.....

2006-12-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

November Update Weeks 33-35

Finally the roofers have finished slating the roof and it looks fantastic. Over the last 2 weeks Dave and dad oiled and fixed all the oak soffit and fascia boards which you can see just under the roof in the pictures.

Once these were fitted all the gaps between the stone work and fascia boards were plugged with render to stop all the many resident birds from settling in.

As the contractors have now finished on site we were able to lay the services in the utility room so we now have a fully connected soil pipe system all ready for toilets and capped off sink drainage pipes. The hardcore and sand was then laid ready for the final concrete floor.

Another timely job finished just in time for the season downpours was the guttering which provided to be quite a difficult job when none of the edges on our barn are straight!

2006-11-14T05:54:00.000-08:00

November Update - Weeks 31-32

Dave has spent much of the last two weeks doing what a project manager does best and making sure nothing held up the building and roofing contractors.

As you can see the stonework is almost finished, but they are scraping around on site for those last few stones to fill the remaining gaps.

The utility room has now been completely rebuilt and is ready for roof slates to be fixed on.

With Dave sourcing and preparing the oak soffit and fascia boards the roofers are able to start tiling the roof next week.

With Dad (M) now on site we have been able to start raking out the old mortar ready for repointing the whole barn when the weather dries up next spring.

We have also sourced our wood burning stove which we are hoping to install as soon as the floor screed is down to provide some much needed heat.

The next major stage is fitting the oak windows most of which should be ready (albeit without glazing) in the next week.

2006-10-30T10:10:00.000-08:00

October Update Weeks 29-30

As they say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this one says it all really.

Thats the master bedroom you can see.

2006-10-16T06:21:00.000-07:00

September/October Update Weeks 25-28
The project went through a bit of a quiet period this month because we can’t really do much more internally until the roof is on and the building is watertight. The highlight of the month was lifting the trusses into place. Dave and Paul hired a telehandler and after a tense 3 days all 3 oak trusses, the purlins and main ridge were sitting in place on the steels. The building was instantly transformed! In addition the oak frame dividing the kitchen from the main living space was fitted- I hope it will help to retain the original character of the barn. The barn is now ready for the roofing contractors to start work. Dave also confirmed the oak windows order which will be delivered at the end of October ready for fitting first week in November.We were able to do quite a bit of preparation on site with the help of a few enthusiastic friends so thank you to Hels, Hayley, Gaynor, Roger, Jules and Rob. With their help we have cleared the drive ready for landscaping and rendered the original stone walls on the inside to hopefully detract mice etc from nesting in the walls! I think all they got in return for their efforts were aching muscles and dirty clothes!

2006-10-16T06:13:00.000-07:00

September Update Weeks 22-24

The barn is now finally looking more like a house! Dave managed to fix most of the first floor joists in place so now you can picture the living space upstairs. The picture shows the herring bone joist braces being hammered in place. A mixture of wooden noggins and metal braces were used depending on where the internal stud partition walls will sit.

Baden Powell Contractors are still on site creating the window openings and facing the new blockwork with the original stone, their expertise is obvious when you see them at work and they are close to finishing the end gable wall.

Paul is continuing to work on the oak trusses which will be lifted on in the next couple of weeks. Mum and Dad (A) paid us a visit at the weekend, luckily the weather was gorgeous so they saw the barn in it’s full glory! And thanks to Zoe and Tim for the fantastic picnic.

2006-09-20T05:54:00.000-07:00

August Update – weeks 20-21

What a week I picked to lend a hand- everything seemed to happen at once this week. It was amazing though to see is take shape literally before our eyes, in fact it is worth updating by day this time:

Monday
The first delivery of green oak arrived,. Over 20 9”x6” lengths. This is for the main roof trusses which Paul will dry fit on site. The longer lengths took 3 men to lift them off the lorry!

Then the first floor steel arrived, luckily we were not required to lift them this time- they weighed over 350 kilos each!! After a nerve-racking 2 hours, all 5 steels had been craned carefully into place, either into the walls or onto the supporting pillars by Reg and his helper.

Tuesday
The second concrete pour arrived today, the ground had already been prepared last week with a hardcore, sand and damp proof course base. This time the chute of the concrete could extend into the building, saving us a lot of barrowing back and forth. Once the concrete had been poured we were left to rake it over the steel reinforcing mesh and tamp it down.

Wednesday
We spent most of today securing the steels to the outside of the stone walls with steel rods and 30cm Ø metal plates. We also had to fill in each pocket around the steel with stone and render.

Thursday
Another delivery of timber arrived, this time the joists for the first floor, Dave will have to cut each one down to size and fix to the steels with noggins in between.

By this time Paul was well into making his first roof truss which often needed two people to heave each length of oak into place.

Friday
The site was beginning to feel like spaghetti junction , another delivery of oak arrived, the rest of the 9”x6” lengths and the 8”x8” lengths for the ridge. We also had a huge digger on site shifting earth around and backfilling behind the retaining wall. Mum and Dad (M) provided some much needed help on site with some more concrete laying- I think they enjoyed their visit (?).

Weekend
Yes we even work weekends! Paul finished the first roof truss and dry fitted it together on site- it looks fantastic as you can see.

Saturday also gave us the opportunity to have a

close look at how Baden Powell’s contractors have been getting on with rebuilding the end gable wall. They have reached the start of the gable wall apex with the inside thermalite block and clad externally with the original stone.

2006-08-16T09:18:00.000-07:00

August Update- Week 19

Just a quick update this week- We have a gable end wall again, well half of one! It is very exciting to see such a transformation every time I go down, it is almost worth putting daily photos up it is moving so fast. The next month will be frantic as we aim for our wind and watertight deadline, in fact I have been summoned down to wales to lend a hand, I'm not sure i'd quite call it a holiday!

2006-08-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

August Update - Weeks 17-18

This week marked a huge landmark in the conversion; we had finally reached the stage where we had to bring in specialist contractors to move the project forward. The roof was off so now the south gable wall could be taken down and re-built, so we hired Baden Powell and Sons Stone Contractor who started on site this week. They will also be creating all the new window and door openings whilst strengthening the existing stone walls. The new gable end will comprise a cavity block-work wall with stone facing using the original stone.

I had a bit of a shock seeing the barn as it now stands as it looks even more like a ruin than when we bought it! But from now on we will begin to see a home take shape.

With the contractors on site it meant Dave could start preparing for the next stages: hiring a roofing contractor, getting the first floor steels made and sourcing the oak windows all of which have to be custom made to fit each opening.

During the second week Dave prepared the concrete pads and openings for the steels to be incorporated. We chose steel joists as opposed to timber because this will reduce the void between floors, they are cheaper and they will not be seen anyway.

Everything is coming together extremely well so we hope to achieve our wind and watertight deadline of early October, even the weather seems to be on our side at the moment. If all goes to plan we may even get a holiday this year!

2006-07-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

July Update - Week 16

This week marked a crucial and dangerous stage of the project. The whole roof structure required removing before any stonework and reconstruction could start. The existing oak timbers were in poor condition (as original structural survey stated) and we were advised therefore to rebuild the roof from scratch. This enabled us to redesign the main trusses to allow more headroom on the first floor.

David and Paul spent the next three days precariously balanced on a roof ladder and wobbly scaffold tower levering off the strips of tin secured very firmly by long nails into the old oak trusses (not easy!). Finally Dylan Thomas Crane Hire arrived to lift off the huge oak structure avoiding damaging the outside walls.

Help arrived at the weekend (Dave Martineau again, thank you!) to prepare the site for the stonemason contractor to start work next week. We also salvaged as much of the oak trusses as possible as we hope to use these as features within the barn e.g. for window lintels and part of the staircase.

2006-07-26T05:36:00.000-07:00

July Update - Week 15

Finally we have two of the necessary services to site: electricity and water. We were instructed to dig a 50m trench by Western Power from a pylon in the adjacent field, right up to the barn. The cable was “moled” under the county highway by an external contractor who laid the cable in the trench ready for the August live connection.

In anticipation of the welsh wet weather approaching a storm drain was constructed to cope with flash flooding from the hills above us which will collect behind the retaining wall.

2006-07-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

Interim Post July 2006

Whilst digging a storm drain David dug up a rabbit's warren with 4 baby bunnies in it, they were so young their eyes hadn't even opened yet! Unfortunately the tale is not a happy one so I will just end by saying may the Flopsy Bunnies RIP.

2006-07-10T06:12:00.000-07:00

June/ July Update – Weeks 13-14

With the ground inside the barn prepared for the floor slab to go in, a delivery of 5 cubic metres of concrete was ordered for the Wednesday. I was summoned down to Wales as it would be all hands on deck. They weren’t wrong: - for a whole manic hour (concrete sets quite quickly in hot weather and also we were paying for the lorry by the hour) David and Paul were wheeling barrow after barrow of concrete into the barn while I was stuck inside raking and tamping the concrete. Finally by lunchtime we had half of the floor slab laid, the rest can’t be laid until the gable wall has been re-built.

At the weekend we still had two thin channels of the floor slab (left clear in order to be able to tamp the last load) to fill with concrete but this time mixing it up ourselves which took a lot longer. As we couldn’t really do much else other than watch it set we gave ourselves the afternoon off to watch the England game. I’m not sure what was more exhausting- laying a concrete floor or sitting through that game!

Last week saw the retaining wall finally get finished, hooray! A very impressive 10 courses high at its highest point- not very beautiful but that didn’t stop David standing admiring it for half an hour! We will of course face it with natural stone on completion, but not one of the most urgent tasks at the moment.

Another two weeks of unusually fine weather provided David with the opportunity to put in the soakaway. The soakaway is a 48 metre long, 900mm deep trench gradually sloping downhill from the septic tank and filled with 40mm drainage stone.

2006-06-26T07:43:00.000-07:00

June Update – Weeks 11-12

Two weeks of exceptionally good weather went largely unnoticed by David & Paul who were inside the whole time preparing the barn for the floor slab to be laid. This involved setting the soil pipes in concrete, inserting the grey-water drainage and the air-vent beneath the wood-burning stove location.

David also took delivery of 16 tonnes of hardcore forming the base of the floor slab followed by a 25mm layer of sand blinding. The most difficult stage was cutting and fitting the damp proof membrane (bright blue in the photo) which covers the whole floor and the bottom half of the walls.

We were joined on site at the weekend by David (brother) and Chris, and between us added another 3 courses of concrete blocks on the retaining wall- we are nearly there! A much deserved beer was had in front of the England game luckily being shown in the local pub.

2006-06-14T01:15:00.000-07:00

June Update – Weeks 9-10

Finally we have finished the underpinning, thankfully we didn’t have to unpin the whole barn as the south gable wall has to be rebuilt and as part of that the wall will have proper foundations.

Work on the retaining wall has also progressed and we finally reached the opposite boundary line 24 meters away where we have laid blocks in a curve round the top corner of the barn. The wall will eventually reach a maximum height of 2.2m with double skin thickness along half the wall.

Now the underpinning is finished, attention can turn to laying the concrete floor so David hired a laser level to measure the floor to ceilings heights and hence the depth to prepare to.

2006-06-14T00:59:00.000-07:00

May Update – Weeks 7-8

As David and Paul gradually excavated around the top end of the barn they came across an obstacle which got the better of them: a huge stump of a Horse Chestnut tree, having hacked at it with chin saws and the small digger they finally admitted defeat and called the heavies in. John, a local contractor with 30 years of digger experience, was brought in with his huge digger and had the stump out in 5 minutes! While he was on site he also levelled out the garden for us.

Another mile stone in the project was reached when the septic tank was installed and the trench dug for the soil pipe at the carefully calculated recommended fall, we really don’t want to have to deal with soil pipe blockages.

2006-06-14T00:54:00.000-07:00

May Update - Weeks 5-6

Underpinning has been moving forward with earnest, it is a fairly slow job as each pin has to be excavated by hand as the digger may have dislodged the unsupported wall. A few pins are causing problems due to large boulders at the base of the walls dropping as the hole expands underneath.

Once the hole is dug and the wooden shuttering is in place on the front, the concrete is poured in and left to set overnight before a firm mix of concrete is used to fill the gap between the pin and the underneath of the wall.

On the fine days and as a break from the backbreaking underpinning, two more footings for the retaining wall were laid with steels in place. Our structural engineer, Clive Hudson, seemed very impressed on his inspection.

We also have some new arrivals, in the form of 4 blackbird chicks, nesting in the barn. Lets hope they have flown before work on the wall starts!

2006-06-13T05:39:00.000-07:00

April Update - Weeks 3-4

Work on the retaining wall has started, the first concrete footing have been laid with steels in place tying the blocks to the foundations. Following a delivery of 500 concrete blocks two courses of the wall have been laid. Each block weighs 25kg and steels run through every block vertically and in long lengths horizontally between courses. The hollow blocks are then filled with concrete, setting the steels in place; we are building a wall here that will last for centuries!

My brother, David, kindly volunteered his services for a weekend and with his help the first section of the wall is now about 5 courses high.

Within the last week, David and Paul attempted their first few pins having lowered the inside ground level to approximately 750mm below the bottom of the walls.

2006-06-13T05:30:00.000-07:00

April Update – Weeks 1-2

The first two weeks on site were hampered with appalling wet weather (unavoidable in Wales!) but never the less David took delivery of a small digger and dump truck and started excavating earth from around the top end of the barn. Being set on a hillside half of the top gable end is set into the hill so we are cutting into the slope revealing more of the barn and creating a level site around the whole building.

A large part of the initial ground works involves constructing a retaining wall to hold back the hillside and more importantly to channel surface water away into a storm drain.

David and Paul also removed all the internal stone walls and the hay loft and also lowered the ground level inside the barn by over a meter. One of my jobs was to carry the heaps of hay to outside, not a great job for a hay-fever sufferer!

One of the most important jobs in the first week was to dig a trench to get the spring water underground to site, so we now have water available on site.

2006-06-13T05:28:00.000-07:00

April 2006

Finally David started on site, it almost felt like he was leaving to go to University again, packing up the car with boxes of ‘barn paperwork’, study books for his MBA course and bulk purchases of pasta, baked beans and Soreen!
We are very lucky to be able to employ the services of Paul, a very able carpenter with experience in ground works, site work and most importantly oak framing. He will be working with David full time on site.

2006-06-13T05:08:00.000-07:00

March 2006

We finally completed on the purchase and ventured down again to see what we had let ourselves in for; luckily we both still felt a huge buzz of excitement when we saw it again. So we now own a heap of rubble with planning permission for a three bedroom home, but standing inside we could see the potential even on a dark and dismal day.

There are essentially 3 approaches to renovating an old building:
1. Find a project manager/contractor who will run the whole project from start to finish and will deliver a completed building. This is the most expensive route as the project manager typically charges 10-15% of the total project cost for his services and they have little incentive to keep your costs down.
2. Project manage the renovation yourself finding trades people to do work as required. This route has the disadvantage of being more stressful and may be slower than the first approach.
3. Do most of the work yourself; it is perfectly feasible to lay a concrete floor, install a septic tank or create a window opening if you know what you are doing. This will be much less costly but you could end up with a less than professional job.

We are probably adopting a combination of the last two approaches with David as he project manager being based on site throughout the project. We will try and do much of the labour intensive work ourselves and only employ trade people on jobs which require specific skills.

You may ask what I will be doing throughout the project; well apart from keeping an income coming in and lending a hand as a labourer at the weekends, I will be ensuring the conversion preserves some sense of the previous use a barn after it as been renovated. Not only is it difficult to look at the large empty and visualise how the space will be used but we also had to consider the style question: do we preserve the ‘centuries old’ feeling or adopt a modern interior which can be beautiful if carefully though out. Either way we wanted to endure as much of the original materials were re-used; the original oak roof trusses have aged beautifully and could make interesting wooden staircases/features. We also uncovered huge flag stones underneath the mountains of earth and hay which we hope to integrate within the build. Overall we hope to achieve a spacious peaceful interior that offers respite from the hectic chaotic outside world.

In the month prior to starting on site David researched construction methods, materials, equipment and fine tuning his very detailed Gant chart and budget. I spent the month trawling through magazines and reading books to achieve a clearer picture of how the finished space should look.

We calculated the whole project will take approximately 12 months to complete with September 2006 being the target for a wind and water-tight building.

The initial considerations for the conversion were structural stability, services and overall design.

Structural stability – being a barn, the walls are not built on foundation so in order to add a first floor, the barn would have to be underpinned, a tedious labour intensive job.

Services – the barn will be fed from a spring further up the hill which will be filtered on route to the tap. We are lucky to not be too far away from a source of electricity which will be routed underground to the barn. Mains gas is not an option in this location so the heating will rely on oil. We investigated the possibility of geothermal central heating which uses the subterranean heat from the earth to heat the property. The significant cost running cost is that of the electric pump which is need to raise the temperature, thus if the cost of electricity goes up, the whole system becomes expensive to run. We have chosen to adopt under floor heating based on an oil burning boiler which improves the energy efficiency of a building. Ideally we would like to make the barn as eco as possible so are investigating the use of solar panels and windmill electricity generation.

Design – We had a local architect recommended to us who has been very helpful in redesigning the internal layout of the barn. We are restricted to the window openings as set out in the approved planning application drawings unless we resubmit a revised scheme which can be a very lengthy uncertain process.

2006-06-13T05:05:00.000-07:00

November 2005

After months of monitoring websites and pestering local estate agents we found this centuries old welsh stone 56’ x 20’ barn located just outside Llanwrtyd Wells, the smallest town in Britain. The barn is in an idyllic spot overlooking the Irfon Valley between the Cambrian Mountains and the Mynydd Epynt.

2006-06-12T03:51:00.000-07:00

Background

Almost 2 years ago we both realised we were getting caught in the hectic South-East commuter bubble which doesn’t really contribute to a healthy lifestyle, so we decided to look for a rural retreat where we could indulge in all the outdoor activities we both love. David was also looking for a change in direction towards project management so a barn conversion offered the hands on experience and challenge he sought.

The hunt started and very soon we narrowed down the search to the Brecon Beacons and surrounding areas.