Dude, Where's My house(s)?

[Prizam]

In other news, this weekend I need to clear around all of the buildings. I cut a path around a corner so I could at least see one of the buildings I needed to clear.

My theory at the moment is that if I am going to save any of them, I need to stop nature from taking over. The best way to do this is to clear a path to each of the buildings, and then clear the immediate area around the walls.

I think it might be a bit late for this one though. If you look through the sun glare, you can see a section of the wall has fallen down. I expect it's a Cobb wall, so repairs should be easy enough. But really, other than a few cobb walls... what in that building would be salvageable?

[Alex Z]

Convert it into an artistic ruin

It looks like you’ll have enough to keep you busy with the rest of the plot

[Sheepshanks]

Prizam said:

Thanks, I forgot to post a picture of what I dealing with. It's beautiful but wild! I will be specifically vague with some pictures so I don't give away my location. See if you can spot the street lights and buildings.



You can see I made an attempt at cutting the grass near the house, but gave up and just did the edges and made some pathways in it.

I now have a "Lawn tractor" on order. but fear I might need something bigger, like napalm or a T-Rex, to deal with the fields.

It’s quite a bit different to the end of a cul-de-sac!

[Prizam]

Sheepshanks said:

It’s quite a bit different to the end of a cul-de-sac!

Farmers-de-sac? Its rough enough

[Rustybanger]

Prizam said:

Farmers-de-sac? Its rough enough

The lack of grouse shooting/fly fishing/etc surely means it's paysan-de-sac in pistonhead terms?


For the chainsaw chain an idiot proof (well I can use it, so...) sharpener is the stihl one. You will need a vice to clamp the saw by the bar to make it really easy


https://www.worldofpower.co.uk/stihl-3-8-p-2-in-1-easy-file.html?_gl=1*yg6664*_up*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjw6uWyBhD1ARIsAIMcADpZ0YBDXKlThfcYL8MOEblzqbxNK9UJkzA9vD-6E3H2kZqNNIZSTbQaAh9KEALw_wcB[/url][url]

[Prizam]

As I sit here, thinking about limbering up to take on the huge amount of clearance I promised myself I would do today, my mind turns to Pistonheads procrastinations and writing a small update, and requesting some Kevin McCloud help.

The chainsaw
New fuel line installed, and it runs like a bag of crap. I then spent ages taking it all apart again, servicing the carb, cleaning all filters, checking the spark and the condition of the plug etc... All together again and it still ran poorly. I turned up the fuel mixture and it ran perfectly for a minute. Then crapped out again. another half hour of sweating at it and I put it away. but first, I went to drain the fuel from it to use in the brush cutter. EMPTY! I should have applied Occam's razor logic first.

The bush cutter
I cleaned the filters and sharpened the blade. put it all back together again but didn't get to test this because it was out of fuel, and the chainsaw didn't have any to donate. I have been abusing this tool a LOT. Hopefully, it starts today so I can clear another acre of head-height brambles. And if it's now broken too? Oh well, never mind. what a shame. Etc...

The help!
My wife is complaining that it's cold, and, to be honest. On occasion, I feel it too.

I want to do something with this fireplace.





The chimney is in good condition but the rest has obviously been "altered". I fancy putting in a Pellet stove, so it can be turned on and off when needed. it's going to be a formal dining room, and won't get much use. Pellet stoves all seem to be a bit big for the hole. (Story of my life). I have found one that would work out, and as a bonus, it can also come with a back boiler. But DAMN they are expensive and are filled with pellets through the top. Refilling the hopper might be a bit of a pain if it's crammed in. And, for some reason, no one included dimentions with the refill flap open.

Any thoughts on how to get a pellet stove to fit? Or alternate suggestions on what to do with the space? I would like to keep the fireplace as an original feature if I can.

[ferret50]

Most building type stuff arrive on pallets, so you are going to have a large pile of pallets.
You may be able to sell the pallets, of course, but that's hard work, hawking them to other pallet sellers.

But you have a cold wife, you have a fireplace, you have a chainsaw, could all your problems be solved this easily?

[Cow Corner]

Do you not have any trees that need reducing or clearing on the land? Could be a ready made supply for a wood burner (albeit not for this coming winter), rather than buying pellets.

Wood burner also likely to be a ‘prettier’ option.

[DonkeyApple]

Prizam said:

As I sit here, thinking about limbering up to take on the huge amount of clearance I promised myself I would do today, my mind turns to Pistonheads procrastinations and writing a small update, and requesting some Kevin McCloud help.

The chainsaw
New fuel line installed, and it runs like a bag of crap. I then spent ages taking it all apart again, servicing the carb, cleaning all filters, checking the spark and the condition of the plug etc... All together again and it still ran poorly. I turned up the fuel mixture and it ran perfectly for a minute. Then crapped out again. another half hour of sweating at it and I put it away. but first, I went to drain the fuel from it to use in the brush cutter. EMPTY! I should have applied Occam's razor logic first.

The bush cutter
I cleaned the filters and sharpened the blade. put it all back together again but didn't get to test this because it was out of fuel, and the chainsaw didn't have any to donate. I have been abusing this tool a LOT. Hopefully, it starts today so I can clear another acre of head-height brambles. And if it's now broken too? Oh well, never mind. what a shame. Etc...

The help!
My wife is complaining that it's cold, and, to be honest. On occasion, I feel it too.

I want to do something with this fireplace.





The chimney is in good condition but the rest has obviously been "altered". I fancy putting in a Pellet stove, so it can be turned on and off when needed. it's going to be a formal dining room, and won't get much use. Pellet stoves all seem to be a bit big for the hole. (Story of my life). I have found one that would work out, and as a bonus, it can also come with a back boiler. But DAMN they are expensive and are filled with pellets through the top. Refilling the hopper might be a bit of a pain if it's crammed in. And, for some reason, no one included dimentions with the refill flap open.

Any thoughts on how to get a pellet stove to fit? Or alternate suggestions on what to do with the space? I would like to keep the fireplace as an original feature if I can.

Just move. Job jobbed.

[LooneyTunes]

ferret50 said:

But you have a cold wife, you have a fireplace, you have a chainsaw, could all your problems be solved this easily?

I don’t think you’ve thought through how hard it would be to get rid of the DNA from the saw. He might even be quite fond of her, in spite of her complaints about room temperature.

Being serious though, OP is probably going to need to bite the bullet and by more kit. The alternative is struggle on without it, come to hate the job, and eventually buy it when the frustration becomes too much.

A decent chainsaw is a necessity in the countryside. Something like a Husqvarna 545 mk2 is more saw than most will ever need but should tackle the majority of jobs clearing that land and dealing with the subsequent wood.

[CharlesdeGaulle]

I'd endorse the recommendation for a wood burner rather than pellet there, especially if the room is only rarely used. Wouldn't pellets be overkill?

[Baroque attacks]

Prizam said:

CoolHands said:

Can someone read all that and give me the gist

New house, needs work, wana watch?

The rest of it is backstory and jokes.



Did you mean to say, that guys written engish is really poor, or did you mean to say "im an idiot and cant read". Can some one else give me the gist?

Great comeback



Bookmarked, bookmarked hard

[Prizam]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I'd endorse the recommendation for a wood burner rather than pellet there, especially if the room is only rarely used. Wouldn't pellets be overkill?

My thoughts were that you could click a button and the heat would come on when you are using the room, and then push a button to turn it off again. You can also set a temperature and leave it.

I do have a wood burner in another room. I love them, but they do need tending to.

[markymarkthree]

Loving this thread.
Keep it up op, don't go AWOL on us.

[LooneyTunes]

Prizam said:

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I'd endorse the recommendation for a wood burner rather than pellet there, especially if the room is only rarely used. Wouldn't pellets be overkill?

My thoughts were that you could click a button and the heat would come on when you are using the room, and then push a button to turn it off again. You can also set a temperature and leave it.

I do have a wood burner in another room. I love them, but they do need tending to.

Have you had a wood burner before? (Serious question, not sarcastic) as if you build your stack Scandi/top-down style you can can usually get them burning with minimal input needed (with ours can light it, good couple of hours before it needs another log, then a log every ~60 mins but easy to get going again if you leave it a little longer). If you get them with external air supplies then they don’t drag cold air into the property eithe. .

If you’re doing a full refurb of the house then consider underfloor heating + log burner. Had that combination in previous house (self-build) and doing it again in my office.

[mikey_b]

CharlesdeGaulle said:

I'd endorse the recommendation for a wood burner rather than pellet there, especially if the room is only rarely used. Wouldn't pellets be overkill?

Depends on the definition of 'rarely used'. If the room is used every few weeks, but for hours at a time on those occasions, then a wood burner is a good idea. If it's used for 30 minutes at a time, then a gas-powered looky-likey stove (or even an electric one) would be a better bet for it's instant heat.

[DonkeyApple]

mikey_b said:

Depends on the definition of 'rarely used'. If the room is used every few weeks, but for hours at a time on those occasions, then a wood burner is a good idea. If it's used for 30 minutes at a time, then a gas-powered looky-likey stove (or even an electric one) would be a better bet for it's instant heat.

It certainly boils down to how a particular space is used and also how it's connected to the rest of the property.

Large, open area where residual heat is of huge benefit and it's worth considering a stove built in to a large thermal mass, the same principal as a range cooker or underfloor. Room that's used for significant periods of the day but not every day then a cast iron log burner is ideal. A room which you tend to just be in for a short time and gas makes the most sense.

[4Q]

We have a pellet boiler at work and it needs lots of regular maintenance to keep it running efficiently. We usually give it a full strip down and clean once every 4-6 weeks during the winter months. I don’t know if a pellet stove would need similar. By contrast my log burner has nothing done except a chimney sweep annually.
Plus pellets are VERY dusty and you’ll need the hoover out every time you empty a bag into the hopper.

[classicaholic]

Don't bother trying to clear that amount of land with a lawn tractor, you will need a minimum of a Kubota 4 wheel drive mini tractor, I speak from experience!

[Lonoxe]

OP, buy a Milwaukee M18 fuel 40cm/16 inches chainsaw with two 12v batteries and you’d never stress about your chainsaw again.
Also, for clearing/maintaining acres, I’d recommend getting a local farmer in to do the first clearance, then invest in a decent commercial grade mower - a bit expensive but again you’d never stress again other than finding a few hours to get on the machine. Good luck!