We needed an oak post to make the corner window something special, so i went to Winkleigh Timber and after a scrabble around the yard found the following…
With a bit of sanding and oiling it has made the corner a beautifully organic addition to the eco-extension.
Just a little idea of mine that went against everything our stone mason had been taught… Wanted the border of the fire pit to look like it was breaking through the ground and reaching up…
Well last week we finally started timber framing. It has been lovely to see Mike again. We build 2 passive houses with his company McCartney’s & Co near Padstow a few years ago which were stunning. This job involved a lot more in-situ planning as the frame is having to join onto the existing house and rafters. I am please to say Mike’s calm and pragmatic approach is a pleasure to work with as always and the frame flew up, with the NBT system going on next week.
Here are a few pics to wet the appetites.
We have just chosen our conservation rooflights and are really excited to say we have secured a deal with The Roof Light Company and are working with their technical team to get a truly flush fit with a warm slate roof by using custom made flashing in code4.
This image shows the roof lights we are going for but we will be dropping them down another 25mm to get a truly flush fit. We loved the way these roof lights look, being both minimal and sympathetic to the original concept.
We will be fitting them in due course so we will post a review of how that goes, and the joys of playing with lead to achieve the flush fit later in the year.
Thanks to the Roof Light Company for being as excited about our project as we are.
Well we finally got things sorted on the oak door front. I am pleased to say that UK Oak Doors replaced the dodgy door with a glazed version for another room and included some Treatex Hardwax oil for our inconvenience.
So how do we like the doors. We everyone comments on them. Whilst the oak isn’t the most characterful and the grain is a little looser than we would like the build quality and detailing is excellent, particularly the diamond oak screw plugs.
In terms of value for money and construction they are hard to beat. Realistically the only way we could have got a better door would have been by spending a lot more money or making them ourselves from handpicked European Oak. In terms of pricing, bulk and trade discounts were not available which does make it difficult for resellers/builders but the prices are competitive and i think geared primarily to the consumer. The best bet seemed to be to keep an eye on the website and take advantage of whatever monthly promotions were available.
The important thing is choosing the right door. For open out doors choose the Oak 3 ledge Barn Door as the hinges can go on the un-ledged bead & butt face, and this looks the best. If the hinges are going on the inside on the ledges then you need to order the Oak Ledge with Optional brace door as the ledges go all the way to the edge of the door and the hinges look “right” that way, (which they don’t on the cottage Door).
The value latch sets are pretty but they aren’t waxed so be prepared for a little bit of wirewool and wax to finish them off and make them more tactile. Again its a value for money product and with a little finishing you can add the extra “je ne sais quoi”.
There is a lot more i could write but it’s late so i think to sum up when i consider all the factors we would happily use UK Oak Doors again. Thanks to Vicky for her efforts in resolving all the issues that arose.
We took advantage of the fine dry weather this week and started the landscaping… lots of curved short stone walls are coming in to terrace the levels… and we have been really fortunate to find great stone every time Dave does a little excavation with his digger…
We are currently discussing the quality of oak with our chosen door supplier. So far it seems very variable and we have had some problems with both damages that required repairs and poor quality boards. A great shame as the joinery seemed initially very good. The picture shows the huge variation in grain with the door on the right being the sort one would expect (we like that door) and the doors on the left showing “pine like” open grain and stains (3 horizontal stains on one board, second board in, on the far left door). Pretty disappointing but we shall keep you posted on how the company reacts and do a full and fair review once the company has had a chance to respond.
