One of the most frequent questions we are asked is “Can I do any of the building work myself” The answer is “Yes you can”…… Obviously the amount you will be able to undertake depends on your experience and DIY skills so we have made a list below and marked the different operations with * as a guide.
When I lived in Portugal some time ago I was intrigued with the cork tree which has some amazing properties and with the bark being ecologically harvested, commercially. The tree known as the Cork Oak (Quercus suber), is the basis of many cork products including the cork in your wine bottle, tiles, gaskets, dartboards and many other sports and household products.
Now we need to look at a raincoat for our new roof and there are many different options to choose from all with different pro’s and con’s…. so here we go.
Yet another example of Roman skills can be found in their understanding and use of stones to create foundations for buildings and some very large buildings that still stand today on what we consider to be ‘ancient methods’. In fact the Romans were ahead of us in many aspects of construction techniques.
Now, researchers from Berkeley Lab at the University of California have made a breakthrough in cracking the secret of their long life – the special formula the Romans used to make their concrete. Unlike modern concrete, in which Portland cement to bind the aggregate, Roman concrete uses a mortar mix of volcanic limestone, which reacts to form crystals that expand into the space within the concrete more effectively.