Bricks and tiles

The green and blue of the roof membranes seen from our daughter's kitchen window.
The steel barn to the left carries just under 10kW of solar PV tiles

Bricklaying began a few days ago and tiling commenced yesterday morning. We have been told we should get tiles up before brickies Martin and Stuart get too far to ensure that the weight of the tiles on the roof allows the timber frame to settle.  

The first six courses: the occasional brick has been left out
to allow the hemcrete to continue drying and will be put in later.

Although the Terca Bamburgh red bricks are machine made they have a handmade appearance and bedded in lime mortar will look very similar to those on the (now demolished) old farmhouse. 

The darker Collinwood Blend tiles from Dreadnought contrast well with the reddish bricks and even boast four specially made raised tile sections to provide a home for tiny pipistrelle bats – that is if they have survived the endless rain of the last two months.  So far none have been in evidence this summer though swallows seem to be taking a particular interest in the new build.

Try throwing (or catching) six tiles at a time:
for tilers Damo and Matt it's a piece of cake (followed by a cold beer!)

Most of the brickwork and tiling should be completed by mid August by which time we will have commissioned the oak windows and, hopefully, installed the rest of the oak trusses and frames.  Meanwhile there is much to sort out in terms of roof edge detailing, fitting of oak feet and barge boards as well as the final measurements to enable commissioning of the windows.