| Start Date 1 NOVEMBER 2005 |
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| The state of the outside before trees are
cleared to make way for the eventual driveway and of course access
for the machinery needed. The hole has already been cut in the hedge |
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| The outside of the building at the start |
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| The inside of the building at the
start, looking towards kitchen area |
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| The inside looking towards the lounge
area (note the worker being watched by the supervisor in the red cap!) |
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| The Front Door |
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| The trees and been cleared and the hedge
roots lifted. The pile of stones will be used to build up each gable
end to increase the pitch of the roof |
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| 14 November
the window/part wall being demolished to install what is now known
as "Betty's Window" (Yes the sky is that cloudless here today) |
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| And the view from the inside looking out.
The earth floor has been levelled for the concrete based to be laid later
this week |
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| 17 November,
the floor has been laid, now it needs to dry over the weekend |
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| 22 November,
the echafaudage (scaffolding) is going up and the wall is almost re-built. |
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| 12 December,
the gable ends are now the right size to start the roofing. The old
tin one is coming off as I type.. and yes the sky really is that blue! |
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| The Windows are both rebuilt |
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| This is the corner where the kitchen will
be |
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| And now the roof is almost off |
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| Mike working hard |
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| While the "supervisor" supervises |
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| 23 December
The New Roof Frame is on and the "locarne" window frames in
place |
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| 5 January
After the frustrating break for the holiday's Mike is happy that the
"Chevron" is going on - what's that in English? Don't know, it's the
wood that goes from the wall to the apex! Note the supervisor is
looking on while Jez and Mike work (Mike is working from the inside of the
locarne window! Yes blue skies again, but it is COLD! |
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| 21 January
Yes the sky is still blue, you don't think I'm going to take a photo on a
grey day, do you? Nearly there, the back is finished and you can see
the progress on the front. We just need to wait for the expert to
arrive to tile the locarne windows. |
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| "I'm the King of the Castle" so what
does that make you? Quite rightly proud of the hard work. It was
really a beautiful day today, 13 degrees dry and sunny, but there was ice
on top of the trailer where it had rained yesterday! This is someone who
used to not like heights! Both velux windows are in place already.
Another week and it'll be water-tight. |
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| This is where all the tools from the barn
went - Mike's workshop. Mike & Jez built it and Dad and I painted
it, then it rained and some of the paint peeled off! Oh well.
We'll wait until it's warmer and do it again. |
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| February the wonth...just waiting for
Sebastien to seal the sides of the locarne windows. The lion's share
of the room is done.... so they've moved.... |
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| inside and started the block work of the
internal walls. This is the view from the new bathroom |
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| This is where the kitchen will be.... nice
garden view |
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| This is the view from the lounge into the
kitchen on the right and the bathroom on the left. We're off to get
the kitchen designed next week. |
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| 16 February
all work is indoors now. So the rafters
are all in place now The space to the right is where the top of the
stairs will appear. In front of that will be a loo and on either
side will be the two large bedrooms. |
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| 28 February
the insulation is going in. This is
like the space blankets, very thin, very flexible and very efficient.
All will be hidden of course! |
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| Downstairs, the new
beams have been distressed and stained, to look like they've been there
forever. Looking from dining area into kitchen. |
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| This is an example of
some of the exposed stone which is being left around the windows.
This was taken in the kitchen which you can just about see in the photo
directly above. |
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| 9 March 2006
The scaffolding is down and it looks much better. Just one side
remains to render the wall between it and the neighbours |
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| The upstairs plaster boarding is about half
finished |
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| 20 April Tiles are almost finished on the
floor just need the grouting finished |
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| The kitchen is being installed on Monday |
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| Ty Erin (name of the house translated from
Breton means "House of the Irish" now has her beautiful new
kitchen.....just the plinth boards to go on which were curiously missing
from the delivery.... |
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| It's outside now in the good weather while
we wait for the services to be connected - the tiler is coming tonight to
see when he can tile the kitchen and bathroom and in the meantime, Dad's
created "Grace's Rockery" said Rockeye-yah in French, sound like the
N'irish for awk'eye, Dad says it's how he remembers it! |
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| The stairs are in and have only had their
first coat of vitrification which is a strengthener, so still quite pale
in colour, they will be much richer by the fourth coat. The painting
upstairs starts this week and the tiler is coming to do the tiling the
week after. Apart from that we're doing the preparations for the
wedding, so everything else is on hold...... |
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| At last Jean-Michel has hand crafted the
beautiful solid oak front door. It makes such a difference |
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| Up close and personal.... |
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