Post by 95.7 KJR.

Finished

Breakng Through

Cutting through the wall from the lounge into the new conservatory has proved more difficult than I expected though I really didn't know hat to expect. I was working into the unknown. I started tentatively two days ago and finally finished it though it is still in a very rough condition.I will take some time to finish it all off.Its supposed to be finished by Sunday 13 May when there is to be a party. I almost destroyed the mirror when the circular saw jammed and threw me backwards almost falling off the step ladder.II managed to save myself but damaged my calf in the process. At least I missed the mirror.

The French Doors.

I am on the last lap.Its taken a year thus far. When I started I was a little worried that I would not be able to see it through. My motto has been 'A thousand mile journey is made up of little steps' and that has seen me through to this point. The doors are most exacting and require precision work. Fortunately I have all the tools for the job.A router table and router blades, and mitre saw. The glass is to be toughened and costs twice as much as standard glass, making the doors very expensive.After cutting to size, mortising and routing, the pieces are put together to see they all fit correctly and marked so that when they are glued they are put in the same position. Gluing must be done quickly and then clamped into position seeing everything is square before the glue sets.

Double Glazed Windows.

The glass is 4mm thick and the space between the two panes is 12mm. which is the optimum width.

Tiling the Floor

The tiles are 400mm sq,which required a large tile cutter.Even so when I came to cut the corners diagonally I found it too small and after trying a hand held cutter had to resort to using an angle grinder with a masonry blade.I was able to do a reasonable job with it.
The grouting material is very expensive and don't know why, so am going to mix my own using very fine sand and cement 1:1 and add a black carbon to it.

Putting the Insulation in the Ceiling.

The polystyrene has to be cut to size to fit in between the batons. I tried putting them beneath but this leaves too little room for the pink bats which would have to be squashed up too tightly.

Putting on the Hot Tin Roof.

It can be difficult putting the tin on when thehot sun is shining so it has to be done in the evening.First the tar paper must be put in place as a precaution against condensation.I'm not sure how important this is as we have little if any condensation on this side of the house. The sheets are cut to size and joined on the beams inserting sealant between the two sheets at the joints using the correct type of sealant.

The Roof Structure

The Gutter and Down Pipe.

I discovered that it is better to install the guttering before putting on the iron roof. Otherwise to put it up afterwards becomes very difficult indeed. All the corners of course have to be 135 ^os and these can be a real problem for the non plumber like myself.However with clamps and a sort of jig it can be done accurately.
The two pieces are held in place with pop rivets and soldered.

Part of the roof structure.

How to build Victorian Conservatory