VIEWS
The elevated site gives stunning views of the rural surroundings
CONTACTS/ SUPPLIERS
BATH
Waters of Ashbourne
www.watersbaths.co.uk
SHOWER UNIT Matki
www.matki.co.uk
BATHROOM UNITS Deuco
www.deuco.co.uk TILES
Craven Dunnill & Co
www.cravendunnill.co.uk
be included. “The below ground level needed overhead steel beams to support the concrete beams above,” explains Ian. “This effectively created the robust foundation structure the oak frame sits on.”
As the groundworks was the most complex part of the project, Ian and Julie hired a project manager who helped oversee things during this period. “He got things rolling for us,” Ian explains. “He had lots of contacts with local contractors, and that worked well in early stages.” Once this tricky stage was over, he took a step back and left the couple to manage the rest, stepping in whenever they needed support. “I was onsite every day, learning as I went, carrying stuff around, clearing up and getting ready for the next day,” says Ian.
The frame arrived onsite in September, which Julie says was a “really exciting” time, for both them and the locals. “A crane arrived lifting all these great timbers – it was quite a spectacle,” she explains. “It took about three weeks to get the main structure up and then it felt like we had a house, but really it was just the start.” The ‘A’ frames were craned into position, while the rest was “like putting together a big jigsaw.” They had been warned that the oak would stain when touched or walked on, as it brings out the tannin. “It’s quite horrible to look at,” Ian says. For that reason they treated all the internal elements with diluted oxalic acid which, he explains, “you have to really scrub in. That was my job in the evenings – scrub the timber, treat it and power wash it off. It was a big job but well worth it as the oak looks stunning now.” Once the frame was up they hoped to have the roof on so everything was watertight before the worst of the winter weather kicked in, but sadly it didn’t quite happen. “We had the wettest winter ever,” Ian says. They also hadn’t anticipated the floor screed would take three months to fully dry out, which meant tradesmen had to go off to work on other jobs in the meantime. “We couldn’t do very much,” says Ian. They found work slowed up in general
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www.sbhonline.co.uk
“The planning consultant was familiar with the local policy so they were able to ease it through”
towards the end of the project. “Trades came and went and it was difficult getting them to come back when we needed them,” Ian admits. The interior was eventually finished in January 2017, although Julie and Ian had moved in during the previous October as the buyers of their existing house were ready to proceed. “It was finished enough for us to move in, but we didn’t have the downstairs shower room fitted out,” Ian says. They spent the next two years finishing off small jobs and doing the landscaping, with the house and garden finally fully complete in the summer of 2018.
DESIGN
When it came to designing their home, the couple had a few key requirements. They needed something large enough to accommodate their family when visiting, as well as an open plan living area, plenty of glazing to both let in light and maximise on the views of the surrounding area, and they also wanted eco- friendly features. As well as this, it was also important to them that the house fit in with the locale, and Ian wanted a basement room to house his model railway, which is located behind the garage and utility room.
Ian says that in some respects, the 340 m2 house “designed itself.”As you look at it from the road, the building line floats 1.5 storeys left to right with a double garage on the lower side,
january 2020 OAK FRAME
Welsh Oak Frame
www.welshoakframe.com
SLATE CILLS & FIRE HEARTH Roofing & Salvage Depot
www.roofingandsalvagedep
ot.co.uk
STAIRS Stairplan
www.stairplan.com KITCHEN
Abbey Kitchens
www.abbey-kitchens.com
OAK DOORS (BESPOKE) Philip Andrew 01938 850559
LOG BURNER Clearview Stoves
www.clearviewstoves.com
GARAGE DOORS Garador
www.garador.co.uk
S/S BALUSTRADE & BALCONIES
JPG Site Services
www.jpgsiteservices.com
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