Month: June 2009

I came across this quote from one of my favourite authors on architecture and design, Christopher Alexander, author of A Pattern Language in a book about software design - 'Patterns of Software - Tales from the Software Community' by Richard P. Gabriel ('Patterns of Software' is worth a read in its own right if you've any interest in software and is available free on the linked page.) We have become used to almost fanatical precision in the construction of buildings. Tile work, for instance, must be perfectly aligned, perfectly square, every tile perfectly cut, and the whole thing accurate on…

We've got the heating and hot water system up and running! It took a couple of attempts. The first time at the start of the month, with the stoked up stove blazing away devouring my wood supply, there was a load cracking noise (sounded like the glazing in the stove doors cracking) and a fairly large puddle of sooty water appeared on the hearth. On closer inspection the firebox was dripping with water that was leaking out from around the doors. After putting the fire out, Jason the plumber, suspecting a leak from the water jacket, cleaned up the inside…

May has been about two things - painting and tiling. The main bedroom needs finishing and then the second bedroom and dressing area need painting - and that'll be it, first coat done! Coverage upstairs doesn't seem as good as down, not sure if that's to do with the plaster or the off-white paint, but a second coat will definitely be needed. Tiling has gone well, but slowly. It's now in a position where half the cubicle in the main bathroom needs completing and much of the back wall of the ensuite (I must post some photographs). Then it's onto…