Working on the wall

Week Seven

 

I was able to spend a bit of time today removing some of the loose bricks from the wall so that they can be mortared back in tomorrow. I was only able to take out a few as the wall is only two bricks thick so I didn't want to de-stabilise it.

 

Note the poor state of many of the bricks

Bricks removed prior to restoration work

Week Seven - bricks cleaned

Week Seven.

 

Today, we had a chap called Phil arrive to clean the 1,100 bricks we had bought from the Church Hall development project less than 100m from our houses. Phil had been working on the Church Hall development and had finished there, so was able to come to us.  He had a lovely day weather wise and even had the shade of a tree to work under!  The bricks cost us £750 and Phil charges 10p a brick to clean them. It took him from 9.30am until 4.30pm which is pretty good going! They are all now clean, stacked and ready to move into our gardens.

 

Phil cleaning up the bricks

A small hand axe and a good eye required

Still lots to do!

Oak timber for frame has arrived

Week Six.

On Friday, the green oak timber and larch cladding arrived. A couple of weeks earlier than Dan needed, but it was ordered from a company in the North and they wanted to deliver. It has been put in our garden and we will keep it covered overnight. The weather forecast for next week looks good again so we have been really lucky.

 

Oak timber for frame in the garden

Deck lights installed

Week Six.

 

I am thrilled to bits with the square decking lights. We ended up buying a second pack of eight which we will split with our neighbour, so that we each have twelve each.  We are having three put into the top of the retaining wall and nine put into the faces of the steps. They look amazing!

 

 

We will have a total of twelve deck lights - nine in the steps and three in the retaining wall

View of the three deck lights in the retaining wall

Railway sleeper steps

Week Six.

 

Dan and Jack have worked on installing the railway sleeper steps this week. We have had excellent weather so long may it continue!  We are having three long steps which will be formed from sleepers up on their short edge and are putting in decking lights.

 

View of bottom two steps plus deck lights installed in steps and side wall

Week Six - work on railway sleepers

Week Six.

I have been busy this week giving the green oak railway sleepers two coats of clear wood preserver then another two coats of Decking Oil. We chose Barrettine Decking Oil in Dark Oak. It goes on beautifully and once dry gives a lovely matt finish revealing the wood grain underneath.
 

Starting to stain the sleepers with Barrettine Decking Oil

The decking oil goes on really easily and is a pleasure to use

Just one coat makes all the difference but second coat applied to give greater protection

Barrattine Decking Oil in Dark Oak

Railway sleepers have arrived

Week Five.

The railway sleepers arrived yesterday. We have chosen new oak sleepers and our neighbour went for the traditional reclaimed style. We bought Everbuild Wood Preserver in clear and I got to work almost straight away in giving them at least two coats. It was a lovely job to do - just sloshing the liquid on very generously allowing it to soak in.

The oak sleepers placed in the garden

Everbuild Wood Preserver - clear

Work starting on putting the wood preserve on the oak sleepers