Sunday, February 10, 2008
Two downstairs windows fitted
Been busy this week juggling several jobs.
Two new windows have been fitted downstairs. The replacement windows are just direct swaps for the old windows, but as usual with old houses nothing is ever quite that simple. Getting the old windows out took much longer than anticipated. The old wooden windows had been cemented in place along with some metal brackets cemented into the stonework inside. Removing the old windows meant lots of chipping away around the frame to get all the old mortar out. The downside was that once removed, the inside face of the brickwork was not vertical or very flat. Not ideal for the new windows.
The first two pictures show some batons of wood fixed around the inside of the window to provide a guide for adding mortar (strong mix) to the inside face of the window opening. The brickwork was about 1.5cm off vertical between top and bottom. Once the mortar was set it was actually easy to fit the new windows, just a bead of silicon and some simple metal angle brackets to screw the window home. Between the sill and the bottom of the window I also added an expanding waterproof foam strip, compriband, for extra protection against water ingress.
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Whilst the mortar for the windows was setting I was also able to tackle the old fireplace in the kitchen. As in the lounge this was once a traditional, very large, Breton fireplace (a bit like an inglenook) but also bricked up with a smaller breeze block fireplace painted green and brown! The kitchen didn't need a fireplace so it was to be demolished and blocked up. The chimney stack will be re-used by the house next door. Once all the breeze block was removed and the concrete hearth lifted I found, yet again, the original granite mantlepiece. Fortunately this time it was in one piece and in good condition. I intend to use this to re-create the hearth in the renovation fireplace in the lounge.
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And if all that wasn't enough I've also been shopping for materials. I've bought 80 square meters of maritime pine floorboards to plank out upstairs. Fortunately the local supermarket had a promo on for various DIY tools and I bought a 2 tonne chain hoist (palan a chaine) for just 24 euros. It made light work getting all the floorboards upstairs and also came in useful to lift the granite mantelpiece out of the floor.
I've also ordered
from the builders merchants loads of wood, metalwork for stud walling
and insulation. That all arrives tomorrow morning, so I'm going to be
fairly busy for a while. I did originally also have 400 square meters of
plasterboard coming but I've delayed that for now, otherwise it just
gets in the way.
Oh, alongside all this activity Debbie has also been doing some garden designing. The weather has really started to feel like spring for the last few days which has spurred us on about the garden.
No rest around here recently.
| 3:45:39 PM
brittany
renovation
Two downstairs windows fitted
