A new roof
1 The Coetzees first removed the old rafters and corrugated iron sheets, as they weren’t worth recycling. “This also gave us the opportunity to properly inspect the structure of the walls and remove and rebuild sections that needed strengthening.”
2 The walls were built higher right around the house before the new roof beams were installed 800mm apart. The beams are old telephone poles made of sturdy, treated wood that they had on the farm.
3 Since it’s a flat roof, the Coetzees had to put a lot of effort into ensuring that their house remained relatively cool in summer and cosy in winter. “We made the crossbeams thicker so that we could insert the thickest Knauf fibreglass insulating wool (135mm) with the highest R-value (insulating capacity) between the beams. Then we put an Envirotuff radiant barrier on top of the crossbeams and insulating wool. Finally, we painted the roofing sheets with white roof paint (Duram Roofcote) to reflect as much heat as possible and keep the indoor temperature mild.”
[ ROOKIE TIPS]
Chandré and Stéffan offer advice for novices keen to undertake a renovation project:
• A construction project takes longer and costs more than you originally planned. • From the get-go, have a vision for the project. Measure everything and create drawings or use a computer program to bring the look together.
• We got an excellent handbook from Stéffan’s dad entitled Building Construction
and Graphic Standards by André Grobbelaar. “It really helped a lot with planning and ensuring that we did things the right way.”
• With the internet at your disposal, you can always learn new skills. YouTube is a great source of information on all sorts of things you never thought you would do – from installing skirtings and cornices to restoring old windows.
• Know your limits, what you can (learn to) do yourself, and when you should leave things to an expert.
• It’s so satisfying to see the results of your own handiwork. We highly recommend it!