Daydream thread... without the rose-tinted specs

ukmaggie45

Too knackered to write much, but spent afternoon at Liverpool Town Hall with DD2 for her to get her certificate for creative writing course and the twins - OH took "care" of the twins by taking them up and down the stairs - double set of them, go down one go up t'other! Turns out Lord Mayor of Liverpool is one of my Twitter friends! So that was fun, he signed my copy of the book from the course, has writing in it from everyone on the course. It was a great afternoon, but OH is totally knackered, twins were funny, ran up to DD2 as she was getting her certificate, everyone laughing (in nice way), hopefully out of focus photo to follow when am back on downstairs computer.

ukmaggie45

Oh, and then we went to the lottie and OH planted a load of kale... :j We might have done more if we'd remembered to take the fork and my bag of garden tools. (rolls eyes!)

I just sat there and looked decorative in my best clothes from going to the Town Hall. But I usually garden in best clothes anyway, :rotfl: just this time I didn't have the tools!

Rummer

Up and busy this morning

The long awaited rain has yet to arrive so we are going to try and get the back patio cleared of weeds before it starts :eek:. Just going to head out once I have popped on a laundry and put a cake in the oven. Busy busy busy :rotfl:

ferretkeeper

Yep still no rain here - I put everything inside yesterday that I didn't want to get wet, needn't have bothered!

Alfie, you'll have to come and see all the animals when you visit this way, the goats are particularly friendly.

Some friends have put a hot tub in their garden, she has arthritis type problems, can't quite remember the exact thing but has two bionic knees and needs all sorts of painkillers. But she is the most active busty person ever!

Anyway it wasn't the permanent expensive kind of hot tub, it was the inflatable sort. She had a little pool party and now everyone's getting a hot tub! They're only about three-four hundred quid and they last for a good few years - not a bad deal over it's lifetime. They never go on holiday so it's a treat for them to have at home, and they've used it loads already so a sound investment!

Rummer

Well the heavens have just opened while we were sitting having a cuppa and a hobnob

Really glad we got up early and got working as we managed to get the back patio cleared and a lot of the giant hedge tackled :j. Now I need to turn my thoughts to tackling more of the house, there seems to be a never ending amount of stuff to do

covenanter

:jYay! Rummer, congratulations:T.

Rummer

I have a building type question that I hope someone can help me with. Currently we are thinking of using our dining room as a nursery, however I am loathed to lose that family space and so I am considering another option that I need some advice on.

Upstairs we have two bedrooms a small double and large room with a walk in wardrobe that could easily be split into two. It is tricky to explain but bear with me. The walk in wardrobe is at the bottom of the room and extends onto the landing which has a large cupboard that backs onto the walk in wardrobe.

Now what I was thinking of doing, was putting a stud wall down the middle of the bedroom which will instantly create one room with a door. Then taking out the back of the cupboard in the hall which would extend the landing and lead to a door into the other half of the bedroom. The main issue is that one of the rooms would not have a window although we could add windows of sorts by adding them to the upper part of the stud wall.

That would make three rooms upstairs and still leave our dining room. What I need to know is would I need planning permission to pop up a stud wall and take out the back of the cupboard? Obviously I would get a builder to check if the cupboard back is load bearing, I doubt it is as you can knock the wall. Also curious as to roughly how much it would cost?

It really would be ideal if we could keep the dinning room as there is no other space to eat together in the rest of the house and I do prefer the thought of all the bedrooms being upstairs. However if it is not practical then I will just have to wave my gorgeous table goodbye, sniff.

Better_Days

Thunderstorms early this morning and rain. The grass had stopped growing in all the heat, but I think it will put on a spurt of growth now. Cats taking a dim view of the rain on the ground - they don't like getting their paws wet!

Now cloudy and very humid, and 21 degrees. Wish we had a proper shower - shower attachment on the bath taps just isn't the same.

ukmaggie45 - my brother and his family live in Liverpool - small world

RAS

Rummer wrote: »

Upstairs we have two bedrooms a small double and large room with a walk in wardrobe that could easily be split into two. It is tricky to explain but bear with me. The walk in wardrobe is at the bottom of the room and extends onto the landing which has a large cupboard that backs onto the walk in wardrobe.

Now what I was thinking of doing, was putting a stud wall down the middle of the bedroom which will instantly create one room with a door. Then taking out the back of the cupboard in the hall which would extend the landing and lead to a door into the other half of the bedroom. The main issue is that one of the rooms would not have a window although we could add windows of sorts by adding them to the upper part of the stud wall.

Could you not remove all the walls to the landing cupboard and put a door right on the landing and add windows above that door onto the landing?

Have you ever heard of sun-tubes? http://www.velux.co.uk/Private/Products/Sun_Tunnel fro example but there are loads of other similar.

Doubt if you need PP but you may need consents from Building Control.

Itismehonest

Rummer wrote: »

I have a building type question that I hope someone can help me with. Currently we are thinking of using our dining room as a nursery, however I am loathed to lose that family space and so I am considering another option that I need some advice on.

Upstairs we have two bedrooms a small double and large room with a walk in wardrobe that could easily be split into two. It is tricky to explain but bear with me. The walk in wardrobe is at the bottom of the room and extends onto the landing which has a large cupboard that backs onto the walk in wardrobe.

Now what I was thinking of doing, was putting a stud wall down the middle of the bedroom which will instantly create one room with a door. Then taking out the back of the cupboard in the hall which would extend the landing and lead to a door into the other half of the bedroom. The main issue is that one of the rooms would not have a window although we could add windows of sorts by adding them to the upper part of the stud wall.

That would make three rooms upstairs and still leave our dining room. What I need to know is would I need planning permission to pop up a stud wall and take out the back of the cupboard? Obviously I would get a builder to check if the cupboard back is load bearing, I doubt it is as you can knock the wall. Also curious as to roughly how much it would cost?

It really would be ideal if we could keep the dinning room as there is no other space to eat together in the rest of the house and I do prefer the thought of all the bedrooms being upstairs. However if it is not practical then I will just have to wave my gorgeous table goodbye, sniff.

You could fall foul of Building Regs because of the Fire Safety aspect, Rummer.

Not sure if this document is absolutely up to date but......
http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/uploads/br/BR_PDF_ADB1_2006.pdf
.....see Section 2.4 (page 21 of .pdf)

2.4 Except for kitchens, all habitable room in the upper storey(s) of a dwellinghouse served by only one stair should be provided with:

a. a window (or external door) which complies with paragraph 2.8; or

b. direct access to a protected stairway...

One window can serve two rooms but there should be a communicating door between them so should the stairwell be on fire there is another exit.