Home repair questions from a DIY dummy

dunroving

Furts wrote: »

I am expecting your 1980s house to have fink trusses for the roof. You can google these, but using the roof for a bicycle would be crazy. As well as vibration and risking the gang nail plates (could google those as well!) there will not be an unobstructed attic that you can use.

Your wall paper stripping might be easy - a house of this era could have traditional plaster for the wall finish.

I am curious on your re-wire thoughts. A 35 year old house should OK wiring - unless you can add anything here?

I Googled fink trusses and you are exactly right! I actually don't plan to use the attic in the new house for anything but storage (and not anything ridiculously heavy), definitely no cycling!

[ETA: That's the new house. My current house is a solid 60's ex-council property, but I take your point about vibrations, etc., and will no longer ride my bike up there!]

In terms of rewiring, the survey said there might be limited power points for modern use (though didn't record how many). I don't anticipate a major rewire, but was thinking of potential upgrades like installing power points with USB charging point, possibly adding extra power points, possibly adding Ethernet cabling to upstairs, possibly adding TV cabling to upstairs. I figured they would have the skirting boards off to run cables for additional power points anyway, so could possibly run these additional wiring/cabling at the same time?

Also, I plan to have an attached garage built, housing utility area (washing machine and dryer) and power points and wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to future-proof for this (plan to build it within a year or two). I'm electricity ignorant so don't know if that's easier done when the garage is built, or during a general wiring upgrade when I first move in.

badmemory

I too would be reluctant to remove that radiator unless it was making your heating come on when it needn't otherwise. Not just about freezing but damp issues, especially if you have any furniture out there. It would be more expensive to have to keep putting a gas fire on to ward off problems.

Furts

dunroving wrote: »

I Googled fink trusses and you are exactly right! I actually don't plan to use the attic in the new house for anything but storage (and not anything ridiculously heavy), definitely no cycling!

[ETA: That's the new house. My current house is a solid 60's ex-council property, but I take your point about vibrations, etc., and will no longer ride my bike up there!]

In terms of rewiring, the survey said there might be limited power points for modern use (though didn't record how many). I don't anticipate a major rewire, but was thinking of potential upgrades like installing power points with USB charging point, possibly adding extra power points, possibly adding Ethernet cabling to upstairs, possibly adding TV cabling to upstairs. I figured they would have the skirting boards off to run cables for additional power points anyway, so could possibly run these additional wiring/cabling at the same time?

Also, I plan to have an attached garage built, housing utility area (washing machine and dryer) and power points and wasn't sure if it would be a good idea to future-proof for this (plan to build it within a year or two). I'm electricity ignorant so don't know if that's easier done when the garage is built, or during a general wiring upgrade when I first move in.

I am sure you will have weighed all this up, but you need to plan where you are knocking through and also access to the garage - that might be another knock through? Any electrics now means new sockets not in those locations, and if any exist here at present then get them terminated.


You mentioned gas in your opening post - early 1980s houses were still being built with floor screeds. Which means your gas pipe could be in the screed and wrapped in Denso tape, or if done properly (cannot be sure of Regs back then?) there will be a box out detail in the screed with the gas pipe within the box. You should see a timber cover here. Anyway, worth looking to see when the carpets are lifted.

dunroving

Furts wrote: »

I am sure you will have weighed all this up, but you need to plan where you are knocking through and also access to the garage - that might be another knock through? Any electrics now means new sockets not in those locations, and if any exist here at present then get them terminated.

You mentioned gas in your opening post - early 1980s houses were still being built with floor screeds. Which means your gas pipe could be in the screed and wrapped in Denso tape, or if done properly (cannot be sure of Regs back then?) there will be a box out detail in the screed with the gas pipe within the box. You should see a timber cover here. Anyway, worth looking to see when the carpets are lifted.

I'm hoping there won't be a knock-through. The current kitchen door (that currently opens to the outside on the side of the building) will open directly into the garage. Several similar houses along the street have either (a) built the garage along the side of the house, up to and level with the front face of the house (which thereby encloses the kitchen door, and the dining area window, which is forward of the kitchen door), or (b) similar arrangement, but further back, leaving the dining area window still looking to the outside, letting daylight in. I currently plan to do the latter, but will see how I feel after being in the house a while. Either way, hope not to have to cut any openings in the side wall of the house.

Re: Flooring, I believe you are correct - concrete on top of a base of hardcore, according to the surveyor. According to a friend who knows a bit about houses of the period, the gas pipes will be housed within plastic piping or other protective covering, as yu have indicated. There also will have been a gas supply run to the fireplace, in the event someone later wanted to convert the chimney to a gas fire (as in fact was done) - so there is a gas pipe coming out of the living room floor.

If I get the supply entry point changed to be above-ground position, I assume they will likely then just run piping above floor level to the meter ... but that still leaves the fact that other gas pipes within the house will still run under the sold floor ... so would these also need moving? Or is the safety issue more to do with the entry point and meter being above ground?

Jakg

dunroving wrote: »

I can live with plasterwork for a while before deciding how to redecorate. Sometimes it takes living somewhere for a while to know how you want things.

If your getting it rewired, you should think very hard about how you want the rooms laid out, which may necessitate you living there for a bit.

Think about things like where you want sockets, and things like two way lighting (e.g. light switch by the door and by the bed) that are very easy to add at this point but much more difficult later on.

dunroving wrote: »

I figured they would have the skirting boards off to run cables for additional power points anyway, so could possibly run these additional wiring/cabling at the same time?

Although you might need to remove skirting boards to fit a new socket, you can't run cables behind a skirting board (or at least not unless it's one of those massive plastic ones).

dunroving

Thought I'd give a bit of an update on the situation. Still not exchanged contracts but expected to be pretty imminent. I'm currently back down in Birmingham doing some scoping (including taking a walk around the neighbourhood in pouring rain!), and paid another visit to the house to do some measurements, while the electric inspection was being done.

So ... I have found what looks like a really good local business, family-run, with great reviews of customer service. They do electrics (rewire), satellite and aerial installations, and home network installation, so a one-stop shop. They will come round and give a quote as soon as I have ownership/entry.

Unfortunately, the electrician who I booked for the inspection was from another company and can only be described as "unenthusiastic". He was tasked, among other things, with giving me a rundown on the number of sockets in each room, but he didn't even do this. Grrr, not the only gripe I have, and needless to say, this company will not be asked for a quote on the works.

I've talked with the general manager from the company I like (Chapmans), and he said I essentially have two options for running Ethernet cables - either mini-trunking (cable covers that run along the skirting, etc.), or cutting into the walls. I'll likely go with the latter, for long-term aesthetic reasons,

They (Chapmans) can get to task within a week or two of a quote being accepted, and although I am planning to get other quotes (but getting companies to even reply is a major task!), my gut tells me I'll likely go with them.

As the living room is wallpapered, I will hire or buy a steamer and remove all the wallpaper before the electricians come in. May also do this in at least one other room (main bedroom, as I plan to rent it out to a lodger so want it looking good from the get-go). Depending on which rooms might also be disrupted by the wiring installations, I may be stripping a lot of wallpaper! (though I am going to start another thread specifically about wall treatments). Almost all the rooms are wallpapered, the two main rooms (LR and BR1) with textured/Anaglypta wallpaper, the other two BR with plain/flat paper. The hallway and landing also have Anaglypta type paper.

I have decided not to relocate the gas meter. First, it turns out it would be blinking expensive. Second is that I have spoken with lots of people in the same situation (gas runs through a solid floor, and comes up into the middle of the house). None of them has moved the supply and none of them has had any problems.

Other than getting a small basin fitted to the toilet, I plan to leave any bathroom and kitchen refitting until a later date.

Doozergirl

You're not very far from me. I might be able to provide a couple of recommendations.

I do know a jobbing aerial/network guy who is very good. He's not at the VAT threshold either.

dunroving

Doozergirl wrote: »

You're not very far from me. I might be able to provide a couple of recommendations.

I do know a jobbing aerial/network guy who is very good. He's not at the VAT threshold either.

Any personal recommendations gratefully received. It is easy to find tradespeople, but difficult to know if they are any good! Although Chapmans also does dish installations, and it's enticing to use a one stop shop for as many jobs as possible, I'm open to other suggestions. Have listed below the main jobs that will need doing during the 3-4 weeks before I move in:

Urgent jobs (May/June 2018):
1) Installation of new insulation, boarding of the attic floor, installation of fixed attic ladder, possible widening of access hatch.
2) Partial rewiring, to install additional power sockets, installation of Ethernet cable to various rooms, installation of satellite dish and feed to various rooms.
3) Possible full or partial redecoration, including potentially wallpapering, plastering, painting.

Medium-term jobs (May-December 2018; could be done earlier on, depending on availability):
4) Install small hand basin in toilet
5) Carpeting
6) Install flooring and install shelves in understairs cupboard
7) Complete redecoration

Longer-term jobs (late 2018, 2019)
8) Remodel bathroom, possibly incorporating airing cupboard into current bathroom
9) Build attached garage/utility/man-cave
10) Fit bespoke units to the above, potentially to include utility area, toilet, shower area

dunroving

Doozergirl wrote: »

You're not very far from me. I might be able to provide a couple of recommendations.

I do know a jobbing aerial/network guy who is very good. He's not at the VAT threshold either.

Sent you a PM.