This is such an exciting project. I'm very envious. You can get so creative with the conversion. Can't wait to see it all come together. Nice one, guys.
Hydronic heating is the only way to go Gavin. Circulation of hot water, underfloor heating, radiator panels and ducted air radiators. So as the cost of fuel changes you don’t have to change the heating infrastructure, just the heat source, be oil, gas, geothermal (would be my choice.. while you have the water drilling rig!!) or heat pump. All sounds very expensive…! Better sell a few more copies of “Chasing Awe” by G.H. …there’s a link… In the description 😳 Good luck. Watch a few episodes of Grand Designs to see the traps of such an endeavour. Cheers from down under 👍🏼❤️🍷🇦🇺🎪
Garret, if you want to get an architect's opinion, you may want to rethink you design plans and consider making half of the church nave into a two story great room with a wood stove or fireplace chimney off to one side, leading your photographic eye to those magnificent timber rafters and ceiling decking. The other half could be a kitchen with an open loft (master bedroom/master bath for you and Amanda) looking down to great room below. It would be a shame to cover the beautiful ceilings with guest bedrooms only for your mother-in-law to enjoy. The other space would be more appropriate for bedrooms, baths, and storage. Electric heat pump with potential ground source seems to be your best route for heating/cooling. My 2 cents, but happy to advise more in exchange for one of your famous books.
Heating engineer here. Heat pumps will work even in Canadian winters (they do in Scandinavia too 🤷♂) with 3 caveats. 1) Insulation 2) Insulation 3) Underfloor heating (UFH) 4) Did I mention insulation? As we say in the trade, insulation is the cheapest form of heating. However as you're in Canada, a biomass boiler may be the most appropiate system to use as wood should be available in abundance. They come in 3 flavours fuel wise. Either system will require to install a wet system which works better than a hot air system anyway and as it is a conversion you may just as well do it properly. Message me if you want some more detailed info on options. Looking forward to your new adventures. 👍😺
As a licensed HVAC contractor I would start with a load calculation including upgraded insulation factor and windows that you’re going to have. That will help size the heating load you will need and cooling load you will need to evenly heat the structure. Then based off Heating sources available propane,oil, electricity,geothermal. do the cost of operation and comfort expected. It beings us an old remodel I would be thinking more long a Mitsubishi duckless with a possible ducted option for a large area they have the best HSPF for Heating and balance point. This is a large subject and completely possible to cover in e-mail/txt I have 24 yrs OTJ experience plus Bachelors degree in HVAC -. Can do a phone conversation to help.
I’m very happy for you guys. And I’m looking forward to seeing the landscape photography from the new location. Your landscape channel is probably the only photography related video my wife wife really enjoys. She doesn’t know a thing about photography but she says your channel is entertaining either way.
Best heating Solution in my opinion would be to install a wood pellet boiler and underfloor heating.you would have to insulate the existing wood floor and then install the underfloor heating hose on the insulation.after that you lay screed on it.then you put your choice of floor on it. Here in Austria this is a very popular way to heat old renovated houses.
Ceiling is way to high to keep the place heated, all the warm air will rise. I'd use the far 3/4 parts of the building and put a second floor up and just keep the first quarter as a grand entrance hall. . As a builder/joiner I'm very interested to see the mess you've got yourself in unravel 🤣🤣🤣 Ps, don't sell the camper 😳😁👍
Holy Mother of Pearl... you bought a church! Man, now I have another RUclips channel that I have to watch! Wishing you two all the best. Looking forward to all of your new adventures.
Wow, you’re going to need sponsors. You could easily drop a fortune in that beautiful church. There’s a reason they sold it. I look forward to seeing what you and Amanda do with it.
Well Gavin your project makes anything I need to do around my old house look like child's play. I would stick with electric - as we do, but keep the furnace for AC. Those old buildings can get stinking hot in the summer. Your other option is propane but if you want to be in the new moral majority, stick with electric. Your stove will also be cheaper as well a hot water tank. Glad you have the camper and each other, you will need to get away from time to time for photography. I am an enthusiast of your channel, I'll stay tuned. Any improvement in your situation is a big improvement at this point. I do admire your pluck. You two are the best
Thanks Stephen. We were thinking maybe a propane generator and stove. Hadn't thought about using propane for the hot water tank. Propane is becoming expensive too. I'd go for solar but the up front investment is crippling.
Having been in the heating industry for almost 20 years I'd say your best bet is the newer improved heat pumps. You can even possibly use some of the pre-existing duct work from the furnace.
Grand Designs, I was expecting Kevin McCloud to introduce you both and then mock you on your under-budgeted project that will take the whole of the next 10 years to complete. :-) Welcome to your new home, Gavin and Amanda. I love the wood ceiling.
Keep the furnace and add a heat pump. The plenum will move the heat around and the furnace will act as a back up heat source. Air conditioning as a bonus.
Thing about a Pellet Stove to argument your central heating system. Ive used one for years and have been quite pleased. It will quickly take the chill off the House/Church. Nice ambiance too. Best of luck... You and Amanda have Guts.
With a fractured rock basement don't forget to check Radon levels. Good luck finding building materials, recycling and upcycling what you already have will really help. Our house is much smaller and we heat with pellets, love the consistency of even predictable warmth. Beautiful ceiling, reminds me a Viking ship.
For heating, i would look at wood burning stove, under floor heating or infrared heating. I would also consider putting a second floor in the main room. You can still keep it open plan. There are some really good examples of this on youtube if you search for church conversations and if you do it right, you will still see your wood. Good luck
Hey your new book can be called Chasing Awelder. Heating wise though, a wood stove helps a lot in our cold months so if you're allowed that source of energy it's a go to for us up here. Radiant floor heating is also really nice and fuel efficient as long as you spray foam or insulate your floor joists. If you're ever worried about the place becoming to 'tight' and needing of airflow any fartbox or range hood is equivalent to HVAC or you can install some fresh 80s!
Good for you both to make this move. If I was near your age, I would do the same thing. I’ve lived in the Northwest most of my life, and I must say, it used to be a fun and Fabulous area to live in. Seems like it has been a rapid transition into living with “ Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves”. Enjoy your new Adventure. Look forward to be able to occasionally peek into your New world.👍👍
Welcome to the Maritime Provinces and New Scotland .. I've owned 3 older properties and swore after the first that I'd never do it again. Have fun. This is going to be very interesting ..😁
What a great place you bought. That ceiling is fantastic. In Sweden many have changed from oil to pellets or/and you can combine that with solar cells. They have come down in price now. I have seen loads of renovation projects on TV from England, churches among others and I hope you plan it well and keep an eye on the budget else these projects can be very expensive.
Gavin, you have to have some sort of radiant heat system if possible. Heating air in a space that large will cost a fortune. It takes less energy to make you feel warm from heat radiated from under the floor, that it does to heat the air (especially that volume) to warm yourself via conduction essentially, and achieve the same feeling. If you can't do the underfloor, then good insulation under there and large wall panels would maybe be an option. If you heat the air, you'll need to reduce the heated volume somehow, which if you want to see that ceiling means that you'll probably have to enclose the living space and heat it more, and just deal with the larger open plan bit being a bit cooler. Luckily you have masses of personal insulation so you should survive the winters, but please, think about Amanda!
Well, a wood stove or fireplace is handy. I've had my fill of oil furnaces, they work, but so terribly expensive, just like Gas. I took a bit of time to look into geothermal possibilities in Nova Scotia, and while it doesn't look like there's enough heat in the ground to produce energy, it does seem like there's the possibility of running a geothermal heat pump. It's worth looking into, possibly expensive to start up, but could be a project worth documenting for long term sustainability.
I don't know, Forotripper has hysterical voice overs and cameos from other epic landscape photographers, the bars been set pretty high IMHO, I hope there's lots os shenanigans 😉
Oh, I'm glad I found you! This is going to be interesting....right down my alley!!!! My dream was to buy an old Church and reno it....never got there, so I'm looking forward to this!!!!
Gavin, I understand why you moved, but now is the time to invite mom in-law. While there's work to be done and living is toughest. With luck and exploitation, there may never be a return trip. Don't forget to plan photographic trips to the southern hemi during the winter months. Amanda and her mom can keep working on the Reno in winter while you are working hard in the sun. This advice is taken at your own risk.
Really cool project ! :) Congrats’ for this big decision ! I am also in favor for underfloor heating “powered” by some viable source that you can afford in your budget (heat pump etc.) Be sure to get a really good engineer to design and calculate that underfloor heating if you go that route. Those are really high ceilings (if you keep them that way) and the volume to be heated it’s pretty large. A good engineer will take into consideration all the facts : - high ceilings - very large windows (and many of them) - insulation and total R value of the structure (floor, walls, ceiling, doors/windows) - floor and subfloor structure and the solution for optimal heat dissipation (maybe a screed on top of existing wood subfloor) - optimal confort level and energy efficency - etc. Anyway, good luck guys and ENJOY the process! :) Don’t let the stress or any unexpected problems bring you down !
Gavin, congratulations to you and Amanda's new adventure in life. I'm a US electrician by trade and I know Canada and us follow some of the same codes but not all. I'm curious on your power situation. Heating wise sounds like it could be a challenge with the cost of Gas and oil atm. I can say that electrical heating can get quite expensive vs propane and natural gas and doesn't give as many BTU's. Geo thermal is an option, but living on bed rock I would think that be rather expensive to drill, in addition to the cost of drilling already for well water if it's available in the area and how deep you have to go to get it. Maybe the driller can drill 2 holes for a better cost, not to sure. I for sure would layout your plans to allow for the kitchen and bathrooms to be under the existing basement for easier access. Figure out your floor plan and then figure out what areas need to be heated and cooled and possibly keep the required BTU's for that area smaller and affordable vs trying to heat the whole building. Utilizing the existing duct will save you some money so I would keep that in mind. Heat pumps, we use them a lot here in the middle of the states (Nebraska) but i believe they don't work to well in really cold environments. I use a mini split heat pump for heating and cooling of 2 rooms of my house. I have a hundred year old house with stone foundation. I use propane to heat another room in winter in addition to Cove heaters in a few of the room, I'm pretty much all electric at .11 cents a kw/h where I live. My lawyer down the road bought an old school house with electric furnaces for heat and with heating 2 apartments in the school (converted to apartments) his electric bill is 600-800 a month in the winter time. As far as insulating your walls, one can go up in the attic and sometimes run a fish tape down the outside walls to see if there is any blockage at points for possible blow in insulation options. Closed cell foam is great if you have access to spray it in. I would for sure consider planning for next winter now as far as closing up holes, windows in the basement, installing an insulated door for your basement and insulating the framed walls in basement entry. Looking forward to your next video, maybe a walk around the property maybe?
Heating solution.... We use in our house Hydroinc water heating......this is with in the concrete pad and is covered by 100mm of concrete....heats entire house...I understand there is a wood floor version one also....... this method can then be extended using lots of water pipes in the ground dug in as it uses a heat pump to move the water and generate the heat in the water and heat the concrete pad......laying lots of pipes deep in the ground the temperature is a constant temp and the heating of the house becomes very cheap.
Gavin I love the new channel. Totally right up my alley, I’m a plumber in Oregon, got into photography because of you and absolutely love it. You can totally install radiant heat flooring in this building they have radiant heat that you put on top of the flooring instead of underneath. I don’t know maybe something to look into.
Boy oh boy - this is a big project!! I've done a few renovations and redevelopments myself, and they always take at least twice as long and cost twice as much as you'd hoped... Good luck! Oh, and fumigate that basement - it looks like a horror movie.
I'm with you on the 'too busy' reason...I'm born and raised on this rock and can't believe the population and development explosion that's taken place in over 6 decades...good on 'ya for making the jump...Nova Scotia is beautiful and hope it is everything you two expected....good luck with the reno!
I've recently moved into an 1820s cottage in Snowdonia, and we share a number of problems - including oil heating, no insulation and creatures in the attic! We do have water though! 😂 Will be making sure to tune into every video. All the best!
This is exciting. Both for the landscape photography and the renovation. Being so close to the coast I would think there is ample wind so maybe you should consider some wind generated electricity as a supplemental source of power.
Welcome to Nova Scotia. Been watching you on RUclips for a while now. I’m a photographer and recent RUclipsr in the province and I’ll be following your adventures.
Here is Michigan, we've got a propane run furnace and a wood stove. Propane is not cheap, but I believe it's less expensive than oil. With our wood stove the furnace comes on much less often, and since we can get the wood off our property it's basically free. Just a little labor intensive. Another recommendation would be to install some ceiling fans. Most of your heat is going to end up in that beautiful ceiling. The fans will circulate The heat back down. Good luck!!!
I put a ductless minisplit ac/heatpump on my van, on the back bumper/door. The one I bought says it goes down to -13 F for heat. I can say it works great for AC and then you have the heat pump for temps that aren't too cold. They are relatively easy to install oneself and are energy efficient compared to the rising prices of oil and straight electric baseboard. I live in PA so we don't get super cold here.
I have seen church conversions that have some sort of partial mezzanine which fulfils need for private rooms for bedrooms and the like and preserving the overall internal feel of the building.
Install some solar panels and an air source heat pump but you will have to get the place well insulated. Have some mixed heating systems some under floor, some wall heaters to give flexibility. Full height ceilings are nice but put in a second floor for at least some of the length of the building then you can have under a small kitchen diner with sofa and solid fuel stove- to keep a small part of the building toasty warm 😀
Heat pump and oil as backup... I had that in my last home... worked well exept for expensive reverse valve repair on heat pump after 10 years. Now we have natural gas for heating and ac for cooling. A good powerful shop vac works well for spider removal! Enjoy your new adventure.
good luck to you and Amanda in your new life, I can wait to see how is going to look.can wait until you are going out to photograph around Nova Scotia, good luck and stay safe you guys....
Gavin, this is an exciting project for you guys. I recommend heat pumps or geothermal. Also, you might want to get a subscription to this old house. It’s helped me out with our old house😉. I can’t wait to see where this project takes you. Good luck.
Welcome to beautiful Nova Scotia!! I look forward to this channel and I hope to see you out in the zillions of gorgeous spots in NS when I am out shooting sometime.
You guys can build a fantastic loft too! Some big ceiling fans will help push the heat back down and keep it circulating. Double pane windows will provide good insulation. my husband had a friend who bought and renovated a similar size church in the PNW. Insulate everything so whatever you decide to heat with will be efficient.
I put a 3 ton heat pump in at my cottage in Ontario. Great results so far. We had a propane furnace before and kept it as a back-up. The heat pump works down to -15 C. At that point, the thermostat kicks over to the propane furnace. Here in Ontario, our power is based on hydro and nuclear, so the price won't go up as oil goes up. Not sure about Nova Scotia. Heat pumps are 200% to 300% efficient (they don't turn electricity into heat, they us electricity to pump heat from outdoor air into the indoors) versus 90% for my high efficiency propane furnace. It's a really good system that excels during the shoulder months. In January and February, the propane back-up kicks in quite often. As a bonus, you also get air conditioning in the summer.
I friend of mine told me about Fototripper about a week ago. And I was blown away with the videos that I have seen so far(and I have watched quite a few). I am relatively new to the photography world. I have a Nikon z6II. I love watching your videos. Originally from NFLD, but now live in Nova Scotia(been here since 1986). So looking forward to seeing what you are going to photograph here in Nova Scotia.
You could make the Belfry into a mother-in-law flat! with a one way locking door! On a serious note, watch out for the bat guano and asbestos! Hopefully any asbestos and lead paint issues would show up on a pre-purchase inspection! Best of wishes to you both!
Just watching this first video--which I loved--has disabused me of any dream/fantasy of renovating an old church/hall/house. But when you're done, I'd love to visit. Move in.
First thing I'd do is get some EPS sheets and place them between your floor joists - to stop heat loss through your floor. Also do the same in the attic.
What a fantastic project! We have had luck with our multi zone heat pump system, which provides both heat and AC when needed. BUT, first of all you need some major insulation in the floor, wrap the existing heat ducts, and cover the bare dirt. That will go a long way in keeping the inside of the church comfortable. I can't wait to see how you progress.
What an exciting project Gavin! I did something very similar when I "escaped" the rat race and expensive real estate market of Ontario - and moved to Nova Scotia in 2018. I've got a 130 year Victorian house in Yarmouth (way down at the other end of the province). Renovating and restoring are in my blood! I've always wanted to renovate a church like you'll be doing. The possibilities are endless! And it's great that you're going to try and keep as much of the original materials in the church. Good luck with the furnace and heating system. Have you looked into wood? It's pretty cheap down here and could supplement what ever you also use (electric or propane or heat pumps). Anyway keep up the work and of course keep showing us your progress through this new channel! Cheers!
Quite a venture taken and it looks like an exciting project in your future. I look forward to watching the progress and wish you and Amanda all the best. Cheers!
Oh my goodness, I just discovered your secondary channel. I was complaining for my more-than-2-years renovations in my old apartment, but guys, you are bloody courageous! This place is potentially gorgeous. We kept our floor radiant heat, and when it's well setup, it's a very comfortable and natural-feel heat. I like a lot the way you chose to renovate, not making a hyper modern place. Can't wait to see how this project grows. Best of luck !
You're so close to my hometown now! I grew up on PEI. For your heat, you were asking for suggestions, given that you already have ductwork installed, a heat pump might make the most sense. Heat pumps are generally fully electric, so if you have the funds to do so, you might also want to explore solar on the roof or a wind turbine, so you could offset your heating and electricity costs. Although, I would worry any kind of wind turbine would freeze in winter, which obviously wouldn't be an issue with solar.
Looks like this will be a great new channel! My wife and I are going the opposite direction. After 22+ years, we’re selling our lovingly restored 3400 s/f 1872 Victorian home and beginning the downsizing to live in a camper and travel the US full time. As always, with older structures, the devil is in the details.
Have you thought about a geothermal system for the church ? Heat is extracted from and rejected to the ground.. so no fuel source.. same heating and cooling as a regular refrigerant based system.. it’s a bit higher first cost but pays off over time..you can do your domestic hot water with it was well..
I have no idea about how expensive it may be, but why don't you look into geothermal heating? Good luck to you on your new home! I will be here following the renovation process! :)
I used to be a plumber and I also used to own a 100 year old farmhouse with a giant barn that basically had no heat. The house came with two ancient furnaces one oil burning and one wood burning and they were both connected and produced forced hot air but sadly neither worked very well. I ripped them both out and replaced them with forced hot water baseboards and a new furnace. The new furnace was oil burning but it could have easily been natural gas. The large barn space 20 foot by 30 foot with 12 foot ceilings I heated with forced hot water Modine heaters. You can get these also as gas fired or propane of the forced hot water like I used. If you leave the big space open then I thin you will have a hard time heating it all efficiently. If you break it up into rooms then you could easily install baseboard heat. Would you make multiple stories in the large space or would the rooms have super high ceilings? Depending on the way the building faces I wonder if solar would be an option? I built a solar energy home back in the late 80s that was a disaster because the technology back then was terrible but I think we have come a long way in the past 35 years. Anyway it will be great watching your renovation of this church. I almost bought a church back in the 90s to make a music venue out of it. It would have been brilliant but I was young and didn't have the capitol to purchase what was considered a business property.
Heck yea Gavin. This is amazing!!! i would love to have a place like this in the country. You have so much potential in that place. I don't know how much land you have but you could grow your own food and then use that basement as a cellar to keep your produce in. Anyway, congrats you guys. You deserve it Gavin.
Good for you guys. What an adventure you are undertaking, the pleasure and sense of accomplishment you will experience will be more than worth the difficulties. As a DIY home builder, be prepared to spend twice as much and take twice as long as you anticipate. But it will be more than worth it in the end. Looking forward to watching you progress. Hang in there.
WOW! I just got rid of my giant green monster furnace! It was converted from oil to natural gas, but was really at the end of its life for it was trying to take us out with its carbon monoxide output. Best of luck with the reno and can't wait to see the progress and final outcome 🙂
Did I mention me book? www.fototripper.com/chasing-awe-landscape-photography-book-gavin-hardcastle/
maaaaaaaaaany times haha
you have a book?🙃
A book a book thats Awe-some, what's it about friends and family .
I don't think anyone knows about these books and you won't sell them. So just an idea... You can use them for the heating? Right? :-)
I heard that book was sold out due to its popularity
This is such an exciting project. I'm very envious. You can get so creative with the conversion. Can't wait to see it all come together. Nice one, guys.
Cheers mate. One day we'll have you over for some bevvies and capers ;)
Watch out he could be a fake Heaton 😂
@@HardcastleTowers fake Heaton turns up for photo trip. That will make a great episode. You’re welcome lol
@@jonb8875 😂
You should go for a relaxing visit!
When you said concert hall, I imagined a Tilt reunion!
Heaton and Gibbs do van builds…….Gavin says “hold my beer” and does a church build. 😂
bwahahqahaha
Hydronic heating is the only way to go Gavin. Circulation of hot water, underfloor heating, radiator panels and ducted air radiators. So as the cost of fuel changes you don’t have to change the heating infrastructure, just the heat source, be oil, gas, geothermal (would be my choice.. while you have the water drilling rig!!) or heat pump. All sounds very expensive…! Better sell a few more copies of “Chasing Awe” by G.H. …there’s a link…
In the description 😳 Good luck. Watch a few episodes of Grand Designs to see the traps of such an endeavour.
Cheers from down under 👍🏼❤️🍷🇦🇺🎪
Gavin, you’ve been blessed with a jewel in Amanda!
Exciting project! Amanda playing the keyboard was absolutely hilarious!😂😂😂
Garret, if you want to get an architect's opinion, you may want to rethink you design plans and consider making half of the church nave into a two story great room with a wood stove or fireplace chimney off to one side, leading your photographic eye to those magnificent timber rafters and ceiling decking. The other half could be a kitchen with an open loft (master bedroom/master bath for you and Amanda) looking down to great room below. It would be a shame to cover the beautiful ceilings with guest bedrooms only for your mother-in-law to enjoy. The other space would be more appropriate for bedrooms, baths, and storage. Electric heat pump with potential ground source seems to be your best route for heating/cooling. My 2 cents, but happy to advise more in exchange for one of your famous books.
I already designed that pretty much in Sketchup;) He's putting it together right now.
Heating engineer here. Heat pumps will work even in Canadian winters (they do in Scandinavia too 🤷♂) with 3 caveats.
1) Insulation
2) Insulation
3) Underfloor heating (UFH)
4) Did I mention insulation?
As we say in the trade, insulation is the cheapest form of heating.
However as you're in Canada, a biomass boiler may be the most appropiate system to use as wood should be available in abundance. They come in 3 flavours fuel wise.
Either system will require to install a wet system which works better than a hot air system anyway and as it is a conversion you may just as well do it properly.
Message me if you want some more detailed info on options.
Looking forward to your new adventures. 👍😺
As a licensed HVAC contractor I would start with a load calculation including upgraded insulation factor and windows that you’re going to have.
That will help size the heating load you will need and cooling load you will need to evenly heat the structure.
Then based off Heating sources available propane,oil, electricity,geothermal.
do the cost of operation and comfort expected.
It beings us an old remodel I would be thinking more long a Mitsubishi duckless with a possible ducted option for a large area they have the best HSPF for Heating and balance point.
This is a large subject and completely possible to cover in e-mail/txt
I have 24 yrs OTJ experience plus Bachelors degree in HVAC -. Can do a phone conversation to help.
I’m very happy for you guys. And I’m looking forward to seeing the landscape photography from the new location. Your landscape channel is probably the only photography related video my wife wife really enjoys. She doesn’t know a thing about photography but she says your channel is entertaining either way.
Best heating Solution in my opinion would be to install a wood pellet boiler and underfloor heating.you would have to insulate the existing wood floor and then install the underfloor heating hose on the insulation.after that you lay screed on it.then you put your choice of floor on it.
Here in Austria this is a very popular way to heat old renovated houses.
Heat rises so a few ceiling fans would be good to install.
Ceiling is way to high to keep the place heated, all the warm air will rise. I'd use the far 3/4 parts of the building and put a second floor up and just keep the first quarter as a grand entrance hall. .
As a builder/joiner I'm very interested to see the mess you've got yourself in unravel 🤣🤣🤣
Ps, don't sell the camper 😳😁👍
Can’t wait for the Adam Gibbs cameo as Manuel
Holy Mother of Pearl... you bought a church! Man, now I have another RUclips channel that I have to watch! Wishing you two all the best. Looking forward to all of your new adventures.
Amanda on that organ, I thought Keith Emerson had arrived! lol
I think doing a DIY camper van project would have been simpler than escalating everything to this level. But will be fun to follow. 😀
This certainly trumps those van conversions (mentioning no names)! The very best of luck to you both.
It doesn't get any cooler than this! I love Chasing Awe! Another book documenting the church renovation?
Now that's a bloody good idea
Oh no I can hear Adam rubbing his hands now
Wow, you’re going to need sponsors. You could easily drop a fortune in that beautiful church. There’s a reason they sold it. I look forward to seeing what you and Amanda do with it.
Welcome to Nova Scotia! I hope you love it here. We have so many beautiful places to photograph!
This is going to be 100 times better than anything DIY or HGTV has to offer. This looks epic!
Well Gavin your project makes anything I need to do around my old house look like child's play. I would stick with electric - as we do, but keep the furnace for AC. Those old buildings can get stinking hot in the summer. Your other option is propane but if you want to be in the new moral majority, stick with electric. Your stove will also be cheaper as well a hot water tank. Glad you have the camper and each other, you will need to get away from time to time for photography. I am an enthusiast of your channel, I'll stay tuned. Any improvement in your situation is a big improvement at this point. I do admire your pluck. You two are the best
Thanks Stephen. We were thinking maybe a propane generator and stove. Hadn't thought about using propane for the hot water tank. Propane is becoming expensive too. I'd go for solar but the up front investment is crippling.
Having been in the heating industry for almost 20 years I'd say your best bet is the newer improved heat pumps. You can even possibly use some of the pre-existing duct work from the furnace.
Grand Designs, I was expecting Kevin McCloud to introduce you both and then mock you on your under-budgeted project that will take the whole of the next 10 years to complete. :-) Welcome to your new home, Gavin and Amanda. I love the wood ceiling.
Keep the furnace and add a heat pump. The plenum will move the heat around and the furnace will act as a back up heat source. Air conditioning as a bonus.
Thing about a Pellet Stove to argument your central heating system. Ive used one for years and have been quite pleased. It will quickly take the chill off the House/Church. Nice ambiance too. Best of luck... You and Amanda have Guts.
With a fractured rock basement don't forget to check Radon levels. Good luck finding building materials, recycling and upcycling what you already have will really help. Our house is much smaller and we heat with pellets, love the consistency of even predictable warmth. Beautiful ceiling, reminds me a Viking ship.
My wall mounted radon detector tells me we are within safe levels.
For heating, i would look at wood burning stove, under floor heating or infrared heating.
I would also consider putting a second floor in the main room. You can still keep it open plan. There are some really good examples of this on youtube if you search for church conversations and if you do it right, you will still see your wood.
Good luck
The possibilities of that church are endless! That ceiling is spectacular!
Hey your new book can be called Chasing Awelder.
Heating wise though, a wood stove helps a lot in our cold months so if you're allowed that source of energy it's a go to for us up here.
Radiant floor heating is also really nice and fuel efficient as long as you spray foam or insulate your floor joists.
If you're ever worried about the place becoming to 'tight' and needing of airflow any fartbox or range hood is equivalent to HVAC or you can install some fresh 80s!
Good for you both to make this move. If I was near your age, I would do the same thing. I’ve lived in the Northwest most of my life, and I must say, it used to be a fun and Fabulous area to live in. Seems like it has been a rapid transition into living with “ Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves”. Enjoy your new Adventure. Look forward to be able to occasionally peek into your New world.👍👍
Guano just makes me think of Ace Ventura! Bet this channel will be just as funny and outrageous! Good luck
waiting for the next vidéo, and watching this one again :-)
Welcome to the Maritime Provinces and New Scotland .. I've owned 3 older properties and swore after the first that I'd never do it again. Have fun. This is going to be very interesting ..😁
What a great place you bought. That ceiling is fantastic. In Sweden many have changed from oil to pellets or/and you can combine that with solar cells. They have come down in price now. I have seen loads of renovation projects on TV from England, churches among others and I hope you plan it well and keep an eye on the budget else these projects can be very expensive.
Well, with you two having a great sense of humour, this will be an interesting . . . Project 😁
Gavin, you have to have some sort of radiant heat system if possible. Heating air in a space that large will cost a fortune. It takes less energy to make you feel warm from heat radiated from under the floor, that it does to heat the air (especially that volume) to warm yourself via conduction essentially, and achieve the same feeling. If you can't do the underfloor, then good insulation under there and large wall panels would maybe be an option. If you heat the air, you'll need to reduce the heated volume somehow, which if you want to see that ceiling means that you'll probably have to enclose the living space and heat it more, and just deal with the larger open plan bit being a bit cooler. Luckily you have masses of personal insulation so you should survive the winters, but please, think about Amanda!
Well, a wood stove or fireplace is handy. I've had my fill of oil furnaces, they work, but so terribly expensive, just like Gas. I took a bit of time to look into geothermal possibilities in Nova Scotia, and while it doesn't look like there's enough heat in the ground to produce energy, it does seem like there's the possibility of running a geothermal heat pump. It's worth looking into, possibly expensive to start up, but could be a project worth documenting for long term sustainability.
What a great adventure ! Count me in ....
This is going to be a better YT channel than Fototripper one.😂😜. We can’t wait to see the progress. 👍. Congratulations!
I don't know, Forotripper has hysterical voice overs and cameos from other epic landscape photographers, the bars been set pretty high IMHO, I hope there's lots os shenanigans 😉
Oh, I'm glad I found you! This is going to be interesting....right down my alley!!!! My dream was to buy an old Church and reno it....never got there, so I'm looking forward to this!!!!
Gavin, I understand why you moved, but now is the time to invite mom in-law. While there's work to be done and living is toughest. With luck and exploitation, there may never be a return trip. Don't forget to plan photographic trips to the southern hemi during the winter months. Amanda and her mom can keep working on the Reno in winter while you are working hard in the sun. This advice is taken at your own risk.
Whoa, that's legit...and terrifying, lol. Definitely looking forward to following the progress.
I legit cannot contain the excitement I have for not one, but TWO Majesty Hardcastle channels!
Thanks Joel :)
Wedding!!! Way to go Amanda, taking on the creative fun Gavin will keep you young and full of smiles.
Yes Amanda can practice walking down the aisle to the altar I think Gavin planned this all along hahaha
Man - this is going to be just brilliant!
Really cool project ! :) Congrats’ for this big decision !
I am also in favor for underfloor heating “powered” by some viable source that you can afford in your budget (heat pump etc.)
Be sure to get a really good engineer to design and calculate that underfloor heating if you go that route.
Those are really high ceilings (if you keep them that way) and the volume to be heated it’s pretty large.
A good engineer will take into consideration all the facts :
- high ceilings
- very large windows (and many of them)
- insulation and total R value of the structure (floor, walls, ceiling, doors/windows)
- floor and subfloor structure and the solution for optimal heat dissipation (maybe a screed on top of existing wood subfloor)
- optimal confort level and energy efficency
- etc.
Anyway, good luck guys and ENJOY the process! :)
Don’t let the stress or any unexpected problems bring you down !
Gavin, congratulations to you and Amanda's new adventure in life. I'm a US electrician by trade and I know Canada and us follow some of the same codes but not all. I'm curious on your power situation. Heating wise sounds like it could be a challenge with the cost of Gas and oil atm. I can say that electrical heating can get quite expensive vs propane and natural gas and doesn't give as many BTU's. Geo thermal is an option, but living on bed rock I would think that be rather expensive to drill, in addition to the cost of drilling already for well water if it's available in the area and how deep you have to go to get it. Maybe the driller can drill 2 holes for a better cost, not to sure. I for sure would layout your plans to allow for the kitchen and bathrooms to be under the existing basement for easier access. Figure out your floor plan and then figure out what areas need to be heated and cooled and possibly keep the required BTU's for that area smaller and affordable vs trying to heat the whole building. Utilizing the existing duct will save you some money so I would keep that in mind. Heat pumps, we use them a lot here in the middle of the states (Nebraska) but i believe they don't work to well in really cold environments. I use a mini split heat pump for heating and cooling of 2 rooms of my house. I have a hundred year old house with stone foundation. I use propane to heat another room in winter in addition to Cove heaters in a few of the room, I'm pretty much all electric at .11 cents a kw/h where I live. My lawyer down the road bought an old school house with electric furnaces for heat and with heating 2 apartments in the school (converted to apartments) his electric bill is 600-800 a month in the winter time. As far as insulating your walls, one can go up in the attic and sometimes run a fish tape down the outside walls to see if there is any blockage at points for possible blow in insulation options. Closed cell foam is great if you have access to spray it in. I would for sure consider planning for next winter now as far as closing up holes, windows in the basement, installing an insulated door for your basement and insulating the framed walls in basement entry. Looking forward to your next video, maybe a walk around the property maybe?
I'll look into geothermal but the cost might be unrealistic.
Waiting with baited breath, for your new book, "CHASING CONTRACTORS"...link in the description 😁
So far we've met a couple of good ones.
All the best, looking forward to both channels
Congratulations!!!
What an exciting adventure.
Please be careful of LEAD. The old paints were made of huge amounts of lead.
Will do Stefan.
Heating solution.... We use in our house Hydroinc water heating......this is with in the concrete pad and is covered by 100mm of concrete....heats entire house...I understand there is a wood floor version one also....... this method can then be extended using lots of water pipes in the ground dug in as it uses a heat pump to move the water and generate the heat in the water and heat the concrete pad......laying lots of pipes deep in the ground the temperature is a constant temp and the heating of the house becomes very cheap.
Gavin I love the new channel. Totally right up my alley, I’m a plumber in Oregon, got into photography because of you and absolutely love it.
You can totally install radiant heat flooring in this building they have radiant heat that you put on top of the flooring instead of underneath. I don’t know maybe something to look into.
Boy oh boy - this is a big project!! I've done a few renovations and redevelopments myself, and they always take at least twice as long and cost twice as much as you'd hoped... Good luck! Oh, and fumigate that basement - it looks like a horror movie.
I'm with you on the 'too busy' reason...I'm born and raised on this rock and can't believe the population and development explosion that's taken place in over 6 decades...good on 'ya for making the jump...Nova Scotia is beautiful and hope it is everything you two expected....good luck with the reno!
I see a huge white wall that will be a great place for your Photos Gavin!
I've recently moved into an 1820s cottage in Snowdonia, and we share a number of problems - including oil heating, no insulation and creatures in the attic! We do have water though! 😂 Will be making sure to tune into every video. All the best!
Mate love it can not wait until it finished pal good luck mate 👍 📸📸📸📸🇬🇧👍😁
This is exciting. Both for the landscape photography and the renovation. Being so close to the coast I would think there is ample wind so maybe you should consider some wind generated electricity as a supplemental source of power.
Welcome to Nova Scotia. Been watching you on RUclips for a while now. I’m a photographer and recent RUclipsr in the province and I’ll be following your adventures.
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Here is Michigan, we've got a propane run furnace and a wood stove. Propane is not cheap, but I believe it's less expensive than oil. With our wood stove the furnace comes on much less often, and since we can get the wood off our property it's basically free. Just a little labor intensive. Another recommendation would be to install some ceiling fans. Most of your heat is going to end up in that beautiful ceiling. The fans will circulate The heat back down. Good luck!!!
I like this plan. Fans are already in ;)
@@HardcastleTowers Good choice!! Have a great time working on this dream.
Gavin... Mezzanine master bedroom is a must!! To appreciate the roof aspect and also will be cozy and warm up there. Greeting from Scotland
I put a ductless minisplit ac/heatpump on my van, on the back bumper/door. The one I bought says it goes down to -13 F for heat. I can say it works great for AC and then you have the heat pump for temps that aren't too cold. They are relatively easy to install oneself and are energy efficient compared to the rising prices of oil and straight electric baseboard. I live in PA so we don't get super cold here.
I have seen church conversions that have some sort of partial mezzanine which fulfils need for private rooms for bedrooms and the like and preserving the overall internal feel of the building.
You got it ;)
Install some solar panels and an air source heat pump but you will have to get the place well insulated. Have some mixed heating systems some under floor, some wall heaters to give flexibility. Full height ceilings are nice but put in a second floor for at least some of the length of the building then you can have under a small kitchen diner with sofa and solid fuel stove- to keep a small part of the building toasty warm 😀
I usually avoid church conversions (theologically) , but I’m here for this one.
Heat pump and oil as backup... I had that in my last home... worked well exept for expensive reverse valve repair on heat pump after 10 years. Now we have natural gas for heating and ac for cooling. A good powerful shop vac works well for spider removal! Enjoy your new adventure.
good luck to you and Amanda in your new life, I can wait to see how is going to look.can wait until you are going out to photograph around Nova Scotia, good luck and stay safe you guys....
Gavin, this is an exciting project for you guys. I recommend heat pumps or geothermal. Also, you might want to get a subscription to this old house. It’s helped me out with our old house😉. I can’t wait to see where this project takes you. Good luck.
Welcome to beautiful Nova Scotia!! I look forward to this channel and I hope to see you out in the zillions of gorgeous spots in NS when I am out shooting sometime.
You guys can build a fantastic loft too! Some big ceiling fans will help push the heat back down and keep it circulating. Double pane windows will provide good insulation. my husband had a friend who bought and renovated a similar size church in the PNW. Insulate everything so whatever you decide to heat with will be efficient.
I put a 3 ton heat pump in at my cottage in Ontario. Great results so far. We had a propane furnace before and kept it as a back-up. The heat pump works down to -15 C. At that point, the thermostat kicks over to the propane furnace. Here in Ontario, our power is based on hydro and nuclear, so the price won't go up as oil goes up. Not sure about Nova Scotia. Heat pumps are 200% to 300% efficient (they don't turn electricity into heat, they us electricity to pump heat from outdoor air into the indoors) versus 90% for my high efficiency propane furnace. It's a really good system that excels during the shoulder months. In January and February, the propane back-up kicks in quite often. As a bonus, you also get air conditioning in the summer.
I friend of mine told me about Fototripper about a week ago. And I was blown away with the videos that I have seen so far(and I have watched quite a few). I am relatively new to the photography world. I have a Nikon z6II. I love watching your videos. Originally from NFLD, but now live in Nova Scotia(been here since 1986). So looking forward to seeing what you are going to photograph here in Nova Scotia.
You could make the Belfry into a mother-in-law flat! with a one way locking door! On a serious note, watch out for the bat guano and asbestos! Hopefully any asbestos and lead paint issues would show up on a pre-purchase inspection! Best of wishes to you both!
A shop vac with a long hose is the best way to get rid of those spider eggs. Can't wait to watch the transformation! I'm sure the place isn't haunted.
Just watching this first video--which I loved--has disabused me of any dream/fantasy of renovating an old church/hall/house. But when you're done, I'd love to visit. Move in.
First thing I'd do is get some EPS sheets and place them between your floor joists - to stop heat loss through your floor. Also do the same in the attic.
What a fantastic project! We have had luck with our multi zone heat pump system, which provides both heat and AC when needed. BUT, first of all you need some major insulation in the floor, wrap the existing heat ducts, and cover the bare dirt. That will go a long way in keeping the inside of the church comfortable. I can't wait to see how you progress.
What an exciting project Gavin! I did something very similar when I "escaped" the rat race and expensive real estate market of Ontario - and moved to Nova Scotia in 2018. I've got a 130 year Victorian house in Yarmouth (way down at the other end of the province). Renovating and restoring are in my blood! I've always wanted to renovate a church like you'll be doing. The possibilities are endless! And it's great that you're going to try and keep as much of the original materials in the church. Good luck with the furnace and heating system. Have you looked into wood? It's pretty cheap down here and could supplement what ever you also use (electric or propane or heat pumps). Anyway keep up the work and of course keep showing us your progress through this new channel! Cheers!
Good luck guys, I think you will need it!
This will be interesting Gavin and Amanda. Can't wait to see more of your endeavors in converting a church to a Hardcastle sanctuary :)
Quite a venture taken and it looks like an exciting project in your future. I look forward to watching the progress and wish you and Amanda all the best. Cheers!
This will be quite the adventure. Look forward to future shenanigans and maybe even a little photography thrown in for good measure.
Oh my goodness, I just discovered your secondary channel. I was complaining for my more-than-2-years renovations in my old apartment, but guys, you are bloody courageous! This place is potentially gorgeous. We kept our floor radiant heat, and when it's well setup, it's a very comfortable and natural-feel heat. I like a lot the way you chose to renovate, not making a hyper modern place. Can't wait to see how this project grows. Best of luck !
Good luck in Nova Scotia. I drove across Canada years ago and stopped to hike the Coastal Trail in that province. You will enjoy being near the ocean.
You're so close to my hometown now! I grew up on PEI.
For your heat, you were asking for suggestions, given that you already have ductwork installed, a heat pump might make the most sense.
Heat pumps are generally fully electric, so if you have the funds to do so, you might also want to explore solar on the roof or a wind turbine, so you could offset your heating and electricity costs. Although, I would worry any kind of wind turbine would freeze in winter, which obviously wouldn't be an issue with solar.
We get a crazy amount of wind out here so a turbine might work bit yeah not if it freezes up.
Looks like this will be a great new channel! My wife and I are going the opposite direction. After 22+ years, we’re selling our lovingly restored 3400 s/f 1872 Victorian home and beginning the downsizing to live in a camper and travel the US full time.
As always, with older structures, the devil is in the details.
Have you thought about a geothermal system for the church ? Heat is extracted from and rejected to the ground.. so no fuel source.. same heating and cooling as a regular refrigerant based system.. it’s a bit higher first cost but pays off over time..you can do your domestic hot water with it was well..
Gavin, you should go with geothermal heating..
Now, you really need our prayers.
I have no idea about how expensive it may be, but why don't you look into geothermal heating?
Good luck to you on your new home! I will be here following the renovation process! :)
I used to be a plumber and I also used to own a 100 year old farmhouse with a giant barn that basically had no heat. The house came with two ancient furnaces one oil burning and one wood burning and they were both connected and produced forced hot air but sadly neither worked very well. I ripped them both out and replaced them with forced hot water baseboards and a new furnace. The new furnace was oil burning but it could have easily been natural gas. The large barn space 20 foot by 30 foot with 12 foot ceilings I heated with forced hot water Modine heaters. You can get these also as gas fired or propane of the forced hot water like I used. If you leave the big space open then I thin you will have a hard time heating it all efficiently. If you break it up into rooms then you could easily install baseboard heat. Would you make multiple stories in the large space or would the rooms have super high ceilings?
Depending on the way the building faces I wonder if solar would be an option? I built a solar energy home back in the late 80s that was a disaster because the technology back then was terrible but I think we have come a long way in the past 35 years.
Anyway it will be great watching your renovation of this church. I almost bought a church back in the 90s to make a music venue out of it. It would have been brilliant but I was young and didn't have the capitol to purchase what was considered a business property.
Splitting the rooms is the plan but solar seems outrageously expensive to get setup.
I have been to Nova Scotia in June and it rained every day. Nice scenery but very wet.
I've always loved old churches. Can't wait to see how it goes!!!
Heck yea Gavin. This is amazing!!! i would love to have a place like this in the country. You have so much potential in that place. I don't know how much land you have but you could grow your own food and then use that basement as a cellar to keep your produce in. Anyway, congrats you guys. You deserve it Gavin.
What an exciting trip!!!
All the best!!!
Good for you guys. What an adventure you are undertaking, the pleasure and sense of accomplishment you will experience will be more than worth the difficulties. As a DIY home builder, be prepared to spend twice as much and take twice as long as you anticipate. But it will be more than worth it in the end. Looking forward to watching you progress. Hang in there.
congrats on the new project. Married now??? OK, congrats on that as well and where's the video? 😁
Interesting that you are going to make a church your home😃May the light shine through.
WOW! I just got rid of my giant green monster furnace! It was converted from oil to natural gas, but was really at the end of its life for it was trying to take us out with its carbon monoxide output. Best of luck with the reno and can't wait to see the progress and final outcome 🙂