22 Foxhole East

f0xh0les

The builders are here! The bathroom ceiling is coming down today. It begins!!

Baileys_Babe

I'm very happy for you. Now the countdown begins to being able to use your lovely upstairs bathroom 😊

f0xh0les

They are here to lower the bathroom ceiling so the loft room head height  above it meets building regs.  I have just booked in the plumber to come and quote for a pressurised boiler and heating system - will remove water tanks from two loft spaces and stop DS4 complaining about the sound of running water if anyone runs a bath at night.  He will be here at 9am tomorrow.  He is a grown up plumber.   Not an idiot plumber. 

Baileys_Babe

I'm impressed that you have found a day and time that fits with your schedule.

f0xh0les

Well the ceilings have been lowered, and plasterboarded, and apart from one light cable not returning to the landing, it is all done.  They have floorboards up there to walk on, and they should not be traipsing through the house again until they break through onto the top landing with a doorway!  

Really impressed by the speed they worked at.   The bathroom is usable again, we are still damp dusting 3 times a day and picking up loads of brick dust and carp.  It will soon be better, it is just annoying while you are doing it. The whole house smells of brick dust though.

Today I am going to sort  out that what I can control - I have been out and got my last pack of HRT, bought a new mop bucket, a new mop, and a new bin. So I am prepared for the cleaning frenzy.  

I know what we are having for supper - a kind of (not)chicken, leek and barley stew, low cal and very tasty.

  I am cleaning my bedroom and moving the summer stuff away and changing the bed linen, and making a nice cosy relaxing space for me to want to be in. 

That is the plan for today.

maggiem

Great to hear progress is relatively swift if rather dusty! Think of the eventual outcome. 

f0xh0les

Oh dear, the scaffolders were supposed to come today to  modify the scaffold, but they have not returned, neither have the builders.... so I am stuck at home again. 

 However,  I had planned my time wisely, and  Mr BB the plumber came at 9am to give me a quote for replacing all the pipework in the house, converting from a gravity fed to a pressurised system, 13 new radiators, a new water cylinder and new boiler.  He reckons it will be around £10k, and will have the pipework for the bathroom ready to go whenever I can afford it.  I only have £8k, but if I am very careful, it could be £10k by mid December.  I asked if it could be split into two jobs, and he suggested doing all the boiler/cylinder/pipework, and keeping the radiators as they are until next Summer, then just popping them off and putting the new ones on when we can do without the heating for a couple of days.

That would leave me a small emergency fund for unexpected stuff, and for boarding the loft out over Christmas (ho ho ho!) - oh! and talking of ho bleedin' ho,  DH has gone off to work with a microwavable Plum pudding for his lunch with a small pot (meant for salad dressing) full of brandy cream!!   It is not even December!! What a pre-vert that man is! and it was a single serving, he bought a single portion, just for himself..... but I found out his dirty little secret!

Disgraceful!

f0xh0les

Still no scaffolder, did get an excuse though (not a good one in my book), he  claims to be coming tomorrow, but has not said am/pm.  Builder not happy.

greenbee

@f0xh0les - I had someone turn up two hours EARLY today to quote. Should I be worried?   

How much are you prepared to bet that the plumber who is due to come and deal with the pressure issues that I have with the pressurised hot water system tomorrow doesn't turn up?

f0xh0les

All I can say is that I am glad I do not have to take time off work to wait in for these jokers.  I would be furious.

I would also be worried that he wanted to get down the pub early @greenbee   Not being funny, but listening to the scaffolders talking about where they had been drinking the night before, and where they were planning on going at lunchtime, and hearing pretty much the same conversation with the roofers - their lady friends did not get home before 5.30/6.00pm so they could have a session at 2 and get a nap in before they had to pretend to be sober - I would be worried he could not quote after 12.00 as he would have had a drink.  

The amount of quotes I discarded as they had obviously been drinking already - because they stank of booze and were practically swaying  at 11.00am  is ridiculous.  They all seem to be functioning alcoholics!! 

Oh, we just got down off a roof and have come to quote, oh really?? via Farmer Scrumpy's orchard, it seems.  It would obviously have been rude to turn him down after fixing the roof of the cowshed.