BARNES BUILD

		This is our current project as of 2008, a Barn Conversion. Its hard at this stage to visualise the finished product. To be perfectly honest, the state of this barn is as near to being a derelict as anything I have ever seen! But its location is stunning! Eight Acres of land in a beautiful location of uninterupted rolling country side. Scroll down and see how we are doing, we will finish it (eventfully) you will be amazed at the end, I promise.
		This is a 500 year old barn in the Clun area of Shropshire. Its a grade two listed building. Can you imagine how it will look?
		The first thing we had to do was to support the roof trusses. Over the centries the oak frame had warped and twisted, so before we could knock down the walls to underpin them we had to support the frame with scaffolding to prevent shear movement. In fact the first thing we had to do was to put in a road to site. About 250 meters! We also had to bring water to site, across 3 fields about 500 meters. Easy peasy!
		Our first trembling efforts, will the building stay up when we knock down the walls?
		The barn has been open to the elements for decades, some of the beams are so badley damaged and joints so weak we have had to give additional support while we undergo remeadial work.
		Thats the million dollar view!
		If you look closely you can see the scaffolding up in the trusses, it is linked diagonally to increase strength and goes over and under the truss tie beam to prevent shear movement.
		Okay, my knees were knocking a bit! this is the first bit of wall we knocked down. The barn was built off the earth and had no foundations at all. Amazing, it had stood for 500 years! You can see that we have reduced the internal ground level, this was to enable us to get a decent head room and give us a good sized first floor as well. In fact this is the easy end as we go back we need to move internal ground till eventually we reduce the level by 2 meters! This isnt just internal ground, we need to reduce the ground level around the barn as well to give us access.
		Nothing seems to be happening on this picture but all the action is round the other side.
		What a state! I must remove the lean too bit and the projection to the left has to come down too (for the time being.) But the Structural Engineer said that I must keep the corrigated roof as long as possible as it gives rigidity to the structure.
		These beams are to be exposed when completed, with a vaulted ceiling.
		A gloomy internal view.
		This is the internal state. it is impossible to stand upright. The ground is just bare earth. Is this job possible at all?
		Well, the lean-to is gone, theres some progress at last!
		Well here we are again, reducing the ground level and preparing for footings.
		You can see the stone walls are built straight off the earth.
		One whole end is now supported. And it becomes even more complex!
		At Last some building work. We have excavated the foundation trench and backfilled with concrete. We are building up in concrete blockwork to soleplate of existing oak frame. Because we have to slowly remove the wall bit by bit, we can only do foundations section by section. Its a slow process.
		Here you can see my two sons, Daniel and David. The house in the background belongs to the farmer who sold me the land. Good bloke, knows all about sheep! And has all the old stories about the weather and wives tales. I dont believe everything he tells me!
		I have a handy tractor with a digger on the back, it has been ideal for this job!
		Thats the first bit done, now we have taken down the next section. The wall construction is 75ml cavity with insulation. Once completed all round, we shall build a stone outer wall. It doesnt look much now, but bare with me. I promise you will be surprised in the end.
		You can see in this picture the ground has been reduced by 4 ft or so.
		The middle section has now been demolished. This bit was not listed, but will be rebuilt a bit later.
		Slowly working our way back.
		Its slow going, but we are begining to see some progress.
		My Dumper take a 3 ton load, up till now i have moved about 400 ton of earth. Its a good job I have so much land, I am back filling a large sloping area, which will increase the frontage of the house and allow extra parking.
		This is the first piece of oak I have had to replace. You can just see it under the five acro jacks. Its about 15ft long and is 8"x8". Weighs a ton (not quite.) But this is just a "tiddler" compared to some of the later ones. But Look, we are moving along.
		This is the other side of the building.
		An internal view, showing the complex of scaffolding to hold a section whilst walls are demolished and rebuilt.
		This is the last section of the main barn. There is still a side section that we havent begun yet, but I need to get this bit done before I can do that. You can see the last bit of earth that still requires reducing, its about 2 meters high!
		Same side, different angle.
		After reducing the ground level we have excavated the foundation trench and filled with concrete. The person to the left of picture is my son David.
		Now we have finished the foundation and begun erection of blockwork walls. You can just see we are building internal concrete wall to support the tie beam for the end truss. This section did not have a preservation order and we are able to rebuild the oak frame.
		At last we have begun to rebuild the stone outer wall. The Conservation Officer required we reuse the old stone and build with a lime motar mix. My son Daniel has done all the stonework entirely by himself. His work is excellent, I am immensly proud of of him.
		If you look at the door section you can see the inner wall, a 75ml cavity, the outer concrete wall on which the oak frame is supported and the outer stone wall which is tied to the concrete wall with stainless steel ties. The overall thickness of the wall is about 18".
		It is particulary difficult to build a stone wall this way because only stone of a certain width can be used. On a normal stone wall an inner and outer wall is built and the void between, the infill  is filled with scree or scraps. This means that every bit of stone regardless of size can be used and is much quicker to build. Look at how lovely and level he has finished off the wall. On top of the stone wall is to be built a timber frame of 4" x 4" which will be clad in 12ml ply and then covered with oak boarding.
		You can't see very clearly yet, but this bit is the diningroom. The frame we have built with 8"x8" oak but the middle section is 11"x10", because the floor joist are this size if I had used 8"x8" the ceiling joist would have shown in the window. If you look to the bottom right of this picture you can see a ceiling joist I am preparing for the landing over the kitchin area. This beam is 11" x 10" with 6"x3" oak joists at 450 ml centres. You can see the mortice joints I have cut to receive the joists. We lift the beams into place using two heavy duty block and tackle hoists. It takes nearly one day for two men to position, prepare and lift into place!
		A glimps of the floor beams, 11" x 10" with 6" x 3" joists all green oak. This bit is part of the gallary landing the area to the left will be open to the roof trusses.
		This is an internal view of the ceiling joists and window in the diningroom. All beams and joists will be exposed in the finnished job.
		A front view showing the big oak frame window. I cut this frame on site assembled it and hoisted it into position, it was one heck of a days work!
		Just another view.
		Danny is getting close to finishing the stonework now, he's been at it for three months he will deserve a break when its done.
		Well, this is absolutely the final bit of groundwork on the house build. Obviously we still have to landscape when we finish but praise the Lord all foundations and bases are complete. This bit is what the farmer used to call the casket but for us it will form the entrance and hallway into the house.
		This is still the casket but seen from the front, we shall build a large green oak frame window on this side which will have tremendous views over the valley towards the beautiful village of Clun. Ther stairway to first floor will be in this room between the two openings which can be seen in this picture and an opening formed between the timber frame.
		This is not a very clear picture but is just a small bit of the view which shall be seen from the finished house.
		The scaffolding on this job has been interminable! We have had to raise temporary scaffolding on numerous occassions. The stone wall had to be built before we could erect the  scaffolding for the last time as this wall is to support the outer stud wall on which we are to fix the oak boarding. What you see in this picture is the 4"x4" timber stud frame, its a bit of a milestone for us!
		Just a different view.
		We have begun cladding the frame with 12ml ply to stiffen the frame and prevent sheer movement. At last we can begin to see where the windows are going to be. Over the top of the ply will go a breathable weather barrier and then the boarding, but this wont happen for a little while yet. I'm just so pleased to see progress after what has seemed an eternity of remeadial work!
		Just another view.
		An internal view showing some of the ancient timbers, without the old boarding its seems larger somehow and much more impressive.
		We have begun to remove the old sheet iron roofing, the farmer tells me that it was at least 100 years old. I intend to take it all to the scrap metal chappie and take everyone out for a meal. The light of day has broken through into the old barn!
		One side is completely removed exposing some of the old purlins of the roof trusses. Now begins the job of constructing a new roof which is not a simple job. The ridge board is shaped like a boomerang and trying to even up the trusses to create a straight roof will be a complicated job, but at last we are up in the air.
		What a relief! We have actually begun constructing the roof! This is going to be a mamoth task, I am in effect going to have to build a roof over the existing frame.
		From this picture you can see that I have constructed the oak frame gable end. It looks pretty impressive, don't you think?
		Taken from a different position.
		We are making progress but there is still a long way to go!
		You can see that we are begining to felt and batten and if you look close you can see that we have constructed the facia board.
		Its slow progress, normally the rafters would not be boarded with ply wood but the structural engineer required that the frame be made ridgid to give more support to the roof.
		The roof is fully felted and battened. The planks in the middle are to cover the openings for the roof windows.
		We have started to lay the slates, its looking pretty good, even if I say so myself!
		I only have the ridge tiles to fit on this section, but have had to stop because I am waiting delivery  of the roof windows which are delayed, Typical!
		The delay on the roof windows has allowed me to start cladding the barn in oak planks. At last we can see the beginings of the finished product. The outer frame has a plywood cover which is covered with a breathable membrane and the 1" oak planks are nailed on to finish. Its all got to be painted.
		This is the other side of the roof, you can see the roof windows but the light reflecting off it  seems to merge with the slates at this angle.
		The roof is completed now, you can see the two chimney flues for the wood burners at the far end. From this sideyou can now see the Tudor effect  also I have begun to clad the front section. At last we have received the windows, they were made by a chap from the church I attend.His name is Steve Pugh, he has made them in oak and has done an excellent job! I have  begun to clad the front section and the guttering is completed.
		The roof windows are more visible in this picture. We have rendered between the Tudor planking and painted the boards to create the traditional "Black and White."
		What a cold day that was! But at least we have painted the outside boards, and the windows will be glazed in a day or two, then we shall have a fully weather sealed house. The house looks smaller from this side because it drops down about four foot from the visible ground level. A week or so and we shall have the scaffolding down and the can tidy the outside. It looks like a house, don't you think?
		Well, here we are, another milestone! The scaffolding is down, the oak boarding is on and painted and the windows are glased. I sometimes (in my moments of doubt and uncertainty) wondered if we would ever get to this point.
		The Black and White look rather good, don't you think? I think my son Daniel has done a smashing job on the stone walls too.
		It's hard to imagine that this is the same barn that we started with. We have started plastering on the inside, the first fix electrics and plumbing have been completed. I am awaiting the delivery of the side double doors and the we shall be fully weather proofed.
		This is a handsome picture showing off the perspective of the building. I still need to paint the exterior doors, the door to the left of this pictureis a stable door and sets the building off to a treat. Down this side I need to excavate the trench to lay the drainage pipe for the septic tank and the rain water to the soak away.
		This picture isn't very clear, it's the open ceiling space over the  kitchin and reception room, it has the gallaried landing about it. From floor to top of the roof purlin is about  28 foot. It was so high that I had to erect scaffolding to get to the top, what a palava to plaster! with all the strange angles and odd shape bits.
		An internal shot of the master bedroom, its a gloomy day but the views from this window will be stunning when its all finished. The ceiling heights are all going to be great througout this build and will create a wonderfull sense of space.
		This is still the master bedroom but looking from the oposite side. What you can see is one of the flues from the two wood burning stoves which we shall install. The timbers seem pretty lack lustre at the moment, but wait untill we oil them, they will show off a treat. The hole in the ceiling is an access hatch to the attic.
		Sorry about the scruffy appearance, but to be truthfull, this is the sort of state that we get into when we build, what, you thought builders always were clean and tidy? this is what to expect if you undertake a project like this! This is the corridoor off the landing to two of the bedrooms and the family bathroom. The shapes and angles will make this house truely unique when it is finished.
		This is one of the bedrooms, we are in the process of plaster boarding in between the old oak frame, we have already plastered the ceiling, we had to erect scaffolding to get to the ceiling and while we had it up we decided to plaster, seemed to make sense at the time. Two of the bedrooms have great roof light windows which allow tremendous light to flood the room. Can you imagine laying in bed and looking at the stars on a clear night?
		This is another bedroom, don't you think the old oak frame looks great? Just wait untill we clean and oil the timbers. I can hardly wait!
		Look at the spectacular views.
		We painted the ceilings over the kitchin and reception room, we have also  oiled the main trusse and purlins, when the rest of the walls have been finished they will stand out in sharp relief.
		This is the opposite view the hole in the top is an access door to this side of the attic. The timber studding is some of the infill walls which we have constructed under the old barn trusses to create rooms. On odd shapes like these, it takes much longer to do but the end result is very satisfying.
		This is the top section of the of the room the farmer used to call the "Casket." We are using it as the main entrance hall and will be the place where the stairs will be placed. The big opening will be the top of the stairs and form the entrance to the upstairs. You can see the ubiquetous (is that how to spell it?) scaffolding which was required to plaster the ceiling. I have created four openings in this wall to allow a little light to come through and to create an interesting perspective. The timbers have been cleaned and oiled, but you can that the last timber on the right has not been oiled and can see the difference between the treated and untreated.
		A View from the gallary landing I have fabricated the upstairs banisters and newels. It's all oak, just needs oiling, it just needs a final clean up and decorating to set it off a treat.
		The staircase was made by the same chap who built the windows, Steve Pugh, its great being able to get up stairs without the use of a ladder, it feels like a real house now.
		The view from down stairs looking up into the gallaried landing. Looks pretty swish dont you agree?
		The other side of the staircase. The opening on the left will be filled in to create a cupboard area which will separate the room into the entrance lobby on this side of the picture and a breakfast room at the back (where my son David is standing.) The kitchen is coming next week, blimey, we should be finished in 6/8 weeks!!!
		Well here we are, this is a picture showing some of the kitchen and the up stairs gallaried landing. Its not too clear but gives a good idea of how it looks.
		This is the study area.
		This is the opposite side to the study, the wood burner is a homely feature, it is a light filled room with the large oak framed windows.
		Pity the picture is so dark, but this is the entrance hall and the bottom of the stairs (obviously!)
		Some of the old oak timbers with the remedial timbers to add strength. A view from the gallaried landing, below you can just make out the kitchen area.
		A picture of the master bedroom. Looks rather snug, don't you think?
		Another view of the master bedroom showing the large oak framed windows.
		This is a view down the upstairs corridor which leads off to two bedrooms and the family bathroom.
		Seen from the other end. I love the old truss rafters in this picture.
		This is the dining room.
		Again the dining room but the ceiling can be seen a little better in this pic.
		The downstairs wet room, the underfloor heating throughout the downstairs give a wonderful feeling of comfort, but especially in this room. We have used Travertine Marble in here and in the kitchen.
		A side view of the kitchen, we have put in two sinks in the kitchen oner for washing and one for food preparation.
		A view from the front.
		A lovely room to relax in, the timbers give a very warm and homely feel to soak away the problems of the day. Well thats about it. I promiosed that we would finish the job and I have kept my word. At times it felt as if we would never finish but Praise the Lord its done. A barn that was almost derilict has been saved for future generations to enjoy, what a tremendous legarcy to pass on to posterity. Thank God.