Up the old farmstead goes - just waiting for an Irish Sandstone dress!

 Monday evening

Window detail

 10am Monday Morning

Typical Window/Door detail sketch drawings

Sketches by Robert White

Hot Summer Evening

After weeks of extra ordinary hot and dry weather here in Ireland the landscape has turned brown, there is a smell of dry cut grass and the site is dusty. More like Africa than Ireland!

The 5 white stemmed birches getting some water!

Window details and positions confirmed and arrival of electricity poles!

Position and details of windows confirmed

12m electricity pole, stay and gear arrived on site today

Up go the inner cement block walls

Quinnlite thermal blocks at wall / floor junction as per sketch by Robert White

Pouring the sub slab

We had the opportunity of putting underfloor heating in the old farmstead. This will be linked to the proposed geo-thermal borehole heat source for the new build.

Photo showing underfloor manifold heating duct and duct work for the main electrical distribution board.

Slab was pouring on a hot 28deg day on Wednesday 10th  July

'The bottom of the Garden' - Wild Irish Hedgerow Flowers

While the old farmstead is re-growing out the ground - look what's flowering in the bottom of the  Garden

Foxglove - almost as tall as a person

Honeysuckle

Dog Roses

Elderberry Flowers

Foundations poured today!

Now for the build up....

Foundations being dug today - concrete pouring at noon Monday

Eeek - look what's left!!

Despite trying very hard to save the whole building - three walls had to come down. The breaking down of the cracked and bulging chimney breast gable wall revealed a wall composed of dry clay and rubble sandwiched between poor outer stonework. The make up of the other walls was similar and these walls had been severely cracked and distorted by a resident ash tree. The external stonework of the old farmstead was inferior to that of the outbuildings as it was originally plastered.

 So considering all these aspects, the decision was taken to demolish the three walls and retain the good wall to the road.

The new construction will be composed of inner blockwork, insulated cavity and exterior stonework re-using the existing stone in a style to match the outbuildings.

The remaining wall does not need under pinning as originally expected.

New foundation to be poured on Monday. Watch this space!

Flagstones from the eaves and from the floor retained for re-use in the farmstead

Examples of new stonework (top few courses) matching the old