No more leaks......hopefully......

[Trev62]

This was a DIY job with some expert help, the "Miesters/Experts" taught us the basics so we could apply them in an attempt to replace our barn roof ourselves. Everything in the pile of rubble has been or will be reused/recycled so all in all a good and useful experience.

The original clay tiles have gone back on to the roof, it turns out we had four different tiles of varying length, width and depth so we had to source replacements from local villages. After we had used all of the ones our roofer had acquired we were still @160 short which as it turned out our neighbour just happened to have around this figure hidden under a mass of ivy and moss! He was more than happy to sell them to us (yes, we were conned) but we needed them as we had a rather large hole in the roof still to fill!

The wooden main beams have been inspected and all the nails removed, some will be used to prop up the barn roof, others to be used in the new chicken area and the rest will be chainsawed in to fire wood for the winter. All the small lats etc. have already had a meeting with my friendly axe and now are at rest in sacks to be used as kindling when the cold weather returns.

The bricks from the two chimneys we have taken down will be used (if solid) to build an outside fire pit to allow us to do our compotes and jams in the garden next year any broken ones will suffer the fate of being buried under a layer of concrete as hard core for the new base again in the new chicken area.

So all in all not a lot of waste, just a lot of clearing up as Bulgarian builders do not understand the term "tidying up after oneself!" Now we await the heavy rains and hope not to see water running down our internal walls anymore!

[Mo]

That looks like a major job.

[Spreckly]

How old is the house Trev?

[Trev62]

How old is the house Trev?

Not sure, some village houses have dates on them ranging from 1950 - 1960 but we think these dates were when the houses were "rebuilt". Most village houses here are built of solid stone walls on the lower floor then mud bricks for the upper floor, there is wood flooring with mud insulation between, on rebuilding these mud bricks (which often collapse and wash away) are replaced by what we call brick tiles. These tiles are often left open to the elements and quickly crack and break due to the extreme temperatures we get here.

We had brick chimneys on the house roof but supported on mud bricks inside the roof and house (does that make sense?) and another mud brick one that was encased in concrete. We still do not understand why most things have been and are done out here but we are learning all the time.

Answer to the your question though is we have no idea.

[Spreckly]

Thanks anyway, Trev.

[Mo]

Sounds like it 'just growed'
And that dating it would be an excersise in local history to keep you busy some cold winter (when you've learnt the language) to find out if the village has always been there.

[Trev62]

Our village has been here for years even though the name means "New Village", as for dating houses it is hard as you can re build at any time as long as the new property does not exceed the original footings or height of the original building. So........many places have either been knocked down or fallen down then re built again but no records need to be kept or updated.

It must be said that the above rules are normally totally ignored anyway when living out in rural Bulgaria, the Bulgarians have lived through several centuries of Turkish rule followed by Communism so the younger generation are now thoroughly enjoying finding their own way though many of the older generation do not approve!! Does that sound familiar?