Roofing tips by the English builder in Brittany

Of the Many Shapes of the Roof the gable will be Found Most Suitable for the Beginner. Marking Off the Wood for Cutting is Simplified by the Use of a Steel Square as Explained by Sparrow Legs Renovations.

THERE are various shapes of roof such as lean-to, gable, hip, hip and valley, gable and valley and Mansard.

For the average do-it-yourself man just starting on rafter cutting perhaps the gable roof is the most suitable. First, one should be familiar with the names of the different parts of a roof. Span is the overall width of building taken from outer edge of wall plates.

Run is the horizontal distance from wall plate to a point directly under ridge. This as a rule is one half of span.

Rise is the height of roof at centre of ridge (see Fig. 1).

The steepness of a roof is known as its pitch and pitches most commonly used are one-half, one-third, one-quarter and one-sixth. A roof with half pitch is half as high as the building is wide. If it is third pitch it is one-third as high as it is wide and so on.

Fig 1 - Diagram showing the various parts of the roof.

The Steel Square

A steel square enables you to mark off the various cuts and also to ascertain the length the rafter needs to be. The long arm of the square is called the blade and the shorter arm is called the tongue. The blade is 24in. long and the tongue 16 or 18in. The outer edge on one side of both blade and tongue is marked off in inches and twelfths of inches.

In using the square think of the blade as being the run of your roof, the tongue as being the rise and the hypotenuse (that is a line drawn from a point on the blade to a point on the tongue) as being the slope.

The measurements used on the square will be equal to one-twelfth that of the actual roof, i.e., inches and twelfths on the square will represent feet and inches on the roof. For an example let us say your building has a width (span) of 12ft. and you wish it to have a roof of one-third pitch. The rise will therefore be 4ft. (one-third of span) and the run 6ft. (half of span).

Lay the square on your timber so that the 4in. mark on the tongue and the 6in. mark on the blade is on the edge of timber. The tongue will now give you the bevel required for the top end of rafter-that is to fit the ridge board. This is known as a “plumb cut.” The blade will give the
 bevel to fit on the plate (“seat cut”).

Length of Rafter

The length of the rafter can be found by any of the following methods:-


1. Measure hypotenuse from 4in. mark on tongue to 6in. mark on blade and multiply by 12.
2. Slide the square on the timber twelve times keeping square on marks 6 on blade and 4 on the tongue.
3. Read off rafter length from rafter scale found on the  side of the square where the twelfths occur.

If method No. 2 is used it is made more easy to slide the square if two strips of wood are screwed together on the hypotenuse. Either method will give rafter length from the centre of the roof to the outer edge of the wall plate. Where a ridge board is used, deduct half thickness of the ridge board from the rafter length and add the allowance for overhang as a separate measurement.

Fig. 2 - A Steel rule showing the rafter scale which simplifies the task of marking off the wood.

Rafter Scale

Fig. 2 shows part of a rafter scale. The first column gives figures to be used in placing the square on the timber. In each a case in this scale 12 is the setting for the blade and the next figure is for the tongue.

Column 2 gives the pitch and the remaining columns give the rafter length. To use the scale for a roof of 12ft. span and one-third pitch select line 3 for one-third pitch and carry along to the column under the figure 6 (6ft. being the run of the roof).

Here you will read off 7-2-6 which means 7ft. 2 6/12in.

This will be the rafter length required and it is only necessary to deduct half thickness of the ridge board and add whatever is required for overhang.

Repointing Old Stone Wall in Central Brittany, France.

Recently I completed a job which I have to admit, bored me senseless. Repointing, and to make it worse, pointing an old stone wall! This was the first time I’ve ever taken on this sort of work and no doubt, it won’t be the last. I’m just amazed I got away with it for this long!

(Gable ends before re-pointing)

As a seasoned builder, pointing wasn’t a hard job. Though being of a younger generation, I choose to use a pointing gun opposed to hawking in the mud by hand. Using a pointing gun made life easier on an old stone wall, though I couldn’t offer a comparison with brick thus to which method would be faster.

The mortar gun used was a cheapie, around 5 Euros from Brico Marche. It was smaller than the others available in the build centres, but being in France, I wasn’t going to be fooled by paying 140 Euros; (Point P).

I’ll have to admit that a larger gun would have reduced the amount of times it had to be refilled, and this wouldn’t have been a problem if you pointed the traditional way of hawking it in.

The mortar used was a ready-mix lime mortar, just add water and mix. You have a choice of colours, as such, I didn’t have to colour match as everyone uses the same pallet.

Cleaning out the old joint was easy on this job, being a traditional drystone wall; all that had to be done was raked out old dry mud. I took out 15 to 20mm’s, which equates to 2.5m2 for 25kg of “Renovation Enduit”.

Once the mortar was in the joint, I waited till it started to become firm before I started the cleaning process. I think this is where most people go wrong and can the job look awful.

Quite simply, I had two small thick paint brushes. The first brush I dipped in water and pushed the mud into the joint, compacting it.  Then I waited for the mud to go firm again, a little firmer than before and used the second brush to wipe of the excess.

(Gable wall after pointing)

If you do happen to make a pigs ear of it, then have a cordless drill to hand with a brass brush bit to hand and use lightly. (Wear goggles!!)

(THIS IS NOT HOW IT SHOULD LOOK!)

Pointing isn’t a hard job; I’m no expert so I reckon anyone can do it. Just think you’d be saving 35 – 60 Euros per m2, paying someone else. If you have high walls, you will have to beg, borrow or still some scaffolding as trying to point on a ladder is dangerous and hard work on your legs.

My last recommendation is to have a radio to hand; it will help to pass the time.

Pointing, what’s the point!

Repointing is the process of renewing the pointing (the external part of mortar joints) in masonry construction. Over time, weathering and decay cause voids in the joints between masonry units (usually bricks), allowing the undesirable entrance of water. Water entering through these voids can cause significant damage through frost weathering and from salt dissolution anddeposition. Repointing is also called pointing,^[1] or pointing up, although these terms more properly refer to the finishing step in new construction.

(From Wiki - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Repointing)

Types of Brickwork Pointing

• ·            Concave or Bucket Handle Pointing.
• ·            Weatherstruck
• ·            Recessed or Raked

(Ref:  http://www.i-brick.com/types-of-brickwork-pointing/)

Metal or Timber Stud-Work in Central Brittany?

Currently I'm “cutting and nailing sticks together", in other words, installing stud-work in an old countryside house 15km away from Pontivy in Central Brittany. The stud-work is not for partitioning but for adding insulation to the interior walls.

(Timber stud-work Central Brittany)

Stud-work is a supportive framework to partition a space into different areas. When made, it’s a good place to hide all the things you wouldn't want to see, like Electricity cabling, Plumbing and anything else which isn't visually desirable.

In old properties, were insulation is required, for example pre-cavity builds this is a good way to insulate the home. However, this isn't desirable if your home has already been furnished and decorated. (Best to at the start of renovating if you've bought yourself a little countryside wreck!)

Stud-work comes in two forms – Metal and Timber. This made me think, why do I always choose timber for studding walls?

(Metal Stud-Work, Walls and Ceilings) 

Personally I Like wood, it costs the same as metal and it’s just as easy to install. I also believe that if you live in a cooler, wet climate, metal stud can condensate and will eventually blow the plaster.

This point about the condensation however is only related specific circumstances. I.E., if it’s installed against a solid stone exterior wall with no cavity. It is possible to overcome this using a thermal bridge, though most builders rarely use this in private residential jobs.

A positive thing with metal stud-work is the minimal tools required for installation. This means very little training is required with regards to those tools. I use metal stud-work for all ceiling work, due to the material being light weight and being very easy to get level.

List of Pros., Cons & Indifference. (In my opinion)

Wood

Pros.

• ·        Plaster boards feel firmer when installed
• ·        The wall doesn’t sound as hollow when taping
• ·        Able to hang heavy pictures or other object on the studs

Cons.

• ·        Heavier material to use
• ·        Requires More tools, which require training.

Metal

Pros.

• ·        Metal is lighter and easier to transport
• ·        Requires minimal tools for installation

Cons.

• ·        Wall sounds tinny and hollow
• ·        Can’t hang anything heavy in the stud
• ·        Potential problems with condensation

On paper, the conclusion would suggest the metal is best, especially if you’re a DIYer. But as a professional builder and a traditionalist, I’d still stick to wood. I personally like to think that something which feels solid is better.

Common tools for both materials:

• ·       Chalk Line Reel
• ·        Tape Measure
• ·        Spirit Level
• ·        Pencil
• ·        Impact driver
• ·        Setsquare

Tools required for Wood (My opinion):

• ·        Mitre saw
• ·        Gas powered first fix nail gun
• ·        Hammer

Tools required for Metal:

• ·        Steel Forge Aviation Tin Snips (I prefer an angle grinder)
• ·        Stud Crimpers (Used for Locking the stud and track together)

Oriental inspired bathroom in the French countryside.

I am capable of doing more than just bathrooms, though I seem to be a magnet regarding building them. This one is a little different. For starters, the client is French, not the usual English crowd inhabiting the local area.

From a build and design point of view, again this project was different due to the French culture, which surfaced during the build and dictated the materials chosen, which effected the form.

My brief before starting was that the house was going to be completely renovated for holiday rentals. As such the rooms are to be themed, bedroom one – traditional boat theme, bedroom two – 70’s theme (Laval laps, bright colours etc.). Different themes to be continue throughout, the bathroom being no exception.

My understanding of the client theming the house is a simple; furnishings costs and providing the holidaymaker with a fun experience when on vacation.

When shopping for home furnishings, the bargain items are usually bright, garish, and usually only chosen for small areas within any given room to create a feel, without being overwhelmed. IE Wallpapering just one wall, having a heavy print, is acceptable. Having it throughout the whole room though maybe a little OTT.

My client has taken advantage of the price reductions of these materials and utilised this to his own benefit. If a wall needs 10m2 of tiles, if it’s the same price for the bargain basement plan white or mock bamboo, I like the adventurous option.

So, back to the bathroom – an Oriental inspired bathroom, dictated by the mock straw and bamboo tiles, which there wasn’t enough to cover the whole wall. As this is a price driven project the only readily available tiles left were pebble. And still there wasn't enough of those either.

(Pebble's, Mock Straw & Red Tiles)

The cultural difference in mentality only surfaced when it came to the shower installation. Now I'm cautious about talking about the comparisons between two cultures, though this is the 21^st century and I've been living in a foreign county for many years, you do become aware of the differences and it’s enlightening when the root decisions become apparent and effect the finished design.

Back to the shower area, I have a saying, KISS - “keep it simple, stupid”.  No matter what shape or style of the bathroom, I like to get the first fix out the way, and then do the ceiling, walls and then floors in that order not unless it’s a wet room design; floor and then wall as I like the wall tile to sit on the floor tile.

Once the room has taken shape, then the bathroom furniture is fitted and you are finished. If a shower is to be installed, I would use shower glass, never would I build a box in the corner of a room and then add a glass door. What would be the point, it cost more and you lose the clean lines of the room.

Example - 

(Clean Lines)

When asked to box the oriental themed bathroom, I was curious to know the reason why?

The Client explained that as it’s for holiday rentals, he wanted something sturdy and unbreakable. The shower head had to be attached to the ceiling, so it couldn’t be touched, the taps set into the wall so it impossible to fiddle with connections, nor having a bar to pull off the wall. I like some of these features, from a design point of view – giving nice clean lines, but building a wall to surround the shower area so no glass could be broken seem to me to be a little excessive. It costs more in materials – Gypsum Block, more tiles and also the hours of work involved. Whereas installing a piece of glass cost very little, take no time at all to install and easy to replace if needed.

(Gypsum Block - Shower Area)

I’m pleased with the finished product; it is not my usual bathroom installation but I am starting to understand that interior design can be dictated by people preconceptions as well a price. Also this is another bathroom which I have completed within 15 days, starting from scratch. (This room wasn’t a bathroom to start off with.)

How long does it take to build a bathroom?

Over the years this question has even been difficult for me to answer, especially as I have to quote a price for any given building job that I’m looking to do.

However, in the last 12 months, I have built all manners of bathrooms in France (Brittany); from small to large, modern to country style, wet-rooms, and some custom designs with audio speakers, coving and Tadelakt walls and floors.

As a rule of thumb, 150 man hours would be a fair answer; this would include the following work to be completed:

 

Gutting out the bathroom suit, and removal of any walls.

Trip to the dump and shopping.

 

Stud work and first fix - Electrics and Plumbing.

 

Drylining and plastering.

 

New Evacs for shower, standard or wet-room style.

 

Installation of under floor heating and floor levelling.

Painting of ceiling and walls

 

 

Tiling floors and walls - English Tiler in Brittany

 

Grouting - Boring, but should look great if done with some love!

 

 

Detailing i.e. - wood panelling

Installing or building of storage spaces.

 

Fixtures & Fittings - Baths, shower screens mixers, sinks toilet, lights, fans etc.

Snagging.

 

As you can see, you either need multiple tradesman, or the skills and tools of many different trade. Amazing to think, when its generally one of the smallest rooms in your home.

• Labourer
• Electrician
• Plumber
• Plasterer
• Painter
• Tiler
• And maybe a Carpenter.

Any questions, email me @: sparrowlegsrenovations@outlook.com 

Bathroom Renovations in Brittany - France.

A Bathroom theme has kicked off 2014. One completed, with a traditional country style feel, and the current job continuing the country style, but with a modern twist.

My Renovation images from previous renovations

Still not managed to find the time to upload examples of my previous work. But I remembered that I do have some photos on both Tumblr and Pinterest.

Pinterest are the finished articles, where as Tumblr contains images that document the process.

• http://www.pinterest.com/SparrowLegsDeco/sparrow-legs-interior-renovations-bretagne/
• http://www.interiorrenovationsfrance.tumblr.com/