Author Archives: nickjtj

or Slate, slate, slate. Chris was due to arrive at tea time and I spent most of the day redrawing the layout for the slate floor. I’d started with simple courses, but wasn’t happy with how that pattern articulated between the three rooms; that led to a random pattern so the floor would flow smoothlyContinue reading “Chris, the new floor and briophytes”

I’ve been painting since Saint Valentine’s day, when Poppy and Silas left; then, last Friday, I went on a one hundred and fifty mile caper to visit Pete and Molly. Fellow self-builders, they’re near the top end of Loch Awe. I was getting rid of two spare bundles of glass wool insulation that they saidContinue reading “Paint, paint, paint. And slate.”

BUILDING: My birthday, a lazy day with some paint and cakes. In our bedroom we put a further coat over the touch-ups that we’d done the day before, where Tom’s sanding had revealed plaster, then after lunch we moved to the scullery/entrance and painted on a first diluted coat of white, ready for two topContinue reading “And the thrushes sing”

I hung this door perfectly. Opening the wrong way. …so that when you open it, it hides the light switches. Why did you do that? Well, I just felt that’s the way the door should open. Ah, you didn’t notice those cables sticking out of the wall, which are there because you already made theContinue reading “Beautifully executed (a stupid mistake)”

Away: From Friday the twentieth of January to Monday the thirtieth we spent a delayed Christmas week at David’s house in Dalston, London, via Manchester, Hawkley (Hants), High Wycombe, Oxford, Buxton and Glasgow. Perhaps it’s not surprising I don’t quite feel I’ve got back into the swing of building this year. We concentrated on familyContinue reading “Here, there, everywhere and back again”

It seemed obvious: I should be working a four-day week. Although finishing the house might take a little longer, by using the fifth day for admin and recovery, weekends should be more enjoyable for both of us and perhaps I’ll work with renewed energy during my shortened week. I’ll give it a go and letContinue reading “Bandwagon, yes please!”

Here we are, a week into the new year. My son departs this morning after a week during which he deployed one of his professional skills with a professional tool I’d not expected or asked him to bring. But first we went to see the old stones of Kilmartin Glen, via Lochgilphead’s dump and theContinue reading “Soft start, 2023”

With Christmas imminent, my work momentum seems to have gone, prey to preparations and perhaps cumulative fatigue. Martin is here for the festivities, ready to lend a hand when needed but largely on holiday. We spent Tuesday together, going to Oban and working our way through a long list of tasks. Surprisingly enjoyable and successful.Continue reading “Is it that time already?”

Iain the electrician, the main man, came to site yesterday to get the under floor heating back on. I said I’d reconnected the thermostats but we agreed it couldn’t be them as they’d worked for a week. But it was them and it was my fault. And after Iain had replaced a blown fuse inContinue reading “It’s been a bit of a day…”

Week beginning 5 December 2022: There have been several bits of admin this week, two of them major – sorting out a new site insurance policy and extending the building warrant. My least favourite kind of work. Our building warrant expires on December the twenty third. It’s the Scottish version of building control and lastsContinue reading “To misquote Poly Styrene ‘Oh admin, up yours!’”