Barn Conversion

The idea is to take our old barn and convert it for human use. Not sure what we will use it for - parties?

Guest accommodation? A place to make a bit of noise with a few musician friends? Probably all three.

So the barn now has a new upper floor and a staircase to get you there and the old walls have been pointed with lime mortar inside and out – except too much stone can look a bit heavy so the gable walls have been rendered to create a contrast. Next job is to insulate the roof.

There are several options here, the cheapest and most obvious is to put rockwool under the tiles and cover it with dry lining. The downside however is that I will lose sight of the old beams. An alternative would be to put a thin but remarkably efficient layer of insulation above the beams directly under the tiles. The easiest way would be to remove the existing tiles, lay the insulation and then put the tiles back. 

There is a problem however; these tiles are not made of traditional slate. They are a form of asbestos. The authorities tell me they are safe but if they are removed they must be replaced not re-used.

Ah well, in for a penny…

David