We are at lock up...no really...we are actually at lock up!!!

Last night we cracked open a bottle of champagne to celebrate what has been an extremely long process! Our large exterior eastern facing door has been installed! We should have been locked up last year so it is with much relief and great celebration to reach this stage. We have had a productive week, with many trades dropping in on the site to do work. Grant has been retrofitting the old part of the house by hempcreting the ceiling to provide us with superior insulation. I have been working on waxing the bamboo cabinetry using a product called Treatex traditional hardwax oil. Pictures to follow.

The most important picture is the one beneath theses words. How glorious it is to have the door in, and lockable. It has large proportions and feels incredibly solid. There is still a couple of things to complete the door. Down at the base we need to place an angled door trim so we don't trip on the doorway. This will be placed once the concrete floor has been polished.

This is it, the door that has delayed the project by months!

Toffee already enjoying the sun streaming through our door!

Rendering continues

I've been dragging the chain a bit with publishing anything of late. This post shows the start of the main part of the house with the first coat of lime render. The other images show the 'brewery' getting the rendering treatment. We have used a breathable render that contains no cement or acrylic in the mix. This is to ensure that the hemp breathes. Have a look at these few photos. More to come...I mean it!

As the sun sets it has turned out to be a wonderful start to
our house being rendered

Working on the brewery, a good place to start on our hempcrete
Mesh is used to reinforce the render, particular attention is paid
to areas around windows and doors to prevent cracking.

Windows are covered so they are protected from the render