The basics of renovating: * It will cost more than expected * It will take longer than expected * There will be unexpected surprises * Patience & perseverance required You two are doing grand!
Thank you both. I know this logically, now it's a matter of getting my stubbornness to chill out whilst I accept this fact and let it happen at the pace it's going to happen at 😆
Yes, my husband and I built our farm with mostly recycled items and we developed the Arkansas rule. 1. Estimate your amount of materials realistically. 2. Estimate your work time realistically, and 3 Estimate your costs realistically. THEN TRIPLE ALL OF THEM,And 4. Chill out, then take a nap. It'll all get done without r you acting like a stressed out crazy person 😅😅😅
yous are doing so well, from a fellow irish cottage owner and renovator. That log pile and wood store alone is a great achievement! no advice on the walls but i would recommend you crack on with a fire in the middle room, i know its an extra expense but your cottage and health will thank you, the most important thing with those old cottages is getting a lot of constant heat back in them, good luck with everything XX
From a fellow “Tara” in the US-wherever you can’t run plasterboard to you can throw up a piece of trim work or a stained board. You could do a Tudor looking interior if needs be. But your most important thing will be heating with winter coming up. And stopping up any gaps that let cold air in. Good luck, it looks like a big job but you can do it over time. I’m a lady and I was out on really high scaffolding painting the exterior of my two story farmhouse alone last year. I also gutted a room upstairs alone which included prying/hammering out plaster and lathe board walls to run pipes and make a new bathroom from scratch up there. Husband was at work and had already said it couldn’t be done. Guess who has a full bathroom upstairs now? ME 😂. Tell me I can’t do something and I absolutely will! RUclips has a professional DIY video for everything!
Wow I've never renovated but have seen the wonders by friends, including once who had finished a 3 hear build. I wish you a warmer winter (surely we'll all be warmer than last year). But drier would be nice at the moment. In SW Wakes we're in a similar weather front I think. Take care.
Rome wasn't built in a day you have one good decent bedroom/ sitting room/office that is all you need for now Focus on the next project in the spring the beauty of renovating an old house is the satisfaction and pride in your achievements in a couple years when you can sit and admire what you have done to your delightful little cottage My advice is take one room at a time So refreshing to see a young couple opting for a doer upper with so much charm and character You won't regret it Love the stone on the outside of the cottage You are doing a great job well done to both of you
We used that insulated plasterboard in a tunnel block shed we lived in while building our house, we heated it with a stove, it was very cosy. I'd highly recommend insulated plasterboard, it's still perfect 20 years later. I'd also highly recommend a stove for the kitchen area of your cottage, it would be far more economical and safe than an open fire.
You are doing a great job. You have a roof over your head and there is no hurry. This will give you time to decide what you really want so you can do it once and right. Blessed Samhain sister from Canada.
You need to clear the earth from around the cottage floor level outside needs to be lower than inside so you step up going in keep the damp away . Stud the walls make sure you use enough insulating in the long run it will be well worth it , happy renovations.
You just popped up today, think it was derelict that triggered it. Love Escape to Rural France where he is repairing and pointing a chateau with full sky views. You both reassure me as am on year 12 of rehabbing a home in US, had to take a pause to become disabled and claw my way back to hideously ineffectual. sigh.I am living in the concrete block "guesthouse" which was a garage turned efficiency apt as easier to deal with since no power or water in big house at the moment (for 12 yrs) is storage for all my life and plans, revised plans and all the things that might be useful later or bought for a song at thrift and will be great when... glad to know I am really not alone in this insanity, er creative endeavor.
Thanks for sharing Cheryl, I watch Dan too.....well I did until he started doing the scary bits 😅 I feel you on the frustration of having to accept that things will happen in their own good time, one of the hardest lessons for ambitious people to learn 😀
"Everything is useful, so you keep everything." (1:20) That is so true! Recently deconstructing old pallets, some boards are broken, but sometimes you just need a little bit of a board!
Just found your channel. What an absolute delight! Good Luck with all your renovations, can’t give any building tips but will follow what you are doing.
Experience is what you get when you dont get what you want. -Old dude sitting on his couch watching but who has seen some shit. BTW, you make me laugh and smile, so well done.
My grandparents lived in rural Leitrim, and it was always my dream to one day live there myself. Unfortunately the house now is a lost cause and has been sold to a neighbour, possibly for razing. It really warmed my heart to see this video. Best wishes x
So glad 😊 to see a update from you . Usually you do the insulation-dry -electricity-plumping-all one go . Electricity and plumbing goes behind your dry wall. But yes you can run your electric wires outside the wall ( cheaper) . In video I see that door behind you , you could probably not insulate that small area , to keep space-size same 👍❤️🫶 .
Well done David and Tara, when you look at the journey from August last year you have both been amazing. There is so much done, even since the summer. That’s some job on the back of the house, gives a great sense of how it all will look. I’m just glad I didn’t see David in the roof in real time!!! Fab video as always. Take care xxx
I found you today !!! What a beautiful cottage !!! My home is over a 100 years old, plaster, damp, brickwork are the bain of my life. My plaster literally was falling off the walls !! There was also some water ingress 😮 a big pointing job next year for sure !! As for the inside I had lots of differing advice, like you insulation and boards. In the end I went for traditional plaster with some chemicals in it to stop the ingress, I was told the board and dot and dab plaster was not the answere as it would in time rot ???😮 the joys of ancient buildings I had a new roof put on, and 2 beautiful log and multifuel burners in. 6 years and .y characterful, living breathing home has come to life, I love it, could never live in a modern and characterless box. One more hurdle next year, to repoint and re render ? I'm thinking not render as potentially those old bricks of mine will potentially crumble away and blow the render !!!! Your cottage is stone and (preferable) the walls thick. I now understand 2 key things in these old buildings 1. Ventilation and 2. Warmth, multifuel stoves will burn most things therefore cutting down your wood usage. Very important to get the best you can it pays dividends on fuel usage as they are very controllable. Some burners just blast the heat up the chimney and are not efficient. Look forward to the updates Jayne
Thanks for all that Jayne, I'd take the concrete off in a heartbeat if I thought the place wouldn't fall down 😅 Our plan centred totally around all-breathable natural materials, which was why the thick concrete walls were such a surprise. We have a bit of ingress in the floor, which I think is due to the concrete plinth and the footpaths outside which are higher than inside and need to be removed when we get a chance. The plan is then to get an Olymberyl multifuel backburner stove for the main room, but we need to bump the budget before we get that far 😅
Thanks for that Anthony, can you join the 'Diary of a Ditch Witch' FB group please? Just so we have a mutual point of contact....we'll certainly need help with door frames etc.
Hey Tara, good to see you. The exterior is gorgeous. I love the beautiful boulders at the corners. Holy crap, that was a ton of work removing the pebble dash. Sorry about the interior walls, but trust you'll find the right solution. I have no building expertise to offer, just words of encouragement and excitement for all you've accomplished. From the little I've seen in your videos, you couldn't ask for a lovelier setting. You've gorgeous woods, and fields, and bog, and a lake nearby. For me those things are the value, and you are building a nest there. It's so much work, but I love how you're doing it and grateful that you're sharing w us
Thanks missus......you'd think we'd know by now that everything takes longer than you plan for 😅 Quite satisfied with things this year, we have at least 6 fewer things to worry about this winter than last winter - epic! 😍
He's a great wee worker Dave, the place coming on nicely, love the stone work on the outside, always marvels me the work done years ago and how stone work is constructed.
You can glue thin rocks on the walls that will make it look like the concrete is really stone something else that looks nice is slicing off thin slices of wood like what’s in your fire wood pile cut them around an inch thick and put them on the wall over the concrete it look like a old log house and should give you good insulation from the concrete and stone and a few logs will cover a big area and it’s cheep if your using old trees you cut down anyway and a bag of mortar should fill in all the gaps between the edges of the logs
So happy I found your channel! Hello from Nova Scotia! I just started my all over the place channel and it made me happy to hear you say that about your channel having so many threads. I can't help it if I am passionate about so many things! Blessings to you and to your channel and projects.
I live in a 300 yr old cottage and ive lived in it for over 25 yrs. It took years to get it right. I think if it was me i would start with the outside first. The pebble dash would be to stop penetrating damp so what i would do myself personally if i owned it would re point and then have it all rendered. To stop penetrating damp. Replace fascher and soffet boards unless salvagable same with gutters and drainpipes. Roof repairs etc before attempting to do inside. As for damp and mould in house i would just keep it ventilated windows open throughout. Dehumidifyers are costly and for them to work efficiently the room needs to be above a certain temperature so heating would need to be on. Since your not living in it open windows to let fresh air circulate would work just as well. Just my opinion but everyone has their own way of renevating
Love your honesty & down to earthness! That drive IS progress, love the recycled woodshed. & the chipping off of plaster is well over half way done🎉 please check the interior plaster depth again away from the windows, it may have been just thicker there to build windows? Why would they put 2 types of load bearing walls together doesn't make sense. Pipe away the gutter water too but not into french drains. It's come on so much since u began. I suggest getting a basic stove fitted in that big room fireplace for now, light everyday, INVEST in your house, dry heat from fires dry mousture& damp best. U can hang your washing in there too it'll b dry in morning. Leave those 2 doors to rooms open to help there too. Even bring in your logs & stack weeks worth in that huge room, they'll dry out really well. Who cares how it looks till you're done! It'll b a wee investment surely for fuel & stove & work, but will pay u back bigtime, u don't want respiratory illness, mould, damp, & destroyed gear/clothes etc. If the floor is dry leave it alone, u can add a vapour barrier under new finished insulation under timber/tile. Keep your bathroom really near kitchen so less plumbing materials need & easier= cheaper. Put rads in off stove like bealtine cottage & Heather's irish house renovation chanel. Gives u hot water & heats rads cheapest to run & put in. Put 1pendant light each room. 1 light outside each exterior doorr. Few sockets each room. Done. Get a price for basic fit. Few extra sockets kitchen. Plan kitchen layout & rooms too 1st. Get lads in direct labour to build as u can afford it, taper insulation at doors to minimise door frame upheaval. U won't notice it. U can get really thin insulation now that is way more effective than some thick stuff. Might be dearer but u might need it. Yes join irish cottage renovation or irish vernacular building restoration type groups on Facebook. U can do it! It's already happening, little by little will get there, don't worry about a big reveal!!🎉oh & sand your doors & frames, they look good hardwood, paint them up to protect from moisture, get good stuff for them. U can mix linseed with a water based paint if u can't get good stuff, research it, its almost best thing for it. 🎉
I’m just a random viewer (75!) but I must say your answer is so knowledgeable, you sound like you know your stuff. Much appreciated I’m sure, you sound so kind too, thank you from a randomer!! ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
Gods bless you for the time you put into that! 😀 Thank you so much! I'm in the groups, asking advice as we go, but as for overall game plan, we're still not on very solid ground as yet! Your comment is extremely helpful though, we've screenshotted it and saved it to our 'House plans' folder 😀
No bother, u could just put bathroom in back back room, kitchen /dining /sitting room in that big room open plan, then the other back room is a spare bedroom. That way you aren't knocking& rebuilding walls which is expensive, u can do an extension if needed in future years. It really mostly needs & I can't say it enough drying out, heated regularly will make it smell nice too, then yous can tile the floors directly or membrane,insulation, self leveling screed, tiles... u can do it yrselves. But if so do all rooms screed same time to keep level. Fill cracks & paint will change the look & stick in a bathroom, remember donedeal etc for free or cheap bathroom stuff. Buy few pipes get a plumber, he'll do drainage, yous can dig... yea water in is biggest priority, then electric. The heating systems I recommended don't need electricity. You'll get there, make list of priorities rather than wishes. 😊
I just recently found your channel a month or so back. I've been enjoying it and have been been slowly watching your older videos. And love your cottage. Keep up the great work and videos.
I live in Western Washington, and we have a big issue with damp as well though we live in a newer build. Mold and mildew are a real menace to anything made of natural materials. dehumidifiers kind of work as does trying to keep a consistent temp. But still stuff is going to get moldy
Gosh you were not kidding about Dave dangling on the ladders 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Im so glad you are already preparing for winter, i hae everything crossed that its not as wet or as cold as last year x
I am happy to see an update on the cottage! I am new to the channel, but I have gone back and watched many of your update videos, and I feel invested now. The stone reveal is gorgeous! Though, I am sorry about the interior walls. I have not done this type of renovating, so I have no helpful suggestions, but I am crossing my fingers for you that you find a solution that makes you happy as well as is functional!
If you don't want to go with dry-lining over shuttered concrete you could look at insulation covered with wood panels, either tongue & groove or plywood which can be scored to give 'plank' effect,
You've a huge undertaking ahead of you to be sure, but I can already envision a lovely finished product. That's a pity about the concrete walls, but perhaps it might be for the best. They may be helping support the stone structure. I'm glad to see that you're keeping your sense of humor about it all. Can you get in some turf to burn in the fireplaces to offset using the wood? Not sure what the price of turf is these days but maybe that might help a bit. Besides... there's nothing like the smell of a turf fire. Wishing you all the best as you continue on with the project. Blessings to you and Dave!
Polished concrete can look really artistic and cool.....that might keep the rustic feel rather than sheet rock.....plus, stone holds heat much better than sheet rock.
I think it's important to insilate your roof well too, before u do much inside that u don't want destroyed by pulling down the ceilings, insulate really well & put up either plasterboard or Tonge n groove, not sure which cheaper, but if u follow the contour of rafters u will get a much higher ceiling which will make the rooms seem much bigger, it's a huge difference visually less claustrophobic, but the heat rises & can't leave so. U can both do it yrselfs. I'd say order of priority: put in slightly risen hearth concrete in big room & fit stove, multi fuel with cooking top/oven, an old stanley etc... put hot press beside it with hot cylinder higher, (see Heather's.) Then radiators with that. U have hot water too. Get a plumber prices...So get water in for that early on, maybe there is a well,? or bring mains into house, that'll cost a bit with council but may b cheaper than a well?. Then insulate & level floors then insulate & rise ceilings. Get a basic bathroom in, doesnt need to be a match,2nd hand, loo, sink, bath, leave room for a separate shower if u can. Run basic pipes out to drain only put loo waste in septic tank. U can tile it yourselves. Then get a good quality 2nd hand kitchen off someone online, adjust it to fit, get a lad in for that. Put it near bathroom, plan the layout. U can always build a back utility room/porch, bathroom on later, (u can hav 40m2 onto back of house without planning permission. I'd put kitchen at bathroom area for now anyway, directly opposite yr own bedroom door. Just careful where u put drains out/pipes in case u do extend later... then I'd paint it all up, be repointing exterior in lime mortar not cement! Needs to breath. Put up curtains, get 2nd hand or free furniture online, to start with. U are so much further than u think. You've a good dry house. ( clean out chimneys yearly) it just needs basics now, u can posh it up later. So plumbing & water now including stove, then floors, ceilings, bathroom, kitchen, pointing. Good luck! 👍 make sure ground level outside is LOWER than it is inside or will b damp. Pull it back outside. That's all I can think to help, hope it does, then get some lad to fix up that stone shed, build a few ft higher n put on a basic agricultural roof as a fuel shed, u have the bones of it. FYI the roof flew off bcos of suction difference in air pressure due to no door & fairly wide opening. Always close doors. OK.,just thought I'd add that as I was thinking of yous this morning, if it helps, do it your own way of course, will be following. Good luck, yous can soo do it, one step at a time🎉
Oh & u can get building materials cheap or free too if left over, watch all the groups & get stuff when u see it. Credit union is great! & don't worry about the electricity till u get all the basics done. Great u hav so much wood there in the garden good job wasn't all burnt off! U can get coal cheaper by lots up north they deliver... dunno if its smokeless tho... there probably is lots of neighbours even a bit further away that need help with jobs too, yous could do a meitheal in good weather. Yes fill that room with fuel, save going out in rain & cold, warm it up & yous aren't on top of each other all winter doing your own things.😂
A mix of wood & coal is cheaper as it goes further while burns hotter that's y a multifuel stove. & sand down windows & treat with the good linseed stuff too, u can even pop in double glazed units yourself if u can't get them replaced yet. Yes ventilate & heat. Years ago they'd hav stove on all day into night, open windows every room in mornings for hour anyway, removes condensation from our breaths etc from air it lands on surfaces & cuases mould. Then close them & light fire again... 🔥 keep it simple, then it's affordable, easier to achieve. Sorry for over commenting, I just feel like you're only a bit of a push away from actually enjoying living in the full house. U can change & adapt layout etc in the future, use what's there, u paid for it! 😊
You'll I'm sure find a basic concrete septic tank there somewhere, probably hidden in undergrowth😂😂 it'll save u lots & can b replaced in future by a better system. U better also register it, when u ,FIND IT ...
"Shuttered concrete" is also known as "slip form concrete." probably doesn't help much, but maybe for internet searches. haven't seen insulated drywall panels, but there are definitely plywood panels with hard foam insulation attached ("structural insulated panels" being one version, but those are likely more hardcore than you require as the can actually carry load). the bonus you'd get in either case is that you can cut raceways for wiring and smaller plumbing into the insulation side before installing, and thus gain more outlets and lights and such without surface-mounted raceways. now, how exactly you'd anchor those panels into that undoubtedly old and thus extremely hard concrete is a question i don't have a good answer for... nor how you'd handle the issue of your door widths. not sure about Ireland, but here in the States there's building code requirements about sizes of external doors, so definitely don't leap for just making the doorways more narrow without knowing that for certain.
Not to go on but apparently I will 😝. That slip form concrete is a pain in the arse in several ways, but it’s also a huge amount of thermal mass, meaning that it takes a lot to get it to change temperature, but once you do it holds that temp really well. Fully understand burning that central fireplace may not be an option right now, but in years ahead if you can start in fall and keep a low consistent fire going to keep those walls / the masonry and concrete of the fireplace itself from cooling down into winter it’ll likely pay dividends in terms of comfort in the home.
On the bright side, you have a sturdy surface to anchor a 55 in. flat screen television. Paint the main room. Paint anything. You will feel better, and it will spur you on.
It is wonderful despite the concrete thing, its going to be great. I had a farm house in France that I brought derelict. We started with the roof and insulation done (big loan for that but got experts in to do it). Next the wiring. Wood burning stoves will solve all your heating so I would not bother with any central heating costs. Dont worry about plaster board insulation; it will still look fab. You will need to get the chimneys lined but its absolutely beautiful your project. It totally grand. We started out with a Godin stove for the heating-got totally piping hot and you feed them from the top. Looking forward to seeing the updates.
And careful this winter, it's going to be long and hard. The fruit, grass, ants, birds and foxes say so. Keep a close eye on those pipes, and stay warm.
Yes the abundance of blackthorn suggested the same to me in May, followed by a wealth of haws in autumn. Hence scrimping on the firewood 😅 Thanks Allanhorns.
I wouldn't remove the concrete wall where your fireplace is. Back in the day it was a solution to stopping the smoke from the fire seeping out into the living area through the stone. Rendering was never enough to do the job. My nearest neighbour a mile down the boreen has that problem. The solution to overcome it is to have the chimney would lined and its big money. So he is in the middle of fitting a multi fuel stove with a stainless steel flue going up the chimney. Cheaper than the big lining job but it's still costing €1500 plus the cost of the stove and other fittings, no labour costs. I have the insulated backed plaster board in my extension, pricey but brilliant. It does need to be framed out as there needs to be a minimum of 2.5cm clearance between it and the original wall. Best of luck with the renovations.
Just a thought on your wall situation , I would assume they were concrete rendered if so why not just re-render the walls and finish them of using scrunched up rag to give them a texture. Imagine a ruff horizontal brush vertical spiral wavy...whatever you can think of and brushed with earthy pastels.
I love that you speak the full trutyh and in a manner similar to my great gran. She end up on a 50 acre farm in the last community in the state if New York to receive postal service, Unfortunately he rchhildren andd grand childre put on airs and were horrified when after a summer with great gran seven year old me came home with my vocabulary enriched with words like shite and fekken an other fine things i learned from her about farm animals matiing.
Hey, I'm new to your channel, I dream of doing what you are up to there...even if sometimes it can be a nightmare, its a fundamental thing isn't it- making a home..beautiful ! Thank you.
well, aren´t you a true Sister in Spirit 🥰 . Hope you had a blessed Samhain 😉 ye just got youself a new follower. Happy season greetin´s from the german/french border - Slàn slan leat agus go raibh maith agat.
You're probably going to hate this idea but you can always go down to the local home improvement box store and get the fake slabs of adhesive rock and you would have a selection of styles to choose from,or you might invest in some decent paneling.Of course if you're like me you are usually broke.I just found this channel and subscribed. You are rather entertaining, greetings from Virginia in the US.
Cracking video. Have you tried taking the wall back around the doors or windows to see where the shuttered concrete meets the stone wall? It doesn't look like you have gone through that far on the video. It looks like it might just be a cement-plastered wall.
Lynn here on Hubby's phone mines playing up 😏, Hi , have you watched the couple on the Island out of Scotland, who have bought an Island just of Scotland, looks like there in much the same place, Take Care Love ❤
Good luck renovating! We're buying a vacant property in Mayo so will be in the same boat. Do you need planning permission to have a caravan on site? It's something we're looking into...
An air scrubber or at least air purifier might help mitigate the effects of the damp until you can figure out the rest. But I know it's also more money at the end of the day. We had to get a sort of pricy one at my place because we have a basement situation that we can't really afford to fix yet, and I'm pretty sensitive to mold and mildew. Ugh mold is such a pain in the ass. Hope you get some good concrete wall recs!
Hello. Thanks for the video . May I ask you who helped you to get your drive way done ? I am local to the area and I’d love to get our drive way done .
You will get rid of the damp when properly insulated and I would get a second hand wood burner, have the chimney swept properly. Insulating plasterboards foam backed and foil are thin and work well. It took time with mine. Humidifiers use quite a bit of electricity, floors in solid wood help.
Can't wait to get floors in, but I think we'll need to lift the slightly damp and cracked concrete first amd replace with hempcrete.....chimneys swept was the first thing we did when we moved down, though we haven't had them done again this year. Thanks for the aevice Lise Jacqueline, I will look out for the foam backed plasterboard!
My cement floors were all very damp but I put the floor boards on it with a special underlay and no problems 12 years on. The walls need to be well insulated and the windows double or treble glazed and you'll be toasty in winter and cool in summer. @@DiaryofaDitchWitch
@@lisejacquelinerigault2575 legend, thank you. There's definitely a big part of me just wants to hoof things in over what's already there and get this show on the road....what did you do with plumbing, did you dig into the cement floors?
the pipes are all hidden between the stone walls and plaster board. I has a huge tank system installed below ground for all waste water including loos.@@DiaryofaDitchWitch
You’ll build a shed for the crap that you cannot possibly hoy…trust me I know, fellow derelict cottage renovator (30 years ago!) I now have six sheds! Ps…new subscriber.x
Remove the concrete where you can. Don’t get too precious about losing some inches on the walls. Concrete is really like a damp straight jacket in an old cottage like yours. Also, get the chimneys swept and allow the house to breathe. Finally, on good windy days , even in the winter, open the windows and get some air going through the house. They don’t have to be open long. Good luck.
Chimney sweep was one of our first visitors last year, though we haven't had them done this year. I've been opening the doors religiously when it's dry, and south-facing windows too when it's warm, plus the bedroom door to allow excess heat from the bedroom stove to circulate. Thanks for the advice Michael, it's a hard call when we're not sure the structure could still stand without the concrete layer.....we were 100% for complete removal of all concrete, until we realised how much there was. Now we're not so sure....
For your concrete walls...A single course of tumbled brick, or possibly mortared cobble stone, is not as difficult to do as they make it out to be. Especially when you have a concrete wall to anchor it to.
The basics of renovating:
* It will cost more than expected
* It will take longer than expected
* There will be unexpected surprises
* Patience & perseverance required
You two are doing grand!
Never a truer word spoken!!!
Thank you both. I know this logically, now it's a matter of getting my stubbornness to chill out whilst I accept this fact and let it happen at the pace it's going to happen at 😆
Yes, my husband and I built our farm with mostly recycled items and we developed the Arkansas rule. 1. Estimate your amount of materials realistically. 2. Estimate your work time realistically, and 3 Estimate your costs realistically. THEN TRIPLE ALL OF THEM,And 4. Chill out, then take a nap. It'll all get done without r you acting like a stressed out crazy person 😅😅😅
yous are doing so well, from a fellow irish cottage owner and renovator. That log pile and wood store alone is a great achievement! no advice on the walls but i would recommend you crack on with a fire in the middle room, i know its an extra expense but your cottage and health will thank you, the most important thing with those old cottages is getting a lot of constant heat back in them, good luck with everything XX
Thanks Janis!
This is so organic. Why do I like this so much? Your talk and your attitude is beyond happy Irish !! Best wishes.
From a fellow “Tara” in the US-wherever you can’t run plasterboard to you can throw up a piece of trim work or a stained board. You could do a Tudor looking interior if needs be. But your most important thing will be heating with winter coming up. And stopping up any gaps that let cold air in. Good luck, it looks like a big job but you can do it over time. I’m a lady and I was out on really high scaffolding painting the exterior of my two story farmhouse alone last year. I also gutted a room upstairs alone which included prying/hammering out plaster and lathe board walls to run pipes and make a new bathroom from scratch up there. Husband was at work and had already said it couldn’t be done. Guess who has a full bathroom upstairs now? ME 😂. Tell me I can’t do something and I absolutely will! RUclips has a professional DIY video for everything!
I love how you reuse things you're finding on the property. That's so wonderful. I'm thoroughly enjoying these renovation videos.
Thanks Betsy!
Wow I've never renovated but have seen the wonders by friends, including once who had finished a 3 hear build.
I wish you a warmer winter (surely we'll all be warmer than last year). But drier would be nice at the moment. In SW Wakes we're in a similar weather front I think.
Take care.
I Enjoy Watching Your Videos😄 You’re a Breath of Fresh Air & You Make Them So Much Fun🪵 TY
Thanks Terrie! 😀
How exciting love this. Thank you for sharing your story.
You'll both get there Tara! Just stay positive! Kxx
Rome wasn't built in a day you have one good decent bedroom/ sitting room/office that is all you need for now
Focus on the next project in the spring
the beauty of renovating an old house is the satisfaction and pride in your achievements in a couple years when you can sit and admire what you have done to your delightful little cottage
My advice is take one room at a time
So refreshing to see a young couple opting for a doer upper with so much charm and character
You won't regret it
Love the stone on the outside of the cottage
You are doing a great job well done to both of you
Thanks Lou Lou!
That sounds lovely, Happiest Ditchoween loves, ☺️😊💯💚🍀🇮🇪💚
We used that insulated plasterboard in a tunnel block shed we lived in while building our house, we heated it with a stove, it was very cosy. I'd highly recommend insulated plasterboard, it's still perfect 20 years later. I'd also highly recommend a stove for the kitchen area of your cottage, it would be far more economical and safe than an open fire.
I love that shawl!❤❤
You are doing a great job. You have a roof over your head and there is no hurry. This will give you time to decide what you really want so you can do it once and right. Blessed Samhain sister from Canada.
And to you Diane, thank you!
You need to clear the earth from around the cottage floor level outside needs to be lower than inside so you step up going in keep the damp away . Stud the walls make sure you use enough insulating in the long run it will be well worth it , happy renovations.
You just popped up today, think it was derelict that triggered it. Love Escape to Rural France where he is repairing and pointing a chateau with full sky views. You both reassure me as am on year 12 of rehabbing a home in US, had to take a pause to become disabled and claw my way back to hideously ineffectual. sigh.I am living in the concrete block "guesthouse" which was a garage turned efficiency apt as easier to deal with since no power or water in big house at the moment (for 12 yrs) is storage for all my life and plans, revised plans and all the things that might be useful later or bought for a song at thrift and will be great when... glad to know I am really not alone in this insanity, er creative endeavor.
Thanks for sharing Cheryl, I watch Dan too.....well I did until he started doing the scary bits 😅 I feel you on the frustration of having to accept that things will happen in their own good time, one of the hardest lessons for ambitious people to learn 😀
great project and what a beautiful cottage.
😊 what a beautiful video the Irish are great at grounding you. God bless i hope everything works out
"Everything is useful, so you keep everything." (1:20) That is so true! Recently deconstructing old pallets, some boards are broken, but sometimes you just need a little bit of a board!
Just found your channel. What an absolute delight! Good Luck with all your renovations, can’t give any building tips but will follow what you are doing.
"May your Troubles be Less and your Blessings be More and Nothing but Happiness come through your door."
God love ya ♥ 😊I lived in Ireland for 20years my great grandparents are from co wexford lol from me in England ❤ thanks for sharing this video
Experience is what you get when you dont get what you want. -Old dude sitting on his couch watching but who has seen some shit.
BTW, you make me laugh and smile, so well done.
Beautiful big cottage! Im so happy to find this channel. My husband and I are redoing a one room cabin. Loads of fun!
My grandparents lived in rural Leitrim, and it was always my dream to one day live there myself. Unfortunately the house now is a lost cause and has been sold to a neighbour, possibly for razing. It really warmed my heart to see this video. Best wishes x
Inspirational! I'm right behind you! I'm hoping to move to Ireland and buy a derelict cottage myself this winter!
Good job 👍 Tara and Dave! Slowly but surely it will all get done 😊.
First snow here today, and the first day in weeks I haven't been dealing with firewood.Greetings from the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska USA.
Looks great guys! Keep it up! For our winter in our derelict Irish cottage we have invested in Sherpa hoodies from Amazon lol
So glad 😊 to see a update from you . Usually you do the insulation-dry -electricity-plumping-all one go . Electricity and plumbing goes behind your dry wall. But yes you can run your electric wires outside the wall ( cheaper) . In video I see that door behind you , you could probably not insulate that small area , to keep space-size same 👍❤️🫶 .
Stay focused on what you do want!
Well done David and Tara, when you look at the journey from August last year you have both been amazing. There is so much done, even since the summer. That’s some job on the back of the house, gives a great sense of how it all will look. I’m just glad I didn’t see David in the roof in real time!!! Fab video as always. Take care xxx
I like to think I could at least TRY to catch him from the roof, it's the scaffolding that freaks me out Julie 😅😬
I found you today !!! What a beautiful cottage !!! My home is over a 100 years old, plaster, damp, brickwork are the bain of my life. My plaster literally was falling off the walls !! There was also some water ingress 😮 a big pointing job next year for sure !! As for the inside I had lots of differing advice, like you insulation and boards. In the end I went for traditional plaster with some chemicals in it to stop the ingress, I was told the board and dot and dab plaster was not the answere as it would in time rot ???😮 the joys of ancient buildings
I had a new roof put on, and 2 beautiful log and multifuel burners in. 6 years and .y characterful, living breathing home has come to life, I love it, could never live in a modern and characterless box.
One more hurdle next year, to repoint and re render ? I'm thinking not render as potentially those old bricks of mine will potentially crumble away and blow the render !!!!
Your cottage is stone and (preferable) the walls thick. I now understand 2 key things in these old buildings 1. Ventilation and 2. Warmth, multifuel stoves will burn most things therefore cutting down your wood usage. Very important to get the best you can it pays dividends on fuel usage as they are very controllable. Some burners just blast the heat up the chimney and are not efficient.
Look forward to the updates
Jayne
Great advice
Thanks for all that Jayne, I'd take the concrete off in a heartbeat if I thought the place wouldn't fall down 😅 Our plan centred totally around all-breathable natural materials, which was why the thick concrete walls were such a surprise. We have a bit of ingress in the floor, which I think is due to the concrete plinth and the footpaths outside which are higher than inside and need to be removed when we get a chance. The plan is then to get an Olymberyl multifuel backburner stove for the main room, but we need to bump the budget before we get that far 😅
Exciting stuff around the yard ❤ I love your colours, your optimism and all the news.
As I offered help last year, that offer still stands as I am a carpenter and a welder with most of my own tools.
Thanks for that Anthony, can you join the 'Diary of a Ditch Witch' FB group please? Just so we have a mutual point of contact....we'll certainly need help with door frames etc.
Well, I think you're amazing, and it's all about the journey.
Hey Tara, good to see you. The exterior is gorgeous. I love the beautiful boulders at the corners. Holy crap, that was a ton of work removing the pebble dash. Sorry about the interior walls, but trust you'll find the right solution. I have no building expertise to offer, just words of encouragement and excitement for all you've accomplished. From the little I've seen in your videos, you couldn't ask for a lovelier setting. You've gorgeous woods, and fields, and bog, and a lake nearby. For me those things are the value, and you are building a nest there. It's so much work, but I love how you're doing it and grateful that you're sharing w us
Thanks missus......you'd think we'd know by now that everything takes longer than you plan for 😅 Quite satisfied with things this year, we have at least 6 fewer things to worry about this winter than last winter - epic! 😍
He's a great wee worker Dave, the place coming on nicely, love the stone work on the outside, always marvels me the work done years ago and how stone work is constructed.
Love your divine energy your awesome
That's very kind, thank you.
You can glue thin rocks on the walls that will make it look like the concrete is really stone something else that looks nice is slicing off thin slices of wood like what’s in your fire wood pile cut them around an inch thick and put them on the wall over the concrete it look like a old log house and should give you good insulation from the concrete and stone and a few logs will cover a big area and it’s cheep if your using old trees you cut down anyway and a bag of mortar should fill in all the gaps between the edges of the logs
Well done such a brave gutsy project I know it will look beautiful 🙏🏻🫶✨🌸
So happy I found your channel! Hello from Nova Scotia! I just started my all over the place channel and it made me happy to hear you say that about your channel having so many threads. I can't help it if I am passionate about so many things! Blessings to you and to your channel and projects.
The more passions, the more interesting the person IMO! Best of luck with the channel! ❤
Insulated plasterboard is great and easy. I'm currently working on my house with my wife.
I live in a 300 yr old cottage and ive lived in it for over 25 yrs. It took years to get it right. I think if it was me i would start with the outside first. The pebble dash would be to stop penetrating damp so what i would do myself personally if i owned it would re point and then have it all rendered. To stop penetrating damp. Replace fascher and soffet boards unless salvagable same with gutters and drainpipes. Roof repairs etc before attempting to do inside. As for damp and mould in house i would just keep it ventilated windows open throughout. Dehumidifyers are costly and for them to work efficiently the room needs to be above a certain temperature so heating would need to be on. Since your not living in it open windows to let fresh air circulate would work just as well. Just my opinion but everyone has their own way of renevating
Winter is coming, argh!! I'd get started then on the homebrew in the shed from anything you can find in the hedge.
Reminds me of my childhood home. Our job was to split the wood and bring it in.
Love your honesty & down to earthness! That drive IS progress, love the recycled woodshed. & the chipping off of plaster is well over half way done🎉 please check the interior plaster depth again away from the windows, it may have been just thicker there to build windows? Why would they put 2 types of load bearing walls together doesn't make sense. Pipe away the gutter water too but not into french drains. It's come on so much since u began. I suggest getting a basic stove fitted in that big room fireplace for now, light everyday, INVEST in your house, dry heat from fires dry mousture& damp best. U can hang your washing in there too it'll b dry in morning. Leave those 2 doors to rooms open to help there too. Even bring in your logs & stack weeks worth in that huge room, they'll dry out really well. Who cares how it looks till you're done! It'll b a wee investment surely for fuel & stove & work, but will pay u back bigtime, u don't want respiratory illness, mould, damp, & destroyed gear/clothes etc. If the floor is dry leave it alone, u can add a vapour barrier under new finished insulation under timber/tile. Keep your bathroom really near kitchen so less plumbing materials need & easier= cheaper. Put rads in off stove like bealtine cottage & Heather's irish house renovation chanel. Gives u hot water & heats rads cheapest to run & put in. Put 1pendant light each room. 1 light outside each exterior doorr. Few sockets each room. Done. Get a price for basic fit. Few extra sockets kitchen. Plan kitchen layout & rooms too 1st. Get lads in direct labour to build as u can afford it, taper insulation at doors to minimise door frame upheaval. U won't notice it. U can get really thin insulation now that is way more effective than some thick stuff. Might be dearer but u might need it. Yes join irish cottage renovation or irish vernacular building restoration type groups on Facebook. U can do it! It's already happening, little by little will get there, don't worry about a big reveal!!🎉oh & sand your doors & frames, they look good hardwood, paint them up to protect from moisture, get good stuff for them. U can mix linseed with a water based paint if u can't get good stuff, research it, its almost best thing for it. 🎉
I’m just a random viewer (75!) but I must say your answer is so knowledgeable, you sound like you know your stuff. Much appreciated I’m sure, you sound so kind too, thank you from a randomer!! ❤️❤️❤️🙏🏻🙏🏻
Gods bless you for the time you put into that! 😀 Thank you so much! I'm in the groups, asking advice as we go, but as for overall game plan, we're still not on very solid ground as yet! Your comment is extremely helpful though, we've screenshotted it and saved it to our 'House plans' folder 😀
No bother, u could just put bathroom in back back room, kitchen /dining /sitting room in that big room open plan, then the other back room is a spare bedroom. That way you aren't knocking& rebuilding walls which is expensive, u can do an extension if needed in future years. It really mostly needs & I can't say it enough drying out, heated regularly will make it smell nice too, then yous can tile the floors directly or membrane,insulation, self leveling screed, tiles... u can do it yrselves. But if so do all rooms screed same time to keep level. Fill cracks & paint will change the look & stick in a bathroom, remember donedeal etc for free or cheap bathroom stuff. Buy few pipes get a plumber, he'll do drainage, yous can dig... yea water in is biggest priority, then electric. The heating systems I recommended don't need electricity. You'll get there, make list of priorities rather than wishes. 😊
I just recently found your channel a month or so back. I've been enjoying it and have been been slowly watching your older videos.
And love your cottage. Keep up the great work and videos.
Thanks for tuning in Troy!
Such bliss in summer i bet.
I hope you are coping okay this winter...
Looks good. Who cares how long renovations take…you own your own property!
Just found you yesterday. Love this video. So glad I found you and will have to go back and watch the older videos.
Clean and etch the concrete. Then trowel on rough stucco. It will have a rustic look befitting of a lovely old cottage. Good luck from Nevada USA
You’ve achieved a lot in 12 months 🤘🏻 We will get back down soon for another go at that damn plaster lol
Btw. The cats are stars 🐈⬛ 🐈 😊
They're getting quite used to the camera indeed 🐈👀🐱😍
Fair play folks from over here in Monaghan.
I live in Western Washington, and we have a big issue with damp as well though we live in a newer build. Mold and mildew are a real menace to anything made of natural materials. dehumidifiers kind of work as does trying to keep a consistent temp. But still stuff is going to get moldy
Hello from Warrington England loving the cottage renovation videos your both doing a brilliant job keep up the good work :)
Gosh you were not kidding about Dave dangling on the ladders 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Im so glad you are already preparing for winter, i hae everything crossed that its not as wet or as cold as last year x
Nature has been stongly hinting that it might be a hard one.....But after last year's many lessons we should be ok 🤞🤞🤞
Cant wait to see a weekly video of your life on day to day
Hi just found your channel, very enjoyable, I'm in kinda the same boat myself, best of luck with everything, great humour btw 🙂
Nice one CJ, keep her lit!
I love this video so much my dream is to one day visit Ireland and find out about family that is still living there.
I am happy to see an update on the cottage! I am new to the channel, but I have gone back and watched many of your update videos, and I feel invested now. The stone reveal is gorgeous! Though, I am sorry about the interior walls. I have not done this type of renovating, so I have no helpful suggestions, but I am crossing my fingers for you that you find a solution that makes you happy as well as is functional!
Thanks @maloreally! Glad you're enjoying, and welcome!
If you don't want to go with dry-lining over shuttered concrete you could look at insulation covered with wood panels, either tongue & groove or plywood which can be scored to give 'plank' effect,
You've a huge undertaking ahead of you to be sure, but I can already envision a lovely finished product. That's a pity about the concrete walls, but perhaps it might be for the best. They may be helping support the stone structure. I'm glad to see that you're keeping your sense of humor about it all. Can you get in some turf to burn in the fireplaces to offset using the wood? Not sure what the price of turf is these days but maybe that might help a bit. Besides... there's nothing like the smell of a turf fire. Wishing you all the best as you continue on with the project. Blessings to you and Dave!
Despite being surrounded by bog, I'm finding it very hard to get turf! Not sure our logburner would like it either....? It's not a multifuel 🤔
Polished concrete can look really artistic and cool.....that might keep the rustic feel rather than sheet rock.....plus, stone holds heat much better than sheet rock.
I think it's important to insilate your roof well too, before u do much inside that u don't want destroyed by pulling down the ceilings, insulate really well & put up either plasterboard or Tonge n groove, not sure which cheaper, but if u follow the contour of rafters u will get a much higher ceiling which will make the rooms seem much bigger, it's a huge difference visually less claustrophobic, but the heat rises & can't leave so. U can both do it yrselfs. I'd say order of priority: put in slightly risen hearth concrete in big room & fit stove, multi fuel with cooking top/oven, an old stanley etc... put hot press beside it with hot cylinder higher, (see Heather's.) Then radiators with that. U have hot water too. Get a plumber prices...So get water in for that early on, maybe there is a well,? or bring mains into house, that'll cost a bit with council but may b cheaper than a well?. Then insulate & level floors then insulate & rise ceilings. Get a basic bathroom in, doesnt need to be a match,2nd hand, loo, sink, bath, leave room for a separate shower if u can. Run basic pipes out to drain only put loo waste in septic tank. U can tile it yourselves.
Then get a good quality 2nd hand kitchen off someone online, adjust it to fit, get a lad in for that. Put it near bathroom, plan the layout. U can always build a back utility room/porch, bathroom on later, (u can hav 40m2 onto back of house without planning permission. I'd put kitchen at bathroom area for now anyway, directly opposite yr own bedroom door. Just careful where u put drains out/pipes in case u do extend later... then I'd paint it all up, be repointing exterior in lime mortar not cement! Needs to breath. Put up curtains, get 2nd hand or free furniture online, to start with. U are so much further than u think. You've a good dry house. ( clean out chimneys yearly) it just needs basics now, u can posh it up later. So plumbing & water now including stove, then floors, ceilings, bathroom, kitchen, pointing. Good luck! 👍 make sure ground level outside is LOWER than it is inside or will b damp. Pull it back outside. That's all I can think to help, hope it does, then get some lad to fix up that stone shed, build a few ft higher n put on a basic agricultural roof as a fuel shed, u have the bones of it. FYI the roof flew off bcos of suction difference in air pressure due to no door & fairly wide opening. Always close doors. OK.,just thought I'd add that as I was thinking of yous this morning, if it helps, do it your own way of course, will be following. Good luck, yous can soo do it, one step at a time🎉
Oh & u can get building materials cheap or free too if left over, watch all the groups & get stuff when u see it. Credit union is great! & don't worry about the electricity till u get all the basics done. Great u hav so much wood there in the garden good job wasn't all burnt off! U can get coal cheaper by lots up north they deliver... dunno if its smokeless tho... there probably is lots of neighbours even a bit further away that need help with jobs too, yous could do a meitheal in good weather. Yes fill that room with fuel, save going out in rain & cold, warm it up & yous aren't on top of each other all winter doing your own things.😂
A mix of wood & coal is cheaper as it goes further while burns hotter that's y a multifuel stove. & sand down windows & treat with the good linseed stuff too, u can even pop in double glazed units yourself if u can't get them replaced yet. Yes ventilate & heat. Years ago they'd hav stove on all day into night, open windows every room in mornings for hour anyway, removes condensation from our breaths etc from air it lands on surfaces & cuases mould. Then close them & light fire again... 🔥 keep it simple, then it's affordable, easier to achieve. Sorry for over commenting, I just feel like you're only a bit of a push away from actually enjoying living in the full house. U can change & adapt layout etc in the future, use what's there, u paid for it! 😊
You'll I'm sure find a basic concrete septic tank there somewhere, probably hidden in undergrowth😂😂 it'll save u lots & can b replaced in future by a better system. U better also register it, when u ,FIND IT ...
If u follow...
concrete can be tidied up and then sandbagged or tinted in a variety of attractive tones
"Shuttered concrete" is also known as "slip form concrete." probably doesn't help much, but maybe for internet searches. haven't seen insulated drywall panels, but there are definitely plywood panels with hard foam insulation attached ("structural insulated panels" being one version, but those are likely more hardcore than you require as the can actually carry load). the bonus you'd get in either case is that you can cut raceways for wiring and smaller plumbing into the insulation side before installing, and thus gain more outlets and lights and such without surface-mounted raceways. now, how exactly you'd anchor those panels into that undoubtedly old and thus extremely hard concrete is a question i don't have a good answer for... nor how you'd handle the issue of your door widths. not sure about Ireland, but here in the States there's building code requirements about sizes of external doors, so definitely don't leap for just making the doorways more narrow without knowing that for certain.
Thanks for taking the time to share all that Aidrian, very helpful indeed!
Not to go on but apparently I will 😝. That slip form concrete is a pain in the arse in several ways, but it’s also a huge amount of thermal mass, meaning that it takes a lot to get it to change temperature, but once you do it holds that temp really well. Fully understand burning that central fireplace may not be an option right now, but in years ahead if you can start in fall and keep a low consistent fire going to keep those walls / the masonry and concrete of the fireplace itself from cooling down into winter it’ll likely pay dividends in terms of comfort in the home.
Have you considered stone facade? It is actual stone, just thinner, but still looks amazing.
On the bright side, you have a sturdy surface to anchor a 55 in. flat screen television. Paint the main room. Paint anything. You will feel better, and it will spur you on.
You literally read my mind. There's a definite chance I'm going to do that 😅
It’s going to be magical!🧚🏻♂️
It is wonderful despite the concrete thing, its going to be great.
I had a farm house in France that I brought derelict. We started with the roof and insulation done (big loan for that but got experts in to do it). Next the wiring. Wood burning stoves will solve all your heating so I would not bother with any central heating costs. Dont worry about plaster board insulation; it will still look fab. You will need to get the chimneys lined but its absolutely beautiful your project. It totally grand. We started out with a Godin stove for the heating-got totally piping hot and you feed them from the top. Looking forward to seeing the updates.
Could use stone walls in small areas. You can buy in at building centers.It comes in paneling sections.
Enjoy the process!
And careful this winter, it's going to be long and hard. The fruit, grass, ants, birds and foxes say so.
Keep a close eye on those pipes, and stay warm.
Yes the abundance of blackthorn suggested the same to me in May, followed by a wealth of haws in autumn. Hence scrimping on the firewood 😅 Thanks Allanhorns.
Your positivity is so inspirational ✨✨✨
I wouldn't remove the concrete wall where your fireplace is. Back in the day it was a solution to stopping the smoke from the fire seeping out into the living area through the stone. Rendering was never enough to do the job. My nearest neighbour a mile down the boreen has that problem. The solution to overcome it is to have the chimney would lined and its big money. So he is in the middle of fitting a multi fuel stove with a stainless steel flue going up the chimney. Cheaper than the big lining job but it's still costing €1500 plus the cost of the stove and other fittings, no labour costs.
I have the insulated backed plaster board in my extension, pricey but brilliant. It does need to be framed out as there needs to be a minimum of 2.5cm clearance between it and the original wall. Best of luck with the renovations.
Ok so more on your stone walls. These are easy to make. I did my interior walls using concreat and wall plaster along with a glue I am in the U. S .
parg is a mixture of sharp sand , not beach sand, and cement. Equal portions. The first thing is to get a fire going inside, to dry it out.
Just a thought on your wall situation , I would assume they were concrete rendered if so why not just re-render the walls and finish them of using scrunched up rag to give them a texture. Imagine a ruff horizontal brush vertical spiral wavy...whatever you can think of and brushed with earthy pastels.
Good.👍
I love that you speak the full trutyh and in a manner similar to my great gran. She end up on a 50 acre farm in the last community in the state if New York to receive postal service, Unfortunately he rchhildren andd grand childre put on airs and were horrified when after a summer with great gran seven year old me came home with my vocabulary enriched with words like shite and fekken an other fine things i learned from her about farm animals matiing.
Hey, I'm new to your channel, I dream of doing what you are up to there...even if sometimes it can be a nightmare, its a fundamental thing isn't it- making a home..beautiful ! Thank you.
well, aren´t you a true Sister in Spirit 🥰 . Hope you had a blessed Samhain 😉 ye just got youself a new follower. Happy season greetin´s from the german/french border - Slàn slan leat agus go raibh maith agat.
Just came across your channel and am so interested. Slainte
You're probably going to hate this idea but you can always go down to the local home improvement box store and get the fake slabs of adhesive rock and you would have a selection of styles to choose from,or you might invest in some decent paneling.Of course if you're like me you are usually broke.I just found this channel and subscribed. You are rather entertaining, greetings from Virginia in the US.
Cracking video. Have you tried taking the wall back around the doors or windows to see where the shuttered concrete meets the stone wall? It doesn't look like you have gone through that far on the video. It looks like it might just be a cement-plastered wall.
We're gonna try a pilot hole somewhere away from doors and windows, hopefully that will answer some questions 😀
Lynn here on Hubby's phone mines playing up 😏, Hi , have you watched the couple on the Island out of Scotland, who have bought an Island just of Scotland, looks like there in much the same place, Take Care Love ❤
Wow what a pain in the a project!!😂
Good luck renovating! We're buying a vacant property in Mayo so will be in the same boat. Do you need planning permission to have a caravan on site? It's something we're looking into...
Check out my 'Debunking Low Cost Housing Myths' video for the exact letter of the law on this. Thanks Roibeard.
Driveway looks great say hello to Dave from myself and Dennis and of course yourself 😀👍
Heeey! Thank you, it's a bit tidier than when ye visited for sure 😂🤣
An air scrubber or at least air purifier might help mitigate the effects of the damp until you can figure out the rest. But I know it's also more money at the end of the day. We had to get a sort of pricy one at my place because we have a basement situation that we can't really afford to fix yet, and I'm pretty sensitive to mold and mildew. Ugh mold is such a pain in the ass. Hope you get some good concrete wall recs!
Hello. Thanks for the video . May I ask you who helped you to get your drive way done ? I am local to the area and I’d love to get our drive way done .
You will get rid of the damp when properly insulated and I would get a second hand wood burner, have the chimney swept properly. Insulating plasterboards foam backed and foil are thin and work well. It took time with mine. Humidifiers use quite a bit of electricity, floors in solid wood help.
Can't wait to get floors in, but I think we'll need to lift the slightly damp and cracked concrete first amd replace with hempcrete.....chimneys swept was the first thing we did when we moved down, though we haven't had them done again this year. Thanks for the aevice Lise Jacqueline, I will look out for the foam backed plasterboard!
My cement floors were all very damp but I put the floor boards on it with a special underlay and no problems 12 years on. The walls need to be well insulated and the windows double or treble glazed and you'll be toasty in winter and cool in summer.
@@DiaryofaDitchWitch
@@lisejacquelinerigault2575 legend, thank you. There's definitely a big part of me just wants to hoof things in over what's already there and get this show on the road....what did you do with plumbing, did you dig into the cement floors?
the pipes are all hidden between the stone walls and plaster board. I has a huge tank system installed below ground for all waste water including loos.@@DiaryofaDitchWitch
@@lisejacquelinerigault2575 thank you!
You’ll build a shed for the crap that you cannot possibly hoy…trust me I know, fellow derelict cottage renovator (30 years ago!) I now have six sheds! Ps…new subscriber.x
Bugger, I sat here and mentally counted our sheds because six sounded wrong…including log and coal stores, we have thirteen! 😂😂😂😂
Btw…100% sure that fireplace wall will be stone…it’s almost identical to ours.
Lord help me, I’m like a kid in a candy store watching this.🎉
Remove the concrete where you can. Don’t get too precious about losing some inches on the walls. Concrete is really like a damp straight jacket in an old cottage like yours.
Also, get the chimneys swept and allow the house to breathe. Finally, on good windy days , even in the winter, open the windows and get some air going through the house. They don’t have to be open long. Good luck.
Chimney sweep was one of our first visitors last year, though we haven't had them done this year. I've been opening the doors religiously when it's dry, and south-facing windows too when it's warm, plus the bedroom door to allow excess heat from the bedroom stove to circulate. Thanks for the advice Michael, it's a hard call when we're not sure the structure could still stand without the concrete layer.....we were 100% for complete removal of all concrete, until we realised how much there was. Now we're not so sure....
You could cut slate and patchwork your walls.
At least the house walls are sturdy.
"Strong boots, thick coat and a good hat".
Your cat is such a poser, helooks so happy. Is going to look amazing when is done.
Dave is a brave lad up on that roof!
Also…lots of “just fund your channel” comments!! 🎉🎉
Indeed he is, and I've no idea what's happening but the channel is exponentially growing, thanks be to gods!
For your concrete walls...A single course of tumbled brick, or possibly mortared cobble stone, is not as difficult to do as they make it out to be. Especially when you have a concrete wall to anchor it to.
New Sub and Blessings Sent xxx