The greenhouse leaks and builders bums!

Straight back at the tail end of work with the rain lashing down we found a couple of leaks in the greenhouse where the seals werent as good as we had hoped. But tiny snags and easily sorted when the rain stops. Not like the ones that are nothing to do with us! Water coming in through the old dry wooden frames themselves and the windows in the roof where there are no cappings.
So all in all a great result from this custom greenhouse!
The flint in the wall started to come out today ready for the window to go in but the rain stops play.
Custom door and window partition is going well and into the wood workshop to machine the timbers. Pictures will be tomorrow as lots to do tonight.
New to the site in the next few days "Builders Bums", whats it all about? you will have to wait and see

Back seat for the van! all loved up

Here is the seat to the camper its been designed by S1 and stitched by a good friend. Any enquiries about seats, door cards etc send me details for a price or call for a chat to see if we can help you out. We don't just do VW's.

News, love heart seat and notions

The week has been tidying up loose ends getting odds and sods finished whilst a client we are working for spends a few days away. Having just finished putting up door frames, a hand rail using "barley twist " spindles, skirting, door architrave, ripping timber down, making doors and sourcing materials. So its been busy for us all. Had a couple of replies to estimates that went against us and one that was accepted we had to turn down as we could not take the size of the job on to fit in with our work load this year (4 month restoration project that needed to be done by nov 2011).
Just started a new advertising campaign in a major DIY store so waiting for a proof of the flyer that will sit in store to be viewed.
We have also fitted in installing the love heart seat into the camper, this has turned out to be a larger task than expected and along with the seat belts been a success. Still waiting for the engine to arrive home and its getting to be a sore point as the summer dwindles away. but hey its raining at glasto so will be dry for Holt next week. dubsatthehall

info for today and new snap ring technology

today we finished the greenhouse apart from a couple of snags! bit of silicone was missed and a few more pins required. Ridge tiles finished tomorrow!  Then its off to get materials ready for next week when we make internal doors, build custom window frames and install a window in a flint wall. But in between now and then we also have a bannister to install and secured repairs to a roof and installing a small concrete ramp ASAP for a client.
also here is the interview with one of my best friends about the new snap ring technology. Know what it is ? then watch the link and learn about it interview with Alex

Dont look down

We were called in by a repeat client to replace some of his ridge tiles which have blown over time and left parts missing. Not  one of my favourites being on a roof with no ladders we had to remove and clean the ridge ready to re install new ones. Then along came down the rain and washed S1Buildersltd away. We still got to go back there this week to complete.

stand up straight

Here is the final picture of the lean to all returned to a better than original state. Clients very happy with the final outcome and asked to price for more work, watch the posts.

The start of the greenhouse

After finishing the lean to and cloakroom we started on this custom built greenhouse using the materials supplied by the client. Fun from the start and lots of cursing at each other as levels of existing block work rose from one side to an extra 15mm and 50mm on the upright back wall. Well that got things off to a great start and the sides flew up! Then window frames were up and down the roof would not work as i had hoped and all in all Alice was nowhere to be seen. So not unlike any building site the  jovial banter about the situation went on between us and with the rain helping us along allowed everything to go swimmingly. Well with the amount of creosote used on the wood the wood will never rot.

So after a weekend of pure rest today saw the roof being tweaked and a smile emerged on the ladies face. Working in the heat of the sun today was one thing but, working in the greenhouse itself proved a task itself.

The start of the greenhouse

After finishing the lean to and cloakroom we started on this custom built greenhouse using the materials supplied by the client. Fun from the start and lots of cursing at each other as levels of existing blockwork rose from one side to an extra 15mm and 50mm on the upright back wall. Well that got things off to a great start and the sides flew up! Then window frames were up and down the roof would not work as i had hoped and all in all Alice was nowhere to be seen.

New week

Been so busy for the last week that not had time to click the keys. picked up more work and looked at loads more. Spent most nights doing estimates and still not caught up with them all. Three left to do tonight and three invoices,  then I will up date the blog with what's been happening.

long day but we got there in the end

With the heat of the day over 75 and the wind non existent the neighbours washing took a bit of a hammering (we warned them yesterday) as the fires burned all day. Well with no access to get a chipper and lorry in we had no choice but to burn the discarded garden. For every layer of ivy we took up another layer of branches were uncovered. All of us ended up with eyes streaming from the smoke, stinging nettle reminders all over us and the occasional thorn. Then there were the two cuts to my head where i walked into the metal pole across the garden on two separate occasions.
The neighbours must of loved the garden in some ways as they dumped enough of their own rubbish over the fence. Apart from the nosy neighbours we were greeted with joyous thanks from the others. Treasures were found! an old lunch box still with food in it, Frisbee, pen set, rusty nails and a wheel barrow.

So  the garden is cleared and our part is complete for the time being.

rock and roll !

Today we were rained off for the first part of the day so could not finish the car port which had taken a knock from the thunder storm, much to my dismay! We did however look at the leaks for the clients and found lots of ripped and deteriorated felt oh! and lack of works that the other builders should of completed ie fire barriers and repairs to the valley to prevent flooding. Such a big company which undertook the works that were not completed too. So another estimate to do tonight along with lead work to a chimney, fencing and fascias, front driveway  shingled and all before bed!
We did get to deliver materials to the greenhouse job we start Wednesday.
Also have some ridge to put on a roof that are loose and price for a pergola. So busy busy which is great as it pays the bills (so they say)
On a livelier note if you like Rock and Roll then these Norfolk lads bring a little life to the party! The Stray cats of Norfolk! mojokings

wooly mammoth ? no its the roof

Sat on the roof looking down whilst taking in the sun! Well whilst de mossing (not a word) the roof so the valleys could be kept clear. this was thursday! friday it thundered and in the last hour of work as packing up too. the car port never got finished and the old property showed all its weaknesses as rain trickled in through any crevice it could. Felt really sorry for the owners as i left them running round with towels. Then today
receive an email that the works completed by another builder had breached in next doors valley that they share and water had poured into the loft space, through the insulation and into the room via the light fitting. So its into the loft tomorrow to see what we can do and if its fine finish the car port ridge. We also replaced about 30 tiles on the roof that had perished over the years. Slight discolouration but in a few years no one will be the wiser!

swiftly to the rescue

Working on any restoration project throws all sorts of new challenges your way but this one was a first. Bats in the loft was great to see so many rare indigenous species in one place. Then unearthing a migrating visitors nest whilst removing the roof tiles was another unpleasant surprise. Not many people like to disturb wildlife and we take the task of respecting nature very highly so when a nest was uncovered half way through the job it was a sad sight, but when in the next ten minutes we found a further two it then became a dilemma what to do as the tiles were off the roof was collapsing and we had three nests to contend with. With little options available the only available solution was to rush the eggs to the local RSPCA, who greeted the arrival with a smile and restored some moral back to the team. It has been a strange few days since the tile removal as the parents continued to look for the nests and fly almost at us in temper. The good news is the roof is complete and with the set back of the thunder storm the swifts will now be able to re nest in their old haunt!

im not mad just batty

Working away in a loft when scuffling and scratching sounds alerted me to the fact that i was not alone! The droppings everywhere where not from a mouse infestation at all. So armed with a torch and my trusty blackberry i searched the sound out. There in the top of the eaves were a family of long eared bats! Wow! What a site, when the flash went off one of them flew straight at me so i beat a hasty retreat to stop disturbing them.

WHoops is that the way down?

Sitting on a roof cleaning the wooly moss off i realised when i turned round that its ok going up but the way down can hurt (being scared of heights). Removed a cubic metre from the valley areas, that's alot of moss!

The rustic lean too thats leaning too much

 This is the leaking leaning lean too! On under taking the works it seemed a simple enough job until the lack of secondhand tiles which were supposed to be available to restore the works back some sort of glory. The offer from a neighbour was withdrawn so left us 60 short. The timbers were double braced, screwed  and bolted instead of 100 mm nails. It took me impersonating a monkey so must be safe. With the end nigh for the cloakroom and the lean too we all had smiles like a M and M man but then the heavens opened up (not to take us) and preceded to deposit the last two months of rain onto us. Well the other two i was still fitting the radiator. So all but a few ridge left and the tidying up is left to do, what a shame! Finished pictures monday!

finished!!!!!!!!!! just needs the paint touching up

At last its completed! radiator up stands fitted to clear the waste pipe. Hot water pressure restored due to the existing system running on 15mm instead of 22mm so when the 10mm mono block tap was fitted the flow came to a trickle. So we connected too the 22mm pumped hot system that we fitted a few years ago and hey presto! Its alive! We did install a pressure regulator as there is no way we can guarantee the old pipework to run under too much pressure. Sprinkling of caulking and its handed over to be finished ready for touching up.

news!

loads of posts to get uploaded, the cloakroom finished, long eared bats in the loft, swifts eggs rescued, car port roof abandoned due to thunder storm, clients house leaking with excessive rain fall, wooly roof syndrome and more! pictures and details coming your way!

comments!

would love to get some feedback and any questions that i can try to answer ask away

too tired to type

lots to post for today but just too tired so its going have to wait until tomorrow! Its really been a busy day from rescuing swifts to looking at new works to cleaning off moss and that's just in my tea break!

the cloakroom says no to s1 builders ltd!

Lined up and ready to complete today and the radiator needs to be lifted as the new unit the clients purchased is in line with the waste/radiator.
Then onto the roof of the house. remove over 20 pantiles to be replaced with ones the client has and wait for it, yes they are the wrong profile. so work stops there also.
Off to the local project in the village who rescue us with 50 tiles of the same profile for collection in the morning. Help is hired ready to start the day with a big yawn and smile!

new works just came in of guttering, decorating a house and tree removal!
The price goes in for the works to the beach buggy tonight and its all rosy for july! (pics to follow if the price is agreed)

s1 builders ltd cloakroom finshes tomorrow!

S1 builders ltd completion is nigh! Imperial to metric arghhhhh! nightmare trying to finish today with so many old fittings with only new ones to connect with. water tight! sink fitted, all plumbed.
All there is left to do is the snags, skirting, caulking, bit of skirting and then a clean up!
Then its onto the car port roof!

The vast wilderness beckons!

 Well i said i would put the pics of the garden we are going to clear and as much as you can see there is no garden! Its a wilderness beyond any gardeners wildest dreams. But we will undertake almost anything and to date not been beaten, been close but not yet. Given new orders on how to deal with the neighbours and the task is a massive one!

Anyone want the rubbish?