Getting Down to It

Those finishing touches over the last few days of the project are the icing on the cake and the bits you'll see every day for the coming years. We've never really had a deadline on the project but most of the trades do, they are going on holiday! This means that joiners and electrician are competing for space with floor fitters.

The guys fitting the floor will have covered the the whole house using  Colonia in the space of just two days, good going!  Tomorrow the focus moves to finishing off the outside. The patio and front access start to be finished.  This weeks  disappointment is that the granite work surface is delayed until next Monday. We'll stay at the apartment this weekend without a hob and kitchen sink, we'll manage! 

# It's the Final Countdown!!

Well we've reached week Ten of the big renovation and the team are on target to complete the schedule on time. You'll remember that we were ahead of schedule by a week a month or so back. The main hold up was a two week delay with the installation of the bi-fold doors which finally went in yesterday. Mark and the team at MAS have been proactive finding ways to mitigate the issue  but at the end of the day a number of tasks backed up behind that installation. 

  The boiler was fired up yesterday by Darren of Pegasus Plumbing and Heating Services Ltd. Most all of the plumbing is now complete, the final job will be connecting the kitchen sink once the granite work surface is installed later this week.   

Paul and Matt are finishing the final bits of wood work and Rob of Trent Electrical is really going to the wire. On Tuesday his day on the job started at 5pm after a full day on Jury Service! That what I call dedication!  The final bit of good news was my little bit of hands on with the project. The MVHR Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery System was commissioned and signed of for building regulation this week.  The system is running smoothly and quietly and only time will tell this winter whether it was worth the investment.

 

Lots of Colour

COLOUR PREJUDICED? 
by Phil Wagg

The sky is painted in amazing hues,
contrasting grey, magnificent blues.
Deep red sunsets widen many eyes,
Golden yellows of early sunrise.
Mother Nature, learned with age,
As did I, we don't do Beige.

Grasses, coloured forty shades
of green and gold on many blades.
Leafs that grow above my head
are green and brown and golden red.
Mother Nature, learned with age,
As did I, we don't do Beige.

Butterflies, there's nothing lovelier
than Red Admirals on purple buddleia.
Blackbird, Green Finch, Red Robin too,
Yellow Hammers and Tits so Blue.
Mother Nature, learned with age,
As did I, we don't do Beige.  


Ann Maurice wouldn't dare
paint her walls "Coral Flair"
She would say "oh what a mistake"
to use "Blue Reflection" and "Lost Lake"
Thankfully "House Doctor" has had it's run
So Paint real colours, Have some fun.  

Second Fix

So the plasterers have been and gone, leaving only beautiful walls and lots of plaster dust! Next, the second fix for the plumbers, electricians and joiners. The kitchen arrived and in no time the joiners had the units in place. Never a happier chef - Phil, on the arrival of his new kitchen. 
The joiners also quickly fitted skirting architrave and doors. However they are not happy with the door suppliers, Howdens. Mark chased all over the Midlands for doors supposedly in stock at other depots, only to find on arrival, they were damaged. 
The electricians have made a start fitting sockets, switches and down-lighters.

Our Walls turn Pink

The platerers moved in on Thursday and have started skimming the plasterboard. Dirty job but someone has to do it! Once this is complete early next week 2nd fix will be able to start for the joiners, electricians plumbers and kitchen fitters!

Meanwhile the plasters are chasing the joiners and window fitters. Final windows need to fitted so that the reveals can be can have plaster boarding and insulating added ready for the platers.

Window Week!

              


Our window suppliers turned up on schedule Monday morning. The Stormclad team Ian and Keith started with the bedroom french doors and windows.

Ian and Keith removing the old inner porch door. A couple of hours later walks through our new door!

Cosy and Warm

The slog that is insulating the house starts this week. Starting with the gaps between the rafters 100mm of Celotex then a further 400 over the top of that. All of the outer walls will have 40mm insulated plasterboard.

Works Continue Inside

 In the space of a week the work inside has moved from an empty shell, top left. To all of the inside stud wall being created, below right. 

In the space of a two and half days all of the wood work to create the stud walls were erected. And the battening of the outer-walls to take the insulated plasterboard.

 On Friday the electricians arrived en masse. In the space of one day Rob and the team from  Trent Electricals  had completed 90% of their first fix. It seemed that miles and miles of cables has been strung around the new stud work like a spiders web!

Whilst all this was going on I was starting my part of the project, The MVHR  ( Mechanical Ventilation and Heat Recovery) System. This weeks task is to install the insulated ducting . 

  The purpose of the system is control extraction of stale air and the introduction of fresh air to our home to minimise energy loss but insure fresh air is delivered through out. Air is extracted from the kitchen, wetroom, utility cupboard.  Fresh air is supplied to the bedrooms and living space. The air flow in and out is measured and balanced. The air flows are completely separated and filtered. The energy of the discharge air is transferred to the fresh and supposedly with an efficiency as high as 91%, I'll let you know how it works out.  Condensation from the discharged air is the main bi-product and is drained away. through the waste water drain. The product used is the Itho ECO4 continually runs 24 hours a day 365 days a year. 

New Floor and No Scaffolding

On Friday of Week 4 the newly laid pipework for the Under Floor Heating (UFH) was covered in concrete. Now up to date I thought a screeded floor was wet and sloppy cement bought to site in a big cement truck and piped in to the house. No, this was laid as a dry mix by two chaps who'd been doing it for years. A 4:1 mix with added glass fibers to add strength was tipped on a tarpaulin, on the road outside Number 1.  The mix was barrowed in to the bungalow and the guys produced a fab new floor. By the following morning the floor was rock hard. Also by the following morning the scaffolding round the bungalow came down.

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Roof and Floor

Week Four turns out to be another busy week. On Friday last the breatherable membrane went on to the new roof trusses. By Tuesday this week nearly all the tiles went back on, by Thursday the Velux windows were added and remaining tiles fixed in place. The roof looks perfect. By Saturday the scaffolding will be removed giving us a better view of the complete roof including  new soffit, fascias, gutters and down pipes.

The new corner steel post and lintels supporting the roof over the porch have gone in .


Whilst all of this was going on above the plumbing team were busy laying insulation and running pipes for the Underfloor Heating plus the hot and cold pipes to the taps and machines. So many Pipes! No to mention my controls in the coat cupboard! Do you think a glass door to view it would be going too far? 

Membrane On

 The end of week three and the team are pressing ahead and we fortunately have the breathable membrane on before the weekend. This will help the inside to dry out over the weekend before the underfloor insulation goes down on Monday, this is the start of the next stage the plumbers first fix. The internal scaffolding disappeared this morning as a precursor to this next stage starting. The plumbers first fix includes laying all the pipe work over the insulation from and to where its needed. This include the pipes for the underfloor heating but also all of the hot and cold services from the mains to the boiler and to the kitchen and wetroom. The pipes will then be covered in 3 inches of concrete screed.

Talking of concrete this huge wagon turned up this afternoon with all the raw ingredients to mix just the right amount of concrete for the footing of the the new retaining wall of the patio in the back garden and a new slab for the porch. Certainly stopped the traffic.