Gina's Observatory - The Build

[Gina]

Goats taking almost as keen an interest in the build!

I don't mind them taking an interest but trampling all over the vapour barrier, pulling it off the framework, is NOT appreciated! I had to take the door indoors to nail the shiplap on!

[carastro]

Really looking good now Gina, bet you can't wait to use it.

Carole

[Gina]

Really looking good now Gina, bet you can't wait to use it.

Carole

Thank you Carole And you're right, of course

[Gina]

My main desktop where I prepared the photos and progress report for today decided to give up shortly before I was ready to post. So rather than do it all again I'll sort it out and post later - apologies for the delay. Webcam PC is not affected and will be broadcasting live images from 6am tomorrow.

I got the warm room outer door mostly finished today - frame built, vapour barrier and shiplap fixed on. I also hung it (on three hinges). See overnight webcam image for end of day "state of play". I'm expecting to post the pics tomorrow morning.

[Gina]

Here are photos and webcam images from yesterday starting with four DSLR photos taken after I'd finished yesterday.

View from the west.

The obsy downpipe taking rain water away from building.

Now a selection of webcam images as the work progressed.

[Gina]

Fine though misty and damp today.

Now concentrating on the top, shaped pieces of shiplap on the south side that fit below the roofs. Rather awkward things to fit.

May then try to sort out the windows at the top of the obsy roll off roof and warm room. Might change my mind about the warm room window. Several points :-

1. I haven't got a long enough piece of acrylic sheet to do it in one pane.

2. The amount of light it lets in is not enormous and I have the south window.

3. A window lets a lot of heat out. If I put something solid in there I can put insulation inside it.

OTOH by the time I've done the top piece of shiplap on the obsy roof I'll have run out of enough shiplap to cover the warm room in one piece.

Anyway, I'll see how it goes and decide then.

[Anweniel]

what a difference the shiplap has made to the appearance. Starting to get the 'finished article' look. What was the choice of colour in the end are you blending in with a green?

[Gina]

what a difference the shiplap has made to the appearance. Starting to get the 'finished article' look. What was the choice of colour in the end are you blending in with a green?

Would you believe... GREEN?

[fwm891]

I think the goat's have other ideas about your obsy....

[Bizibilder]

They are eyeing it up as "winter quarters"!!!

[Gina]

Well, they're out of luck

[Gina]

Build progress report.

Another mainly misty, murky day today though fine. The sun did make an appearance this afternoon for an hour or so but it was rather watery.

Made reasonable progress today :-

1. Top shiplap pieces either side of the window on the south warm room wall, cut to length.

2. Placed in position, marked for trimming and cut to fit the slope under the roof.

3. Nailed into place.

4. Roll off roof opened up, top shiplap piece measured up and cut to length.

5. Shiplap fastened temporarily and marked for cutting the top edge to fit under apex roof.

6. Cut to width and nailed into place.

7. Vapour barrier excess cut from door and some from warm room south wall.

8. Acrylic sheet checked for size for obsy roof windows. Two separate pieces required.

9. Cardboard template made for marking out acrylic sheet (odd shape).

10. One sheet cut to shape.

11. Pieces of wood to provide frame between the two window panes sorted out and cut.

Now a selection of webcam images showing today's work where visible.

[Aoraki]

Looking good Gina, soon be there!

[Gina]

Looking good Gina, soon be there!

Yes Always seems so near yet so far, if you know what I mean But yes, slowly getting there Hoping to get the obsy windows done soon, may be today if the weather permits - light rain ATM.

[Gina]

Moderate rain now so no chance yet of working outside. Probably do some of the inside.

[Gina]

Might change my mind about the warm room window. Several points :-

1. I haven't got a long enough piece of acrylic sheet to do it in one pane.

2. The amount of light it lets in is not enormous and I have the south window.

3. A window lets a lot of heat out. If I put something solid in there I can put insulation inside it.

OTOH by the time I've done the top piece of shiplap on the obsy roof I'll have run out of enough shiplap to cover the warm room in one piece.

Anyway, I'll see how it goes and decide then.

Further to the above... With the weather too wet to work outside much I tried the warm room with and without the daylight coming in between the roll off rail and the roof. The difference was a lot more than I thought. Although just a narrow slit, the window let in quite a lot of light so I've decided on having an acrylic window there, made up of two panes. I have enough oddments of acrylic sheet. For when it's really cold in the winter I'm proposing to have a shutter lined with polystyrene insulation to put up to cover the window and keep the heat in.

[Gina]

Today's progress report.

Mainly wet weather today though mild with little breeze. Had to take our dog to the VET for a check-up this morning following her operation last week - she's fine and been signed off In fact the vet was very pleased with her

Had quite a lot of heavy rain today and had a fair bit of water in the warm room. Would have been more had I not put some acrylic sheet in the gap, but the rain got in at each end. So I think the next job had better be the warm room north window before we get much more rain.

Have made some progress today but some time needed for temporary rain proofing.

1. Put a piece of acrylic sheet across the gap between north roll off rail and warm room roof in case of more rain.

2. Lots of heavy rain while we were out and plenty of it had got into the warm room (as mentioned above) so added some shiplap to cover the gap.

3. Took the opportunity to check how much light would come in through the north warm room window as opposed to having a solid wall. I had wondered if a window was worthwhile - found it made a big difference so decided to have the window.

4. While there was a break in the weather I got the second piece of acrylic sheet for the obsy window marked out and cut to shape.

5. Got a mop and bucket and mopped out the water from the warm room. Collected about a pint in the bucket - better than soaking into the floorboards!

Not a lot to show today - just a small selection of webcam images.

[Anweniel]

Was going to say as an idea what about cutting a piece of polystyrene about the right shape and wedging it in the gap? Personally tend to have packaging lying about quite a lot and if you have some may be enough to deflect some of the rain getting through. But since you got the shiplap there seems you have a better solution!

Have been interested to see what you are going to do for the permanent covering on this part, presumably you will need it either flush with the frame or a very slim fit to allow the ROR to pass??

[Gina]

Was going to say as an idea what about cutting a piece of polystyrene about the right shape and wedging it in the gap? Personally tend to have packaging lying about quite a lot and if you have some may be enough to deflect some of the rain getting through. But since you got the shiplap there seems you have a better solution!

Have been interested to see what you are going to do for the permanent covering on this part, presumably you will need it either flush with the frame or a very slim fit to allow the ROR to pass??

I'm making the gap between the roll off rail and the warm room roof a window (as I said above). To cater for the guide rollers running either side of the rail and rain water running down the window, I am arranging a sort of gutter using an offcut of the rubber membrane used for the roof. Water will run down the "gutter" and out at the end. I attach a diagram showing cross sections at two places.

Using the membrane to make a gutter is mentioned in the Rubber4Roofs web site.

The window acrylic sheet is shown in light grey and the membrane in black. Woodwork is shown in various other colours. Diagram not to scale.

[Gina]

Today's Progress Report.

The weather today has been fine and, after early mist had cleared, mainly sunny. Had to go shopping in the morning but made good use of the afternoon on the build. Did get some wood while out shopping though.

Been doing the warm room north window and gutter, a cross section is shown in the post above.

Apart from taking the corner capping piece off to gain better access and screwing it back on again, here are the steps taken today :-

1. Cut piece of wood to form the bottom of the gutter and screwed it in place.

2. Cut an offcut of rubber membrane to roughly the right size.

3. Glued and stapled membrane to roll off rail.

4. Glued membrane to bottom piece.

5. Cut piece of 100x22mm wood strip to length and screwed it on inside of bottom piece to form other side of gutter from the roll off rail and the bottom of the window frame.

6. Glued rubber to inner strip and stapled near the top to hold it in place while the adhesive dried.

7. Cut acrylic sheet to width ready to install tomorrow.

Just a selection of webcam images again today. I'll probably take some DSLR photos tomorrow to show the rubber lined gutter.

[Gina]

First frost of the winter here. But a lovely sunny morning now with no breeze. Warming up too and 5C. There was ice on my warm room roof! Hoping to make some good progress today.

[Gina]

I have struck a serious problem with my acrylic sheet. The large pieces I got from Wickes were fine but some 2'x4' that I'd got from Homebase from which I've cut one of the obsy window panes and a smaller bit for the warm room seem to be painted one side with a pattern. Normally, acrylic sheet has a thin film of plastic each side which peels off without any bother but with this stuff, the coating is very thin and seems to need scraping off - hardly the thing for windows!!

Has anyone any ideas? I guess I'll put it up for now to keep the weather out but will have to sort it out later or buy new sheet

[Gina]

Well... I tried hot water - no joy. So I took a scrap bit and tried boiling water!! That loosened it enough to start it peeling off but as soon as it cooled a bit the coating stuck fast and just broke off leaving the rest firmly stuck until more boiling water. Yes, I avoided scalding myself!

[spaceboy]

Great progress Gina. Has to be the first obsy build I've seen where goats are lending a hand

[Freff]

Well... I tried hot water - no joy. So I took a scrap bit and tried boiling water!! That loosened it enough to start it peeling off but as soon as it cooled a bit the coating stuck fast and just broke off leaving the rest firmly stuck until more boiling water. Yes, I avoided scalding myself!

Very strange Gina. You could try a hair dryer or heat gun on a lower setting working up to a hotter one so the acrylic doesn't damage.