First-time house renovation

latecomer

@stolt - I know how you feel. I'm not completely fed up by folk just not doing what they say - whether its quote, come round at a specified time or even phone. Makes my heart bleed when you hear about how difficult a time they are having at the moment.....

@chick21 - looks ideal.

I've got big plans for the weekend. I got the first coat of varnish on the skirting boards on wednesday evening so want to try and get another couple of coats on tonight so I can get them fitted over the weekend. Need to get the radiator moved so I'll need to drain down the central heating and do the plumbing work.

Also need to do a little filling round the door frames and ideally I would like to get the door frames stripped too rather than do it when the carpet is down. Managed to put OH off booking the carpet fitting for early next week just in case it doesn't go to plan!

And as I'm going under the floors I'll probably try and take the opportunity to do alittle more on the electrics for the sitting room and at least try and get the new socket installed.

GSDog

The new windows and backdoor should be fitted to my bungalow on the 8th of March, I will make sure I post a before and after picture. The current windows are completely rotten so these new ones should make a big difference.

We're knocking the wall down between the dining room and lounge tomorrow which should be interesting. After that we'll be ordering the radiators and pipes and fittings to do the majority of the pipework throughout the bungalow, that should save us a huge amount of money on labour costs. Then we will get the electricians around to upgrade all the electrics, then the plasterers to skim over the new stud wall.

We're getting there, slowly. I can't wait until it's finished.

stolt

good luck with all the work over the weekend, not too much planned for me, managed to get another couple of firms to come in and quote for the doors etc so see what that brings.... went down to homebase today in lunch hour to get some roofing felt for the kids playhouse, the heavy wind over the last few weeks has ripped it right off!!! been wanting to get osme trelis doe the top of the fence around the extension just really as a security measure. 6 by 3ft = £15.99, seemed alot of money.. managed to find a reduced 6x3ft trelis for £3.50!!!! each discountinued stock... seems a strange thing to discontinue, still i'm not arguing...

missus wants to go to a door place tomorrow.... deep joy!!!shes so particular on what she wants i dont get a look in, dont know why i bother going!!!! bring on the F1 season!!!

latecomer

GSDog wrote: »

We're knocking the wall down between the dining room and lounge tomorrow which should be interesting. After that we'll be ordering the radiators and pipes and fittings to do the majority of the pipework throughout the bungalow,

Hopefully you've either got a lintel in place or its not a supporting wall....

What are you going to use for the plumbing plastic or copper?

diable

Im still doing my electrics.............

typeractive

Hi everyone,

I orignally posted this thread in the 'is this quote fair' section of the site. Though I thought with you lot on doing the same as me I would direct ya's there.

I'm after some help in picking which company to do my new windows and doors!

Please help!

Link

latecomer

just spent ages typing a post (got LLC sleeping on me so its left handed typing) and its disappeared, probably pressed wrong button.

typeractive - go with number 2. ask him to price match

going to try and finish the radiator this mornimg. its on the wall but need to get the plumbing finished which means draining down the system. also hoping to get the skirting boards stuck on but will see how it goes.

stolt

productive weekend for me... well apart from sunday afternoon when i went round my mums and she cooked us a roast and a white chocolate cheesecake...oh and a few beers.

the third window company came back with a price for two windows (aluminum) and a upvc back door which we are happy with, so will go with them, still debating to have a black upvc back door to match the aluminum frames, its about £180 more expensive but ill look better i think.

Got the front door people coming round wednesday measuring up, not solid oak , 5k!!! for front door, frame, and sidelight!! ouch, but we can get a oak veener....

plumber booked for saturday to move mains stop !!!!, and then electrician priced up to move sockets etc.... will try to sort utility room at the same time.

sunshinetours

stolt wrote: »

productive weekend for me... well apart from sunday afternoon when i went round my mums and she cooked us a roast and a white chocolate cheesecake...oh and a few beers.

the third window company came back with a price for two windows (aluminum) and a upvc back door which we are happy with, so will go with them, still debating to have a black upvc back door to match the aluminum frames, its about £180 more expensive but ill look better i think.

Got the front door people coming round wednesday measuring up, not solid oak , 5k!!! for front door, frame, and sidelight!! ouch, but we can get a oak veener....

plumber booked for saturday to move mains stop !!!!, and then electrician priced up to move sockets etc.... will try to sort utility room at the same time.

If you are considering the matching door I would say definitely go for it. If not it will bug you once done. We had white Upvc windows at an old house and got a large patio door replaced with mahogany as we planned to do all windows eventually. It bugged me they didn't match everytime I looked at back of house!


For your front door have you tried local joinery firms / one man bands rather than large winodw and door firms? There are some amazingly talented wood workers tucked away - its just finding them that is the hard bit!

latecomer

Well I never got as far as the skirting boards but I did get all the plumbing done which was a result. Need to remember to bleed all the radiators though as I didn't do that.

Went to Ikea to get a cot for LLC for MILs house/caravan and OH noticed that they had a special offer on yesterday only - a triple wardrobe for £20 (normally £70) if you spent £50 on other bits. As the cot + mattress was over £50 OH went up yesterday morning and got them all. It might well look as cheap as it was but we're not too concerned. Certainly its at the other end of the scale from our bedroom furniture!

Mind you its now living in the hall until we get the carpet fitted in the dining room (really need to stop calling it that as its never going to be used for dining!) so yet another thing clogging up the interior. I'm just hoping our new mattress doesn't turn up until we've got the carpet down and this built up......