Week Seventy-four

Week beginning 30th October 2023.

Another week begins and we are keen to carry on with the cladding after making such an impact last week with all our lovely helpers. Jef is back for a few more days to do the Venetian plastering on the return staircase wall and finish a few other small areas.

We are going to tackle the area above and below our en-suite window on the west elevation. This one is a bit more tricky because we have to match the boards higher up on the gable so that we can get a nice verticle run of boards.

We are cutting the boards as we are going along so it does take a bit longer but we have managed to finish it just in time for lunch. Looking good.

Before we can get on with the cladding we are going to erect the scaffolding in the house ready for Jef to do a wee repair on an area in the vaulted ceiling. Ishbel is coming tomorrow to help Molly glaze the vaulted ceiling above the kitchen area so the scaffolding is essential.

We are now tackling the area between the south west corner and the window and this time we don’t need to cut two boards each time because there isn’t a window to deal with.

It has gone well and we are on the last board before the window but we have come across a wee challenge, the gap at the top and the bottom are different so we either have to have uneven gaps top and bottom or we will need to cut the board with a taper.

We’ve opted to cut the board with a taper so the first thing is to cut it to fit the width at the top, which is wider, and now we can present it to see where the taper needs to begin and how much to trim it by.

We have marked up the board and Pete needs a steady hand to follow the line with the circular saw. Success, the board fits well and it’s not too noticable unless you are really looking for it.

We still have time to fit a couple of boards on the north east elevation before it gets too dark.

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Pete’s off to Edinburgh for work and Jef has taken the day off to celebrate Kirsty’s birthday so Molly is glad that Ish is coming to help. Molly is cleaning up the low level light fittings on the return staircase because they got some quartz primer on them last week and Jef says that could cause a problem later.

Ish has just arrived off the Glasgow bus so it’s a good time to stop for coffee and a biscuit.

Before starting the glazing between the rafters and trusses, Molly and Ish are cleaning off plaster drips and residue with wire brushes and a stiff brush. They are looking good so it’s time to start galzing the plaster to seal and protect it. We are not going to paint the walls in the house because we like the colour and the patina of the plaster. We can always paint them later should we change our minds.

We have chosen to use glazes, primers and paints that are more sustainable and breathable to keep with the overall ethos of our build. The great thing about these products is that they are very low in Volatile Organic Compounds and so will not give off those horrible fumes usually associated with painting and decorating. It took a good bit of research and some advice from the distributer before we discovered which product to use on the unpainted plaster.

Liz has just turned up for a visit and is the bearer of gifts from her garden and polytunnel. It is amazing but true, you can grow grapes in Argyll. Who would have thought!

Ish and Molly are back doing the glazing the have managed to finish just as it is starting to get dark so it’s time for a clean up and a tidy up before Ish has to go and catch her homeward bus.

Molly is back from chumming Ish to the bus and Pete has called to say he is almost home, it’s been another long but productive day at Gar Bothan.

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It is eight o’clock on Wednesday morning, we’ve not even had a chance to prepare breakfast and Pete has a message from Andrew saying our kitchen is about to arrive. It’s pouring with rain and we have to quickly make some space in the mega-shed so we can put the delivery there.

With the help of the delivery men we managed to be quite efficient at unloading. It’s amazing how many boxes there are but luckily it is not a flat-pack kitchen, the cabinets come ready assembled and we just need to fit the drawers, the oven and the hob to them later.

Now that the men are gone we can organise the delivery a bit better so that we can still use the mega-shed without tripping over boxes and worktops and the like.

Pete is at his computer because it is a work day and Molly is getting on with glazing the plaster around the kitchen area.

Today Jef is doing another coat of the coloured lime plaster, it takes several coats when creating the Venetian plaster effect.

Pete’s finished work and Molly has done enough glazing for one day so we are reorganising the master bedroom so that we can store some of the longer pieces of the kitchen there.

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Today is Jef’s last day of plastering, he has to do another coat for the Venetian plaster wall, finish the boot room and do a few wee other bits to finish off.

Pete is at his computer and Molly is doing a second coat of glaze around the kitchen area. With that done she is now working in the area around the roof window on the west mezzanine. Molly is making great progress today and has moved over to the east mezzanine to start glazing the plaster there.

That’s it, Jef is done, our house has been plastered and is looking really sharp. He has transformed the inside of our house, it looks so beautiful with sharp edges and smooth walls. He has enhanced our work with the quality of his craftsmanship and perfectionism.

To celebrate we are going to have dinner together with Jef and Kirsty in the caravan. They are such good company and nice people and we have been so lucky to have them here to be part of our adventure.

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It’s Friday morning and Pete can dedicate the whole day to the build. Jef is gathering all his tools and bits and pieces ready to load into his van and move on to his next job. We are doing a big tidy up, taking away the tarpaulins and dust sheets that have been down to protect the floors and clean up any wee bits of plaster that have ended up around the edges of the floor.

Molly’s cousin’s wife, Rhona, has just arrived so we are keen to show her around because the place looks really great now. She hasn’t been here for a while so she sees big changes.

Pete is working on grinding the concrete floor in the main living area so we can seal it before the kitchen goes in. It’s a tough and messy job down on his hands and knees with the stone polisher, diamond grinding discs and a lot of water. As hard and messy as it is it is very satisfying getting the concrete nice and smooth and revealing the patina. While he is doing that Molly is glazing some more plaster.

Our friends Susan and Ian have arrived in time for lunch. They are very impressed with Jef’s work and think the transformation is great. They were last here when the plasterboard was just two big inconvenient piles in the middle of the floor and not even fixed to the walls. Susan is very enthusiastic about our concrete floor, which is very reassuring because not everyone gets the idea of having bare concrete as the finish.

That’s it, Jef and Kirsty are ready to leave. It’s going to be a bit strange here without them so we are saying our fond farewells but we’re sure to see them again soon.

We had a nice lunch with Susan and Ian but they are off to the Isle of Luing and it’s now just the two of us here. It’s back to grinding and glazing for us until it gets dark.

We are at our neighbour Ishbel’s because she has invited us to join her family for a bonfire, fireworks and supper. We were here last year for bonfire night and had a great time so it is great to be invited again and to be made to feel so welcome.

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It’s Saturday morning and we are up and at it bright and early, we have to try and make the most of the daylight hours. We are taking the scaffold in the house down and storing it behind the mega-shed so that Pete can get on with grinding the floor.

Molly is working in the en-suite painting primer on the plaster so that we can paint it before the second fix plumbing gets done.

We are now getting towards the finishing stage and we have to work hard to make sure everything is ready for all the things that need done by the tradesmen. It is particularly important to get the bathroom decorated before the plumbing to ensure we get a good quality, neat finish.

It’s been a hard day for both of us and we are quite tired and achey but the next few months are the final push so we just need to keep going especially given the shorter daylight hours.

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We are up and about an hour earlier than normal because Mairi, who is Molly’s cousin, and Andrew are helping us today. They are keen to help put up more cladding on the house and it’s a good day for it because the forecast says there is 0% chance of rain.

It’s eight twenty and it’s breakfast, a cup of tea and a quick ‘planning meeting’.

We work together on a small section of the north elevation so that we all know what we are doing and then we can split into two teams to tackle different areas of the house.

Molly and Mairi have gone round to the front of the house because it is south facing and they can get the benefit of the sun. Andrew and Pete are on the north elevation and working their way from east to west.

We’ve just had our tea break and it has started to rain quite heavily, so much for 0% chance of rain! The rain just keeps coming and going but Mairi and Andrew are made of tough stuff so we just keep on working in the rain.

It’s four o’clock and it’s time for them to head home. It’s been fun working with them and we have achieved so much together. The house is starting to look really solid now that it has so much of its coat of cladding on. Thanks Mairi and Andrew you have been a massive help and we are very happy that you came and helped us acheive so much this week.