Totally Off Topic, but need decent builders advice

[arceye]

On with it now Rich, photos soon.... The good thing with this stuff is even though it is hydraulic you can still butter it up a bit the next day. So, for slow coaches like me you can get away with blending todays work with yesterdays.

Two days so far hope the weather holds

[Luxobarge]

Good point - actually, the ability to still work it a bit the day after (or the day after that, if it's cold) can be quite an advantage. The slower it dries, the less it will crack, but if it does crack then you can "mend" it before it goes totally hard.

All the best!

[kevin]

Also the reason it isn't very tolerable to freezing temps until cured.
It's a great, old school method of construction though so well done.

Kev

[rich.]

lime plastering








that was an interesting job.. the chap wants me to rebuild a stone staircase now

[Luxobarge]

That looks good! Great job...

[arceye]

Very Nice Rich, I'd show my efforts but it is raining again...... can I borrow your mixer and some sunshine please, I'm about 3 quarters done but I'm going to end up trying to blend a joint line or two by the time this weather turns around.

[arceye]

Well chaps, just about there bar for a little bit between the corner and the porch, then the limewash to do.

I have also started taking the flags up to lower the ground level which will give me a gap as suggested by Kevin between the render and the ground.

But..... If I wanted to take the render all the way to the ground why is that a bad idea? I have no damp course so it wouldn't bridge that, and traditionally in these parts it seems they harled all the way down to ground level. I can only find new houses locally that have the render stop shy of the ground. Remember, I'm aiming for rustic (which is probably a translation of rough )

Cheers chaps

[arceye]

Ready for limewash and groundworks, apparently I now have to make a little garden here instead of my planned extra parking

Everything is still a bit patchy as it is in different stages of curing / drying and a little damp from todays rain but should be ok once limewashed, I used a brush to bat back the render as it cured which has given the result I wanted of showing the shape of the stonework a little. I think this is in keeping with the traditional one coat of harl just pushed back a little as was used in rural Scotland.



The whole job has been a little more difficult due to the use of concrete sand which has some biggish stones in it, but in the absence of a better plasterers sharp sand was my only option whilst keeping the cost down. That said the cost was very reasonable given the only extra money compared to sand / cement render was the slightly higher cost of the hydraulic lime.

More walls to do but I have some roof works and groundworks planned also so I may leave the other walls this year just to make sure this method holds up well over winter.

Oh, the extra white bit above the kitchen drain is where I tried out a little home made limewash, seems to be holding up so I may make more

[Luxobarge]

That's looking pretty good that is, and it'll look better and better as it dries out. Easier to put limewash on when it's gone reasonably dry, and remember to put lots of coats on - each coat will make it look better and better. Nice one - well done!


Cheers

[kevin]

You are correct in saying the render normally stops just above the dpc, not having one means it can go lower, not so low however that it will come in contact with the ground and wick up moisture. To finish things off, paint the area below the render with a bitumin based paint..Gives a finish and will help reduce moisture penetration low down.

Great job however

Kev