House and Household

  Drove to tassie via the ferry with family cat dogs and pig... Took more bicycles down so we didn’t have to move them later All arrived and slept for a month - hugo decimated the fearless in the roof space. Front door done - thank you RT Made a platform so we could do the dormers’ on the other side of the house Books unpacked Boxes of previous stuff sorted Good food had thanks FTH Sun avoided     Western wall stripped   Bagged during windy days Stuffed with insulation Thanks ATH Wall sparked and clad - after stripping sorting and painting! Bugger. Veranda posts made.   Techniques refined More stripping and painting Door to be fixed   Dor dismembered and rebuilt   Installed Painted Stove infill started Hot water fitted     Windy holes filled thanks rt Back to Qbyn….

Fireplaces are essential in the Midlands. In winter it is not warm and the wins cut through from the Highlands. Traditionally the only way going of keeping warm was to burn wood in a fireplace. Nice solid sandstone fireplaces actors heatsinks and keep the house warm through the cold. When we acquired our house most of the fireplaces had been covered up. The lounge room fire had an insert into it that had been used as the main heating for the whole house. Upstairs had coal fires.   The traditional Rayburn stove in the kitchen and had been removed and replaced by Gastown and gas hot water heater. the result of this move was that the kitchen is extremely cold and leaks like a sieve.   Robin and I had a wonderful weekend where we opened up two of the old fireplaces. In the library fireplace we added a fireguard and started to use the fireplace. In the small office because the base of the fireplace had been removed we were unable to use it.                           ...

This blog was meant to be a log of work done. Decisions and compromises.... But lack of a reliable network in the house made that hard. Now we have internet and warmth. But winter is not the time to work outside. So I'll start by outlining progress to date. Condition as Acquired  Two front windows were smashed and had structural problems. Paint and wood had not seen much work in the last few decades.  Nice large Yard but not a tree in sight..   A cleanup had been undertaken and the stuff not taken to the tip was burnt. The main door is on the eastern ish side. the gutters were full of rubbish and overflowing in all directions. Note the green on the wall near the end of the Verandah.    Kitchen is simple and usable. Once water leaks thru the valley gutter. And mould were overcome.   Entrance to "the laundry" It was just filthy, wet and grease covered. The mud room had been used as a kitchen and was grease coated. The lounge - note the shake and cigarett...