The latest section of wall in the orchard is now complete. It is only 5m, but it is very rewarding to put the coping stones on. It never seems to take very long – possibly just 15 mins – to put the coping stones on. It is made all the easier by separating the coping stones as I have been rebuilding the wall.
 |
| Day 12 – Dry stone walling |
Well, according to a number of sources, as a rule of thumb you should sharpen the chain on a chainsaw every time you refuel it. You can also tell when it requires sharpening because of the sawdust – a sharp chainsaw produces long strips of wood as sawdust rather than very fine dust.
I found this video on YouTube that was really helpful: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qvcCh2XqEPc This is one of a series of Stihl chainsaw videos and they are well worth watching.
You can find the sharpening kit here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stihl-Sharpening-5605-007-1027/dp/B002YQ4SG0/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1355176663&sr=8-9
I found the process very easy to do and it only took around 20 minutes. I reckon that I will be able to do this even quicker with a bit of practice. It has made a massive difference to the cutting performance of the chainsaw. Do make sure that you get the right size sharpening kit for your chainsaw – they come in different sizes to match the chain. Much cheaper than buying a new chain.
Coloured uPVC windows. In many of the older properties in this area the windows are increasingly cream or a sort of duck egg blue. Both of which are a vast improvement on white!
Go for Class A – these are the highest rated in terms of energy efficiency. The rating system works the same way as it does for fridges and freezers. Windows like fridges used to be only available in white, but things are changing.
The windows need to be airtight. We know the wind rattles around the property when the weather is bad, particularly at the front of the property. In our current house, the wooden windows and frames (although relatively modern) don’t really fit that well and you can feel a draft inside when the wind gets up.
Since we are planning on using underfloor heating, the insulation of the property is important and making sure that the windows fit is a good starting point!
We had a bat survey completed back in August and the survey was submitted as part of the planning application. The survey showed no evidence of bats living in the property or the outlying buildings.
Bats
Swallows
In the course of the bat survey, an occupied swallow nest was identified in the existing lean-to building at the north-east side of the site. Works to this section of the site (which may cause destruction of nests or, disturbance to the resident swallows) must not take place during the bird breeding season (late March to August) or until the young have fledged.
In line with the NPPF, It would be beneficial if this nest could be retained in the final scheme. If not, then if possible, a replacement swallow nesting feature should be incorporated into the scheme in line with the following guidance:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/s/swallow/encouraging.aspx
Swallow nests require an open access throughout the breeding season, so are best suited to outbuildings, sheds or garages.
The calculation required for the room in which the stove with be fitted is:
(Length x Width x Height) / 15 = Output Required (kW)
All measurements should be in metres. If there is excessive heat loss from the room through windows, doors and stairways, a higher heat output would be recommended.
|
Here are some examples of flooring tiles. It would have been good to have kept all the original flagstones, but they are probably to rough and ready. Maybe there is a locally sourced alternative that has a finer finish.
|
| Tuscany Travetine tiles – www.quornstone.com |
 |
| Limestone tiles – www.floorsofstone.com
|
I have started a set of pages that I am going to label up as “Scrapbook”. These are pages with photos and links to websites where I have been interested in their products. I will update them as I come across new products, but thought these might be useful for others.
So I am going to start with contemporary log stoves – nothing rustic about these – something clean and stylish for the main living space. There will be underfloor heating, so this is really just to top up the temperature a bit on the colder days.
 |
| Firebelly – www.firebellystoves.com |
 |
| Jide Decor – www.eurostove.co.uk |
 |
| Saey – www.eurostove.co.uk |
 |
| Stuv 16 – www.stuv.com |
 |
| Westfire Uniq 23 – www.eurostove.co.uk |
Yes, you guessed it! More dry stone walling. The weather forecast was for a good day and we weren’t disappointed. Cold and dry. Problem was that it never got above freezing. The ground was solid, but the foundations had already been dug, so I wasn’t too worried. What I hadn’t planned for was the fact that all the stones had been frozen together. I gave it a few hours and even a bit of sun on the stones didn’t make much of a difference. Anyway, another 3-4 courses done today and I think another couple of days and we will be putting the coping stones on this section.
© 2026 Hagg Leys Farm
Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑
