Renovating an old house

During the meeting in Estonia we had the possibility to observe and old house that is being renovated by using natural materials. It is a small house in Sinioru, where most of the practical workshops took place. On the house there could be seen different renovation techniques.

Log changing of the house was unfinished, so on the photo below you can see, how the vertical logs are supported with an horizontal log. Then you can pull up the wall and change the parts of the logs that are not suitable anymore.

 

For heat insulation the gaps between the logs have been traditionally filled with flax felt or flax tow. The gaps, where the insulation is missing or it is not enough there, should be filled again. Filling the gaps is very important for avoiding that wind blows into the house.

 

 

The roof of the house was also renovated. Good parts of the roof were left as they were, but damaged shingles were replaced with new ones and part of the roof was made completely a new one. On the photo below you can see, that on the left side is the new roof and on the right side the old one with some new shingles on the top.