On the face of it, part 2

With the hidden guttering complete, our attention turned to the render of the top half of the house. Once again our naivety got the better of us as we assumed we would pick off any blown plaster and re-render. It soon became clear that we needed to rip it all off and start again. Where the gutter had bowed in the middle, water had been pouring down the front of the house, and the plaster was completely blown. Armed with an angle grinder, jammie wedged and hammer, we smashed off all the render revealing the stone beneath. 

Angle grinders at the ready!

Our next dilemma was what to render with: should we be true to the house and use lime plaster, a timely and tricky process, or go for the modern equivalent, quicker and cheaper? After a lot of deliberation we decided to go with the traditional method. Modern methods don't allow any breathability, so all that would happen is the stone would stay damp and gradually turn to dust. Lime plaster allows the building to breathe so any dampness in the masonry will eventually work its way out. We were lucky to find the awesome plaster, Bruce, to take on the task.

Work begins on the first layer using a mix of lime and horse hair

Then a scratch coat is applied

Finally the top smooth render is applied

The top coat has a faint line etched into it, to look like bricks. This can be quite challenging, to get straight and even; this time we remembered to draw a diagram...

Line detail around the two top windows

Meanwhile, we put our faith in the bottom half being sound, and decided to remove the paint. We found an excellent company based in Bristol called Restorative Techniques who were most helpful. They recommended the Therma Tech, a machine that blasts out steam at 150 degrees celsius.  Depending on the type of paint on the wall, a paint softener is applied before being steamed, the paint then peels off the wall.

Before

After

As you have probably guessed by now, the render underneath was also rubbish, a mixture of blown lime plaster and cement render cut in. The only option remaining was to remove it and start again....

The Battle of Nick versus "The Rock"

The beautiful marble fireplace has been through a bit of change in its time, so the battle was on to restore it to its former elegance.

ROUND ONE: Removing the modern gas fire

Unsurprisingly, there was a lot of soot behind, and the remains of one recently deceased pigeon. We had hoped to see the original cast iron fireplace, but sadly all that remained was one shard of cast iron. In it's place stood a 1930s fireplace. Miraculously the marble surround had survived the smashing out of cast iron and the squeezing in of concrete and tiles.

ROUND TWO: Smashing the 30s out

It took two attempts to remove this part of the fireplace, the concrete was solidly fixed in with metal ties, and we were concerned about dislodging something structural. After taking advice from Mark Cotton, a local stone mason, the fight was on to remove the remaining bricks and concrete. 

Armed with a lump hammer, chisel and the "jemmy wedger", Nick smashed through the remaining rubble , and triumphed as the hole was revealed!

Minor damage to the marble, from the 30s

Brick arch

Ready for the next stage

The construction of the hole has been made with a mixture of stone on the sides and brick on the back wall. The brick arch can just be seen  hanging below the front of the mantlepiece, so we will need a slate lip to conceal it.

Victory! One very satisfied sooty surf dude

"ROCK" was scrawled on the back

Up on the Roof...

At last structural work can begin on the house, and first up is the flat roof. The scaffolding is up, all three storeys of it, and boy, what a view!

Before Jaime and his team could begin replacing the roof, we had the matter of an old tin water tank to remove...

Removing a heavy water tank is no mean feat when three storeys up. Luckily, Nick's tree surgery skills came into use, as he rigged up a lowering system using a rope, a pulley and a carabina. 

... must come down!

What goes up...

The old roof came off in no time at all, felt and tar by the bucket load. The beautiful old floorboards were lifted and insulation laid. We will need to add ventilation holes behind the guttering to ensure the air can circulate, a must with these old houses.

Under the pitch, now insulated with Earth Knaufwool

Between the joists

Elm floorboards, shrunken over time

The old roof hatch opening

Our attentions must now turn to the chimney, and rectifying the damage that aqua seal and cement render can do when used on an old house....

Finding Nemo... a home!

Chop chop....

It's all gone a bit Ray Mears here. With the wood burner in the breakfast room now up and running, we needed an axe to chop kindling. Enter the Gransfors Bruks Outdoor Axe, a fine specimen of an axe, don't you agree?!

 The surf dude's been busy too, chopping lots and lots of wood....

.... Christmas is going to be toasty!

The hanging of Stuart

It's not all about house renovations behind the pink door, it's also HQ for JUJU board bags, making custom board bags and other surfing accessories. This weekend's challenge, as well as cutting down trees, was a pair of straps to hang our vintage surfboard, Stuart.

We think they're rather lovely, and a little more interesting than boring old black!

STUART is getting on a bit; made in 1967 by shaper Pete 'Moony' McAllum, his days of life on the ocean are over. So we wanted to give him pride of place on the library wall.

Nestled in next to a few wave paintings and photographs by artists including Lou Abercrombie and Oddasea, we think he'll be rather at home here!

The tree surgeon & the Christmas tree

What do you get when you cross a tree surgeon with Christmas...?