Ola amigos! Apologies for no premiere this week, please say hi in the comments though :) We read and reply to them all x As always new videos out every Wednesday at 6PM GMT+1

You're entitled to change your mind. There's only so much energy, resources and funds and you have to prioritize how you spend them all.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Reet, you're right there! :)

The line between necessity, practicality and affordabilty is very fine.....bon courage 👍🏼

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Very true! Thank you so much :)

Beautiful home you two work pretty hard keep up the good work

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much :)

I would stone clad the bottom section of the wall where it has the scratch coat on, build the little retain wall where you dug out and grade it and plant it up.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Richard, great idea!

Busy body as usual ,when you mentioned oak deck in the start I was going to comment how dear is going to be, but glad you change your mind as it will break the bank ,my suggestion is just use concrete in a gentle slope to keep the rain water away from the walls with some stone work on the new edge you have diged where the string is ,to blend nicely with rest. looking forward to seeing this project done. thanks for another nice video.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much :) Always busy! Yeah the Oak is very dear. Pine is the cheap option and that also seemed quite expensive but not as bad as the Oak! That's a great suggestion, thank you! Still coming up with ideas but think we'll do something less maintenance :D

Hi Marc and Allys! 😃 Marc it's good to see the update on this project! As I have no experience in building I can't give you any advice but, I can say that I would like to have the same courage/proactiveness as you when it comes to these projects! 😃 It's also good to see that you being work in the shade 😅 Can't wait to see more updates on the farm! Keep safe! Abraço 😃

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much David :) Sometimes it's just about trying, i have no experience and i've made loads of mistakes but i guess i just have to try :D Hope you are well, take care :)

Really brilliant to think about what makes the most sense for your home. You will never runout of things to do

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

you're 100% right there Kathryn :) Thank you!

Your research and planning is admirable. That’s why you changed the plan - because you followed it out and saw that the benefit didn’t justify the work and cost. That’s a good way to live. Think as far ahead as you can, and don’t be afraid to make a detour. Your new idea will be awesome.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thank you Bonnie, much appreciated :) Hope it all works out!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

💚

You're looking for the best plan. We called that FLEXIBILITY 😅❤

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Haha thank you :D

Sounds like a good idea..Can't wait for end result

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much :)

TBH, I'd wondered how you were going to use the deck, given you seem to already have a fair amount of patio space. Looking forward to the as-yet-undisclosed future project. 🙂

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Haha yes true! It's not really needed, it was an idea when looking at what to do with that side of the house but it doesn't make sense now :) Thanks :D

Hi mark..great video...i was thinking it might be a waste to put a deck...and its so close to the road ...it would be a challenge to stop the earth from giving way. I would just lay some big flat stones and put a little garden or pots in..i think you made a wise decision and you show people its ok to change your mind.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Christine :) Yeah you're right, many things that could go wrong! Changing my mind is something i'm very good at haha!

Good on you for thinking further. Wood costs being so exorbitant is really prohibitive. Your place will be lovely with other ideas.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much Shirley :)

If you find your high point and shoot a level line from that (string will do if you don’t have a laser) you can backfill the low area with the fill dirt that you dig out of the front edge (where your string line is now) it would have saved you a lot of barrow trips and will give you a good level surface to pour your support slabs for the deck. You’ve got good clay dirt with rock in which is perfect fill material. It’s easier to bring a level up than it is to take one down. At least that’s what I’ve always found. Good luck with your project!

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much Mark! That's a great idea, definitely could have saved me a few trips! :)

You may change your mind again but you really do your home work before you start a new project and you have also thought a lot about the different options you have. I am sure that the end result will be super for you two and that is the important thing here. You may not get what you wanted the most but then again you get forced to be creative🙃. All the best to you both.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much Eva! It's likely we will change our mind again but i guess that's theb good thing about having time between projects, to change and come up with new ideas :) I hope the end result is worth it :) Hope you are keeping well!

Looks like a lot of work, good luck.😮😮😮

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Haha yes always, i think i end up creating more work for myself sometimes :)

How about repairing the house wall, building a white rendered retaining wall and have a nice flower bed?you could have a paved area in the middle with 2chairs or a bench . Love what you both do !

@claudia_ese8788

10 ай бұрын

agree, i actually meant to say something similar. Maybe add some small shrubs to the decline to help stabilizing it and keep it in place.if they were to flower even better.

@rachelpiscitell9993

10 ай бұрын

I was thinking the same ❤

@duosiris34

10 ай бұрын

I agree

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much Susan, what a great idea! One we will certainly consider :)

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Claudia :)

I wonder if the slope was so the water would fall away during heavy rainfall. Have you thought of placing a French drain next to the wall to lead the water away from the property and prevent it splashing up onto the wall during downpours. Internal dampproof course is a factor in keeping the wall dry I suppose. I hope everything goes well.

@anitaklamer3360

10 ай бұрын

Well said

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Isabelle, a good point there! :) A french drain is/was a possibility for sure. We hope we have a good enough solution (with drainage). The wall level is below the floor level so i think when we rendered we didn't really need to put waterproofing in but i guess we thought it would be ok :)

Lovely video as always 😊.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much :)

Yep - timber is super expensive - people don't realise until they either get a quote or start pricing up total costs for timber. It has truly become a luxury these days ... So quodos to you !

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

You're right there Sonia, timber is very very expensive at the moment :( It's a shame as i like working with wood!

Surrounding your home with flammable materials maybe not such a great idea. How about a flagstone terrace that drains away from the exterior wall?

@anitaklamer3360

10 ай бұрын

@pattyseree you are absolutely right!

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Yes that's a great point and was actually one of our initial concerns with it, that was another idea but it's a big area. We "think" we have a new plan now :) Shall show you soon!

Still loving your videos.... life's a learning curve from the offset 😊 I think you guys have and are doing a fantastic job across the board! 💯🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟you deserve to pat yourselves on the back....enjoy what you have undertaken on a daily basis 🌞👍🏼

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks so much Sue! I was actually worried this one wouldn't be that interesting, so nice to read nice comments like yours :) Have a great day!

So glad you're not building timber decking, the less flammable material you have near the house the better plus if Portuguese rats are anything like British ones they like living under decking. Maybe plant the area up with some perennials & it'll be relatively maintenence free really. It'd look lovely against the white wall, a swathe of green then lots of different flowers at different times of year. You're doing great anyway, just keep it up & enjoy. ❤X

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thank you so much :) You're right there, perhaps for the best to keep down the fire risks and don't like the sound of rats either haha! A good idea there :)

Boa tarde Michael gostei muito do seu vidio excelente sempre com boas ideias para melhorar a sua quinta . Muito obrigado por nos mostrar o dia a dia. Aqui fico à espera de mais vidios 💯% nice 👍👍👍🇬🇧🇬🇧 🇵🇹

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Muito obrigado :)

Hi Mark....have you thought about building decking out of pallets.. we did a temporary one here in Portugal a few years ago. There are a few on KZread. Boa sorte.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Linda, great idea and know they look super cool! It's getting hold of good pallets here (no longer free ones around anymore!) Although for a small deck seems like that could work well :)

💐🌟👍👏🍀

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

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How about a stone retaining wall and nice plants on the ground area

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks Charlene, you "may" have read my mind ;)

Great vid guys, watched you from the start but my first post. Like you've said its a homestead and the house is liveable, priorities change all the time but a cheaper alternative for a natural look would be to collect flat faced stones from around the property over time and and cobble your way down the side the house. Authentic it would be a and with a little google watch cheap as chips. 👍

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Firstly, thank you so much for supporting us since the start! We really appreciate it :) You're definately right there and you must have been reading our minds as we've been collecting stones from around the property to use around this area (hopefully), using resources from our land makes it all the more satisfying :)

Hey bud, hope ypu are doing well. It would be a lot less work if you just did concrete pillars for your foundation and eliminate the need for drainage also. Just an idea

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thanks :) That was the initial plan (would have been much easier for sure) but i spoke to someone and due to the extremity in the temperatures (v v v hot summers and cold winters), apparently it helps when the wood is more evenly supported than pillars.

Have you had rain for your swales? Is it hold the flooding problems you had early on?

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

We haven't had much rain! Well, one of my neighbours said we had 0.3mm of rain the other day so wasn't much at all!

If it's solid underneath, I would say it's a terrace, and it makes more sense to have a concrete slab and tile it. Cheaper, faster, rot resistant, etc. Wood only makes sense if it's suspended and can't weigh too much. Another thing. I would be sooo much happier if you could not use that breeze nice-guy music of.. Toby Someone? Every other KZread vid has it, and I hate it so much 😢 I think it's better to not use vocals anyway as background music, instrumental is less distracting. And ver much less annoying! Just my 2 cents, but very heart-felt.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thank you, yeah it would make more sense really and less maintenance :) Ah you mean Cody Francis? :D Thanks for the feedback :) Happy to take requests, what do you have in mind? It's hard choosing music as a creator, I have a wide variety/taste, although i'm not sure House music would be as well received as the nice-guy music haha

Why don't you just do a concrete slab and call it a day! 😉

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Haha! That would be much easier wouldn't it? :)

Please reconsider making a wooden deck. Not a safe solution living in wild fire prone Portugal⚠️⚠️⚠️💖

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

Thank you Anita! It was an initial consideration, but glad we aren't doing it now. Our area is very well maintained being a natural park so fires aren't common here at all, but best to be safe than sorry :)

Not afraid to take on a challenge to do the job right BUT not stubborn and willing to think about cost versus use. Like that 😊 I think you are wise to cost it all out first (nice planning 👍) and weigh that up with useage and other things you want to do because unless you are millionaires money is always going to be an issue. It's always a balancing act isn't it 😢 I am positive whatever you come up with instead will look as beautiful as everything else you have done around the house. Ok this gobshite will shut up now 😂

Shocks, talk less.

@rootsdownhomestead

10 ай бұрын

👍