Yet Another House Renovation Thread
Discussion
TonyHetherington said:
mattdaniels said:
But apparently the garden is a pink zone not a blue zone therefore I don't have a say.
Until some slabs need moving, the lawn needs mowing, or some digging needs doing; then it becomes blue again 
Brief update. My contract finished on Friday so since bank holiday I can now spend all day working on the house.
The never-ending wallpaper stripping looks like it might actually be ending - downstairs is almost done.
Doing works with two collie dogs around is not easy. Jack the older one is fine and just goes and sits and watches. Barney the hyper youngster is just too hyper, so I'm having to crate train him using the downstairs cloakroom
Barney however is not so impressed.
Meanwhile the plaster in the office/home cinema room has had a week to dry and is starting to look ready for a half-paint-half-water undercoat.
That said - we're going to wait a while before undercoating. The long wall where the TV will go backs on to the kitchen and we haven't finished chasing in the kitchen yet, and since a lot of chasing has blown through to the other side we need to be a bit careful to avoid having to replaster the wall again.
Meantime the to-do list has been commissioned. Hopefully things will start to get crossed off it now I can spend more time on the house.
The never-ending wallpaper stripping looks like it might actually be ending - downstairs is almost done.
Doing works with two collie dogs around is not easy. Jack the older one is fine and just goes and sits and watches. Barney the hyper youngster is just too hyper, so I'm having to crate train him using the downstairs cloakroom
Barney however is not so impressed.Meanwhile the plaster in the office/home cinema room has had a week to dry and is starting to look ready for a half-paint-half-water undercoat.
That said - we're going to wait a while before undercoating. The long wall where the TV will go backs on to the kitchen and we haven't finished chasing in the kitchen yet, and since a lot of chasing has blown through to the other side we need to be a bit careful to avoid having to replaster the wall again.
Meantime the to-do list has been commissioned. Hopefully things will start to get crossed off it now I can spend more time on the house.
Craikeybaby said:
mattdaniels said:
Brief update. My contract finished on Friday so since bank holiday I can now spend all day working on the house.
The never-ending wallpaper stripping looks like it might actually be ending - downstairs is almost done.
Good work! Are you finding that after the paper comes off it is leaving a load of glue behind that takes even longer to remove than the paper?The never-ending wallpaper stripping looks like it might actually be ending - downstairs is almost done.
Well a quiet-ish bank holiday weekend house wise due to the Northampton food festival and sisterage visiting on consecutive days. Unfortunately (for me) sister number 1 who is really in to chickens has conspired with Lottie to plan out not only where the chicken coup is going to be located but what the names of the bloody chickens will be. Apparently we shall be having 4 "rescue" chickens from a battery farm and their names will all begin with H. My suggestion of "Hot Wings" has been vetoed.
Mean time I have been busy with boy stuff in the office - having been recommended Vogel's flat panel mounts I've rigged up our old lounge 40" panel until the budget permits the monster Panny plasma screen.
That's pretty much me sorted TBH. Screw the rest of the renovation, I'll just plug the beer fridge in to the other working socket and I'm done
Mean time I have been busy with boy stuff in the office - having been recommended Vogel's flat panel mounts I've rigged up our old lounge 40" panel until the budget permits the monster Panny plasma screen.
That's pretty much me sorted TBH. Screw the rest of the renovation, I'll just plug the beer fridge in to the other working socket and I'm done
Meanwhile, I think this thread is overdue a non-chicken related update. Due to the good weather we diverted attention to the garden for a little bit to do some little "tidy up" jobs.
So, first issue was the back gate which really didn't want to open. It needed a bit of persuasion.
After we got the gate open we cleared the overgrowth in the lane around the gate.
We may have made a rod for our own back getting access to lane as Jack was very excited to discover that the sheep had grown somewhat since he last looked over the wall.
The dog area of the garden needs bordering off, so I got a gate kit from Wickes. Needs painting.
...then putting together....
Bit of ironmongery, some glue and nails later, jobs a good'un.
Now just need 9m of palisade fence and that job is done. So last bit to do is the patio. Moving a couple of the old slabs from the side of the shed to the front.
Not sure how much chance there will be to get the palisade panels in now that the weather feels like it has turned, but we'll see.
Nice to have some temporary outside lights on the end of the wires poking through the patio walls until we decide how to light the garden with E36Guy's input.
Meanwhile in the house, the final push on the wallpaper stripping is underway. The stairs. This contains my two biggest fears: 1 - heights, 2 - Woodchip.
After a couple of days hard stripping (quiet at the back) the stairs were complete. I gave up on the ceiling. Too fed up with drips of boiling water in the eyes / up my arm / in my hair. I think we may just ask the builders to replace the ceiling like they are going to do in the kitchen.
Have to say a massive thank you to the nice man in HSS Northampton for the whopping £130 discount on the steam stripper hire. We did have it for nearly 2 months, I guess the hire charge could have bought it!
Talking of 'spensive things - the postman bought shiny things!
A sample of the Schneider screwless grid plates.
Utterly fantastic, and the best quality by all reports. But that 4 gang socket with two RJ45 and two coax modules is 55 quid, for reference. That's going to push the socket budget up somewhat.
The main bedroom is almost capped and all the sockets are live. We even put some floorboards back and had a hoover up to make it look slightly more presentable.
Probably now time to 50-50 the office and guest bedroom walls and start trying to make a couple of rooms habitable.
It's my birthday next week - hopefully I will get a job as a present as I really need to get some cash in to start paying for the next tranche of work!
So, first issue was the back gate which really didn't want to open. It needed a bit of persuasion.
After we got the gate open we cleared the overgrowth in the lane around the gate.
We may have made a rod for our own back getting access to lane as Jack was very excited to discover that the sheep had grown somewhat since he last looked over the wall.
The dog area of the garden needs bordering off, so I got a gate kit from Wickes. Needs painting.
...then putting together....
Bit of ironmongery, some glue and nails later, jobs a good'un.
Now just need 9m of palisade fence and that job is done. So last bit to do is the patio. Moving a couple of the old slabs from the side of the shed to the front.
Not sure how much chance there will be to get the palisade panels in now that the weather feels like it has turned, but we'll see.
Nice to have some temporary outside lights on the end of the wires poking through the patio walls until we decide how to light the garden with E36Guy's input.
Meanwhile in the house, the final push on the wallpaper stripping is underway. The stairs. This contains my two biggest fears: 1 - heights, 2 - Woodchip.
After a couple of days hard stripping (quiet at the back) the stairs were complete. I gave up on the ceiling. Too fed up with drips of boiling water in the eyes / up my arm / in my hair. I think we may just ask the builders to replace the ceiling like they are going to do in the kitchen.
Have to say a massive thank you to the nice man in HSS Northampton for the whopping £130 discount on the steam stripper hire. We did have it for nearly 2 months, I guess the hire charge could have bought it!
Talking of 'spensive things - the postman bought shiny things!
A sample of the Schneider screwless grid plates.Utterly fantastic, and the best quality by all reports. But that 4 gang socket with two RJ45 and two coax modules is 55 quid, for reference. That's going to push the socket budget up somewhat.
The main bedroom is almost capped and all the sockets are live. We even put some floorboards back and had a hoover up to make it look slightly more presentable.
Probably now time to 50-50 the office and guest bedroom walls and start trying to make a couple of rooms habitable.
It's my birthday next week - hopefully I will get a job as a present as I really need to get some cash in to start paying for the next tranche of work!
Well this is almost an Indian Summer isn't it? Every time we think we need to concentrate on the house, the weather just keeps on giving sunshine so we feel the need to do outside jobs whilst the weather is with us.
So time to build the picket fence by the new gate and divide off the "animal area" of the garden.
|http://thumbsnap.com/kBUUg9Si[/url]
Lottie makes a start on the drive. Moss covered drive + jet washer + all our worldly goods in the garage - never going to end in tears is it?
Inside, the first coat of 50-50 on the office/Man den/Home Cinema room has gone on.
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It will probably need a 70/30 coat before proper painting. Time to get floor samples and think of colours.
So time to build the picket fence by the new gate and divide off the "animal area" of the garden.
|http://thumbsnap.com/kBUUg9Si[/url]Lottie makes a start on the drive. Moss covered drive + jet washer + all our worldly goods in the garage - never going to end in tears is it?
Inside, the first coat of 50-50 on the office/Man den/Home Cinema room has gone on.
[url]It will probably need a 70/30 coat before proper painting. Time to get floor samples and think of colours.
Just realised I am severely lacking updates here. Had a bit of a recce today, here's where we are (if anyone is vaguely interested).
Loft: Rewire - done. Got 4 fluorescent strips up there on the "loft lights" circuit and a power ring on its own circuit.
It will do for now, until we decide on loft coversion detail. Water tanks are insulated and loft is insulated so that will have to do.
You can probably spot where "Node Zero is" based on the wiring
Bedroom 1 - Master Bedroom, crying out to be split in two.
Rewired, capped, and floorboards patched, so ready for plastering once funds permit.
Move the nest over from bedroom 2 as that is ready to paint.
Bedroom 2 - The current nest.
Rewired, capped and plastered. Needs a mist coat then decide on a exact shade of beige and decorate. We have the underlay and the carpet ready. Then needs the oak skirting, architrave and doors.
Bedroom 3 - AKA "The Perculiar L shaped Room". Rewire done. Smoke alarm operational. Capping done.
Just a bit of a workshop/dumping ground for now. "Node Zero" is over the stairs to the right - needs to be sorted and start getting it dressed, once VEX has come up with the kit needed.
Meantime, this is where the floorboard patches are being cut.
Lesson learned for next time: if you see the electrician chopping floorboards _between_ the joists, ask him if he would be so kind as to chop them on the joists, so that your replacement board has something to screw in to.
Bedroom 4 - The box room. Being a box room. It does this very well.
No rewiring done, eventually it will be knocked through into the master and become the en-suite, so for now its just a dressing room / washing room / dust free room.
Landing - Floorboards patched, double sockets live, two lights live, switches at near and far end (so if we have guests at the far end they can turn landing lights on plus stair lights). Smoke alarm live (as proved when I attacked some floorboards with the circular saw!)
Bathroom - will do for now. Shaver point live and lights and extractor fan operatioal.
Downstairs.
Hallway done. Lights wired up. Smoke alarm and extractor for downstairs WC working. Curly wires to the right are possible location for Central Heating / programmable thermostat point. TBC!
Office / Home cinema room. Been ready for a while - where "ready" means rewired and plastered so decide what colour!
Lounge. When I say lounge - it's a temporary kitchen too. Rewire complete.
Needs all the floor tiles off and levelling, then the fireplace building out.
The lounge also doubles up as the colour scheme tester room. Still cannot decide what colour to do the office.
Oh and PS. Every Thursday, without fail, some sort of military aircraft fly over the house. Anyone know what they are up to? (we're just NW of Milton Keynes). Today we got a helicopter, apologies for the crap pic.
I am severely lacking updates here. Had a bit of a recce today, here's where we are (if anyone is vaguely interested).Loft: Rewire - done. Got 4 fluorescent strips up there on the "loft lights" circuit and a power ring on its own circuit.
It will do for now, until we decide on loft coversion detail. Water tanks are insulated and loft is insulated so that will have to do.
You can probably spot where "Node Zero is" based on the wiring
Bedroom 1 - Master Bedroom, crying out to be split in two.
Rewired, capped, and floorboards patched, so ready for plastering once funds permit.
Move the nest over from bedroom 2 as that is ready to paint.
Bedroom 2 - The current nest.
Rewired, capped and plastered. Needs a mist coat then decide on a exact shade of beige and decorate. We have the underlay and the carpet ready. Then needs the oak skirting, architrave and doors.
Bedroom 3 - AKA "The Perculiar L shaped Room". Rewire done. Smoke alarm operational. Capping done.
Just a bit of a workshop/dumping ground for now. "Node Zero" is over the stairs to the right - needs to be sorted and start getting it dressed, once VEX has come up with the kit needed.
Meantime, this is where the floorboard patches are being cut.
Lesson learned for next time: if you see the electrician chopping floorboards _between_ the joists, ask him if he would be so kind as to chop them on the joists, so that your replacement board has something to screw in to.
Bedroom 4 - The box room. Being a box room. It does this very well.
No rewiring done, eventually it will be knocked through into the master and become the en-suite, so for now its just a dressing room / washing room / dust free room.
Landing - Floorboards patched, double sockets live, two lights live, switches at near and far end (so if we have guests at the far end they can turn landing lights on plus stair lights). Smoke alarm live (as proved when I attacked some floorboards with the circular saw!)
Bathroom - will do for now. Shaver point live and lights and extractor fan operatioal.
Downstairs.
Hallway done. Lights wired up. Smoke alarm and extractor for downstairs WC working. Curly wires to the right are possible location for Central Heating / programmable thermostat point. TBC!
Office / Home cinema room. Been ready for a while - where "ready" means rewired and plastered so decide what colour!
Lounge. When I say lounge - it's a temporary kitchen too. Rewire complete.
Needs all the floor tiles off and levelling, then the fireplace building out.
The lounge also doubles up as the colour scheme tester room. Still cannot decide what colour to do the office.
Oh and PS. Every Thursday, without fail, some sort of military aircraft fly over the house. Anyone know what they are up to? (we're just NW of Milton Keynes). Today we got a helicopter, apologies for the crap pic.
Dusty964 said:
Government base- top of Bullington end road.
Where in the village are you- I grew up there, firstly in shepperton close, then to prospect place.
Shame the Carrington was shut down really, spent many a happy night in there.
Sorry, just seen your first picture- shepperton close?
Used to live at no 11
Edited again- Yes, Shepperton close, recognise the stairs- varnished timber ones that i fell down when i was 5 and smashed two teeth out on the telephone table.
Would be nice if the Carrington re-opened, but I can't see it happening given it was bought by a developer Where in the village are you- I grew up there, firstly in shepperton close, then to prospect place.
Shame the Carrington was shut down really, spent many a happy night in there.
Sorry, just seen your first picture- shepperton close?
Used to live at no 11
Edited again- Yes, Shepperton close, recognise the stairs- varnished timber ones that i fell down when i was 5 and smashed two teeth out on the telephone table.
Edited by Dusty964 on Friday 5th October 09:42
We end up going to Stoke Bruerne for a beer and to watch the boats go by.Those stairs are a liability. They are barely attached to anything. Having some new ones built but that will be one of the last jobs as they are expensive and we don't want to damage them with all the other works going on.
For Gretchen and the other chicken-o-holics - story of our day today.
Chicken Hilton finished off with a sun shelter (ffs!) and chains/locks for the roof and sides.
To get the chickens, our instructions were to meet at a secret location in Bedfordshire at midday. At the aforementioned time we pulled up at a deserted warehouse. Over the next few minutes, other estate cars and 4x4s furtively entered the car park. We exchanged nervous glances. Then two white transits appeared, the warehouse doors were slid open and we were beckoned to drive inside. It felt like something out of The Professionals and soon a queue formed, and deals were done for cash, no questions asked.
They had secured homes for 102 chickens, we had arranged to have 4. The journey home was taken slowly, with all the windows open, as the car, quite frankly, stank of chicken s
t.
We got them to their new house, and after a bit of coaxing, they came out of the cardboard box and started mooching about. They have drunk a heck of a lot of water in the few hours we've had them so far. They are tatty and covedred in marks / ste / bald patches which is to be expected, but hopefully they will settle in and not pop their clogs overnight through stress or change of scenery. We shall see.
Now, for the introductions:
Henrietta Chicken.
"Big H" is at least twice the size of the other three. Surprisingly fleet-footed for a big girl. Suppose we should have named her Lisa Riley. But this is definitely her manor, and she's not shy to tell us (and the dogs) about it.
Harriet Chicken.
Harriet is the trouble maker. She pecks everything, including the other chickens. If you get into a scrap, you want Harriet on your side.
Heidi Chicken.
White body, big mop of brown hair on top and probably an orphan - so has to be named after the lead character in the terribly-dubbed 1970's kids TV programme. Also thus-named because that bulbous baggy arse looks like it's hiding something.
Hilda Chicken.
Hilda is the shy one and seems to want to spend a lot of time in the house. She needs keeping an eye on, seems a bit subdued.
So my suggested "H" name of "Hot Wings" got veto'd, and I also had to check the sight-lines from the chicken house to make sure they can't see the BBQ
Bloody chickens.
Chicken Hilton finished off with a sun shelter (ffs!) and chains/locks for the roof and sides.
To get the chickens, our instructions were to meet at a secret location in Bedfordshire at midday. At the aforementioned time we pulled up at a deserted warehouse. Over the next few minutes, other estate cars and 4x4s furtively entered the car park. We exchanged nervous glances. Then two white transits appeared, the warehouse doors were slid open and we were beckoned to drive inside. It felt like something out of The Professionals and soon a queue formed, and deals were done for cash, no questions asked.
They had secured homes for 102 chickens, we had arranged to have 4. The journey home was taken slowly, with all the windows open, as the car, quite frankly, stank of chicken s
t.We got them to their new house, and after a bit of coaxing, they came out of the cardboard box and started mooching about. They have drunk a heck of a lot of water in the few hours we've had them so far. They are tatty and covedred in marks / s
te / bald patches which is to be expected, but hopefully they will settle in and not pop their clogs overnight through stress or change of scenery. We shall see.Now, for the introductions:
Henrietta Chicken.
"Big H" is at least twice the size of the other three. Surprisingly fleet-footed for a big girl. Suppose we should have named her Lisa Riley. But this is definitely her manor, and she's not shy to tell us (and the dogs) about it.
Harriet Chicken.
Harriet is the trouble maker. She pecks everything, including the other chickens. If you get into a scrap, you want Harriet on your side.
Heidi Chicken.
White body, big mop of brown hair on top and probably an orphan - so has to be named after the lead character in the terribly-dubbed 1970's kids TV programme. Also thus-named because that bulbous baggy arse looks like it's hiding something.
Hilda Chicken.
Hilda is the shy one and seems to want to spend a lot of time in the house. She needs keeping an eye on, seems a bit subdued.
So my suggested "H" name of "Hot Wings" got veto'd, and I also had to check the sight-lines from the chicken house to make sure they can't see the BBQ
Bloody chickens.
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