Blog 10

The long awaited road closure took place on 12 January and all went according to plan. Gas, electricity and water were all connected within two days and the back-filling and making good was complete by midday on 14th. It had taken a great deal of time and effort to get the three services to work in one hole! We now have supplies to the gallery, the flat, the barns and the future cottage.

The internal plastering was completed and we cleared the gallery rooms of all contents ready for the floor to be laid. For the first time we could get the feel of the new open spaces.

At the rear, we continued with the insulation and boarding of the walls and roof. We are using "Femacell" board which is much harder than plasterboard and will take screw fixings.

The floor tilers prepared the floor with a levelling compound.

They then started laying the tiles. I have chosen a hard-wearing low maintenance, non-slip porcelain tile which looks like slate, to be laid in a herringbone pattern.

Once laid, materials and equipment could be moved back to prepare for laying tiles at the rear. We could also set up the stereo equipment to listen to loud opera music in the resonant acoustic!

Ben started on painting the walls using a breathable mineral paint (Aglaia) which is harder wearing than limewash and does not dust off.

The electricians are now back doing the second fix and power is on in the sockets.
Planning permission to develop the two-storey building at the rear into a cottage has now been granted.