A mixed bag.

I have had so many different jobs on the boil over the last couple of weeks I can’t decide which to focus on so I’ll do a brief overview of the main ones.

Insulation of future main bedroom.

With the plaster removed it is the perfect opportunity to install insulation to all of the wall cavities. Being on a highway means we are subjected to high levels of noise from both traffic and the train line that runs parallel to the highway. It’s not really that bad inside but if you forget and become focussed  on the noise it can get to you. I did a lot of research on which insulation to use and decided on the Bradford New Generation Acoustic Rockwool Batts. There seemed to be for’s and against’s for each product so the final decision was based on the following-they are locally made, have high fire resistance and high acoustic blocking (so they say!). Although they have a high embodied energy rate in production it seemed a better way to go.

The chimney cavity was interesting! I squeezed myself into the cavity and managed to cover the walls of the adjoining room at the same time. Because there is no backing I had to run strings between framing so the batts will stay in place.

A bloody good job if I say so myself!

We cannot believe the difference this has made already. Every batt that went in reduced the echo and noise bit by bit and now that the majority are in it is really cosy and inviting. Can’t wait to see the difference once the plaster is on and the ceiling and under-floor is insulated too.

The Shed

Work has commenced on cladding the frame of the new shed. We felt it would be much more sympathetic to the heritage house to integrate a cladding style that matched the former dentist/x-ray room. So far it’s looking like it’s going to be a great result. Of course there’s no job that can be done unless the girls are on hand to help!

In the Greenhouse.

How good is this greenhouse! No regrets at all choosing Sproutwell as my supplier.  I have not utilised it as much as I should have yet but I did manage to get some seeds sown in the Sproutwell Seedling Tray Stand, I found the trays great to use, great height and a good size overall. I made my own seed raising mix using coconut fibre, worm castings and blended a bag of seed raising mix in. Cost factor was so much cheaper than just using  seed raising mix. Must make up some labels for the trays!

The silverbeet I transplanted from the garden bed I took apart is going beautifully as is the lemongrass.

I had to buy some coriander for the Thai Beef Salad I made yesterday so chose the one that had been grown in a hydroponic system rather than just a cut bunch with the idea that I could plant what I didn’t use. I have done this before with basil and it worked well. Let’s see how it goes! Salad was great thanks to the lovely rump I bought from Trafalgar Butcher Shop.

The bulbs I retrieved from the old home and planted all appear to be making a move. Great to know I may have some flowers in the near future!

Plastic Free July- I’ve failed big time!

I picked the wrong week to register support and commitment to the Plastic Free July campaign! With both the weather boards and insulation being delivered I was appalled at the amount of single use plastic they were both packaged in. The insulation in particular was terrible, each pack of batts was in a plastic bag, 6 bags were in another plastic wrapper and then that was wrapped in layers of cling wrap that was obviously used to  compress the overall size. I felt terribly guilty and have started wracking my brain for ways to make recommendations to the relevant companies. Have to just keep chipping away!

Oh dear, back to work tomorrow. So many unfinished jobs to do.