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June 2008
This month has primarily been about plinth wall building. We don't have the skills for this
kind of work, so hired some Bulgarian wall builders who did a fantastic job. They worked
calmly and steadfastly during temperatures that reached 40 degrees some afternoons.
The plinth wall varies in height to accommodate the slope of the land, being 70cm at the
back and just under 50cm at the front. The function of the plinth wall (aka stem wall) is to
keep the bales dry and prevent splashback from heavy rain. We also get heavy snow
here, so need to be well protected from that during the winter.
It's a cavity wall built using 95% lime mortar with the remainder being cement and glue for
extra strength. We wanted to use 100% lime but were convinced by locals that lime on its
own wouldn't be strong enough. It was a difficult decision because we know that the
cement and glue will have a negative impact on the wall's 'breathability' so that we may yet
need to create some weep holes. However, we decided to go with the locals on this one,
since they've been using the type of lime that's available over here for more than 30 years
and therefore should have a good knowledge of its strength and capabilities. One of those
compromises...which we may yet regret...but the wall does look beautiful:
Back
This month has primarily been about plinth wall building. We don't have the skills for this
kind of work, so hired some Bulgarian wall builders who did a fantastic job. They worked
calmly and steadfastly during temperatures that reached 40 degrees some afternoons.
The plinth wall varies in height to accommodate the slope of the land, being 70cm at the
back and just under 50cm at the front. The function of the plinth wall (aka stem wall) is to
keep the bales dry and prevent splashback from heavy rain. We also get heavy snow
here, so need to be well protected from that during the winter.
It's a cavity wall built using 95% lime mortar with the remainder being cement and glue for
extra strength. We wanted to use 100% lime but were convinced by locals that lime on its
own wouldn't be strong enough. It was a difficult decision because we know that the
cement and glue will have a negative impact on the wall's 'breathability' so that we may yet
need to create some weep holes. However, we decided to go with the locals on this one,
since they've been using the type of lime that's available over here for more than 30 years
and therefore should have a good knowledge of its strength and capabilities. One of those
compromises...which we may yet regret...but the wall does look beautiful:
Back
| Day One: stone laid out for use |
| Tying in the cavity |
Cavity filled with gravel for insulation & drainage
| View of house from new rear wall |
| Almost there... |
| The finished article |