Steve's workshop - Painting the outside walls

[Steve Maskery]

Well I'm really sorry I've not posted for a while, as I know that a lot of people have been enjoying this. It's been a combination of me not really feeling 100% and other things getting in the way. Ray has other projects on, not just mine, and when he's not here I'm nowhere near as productive. But last week we spent a couple of days doing our friend Thérèse's summerhouse roof and I've been busy putting DVDs into cases for a wholesale order. So not much has been done.

But Ray came on Wednesday and on Thursday Terry came too. Unfortunately I didn't get my camera out until after he had gone, and he doesn't follow this forum, but even so, Thank You Terry.

So on Wednesday Ray finished the back half of the roof and yesterday Dave started to fill in the holes in the back wall,

whilst Terry cut and fitted more insulation. Then after Terry had gone home, Dave, Ray and I raised a few hundred tiles onto the front slope of the roof. So this was close of play yesterday:

Dave stayed over and he played his mandolin whilst I cooked spiced pork with pineapple and apple and blackberry crumble with ice cream. Apples from Ray's trees.

Today Dave has finished the sheathing and fitted a load of scrap insulation, meticulously, into more of the bays.

Meanwhile, Ray has made a start on the front roof. The starting is tricky, as it determines the lie of the tiles for the rest of the roof, and there is a lot of tile-cutting at the bottom edge and gable edge. Also, the cut tiles have to be drilled to take the copper nails and rivets. At least it is a lot easier to photograph from the front side as there is more space for a bigger scaffold tower.

Here are a few shots showing how the tiles are laid out and fixed:

The string helps us to keep the first full row of tiles straight.

There are actually three layers of tiles at the very bottom edge.

So this is all the drilling, nailing and riveting.

And here we are right now.

Maybe more on Wednesday.

 

[SteveF]

nice to see u back on it Steve
was getting a bit worried about quietness
looking good
I, like most (i guess) wish was a bit closer so could help out

Steve

 

[Peter Sefton]

Looks like you are making good progress again Steve.
Did you use a can't or shim strip under the bottom slate as shown in the seventh image, you may wish to lift it a little to slow the rain down.

 

[Steve Maskery]

i Peter
That is exactly what the bottom layer is, IIUIC, it's just 120mm deep.
S

 

[Halo Jones]

Hi Steve,

Am I imagining things or did you pack the bottom of the back wall with insulation, then take it all out and pack the top?! I am comparing the 2nd and 4th pictures you posted above? I thought it was just me that changes my mind and does everything at least twice!

Great progress though. It will look great when the tiles are all on. Is it just me or does it suddenly look more solid, and bigger, with the tiles?

 

[Steve Maskery]

LOL!
You are imagining it! In the 4th pic the bottom row is below the bottom of the picture.

Yes, it's looking more like a proper building all the time. I just wish I had more energy. I feel as if I've put on 15 years in the last five. Mind you, some sweet young thing guessed my age at being 35 yesterday. Even allowing for a bit of flattery that's pushing it a bit. Bless.

I was hoping to have a workshop bash before the year was out but that is not going to happen now.

 

[Doug B]

Rome wasn't built in a day mate, take it steady, you'll get there in the end, looking very good so far.

 

[pebbles]

deleted post.

 

[MikeG.]

..........I was hoping to have a workshop bash before the year was out but that is not going to happen now.

You could hold it in mine, Steve. I'm certain to finish long before you

http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=198&start=250

 

[Steve Maskery]

I've no doubt, Mike, I've no doubt.
More power to your elbow
Steve
]

 

[angelboy]

..........I was hoping to have a workshop bash before the year was out but that is not going to happen now.

You could hold it in mine, Steve. I'm certain to finish long before you

http://www.thewoodhaven2.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=198&start=250

Great! - I've just nearly finished mine and then I see your thread on how I should have done it........*bum*

I see plenty of mistakes I've made.....oh well, too late now!

 

[Steve Maskery]

It's going nicely, chaps. Today I woke up having had a proper night's sleep and feeling very good. Better than I have for weeks. I'd forgotten I could feel so good. So today has been rather more productive than most.

Ray has been here yesterday and today, working on the roof, and as he approached the beginning of the ridge we had to decide what we are going to do for ridge tiles.

These slates are cement board, and there are cement ridge tiles to go with them, but they are not a very good fit on a slope as shallow as mine. And conventional concrete ones are as ugly as sin:

So we have decided to make our own! Ray did a little trial run and it looked great so we set to.

The ridge tiles start off life as a length of stench pipe, with a wall thickness of 3.2mm. We cut it to lengths just over 320mm and ripped each one down its length. The we cooked them at 120 deg for 15 mins until they were nice and soft:

And pressed them flat:

Then I made a jig. Well, I would, wouldn't I?

The edges of the "tiles" needed to be trimmed, but we had margin for that, then they were put on the jig, heated with a heat gun and bent.

Ray is, quite justifiably, feeling quite pleased with himself.

So whilst I did yet more insulating, Ray started to fit our bespoke ridge tiles:

And as bad light stopped play, it looks like this:

I'm delighted.

 

[Brentingby]

Very good!

 

[Woodchips2]

Well done Steve, that's innovation =D> =D> =D>

Better take out a patent because that could catch on. :lol:

Regards Keith

 

[brianhabby]

I like the use of that stench pipe Steve, very clever. But where's Ray braces?

regards

Brian

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

why not cook the remainder needed and once out of the oven shove straight on the form for bending while malleable? Cut out the heat gun step altogether.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Well I did think of that, Rob, But the cutting of the edges is not perfect in the round, so it's easier to get them nice and square when they are flat. Plus, I can cut them to length to fit exactly if we find that the tiles are running out a bit. The tiles appear to run out by about 20mm over the length of the ridge, so it's not perfect, but it's not bad, either, and we an tweak the tiles to suit.
We were hoping to cut the ridge tiles to 610mm, but the heat gun is not suitable for such a large area and that is also too big to go in my oven.

 

[StevieB]

I have fitted those tiles before as well - Ray has made a lovely job of that roof!

Steve

 

[dickm]

As a further alternative, you can buy metal ridge profile in, IIRC, 1 metre legths, designed to be used with metal profile roofing sheet. Can easily be bent/unbent to the correct profile, but being thinner and in longer lengths might not look as good as the bespoke ones being used.
Take a lot less time, though .

 

[Myfordman]

Faced with a similar requirement, and not prepared to pay the price of the matching fibre cement ridge tiles, i ran a strip of lead along the crown of the roof and screwed down inverted black guttering across the ridge using those roofing screws with the waterproofing caps.
Worked out really well.

MM