ToughButterCup Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 "Ah fookin 'ate them Jackies in yer roof mert.... " says my unneighbourly next door dweller. Neighbour he isn't. Maybe in proximity, but never in either spirit or reality. I do my best to be positive when forced to talk to him. Jackdaws in our roof - really? The little tinkers. Without thinking I replied; "Well the U Value of a jackdaw's nest is much higher than Celotex - since there's a Menage-a-Trois in there, there's at least 7 warm birds , so the U value is much higher than Celotex could ever manage" "Wha ?" "U value - a measure of how efficient the insulation is " "No: meanage aa toi - whassat?" "Ahh, Jackdaws - their kids (last years brood) come and help incubate and feed this years brood: so they live together with mum and dad, bit like the French and their relaxed attitude to ermmmm.... So thats 7 birds all huddled together for warmth. From which we benefit" "Aye, an' when wun breaks wind lahk, 'tl bee even warmer" "Jackdaws don't light their farts Peter" "' Appen. Any road, they wunts shuuuutin' " Says the man who had his firearms licence taken off him last year. We've Bluetits, Starlings and Jackdaws in our roof (just in the Celotex) . And do I care ? Nope. They're all welcome. But am I right? is the U Value higher as a result of avian nesters-in-our-Celotex? Answer me that please Boffins. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnMo Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 What? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 Exactly Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pendicle Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 We are doing our soft demo currently, we knew Jackdaws had been nesting in the roof eaves as pointed out by the bat woman. We managed to block up the holes before nesting season phew. We knew they had been nesting for a number of years according to our neighbour but was still shocked by the amount of twigs that we found in the eaves once we removed the plaster board in the attic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 7 hours ago, ToughButterCup said: Answer me that please Boffins. I answered that question a while back, can't remember that topic title, so you better look for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe90 Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 But, the nests are only occupied for a short time, after that they are empty for the rest of the year 🤷♂️ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roundtuit Posted May 3 Share Posted May 3 I'd suggest something's not right with your eaves proofing if birds have access to nest in your roof... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Absolutely correct @Roundtuit. A local builder ( well respected and trusted) teased me about the issue yesterday. When he'd finished taking the proverbial, he casually mentioned that the new extension - that he'd built for for his own house - had exactly the same problem. Ya just can't get the staff these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryE Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 On 03/05/2024 at 11:51, ToughButterCup said: Answer me that please Boffins. Ian, I think that you are losing the plot. 🤣 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 A generous interpretation @TerryE. I am ground down by the build. Two new hips replaced in 6 months hammers you. And then I look back at all the work done in substantial pain before the operations... But Hell, there's a house here where there wasn't before. I am mindful of the privilege though. So very many have said that they would like to be able to build their own house..... But . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TerryE Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Ian, sorry to hear about the hip ops. Doing a self-build is body-damaging. My general health took a significant step down because of our build. I held it together until we moved in, but by then I'd used up all my reserves, and pretty much collapsed with exhaustion. Old age fighting slow recovery. Not sure which is winning. All I can say is that rest and recovery is more important than dotting i's and crossing t's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 Exactly Terry. That's what Debbie says. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 You’re more relaxed about the critters getting in than I would be. If they can get in mice or rats can too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 (edited) I'm on first name terms with the local rats. Mice are almost irrelevant. We have some field mice hereabouts so I'm quite careful about controlling them. The rats have already done some damage, they were in the roof. But I sorted that out - took the roof tiles off , clean the hole out filled it with foam , recovered and repaired the felt, popped the tiles back. That's one thing about being a self-builder you can get the job done instantly and you know how to do it and you know how to do it well. We all suffer from rats round here because we are right next to a pig farm. In addition we run a good few chickens so rats are never not a problem. They appear to me not to mind a weekly onslaught by me with my rifle . They don't take much notice of their colleagues being shot. In fact they sometimes use their dead colleagues as lunch. They are worthy opponents and in some senses I'm grateful for them keeping my shootings skills almost as sharp as they once they were. There is of course a dreadful temptation to use poison : but that seems to cause our three cats to have upset stomachs so we try hard not to use it. I will never shoot any of the birds that decide to nest in our Cellotex. They are all most welcome. No matter what Steamy Tea says, I'm almost sure that the U value of a warm starling is higher than the u value of the insulation Edited May 4 by ToughButterCup Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteamyTea Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 5 minutes ago, ToughButterCup said: No matter what Steamy Tea says, I'm almost sure that the U value of a warm starling is higher than the u value of the insulation One is a thermal source, the other is thermal resistance. Could combine the two, into a pie. Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie. When the pie was opened The birds began to sing— Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before the king? The king was in the counting-house Counting out his money, The queen was in the parlor Eating bread and honey, The maid was in the garden Hanging out the clothes. Along came a blackbird And snipped off her nose. Sing a song of sixpence, A pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds Baked in a pie. When the pie was opened The birds began to sing— Wasn't that a dainty dish To set before the king? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kelvin Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 I just sorted a leak at the mother in laws caused by mice chewing through the dishwasher and washing machine waste pipes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToughButterCup Posted May 6 Author Share Posted May 6 Three aggressive tomcats.... on patrol most days - when not so deeply asleep that they appear to be in a different time warp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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