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my barn conversion

Keep track of what's happening with my Progress Updates.

If you read only one book before designing your conversion or renovation, then I recommend that you make it this one. I love patterns!

Location, Location, Location! pah, that's old hat we all know that the new mantra of home-building is Insulation, Insulation, Insulation.

Read more about - Lime mortar, VAT on conversions and managing woodland for fuel.

Tiling tips - learn from my mistakes!

Around an ongoing barn conversion project, this website draws together advice, information and references to aid all would-be and current barn and non-residential building converters and renovators.

Our approach takes on board 'healthy house', sustainable, ecological & environmental concepts to as great a degree as timescales and budgets allow.

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Building Progress ~ February 2010

Step 8 = roof

Step 7 = high level design

Stoneworks

Downstairs tiled floor

Coppicing ash trees

Tree Planting - Winter 2010

The four new English "eco-towns"

Building Progress ~ January 2010

Future Fuel

Latest Comments

On Travertine tiling - pictures by Downstairs tiled floor | my barn conversion on February 18th, 2010
[...] time and money in planning, sourcing and then fitting. It’s been completed for a while now (since August 2009),...

On Gas Pipeline Woes by The four new English “eco-towns” | my barn conversion on February 10th, 2010
[...] my first thought was ‘glad they’re not on my doorstep’ , but then I have a bloody big gas...

On Building Progress ~ August 2009 by Building Progress ~ January 2010 | my barn conversion on February 8th, 2010
[...] foray into the world of tiling can be quicker and more effective than the last one, the thought of...

On Insulation by Logs | my barn conversion on February 5th, 2010
[...] Location, Location! pah, that's old hat we all know that the new mantra of home-building is Insulation, Insulation, Insulation...

On Logs 2 by Future Fuel | my barn conversion on February 5th, 2010
[...] Logs 2 [...]

On The Healthy House by Green Business on February 2nd, 2010
Thank you for this checklist - I might use it in future when building a green house of my own!...

On Air Source Heat Pump by Feed-in tariffs … coming soon to a roof near you!? | my barn conversion on February 2nd, 2010
[...] On Air Source Heat Pump by Pete on January 12th, 2010I'm in a barn conversion with a GSHP supplied...

On Building Progress ~ December 2009 by Gina on January 22nd, 2010
My first visit here... great blog! I always say, if you want to be really green, don't build a new...

On Design Patterns ~ my choices by Alexanders Pattern Language | My Place Of My Own on January 21st, 2010
[...] also think I’d selected too many patterns, choosing mainly those that fit, rather than those that I really valued....

On A Pattern Language - Towns Buildings Construction by Alexanders Pattern Language | My Place Of My Own on January 21st, 2010
[...] inspiration, but this time one that I’d previously used was Alexanders Pattern Language [review on MyBarnConversion.com]. I’d applied this...


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    Lime Pointing ~ Summer 2008

    Category: Barn Conversion Journal July 5th, 2008 by mbc

    last weekend's raking out
    last weekend’s raking out

    In what seems to be an annual event, I’ve restarted repointing the exterior of the barn.

    When working with lime you have to take a break over the cold, wet winter months - it’s taken me this long to get restarted.

    This time, I’ve taken a more scientific approach and attempted to work out how longs it’s going to take.

    Last weekend I managed to hack / rake out the old pointing from an area 180cm by 190cm = 3.42m2…that took me just around 3.5 hours, so my hacking out rate = 1 square meter per hour.

    I reckon my repointing is slightly quicker - perhaps 45 minutes a square meter. Add to that preparation of the fresh lime mortar taking one hour for every five hours pointing and final cutting back and tidying up of 15 minutes a square meter.

    With a total of around 70m2 to complete that works out as:

    hacking out rate = 1 hour x 70m2 = 70 hours
    repointing = 45 minutes x 70m2 = 52.5 hours
    mortar preparation = 52.5 hours / 5 = 10.5 hours
    finishing = 70m2 * 15 minutes = 17.5 hours
    Total = 150.5 hours

    Better stop writing about it and get on with it…

    If you enjoyed that post, then read these...

    Lime Pointing ~ Summer 2008 - part 3 on September 1st, 2008
    Whilst not wanting to become a lime-pointing-bore (I bet there aren't too many of those in the world) I feel another update is in order.

    category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' title tag: 'Lime Mortar' (6)

    Lime Pointing ~ Summer 2008 ... part 2 on August 8th, 2008
    With a set of plans and my ruler I set out to check the figures I'd put together earlier in the Summer when working out...

    title category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' tag: 'Lime Mortar' (6)

    Lime Wall Pointing on June 13th, 2007
    Having fed my lime pointing addiction over the last few weeks, my overall approach is established: To begin with the lime mortar is generally sound, if...

    category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' title (3)

    Lime Pointing Update on June 4th, 2007
    So I've managed to go an get myself a new hobby, which is really the last thing I need at the moment as I have...

    category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' title (3)

    Building Progress ~ February 2008, week 2 on February 19th, 2008
    Whilst the insulation continues to be installed into the roof of the barn, I have a admission to make.

    title category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' (2)

    Posted in Barn Conversion Journal |

    One Response

    1. Lime Pointing ~ Summer 2008 … part 2 | my barn conversion Says:

      [...] With a set of plans and my ruler I set out to check the figures I’d put together earlier in the Summer when working out how much repointing work I have to do. [...]

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