Vapour barrier or no vapour barrier?

We spent quite a while considering this. Initially it seemed obvious that we would have one as most things you read have one, in which case our roof would be built up like this

The Outside

Slates

Batons (horizontal slats the slates are attached to)

Rafters (vertical)

Insulation

Vapour barrier

Ossature Metalique (literally metal skeleton - the metal framework that holds the insulation up and has the plasterboard screwed to it)

Plasterboard

The Inside

On a lot of roofs there would also be a felt layer between the batons and the rafters.

Intensive reading suggested that the vapour barrier like this is actually being used more as an air barrier than a vapour barrier, and that if you want to keep moisture out of the roof then the air barrier is more important. For example read this

Our roof outside the insulation is now very well ventilated, so we concluded that if we install the plasterboard well, and make sure we seal round all edges and get it airtight we don't need the vapour barrier - saving time, effort and money. What we need to avoid is water condensing out in the roof as warm moist air leaks out and cools and water condenses out of it.

We consulted with the roofer - he agreed we didn't need the vapour barrier and said he did his roof the same as we are planning. Which is lucky considering once we attach the ends to the suspenders they don't come off again, so you can't add the vapour barrier easily.

More on insulation

Having finally got some insulation in both sizes (10cm and 4cm), and the metal rails and supports along with various screws, string, set squares etc we were ready to start the job of putting the insulation up.

Support

Metal rail (clips to support)

Insulation (goes
behind rail)

Day 1 - At the end of the day we had about 10 of the supports screwed to the roof, but various flaws we could see in what we had done. Mainly the tips of them were not level which was going to make it difficult to attach the metal rails.

Day 2 - Had a horse riding lesson then went back to the DIY shop for some extra supplies (bits of wood, screws) and while we were there got another pallet of insulation. Carried the insulation upstairs and cut some bits of wood to length to use in places where the rafters are too round or too narrow to screw a support to.

Day 3 - Removed the supports put up on Day 1. Started again with a new method for getting the supports level. We did this using two different spacers to try to speed the process up some. By the end of the day we had some insulation on the wall!!!!!

Spacer to get the support the correct distance from the roof slats

Spacer to get the supports the right distance apart (with spirit level)

Metal rail with spirit level to check the supports after installation

Insulation on the wall!!! 

We actually got a bit more than this up. When we stopped we were having a problem with the 4cm layer which we had put up last, it is quite flexible and was sagging off the ceiling. We have spent some time thinking and have decided it might work better if we work on each layer at a time rather than all three at once, it also might be easier if we started at one end and worked horizontally rather than vertically up one section - but we need to roofer to install the two missing A frames to do this. 

Day 4 - Spent first half of day with hangover. I went to the CMU (the health care administrator) and the supermarket. Doug put up some more insulation, in this section we have decided to add some verticals round the side of the window. We may need to adjust slightly to get the sides of the window in the right place, one side looks a bit squint, not sure if it is just the photo.

Still quite a lot to go, we need to develop our technique for efficiency and speed as well as being able to achieve the higher sections.

Is this bunny girl pregnant?

To be honest the answer to this question is 'I don't know', but I have palpatated her as advised by many things I have read and I can feel some little lumps I have not felt before. However it may be that she is just getting more used to having it done and relaxing more and I am feeling internal organs or little rabbit pellet poos working their way through her.
When we mated her a few weeks ago we left her and bunny boy together for about 2 days despite advice that you should only leave them together a short while - that technique clearly wasn't working and we have never seen them be aggressive towards one another.
We will just have to wait and see...

Insulation

I forgot, in the excitement of New Year and Nick visiting, to mention that we went and got the first palet of insulation before New Year

There are 10 more like this - and it looked even more when we got it inside the house.

The fork lift driver did an awesome job getting it in the trailer as there is about 1cm space on each side, he also lent us a cargo strap long enough to go over the top. Despite that it did sway quite a bit, but we got it home without it keeling off the trailer.

We went yesterday to Leroy Merlin which is a gigantic DIY, furniture and decor shop - it is a chain, the nearest one to us being in Pau. We went there rather than a closer DIY shop because we wanted plastic not metal supports for the metal rails which will support the insulation and have the plaster board screwed to them and this was the nearest we could find them.

Now we just need a 2nd palet of the insulation (the 4cm as the 1st one is the 10 - we are doing 24cm) and we are ready to get started. Too exciting! 

The roofer is meant to be coming this week to cap the 2nd chimney and fix a couple of leaks around the chimney and he thinks he will do the two A frames at the end of January - we shall see!

Owen has rain scald

Poor Owen has rain scald, which is a skin infection and often happens to horses that don't dry out for long periods. With such thick winter fur he is a little bit damp often even when it is not raining as sweat is trapped close to his skin.

Each patch starts off as a little lump and then the top layer of the skin falls off with the hair attached. It is sad as little clumps of his hair fall our when you stroke or groom him, it feels really awful pulling his hair off, but the infection is under these pieces of skin, so it is better to have it come off so the area can dry and any treatment can get in.

We are currently treating it by spraying him with dilute TCP and working it in with our fingers to get it over as much of his skin as possible. We have a limited supply and it takes quite a bit to cover him so we have ordered some stuff called hibiscrub which is recommended along with an anticeptic shampoo. Some people suggest spraying regularly with diluted listerine (one person suggestd this worked well for her as a preventative during the winter). We may give that a go when other things fail! It seems that different things work on different horses - but all take a certain amount of work and regular application.

We could give him a course of antibiotics, but it seems this is only called for if less drastic measures fail to resolve the problem and it is better to find a another solution as it will tend to reoccur.

Oops

Some friends kindly brought round a scaffold they are lending us. As a punishment for their good deed they ended up in the ditch at the side of our drive. It is very rainy and wet today, but I have to say that noone else has managed this particular trick. Hopefully it won't become a habit of the drive to trap visitors. Luckily our car is well equiped to deal with this kind of thing so we were able to drag them out quite easily. Makes me feel like a proper 4x4 driver!

We all got rather muddy. There is no photo of the actual event, but here is Poppy warming up and cleaning herself up afterwards, of course she was a great help. She seems to be over the phantom pregnancy thing and back to her 'normal' self.

Happy New Year!

Very short post... We have Nick, and old friend (I mean a friend for a long time rather than someone who is old) staying, so no time to write, too busy enjoying seeing him after so long - 5 years - which seems like no time at all. 

I struggled to write a new year message last year, as it was obvious my mum would not last long in to the year. Haven't done better writing one this year perhaps and still miss her desperately, but I wish you all a prosperous and happy year.

Love and kisses, Rhoda.