Merry Christmas

I really cant believe how quickly November came and went,with a good mixture of weather thrown in,
Plenty of rain but between all that a nice but brief spell of cold frosty days, The lakes are an awesome place to live and work when the weather is nice.although you don't get lakes and green grass for no reason (rain) and lots of it.

Grizebeck has taken on a new dimension with the removal of scaffolding following the completion of the roof .This revealed Rob and Adam or stone masons fine work. Local natural stone quoins carefully dressed of there sawn edges our unique way to give a natural look,it takes a little longer but we intend our work to to be there a long time ,so attention to detail i thinks is very important.
The same goes with the slate hanging detail to the outside roof spar,slates are dressed and hung on the outside roof spar and,fixed with 2 copper nails with lead washers,when pointed, this provides a good weather covering and minimal maintenance in the future, is also a good alternative to the usual finish where stonework meets slate roof,usually done with a single cement band and in my opinion looks a little messy.
With the completion of stone work  and roof, the site received a good tidy up in anticipation for the next stage. Installation of windows and doors,formation of the sun room canopy and   first fix plumbing/ electrics can now be undertaken first thing in the New Year

Coniston is now near completion re plastering and looking really nice,lots of character to the stairway  and first floor bedroom ceilings,with vaulted ceilings again it takes a little more time but makes for a really nice job long term.
First thing in the New Year we can call back our plumbers and electrician for second fix.
The job as a whole has gone very well despite the weather  we are on time and on budget and due for completion mid to late February.

We are also very pleased to be involved in the first phase of works on a property in Bowness
It involves the demolition and excavation work to the old coach house and associated house strip out.
We enjoy some fantastic views of the lake whilst we work, making cold damp days a little more bearable.
Safety being paramount ,a substantial scaffold has been erected around the property giving us safe access for the removal of the chimney stack and slate to the roof.
Following removal of the slate all timbers can be stripped to first floor level as above first floor is timber framed with a brick infill,although demolition work sounds simple careful consideration to the structure stability is paramount .

We also under take smaller jobs too. this chimney stack was showing damp to the top floor internal walls, the masonry chimney stack was carefully removed and a code 5 lead tray installed at roof level providing a damp proof coarse and a water stop to vertical water ingress. A birds nest ( most probably a jackdaw )  was removed from the chimney flue ,this would most probably case substantial damp
to the internal walls and.removal was  essential. The only way to remove it is to break into the flues externally at a lower level and extracting the debris by hand.
We don't shy away from smaller jobs as they can often be interesting and challenging,often working in beautiful places and can often lead to larger contracts.

The mountain bike training for the 4C4C (four coasts for charity) next year is also going well and i took a well earned break from work last weekend to one of my favourite parts of the country,The west coast of Scotland. Mountain biking in stunning scenery with the sea and islands like Mull,Easdale,Colansay and Jura are just a superb back drop along with the wild life like seals,otters and gannets top the bill. I love it.

Well with Christmas just around the corner i would like to take this opportunity to thank all my customers past and present for all there support throughout the year and also to past and new viewers to my blog. wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

See you all next year.
Ste.




Robs chimney stack ,slate hang detail to the outside spar



 

The sun room roof goes on

Robs feature fireplace with original oak beam

Manitou has many uses,invaluable for this type of work

Chimney in Kendal prior to rebuild

Scarecrow works all hours.



Seil Harbour with the isle of mull in the distance

Seil Island

Build an Ark

Its quiet possible our next project maybe to build an Ark,its been so so wet this summer.

We finally got the roof complete at Grizebeck,three sun pipes have been installed to the rear roof section and give lighting to a very dark landing area, they are a velux product and i think work very well,one of them having an integrated low energy light alleviating the need for a light in an already busy area. A lot of time and care was also taken to source second hand sandstone ridge tiles to match what was already there and in the end finish the job off really nicely.
With guttering now in place and lead work around the chimney stacks now taken care of we should see the removal of the scaffold this coming week.
Windows also arrived on site yesterday bar the front lean-too frames and bi fold doors,these are still to be measured for on completion of the main structure of the lean-too.
first fix plumbing and electrics are due to start in the next few weeks,so its all coming together.

Coniston is now complete externally with the canopy roof now in place and rough casting complete.
The scaffold came down yesterday, the plasterers have now started on the internals and Sam our joiner along with Dan have installed the new stairs, giving access to all four levels.( yes i did say four). Its an interesting build
with four floor levels but still a two storey house,plastering should be complete within 2 weeks ,second fix joinery can now go ahead and the customer can make the most of Christmas holidays with a paint brush.
(order your paint Martin )

 New roof at Grizbeck

 A new lead shoe for and old lady,hand crafted from code 4 lead this is the final piece in the jigs prior to the sandstone ridge going on it abuts the chimney stack and makes a water tight seal between the ridge and chimney stack, small details like a roll on the leading edge make a difference and stop water tracking back into the roof.

 The Conservation roof lights and velux sun pipes blend in well.

 Coniston near completion externally

 A well earned rest ,training for 2013 charity coast to coast

 Our take off site for hangliding ( coniston old man)

 My old flying bud,fit as a fiddle

 A lovely shelter on the side of walna scar track,coniston.

 A humane way to tackle the crow problem at Mill Gate.( so far it works well) crows you have been warned grrrrrrrr !

Our view from Mill Gate



Finally i thought you may like to share this with me as the rain has now stopped.
i think we could all possibly relate to this in some shape or form.


In the year 2012 the Lord came unto Noah, who was now living in England
and said, "Once again, the earth has become wicked and over-populated, and I
see the end of all flesh before me. Build another Ark and save two of every
living thing along with a few good humans."

He gave Noah the CAD drawings, saying, "You have 6 months to build the
Ark before I will start the unending rain for 40 days and 40 nights."

Six months later, the Lord looked down and saw Noah weeping in his yard-
but no Ark.

"Noah!" God roared, "I'm about to start the rain! Where is the Ark?"
"Forgive me, Lord," begged Noah, "but things have changed. I needed
Building Regulations Approval and I've been arguing with the Fire Brigade about
the need for a sprinkler system. My neighbours claim that I should have
obtained planning permission for building the Ark in my garden because it is an over development of the site, even though in my view it is a temporary structure.

We had to then go to appeal to the Secretary of State for a decision.

Then the Department of Transport demanded a bond be posted for the future costs of moving power lines and other overhead obstructions to clear the passage for the Ark 's move to the sea. I told them that the sea would be coming to us, but they would hear nothing of it.

Getting the wood was another problem. All the decent trees have Tree Preservation Orders on them and we live in a Site of Special Scientific Interest set up in order to protect the bats. I tried to convince the environmentalists that I needed the wood to save the bats - but no go!

When I started gathering the animals, a Society for the prevention of Animal Cruelty to animals  tried to sue me. They insisted that I was confining wild animals against their will. They argued the accommodation was too restrictive, and it was cruel and inhumane to put so many animals in a confined space.

Then the County Council, the Environment Agency and the Rivers Authority ruled that I couldn't build the Ark until they'd conducted an environmental impact study on your proposed flood. And assessed the impact on greater crested newts

I'm still trying to resolve a complaint with the Equal Opportunities Commission on how many disabled carpenter's I'm supposed to hire for my building team. The trades unions say I can't use my sons. They insist I have to hire only accredited workers with Ark-building experience.

To make matters worse, Customs and Excise seized all my assets, claiming I'm trying to leave the country illegally with endangered species. So forgive me, Lord, but it would take at least 10 years for me to finish this Ark."

Suddenly the skies cleared, the sun began to shine, and a rainbow stretched across the sky.
Noah looked up in wonder and asked " you mean you're not going to destroy the world?"
"No" said the lord "The powers that be beat me to it"

Thank you for viewing my blog i hope none of the above content offends,its all very light hearted.
see you before Christmas.
ste.

Lots of rain and a charity mountain bike ride. 4C4C ( 4 coasts for charity)

We had a dry week for putting the roof on at Grizebeck and that's been about it,apart from the odd
half dry day,tough times and i cant remember a summer like it .

At Grizebeck the old flat roof was stripped to make way for the new pitched slate roof, it was essential we had a dry week as without the use of a canopy it would have been Nye on impossible.
but we did it,with the the new peak built and roof timbers on and felted in for last Friday we felt a great sense of achievement,well done lads.
The roof can now be slated in and would expect this to be complete by mid November.sand stone ridges will be sourced to match in with the existing and should finish the roof off nicely.
Rob our stone mason has i think done a fine job on the chimney and internal fire place.
Windows and doors will also be arriving soon so things are coming together .
First fix plumbing and electrics will also soon be underway so we will keep you posted.

Coniston is now ready for first fix plumbing, the underfloor heating is in and complete with a screeded topping now in place ,our plasterers have all but completed the external roughcast with smooth rendered plinths and with most of the scaffolding removed we now can start to see the fruits of our labour.
Top water drainage and soil pipes can now be installed externally and our joiner Sam Clarke is busy installing the slated canopy to the front elevation and this should enhance the building tremendously from an aesthetics point of view.
Plastering of the inside should get underway within 2 weeks so exciting times for the properties owner.

Finally work aside i am training for the Coast to Coast mountain bike route which we intend to complete within four days next June ,West to East then come back to the West coast via the C2C
road route .
The trip has another dimension to it though. we have called it the 4C4C four coasts for charity. we intend to motor cycle from Lands End to St Bees do the C2C both ways then return to our Motor Cycles and complete our journey to John o Groats via the west coast for summer \solstice.
Quite a trip and if anyone is interested in taking part or donating to my chosen Charity's then please call me.
I will also be working 1 weekend in every month from now until we leave.( all proceeds to charity ) so if you can help please call 07831299053.
This blog site will also show content of the training program and pictures when we are out and about so watch this space.

 Robs Chimney stack complete with the lead tray.

 We invested in a pan site mixer earlier in the year and can be used ether with our telehandler or tractor and is a fantastic piece of kit and can be used for the mixing of site concrete or mixing of floor screeds,the beauty of it is that if it is used with the telehandler we can mix at our own speed ,no waste in materials as we mix what we want when we want it and also the mixed product can be laid with minimal manual handling saving time and money.

 As  you can see from the above picture with very precise machine handling this underfloor heating screed was mixed on site then sent through the patio doorway into the building and laid with minimal effort.

My daughter and i enjoying a well earned hot chocolate break next to Coniston lake.

Thanks again for viewing my blog.
see you soon.

Stephen

Mill Gate,Grizebeck,Coniston and the Little grey Fergey.

Its been a productive month again despite the weather.
Mill Gate garage/boiler house is finally coming  out of the ground despite only working on the project with the lads nights and weekends. The weather will take a turn for the worst soon re frost and cold days so we need to push on with it and get a roof on ASAP.
Much of the work carried out so far is under ground and will never be seen with reinforced foundations and walls.
The back retainer consists of 3@ 100mm skins of Dense concrete block with 2 cavities,the rear cavity contains the 16mm bent bar with a 393 mesh laced into it , this when complete with be filled with C35 concrete poured in 450mm layers. this makes for a very strong retaining wall.In front of that we build another 100mm skin of dense concrete block,again with a cavity and will contain ridged insulation to form a warm and dry wall. a lot of work but we only want to do it the once.
The nice thing is much of the material excavated from the building foot print has been used to form sub floors and other construction detail so our Green foot print and impact on the environment is i think quiet good.

Grizebeck now has a roof and looking good with much of the stone facing complete,the new Burlington slate laid in diminishing courses is also going on nicely,the rear elevation of the extension has a very long drag with a very small change of pitch part way up,this makes for a very aesthetically pleasing roof .
The customer quiet wisely has opted for a very traditional looking roof light but with modern features including double glazing.and should complement the old farm house very well,a sun pipe will also be installed to the rear of the house to shed light on the very dark passageway to the older part of the house. alleviating the need for switching lights on in that area during the day thus conserving energy.
Bi fold doors will also be a big feature to the ground floor conservatory giving light and a taste of the outdoors from the kitchen area.

Coniston is looking great, this week should see the completion of the roof.a new chimney stack has also being complete this week by myself, a code 5 lead tray through the entire stack at roof level should alleviate any future damp problems with a nice slate detail to the top forming a drip and will help to shed water from the chimney stack.
Hardwood windows and doors also arrived on Thursday and by Friday all had been installed by our quality site joinery Sam Clarke.
Timber ceilings and partition walls also went in this week so we are now ready for the electrician and plumbers first fix and rough casting to the outside in the next few weeks  (weather permitting)

Finally my brother Mike and I completed a charity Tractor run in aid of The Rosemere cancer care unit in Preston and st Marys hospice in Ulverston ALL DONATIONS WELCOME 07831299053 .
mike took the John Deere site tractor with both his kids on board and i took my 1953 Grey Ferguson
only receiving a new clutch 12 hrs previous. the run went very well but not without a few dramas . I developed a major fuel leak just 30 minutes from the off so out can the solder iron and a small piece of plastic tubing saved the day and held for the gruelling 5hr drive through some fantastic lanes and scenery.

thank you for viewing my biog. i hope you enjoy them and if you feel i could make some improvements your comments would be much appreciated.

Bye for now.

Stephen G

Twin peaks.

Its ironic both the Coniston house and the Grizebeck extension are at the same stage requiring a roof.
Grizbeck is moving along nicely ,the first floor joists went in 2 weeks ago quickly followed by the blockwork to take the roof, padstones are in place both on the existing stone walls and new blockwork in readiness for the steel purlins. once these go on then the timbers for the roof can follow.
Rob and Adam or stone Maisons are busy facing up the new block walls to the extension with stone reclaimed from the old building and using Burlington blue Quoin stones dressed at the exposed edges so No sawn faces are seen,it takes a little longer but gives more of a natural look. Green oak window and door heads are in place with  dressed stone tabling detail above all the oak linels to deflect the harsh weather.
New Burlington blue slate will be used on the roof of the  extension and will follow through to the old part of the farm house with the same blue slate laid in diminishing courses keeping true to the properties  charm and character.
internally the original ground floor kitchen fireplace has been replicated using dimensions and photos  and the reclaimed oak mantel will also be reset in position.

The Coniston house is also now up to roof level and our blacksmith Tony Sanders has prepped all the steel including a cranked beam to support the ridge .
Sam Clarke our joiner will start on the roof timbers at the end of the week and we can then get felted in before the weather takes a turn for worst (.if that's possible ) i cant remember a summer like this one, lets hope the winter is dry and mild.
Slate cills have also been cut and placed by our skilled hand Mike, so windows and doors can now be measured.and we should take delivery of those in approximately 3 weeks.
In all both jobs considering the weather are going well.
Next week i hope to bring you some news and progress of the garage and boiler house at Mill Gate with all excavations for the foundations now complete and reinforcement for the rear garage retaining wall now in place.

Thank you for looking and have a great week.

Stephen G