Cpd

I would not recommend ever using plywood on a roof.... my personal experience with it has always been bad. Treated Sarking is what I would always recommend As it’s stood the test of time in many buildings I have worked on and seems to last indefinitely when used under roof membrane. There may be a case for OSB but given the choice I would alway go for treated 22mmx150mm pine sarking. Interesting as the guy who’s roof I saw was specified at 5mm gaps, I told him that if the sarking was wet (Check by cutting boards and measuring dampness in centre) to put it up tight as it would shrink And leave 5-10mm gaps but if it was dry to space it out as recommended. Either way I would always recommend leaving it for as long as possible to dry out before putting on the tin to prevent movement in the fixings, though I think his standing seam roof had oblong holes to allow for a bit of movement.

Seen this used locally to me, it’s a good solution and provides plenty of ventilation, it was also for a standing seam metal roof, the only difference being they covered the whole roof in sarking whereas I think the hit and miss would have been more than sufficient. Covering the sarking with membrane and then letting the sarking dry to the local conditions should also help it settle and lessen the chance of movement once the tin goes on.

I have exposed areas that I foamed 7 years ago and it’s still perfect, I use foam all the time and love it. Staggered joints foamed and taped is belt and braces.

Well my first lot of home made baskets have been installed ! Iused high tensile sheep netting doubled up and offset to make the holes small, wired them together and then they were filled with Stone salvaged from site. It worked really well and saved me a lot of money but it did take some time all said and done. Got a lot more projects to do so will need to get on and build some more......

I have a Slate roof thats been on for a very Very long time ...... maybe nearly 80+ years it’s got no felt and the nails are in A terrible State but i go Up once a year and replace broken, cracked or missing slates And it’s still serviceable after the 7 years I have been here..... If I could afford to replace the roof I would but I can’t so I will keep it repaired until I can. Post a pic of the roof as then people can see the general state of it which will help them give good advice. If your capable and you can get up there safely with ladders then it might be a case of a few simple repairs which could save you many thousands of pounds.

I am the same as you, saved up and purchased my run down place for cash, left me pretty skint but having never had any dept I did not want to start. i have seen so many people get into dept when life was going well only to hit a speed bump in later years and then be raked with financial worry for years to come or at worst loose everything..... I make a tiny income as a self employed person and just do what I can when I can.... seven years in and still a long way to go but I live on site 10 months of the year and work on my 3 decrepit buildings and 5 acres every day and love it. Anyway welcome to the forum, it looks like a fantastic project. Why not sell the tiles and just go with tin throughout?

Up here in Argyll some roofers will clip the slates as a standard measure while others will not. It looks better and is functional and if it this was my new roof I would be very pleased as its been done to a high standard.

It all looks just about ok..... not sure about the quality of the battens or the roofing paper and the lead work and gutters look a bit shoddy but maybe / probably functional. I don’t want to be to critical as it’s a DIY Project but if this was being done by a professional I would be worried. I would want to know that the paper he is using is Proper breathable One designed for the job and if not then there could be problems with condensation. It’s a tricky one as it looks functional but not professional and I would not want to say yay or nay to getting him to do your roof.

I get the same thing, in my converted “work room” In my damp shed (a Well insulated box within the shed) I get low 60% but in The main old house next door it will be mid 80%

I personally would use 110mm as if you need to clean it / unblock it for any reason it will be much easier.

Living in denial....... that’s me.

Welcome. I am Also renovating a few old buildings..... no body told me at the time to knock em down and now it’s way to late ! I enjoy the process and the learning experience and treat it like an expensive hobby......

Also used to reline any old chimney, ceramic or not. If starting from scratch then ceramic all the way.

Off subject..... I was once driving down the motorway and got the smell of burning rubber coming through the vents and then in front of me was a car running at about 40 mph with a totally flat tire that was disintegrating as I looked at it..... it was all quite dangerous so I drew along side and saw an old lady driving and completely oblivious to the problem...... I then pulled half in front of her and forced her onto the hard shoulder and to a standstill. She was quite relaxed about being forced of the road by a total stranger in a beat up landrover and when I explained what the problem was she looked mildly surprised but said the noice had been getting very bad and she had had to turn the radio up to near full volume just to hear her favourite show........ I changed the wheel and sent her on her way...... I also have Bad tinnitus That developed when I first got Chronic fatigue syndrome the specialist ran various tests on site and sent me on my way saying that there was nothing he could do and I should get used to it.... needless to say i have I indeed got used to it and though I am aware of it often I don’t give it much thought anymore. Sorry can’t help with the speeders........

It’s a tricky one as larch out of the ground in a vented environment lasts really well, but would not last long as a fence post as the bit below ground would rot quickly. It’s also what your supplier gives you as I Have seen a solid oak outdoor staircase rot badly as a lot of the oak used had sap wood in it, oak heart wood is very durable.

Welcome. There is a wealth of information about ashp on the forum, have a search as it should all be written down somewhere, also have a look through some of the blogs. Renovations are hard work.... and you really need to get the insulation right to justify ashp if using it for heating. I am renovating although very slowly and will be installing an ashp when the time comes as well as MvHr But that’s another story. Explain what insulation you have in walls, ceiling and floor to give people an idea of where you are at, what’s your windows like, and how air tight will the build be. We love photos. Info on this site about sizing ashp can also be found.

Hi and welcome, I am also Argyll and Bute With Oban being my nearest town. Not building from scratch as I have taken on an older property........ 7 years in and still trying to get it under control....... if I knew 7 years ago what I know now I would have flattered the house and started from scratch.... however I enjoy the process and treat it like a hobby.....an expensive hobby.

in all honesty this would be the easiest And quickest, your outside dimensions are small and as soon as you look at using natural stone your walls get pretty thick very quickly. I rebuilt the upper part of one of my buildings using an inner block skin and natural stone on the outside With a partial cavity And it worked out great and from the outside you cannot tell. it was a lot of work and not something to take on without prior experience, (I was a stonemason for half my life, all be it not specialising in house construction) block work on the other hand is much easier and something that with a bit of research can be Learnt and undertaken by a capable / competent person..... the same goes for the slate roof, if your using modern cut slate then with a bit of research it’s pretty straight forward but if your using old hand cut slates of multiple sizes and thickness then it becomes much more Of a skilled undertaking and not something To do as a starting project. Anyway It sounds like a nice little project, make sure you get the technical aspects right at the design stage before starting to build.

I expect I could give some advice On some areas of the work as I have done quite a lot of renovations to my old Scottish stone House and outbuildings and have done lots of traditional slate work on my property as well.

The diamond grinders are pretty brutal..... I wood be surprised if they don’t damage the cobbles. Not a lot more I can say but I think your going to have some ongoing issues. Best of luck.

Cement can cause serious damage some types Of porous stone, especially sandstone ... find out what stone you have and check it’s ok to have cement there.... The work looks terrible. If the sub bace was not compacted correctly then the whole lot is doomed to failure. You should be able to give the stones a good dunt with a rubber mallet and get no movement or sinking. I am not sure about how to resolve this but if it was me I would want the whole lot to come up, proper inspection of sub bace By someone in the know, you should be able to stamp down with your heal onto the prepared ground and get nearly no imprint. I think a layer of softer material is then laid into which the cobbles are driven down into and then sand and gravel fills the gaps. The problem with cement is that water can get in Between the cobbles and cement and then when it freezes there is no room for expansion and the cobbles can lift . it’s not my area of experience so maybe get yourself educated by doing a bit of research On line and phoning a few masons for A second opinion.

@Stones has done this on Orkney and it works very well if I remember correctly, he is in a VERY exposed location !

I have made numerous a frames out of wood and metal for lifting everything from engines out of cars to cows out of swamps..... costs next to nothing and many that I Have built can lift in excess of 1000kg - this poor bloody cow was stuck in a swamp for days and had lost The use of its legs Due to lost circulation, a few hours of massage got it back on its feet and it lived for a good few more years. Scaffolding is the quick fix for lighter stuff, the ones in the photo are purpose built but not sure of there origin as a mate left them here 6 years ago......

As you are aware not all marine plywood is if the same Grade .... I have just replaced some of my window reveals on my cabin (After 6 year's) as water had got behind the reveal and rotted the ply out. I replaced with a mix of ply and shower wall board as that’s what I had In My stock pile ( shed full of shite) but to prevent water ingress again I have added a rubber seal betweeen the larch and the ply. I also added a tin hood hood / drip to the ply at the top to protect it better as it extends beyond the vertical reveals. ( i get winds 50+mph and water was getting in at the top corners) All in all it’s a much better solution and I am confident that it will outlast the last job by quite a long time. The edges Of the ply will Need painting each year due to my exposed location but this was not a point of weakness last time. Out of interest can you post a detail of your reveals as I would be interested to see how they are done properly! my cabin is made from lots of recycled materials and I make it up as I go along so don’t assume I am doing things to best practice - i.e don’t do what I do before checking with someone who actually knows what they are doing.....

Welcome and greetings from west coast argyll. Looks absolutely fantastic!!!! What a great barn to have as your staging area for a new build. Really looking forward to seeing your progress.