Pentiddy Housebuild 2011

Floorboards and countdown

2012-02-29T14:57:00.000-08:00

We now have a partial floor down, and the douglas fir tongue and grooved boards look lovely.

We decided after much discussion to nail through the top of the boards instead of 'hidden' nailing them as, although the nail heads are visible, it means the wider boards are held more securely and less likely to 'cup'. We have used 65mm lost head nails on our 25mm thick boards.

Becky, Alix, Mike and Octavio have all been helping scribing and nailing up the bitroc boards under the floor and filling in the subsequent recesses between joists with the warmcell.

An unanticipated material, cost and process that occurred through this was taping the joins between the boards and around the beams and posts. We ended up purchasing a product called Isocell Airstop and it's very, very sticky! As the name suggests, it is designed to reduce air movement through any open gaps. It was easy to apply provided it didn't get stuck to anything else before it contacted the boards!

This entire process nevertheless has created another of those moments where yet more of the end result is visible, and the excitement of it all is evident in the enthusiasm of all of us working on site.

The countdown to the bale course is now on and we're going to be pushed to get everything done. Although some of the tasks can happen during the first stages of baling, much still needs to be in place in order for it all to go ahead smoothly. No let up for a while then, so I'll try and keep going with the blog...!
As always, feel free to feedback.

Regards,

Anthony

All wrapped up!

2012-01-19T09:25:00.000-08:00


Plastic walls- Lovely!

Oh, not as in finished, just all wrapped up to keep the weather out!

A dry space to work

It looks a little strange, this nice eco-house wrapped in plastic tarpulins- but it is intended to allow the inside to dry out and provide me with a space to work out of the elements.

Dry Space
So, it's been a while since last I blogged. The main efforts since November have been toward get the house weatherproof as mentioned above. This has involved putting in most of the external stud-work which is to take the cladding. We needed this in place to support the tarps and prevent them just being torn to pieces by the wind.

Spot the deliberate mistake

Windows
Installing the stud has been exciting as it has meant final decisions have had to be made on the sizes and positioning of all the windows, and the two doors. This in turn has lead us to get some of our stored dry timber machined into sill and facing pieces for the windows that are not to be opened. These are being built straight into the stud frame.

Roof showing guttering installed

Guttering
Another bit of the process which we have tackled has been to install the guttering- we opted for Lindab galvanised steel guttering figuring that the investment will be worth it in the long run.
It looks good too- and is incredibly easy to install, most of the bits just clip together.

Under Floor Boarding
We have ordered the boards to seal the underside of the lower floor- the original choice and the one Ben has used- a product called Panelvent, is apparently no longer being produced, so after more internet research we have opted for Bitroc, another breathable board that is also weatherproof. This should be arriving next week.

Insulation
With the underboards sorted the next obvious thing was to make the final decision on insulation within the lower floor and the roof space. We, like Ben, have opted for Warmcell. It is very competitive on price, and being loose, should be easier to install in all the wierd nooks and crannies around the frame timbers.

We are also in the process of getting quotes for the last of the house shell big costs- e.g outer lime render, inner clay plaster, glazing units, and window frame manufacture. Indications are that we are still not far off our intended budget- Hurrah!

I'm off to cut more sills and facing for the windows- and hopefully by my next blog I should have had the Bitroc boards delivered and will have started on that process. Till then

Regards,

Anthony

PS. Please feel free to comment on the blog or e-mail us- it's good to get the feedback!

Roof is finished!

2011-11-26T01:36:00.001-08:00

Chris helping out on the roof

Firstly sorry- several people have nudged me for an update, so here it is!

So, yes, finally we have finished balancing on battens and sliding on slates- the roof is officially finished! Hurrah! A mention here for Chris, who was a star, and Bart and Alix all of whom helped with the last bits of the roof. Thanks guys!

The process, predictably, was slowed by the hips and the valleys, but without any real difficulties.
Leading the valleys was interesting- what weird stuff lead is! It weighs so much yet is flexible and you can cut it with a knife. I was given some expert advice on this process. Because lead expands and contracts with temperature, if it is laid in long lengths it would buckle. I was told to cut it into no more than 1.5m lengths and then secure only on the top third, so just 6 copper nails. I hammered each length into the valley recess with a wooden block, and folded the edges back on themselves to add an extra lip, which covers the nail heads and is another barrier for water.

The last of the roof process was to mortar the ridge and hip tiles on- this was another balancing act, though this time on a roof ladder and the ridge itself- not the most comfortable place to work!
I am really pleased with the end result- I think it looks stunning and in keeping with the older of the local buildings. Time for a 'photo methinks....!

John and Sue helping with studwork

We had a visit from Ele's parents last week who have been such a constant support throughout. Despite the rain they managed to add the first lengths of studwork and only broke one tool!

My task now is to extend the upper floor joists to accommodate the straw walls so they will be built in two sections, upper and lower- a modification after discussions with Friederike who is to do the baling course in the spring.
Beyond that it is building the outer studwork, or buck frame. This will take the cladding and provide a structure for the windows and doors.

I am just in the process of writing another background post on the design process- keep an eye out for that over the next week or so....

Cheers for now, Anthony

Background - Design

2011-11-07T13:57:00.000-08:00

Where does one start when designing one's 'dream home'? We started many years ago before we even knew where or how we would build, and the archive of weird and wonderful ideas makes for an interesting read! In some respects there is a blank canvas. Almost anything is possible, but budget, complexity of build and the build site will dictate much and start to hone things down and dismiss some of the more flamboyant designs. One limitation which we have valued above all has been our desire to not take more than our fair share of resources and to use locally available materials wherever possible. This in itself decided much of the design for us.

Getting to a design we were happy with, one we felt was realistic to build and fulfilled most of our requirements took some doing. A list of our ideal elements was extremely useful, as well as ideas about the basic construction and materials.

Once we had settled on a construction type- with much influence and persuasion from Ben- we looked at how we could construct a cruck framed structure to fit in the landscape at Pentiddy and to accommodate as many of our long list of requirements as possible. The most notable design decisions are outlined below.

Position
The build site was chosen when we first applied for temporary permission and was where the mobile home was sited for five years. It was chosen because it was less visual than higher on the site, and more sheltered. It also falls below the main spring on the land. Unfortunately this spring is 1/2 km away through the woods so impracticable to use without major time and financial investment and serious environmental disruption. A 'no go' I'm afraid! Its placement amongst other elements in the Permaculture design meant trying to go below the 200m contour so that the fruiting trees are more likely to succeed. Placing the home

Orientation
The Solar aspect of south was important- we wanted to use a degree of passive solar gain, and also water heating and photovoltaic panels. We calculated the ideal annual pitch for the photovoltaics, but realised that ideally we need to generate more power in the winter than the summer, so we also worked out the best angle for average winter sun. Conversely the solar water panels needed to work more in the summer, so we calculated the best average summer pitch too. Here is a diagram of what we worked out....

So if we wanted the best average annual output from the photovoltaic panels, we needed the pitch to be 43° (90°- 47°=43°. The angles shown above are the angle of the sun, not the roof which needs to be at 90° to it!)

The main house roof pitch is 39°, so only a few degrees off for the PV's to be at average annual. It would have been a stretch and increased the total buildings height by too much to make the main roof fit the average winter pitch of 53°.

The outdoor kitchen roof, however, has been set to the ideal average summer pitch of 30° so we get the best heat from the water panels when the wood-burner indoors is not fired up.

The 'view sector' was also important, but was not conveniently due south, but more south-east. In the end the main house is 10° towards the east, and the 'L' shape, and the outdoor kitchen roofs each step out to broadly face the view.

Heating
The heating and insulation were also important. Having lived in caravans/mobile homes for many years, the idea of heat staying inside a structure seems a little unusual, but very appealing!
The main heat source- a wood-burning range, has been placed as central in the floor-plan as we could achieve, thereby radiating heat more evenly downstairs. The hope is that enough heat will also radiate upwards to the upper floor that pumping water to radiators will be minimal.

Size
This is a little bit of a sensitive subject just now as most people visiting have the initial reaction of 'my goodness- it's huge!'
We did, however spend a great deal of time designing a house that was a balance between being practical and still efficient in terms of footprint, materials and heating.
The total usable floor area is 95m². The ridge however sits at 8.2m above the main ground level, so it is quite tall! Bear in mind though that the lower floor is a minimum of 1m above the ground. Once the walls are in, and the outdoor structures (verandah, outdoor kitchen etc) are in place and the ground has been landscaped, the visual impact of this will be vastly reduced.

Power
The main generation for us is still the Air 403 wind generator, and currently 250W of Solar PV. This will most probably be supplemented with more Solar PV and if I get the chance I want to explore the stream as a possible micro-hydro source. This all will feed a bank of batteries, and most power will be used direct as 12v DC, but also inverted for 'mains' giving a small 600W, 240V AC supply.
The Solar water panels are to be mounted on south roof of the outdoor kitchen, which is lower than the position of the hot water cylinder. In this way we can 'thermo-syphon' the heat from the panels rather than use power pumping it.

Water
The majority of our water comes off the barn roof, and 6,000 litres is stored in tanks and fed to the house and garden. Our drinking water still has to be sorted- the water from the bore-hole we had drilled recently has a few things in it that currently make it unsuitable for drinking. Still working on that one too. We're investigating the original idea of using roof water and will send some off to be tested once the guttering is installed.

Waste(?!)
The main structure does not include a toilet internally as we've really enjoyed our enforced visits into the night over the last few years- it's amazing what you see in the dead of night! We will still use a dry composting toilet in a separate outdoor structure. The grey water from sinks and showers is to run through a reed bed system, and finally fed back into the stream via the hens and ducks. All kitchen waste gets composted or fed to the hens.

Architects
It is worth mentioning that we have not employed an architect at all for this process- the design and drawings have been done by me. This has not been a problem- but has shown up some interesting things, which I will tackle in a later post.

I hope this has been interesting, and maybe useful for anyone undertaking a similar project.

My next 'background' post is to cover the 'red tape' side of things. I will not be going into great detail about planning, but looking at the processes subsequent to getting permission to build.

Till then, Regards,

Anthony

NB. Please feel free incidentally to comment on the blog or drop us comments via e-mail. It is always nice to get peoples feedback and reactions!

Background - Materials

2011-10-16T12:13:00.000-07:00

I realised whilst writing the last post that we have omitted some of the basic background information in the blog- and as such I am endeavouring to do a few posts outlining some of the history of the build.

Today's monologue - Materials

From the start of this journey we have looked hard at what we wanted the house to be and how it should embody our ethics. Our options and the carefully weighed decisions with regards the materials are therefore what defines this building. Hopefully making it a unique and gently beautiful building, in tune with the local landscape.

Wood

So, obviously we have wood! Lots of wood. Lots and lots and lots actually- three 16tonne lorry loads of logs, and another delivery for the frame poles. I had not really appreciated the enormity of the task of processing the logs and the sheer volumes of timber we were to use.

Not having appropriate timber growing on site, our main aim was to source the timber locally- to support the local economy and reduce transportation.
The frames themselves are Larch which Duncan and I cut last winter from Stara Community Woodland only 4 miles away. One thing I noticed as we were cutting is that they are all the same age as me- something very fitting about that!
Once the frame poles were transported back to site the task of stripping off the bark was undertaken. (A HUGE thanks to Oz and Beth, who spent an awful lot of time er... stripping!)

The timbers for milling were bought from the Glencross Estate near St Neot, about 7 miles away. These included Douglas Fir for floor joists, floor boards, rafters, window frames and studwork, and more Larch for cladding.
These timbers have all been milled on-site with a Lumbermate 2000 mobile bandsaw mill and stacked in our barn until needed. A special thanks to Duncan for all his help with that task!

The floorboards were sent to F D Hall in Upton Cross for planing and tongue and grooving. They look fabulous. F D Hall will also be making the window frames for us in due course.

I might just have to go and plant a tree or two now to make up for the amount we've cut down....!

Granite

Well, what should our nice 'green' house stand on then?!
Another tough choice- but we opted for slabs of Cornish granite from De Lank quarry on Bodmin moor. Obviously the quarrying process is energy intensive, but they are beautiful objects in their own right and ...well, pretty durable!
Other options were concrete slabs (well, it was never really going to be a contender), and yorkstone slabs (not from Cornwall though).
Granite it was!

Slate

See the last blog entry for more on these. We sourced these from Kenyon Canopy, Saltash. They specialize in roof materials and second-hand Delabole slates in particular.

Straw

Our straw has been delivered and now fills our barn to the roof! It is covered with a silage sheet to prevent the leaking roof getting the straw wet.
The bales are slightly larger than a standard small bale at 1m by 0.5m by 0.35m, and have been harvested specially and compacted as high as the machine would allow. We have a mix of barley straw and oat straw.
These have come from John and James Kendall at Tencreek Farm, Liskeard. Incidentally this is where Ele and I got married 13 years ago!

Lime render

We have decided to use lime as a breathable, durable sealing layer on the outside of the straw. Our local suppliers, The Cornish Lime Co. are very helpful and knowledgeable. The Exterior is then to be clad with wany edged larch boards to further protect the straw walls from the driving Cornish rain.

Other materials to be used include a breathable board called Panelvent and clay plaster on the straw and on lath for internal walls.

Hope this explains a little bit about the materials we have chosen and why.

Regards to you all,

Anthony

Week 28 - Slates and course dates

2011-10-08T04:29:00.000-07:00

We have (some) slates on the roof!
Our second hand delabole slates look fantastic, they are definitely the right choice! We opted for using slate hooks rather than copper nails- a good move! The hooks are very quick, very secure and given that the slates are second hand, many of the old nail holes are pretty big. Using the hooks has meant we don't need to worry about re-holing the slates or trying to make the old holes fit with the battens. The first bit of the roof has been slated in just a few days, and Ele, Elowen and Adeon have all helped to put them on. Progress has slowed though now we're having to cut slates for the hip.....
Several people have asked why we have opted for slates, rather than wooden shingles or shakes. The answer is quite simply that the slates will easily outlast me, and I did not fancy being up on the roof in my 80's replacing the shingles!
The delabole slate is also the local material, and it makes a beautiful roof.

We have also finally made the decision to clad most of the building rather than Lime render.
In speaking with many experts it seems that Lime on a very exposed site just isn't quite up to protecting the bales. Cladding over the top means the bales (which will still have a sealing coat of lime) will be that much more protected from the horizontal rain we have been known to get up here!
The upshot of this decision is that the exterior of the house structure needs to have a studwork frame to accommodate the wany larch boards.
The plan therefore is to 'wrap up' the entire building over the winter so floors, studwork and other processes can continue. Using the scaffolding that currently runs around the house, tarpaulins will be used to make a weatherproof cover. These are obviously going to have to be pretty well secured to stop them being blown away!

We have dates now for the courses next year.
Both courses - food provided and camping available.

Straw bale building
Led by: Friederike Fuchs from Stroh unlimited
Dates: 9th-13th April 2012
Cost: £300

Lime render and clay plaster
Led by: Katy Bryce and Adam Weismann from Clayworks
Dates: 4 days throughout May and June 2012
Cost: £100/day

Week 26 - ALL CHANGE!

2011-09-20T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, Beth and Oz have returned to sunny Manchester, Duncan back to Bristol, and Bex and Dan are done now until the baling next year. So that leaves..... me!

I would like to take the opportunity to thank all of you guys and indeed everyone who has been involved in whatever way thus far- it's been a fantastic journey and your time and enthusiasm, help and smiles have been part of what has made it special.
Thanks must go particularly to Beth for the blog setting up and frequent updates- I'll try and be as eloquent and humorous!

Well, 6 months in and we finally have what can now be called a shelter!
Yes, after much head scratching and on occasion I have to admit the odd bit of swearing, we have a roof! Well, a covered space anyway- the breather membrane and battens (which hold the membrane down and are the fixing points for the slates) are finally on. This has been a long time coming. We have all been surprised at just how complex hip and valley rafters are to set, especially when you interact sawn timber with roundwood poles.


Roof membrane and battens almost finished

Rob and Clare fixing battens

The next task is to slate the roof! Another process for which I have no reference so apologies to everyone I know who's got any vague experience with roofing for the many questions. With all the advice and much observation of local slate roofs, I'm now confident to tackle it!

Bales and render
The decision to delay the baling process has meant that we have had time to organise both the baling and the subsequent render as two courses in the spring next year. Anyone interested in coming along please contact us. As soon as we have confirmed dates and prices I will let you all know.

Regards

Anthony

Week 23: Picture of the Week

2011-08-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

Well I couldn't resist slotting an arty photo of the house in somewhere!

Week 22: The 'Big Ultimatum'

2011-08-17T07:55:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

A quick update to let you all know how we're getting on on site. The pressure has been reaching bursting point over the last 5-6 weeks with the ever looming delivery of the straw bales in late August. Although the progress of progressivism is progressing (!!!), we are still not quite hitting our weekly milestones and, although hard to admit even with all the constant hard work going on, we have been getting further and further behind since the frame raising weekend. Aaaarrrggghhh!

The 'bright side' - look how that roofs coming along

To look at things from a more positive angle, since the last blog entry we have all the wind braces and outer jowls in place. We are currently working full-steam ahead with fitting the lower, middle and upper floor joists, which involves creating inserts in the tie beams for the joists to sit in. The joists all need to be level. This is quite a feat as the joists aren't always the same measurement all the way along and the round wood tie-beams also have their own unique undulating surface. The joists are then intersected with short pieces of wood known as noggins, to create a surface which acts as a frame for boards to be attached. In turn this holds the insulation.

Ground floor joists

First floor joists

Noggins placed between the joist timbers

From an outsiders perspective fitting the roof doesn't seem like much of a task, but it's actually a fiddly process, especially because it includes a hipped roof and two gables. This involves 2 ridge poles, two valleys and two hip ridges. A hipped roof is where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope creating a triangle shape, and a gable is the triangle wall created from a double sloping roof. Needless to say it requires mathematical precision which we're mastering, lots of discussion (what a surprise on this build) and patience with marking out and cutting. So far so good though; soon it will be ready for the battens, membranes, lead and slates.

Left Picture: Showing the gable end roof Right: Roof rafters creating the meeting point between the two ridges

Loft space and hipped roof end of house

That being said we have still come to a 'big ultimatum', of which I will try and share with you in the least complicated way possible. This is somewhat of a disclaimer as I know the description appears long and arduous, but believe me it's the shortest way I could communicate the complexity of the decision. Here goes:

Do we carry on beavering away under tonnes of stress (because the bales could arrive at any time), finishing the floor joists and getting the the roof rafters in place so we can fit a membrane and make the roof water tight (although not complete), then spend days fitting plastic sheeting around the whole building to protect the bales from rain, but need to be able to be removed daily in order to actually work on the bales walls. Then fit the bales with haste, possibly overlooking some of the key elements of the baling (and how the wall interacts with other elements) and then rapidly working through the stud work to create the frames for the windows and doors before the end of September. Last but not least undertake minimal plastering, which will (fingers-crossed) carbonate properly before the first frost, in the hope that it will be enough protection for the bales during the winter months. We have been hearing all sorts of horror stories from books and from the Cornish Lime Company about damaged bales and lime work peeling and flaking off due to plastering work being left too late. We would be leaving it until the last milli-second and as lime plastering novices this isn't filling us with much confidence.

The alternative is to persist with completing the roof and the floors and then store the bales on the the middle floor over winter, using tarps for protection. This will take some of the pressure off and also provide more time to make sure every detail can be considered fully. During these final stages of creating the house structure there appear to be an infinite number of areas open to careful consideration and perfectionism, like making sure all the cavities created between the bales are filled and compacted to produce strong walls, and creating water tight windows and doors which are essential for a dry straw-bale home. Unfortunately, this option will mean that only minimal work can go on on the inside of the house during the winter months, but there will still be work to do. The straw bale work and plastering will have to begin in spring and will put us behind a short while on next years time-table but it will also allow time to find more volunteers to get involved. As well, there is always the hope that spring will come with all that added 'new season' enthusiasm that most people connected to the outdoors seem to get and we will fly ahead with the baling and plastering.

Really the decision had already been made for us. It seems the risks of the first option are just too great. Instead the prospect of spending time making things prefect instead of bumbling through seems a much more positive option. It means that the house will actually be the dream house that Anthony, Ele and the kids have been working so hard to achieve, instead of one that will prompt many 'I wished we did that differently's'! Everyone on site has been in agreement and, it has to be said, are slightly relieved. So, anyone reading this who wants to get involved with some straw-baling in spring, we're giving you time to make all the necessary arrangements and get yourselves down to Cornwall!

Take care all,

Beth Morgan

Week 16 - A little reminder of how great Pentiddy is

2011-07-12T02:10:00.000-07:00

Pentiddy Organic Allotment Garden

We thought that we'd take the opportunity to show off a bit of Pentiddy vegetable garden in full bloom. Sometimes we forget that Pentiddy isn't just a building site and that it actually feeds and waters us too, with the help of Ele of course.

We are just into pea, carrot, beetroot and potato season. We had an amazing stir fry last night with all fresh produce from the garden including shitake mushrooms from the barn and breakfasts consist of masses of silvan berries, raspberries, blackcurrants and strawberry's. Superb!

Pentiddy Polytunnel

Yurt - for tea making on the building site

Pentiddy pond

Pentiddy roundhouse

Week 12, 13 & 14 - The Frame Becomes Free Standing!

2011-07-01T02:08:00.000-07:00

Well first off, sorry to all you avid blog followers that you’ve had to wait so long for the latest update: better late than never though!

We've been tinkering with joints a little bit in order to get the wall plates to sit level and parallel to one another, and for this we rigged up two chain blocks so we were able to raise and lower the wall plates easily and gently every time we offered up the joints.

Completing this process was a great milestone as it meant that the structure is now truly free standing and stable and we were able to remove the temporary wind braces and guy ropes. Since then we’ve moved on to the outer frame. Tenons have been cut into the ends of the bottom tie beams of each frame in order for us to fit a row of outer jowl posts 50cm out from the inner jowls. The outer jowls support an outer wall plate that will take up the ends of the rafters when the roof goes on. They also support the ground floor joists and will provide the gap into which the bales will be squeezed when we build the walls.

Well that summarizes the major works that have been ongoing over the last few weeks but as ever there’s been lots of other little jobs continuing. The secondary ridge pole, for example, was hoisted up through the middle of frames 1 and 2 in week 13 to be positioned between frame 5 and the principal ridge. We were also back on a few familiar old favourites for a couple of days: producing several more metres of oak pegs to secure the wall plates and wind braces, and the last of the larch poles were finally stripped of bark, to be used in the outer frame. Another 15 tonnes of douglas fir and larch saw logs have also been delivered. These are destined to become the internal stud frame and also the external cladding, so we’ll have to get the blades sharpened on the saw mill.

So we’re keeping busy, there’s still lots to do and lots of challenges ahead but never a dull moment. Next update should see us mid way through the roofing process. Wish us luck.

Cheers

Duncan Winton

Week 10 & 11 - Phase 2 in motion

2011-05-27T06:10:00.000-07:00

Well folks, it's all a different story now the frames are up in the air. After taking week 9 off and recuperating from the previous busy schedule we have spent the last two weeks up scaffolding, in windy conditions, looking out over the amazing view. Oh, and of course working! We've all been quite surprised about how much colder it is up top as opposed to on the ground and the Cornwall weather hasn't been helping things. The word 'brisk' has been an understatement.

The structure itself is quite surprising too. It's enormous. It's hard to conceive that the building comprises of the same set of frames we were working on at ground level. It will look entirely different as the floors and roof begin to emerge, breaking up the visual impact of the structure. And, of course, when the verandas go in next year it will change the structure entirely.


The frame with scaffolding erected

We have the last frame up, which makes the L-shape building, we've moved the frames into position, the scaffolding is erected and we're part way through completing the wall plates. The wall plates tie all the frames together and act as the intersecting point between the main structure and the roof rafters. Originally they were going to made from round wood timbers but, for time-keeping sakes, we're slightly short-cutting and using sawn timbers, produced by Pentiddy's saw mill. A total of 6 2"x8" cut timbers are bolted together at 60cm intervals to make each 4"x8" beam. Each bolt has two heavy washers; specifics relayed to us by the structural engineer guy and carefully memorised and repeated on site by Anthony. It's very important to remember key structural tips, so the house doesn't fall down!

In fact, we're that busy that we haven't quite managed to get the step-by-step guide to tackling the Butterpat joint on the blog. It will happen (promise), but having moved on to Mortise and Tenon joints again we're trying to keep our minds on track with that, instead of slipping back into the Butterpat through subconscious rhythmic influences that seem to take effect when your chiselling away.

Mortice joint on top of the jowl post, ready for the wall plates to be fitted

Next up on the job list is the wind-bracing, a structural tie giving lateral bracing to roof trusses. For this job, Anthony is currently engineering the amazingly named 'magical meseg box', designed by one of Ben Law's roundwood timber frame crew. The adjustable contraption is designed to help measure the sizes of the wind braces, whilst fixing the two 45 degree angles, 90 degrees apart and on the same plane, to position the mortice and tenon joints. More on this in the next update, hopefully with a few more pictures to help things along.

Side view of the Magic Meseg box

Above view of the Magic Meseg Box

Take care all,
Beth Morgan

Week 8 - The official frame-raising day!

2011-05-16T06:10:00.000-07:00

Sunday pm - The finished article

Well, I'm not entirely sure if it should have been the frame raising or hair raising day. With the weather forecast promising high winds, including 40mph gusts, we were all a bit worried that the fames be blown over in an instant. Not only a dangerous prospect, but it could have also meant that 8 weeks of flat out hard work could have been devastated in just a few seconds. However, the picture above clearly shows otherwise and, remarkably, it all went smoothly and professionally! All the thought-out preparation that went into it, possibly spanning the previous week, definitely paid off. We had put guy and tourniquet posts in the ground, prepared and cut to size guy and tourniquet ropes, painted the feet of the fames with a natural asphalt paint to protect against damp, made 1m long round wood rests to sit the posts on, made lifting poles, put the vehicles in places ready for winching and tested the tripod's lifting capabilities.

Some pre-lift preperations:

Asphalt paint on the frame feet

Practice lift of frame 4


cuts in frame 5 to accommodate frame 1 to create the L-shape part of the house

Both days had a great turnout of people (nearly 40 in total) who provided brute force, shear will and a good sense of humour. We couldn't have wished for a better team. Tonnes of food was on hand and tea constantly circulating to keep people on task because, lets face it, we're all driven by a belly full of fuel and although our minds were completely on task it was still no exception. Saturday was all about moving frames into position and also reconstructing two of the frames, which had been flat-packed. But this was no traditional ikea assembly and definitely didn't come with an Allen key for assistance! In fact, our round-wood frames were far easier to fit back together by my estimation.

Most of the lifting team on day 1 celebrating finishing for the day

We were glad to see so many people ready to get stuck into lifting as we had only really guestimated at the the numbers of people required to lift an entire frame and, at one point, we weren't sure we had enough. It all happened pretty quickly.

Frame 3 being lifted with the tripod

Frame 1, 2 & 3 partially raised and on rests

Side view of the partially raised frames

The rest of the day involved lifting three of the frames up a few degrees with a tripod and snatch block. The frames were sat on wood rests., where they wouldn't interfere with the raising of any of the other frames. This was all designed to make the whole process of raising that little bit easier on Sunday by helping the frames to lift rather than drag along the ground.

Becky and Tino lashing the ridge pole to frame 1

Ridge pole in position ready to lift

Sunday's biggest challenge was getting the ridge pole in place, which meant frames one and two were the real clinches. To begin the day we had to add a piece onto the ridge pole so it would span all the frames as it was being raised.

The same number of people turned up as well so the 8 raising team (those who had been working on the carpentry of the frame and a few other knowledgeable people, all identifiable by their hard hats!), so there were plenty of people watching patiently on the side lines and assisting with the winching. This generally required a team of three people who would rigorously pull and push on the winch mechanism. We hadn't quite anticipated how much of a job it would be.

The first frame ended up going up after lunch. We had to keep playing around with the positioning of the vehicles which were weighting down the winching mechanism. On a couple of occasions the vehicles were lifting of the ground! We also put in a gin pole- a high post with a 'v 'cut at the top, between the winch and the frame to assist the cable to lift. It was an extremely nerve racking process. Such a large structure, heavy as it is, seems extremely temperamental even when guyed down and sitting sturdy on granite pads. In discussion after the raise there was a few of us that admitted we were pretty scared that the whole thing was going straight over once at 90 degrees, especially when you have a large pole hanging from it's centre and sitting across the other frames precariously positioned below.


Frame 1 up

Frame 2 was pretty tough two and at one point, Becky, Beth and Daniel had to lift the ridge pole with an extended ladder so that the bolted join between the original ridge pole and the extension stopped from catching on the frame 2 cruck. Visions of the pole just slipping off was racing through our minds and we were very relieved once it was in place. Frame 3 and 4 were a breeze and the day ended with a glass of nettle beer, home brewed of course.

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Take a look at timelapse video that Tony Hill made during the two days. It makes it look easy, a few minutes of light work with Oz and Becky pretty much erecting each frame with their feet.

Beth Morgan

House Frame Raised!

2011-05-10T12:48:00.000-07:00

Hello all!

4 out of 5 of the frames were raised this last weekend... a stressful but amazing experience!
More of this and some pictures to follow soon!

Weeks 3 & 4 - The History of Things

2011-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

The first frame complete, with some of it's proud constructors

It's quite appropriate to the build that we should be getting into the history of things a few weeks down the line. As the challenge of this build starts to reveal itself, so to does the understanding that we are part of something really astounding; the real essence of what a roundwood timber frame build is starts to seep from the sap that's rising from within. Take note, this blog entry might be a bit soppy as we head into more philosophical realms!

It's really special to be apart of building someone's home, as well as to be apart of the realisation of someone's dreams, especially when that someone is the Water's family. They are humble, kind and patient people, internally welcoming to others, nurturing of ideas, creativity and of nature itself. They deserve a home that reflects this, and that's why the roundwood timber frame is perfect. With roundwood timber framing you know where the wood is sourced, you see it's energy as the sap rises to the surface, which in turn helps to peel back the bark, and you choose a pole based on it's individual personality and stature. All in all, the house creates a unique space full of energy and rhythm and a connection to the wilderness, and embedded within that is the personality of the people who consider each of the elements and construct it. It resonates a beautiful harmony.

So where did the idea to build such a house come about. Well, Anthony and Ele did a Permaculture Design Course and some WWOOFing back around 1997. Anthony then got into green wood working and Ele worked for a community woodland. As Ele puts it "we did the woody thing" and so after that they undertook a winter with Ben Law at Prickly Nut Wood learning about the lifestyle of a woodsman. Straight after that, with enthusiasm in tow, they bought Pentiddy. They got five years temporary rights to live on their land in a mobile home. When they decided to go for full planning they knew they wanted to build something that was site-specific and use local resources, but had no other specifications. They were doing some work at Stara Woods, a local woodland in Upton Cross, and a load of larch became available to them. This coupled with their relationship with Ben Law, who was by now building roundwood timber frame buildings for a living, swayed them to design this style of house. The decision was made and luckily everything went smoothly with the planning application. Although they failed the agricultural test, which determines whether someone has a need to stay on the land, planning was granted based on their contribution to the local community and the successes of all the projects they had done to date. Interesting for those who are considering turning agricultural land into home. See Pentiddy's website for the submitted drawings, agricultural appraisal, and Ecological Footprint Report, produced by Anthony and Ele to support their planning application.

So where are we now, well it's week 5 and were onto frame 3. We've got experience behind us, a new cross-hair laser level, so hopefully we're speeding up and getting skilled up. Especially because we now have dates set and in the diary for frame raising which leaves no room for error. The pressures on but we're optimistic people...and, well, the sun is shining!

Frame raising will be on the weekend of May 7th and 8th. Anyone interested in getting involved please contact us to see if we can fit you in.

Return and see the next entry in a weeks time - "The Science of Things" - we should be pretty confidant by then on producing a step-by-step account to the butterpat joint!

Beth Morgan

Weeks 1 & 2 - The weeks of 'ish'and 'smidge'

2011-04-05T09:01:00.000-07:00

It's early week 3 and I'm reminiscing about weeks 1 & 2. Things are looking pretty on top! Apart from Pentiddy sitting in a soggy cloud at present, we look on schedule and the prospect of the frame being raised in the next 5 weeks is pretty hopeful.

So the build started on the Spring Equinox. Hopefully an evening celebration with camp fire and a tipple of home brewed wine, as well as a change in breakfast routine – from hot porridge to raw breakfast – went some way to gleaning a wee bit of crafty luck for the coming months.

The framing bed

Daniel using the jumping jack

Measuring out & laying the foundation pads on sharp sand

With the framing bed already set up on site, work began by checking measurements and laying out the granite stone pads for the frame to sit on. A jumping jack was hired to compact the ground where the pads would be placed. A whole array of site surveying tools were used to try and ascertain whether the pads were placed properly. This included a recycled laser level Anthony had taken from a discarded tool and restored, and a Cowly site level. Neither provided the accuracy required and we eventually hired an optical site level which, fingers crossed, worked a treat. We'll find out on raising day.

Duncan using the laser spirit level to produce a straight line across the roundwood timber to create a horizontal line for the chissel lines

Discussion and contemplation was pretty heavy and we were reliant on some rarely used mental arithmetic. Luckily Oz set us up with an on-site child's blackboard and calculator for the second week - a back-up for the after lunch brain fog that sometimes kicks in after too much fresh baked bread and jam!

The site chalk board

Checking the 'smidge' measurement

I think the measurements 'smidge' and 'ish' formally entered the Pentiddy dictionary. Due to the amount of times they've already been used on site is set to infiltrate Collin's by the time the build is out. The exact definition is yet to be formulated, but by all accounts smidge is somewhere around 1/8^th of an inch, but can vary depending on the relative measured item. 'Ish' is geared more towards use in times of hardship, when things don't quite add up, but you have a GOOD FEELING about it! It's probably fair to say that these measurements have been born of the construction of a building that involves no straight lines and no regularities. It's been a challenge to try to relive ourselves of those typical English traits of rigidity and being pedantic about everything, and give ourselves over to curves and flexibility. We haven't, however, given up those other recognisable English traits of constant sarcasm, the use of the classic cup of tea to nurse any woes and, of course, talking about the weather!

The shelter is up and ready to take any weather that comes it's way

On that note, the weather was pretty amazing in the first week and we got a bit too confident that it would remain sunny for the rest of the build (also pretty English) and decided against putting up a shelter. It was no wonder that heavy rain set in during week two when the first cruck frame was taking shape and so a decent shelter was erected. It did have a few teething problems but has now been reinforced in order to withstand some heavy duty weather, just in case!

Becky & Anthony working on the tie beam on frame 5

Above view of frame four top, the only frame without a cruck joint

Adeon and Elowen, the children of Pentiddy, took to filming the build and did their first couple of interviews. Ele, the master chef, has been keeping everyone in good shape with all the great food she cooks, whilst home-schooling the kids and maintaining the garden. She's amazing. And to add to the news, the first lamb of the spring was born and was named furry by Adeon.

A nice tight fit on the butterpat - few!

Butterpat joint chiselled

Constructing the first cruck frame did present a few problems but nothing that couldn't be overcome after a week of head scratching over the pad laying. Attention was on the butter-pat joint (see Ben Law's book – Roundwood Timer Framing Building Naturally Using Local Resources) and many different attempts were made to measure horizontal and perpendicular lines on the poles to create precise markings for the joints. In the end it was decided that a self-levelling cross hair laser would be purchased to speed things up in the future. Scribing proved a bit difficult at times but when the tie beams were raised slightly with car jacks, to allow for better manoeuvring with the scribe, things looked more rosy. By the end of the week even the non-professionals had given it a go and the team could celebrate their first finished cruck frame. All we needed to do was move it onto site ready for the raising day. We thought we'd leave that to week three and celebrate the end of the week on a high.

Beth Morgan