Week Thirty-four

Week beginning 23rd January 2023.

We had a productive and sociable weekend.

On Saturday we tidied up around our plot and loaded the car with a few bags of packaging from the insulation for the amenity dump in Oban. After the dump we went for our sauna and did our shopping as usual. On Saturday evening we went to Kat and Martin’s at Blarghour, on Loch Aweside, and had great food and great company. Got home late but it was a lot of fun.

On Sunday we loaded the car with more packaging but this time we took it to the Lochgilphead dump. We were passing by on our way to lunch with Monica and Paul in Tarbert. It’s always a treat being invited to lunch at Monica’s as she is a great cook and serves up something special each time. We always have a good natter and catch-up. Got home in plenty time for badminton in Dalmally Community Hall.

It’s Monday again and we want to be gettting on with insulating the south elevation but before that can be finished, the French windows need to be fitted and made airtight. Andrew is coming tomorrow to help us fit them but if we have time today we should be able to fit the Steicoflex insulation between the studs.

Our first task though, is to finish insulating under the eaves on the west gable wall. We have decided to do that with the Steicoflex as it’s easier to fit than the harder Steicospecial dry. Being under the eaves it should be well protected from the rain.

With that done we are now moving on to putting up some tarpaulin over the east gable wall to try and keep it dry, in preparation for insulating it.

We are unpacking the last of the palettes of Steicoflex that we had stored behind the house. This might be enough to insulate the south elevation so we are cracking on with the task. It’s great to be clearing the space behind the house and making it look less like a storage depot.

We’ve managed to get the Steicoflex on and it isn’t even dark yet so we have plenty of time to tidy up and go for a short walk before dinner. Looking forward to tomorrow.

We are up and at it by nine so have some time before Andrew gets here. We are using the time to fit the lockable window handles in the house.

Although it’s a very simple system for fitting them it has taken us a while to get it right. Our first attempt resulted in the handle being the wrong way round and so would open as a tilt but not a swing. After a bit of head scratching we now have them fitted properly and all are working perfectly.

Andrew will arrive soon and then we can get on with fitting the French windows but first we need to prepare the area. We are giving it a good sweep and tidy up and thinking about what tools, tapes and fixings we need.

Andrew has just arrived and we have told him that our friend Gary is coming at 1pm for an hour to help.

We are walking round our building and Andrew is checking our recent work. He says it’s all good, phew!

Andrew is taping round the door frame in the same way we did around the windows. It’s a special sealing tape with two removable strips under which is the adhesive, first you attach half the tape to the door and when it’s fitted you attach the other half to the house to create the seal.

Pete is helping to screw brackets onto the door frame and once this is done the French windows will be ready to be lifted into place.

Gary, who helped us insulate the roof, has arrived to help so the action can begin.

We are about to lift the heavy French windows into place but first Andrew pipes a thick bead of CT1, an extra strong adhesive/sealant, onto the floor for the door frame to sit on.

With Gary’s help, we slowly and carefully lift the heavy French windows into place, check they are level and true then screw the brackets in to hold everything securely in place. It only took about 45 minutes but the job is done. Gary has to go back to work now, thanks Gary we couldn’t have done it without you.

We have moved on to fitting the front door and now that we know how to do it, and the fact that it’s much lighter and smaller, we get that fitted quite quickly.

Things are moving fast now as we are up on the mezzanine fitting the balcony door. It’s heavier than the front door because of the triple glazing but it too is going in a treat.

Unbelievably we are fitting our final door, the mega-shed door, and it’s only just starting to get dark. All this has been made possible by Andrew whose experience and work ethic ensure things get done without any messing about.

With all four doors fitted in less than six hours, we all feel satisfied with our efforts today. Andrew is off home and we are tidying up before it gets too dark.

It’s Wednesday morning and we are keen as mustard to get on with insulating the south elevation. As usual before we can get on with that we need to finish taping the French windows, filling the gaps between the French windows and the house with expanding foam, which works as an airtight seal and insulation, and cut the OSB that will go between them and the insulation. The OSB, that we have been putting around the windows and doors, will provide a solid base onto which we can attach the larch window and door reveals. If we didn’t the larch would have to be glued to the insulation which wouldn’t be as secure.

We are about to screw the OSB around the bedroom windows but find that we have run out of the short screws we use for the job. We can’t use longer ones on the window frames because they could go through the side and crack the glass.

This is a bit of a setback because one of us will have to go to Oban to get them, a 52 milke round trip. Arghhhh!!!

Pete’s away to Oban so Molly is getting on with cutting the OSB that will go around the French windows and finishing taping and foaming.

It’s been almosty two hours but Pete is back and raring to go but first we need to have some lunch to keep our strength up. Falafals, humus, pitta bread and coleslaw. Yum!

It’s all systems go and we are making great strides fitting the Steicospecial dry. It does involve some awkward cutting but we are getting a lot better at this having done quite a lot if it already. It’s the same routine as on the other walls – the first course needs foamed in the groove at the base of the panel for maximum insulation which slows things down a bit. Then the second course fits into the tongue and groove easily, no foaming required.

We’ve managed to do the first two courses before it’s too dark to work. We are putting the tarpaulins back in case of rain and will get on with the job tomorrow. With any luck we’ll have this wall done by the end of the week.