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Renovation Blog
9 May - Windows
I have been extremely busy: with work; planting lots of seeds; trying to find some chickens; trying to keep on top of the weeds;
clearing various areas of nettles; etc. etc. However, I know that's not necessarily what you want to hear about, although it is
an integral part of my life here. Now we have some lovely weather I am setting about painting the sashes of the windows. I have
already done the frames, and I find it easiest to take the sashes out completely, then replace any putty and paint them
in a convenient location. Finally they will need re-hanging. In many cases there is no sash cord, or it is broken, so I will need
to sort that out as well. |
14 May - One down, many to go...
I have completed one window and started a couple of others. I have replaced any missing/loose putty, then primed (where necessary),
applied two coats of undercoat and two of top coat. Don't forget to allow the final top coat to go 1/16 of an inch or so on to the glass
to prevent water getting behind the putty. You can use masking tape for this but my Dad reckons it's cheating, so I do it by hand.
(If you mess it up you can always scrape off excess paint with a stanley blade once it's dry.) |
18 May - Front door too
I am also in the middle of repainting the front door, but it was in such a state I had to strip all the paint off with a hot air gun.
Remember to be careful with old paint as it may contain lead.
23 May - A bad day
The Conservation Officer woman (I am refraining from using stronger language but rest assured I'm
sorely tempted) turned up for a meeting today and announced that we were
not allowed to do the perfectly reasonable things we had asked for, in consultation with a
Conservation Architect and Surveyor. She is clearly mentally unbalanced, but it is exceptionally
frustrating and time wasting to have to deal with these petty, power mad fools from the local
Council. I am exceedingly upset by the whole process. If you live in South Holland and own a Listed
Building, please tell me of your
experiences, as I'd love to hear from anyone else suffering at her hands... Sorry to rant on.
30 May - Mostly veg
All manic here alas, digging, planting out vegetables and generally trying to keep on top of the garden. In the meantime I'm still
repairing windows: replacing broken glass, renewing putty, sanding down and painting...
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