Refurbishing an Old Cottage - last update Dec 2012

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

In the old part of the cottage we have original wide chimneys that you could send a child up to sweep lol! one was open right up, you could see the stars and the other was covered in with corrugated iron. There was a hole in the centre for the stove pipe and at either side two more holes but covered over that could be opened to clean out. It stops the soot and you don't end up with birds nest soup. I'll have to take some more photos tomorrow. Going to bed now..after being a member since 2008 I have finally got the courage and knowhow to communicate and may be in danger of becoming a JT addict Ha Ha!!

[tudlytops]

We've put one of those chimney things on top, one with a hat thingy (i'm very technical you should see me in shops trying to get what i want lol), any way it's stopped water coming down and it will stop the birds to, but unless we send the child up to clean it it will never be spotless so we are going to build a filter.

[unapam]

Originally Posted by tudlytops

The work in the kitchen is well under way.

We are making 1 kitchen out of 2, opening up the chimney and placing the cooker and oven in there.

The doors for the 2 kitchens are different but by the time we finished they will look the same and have a country look to them.

1 Kitchen given to us by Cole, thank you
1 given on another site

Hi Tuddlypops. That is coming up gorgeous! I know how hard you are working but it is very satisfying I'm sure. You will have a cosy little home soon. Best wishes. Unapam

[unapam]

Originally Posted by Eibhlin ni Sheambrai

Hi Tuddlytops, finally worked out how to upload photos. We had to knock down a very badly built kitchen extension that had a very low roof and small windows. The room is new but we like old. I had been cutting out pictures of cookers/mantlepieces and keeping them in a file. A friend of ours built it for us using red bricks that were left on site and the beam was originally over the window of the old kitchen. By the way, this friend is a butcher by trade not a builder but we reckon he did a good job with only a few pictures to look at. Might give you an idea. You could use a railway sleeper as a beam supported on bricks and put your oven and hob inside. Eibh.

That is wonderful. That's one talented buthcher! lucky you. :-)

[tudlytops]

Originally Posted by bubbles747

this makes me wish i took photos of my house before we started! only diffrence is we actually had to live in ours and carry out the work! still not finished. best of luck tudleytops

I wish we could live in it save the rent money, but there's no water or ESB yet so no chance, we do stay there over night sometimes but the caravan baterry can only go so far

[tudlytops]

Thank you unapan, it is every time we finish something we feel dead proud of ourselves.

[LittleWhiteWestie]

Well Done Tudlytops it is looking really fab - you must be so proud of your achievements to date!!

Well Done.

LWW :)

[tudlytops]

Thank you,

Its slow going health not the best, but we getting there :)

[irishchick56]

What you are doing is amazing, I envy you :-) I look forward to more photos and hearing about your progress! Thank Goodness for JumbleTown.

Regards
Chloe

[tudlytops]

thank you, health hasn't been the best so we going kinda slow and just done some work on the garden as it is easier.

But we do have doors on the kitchen cupboards and worktops waiting to be cut and fitted so we should have more pictures soon.

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tudlytops, can't find the thread about looking for old sleepers to build mantlepiece around chimney for your cooker. I have found something that may be useful. Could you pm me as I don't want to put details up, as I am offering to you, not putting up for general viewing. Cheers, Eibhlin.

[tudlytops]

PM sent, thanks

[mondubics]

Originally Posted by Eibhlin ni Sheambrai

Hi there, if you look behind the beam you will see there is an extractor fan which is vented to the outside. We cheated as we didn't actually have a chimney but wanted the look. If you are actually going into the chimney space you would have to close it off like for an aga and maybe install an extractor fan vented up the chimney. E.

Very interesting thread!
I'm not into renovating, but in a 1930's house that had a space for a range, and a chimney above it, I also used the space to put my cooker.
At first, the chimney was open (for some reason down the years there never was a range in the gap), but when the kitchen was done up, I got them to put hardboard/marine ply across the whole opening, with a space for a vent (sliding), to take the steam up the chimney. Then I had tiles fitted on all 4 sides of the box (ceiling and 3 sides), so the vent just isn't obvious, and I no longer have dust (and worse) coming down.
I clean the vent occasionally, and if any birds fall down the chimney, I know I'll have to re-do the whole thing, but its not a big job.

[tudlytops]

Thanks mondubics,

We've build a sort of a holder for a filter, it opens up so we can change the filter and we place a chimney guard so no birds will be coming down, this sort of chimneys are very common in Portugal so i have a good idea of what to do with it.

We can't tile it at the moment, short of cash, so we just going to paint it so it is clean and tile it later.

Most of the work apart from the tiling of walls and floor is now done and will be putting some pictures up soon :)

[tudlytops]

We almost done with the kitchen and living room.

Just short of tiles for the kitchen so will compromise for now with paint for the floor and kitchen wallpaper for the walls over the counters will have pictures soon

Thank you all