We returned from our Devon holiday to find all the trenches filled in and a brand new, level floor in the barn. It transpired that pouring and levelling the floor had been a fairly traumatic time for Pete and his team. The ready mixed concrete lorry had not mixed quite as well as it might and combined with very hot weather, the concrete began to "go off" much quicker than everyone would have liked. In addition, the building regulations officer insisted that the floor be reinforced using steel mesh. By working ridiculously long hours, the team managed to get the floor poured, spread and tamped down to achieve the required finish.
With the barn floor complete, the building was now structurally sound and apart from construction of steps to the front door, a new plinth for the oil tank and landscaping of the drive, external works were complete.
Thoughts now turned to the interior of the barn. We had been utterly inspired by the house in which we had stayed while in Devon. We decided at this point to go for the highest quality finish possible within our budget and aimed to create a more modern or contemporary feel than is found in some of the older holiday cottages in the area. To this end, we made a few changes to the internal wall layout on the plans, for example, creating a larger ensuite shower cubicle in one bedroom and opening out the entrance hall.
By the end of the month, the inside face of the barn walls were tanked using a polymer based paint and mortar system up to a height of about 1500mm. This should prevent damp penetration in the absence of a damp proof course in the walls.