First-time house renovation

aliasojo

My opinion is that they should all be the same.... so either all overhang or all flush (overhang would be my preference).

I think a difference in size is preferable and less noticeable than having them the same size but different 'styles' iyswim.

The landscaper isn't there doing you a favour...you're paying him to do a job so are perfectly entitled to ask for what you want, even if this is different to his own view.

latecomer

Flying visit. House making some progress but not much. Flooring laid in kitchen and the back room which will be the sitting/family room. MIL brought through her old suite which is going in there. Cleared a lot of the excess soil off the drive and put into the sunken areas of the garden. Very little progress to be honest given that I've been at home for most of the last 2 weeks......

Baby LC arrived in a rush 10 days ago. Didn't go to plan but he's healthy and thats all that matters. Likes to sleep all day and stay up half the night which isn't going down too well with us but hopefully wont last too long.....

Will catch up on posts and update blog when I get a chance - probably in 5-10 years

LC

latecomer

aliasojo wrote: »

My opinion is that they should all be the same.... so either all overhang or all flush (overhang would be my preference).

I think a difference in size is preferable and less noticeable than having them the same size but different 'styles' iyswim.

The landscaper isn't there doing you a favour...you're paying him to do a job so are perfectly entitled to ask for what you want, even if this is different to his own view.

I agree with all the above.

aliasojo

latecomer wrote: »

Baby LC arrived in a rush 10 days ago. Didn't go to plan but he's healthy and thats all that matters. Likes to sleep all day and stay up half the night which isn't going down too well with us but hopefully wont last too long.....

Will catch up on posts and update blog when I get a chance - probably in 5-10 years

LC

Aw bless. Many congratulations to you both and welcome to the world little master lc. :T

TomsMom

latecomer wrote: »

Baby LC arrived in a rush 10 days ago. Didn't go to plan but he's healthy and thats all that matters. Likes to sleep all day and stay up half the night which isn't going down too well with us but hopefully wont last too long.....

LC

Ooooooh :j lovely gorgeous cuddly scrumptious new little person. Many many congrats to you and Mrs LC. Your life wont be the same but this little bundle will bring you soooooooooo much joy. Welcome to the world little LC. Big hugs.

TomsMom

Thanks for opinions AJ and LC. OH is speaking to the landscaper right now and telling him we've had a good look and don't like it and that we want all four with overhangs. Guy's not very happy but tough, it's costing a lot of money and I don't want to be looking at something I don't like for years to come and wishing it was different. The guy should have asked us, simple as that. Thanks again.

spirit

and congratulations from me latecomer, Mrs LC and junior.

My kitchen it being fitted now. should be finished tomorrow, just has the plinths, upstands and handles to put on :j

Originally only the kitchen ceiling was being skimmed (to get rid of the ghastly Artex), but I asked them to do the little bit where I'd taken off the old tiles too. Came home that day and the whole kitchen had been skimmed. So I spent this weekend doing 2 very watery coats and then the final coat of emulsion.

At the same time, I got some of that loft insulation stuff for £3 at B&Q. I started lagging yesterday in between waiting for the paint to dry. Did a bit more today - it's a really !!!!!! job isn't it. Scrabbling around a partly boarded loft, moving boxes around and trying to avoid stepping on an unboarded bit. The insulation material is really itchy too

Had a break from it this morning and decided to plant a bit shrub in the ground. It was in a very large terracotta pot, lifted the pot to get the plant out and 'ping' went my back

It's very sore, gawd knows how i'm going to finish the loft insulation tomorrow. I sat on the kitchen floor earlier hoicking up the old thermoplastic tiles - sitting down is reasonably ok but the minute I move - eeek!

Ah well, I'll go for a hot bath to see if that helps!

Oh, and I moved my bedroom round this morning. It's much better and the room seems larger somehow

andrew-b

Congrats Latecomer on arrival of Master LC!

TomsMom, too late i know but i agree the top caps on the pillars should all overhang (or not) in the same way and so different sizes. Seems trivial i guess but it would bug me too and at the end of the day you will be looking at it everyday ..unlike the tradesman.

Reminds me Spirit, still got to lay my loft insulation some of which i bought over a year ago and the rest was npower £1 deal last december! Want to get it in before the onset of winter so need to get it done in the next couple of months really as it's just sat up there in it's rolls still. I'd take it easy for a while if i were you and leave finishing it until back feels better as you might not get down again!

TomsMom

andrew-b wrote: »

TomsMom, too late i know but i agree the top caps on the pillars should all overhang (or not) in the same way and so different sizes. Seems trivial i guess but it would bug me too and at the end of the day you will be looking at it everyday ..unlike the tradesman.

Thanks Andy, all opinions welcome. Well, they arrived this morning and all the pillar caps were taken off and have been replaced with new ones with an overhang. They look so much better :T. He wasn't 100% happy with having to do it but did concede that our opinion is as valid as his and we should have what we want.

We have a bit of a problem with some white stuff that has appeared around the edges of some of the pavers since the jointing compound has been put in, but only on one part that he did yesterday. We're wondering if it's efflorescence but research says that only happens with manufactured concrete pavers and ours are indian stone. Anyway, he's scrubbed it off and waiting for it to dry and see if it's made a difference. His opinion is that it's something to do with the jointing compound - not sure what it's called but it's the same colour as building sand (orangey) but it's brushed in dry and hardens in the atmosphere. Can't understand why it's just in one part though. Will not hand over the whole amount until we're happy, we'll keep some back if not until everything's sorted. We are happy with the new look though.

stolt

update on my garden, dont follow me and get those water sprinkelrs in the flowers beds.... well not if you on a water meter! bill for sewerage has landed on my mat for £458.00!! average family apparently is about £300.00 and they are saying its down to the sprinklers. Problems is as its for sewerage they have based that on meter readings on what i've used, although waht ive used has gone in the flower beds and not down the drains!!! surely i should get a discount or doesnt it work that way! the woman on the phone wasnt amused with my answer, i offered to send a picture of my large tomatoes to prove this, i said there ripening nicely but she didnt want to see! how rude! nightmare (£450 on water draining away).