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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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Environment for Children

Whitewashing update 2010

Built in bed

Building Progress ~ February 2010

Step 8 = roof

Step 7 = high level design

Stoneworks

Downstairs tiled floor

Coppicing ash trees

Tree Planting - Winter 2010

Latest Comments

On White-washing? by Whitewashing update 2010 | my barn conversion on March 16th, 2010
[...] wall. After finding it was ‘infested’ with stalactites and stalagmites, I considered whitewashing the wall, then eventually it was...

On We have stalactites in our walls! by Whitewashing update 2010 | my barn conversion on March 16th, 2010
[...] do about the leaky, south facing gable end wall. After finding it was ‘infested’ with stalactites and stalagmites, I...

On Boxing Clever? by Built in bed | my barn conversion on March 12th, 2010
[...] of practicality and desire. Practical because part of the construction can be used to solve my tricky carpentry challenge...

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...


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    Logs 2

    Category: Barn Conversion Journal January 5th, 2010 by mbc

    With my current preoccupation with firewood and the current bout of ice, snow and freezing temperatures making me long for warm weather a favourite quote of mine comes to mind:

    …a mosaic of cut log ends that wall the whole of the south-facing end. The summer sun will dry out the end grain, drawing out the sap until the wood is pure energy for the fire.

    Roger Deakin’s Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees

    I’ve just ordered 120 silver birch and hazel trees from the Woodland trust, far from the best trees for firewood but two of my favourites. I’ll plant as many as possible in amongst the mainly ash trees that currently dominate my small wood. The rest I’ll find a home for.

    Whilst perhaps not the cheapest source of trees I thought I’d support the Woodland Trust and buy this batch of trees from them. At least I’ll be contributing regardless of the fate of the trees that I plant.

    I’m also looking into planting some fast growing willow in one corner of our field to provide additional fuel and a wind break for the vegetable patch I’m planning … more on this another time.

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

    Logs on October 8th, 2009
    I've really enjoyed Roger Deakin's 'Wildwood: A Journey Through Trees', the book takes you on a gentle journey, part biography, part manifesto, part travelogue.

    title tag: 'fuel' category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' tag: 'woodland management' (4)

    Future Fuel on February 5th, 2010
    As I've mentioned earlier I have plans to start work this year on managing the small amount (I'd guess at around half and acre) of...

    tag: 'woodland management' tag: 'fuel' category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' (3)

    Coppicing ash trees on February 15th, 2010
    The process of coppicing is pretty straight-forward: Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management in which young tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near...

    tag: 'woodland management' category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' (2)

    Tree Planting - Winter 2010 on February 12th, 2010
    I bought 60 hazel and 60 silver birch trees just after the new year started.

    tag: 'woodland management' category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' (2)

    Items 'ordinarily' incorporated in a building on November 11th, 2008
    Having spent much time pawing over VAT documentation in preparation for my VAT reclaim I discovered that the HM Revenue & Customs definition of items...

    category: 'Barn Conversion Journal' (1)

    Posted in Barn Conversion Journal |

    One Response

    1. Future Fuel | my barn conversion Says:

      [...] Logs 2 [...]

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