Week Sixty-four

Week beginning 21st August 2023.

At the end of last week Pete had a call from his mum cancelling her visit due to ill-health. We are very sad about this as Ursula is so keen to come and see our progress and hasn’t been here since last autumn. Jenny, Pete’s Swiss cousin, was going to bring Ursula but is now coming on her own for a couple of days.

On Sunday Zadjil and Carolyn helped us finish plasterboarding the north wall before heading home, they’ve been a great help and their regular visits have kept the momentum going through many weekends. Jenny arrived while they were still here so they managed to get a bit of a catch-up. I don’t think Carolyn has met Jenny before and Zadjil probably hasn’t seen her for a very long time.

After Zadjil and Carolyn left Jenny helped us lift a mountain of plyboard and plasterboard so that the scaffolding can be erected ready for the final plasterboarding of the vaulted ceiling, hopefully at the end of the week.

Pete is off for a bit of a nap because he is really exhausted so Jenny and Molly are off to the Falls of orchy.

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We’ve had a bit of a lie-in, even though it’s Monday, as we are getting really tired. Most weeks we are working six days and on the seventh we usually have to go and do our round of shopping, taking rubbish to the dump and going for a shower and a swim. It feels quite unrelenting even though the end is in sight.

Today’s task is to plasterboard the area where the cooker is to go but first we want to write all the names of people who have helped us so far. Ages ago we glued some paper onto that wall so it’s the perfect place to mark the names and once it is covered in plasterboard it will be there to be discovered in the future.

Jenny is helping us finish the last bit of plasterboarding at ground level in the kitchen area. We are having to measure carefully for a cut-out where a double socket and the connection for the cooker hob goes and we need to measure where some cables come through the wall for the cooker hood and oven.

By putting our heads together and taking our time by measuring twice and cutting once we have managed to do a good job and it hasn’t taken long. A case of less haste and more speed!

We are now off to Oban for a shower, swim, some shopping and to get some long lengths of timber for boxing in the electrics in the boot room.

We are at the timber supply yard, having done our shopping, with our circular saw, some rope, tape and plastic to wrap the timber in. In order to have managable and safe lengths on the roof rack we are cutting the 4.8m lengths down to size. Pete thought there might be an issue doing this but the guys at the yard aren’t bothered and we quickly get it cut, taped, wrapped and tied onto the roof rack. Job done.

It’s dinner at the Brander Lodge Bistro tonight.

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Pete’s working today so Molly and Jenny are going to do some sightseeing. They are off to Kilchurn Castle and St Conan’s Kirk.

As Jenny and Molly are making their way to the castle through the field it is starting to rain , the wind blowing it into their faces so they are turning back and the result is their backs are now getting a soaking as well as their fronts.

They are in St Conan’s Kirk enjoying the rather ecclectic mix of architectural styles and objects.

Jenny and Molly got back in time for lunch but it’s now time for Jenny to leave. It is so nice that she came all the way from Switzerland to visit and give us a wee hand with the build, such a shame that it rained most of the time.

With Pete finished work for the day we can get on with some building. We are working out what to do about boxing in the electrics in the boot room. There are so many wires and bits and pieces that go with the solar panels, the Powerwall and the household electrics that it doesn’t look very good so we need to conceal it. It’s a bit tricky because the invertor comes out almost as far as the window and it’s going to be a tight fit.

We have measured it all up, cut the timber we collected yesterday to length and are now fixing it, ready for the plasterboard. We also have to fit some extra timbers so the ceiling boards have something to fix to. Once this is all plastered we can come back to it and hopefully we’ll find something suitable to cover it all but also allow ventilation in.

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Pete’s at work again so Molly is working on the backings for the spice rack that we are building into the wall in the cooker area. She’s now on to doing some more plasterboarding on the mezzanine wall where the wall meets the eaves and where our heat battery is going to be. She is having to be very accurate with her measurements so that the angle is correct and the board meets the board on the vaulted ceiling. Pete has come to help with the last wee bit.

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It’s Thursday already and Pete is at work. Molly is starting off by making a frame for the second wee glass doors we kept from our dinning room sideboard ,before sending it to the dump. She is working on a plan to fit the door in the east mezzanine wall to create a wee shelf. We also have the drawers from the sideboard which we will be incorporating into our bedrrom walls.

Molly is now remaking the spice rack, which will form part of one of the kitchen walls, using some red pallet wood that we have salvaged. Having already worked out how the spice rack will fit, she is mostly having to prepare all the parts by cutting them to length and sanding them. It is a slow process because not all the palett wood is suitable and she is having to choose carefully.

Pete has finished work and has come to help. He has noticed that the spice rack will probably have to protrude from the timber frame more and this is causing a bit of a problem. Molly has put a lot of effort into this project and isn’t appreciating Pete’s interference. We are dismantling the rack so that we can rebuild it taking a different approach and we will consult Jef, the plasterer, about what we have to do.

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It’s Friday so Pete can give his full attention to the build. We are working independently this morning after Thursday’s interference!

Pete is working on the spice rack, making sure that there is timber to fix the plasterboard tight to where the rack will be. It’s a bit awkward getting the angles right and making sure it is tight enough but not so tight we won’t get the rack in later.

Now he is fixing plasterboard into the nooks on the straight staircase and at the bottom of the return staircase.

Molly is working on the area that will have the two wee doors. She is measuring up to fit the plasterboard but it is a very complicated cut and will need some very carefull measuring. She is having to cut round the angled detail at the top of the stairs, the angle of the wall and cut two apertures for the windows. Phew!

Pete has finished his work and has come to help fix the board now that Molly has worked it all out and made the cuts. It looks amazing. Great job Molly!

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Yesterday, Saturday, we did our usual round of chores in Oban. On the way back we stopped off in Taynuilt to visit the MacRae sister’s exhibition of work that they are contributing to this year’s Art Map Argyll Open Studios. We had a really nice time meeting Fiona MacRae and loved her paintings and collages and her sister Marion’s amazing crocheted leaves. Both these artists create interesting work, worth seeing if you get a chance.

This morning we are going to start a big tidy up of the mega-shed because Innes is coming tomorrow to finish the electrics and needs the space. It’s also good for us to keep order and to know where everthing is. Our first task is to take some stuff to the container including a lovely simple sofa bed our friend Susan, who visited with Ian not long ago, kindly gave us.

Now we are getting stuck into clearing space in the shed and getting more order ready for Innes. It is so satisfying doing a tidy up and a bit of a clear out.

Our final task for this week is to rip some more thin finishing strips to cover the taping on the double trusses. It’s a slow messy business, it creates a lot of sawdust, but once cut we can measure them up, glue them and pin them in place.

That’s it, a few more of the double trusses finished to hide the taping, the mega-shed tidy and ordered, some nice detailing done in the house and almost finished with the plasterboarding.

Next week we are expecting the team to return to finish the plasterboarding, at least the high bits, and Innes to come and finish the first fix electrics and the electrics in the mega-shed. If all goes according to plan by the end of the week we’ll be well and truly ready for Jef the plasterer.