Week 23:  5th October - Challenging Times

A problem is merely a challenge to be overcome.

The roof is progressing.  John (the roofer) is still delighted with the Tapco tiles.

The roof is not a straightforward layout, to say the least but it is looking fabulous.

You may well wonder why there is a sheet of plywood in the middle of the south-eastern roof; this is going to be a non-opening roof light into our bedroom.  The window was ordered 980 mm wide and 550 mm high; this is a standard size in a portrait orientation, but sadly not in landscape, so when the package (which had been sitting in a warehouse in Yeovil for weeks, waiting for us to be ready for it) was opened, the error was discovered.
A new window has been ordered, (we can't just turn the first window around as it would not drain properly) but there is a lead time of 15-20 working days before delivery.  This is causing us some stress, as until the window is fitted the roof tiles can't be finished, and until the roof tiles are finished we can't install the solar panels.  The solar system has to be commissioned by the end of the year as on January 1st the 'buy back' tariff (where you can sell unused electricity back to the government) goes down from 12p to 1p per unit; this is clearly one deadline we are most anxious not to miss.

However, this has all paled into insignificance with the 'excitement' of today.
The windows, as you have no doubt seen from the previous post, were installed two weeks ago.  Cheaper, plastic windows are delivered with a protective covering (rather like the film on a computer screen), ours came in all their naked glory.  Given that we still have to render the rear and garage walls and fit stone cladding on the side and front walls, after consulting EcoHaus, we were advised not to use even a low tack tape on the aluminium frame, but to protect the windows with 'Peel Gard'.  Peel Gard is like a very thick paint, applied to the window frame with a roller; it looks like a light blue paint but dries to a clear, rubber-like film which then simply peels off (a bit like PVA glue).  David and I took advantage of the glorious weather last week and duly applied this product according to the instructions; it was a very dull and time-consuming job but we felt very pleased with ourselves, knowing the windows and doors were protected.

Yesterday and today, the Rain Gods have danced a very merry dance, and the Peel Gard (where it was unprotected from the rain) simply turned light blue again, disintegrated and has made the most horrendous mess everywhere.  Here you can clearly see where the top part of the window was sheltered and this patch has peeled off perfectly, but lower down a small deposit remains on the frame (which we can't rub too violently as we don't want to damage the frame) and we are currently seeking advice from the provider.