Day 351 - Frames for the sliding doors fitted

The aluminum frame sitting behind the cedar cladding.  It is a triple track, which allows all three of the doors to slide, two one way and one the other.

The frames for the sliding doors were fitted today.  These are bedded on a lime mortar (NHL5, mix 3:1).

When we ordered the windows we asked for them to be 12.5mm smaller than the structural opening on all sides, so the windows were overall 25mm narrower and 25mm shorter than the hole they were fitting into.  When we ordered the doors we were advised that 5mm on all sides, so 10mm overall was sufficient.  However, while the frames do fit within the opening, the gaps on some of the sides are now very small, once the frames have been squared up.  This is going to make it much harder to adequately seal the gaps against weather and achieve a satisfactory airtightness and thermal performance.

Day 350

What will be the walls of the utility room have been covered with smart ply, to enable mechanical and electrical services to be easily fixed to them.

Day 349 - Internal studwork begun

Internal partitions to the utility room were begun today.

Cedar lining to the rest of the windows complete...

Day 348

Cladding continues on south elevation...

Day 347 - sheeps wool roof insulation begun

The battens fixed below the rafters, and the sheeps wool in place.  There will be more insulation running between the battens.

We started battening the underside of the roof yesterday and putting in the sheeps wool insulation today. The wool is soft and smells very 'sheepy'!.

Day 345 - cladding complete on north elevation

The completed north elevation.

Street view of the completed elevation...

Cladding on the last elevation started...

Cladding on north elevation complete!  (and downpipe half put up)

Day 344

North elevation almost complete...

Day 343

Day 342

Day 341

Day 340 - Hemp and lime insulation complete

We finished off the hemp and lime insulation to the eaves void, above the straw bales.

Day 339

Second coat of plaster put on the utility room wall.  This is also the last coat on this wall as it will have timber studs in front of it lined with plywood.  This is because it is our mechanical plant wall and we needed to be able to fix to it easily.

Day 338

... and another.  It almost looks like we have finished from here!

The street view...

The cladding in the brief late afternoon sun.

Half the cladding complete on north-west elevation!

Day 337

Cladding has now passed the stair window...

Day 335

Battening begun to south elevation.

Cladding progressing...

Day 334 - Cladding to north elevation begun

Battens completed to north elevation, and cladding begun...

Day 332 - Climbing plants planted

The front elevation (north-east) and north-west elevation are intentionally quite blank.  This is to prevent excessive heat loss through openings / glazing facing north, which receive little sun / heat gains.  The majority of windows are designed to face south instead.

To add interest to the front and north elevations we are planning to grow climbing plants up them, so in time they become 'green walls'.  As the cladding is now complete on the front elevation we decided to give the climbing plants a head start (as they will take time to establish), and plant the 'Parthenocissus Henryana' (virginia creeper).

Day 330

Battening started on north elevation...

Cladding finished on the front elevation!

Day 329

So close...

Day 328

Getting closer...

Day 327 - Cladding continues

Putting up the cladding on the front resumed on Friday.  Nearly half way now...  The 'hit and miss' boarding over the bathroom window is also complete.