Refurbishing an Old Cottage - last update Dec 2012

[tudlytops]

Hi! All

The cottage as come a long way, but is a long way from finished, the main jobs still outstanding.

Long hallway.

Bedroom nr 2, there is no celling or floor in this bedroom as water was getting in through the roof.

The heating and hot water.

The outside pipping as some of it was broken by roots.

Flooring through out.

Gathering.

House needs to be painted.

And the porch had to be knocked down as it was pulling at the cottage walls, leaving the from of the house with holes, where the brick of the porch join the house.



Will be updating here and adding pictures as we go along.

If you have anything we can use or advice, please click on link to our wanted thread, thanks

http://www.jumbletown.ie/forums/showthread.php?p=554849#post554849


We started with the drive and the area around the cottage as it was very bad and inaccessible.

We have now received with many many thanks:).


Cole - Kitchen
Another site - Kitchen taps
Various people - Loads of advice
IrishHomer - Bath
familyguy - Flooring, Loads of Tiles, Window & TV Ariel
Pallasbull - Doors, sky dish and items of furniture
Biker Chick - Bread maker and PS1
Angelina - Shower Doors
Luimneach - Caravan Mattresses
Avril in another site - Coal bunker, carpet, car trailer, fence, etc .
LiamJ - Fireplace
Sean - wheelie bins
Pallasbull - Saw, Paint & more
cluelessjewel - Jewellery box for another project
Chorcai - Antique Suitcase & Fondue
monalitto - Corner bath and taps
Pallasbull - Sick, electric shower, table
martin - Sand, gates and other building materials
monalitto - Mixer taps for the bathroom
mewl81 - Light fitting, sockets, etc
Sean - Sick, Electric work, furniture and much more
tadgher - Shelves
Dannloads - Small fish tank
Dave Hyland - Tiles and Doors
bullg - Doors and other bits and peaces
35Glen - Old school desk
finj - Display cabinet, coffee table and TV.
Bullg - Table saw
delia1 - Table and chairs/table lamp/Windows &doors, etc
Neon-Circles - Wheelie bins
Eibhlin ni Sheambrai - Under sink water heater
murph - Corner sofa
Bob&Tina - Freezer
takeit - Double bed
delia1 - Dog House
oneniall - Shelves
dminihane1 - 2 dark brown arm chairs
kt72 - Lawnmower, paint, net and more
Pallasbull - Paint, paint sprayer, brackets

Thank you all :)

[sparkwell]

Well done Tudlytops its looking good!
We undertook a similar project abroad about 12 years ago now. We had a big field in front of the house so decided to have a long curved drive up to the house (we had another access so it wasn't urgent). We started out by getting a JCB to scrape back the drive and then used all the rubble we had to fill it in. Of course this didn't go nearly far enough and we had to buy stone from the quarry. One morning in the pitch black dark a lorry came to deliver a load at the end of the drive (it all had to be then loaded into the bucket of a tractor to be spread by us afterwards!) and it was only in the daylight I saw that the telephone lines to our neighbours houses had been pulled down by the lorry. The money we saved by doing it ourselves then went on paying for the telephone company to come out and repair the lines nightmare!!
In the beginning it can be a bit disheartening that your money goes on things like the drive and for us a septic tank, rewiring but you have no choice but do these jobs first before the pretty bits. It would have been wonderful to have a Jumbletown equivalent for everything else!!!

Best of luck with the project

Sparkwell

[tudlytops]

Thanks, you poor thing, hope the rest of the restoration went without incident.

The drive isn't finished but it is 100% better then it was and it will do for now as money is short, but we had no way to get up there, so it had to be done, we created a parking area at the front and cleaned up all around the cottage, thank God we didn't have any accidents.

We got a fella with a digger to do a lot of the work, he was very good.

We have to get the electricity and the water going, they the next big jobs.

The septic seems ok, but we just got it uncovered so we still have to have a good look.

And then all the inside aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tuddlytops, just looking at your photos, good luck with the work, we have just finished(are we ever finished?!) a five year renovation projest of an 1830 cottage and barn. You would think I would be sick of it but I would do it all again. This is my third (and last) time to buy an old house in a state of total neglect and turn it into something beautiful. Keep asking for hints and things, will help out in any way I can, Eibh.

[tudlytops]

Thanks Eibh., 1830, must be beautiful and your 3rd one, you must love punishment lol.

No. i don't suppose its ever finished health and money are the hardest to come by for everything else there's Jumble Town.

If you have any advice please sent it our way, all is appreciated.

[chucken1]

Great start guys.We will be watching the story unfold. x

[tudlytops]

Soon this little caravan will be home for a while.

can't wait, we already spend a couple of nights up there, can't wait to just move in.

Oh and our fist paper briquette :) we going all green.

[tudlytops]

The work in the kitchen is well under way.

We are making 1 kitchen out of 2, opening up the chimney and placing the cooker and oven in there.

The doors for the 2 kitchens are different but by the time we finished they will look the same and have a country look to them.

1 Kitchen given to us by Cole, thank you
1 given on another site

[chucken1]

Well thats the prettiest little briquette Ive ever seen! LOL. Things are moving on for you now.Bet excitement is high now.

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tuddlytops, why do I feel such excitement when I look at all the work you have to do? I must be mad,lol. I will try to put up some photos of what we did with our cooker/fireplace. Amazing what an old beam and some old red bricks can do to create atmosphere. Just need to get 'he who knows how' to upload some pics and I'll post them. Best of luck and the days are getting longer. Just think what the summer will be like:) Eibh.

[tudlytops]

If you getting exited you well come to come help any time :)

Do, we haven't quite decided on the end look, just that it is what we want to do with the fire place, so any ideas are welcome.

Yes the days are getting longerrrrrrrr, that means more work, as we took the decision that when it gets dark we stop and come home, it will mean we come home much later, maybe we just stay there more often :)

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tuddlytops, finally worked out how to upload photos. We had to knock down a very badly built kitchen extension that had a very low roof and small windows. The room is new but we like old. I had been cutting out pictures of cookers/mantlepieces and keeping them in a file. A friend of ours built it for us using red bricks that were left on site and the beam was originally over the window of the old kitchen. By the way, this friend is a butcher by trade not a builder but we reckon he did a good job with only a few pictures to look at. Might give you an idea. You could use a railway sleeper as a beam supported on bricks and put your oven and hob inside. Eibh.

[tudlytops]

That is fabulous, thankfully the only thing we have to knock down is the porch, it was built without foundation, i reckon your Butcher friend couldn't have done a better job.

We were thinking of a railway sleeper as well, i think they add a lot of charm.

How do you find cooking with the cooker under there?

Oh and did you put some sort of a filter on the chimney?

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi there, if you look behind the beam you will see there is an extractor fan which is vented to the outside. We cheated as we didn't actually have a chimney but wanted the look. If you are actually going into the chimney space you would have to close it off like for an aga and maybe install an extractor fan vented up the chimney. E.

[tudlytops]

Now now that's cheating lol.

Yeah we were looking at it, the smoke goes up just fine, we lighted a small fire on the floor to check it out, but the dirt also comes down lol, we were thinking of building some sort of a filter.

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

In the old part of the cottage we have original wide chimneys that you could send a child up to sweep lol! one was open right up, you could see the stars and the other was covered in with corrugated iron. There was a hole in the centre for the stove pipe and at either side two more holes but covered over that could be opened to clean out. It stops the soot and you don't end up with birds nest soup. I'll have to take some more photos tomorrow. Going to bed now..after being a member since 2008 I have finally got the courage and knowhow to communicate and may be in danger of becoming a JT addict Ha Ha!!

[tudlytops]

We've put one of those chimney things on top, one with a hat thingy (i'm very technical you should see me in shops trying to get what i want lol), any way it's stopped water coming down and it will stop the birds to, but unless we send the child up to clean it it will never be spotless so we are going to build a filter.

[unapam]

The work in the kitchen is well under way.

We are making 1 kitchen out of 2, opening up the chimney and placing the cooker and oven in there.

The doors for the 2 kitchens are different but by the time we finished they will look the same and have a country look to them.

1 Kitchen given to us by Cole, thank you
1 given on another site

Hi Tuddlypops. That is coming up gorgeous! I know how hard you are working but it is very satisfying I'm sure. You will have a cosy little home soon. Best wishes. Unapam

[unapam]

Hi Tuddlytops, finally worked out how to upload photos. We had to knock down a very badly built kitchen extension that had a very low roof and small windows. The room is new but we like old. I had been cutting out pictures of cookers/mantlepieces and keeping them in a file. A friend of ours built it for us using red bricks that were left on site and the beam was originally over the window of the old kitchen. By the way, this friend is a butcher by trade not a builder but we reckon he did a good job with only a few pictures to look at. Might give you an idea. You could use a railway sleeper as a beam supported on bricks and put your oven and hob inside. Eibh.

That is wonderful. That's one talented buthcher! lucky you. :-)

[tudlytops]

this makes me wish i took photos of my house before we started! only diffrence is we actually had to live in ours and carry out the work! still not finished. best of luck tudleytops


I wish we could live in it save the rent money, but there's no water or ESB yet so no chance, we do stay there over night sometimes but the caravan baterry can only go so far

[tudlytops]

Thank you unapan, it is every time we finish something we feel dead proud of ourselves.

[LittleWhiteWestie]

Well Done Tudlytops it is looking really fab - you must be so proud of your achievements to date!!

Well Done.

LWW :)

[tudlytops]

Thank you,

Its slow going health not the best, but we getting there :)

[irishchick56]

What you are doing is amazing, I envy you :-) I look forward to more photos and hearing about your progress! Thank Goodness for JumbleTown.

Regards
Chloe

[tudlytops]

thank you, health hasn't been the best so we going kinda slow and just done some work on the garden as it is easier.

But we do have doors on the kitchen cupboards and worktops waiting to be cut and fitted so we should have more pictures soon.

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tudlytops, can't find the thread about looking for old sleepers to build mantlepiece around chimney for your cooker. I have found something that may be useful. Could you pm me as I don't want to put details up, as I am offering to you, not putting up for general viewing. Cheers, Eibhlin.

[tudlytops]

PM sent, thanks

[mondubics]

Hi there, if you look behind the beam you will see there is an extractor fan which is vented to the outside. We cheated as we didn't actually have a chimney but wanted the look. If you are actually going into the chimney space you would have to close it off like for an aga and maybe install an extractor fan vented up the chimney. E.
Very interesting thread!
I'm not into renovating, but in a 1930's house that had a space for a range, and a chimney above it, I also used the space to put my cooker.
At first, the chimney was open (for some reason down the years there never was a range in the gap), but when the kitchen was done up, I got them to put hardboard/marine ply across the whole opening, with a space for a vent (sliding), to take the steam up the chimney. Then I had tiles fitted on all 4 sides of the box (ceiling and 3 sides), so the vent just isn't obvious, and I no longer have dust (and worse) coming down.
I clean the vent occasionally, and if any birds fall down the chimney, I know I'll have to re-do the whole thing, but its not a big job.

[tudlytops]

Thanks mondubics,

We've build a sort of a holder for a filter, it opens up so we can change the filter and we place a chimney guard so no birds will be coming down, this sort of chimneys are very common in Portugal so i have a good idea of what to do with it.

We can't tile it at the moment, short of cash, so we just going to paint it so it is clean and tile it later.

Most of the work apart from the tiling of walls and floor is now done and will be putting some pictures up soon :)

[tudlytops]

We almost done with the kitchen and living room.

Just short of tiles for the kitchen so will compromise for now with paint for the floor and kitchen wallpaper for the walls over the counters will have pictures soon

Thank you all

[unapam]

We almost done with the kitchen and living room.

Just short of tiles for the kitchen so will compromise for now with paint for the floor and kitchen wallpaper for the walls over the counters will have pictures soon

Thank you all
Can't wait to see the new pics. Best wishes Pam

[tudlytops]

We had a bit of an electric drama ( no electricity for 2 days) but by early next week, hopeful apart from the tiling and the cupboard for the hot press its all done :)

[tudlytops]

With the help of so many people here on JT, our living room is so much better, not finished the fireplace yet, but its well underway :P

[tudlytops]

Now this was fun :) never tiled before, but it didn't come out to bad.

And my Sweetener skills never ceases to amaze me, he done all the plumbing :)

Still a few bits to be done, but nearly there.

[tudlytops]

We are having "customized" doors, we got 4 panel doors, cut 2 panels out and we are replacing the panels with stained glass that we are painting ourselves.

Each room will be different and it will have some meaning to us.

Now this is fun to do :P

[tudlytops]

Now this was blocked up, we not going to use it as a fire place, but we wanted it showing, the bedroom is very small so we could not have a proper fireplace, so this is how its being done.

[tudlytops]

Now this i hate, its been very hard and slow because of our health, but we are getting there and we can already feel the benefits.

[miss lilac]

Have really enjoyed reading your thread which I only hit on in the past hour or so....you are an inspiration to so many people, especially in these recessional times....Things can get done with a lot of elbow grease and hard work....You are making me feel lazy so I am going to go on a big clean up and put some elbow grease into making my house as pretty as yours is turning out...

[unapam]

We are having "customized" doors, we got 4 panel doors, cut 2 panels out and we are replacing the panels with stained glass that we are painting ourselves.

Each room will be different and it will have some meaning to us.

Now this is fun to do :P


What a fabulous idea! PLEASE show when done..

[Gormal]

It's amazing. I like that you kept the fireplace as a feature, you could put a flower arrangement in it, or shelves and even some pebbles with a candle.
the glass panels are a wonderful idea, will also make the rooms feel a bit less closed in.

[tudlytops]

Thank you all.

In time will have pictures of all jobs completed, at the moment we work around the weather and health, so we kinda jump from one job to the next. :P

[Chris P]

Impressive work, Tudlytops. Thanks for sharing!

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[tudlytops]

Thanks Chris, it's only been possible with the help of so many members of JT and loads of hard work :P

[MuddyWitch]

Such gorgeous work! I particularly love the dinky firplace.

As Unapam said, please show us your stained glass doors. Would you consider commisions?

MW

[tudlytops]

Such gorgeous work! I particularly love the dinky firplace.

As Unapam said, please show us your stained glass doors. Would you consider commisions?

MW

LOL, we still learning, will see how they come out :), but that would be enjoyable work for sure.

[tudlytops]

Like i said each door will have something different, and each design has some meaning to us.

[Justyina]

This is beautiful :)

[tudlytops]

Thank you, this was our 1st one :)

[MuddyWitch]

Stunning!!!

I'll definatly be in touch once we finally make it over the Irish Sea!

MW

[tudlytops]

Stunning!!!

I'll definatly be in touch once we finally make it over the Irish Sea!

MW


Do, you more then welcome to come over for a cuppa :P

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tuddlytops, these glass panels are truly stunning. I love how you have used celtic designs but made them your own with the dolphins and sea-horses. There is definitely a future career here!! Well done, Eibhlin.

[tudlytops]

Hi Tuddlytops, these glass panels are truly stunning. I love how you have used celtic designs but made them your own with the dolphins and sea-horses. There is definitely a future career here!! Well done, Eibhlin.


LOL, we love celtic designs, but we wanted to add something that had meaning to us, can be something from our childhood, or to remind us of someone, it doesn't matter.

For instances the one we doing for the living room, has a drawing i used to draw all the time, of a little cottage, done that for years, it was my dream, so we are adding that drawing to the glass, as my dream come true. :P

[junkista]

amazing work!! you are both working so hard...
well done

[tudlytops]

Thank you :P, not bad for first attempt.

[SLCB]

Well done on all the work you have carried out so far, it looks great and it must be lovely to stamp your own print on the house. I don't know if this offer will be of any use to you but I travel between Limerick and Kildare on a regular basis and if there is anything you need collected in that area let me know, I'm not too far from you (you met my husband while collecting tiles) so just give me a shout if I can be any help.

[tudlytops]

Well done on all the work you have carried out so far, it looks great and it must be lovely to stamp your own print on the house. I don't know if this offer will be of any use to you but I travel between Limerick and Kildare on a regular basis and if there is anything you need collected in that area let me know, I'm not too far from you (you met my husband while collecting tiles) so just give me a shout if I can be any help.

How are you keeping?

Its been hard work and for the last 3 days we've been trying to make up insulation for the pipes as it is really cold up here.

Thank you so much for the offer, will keep it in mind :P

[Gormal]

They are just devine.

[cloughcorr]

What brilliant work!! Where did you get your lead/paint liner to do the out line of your designs? I have been looking everywhere for it....keep up the great work and posting the updated pics!

[tudlytops]

What brilliant work!! Where did you get your lead/paint liner to do the out line of your designs? I have been looking everywhere for it....keep up the great work and posting the updated pics!


In limerick,in a arts and crafts shops, don't know the name, its a big corner shop, with a huge ruler on the outside wall, near an hotel i think.

We got 2 small tubes of it, they last forever, so far used about half of one.

Can remember how much it was, but it wasn't that expensive, if you want can check the price and post you one.

[cloughcorr]

Thanks Tudlytops what is the name of it and I will ask the art and hobby shop in greystones if they can order it for me or know of where I can get it in Co Wicklow....failing that I will come back to you if no joy.

[tudlytops]

Thanks Tudlytops what is the name of it and I will ask the art and hobby shop in greystones if they can order it for me or know of where I can get it in Co Wicklow....failing that I will come back to you if no joy.

The one we got, comes in a small tube 25 mL and its by Cern'couleurs /vitrail, we used silver, but they have other colours.

2nd from the left http://www.golandart.ru/Images/mk/m34_cont.jpg

Let me know, its no problem at all :P

[cloughcorr]

Thanks Tudlytops - will take this info down to the shop and see how we get on - will keep you up dated:-)

[tudlytops]

Finally another door done....just needs some tidying up and its all done :P

Like before each door will have something personal to us on the glass.

Sorry the pictures are not the best, but then its DIY I love...:P

[Bunty]

Really breath-taking.

[tudlytops]

Really breath-taking.

Thank you:)

[Chris P]

Once again, fabulous work, TudlyTops.
Inspired and inspiring.
Thanks for sharing!

Regards
Chris P
Admin

[magda_ola]

Wow, they're amazing!!
Great job.

[Connemarabound]

Wow, haven't checked in for a while but GREAT JOB TudlyTops. Keep it up, you are inspiring to me :)

[tudlytops]

Thank you all :P

[cloughcorr]

Wow Tudlytop - another stunning creation. I found the paint liner you use at the local art shop and have the black and sliver. Have been playing around and practicing the glass painting and even managed to do some reverse glass painting for a picture for a friends Christmas present - must try get a photo to put up and show you - and now I want to do the stained glass. Not so sure it will be as good as yours but it will be fun doing and it will be mine :-)

[tudlytops]

Wow Tudlytop - another stunning creation. I found the paint liner you use at the local art shop and have the black and sliver. Have been playing around and practicing the glass painting and even managed to do some reverse glass painting for a picture for a friends Christmas present - must try get a photo to put up and show you - and now I want to do the stained glass. Not so sure it will be as good as yours but it will be fun doing and it will be mine :-)

i would love to do a course in stained glass, we have really enjoyed it, its full of imperfections, but like you say, its ours and it means something to us.

The one in the pictures has a child like drawing of a cottage that i used to scribble all the time and funny enough stopped when we bought this house, because having a small cottage was always my dream we felt it was important to put it somewhere and that's where the idea of the stain glass come from.:P

[denkarma]

have to start working on the other doors soon

[tudlytops]

The fire place was covered up, we opened it up again and fitted the cooker in it.

We found an old egg timer, nothing especial, but it turned out its been here for many years, so we've placed it in between the tiles.

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

Hi Tuddlytops, I love the fireplace and the mosaic work--your ideas are all so original and artistic. It is so interesting when everything in the house has a story or history attached to it. Loved your stained glass doors too-beautiful. Eibhlin.

[tudlytops]

Hi Tuddlytops, I love the fireplace and the mosaic work--your ideas are all so original and artistic. It is so interesting when everything in the house has a story or history attached to it. Loved your stained glass doors too-beautiful. Eibhlin.


Thank you, yes we are trying to really make it a home, where everything means something.

Going too work on the worktops next :)

[unapam]

I just love the little house mosiac! Says it all....

[sign]

Interesting thread. Good work tudlytops :)

[tudlytops]

Interesting thread. Good work tudlytops :)

Thank you...:)

[tudlytops]

I just love the little house mosiac! Says it all....

Thank you...yes I suppose it does..:P

[tudlytops]

We've been so busy with boring stuff, roots growing the drains, insulation, etc, hardly stuff for a before and after.:)

But we have a small before and after.

take a old gate, old fencing panels and make a new gate :)

[Leahsmam]

your house is lovely, love the gate and the stained glass

[tudlytops]

your house is lovely, love the gate and the stained glass


Thank you, will be doing the rest of the stain glass this winter and the gate was an old gate and we just wanted to turn it into a gate again...:)

[glic83]

Have to say well done to ye both, some great work there and im sure there is huge self satisfaction in what ye have done with the Cottage.

[tudlytops]

Have to say well done to ye both, some great work there and im sure there is huge self satisfaction in what ye have done with the Cottage.


Thank you

Oh yes its amazing to look around, from a place with no water, no electric, holes in the roof, etc, to what it is now and we've done it all...

Still loads to do, this year was very much wasted because of the bad weather, so here's hoping for a better one next year :)

[HappyHunter]

Great work tudlytops. I refurbished a cottage in North Kilkenny, which entailed making it more comfortable for my mobility needs so I can be independent around my home. I love what you have done with the doors, the small fireplace and the one for the stove.

Thanks to so many givers here on JT, what had seemed like a very expensive endeavour, which would take me a long time to complete because of my lack of finances, my little cottage is a piece of heaven now.

I found myself on a quest, to refurbish this little house with pre-loved materials, furniture and garden items. I received windows, floor tiles, garden slabs, from givers here on JT. Today I look at all the items, even the garden gnome, whom I christened Gnome Chomsky (grin) and I remember where they came from.

Looking forward to continuing following your progress.

[bluecurlygirl]

Great work Tudlytops. I've loved checking in on your project. I think it's absolutely amazing what you guys have managed to do. Amazing. Well said Happyhunter - amazing givers on here who have travelled the length and breadth of the country to pass on items. Lovely to have that much positivity around ya. Amazing community.

[tudlytops]

Great work Tudlytops. I've loved checking in on your project. I think it's absolutely amazing what you guys have managed to do. Amazing. Well said Happyhunter - amazing givers on here who have travelled the length and breadth of the country to pass on items. Lovely to have that much positivity around ya. Amazing community.

Thank you :)

We doing the heating now, couldn't get a plumber at all, i think because we have all the materials needed for the job, so not much profit there, and we can't afford to have one do the whole thing from scratch, so we doing it yourselves to..:)

So its all research research research at the moment :)

[tudlytops]

@HappyHunter, sorry i hadn't seen your comment there...

We couldn't have come this far hadn't been for all the materials, furniture, even great advice we have gotten from so many people.

We keeping a diary and hope to make a blog and we will name everyone that helped us along the way...

There is so much that is not material for a before and after picture, but that it is just as important...

People have indeed been amazing :)

[tudlytops]

We got some free paneling from a neighbor :)

And we had to build a railing for when my back is bad, so we built a little gate two, keep the dogs from scratching the front door..

[tudlytops]

Wish we could have done it before moving in...

It's taken a lot of work and research and we only half way there...

[tudlytops]

ll it needs now is to be painted

[Eibhlin ni Sheambrai]

ll it needs now is to be painted
Christina, you never cease to amaze me. The Work you are doing is phemomenal. Wishing you both a happy and warm Christmas and Happy D.I.Y. ing in the New Year. Eibhlin

[tudlytops]

Christina, you never cease to amaze me. The Work you are doing is phemomenal. Wishing you both a happy and warm Christmas and Happy D.I.Y. ing in the New Year. Eibhlin

Thank you, its been reuse at it best :)

Christmas and Happy New Year you to :)

[tudlytops]

Thank you dminihane1 for the sofas

[tudlytops]

Thanks to kt72 for all the stuff, appreciated :)

[sign]

how is the house now ? :) How did you get on ?

[4eyes]

how all now

[joanmul]

Would love to see more of this.