Saturday 28 September 2013

the marathons keep comin

It is Nottingham's Robin Hood Marathon this weekend. Good luck Krisi and Steve!

My own marathon continues up above the ceiling, dragging rolls of insulation and laying  down 100mm, then two lots of 150mm to create a snug 400mm of fibreglass. The impact in those rooms below where we have insulated has been immediate, with room temperatures not falling below 21 degrees even though outside, the night time temperature has fallen to 8 degrees. (I wish I could find the degree symbol on this keyboard!).
And, as always the case, I'm well into the job when someone tells me I'm doing it wrong. I shouldn't have taken the insulation up to the eaves but left a ventilation gap. What!? There's only one thing worse than stuffing insulation in a loft than taking it out again.. But on my many marathons I have had Steve (aka The Great Man) as my personal coach and mentor. 'No, no, no - you've got a breathable membrane beneath the cedar shingles that will allow any moisure out'. Phew. Back to the stuffing then...
And as I stuff, I proudly carry the badges of honour that mark my membership of the worldwide order of roof laggers. My shoulder bruises may now have now faded to yellow but they are epaulettes I wear with pride.  And the long, low roof has led me to have developed a walk similar to a hybrid between Groucho Marx and Quasimodo. But with the arms of a gibbon as I drag the rolls of fibreglass along. Anyroadup (as they say in these parts) half way there now.

And as if one marathon were not enough, the second has begun... We have lovely internal wooden 'Oak Shaker' doors. Their wrappers say very clearly that they should be varnished - but The Great Man tells me 'No no no - use Danish Oil'. So, Danish Oil it will be (at £10 a tin). Rubbing it into the wood with a cloth. Each side of a door takes about twenty minutes. 18 doors makes 12 hours. Oh yes, and each door needs three coats of Danish Oil. That's 36 hours of my life accounted for then!

Good Luck Krisi and good luck Steve. Your marathon will be finished by Sunday afternoon, but mine will go on for much longer....


1 comment:

JINJALINZ said...

Rob,
I've come across a website www.danish-oil.com with a handy guide to two ways of application. The interesting thing is the firm is situated in HUCKNALL!

Good luck.
xx Linz