Simple Idea BUT Surprisingly COMPLEX - Renovating a Stone House
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- Опубліковано 3 січ 2025
- It sounds so simple: make an opening to hang a new door. But simple doesn't mean easy - particularly when it comes to working with a stone building.
We've been wracking our brains for a long time, trying to work out how to solve this problem of installing new doors (and windows) into our stone Portuguese farm house. But I think we've finally come up with a good solution.
In this video we'll catch you up with all the latest renovation action and tackle the challenge that is this old, bricked up doorway in our future kitchen.
www.makedogrow...
A hundred years from now, this meticulous craftsmanship will be admired and appreciated.
A hundred years from now the renovation project will be finished. 😅 Just kidding, amazing work
I’m surprised you two still like each other. Outrageous tenacity, discipline, attention to detail, staying true to history! Outstanding job! Thanks for sharing.
Your home is a meticulous labor of love. From the grounds to the garden to the house itself, beautiful!
Thanks for another video. Massive respect! You not only have a great capacity to learn n adapt n grow from mistakes, but u have a massive capacity for hard work and a strong will through it all! Massive respect!
I'm always looking for your updated videos I just love watching you two, it's making me want to move back to Portugal and start renovating my grandma's house, up until I started watching you two I had never thought her old house as a possibility but now I do even though my husband and I are about 13 years older than you.
I have lived in Canada for the last 48 years but I'm missing Portugal living more and more each year, keep up the great work and the great videos you are very inspiring
The old houses here certainly can be restored, and they deserve to be - in most cases they are made of much better materials than modern builds.
The key to doing a good job is to really understand how these types of houses work and then choosing suitable materials and techniques to improve them. And in almost all cases this can be done DIY if you feel inclined … or by hiring labour and overseeing all the detail.
The Portugal lifestyle really is great, we love it more and more 😍
You 2 work so hard! It's quite fascinating to watch. I look forward to seeing the end results, no matter how long that takes.
What's square and level in an old house? Either rebuild the entire house or accept and adapt as you go.
As always - like your posts and efforts.
When my late father worked on our old farmhouse, he insisted that if what he was doing was straight, plumb and level it would look out of place.
Oh, we’ve definitely accepted it … can just be a challenge when you need something level/plumb (ie. door/windows)
@@MAKEDOGROW Clear, of course you have to "adapt" to the laws of gravity (plumbing) and in theory doors/windiws could be handmade to fit a non-square opening but very expensive.
As you MAKE physical and visual progress you also DO progress with the house of of your dreams as it will GROW becoming fulfilled.
@@Bobrogers99 Correct and agreed - the fantastic effort put into this project is a perfect example of what you are saying.
@@MAKEDOGROW I'm surprised you didn't just factor it it, my old flat was 19th century and plumb looked terrible, so I used to find an angle that looked good.
What an amazing job. You both work as a real team. It is so. Impressive. I always look forward to your vlogs. Take care and have a great week.
You two keep on amazing me. Thank you for another stellar episode.
I 100% know the frustration of how long these seemingly-small anomalies take to figure out. Kudos to you both for taking this a step at a time and showing us all a solid way to approach this type of issue 👍
I think it was about a day of discussion, with many visual mock-ups (and frustration when we didn’t have a shared vocabulary), to come up with this solution.
Really hoping it will work for all the remaining doors and windows… don’t fancy having to return to the drawing board!
Fingers crossed 🤞 I'm building solo so have to have those discussions with my dog 🤣
The finish you are getting using the hemp/lime plaster really looks amazing, it fits your house. 👍
I have a stone built Victorian house which we have renovated and the door frames and skirting boards are all supported by wedges of timber hammered in between the stonework. The 'liners' etc are attached to the wooden pegs and then the skirting and the frames attached to the liners. Hope this helps.
Yes. This the correct, traditional, way to do it. So not "impossible" to hang a plumb door in a stone house. 🙂
The screws one of your other commentators suggested are called Tapcon buy the screws and the drill bits together(no plugs needed), another possible tip would be to hang one side of your frame plumb and square and then use wedges or inflatable wedges to get the other side inro position...
Absolutely love what you do, your patience and tenacity is boundless.
And bieng hit in the face by a rampaging drill is absolutely no fun, so much commiserations...
Keep up the good work.
Brilliant! I can't wait to see the door (whenever that happens). Such hard work and it is paying off. Also, Kylie, congratulations on completing the sanding of the beams. They are stunning even without oil. Truly a labor of love. Beautiful.
You folks are nothing short of amazing! Fantastic job on the door frame. Best wishes and warmest regards. Ed
Vocês são incríveis! Good job guys. Deixo um abraço 🇵🇹
Well done on the door-frame-liner. Everything is looking lovely. This may have already crossed your mind, considering how thorough you are, but I wanted to mention a detail from another channel, Portugal From Scratch. She seems quite familiar and comfortable with natural building methods. I noticed that every time she installs wood where it will meet up with plaster (or any other natural building material), she inserts screws/nails/metal pieces randomly into the wood to give the plaster, etc. something to attach to because otherwise it wants to pull away or crack over time. I wondered what your research on this has shown?
I admire the thought and care that you put into your project. It'll be the most amazing, comfortable home to live in.
That method you mention is definitely needed when using a standard lime-sand mix, however it’s not needed for a lime-hemp mix. It’s one of the massive benefits of the hemp, it’s a very flexible material so cracking and shrinkage are greatly reduced
That's great...natural building materials are infinitely interesting!
I love being taken along on your thought processes, thank you for taking the time to do so. Also loving the texture of the walls, it is looking very cozy. Watching from Hermanus, 🇿🇦😊
Well I am on the last unwatched video (now watched) and wow I wish I had found you sooner.
Love your humour, tenacity, patience, attention to detail and so many other things 😊
I watch because I enjoy as I will never be doing due to home/life circumstances (that cannot be changed they are what they are). Maybe in another life I will remember all this and get to do it, I love old houses (hate modern boxes) I can imagine it to be very fulfilling in the end 😊
Looking forward to continuing to watch your journey 😊
It does look pretty good from were in sitting😊 im a precise one too. But now Im loving the rustic living.
I just wish I was a tad younger.
I do hope Guy your shoulder wasn't stiff and a tad sore the following morning.
The joys of building. 💕
Life took me away for several months so it’s great to drop by and see another well-considered solution, beautifully executed with winning teamwork 😃 and, added bonus, Kylie’s bye from off camera. It made me laugh out loud and there hasn’t been enough of that going on here lately. Cheers!
They might have used the timber blocks you found in the wall to attach the old door. The way you are doing it seems like it's going to be much better to get everything levelled up. Love how you guys tackle these challenges.👍❤
I wonder if it wouldn't be simpler to just reuse those blocks.
We used two that were still in reasonable condition … the rest disintegrated
Yes, that’s our guess too. We took out the very old and crumbly wooden frame a while back when we started thinking about a solution
What a lovely job you have done on the door and the plastering. Well done.
Love your work. I was totally shocked when you said your age, I would have guessed 10 years younger Kylie, holy toledo, you look good.
Another well thought out plan … which has resulted in a perfect door frame that will be so useful as you tackle other doors and even windows 👍👍👍Durban SA🇿🇦
I'm in love with lime plaster...you are going to have a stunning home! ❤ Thnks for sharing your renovation story...
Lime (and especially with hemp) is so great to work with, and leaves a much warmer feel to the room. Definitely one of our best decisions 😃
Always enjoy your videos, whatever the current week’s topic. 🎉
Also enjoy the “some time has passed” pauses. This time Guy has had a haircut and a beard trim-looking refreshed. 😮
I love the way you guys trouble shoot with so much intelligence. Well done!
Your solution resembles what I saw on another channel called atelier MAVI. They are 2 architects who bought an old stone building (pretty much a ruin...) in Italy. All of the windows/doors had to be rebuilt. They mandated a local company to fabricate their windows and doors. The specialist installed temporary frames, similar to what you've done. Then the renovation of the stone walls continued until the windows were ready to be installed. And they fit perfectly... I really enjoy your channel! Keep up the good work.
Good to know our solution is similar to the professional ones 😀
Oh, I felt that hit by the drill! Ouch! Amazing work!
In the UK there are harden long screws available which drill their own hole as they are screwed into place. They quite happily screw into concrete.
As used by double glazing installers.
Build your frame on the floor. Measure the diagonal make them equal. Then put temporary cross bracing on the fame after which put the frame in place. Only remove the cross bracing after the frame is finished in place.
Looks great. With all the chestnut in the area a wooden entry would look amazing.
WELL DONE AGAIN GUYS ❤
I kept wondering when shims were going to get involved. I shouldn’t have doubted you guys!
You two are amazing. A real labor of love. Well done.
Hope your cheek is OK Guy! That must've hurt!!
The end product as always looks great
Hugs from 🇨🇦
What a team the pair of you make......envious
Great work guys, pro tip on messy spots like that try to establish a pivot point ( highest spot ) attach that first then move around the opening with level / plumb. Hope this helps.
Wow...not to say much, but a lot work and effort for sure....becoming a very detailed kind of style and surrounding environment 🎉😊
Looks great! Next one put in some diagonal bracing to keep plumb & level.
Funnily enough I did a second frame a couple of days later and that’s exactly what I did, just small ones across the corners
" Hey Presto " ... it worked !!!
You continue to amaze me and many others
Continued good Luck and perseverance
We love watching you.
Well done! Looks good! 😊
Great job!!! Amazing all the things you accomplished!!! See you next week!!!
On door frames with large openings I use opposing wedges (thin ends facing each other) great adjustability ,brit expat watching from Tasmania
Awesome critical thinkers😊 Good job.
Unbelievable nice job you two❤ can't wait for the final conclusion 😊
Looking forward to seeing what your door will look like.
Amazing work! I'm going to steal this idea for my window hole... I sort of had an idea to put some sort of a window box in to attach the window to, but seeing it in action for your doorway makes me know it's possible. Thanks!
Welcome! We did also consider putting timber wedges into the opening which is a lot more traditional, but this was definitely an easier solution (does require some long screws however, ours were 160mm)
I look forward to seeing the next steps, and soon a finished room😊 Also, would so like an update on the kittens❤
That was a brilliant solution my only suggestion is for you to use harder wood not that pine or at least treat it especially on the windows. I am still amazed with all the care and detail that you are putting in even after these many years of grinding…👏
The original windows on the house are made from pine …. and many are still functional (a couple do need some major work).
The magic isn’t always in the materials, but the maintenance and prevention of water in the first place.
We’ll likely be making the actual frames in chestnut however 😀
Now that is a secure frame, well done guys!
Your research and precision in your work are immaculate! Weldone you 2😊
Greetings from🇿🇦
To be honest, I had forgotten this was going to be reinstated as a doorway, but it's a great preparation for the eventual door to go in.
It is beautiful. I'm loving what you're doing. Good work!
Saw a building method in the Philippines where they put raised nails in the backside of the door frame jambs and then throw cement on using a tuck point trowel. Add layers as required.
Render over with finish coat(s) once cement is cured
Always over-cable! Something I learned in years of IT management...you'll never be sorry if you pulled more than you need, but if you don't pull enough it's painful later. It's looking good.
Hey guys, sorry I’m plugging this message on the wrong video. I’m not a Computer wizard; I do, however, have an idea about the kitchen prep area. I thought perhaps you could have a double use for that area. And make it into an extendable table for when you have guests and friends over. Thus avoiding making a small area look too 4:05 crowded with extra furniture. Thank you for all you do.
A Very Good Drill And Battery for that “Screw” !
It does help to have a good hard think and then plan it and end up with a decent outcome and have it confirmed by a professional. :)
I'm very impressed!
Round the timber door frame you then Caulk with Oakum or simply caulking cotton. When the timber shrinks you need something a bit more flexible than just the lime. We find that its easier to fit the door to the hole (even when wonky) than it is to fit the hole to the door.. if that makes sense.
Another job well done , looks great too ,
Amazing teamwork
Totally ace to watch. Love it !
That woman is a gemstone!
your commitment is Epic
Man that had to have hurt, I really hope your face is better. I applaud both of you for all your hard work.
Well Done! Yea!🎉📌
Woah, that doorway was the mother of all tests. The room is done enough for me to put up a little Christmas tree in the corner and get the fairy lights out - I mean come December 😅
So much hard work looking good ❤
Great product
great work guys. looking v professional
Ola amigos parabéns pelo excelente trabalho ,vai ficar super lindo ,com muito trabalho e muito suor ,continuação de felicidades bom fim de semana um abraço
It looks so good.
WOW what a great job. You two have inspired me so much along your journey. Thanx so much. Honestly you've inspired me so much I began my own channel so when I get to Portugal in Dec and begin my property search I want to film it. I am beginning with my restoration here in Upstate NY USA. So Make Do Grow definitely fellow Portugalians. Keep on keepin on. PS I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the way you persevere, research, learn and can figure out just about anything. SIMPLY AMAZING Couple. Cheers. Gina in Upstate New York moving to Portugal.
To mitigate drilling then removing the frame to drill and screw, have you considered using universal frame fixings, best described as a screw plus plug combo that is rated for both internal and external fitting. The benefit is it enables you to drill through the wood and into the stone to the depth required (you can utilise the masonry drill for wood), use something like a hairdryer blow out the dust and then hammer in the easy fix fitting and then you tighten the screw to give you the final secure fitting. As you are not removing replacing the frame it significantly makes the whole process quicker for yourselves. Also on the window front, I always suggest to renovation clients to take detailed measurements of the core window opening stone to stone and then work out how you can group the windows to the minimum size of that grouping (typically grouping based on windows with less than 15 mm variances height and width), then all the sub frames are made to that one size for that group. Why do this, when you go to the joinery / glaziers you are ordering a set of windows the same size = lower cost + quicker supply, yes you are not going to get every window to fit into one size but even if you had groups of three or four windows that can add up to a sizeable discount.
300mm 10mm stainless stud, with chemical anchor bond, gives an bombproof fixing and isn’t as stressful on the stones as frame fixings have a nasty habit of splitting stone (especially slate,) as they expand. Chemical fixing price has also improved in the last few years and you don’t need special tools.The disadvantage is that you have to counterbore the frame to hide the bolt head, and the bolt is Never going to come out the hole, so it needs to be right first time!
*Another awesome job done.... that will last forever 🙂.*
What a team!!!!
See you!! ❤❤❤
A job well done!
very nice and lovely work. nice job!!!
Your video sent me scurrying around the house looking at doors and windows and trying to remember how we put them in over 25 years ago... actually, closer to 30 years ago. Unclear by looking at the finished product, of course, but whatever we did has at least lasted that long! Surely we must have attached the frame to the stone walls somehow, before rendering around it and just as surely we must have destroyed a few drill bits in the process! Your version looks tidy and secure, so I'm sure it was the right decision. Nice work!
If the stonework was more consistent, with more points for anchoring into, we probably would have attached a frame directly to the stone.
I really hope this also lasts 25+ years 😀
Looks good - the kick-back on the drill looked (and sounded 😀) painful!
God guy's your doing a fantastic job it is really a labour of love .x
looked a mission - well done!
I have nothing to say really, but I appreciate your content, and wish to help with the yt-algorithms.
Was the wood treated to avoid those pesky woodworms before install? I learn so much from you two! Thanks!
Contrary to the advice most will give, we have decided not to pre-treat our timber. Having done a lot of research it seems that preventative measures aren’t very successful due to the low penetration rates of treatment, less than 1mm.
Our approach will be to keep the house warm and dry (heated and ventilated), this should keep most bugs away since they typically have a preference for damp/humid conditions.
Thanks! Another lesson learned 😊
Great job!
Fantastic job as always👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Looking great!
Mmmmm, that was a good plan, I could feel the frustration but you got there.
It is all coming together! Looking great! Keep up the good work!
Awesome work!!! 🥰🎶❤️🇨🇦
Great teamwork, great progress!
Quick tip: if drill is stuck, switch to just hammer mode and push-pull the driller until it loosens
Bye from Ireland
I had to order two custom width doors for my house during renovation, but they were worth it. The doorways were crazy widths, and one was in a cement walled cellar. I feel your pain.
regarding the mushroom drill bit, idk what drill you used before, but in general a full carbide head can prevent that. Bosch has them for sure (7x for sds Plus, 8x for sds max - Expert range). DeWalt might also have some of them :)
Thank you also for your videos, they're very joyful to watch. Apart from you getting hit ofc.
All the best from Switzerland
Funnily enough, we bought some new carbide head bits, they are amazing. And interestingly some brand we’ve never heard of were the best … we got some Bosch ones too 😀
Nice job