Week Twenty-seven

Week beginning 5th December 2022

It’s a very cold, bright and sunny morning and we are ready for work. We have been joined by Mariano, Cristi’s husband, who arrived last night after walking alone on the Camino de Santiago for the past three weeks.

We made more progress installing the insulation on Saturday, with Alastair’s help, so today it will be more of the same, once another order of 160mm Steicoflex arrives.

The delivery van has just dropped off the extra insulation so we can finish insulating right to the top of the roof.

As we work our way up the roof we add the hard insulation over the top and screw on timbers to stand on. With Mariano, Alistair, Cristi, Molly and Pete working well as a team we make short work of it.

It’s starting to get dark so it is the end of the day. We have fitted it all the way up apart from the very top at the ridge but we have to stop because we won’t finish it before dark and we must be sensible and safe. We can finish it tomorrow when we will also have Gary and Ishbel for the day and Alistair for the morning. Everything should be ready for Andrew to show us how best to fit the waterproof membrane.

It’s another sunny morning but it is quite frosty so we are being very careful finishing the last sections of Steicodry along the ridge of the roof.

Andrew has arrived and we are almost done with the roof insulation so he and Pete are planning how to fit the waterproof membrane.

We have decided to cut enough pieces to almost cover the roof, stick two of them together and pull them up, then do another two asd so on until we get near the top.

With the membrane almost to the top we need to fix tile batons along the roof, one on each rafter. We have fixed one purlin near the bottom to stand on but we will fix the rest of the purlins tomorrow.

At the same time, Molly, Cristi and Ishbel are busy doing other tasks. Cristi is working on our Christmas tree and Ish and Molly are taping up the mega-shed windows.

With that done they start fitting the rodent proof mesh around the outside of the house ready for the insulation which we hope to fit next week.

Pete and Andrew are discussing what work can be done while Andrew takes and extended break over the festive season.

It has been agreed that we will fit all the insulation up to the midfloor but in order for that to happen we need to fit the French windows and the front door. We will need some heavy lifters to do that so Pete is going to have to make some calls.

It’s absolutely freezing this morning and we are up bright and early to make preparations for moving the French windows and doors. We have to do it this morning because not everyone will be available if we put it off so it has to be this morning.

We have also arranged for the portaloo to finally be taken away.

Gary and Martin have arrived to help Pete and Mariano with the lift so they are discussing how best to do it. We are going to reuse the straps we bought for lifting the timber frame kit, a very good idea on Mariano’s part.

We are so delighted that these lovely strong men helped us move our windows and doors, Pete has been stressing about how we could do this for some time and now it’s done! A huge thanks to Martin, Gary and Mariano. We owe you big time.

We’ve just had a quick coffee and are back on the scaffolding when the portaloo lorry arrives to take the very expensive portaloo away.

With the window and doors moved and the portaloo gone we can get back on the roof and fit the purlins. Gary has returned to help us out after having to go home quickly to support his step-son.

We are on our own now because Gary has gone to walk his dogs and Mariano and Cristi have taken the bus to Oban to find out about a trip to the islands.

We still have to fit the membrane and purlins onto the north roof but we are so pleased with the way things have gone so far this week – one side of the roof is done, the other side will be done by the end of the week, the window and doors have been moved and are ready to be installed, the portaloo is gone and we have had lots of help from family and friends. We are very lucky people.