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Some of the main walls are below ground level, so venting and draining ducts were built into the insulation sandwich to deal with water penetration, while on the outside, a water proof membrane and French drain were created to divert any ground water.
Installing the French Drain
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All walls were affected by severe rising damp but due to reservations about the long term effect of silicone based chemical injected damp proof methods, it was decided to use the Remtox mortar system. This involved drilling lots of holes at 25cm intervals in the rubble stonework then injecting a damp proofing mortar. With the thickness of the walls being more than 1m thick in places, this was a major operation. The drill holes were saturated with water then, the rapid setting damp proofing mortar followed. As it dries, various salts from the mortar migrate into the surrounding stone work creating a damp barrier.
Much of the existing timber in the building was so badly attacked by woodworm that it had no structural strength left. It simply had to be taken out and burnt as fuel. To replace all this with new timber would have been both expensive and an unnecessary drain on a valuable resource. Recycled pitch pine timber from a demolition site has been used to reconstruct the main roof trusses, floor joists and wall studdings. Exposed 12" square pitch pine beams are used to support the first floor.
To reduce the impact of chemicals on the environment, Boracol wood preservative from Remtox was used on all timber. This boron (borax) based substance eliminates woodworm but has no known impact on animal life in the various food chains, including mammals such as bats and birds. At £75 for 5 litres, Boracol seems pricey, but 5 litres goes a very long way, leaves no residual smell and the area treated is soon habitable again. A plain wood finish was appropriate in many places in the house but finding a suitably benign timber finish was difficult. O. S. Transparent Wood Wax finish is a completely non toxic covering.
Windows and treatments.
All the original windows had been attacked by wet rot. The building specification did not allow the use of either tropical hardwood or Upvc frames. As the problem of cold bridging had been tackled, it was considered frames in softwood would be acceptable and last longer than frequently predicted. To reduce costs, the frames used were supplied straight from a local joinery in Keighley.
To reduce heat losses via glazing, it was decided to use Pilkington ‘K’ glass specification or better, as it reflects back more heat back into the rooms than traditional double glazing. Windows and doors were painted with the O.S. system of natural oil based, non toxic, low odour paint. Some very exposed exterior surfaces were finished using a microporous system and internal surfaces with water based acrylic paint.
The house is in a high position but there is some shelter from the hillside to the North. An unusual feature of the building is a 1metre thick weather wall to the West. Perhaps this was an addition to the original house to try and reduce the impact of the prevailing westerly winds.
Our choice of heating system was a dilemma, but in the end we opted for an automatic oil fired central heating boiler for space heating and hot water. Research showed the preferred alternative, LPG gas to be far more expensive to purchase and run as mains gas is not available. Oil fired boilers of the balanced flue type are fast approaching gas in levels of combustion efficiency. The option of fitting solar panels has been left till a later date. The insulated areas of the house require minimal input from the oil powered boiler and radiators with thermostatic shut off valves are almost always off.
As one of the aims of the project was to reduce energy consumption, electric lighting at the farm uses 95% low energy bulbs. Ironically, we have discovered that in the 1940’s, a local engineer built and erected a wind generator on the Western gable of the thick weather wall, the remains of which were clearly visible during restoration of the roof. It is long term aim is to generate electric power again. Any one with ideas or experience in power generation is welcome to contact us via the EBS.
During the summer of 1995, the spring supply to the house failed. Analysis showed the water to be heavily contaminated with surface water containing sheep dip residues and E-coli. A new pure underground spring source about 300 metres from the house was discovered, and a storage tank and automatic pump installed. This gives us independance from mains treatments and charges and a reliable supply in all weather conditions. We have also provided for grey waste and rain water to be diverted for garden use in the event of another dry spell.
The original sanitation was completely inadequate consisting of a tiny septic tank connected to the house by leaking pipework. When the inevitable system overload happened, we rapidly had to decide on a larger septic tank and drain system. The outfall from this is planted with a reed bed to help absorb toxic products.
Completion.
At the time of writing, the renovation is virtually finished barring a few cosmetic details. It is a comfortable and warm building with lower than average running costs, despite being in a remote location. There are many people, firms and individuals, whose help has enabled us to complete a successful project, including the EBS. Thanks to them all.