Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

COOLTRIKERCHICK

rhiwfield wrote: »

CTC, real progress. And I'm not sure but Hubby may love those pigs as much as you do

Rhiwie, he loves those pigs more than me:rotfl::rotfl:

If he could spend all day every day with them, he would be like a pig in sh!te. TBH I don't know where that saying comes from as they are clean animals.. maybe they mean mud...

Yep Davesnave I think the front of the house is going to look a lot better without that concrete rendering.. with the outside finish I wanted the lime white wash, but I might ask the stonemason when the time comes about a sort of lime mortar screen over the wall, which will still give the imprint of the stone etc but might give more protection..

I am still a bit lost to the type, style and colour of the windows and doors:o. def going to be stable style doors though..

any suggestions or places where I can look for ideas??? I know it will be a long way off before we get to that stage, and be able to afford them, BUT at least I will know what the approx. prices will be..

BUT on saying that with a non-existant budget:D maybe I should just go for white upvc windows, and spend a little bit more on the stable doors as the 'feature' of the front of the house???

ferretkeeper

Morning!

Only just, ignored alarm clock and am now seriously late getting going, rudely forced to run downstairs half awake by postman knocking for a signature on a letter I can't face opening yet...

I too have been known to fall asleep in the afternoons of late, siesta time! Yesterday it was a real struggle to stay awake all evening, not helped by an afternoon glass of wine - only a spritzer, it was Friday!

Hope everyone's well, pets, people, piggies...

CTC I get inspiration for houses from what's around in the local area. If you drive round you see some lovely unspoilt houses - the road from the Co-op coming in my direction has a lot of stone fronted cottages that I always envy.

I wonder if sash style windows might suit, perhaps with lots of smaller panes or just divided into 4? Only problem with upvc is that there is a lot of frame and glazing bars etc and not so much window esp on the cheapest ones, doesn't look so authentic, but there has to be a compromise and that's usually where it is.

Stable doors sound good as does the lime exterior - I remember seeing how well it turned out for Griff Rhys Jones somewhere in Wales, Pembrokeshire was it?

Speaking of exteriors, and Rozee's not going to like this, there's external insulation going up EVERYWHERE here, for free - apparently it's to do with some compensation type fund from a wind farm that's just been finished nearby and is in plain sight of most of the village.

I get the feeling a lot of chancers are jumping on the band wagon to get these installation contracts, slightly worrying, I've got a surveyor coming at some point to discuss the details, I'll give him a thorough interrogation...

I'd be happy enough knowing my electricity comes from the bloody things and getting a good eco tariff

rhiwfield

ferretkeeper wrote: »

I wonder if sash style windows might suit, perhaps with lots of smaller panes or just divided into 4? Only problem with upvc is that there is a lot of frame and glazing bars etc and not so much window esp on the cheapest ones, doesn't look so authentic, but there has to be a compromise and that's usually where it is.

We used to have georgian style windows, total pita when decorating. We replaced with UPVC double glazing. We may be style philistines but at least its warm in winter and low maintenance

COOLTRIKERCHICK

I was thinking sash or the the Georgian? style windows a bit like this

http://www.diy.com/nav/build/windows-fixtures/pvcu-windows/B-and-Q-Georgian-PVCu-White-Side-Hung-Window-Left-Hand-H-820-W-620mm-11027630

FK ... please open the letter.. don't ignore things... its not worth brushing things under the carpet, what ever it is...

If its health or personal, then I cant help, BUT if its financial I might be able to help... with advice and suggestions.. if you need me just give me a shout, even if its just to have a ear to bash..

ferretkeeper

Great minds eh? Those windows will look the part and as Rhiw says low maintenance and warm. Have you looked into any grants to help with the improvements? The house really is uninhabitable.

And I have just opened the letter too...

It's from the electrician that did the dodgy work at out other place, he's offered to pay back the £2k that he charged for the initial work if I say the matter is closed. I asked for £3k to cover remedial work and loss of rental so that's a good deal.

Thing is the work I asked for wasn't done, and what they have done was not safe. He's put a fair bit of blame on me, like not being around (hello, I live about 20 doors down the road!?) and clouded the matter with irrelevant facts which the argumentative part of me wants to challenge.

But the only thing that matters is that the system didn't work when he left it.

Should I be pursuing this H&S wise or with trading standards? Or take the money and run?

oldtractor

Hope your DD's ok Davesnave.
Love the piggy and lavender pics.
DH is rowing up some hay this mornent, should be baling later. He mowed another piece this morning, they are giving a shower for Tue but there is still high pressure so I hope they are wrong.

rhiwfield

ferretkeeper wrote: »

Should I be pursuing this H&S wise or with trading standards? Or take the money and run?

Life's too short, I'd take the money and move on.

COOLTRIKERCHICK

FK... didn't think grants were available these days, considering councils haven't got any money????

how much did it cost to put the electric work right?

you could put in a counter amount and say its x amount or you take him to court, and report him to Trading standards AND to the governing body that oversees electricians..

or just say you will accept his offer, but its got to be paid within 7 days etc..

don't think much work will be done today, its tooooo hot

ferretkeeper

rhiwfield wrote: »

Life's too short, I'd take the money and move on.

I agree! I'm just too busy and don't need something else hanging round my neck and draining my mental energy. If I had nothing better to do then maybe pursue it, but I don't have the time and £2k will do a lot, that puts a woodburner in there so next winter's warmer and leaves a bit left over.

I paid £920 all in, that was to find and resolve an intermittent fault, which was the hardest bit, wires with electrical tape all round in a new partition wall. And we needed another fuse board to replace the bodge they put in.

The place is safe now, I know what's connected to what and TBH even if I could claim the money back to rewire the house as I originally asked them to do, the thought of ripping everything out again...not going to happen.

But I never got the safety certificate afterwards, and I can't help but wonder how many other people are being ripped off. OTOH I can't go to war with everyone and I've told the builder who recommended him about the issues so I've done something.

Davesnave

Another vote for UPVC windows here. The Georgian style looks OK on older buildings. FiL had them done in the same style as his old wooden ones and nobody gives them a second thought now.

BiL, on the other hand, has had to put in wooden windows on his conversion, despite the fact that all the houses around him of similar age have plastic,. He will rip them out as soon as they sign it off - what a waste! :mad:

And then there's Pete. He put windows in his conversion slightly larger than those specified...and the council chap noticed.
"I can't sign this off until you change them!" he told Pete.

Pete said, "OK."

That was about 10 years ago!:rotfl:

I'm pleased to say that DD2 is much improved. Not sure how Daisy is, but I took a baby swallow from her an hour ago, so it seems she is still interested in the world around.....:o

I'm also pleased to announce that our Marans eggs are hatching and we currently have at least 3. They can't all be cockerels!