Small House Big Ideas: Builders and roofers and carpenters and sparkies, these are a few of my favourite things

busy busy busy, but not so much on the house it seems!

We have had a run of weekends where we have been involved in doing other things, be it family 'do's', people staying, church events, extra work or working towards world peace they have all meant time spent on the house has been precious.

But perhaps in a way it is good timing as there is only so much I can do at the moment due to needing work completed by contractors first.

So, lets start with the update.

Having put the christmas decorations away I become evermore concerned about the damp timbers in the roof space, so called up on an expert in timber and damp - patrick doyle of holmfirth. A hugely knowledgeable guy, very friendlyand helpful. Certaintly buy him a pint if ever you seem him. He popped round one thursday morning and took a look and confirmed my thinking that the problem was a build up of condensation in the roof space - mostly from the bathroom. The tradition roof design is to have some space under the eaves where a natural draft can enter - but not on our house, not a mm. He offered several solutions, many of which wouldn't get past conservation, but did suggest some ridge vent tiles for the roof. I thought this was a jolly good idea and promptly got in touch with conservation who have OK'd the alteration without the need for listed building consent (LBC). Brill.

Conservation can be a pain sometimes - see previous posts! but recently I hace found them to be excellent - helpfull and informative. I think if one goes to them and asks them what they want first it can be quite an easy life - recently I have a fireplace jamb, new lintel and vent tiles approved over email and very quickly. Top marks to them.

Next up we have the fireplace. Wanting to support local business we headed to the local stove shop and asked their advice about fixing up our fireplace and they put us on to a chap called Steve. He came and spec'd and priced and we thought it was alright. He is replacing the right jamb, cleaning up the other stone work, cleaning the inside of the foreplace, repointing if necesarry and laying a hearth. He is also putting in a lining and plate ready for the stove, which he will also attach. He'ss also strapping the left jamb for added strength. An all in deal. Apart from the right jamb and the lining I could have done it myself, but it would have taken ages and ages, not be as good and be absolutely filthy, so as it was such a major feature of the house and ultimately a selling point, we wanted it spot on, so we booked him and he is currently doing the work.

He's replaced the jamb and layed the hearth and judging by the soot and muck all over the living room, and the soot dust over the kitchen, I guess he has started cleaning the inside too - put it's covered over with a plastic sheet at the moment why the mortar goes off.

He's a helpful, friendly chap and seems to know what he's doing, and doing a good job, so a nother recomendation for him.

Next up, lintel.

We got several quotes from various people around the country for an oak beam and by far the cheapest was a company called yorkshire oak frames. They weren't the quickest at responding - but probably because it was a small one off order but it was worth chasing them as they have delivered the goods! It is a mighty lump of oak which is an effort for 2 men to just hold, never mind move about! Thankfully I have employed a builder to solve the problem of actually fitting it. Jolly good.

It turns out he can also fit ridge vents, so he's doing that at the same time. Jolly good.

Umm what else. Oh yes, got an electrician to fit a consumer unit. he's going to do that on Monday hopefully. He's also going to let me know what i'll need to change to what I've done to enable it to be signed off part P. Basically, if all goes to plan, he's going to employ me as a labourer, I do the work how he says and then he comes and checks it and signs it off. THe main point here being that i don't have to pay him to do any work, only the signing off bit. I did make tentative suggestions towards this idea in the summer before I started wiring, but it seems i asked the wrong partner in the pair as the other one didn't suggest it and i thought it a little cheeky to ask. So, depending on how much I've done wrong and what needs changing, this could all work out rather well. And at the very least we'll have a consumer unit which means everything won't be running off one socket :) never turn on the fridge, washing machine oven and kettle at the same time - it can't handle it!

I think that is it for contractors, I'm not planning on getting anyone else in and once theyare done I can get on plastering the living room. I have planned a hardcore, but realisitic schedule for 2 weeks over easter to get the living room and outside of the house plastered. TIme for big changes then, and i'm looking forward to making progress again.

I have been doing some work.

Ben Ward cam and stayed for a weekend a couple of weeks ago and helped me and hannah clean up the stone wall going up the stairs and behind the dining table. It is an excellent job and we got it done relatively quickly - a long day and an evening. We're pleased, and I don't think we're going to point it as it looks nice as it is! we'll see how much muck and dust falls out.

Ben also helped pick up some firewood from a friends house and helped put some plasterboard up over the landing - stirling work. I got the landing ceiling plasterboarded in a long morning/early afternoon andwas really pleased. I don't like plasterboarding, and it was hard work and tricky doing it over the stairs, but it'll be much much easier to plaster and avoids the mareish situation encountered in the bedroom. I wish i had done the same in there now, but live and learn... I just didn't know!