First-time house renovation

Bibbitybob

Can you see my shade of green from over there, maggie? Lovely wardrobes, I'll bet they make fantastic storage. I'm hoping I can sweet talk OH into making me (ahem, us) a big built in wardrobe in our master bedroom. One room at a time though!

So Magnet came and swapped the fridge and cooker hoods over yesterday. I did a quick check and all looked ok, until I thought to measure it today and they've sent the wrong size again :mad: we need a 900...they originally sent 600 and now it's 1000. When I called the store the assistant said "it can't be, we don't sell 1000 width hoods". Don't care mate, we've got one. Swift call back from the manager who was very apologetic and helpful and is trying to order us another one to be delivered quickly. We've not paid them yet and won't be until we have the full order, so watch this space.

Hopeful_5

TM - amazed that you've got away so lightly re. the snow considering where you live. It's been really bad in the London area, despite the microclimate we have from being so crammed in as it were. I do hope TD's treatment isn't too arduous, it's certainly going on for quite a period. I really do feel for him. Best wishes to him and hopefully the two ladies will be a bit of light relief.

Maggie - you done it again! Looking great and you're still powering away.

Mine's finally been plastered throughout but it took place over three weekends so can't say I'm whooping with joy; just keep thinking how much further forward it all ought to be. My builder said many times many weeks ago that suddenly it would "all go forward" but that hasn't happened yet, it's just been dragged out and it's quite dispiriting. He also said about a month ago that he didn't see any reason why I shouldn't be in for Christmas. Mmmmm, not heard that again recently. When it all started in early September I truly believed I would be in by mid-November - and I still think I should have been.

My fingers are crossed that when I go there on Thursday the re-wiring second fix will be well under way and the plumbing will have started.

Hope

latecomer

@hopeful5 - To be honest I no longer believe anything I'm told by builders/tradesmen. I have an idea of how long things take and that tends to be far more accurate than the bull they feed you to keep you off their backs.

We've still waiting to hear from the plasterer who was meant to be coming round.
And we;re suffering from a frozen pipe this morning too. ITs the cold mains to the kitchen sink and I'm hoping its frozen due to the outside tap connection as if its undre the floors we are stuffed as there is no way to get to that without taking up all the new flooring and then cutting holes in the floor. Hot tap is fine which makes me think it has to be due to the outside tap connection as they both run under the floor next to each other so it was frozen there then presumably both would be frozen unless the hot picks a little residual heat from the boiler......

I'm sure the pipework under the floor should be insulated but I cant say I remember seeing it being done. Does anyone know whether thats covered by building regulations or not? I thought it would be but a quick check this morning didn't leave me any the wiser.

latecomer

spent last night putting pipe lagging round all the exposed pipework under the sink and this morning it was running perfectly. IT was only whne I left for work that I realised the temp was only -1 degreesC (instead of the -10 that was forecast!) which may have had something to do with it :rotfl:

ukmaggie45

latecomer wrote: »

Bah haircuts and shaving is for people with nothing better to do. Let nature take its course!

And whats the point in buying clothes if the ones you have are still wearable? Thought this was a money saving site

LOL LC, if they were actually wearable I wouldn't mind so much. It's just his wardrobe is full of "might come in useful for decorating", "could wear it if I need to change a tyre", "could wear it for gardening", "could wear it for painting the boat" and so on. It's just all of those far outweigh the actually wearable clothes, and when he does any of those things he doesn't bother getting changed anyway, but just wrecks another set of clothes. :eek: :eek: :eek: :mad: :mad: :mad: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Bibbitybob wrote: »

Can you see my shade of green from over there, maggie? Lovely wardrobes, I'll bet they make fantastic storage. I'm hoping I can sweet talk OH into making me (ahem, us) a big built in wardrobe in our master bedroom. One room at a time though!

Hi Bibbity, checked out your blog over the weekend, glad to see things are moving on (sorry to hear kitchen isn't going as smoothly as you hoped). One room at a time is the only way to go if you're in residence. We just had so much structural stuff to do that it wasn't an option for us to move in till work done.

Hopeful_5 wrote: »

Maggie - you done it again! Looking great and you're still powering away.

LOL, thanks Hope, but it wasn't me wot done it!

Hopeful_5 wrote: »

Mine's finally been plastered throughout but it took place over three weekends so can't say I'm whooping with joy; just keep thinking how much further forward it all ought to be. My builder said many times many weeks ago that suddenly it would "all go forward" but that hasn't happened yet, it's just been dragged out and it's quite dispiriting. He also said about a month ago that he didn't see any reason why I shouldn't be in for Christmas. Mmmmm, not heard that again recently. When it all started in early September I truly believed I would be in by mid-November - and I still think I should have been.

We seem to go in fits and starts too. The hold up over the hardcore and sand cos it was all too frozen to use was a bummer. But it's all going agin now, concrete floor was poured today, so we can't go in this evening. It's dark now anyway.

Hopeful_5 wrote: »

My fingers are crossed that when I go there on Thursday the re-wiring second fix will be well under way and the plumbing will have started.

Plumber has started on ours, and I think tiler will be in soon for bathroom. Not sure if tomorrow or next week. I think plumbing can go quite fast once it starts. So here's hoping yours will be well advanced when you get in to see it.

No photos yet as was asleep when OH got back with them yesterday, so haven't uploaded them yet. Maybe later if I can stay awake. Am currently in vampire mode, awake from around 1am and then falling asleep around 4pm. OK, not quite vampire mode, but not what you'd call a normal sleep pattern! But sneezing and snuffling less today I think, so maybe I'll get a better night's sleep tonight.

latecomer

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

LOL LC, if they were actually wearable I wouldn't mind so much. It's just his wardrobe is full of "might come in useful for decorating", "could wear it if I need to change a tyre", "could wear it for gardening", "could wear it for painting the boat" and so on. It's just all of those far outweigh the actually wearable clothes, and when he does any of those things he doesn't bother getting changed anyway, but just wrecks another set of clothes. :eek: :eek: :eek: :mad: :mad: :mad: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I was with him all the way to the last sentence - I dont like throwing things out but I hate wasting good clothes too

Bit of a skin flint (hence why I spend lots of time doing DIY and posting on here )

ukmaggie45

latecomer wrote: »

I was with him all the way to the last sentence - I dont like throwing things out but I hate wasting good clothes too

Bit of a skin flint (hence why I spend lots of time doing DIY and posting on here )

I'd noticed. :rotfl: Good suggestions all down the line. :beer:

I'm a bit of skin flint too, most of my clothes come from Oxfam (definitely a move up from when I was younger when most of them came from jumble sales ) But every so often I go mad and buy something expensive (but I think it was allowed for DD2's wedding, and DD1 has now set a date, so there's another excuse ).

I wouldn't mind if OH actually used his carp old clothes to do the stuff he saved them for, but in 39 years of marriage I don't think he's EVER done it as when the time comes he can't be bothered to get changed. (where's the rolly eye smiley, really need it here!)

Anyway, here's a few pics from last times OH was at the house. We hope to visit tomorrow, so will hopefully get views of new floors then.


DPM under the stairs by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


Insulation going in living room by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


DPM in kitchen by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


DPM in hall by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


insulation for floor by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


House from the back garden by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


Looking down side of house by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


pipe for bath waste by ukmaggie45, on Flickr


Sun in the garden by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Edit: There's a gap in the pictures as OH couldn't get to the house in daylight to take pics of the hardcore being vibrated down and the next layer (sand?) going on. Just so you know that did actually happen!

Bibbitybob

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

LOL LC, if they were actually wearable I wouldn't mind so much. It's just his wardrobe is full of "might come in useful for decorating", "could wear it if I need to change a tyre", "could wear it for gardening", "could wear it for painting the boat" and so on. It's just all of those far outweigh the actually wearable clothes, and when he does any of those things he doesn't bother getting changed anyway, but just wrecks another set of clothes. :eek: :eek: :eek: :mad: :mad: :mad: :eek: :eek: :eek:

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

I just read that paragraph out to OH as it's a bit of a running joke in this house that he's always plastering in his 'best jeans'. Glad to hear it's not just him that does it, although you have my sympathies!

We finally seem to have all the correct parts for the kitchen and the other side is almost fitted now too. Once we've got doors on and I've managed to tidy away bits into the cupboard I'll get some new photos taken, tomorrow hopefully.

andrew-b

Slowly progressing here..done a bit more of the painting. Also spent a fair bit of time in the loft cabling up and attaching mains powered smoke alarms in over the last couple of days. Took a while planning ahead as i wanted to be sure the alarms lined up with various room features (fussy i know!) but still be screwed directly into the joists . I'm sure spark would have just bunged them in any old place and not worried about them lining up with the centre of corridors, chimney breast or kitchen light! Still at least they are round alarms so didn't have to be squared upto walls too! I was having kittens drilling downwards from the loft into our artexed kitchen ceiling as i knew there was no way i'd ever make it good again if i got the wrong spot!

Seriously mains powered smoke alarms are a pain to wire up..even with supposedly "easi-fit" backing plates! Easy enough to get one wire in there but when you introduce a second cable it becomes really fiddly as there's so little space to manoevure wires in. In hindsight it would have been easier to put junction boxes in and feed cables down. Still need to return to the loft to clip the cables as i didn't have the right clips for 3-core and earth cable.


Will need to sort out carpet soon...i'm really tempted by Carpetright offers at the moment but there's also a local scheme promoting local businesses which includes 10% off at a local carpet shop i was going to goto so i need to see who can give me the best deal.


Maggie, like the drainage...is this some greenfingered garden watering scheme using the bath water!!

ukmaggie45

andrew-b wrote: »

Maggie, like the drainage...is this some greenfingered garden watering scheme using the bath water!!

:rotfl:

Know exactly what you mean about lining up things - that's something I've just had to let go of. But such as has been done so far is OK I think (was really sweating over the 2 light tubes), so fingers crossed I'll be able to live with it.

It's a year today since we completed on the house, so I thought I'd do a before and after photo... The before was taken in October actually, but it's the best I can find of the ones from the front before the work started.


House 16 October 2009 by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

And here's the current state of things.


House from the front by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

More photos from today to follow once I get them uploaded.