First-time house renovation

typeractive

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

Thought this was fun - one light tube is on front roof, one on back roof.


South light North light by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

I'm glad we went for the frosted glass on the master bedroom door. House is roughly south west facing, so the glass brings in more light to the landing. We lost a massive window by the stairs, so we've tried to bring in as much natural light as possible

Hi Maggie - I have a similar problem. I have sacrificed a large window on the balcony due to the arrangement of my bedrooms. I am thinking of going for a sun tunnel contraption to let a bit of extra light in on the 1st floor landing. A frosted bedroom door would also be nice, though I need fire rated doors due to the attic conversion. I'm looking at putting a fan light window in above another bedroom door to get more light through (annoying for annyone trying to sleep if others have the landing lights on - though fortunately this is the smallest room and there is only me going to be living in the house )

I love natural light, so I want to do my best (on budget) to get it back into the landing! Any ideas how much one of those sun tunnels cost?

Thanks! :beer:

ukmaggie45

typeractive wrote: »

I love natural light, so I want to do my best (on budget) to get it back into the landing! Any ideas how much one of those sun tunnels cost?

HI Typeractive, will look up price when I can find all the paperwork again. But these were built in as part of new roof, so scaffold up already etc. So not sure how comparable price will be.

We also have (what will be) a glass bit over the door to the new bedroom to bring in a bit more light. It all helps!


New bedroom door by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Edit: You can get glazed fire doors, but they are horribly expensive compared to non-fire doors. Here's one similar to our doors just as an example.

typeractive

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

HI Typeractive, will look up price when I can find all the paperwork again. But these were built in as part of new roof, so scaffold up already etc. So not sure how comparable price will be.

I thought that when I made my post. I was aware that you had roof works, and that you probably would have had that instaleld at the same time. Thanks anyway though - I do appreciate it if it's not too much trouble.

We also have (what will be) a glass bit over the door to the new bedroom to bring in a bit more light. It all helps!

Yeah - that's what my window and door company call a fan light, and that is exactly what I was describing - they do help as you say. I just always remember my sister sleeping in a little room with one of these and she always complained when the landing lights were put on - bless her.



New bedroom door by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Edit: You can get glazed fire doors, but they are horribly expensive compared to non-fire doors. Here's one similar to our doors just as an example.

:eek: at that price I think I'll settle with the darkness! hehehe Thanks! :beer:

typeractive

here's a little pic of my bathroom - coming along nicely:

ukmaggie45

typeractive wrote: »

here's a little pic of my bathroom - coming along nicely:

Now that's what I call a sky light! :beer: :rotfl:

typeractive

ukmaggie45 wrote: »

Now that's what I call a sky light! :beer: :rotfl:

Hehe - yeah. It's certainly a feature. I love it. It kind of came round through an error. I had planned for that window to go above my stairs on the attic conversion. Then when I thought about it, I decided to get a smaller one. So rather than send this back and have a £60 delivery charge I thought - stuff it, stick it in the bathroom as the windows were going to be reduced in size and I really loved the idea. It's brill. let's lots of light in, and I'll be able to look into the sky when showering / lazing in the baff

ukmaggie45

Met with Staircase Man as planned yesterday evening. Slight problem with the top of the stairs where it turns the corner, but he and builder dickered about it for a bit and seem to have come up with a plan. The stringer (the slopey bit that goes up the side of the stairs) is very rough - it was originally covered by the solid sides of the balustrade. So builder is going to source some oak veneer to match the doors as much as poss and cover it over. It also will make the stringer wider too which will make it easier to fit the stainless steel holders for the glass. Can't wait to see it finished! But it won't be for a while yet as glass needs ordering etc.

Also finally managed to pot on our lavender and lobelia plug plants. Had lost a few of them, but that's what happens when you're too sick to garden! Still have plenty left though, they're sitting in a cold frame with some fleece over them since it seems to have got a bit chilly again. Apple blossom is just about to burst out, must get photos when it does!

stolt

evening all, been all go at my place this week. Had lots of builders and plasterers round this week to quote on sorting out the dinning room and utility room and the downstairs bathroom.
We have had the new windows put in the dinning room or the last two days, mostly pretty easy going apart from the mastic around the small window we put in, where the bricks were jagged the mastic has gone a bit pete tong and ive said not happy so the have to wait let the mastic go off, and then they can take that out, put a bit of cement in the gaps and then re mastic in a straight line.

front door being fitted friday so looking forward to that as that will transform the front of the house, decided against a letter box so bought a wall mounted postbox so i can put that up on saturday or and some new house numbers.

Basically a few days away from choosing a bathroom guy, might post a pic later of my effort to show the bathroom guys want we want so they can price it, its a wall hung toilet, with the taps out the wall. Going for Split faced slate tiles with a mirror in the recess.


As there was a animal theme in this thread i included a pic of the squirrel that keeps going after my nuts!!!!!!!!! well bird seed to be precise, my girls have no taken to throwing monkey nuts at it. Also we have the blue tits back this year and they have started nesting in the birdbox me and my eldest daughter put together.


the orchids me and the missus made up, me and the kids made one for mothers day, the missus liked it so much shes had them round the whole house!!!

stolt

Me on me own then!!! lol

had the front door done during the week, really happy with how it looks, looks feels so much better.... put up a postbox saturday and and some house numbers. Birds and squirrels in the garden getting nesting stuff and food, builder was surprised how friendly they were. Door will look so much better when the wisteria comes out, only a few days from coming out. Had a break from house stuff this afternoon, and me the missus took the kids down the pub garden, nursing sunburn now...















had more plasterers round pricing up, next job the downstairs toilet!!!

ukmaggie45

stolt wrote: »

Me on me own then!!! lol

Hi Stolt, know the feeling! :rotfl: Nothing happening at the house at the moment other than the garden is going berserk! Not sure when the plastering round fire will get done, and there's still some touching up of paint to be done both inside and outside. Will be glad when we can begin moving in, we have taken some stuff over, mainly gardening stuff.


Apple Tree by ukmaggie45, on Flickr

Had a barbie in the garden yesterday with both our girls and their partners and the grandkids and OH's Mum. Totally shattered today, so will be taking it easy until OH gets in from work, when the plan is to get some of the potatoes in.

Just wish the house could be finished off finally! No date for the staircase balustrade and banister yet, but imagine it'll be at least another couple of weeks as the glass has to be made to measure. Can't wait for it to be installed!