Tuesday 22 February 2011

The Leaky Cauldron.....Finishing the Exterior Walls and Attic.

It always gets to a point in a project when you seem to be doing the same thing over and over again. So I have cut, distressed and stained more wood and completed the right hand exterior wall. This time I put a much thicker coat of the texture paste which allowed me to squidge the beams into place.
I am hoping that when it is fully dried the thickness will make that of the brick slips and I won't have to add an extra coat like on the left hand side.
 I have also toned down the walnut stain I used by rubbing them down with baby wipes. This has varied their colouring and given them a more aged look. I think I will also add a further brown/grey wash when I age the white walls. At the moment the texture paste is very bright white but they will be dirtied up.
 More wood, this time for the floor joists in the attic. I am glad I took the time to add these as they have provided a little bit extra to the look.
 The side walls have come out quite white in the photographs but they are actually the same shades as the floor, nice and dingy. This is definitely turned out much better than I expected and just as I had hoped which doesn't always happen when I have got a particular look in mind.
I have also been busy toning down the roof tiles which were quite a vibrant brick orange. Lots of random dark grey washes have dirtied them up quite a lot now. I think it's time for a bit of 'dry brushing' as suggested by Debbie, thank you for explaining Debbie, I might add some dark green to the grey now.
I am also having trouble deciding what to do with the roof join. I ordered some ridge tiles that I thought would do the job. Silly me, they are completely the wrong thing as the angle is much flatter. I think I am going to have to use something like lead flashing, perhaps cut in an interesting way. Or perhaps a row of roof tiles laid flat from top to tip........ Bit stumped by the problem at the moment.
This is the join I mean. Has anyone else tackled this type of problem?
Will have to sleep on it.

9 comments:

  1. You will be onto your next shop in no time Janice…Speedy Gonzales! I have to confess that this is my favourite side! :o) The paste is thicker as it should be and the bricks look great too, for it's the plaster and brick that falls in between the beams (the main supports of a building). Washing the plaster will add the age that you want. I love the loft joist, they are a fab addition.

    Oh I know how the camera always loves to lie about colours too, I'm used to it now! lol

    I didn't think the ridge tiles would work because of the angle ..but I didn’t like to say! You could use balsa wood ridge tiles (more of a gentle angle and available from Maple Street), or cut your own (you’d have to join them in situ of course, and I‘d opt for this solution myself). The lead flashing could and can be added, however where it’s being applied would have gone on before the roof tiles. Hmmm….methinks some artistic license is needed!

    You’ve made great headway (in so many areas) with this project and you should be proud. ;o)

    Michelle xxx

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  2. Me again! Yes, lay your roof tiles flat...a pair, one each side to emulate a slight/gentled angled ridge tile, if you know what I mean! ;o))

    Michelle xx

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  3. Michelle you are a genius.....have sent an email!

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  4. Janice, that joint really look tricky and I am real curious how you will be fixing that. I am not sure what Michelle meant so will really love to see the pictures of what you will do. :)

    I love your walls both the exterior and the interior. I am sure that they can only look better after you have aged them.

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  5. That´s so great project! Looks like wonderful!

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  6. Looks truly wonderful cant wait to see all the inside done too! Now if it was lazy me doing this id add something to hide the gap, mossy bits, vines etc, but that might not fit in, being in a shopping alley, not an outside house.....but like I say Im lazy so i come up with the easy answer not the best!!!!!xxxxx

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  7. It's coming along wonderfully Janice and I love how you've done your beams. What about putting a smudged layer of Art Mache or filler in your join and painting it to match your roof tiles?
    As for wall colours, I know all about camera 'lies' with colours too, it can be so annoying!!

    I have sent you an invitation to join my private blog, hope you'll accept, it's only small and you'll find all my inspiration is flooding back :0)
    Julia xxxx

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  8. snap! Ive done a very similar task this week LOL will put some pics up on my blog in a few minutes. Have to say that your bricks have turned out mucher nicer than mine have... and I love the attic space, looks spot on :o)
    I cant help much re the roof tiles as the only ones Ive ever done were with paperclay so I sorta made it up as I went along! can you make some ridge tiles from paperclay to fit? hope you can sort it out.

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