First-time house renovation

latecomer

typeractive wrote: »

What insulation are you using for the pitch of the roof? Do you also need a total of 115mm from the slate roof (excluding a 50mm air gap)?

Cheers

We had to have a 500mm air gap then 140mm of insulation in 2 layers. first was 100mm between rafters, then 40mm across rafters with a vapour barrier inbetween. this was using Celotex TuffR which had about the highest U value around (as we found out when trying to find an alternative).

latecomer

suisidevw wrote: »

Looks great LC, any further pics of kitchen etc?!

Or in fact looks terrible

Have lots of pictures of things as they improve and I'll try and spend some time uploading them, at least a few at a time.

suisidevw

That's what I meant

aliasojo

Hi guys, just home today after being out of the house for 2 weeks so the workmen could sort out the kitchen ceiling issues after the leak we had. Thought I was on the wrong thread there for a minute when I saw the car pics, lol. Got some catching up to do, I see.

Work done is not the 'perfect finish' I was expecting and was assured I would get. Units had been put up and not levelled properly so none of the doors were properly aligned. The plasterboard joint filling isn't done well and the coving is cracking already at the ceiling edge.

The plasterboard screws were sunk into the boards so far that they were halfway through in some places (apparently this is deliberate, despite the fact that Lafarge, Gyproc and most drywallers you speak to insist the paper facing should not be broken!)

No mist coat was done, paint straight out of the tin onto the bare. unsealed plasterboard so no doubt future coats will have peeling issues.

I raised loads of issues at the time but was obviously marked as 'a stupid woman' and was told ' a little DIY knowledge is a dangerous thing'. :rotfl: Idiots.

I'm the first to admit I'm no expert on all that is DIY, but comparing a room I have plasterboarded, taped, filled and painted with their handiwork, there's no comparison. I'll need to go round after them and fix it all.

After many years in this house and many tradesmen passing through, I've now formed the opinion that for every good workman, there are at least 4 or 5 bad ones.

stolt

hi everyone, kitchen s about to star again next friday so didnt have much to do around the house (i cant believe i'm saying that!!!!) anyways decided to go to ikea saturday after and we got a bookcase for the playroom and some pots and pans for the new induction hob. Plus i bought a large vase and me and the kids turned it into a fish tank!

oh and i put a picture up in the kitchen that we have had for a whiel an love, got another oil painting coming tuesday for the kitchen that i'm really excited abut.

andrew-b

Looks good stolt...dont suppose the kids gear will stay put in the shelves for long though!

On saturday i whacked a hole in the hall wall for a power socket as the hall was annoyingly lacking one. I'd bought a pack of 5 new sockets so i replaced another 3 sockets in addition to the new socket . The 5th socket a screw terminal cross-threaded..stupidly i tried to fix it with a sharp tap from a hammer rather than taking it back to the shop - don't hit electric sockets with hammers they do break!! Need to get another 5 to complete the bedroom and lounge sometime when more are in stock.

Having cut out for new sockets in the past with club hammer and bolster, i got out my SDS+ drill and chisel bit which made shorter worker of the dense concrete blockwork and i thought quieter too . It would have been even shorter work if i hadn't tried to make the backing box such a tight fit so the bolster and cold chisel still had an airing for some minor refinements. There's always something new to learn.

My noise still attracted the attention of a certain neighbour..he knocked quietly at first..ignored ..he tried ringing..no power (not that the doorbell was plugged in anywhere!)...he knocked harder when i passed near the door so i thought i'd better answer. Even though i told him when i opened the door that i couldn't stop for long as i had the power off including the freezer (little white lie as the kitchen circuit and lighting was on still) he still went on and on! It's so difficult to just get away without being rude so maybe i need to try rude instead! He did hint at me doing noisy works when he was out but in a subtle way ..which is what i usually aim to do mainly so i don't have him coming round wanting to know what's going on.

The new socket is just a spur off a socket in the spare room on the other side of the wall. Originally the plan was to move the socket in the spare room (it will eventually end up inside built-in wardrobe) to the hall side of the wall directly behind and blank off the spare room backing box . But i realised that to do it without risking cable damage meant damage in removing the existing backing boxand the cables would have had to be extended. So as a compromise i drilled a hole diagonally through the side of the backing box in the spare room through to the hall and took a spur off the spare room socket instead. Worked out pretty much in the ideal spot of the centre of the hall wall and without much making good required. The only other prob was that the backing box of the socket i spurred hadn't been earthed . Although the multimeter was showing continuity to earth via the faceplate screws i earthed it properly anyway.

spirit

Stolt - the kitchen is looking fantastic and love the picture you've put up. I've also bought an induction hob and need new pans for it. Are they very expensive in IKEA?

andrew - sounds like your neighbour is just a lonely old guy. Not sure how I would discourage him from knocking either though.

I'm envious that you can do your own electrical work, saves paying out for someone to do it eh!

stolt

spirit wrote: »

Stolt - the kitchen is looking fantastic and love the picture you've put up. I've also bought an induction hob and need new pans for it. Are they very expensive in IKEA?

andrew - sounds like your neighbour is just a lonely old guy. Not sure how I would discourage him from knocking either though.

I'm envious that you can do your own electrical work, saves paying out for someone to do it eh!

tbh i'm probably the wrong person t ask about th pans although i google indution pans and the ikea ones come out highly regarded plus my parents bought them for there hob and say they work well a medium sized pan cost about £31.00 so not sure if thats about the norm! its the favrite or favourite range.


andrew i think if you are handy with electrical work and you have a annoying neighbour, combine the two.... wire the doorbell upto the mains.....:)

aliasojo

stolt wrote: »

andrew i think if you are handy with electrical work and you have a annoying neighbour, combine the two.... wire the doorbell upto the mains.....:)

I expect I probably shouldn't encourage such thoughts but........:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

andrew-b

wiring the door buzzer to mains...it has crossed my mind... dont tempt me lol!