Mur Crusto farmhouse as it used to be: pretty but very cold and dark inside - all year round.
The simple but reliable water level, essential tool!
Demolition of useless old front porch
Porch nearly gone. Internal front door sealed against the weather.
Breaking up and digging out concrete and subsoil - all by hand.
Looks so easy, doesn't it!
Removing large boulder from under concrete - not so easy.
Particularly large and heavy boulder 'safely' in wheelbarrow. These rocks became a rockery. Nothing wasted.
Final excavation of subsoil to necessary depth for foundations.
Now it's excavated, time to set out the supporting wall position with homemade square and tape measure. This has to be accurate!
Digging foundation for the supporting wall.
Val checking the level of the bottom of the trench.
In goes the concrete, mixed on site by me.
The levelled top of foundation concrete, ready for wall. Val pretending it's a conservatory already.
First block laid.
Up it goes. I'm using the insulation to ensure sufficient space for it in the cavity wall.
Wall inner and outer leafs finished up to damp course level. Floor being levelled for concrete slab.
On goes the damp proof membrane on top of the levelled and sand-blinded base.
We levelled up the timbers, poured the concrete and then tamped it flat.
Third piece being done. Note how we've 'moved in' (table and chairs) already!
Final tricky bit.
The actual conservatory components arrive.
Building the dwarf wall to support the structure. Note 50mm insulation in cavity.
Building pillar to support the box gutter at the gable end where it will adjoin the existing house.
Simon (carpenter who helped for the difficult bits) assembling the sill.
First window frames being positioned.
Every time it rained, the floor area became a lake. The ducks thought this was great!
One gable clamped in place for fixing.
How Val (who has a bad back) helped me to move the scaffold tower!
Fixing the ridge plate to the house was difficult because the house is anything but square. This meant packers and infill behind.
Fitting the rafters.
Using SDS drill with long bit to drill holes for anchoring ridge to the house. I used resin anchors in the dubious bits.
The pump, needed very often during this 'summer'.
Stainless steel studs, nuts and resin anchors in place in the ridge. Mortar packing behind where the house goes 'in'.
Starting to cut the slot for the lead flashings using a diamond blade on an angle grinder. Much dust!
Drilling long anchoring holes to attach wood structure to dwarf wall with long bolts in plastic sleeves.
Time for lunch - in the paddling pool. Yes, it had rained again.
Putting in the first layer of flashing. The further section is complete.
Forming the lead with a wood beater.
At last, the first of the roof glazing is in. I'm nailing the capping lath which incorporates the waterproof seals.
Each of these low-e double glazed units weighs 19kg
There were 24 of these for the roof.
I lifted them and slid them up onto the scaffold tower.
Applying silicone before dropping the glass into place.
These suction glass-holders (orange) were essential tools, otherwise I slid down the slope with nothing to grab hold of!
Roof glazing complete, now I'm doing the windows. Much easier because they're dry glazed.
Val applying sticky glazing tape around the edges.
And in goes the glass.
We 'lived' in the mess as I installed all the windows and their glazing beads.
Chiselling out the rebate in one door leaf for the door lock striker plate. A slow tedious job.
At last, the internal door opened. Warm air can now flow into the house.
Glazing complete. Just a 'few' finishing touches to go!
Glazing complete: wonderfully warm inside
