First time refurbishment 1960's flat

[kiethton]

fossilfuelled said:

Keithton - I've just found your thread. Well done and congratulations are in order - you are doing a smashing job! I'm amazed at how quick you are getting through it and good on you for taking on so much yourself. My partner and I have been living in a building site since February, doing pretty much the same as you, stripping our place down to brick and rebuilding.

We also got a diy kitchens jobbie. I actually fitted the majority of it myself after hiring a fitter to do just one day helping me put the huge units in place. If anything i'd encourage you to try to do a few more things yourself if you have the time. Initially lots of things I didn't want to do - like plumbing, fitting door linings, window frames etc I've ended up doing myself and I'm actually really pleased I did. The satisfaction and savings are huge. I was exactly the same as you when I started. Handy, but not a tradesman by any stretch, but if you've managed all that you've done so far, I'm confident you can finish up and do the rest.

One word of warning from my experience is that the Pareto principle really applies to this game. The last 20% will take 80% of the time. Just bear this in mind. We haven't overrun on budget but we are running behind on time somewhat because it turns out finishing touches take forvever!

All the best, and really enjoying watching your progress!

Edited by fossilfuelled on Tuesday 23 August 06:41

Thanks, its been difficult but I totally agree re. the rewarding part.

The DIY kitchens units really are top quality - my carpenter had to fully dismantle one when trying to rebuild it around the boiler (very tight on clearance!)

I have caved and got the tiler in as with reporting season in full flow (I have been working 60+ hour weeks as per normal throughout the whole thing) I am getting exhausted/very tired, coupled with living at my girlfriends parents for the past 8 months we just need to get in as quickly as possible - that and natural stone tiles around a lot of boxing would have been a recipe for disaster with me doing it :/

I do have more pictures, apologies for the light (or lack of) but we are getting there! - first coat on the plaster in half of the flat now:

Hallway:



We have widened it - was previously the width of the front door only and very claustrophobic! - the carpenter hung the handle at the wrong height for the far door - this is on the snagging list...the front door will be painted - shows how grubby the place was!!!

Can't see it in the picture but we have also recessed the space for the entry phone to make the place feel bigger

Utility cupboard:



We are getting one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0048PF2HE/ref... to stack the tumble dryer and washing machine. I built the walls here 150mm thick - stuffed with copious amounts of rockwool acoustic insulation so hopefully we wont hear them! - just need to uncover the vent now - muggins here covered it up :/

Bed 1:



Turns out its a fair size really - 5.75m (3.8m in the majority) x 2.8m

Living room/Kitchen:

[kiethton]

Quick bit of advice if possible - I need to look at sealing the (cheap) doors that are being used for the bathrooms before painting as per the advice of our carpenter

Does anybody know what the best product to use is? - would be painted in a white eggshell following?

[kiethton]

Thanks, was planning on priming then painting but was thrown by the carpenter saying that they'd need to be sealed to prevent moisture ingress (cheap hollow doors)

[kiethton]

Unfortunately for Cindy they do have a bit of panelling, only 2 mind!

http://www.jeld-wen.co.uk/Handlers/ImageHandler.as...

My task for this evening was going to be sanding down all of the old bits of woodwork - that mankey front door specifically plus the old painted window boards. Was going to use this stuff to paint the skirting etc:

http://www.screwfix.com/p/leyland-trade-acrylic-eg...

[kiethton]

Thanks for the pointers - much appreciated

[kiethton]

Well was a productive weekend - 2 base coats on all the plaster, undercoat on all doors, was hoping to get everything sanded down and ready for the eggshell later but managed to do this whole drilling out the light holes:



Currently waiting amongst what seems like half the population of Bromley to have it pulled straight....lets hope I'm not too long - still got loads to do inc a full tidy up as have the plumber, Electritian, carpenter and tiler all on site tomorrow :/

[kiethton]

Well - we were looking at getting in in 12 days, think we'll be a bit slower now





Operation in the next few days to line the bones (and few random bone fragments) up and get them in the right places with wire etc :/

Think it's about 6 breaks through the thing all told

[kiethton]

Well, I was cutting out the holes for the lights - specifically one above the kitchen units at a reach, think I caught the blade on a bit of timber baton behind, the holesaw bit jumped to one side and took out my finger on the trigger hand when it jolted just trough the speed of the kick.

No idea it could be broken that badly that easily.

Most painful thing was when first getting to the hospital they tried to pull it straight as they (like I) thought it was just dislocated. After a minute pulling on it and realising that it was A, very painful and B, moving in more ways than possible did they send me for the X-ray...

Edited by kiethton on Monday 29th August 21:23

[kiethton]

So next task - kitchen worktops

We're looking for some granite/quartz tops at a reasonable price, may be a little complicated compared to some though

Can anybody recommend a company?

[kiethton]

Thanks for that, how are DIY with non-standard things like breakfast bars and a step in one run taking the width to ~750mm for about 1m length?- rest of the run (~1m) is only 600 wide

[kiethton]

Thanks for that, coming in at ~£1450 there - yours looks pretty good!

Have sent a couple of inquiries to some others (London Granite & Affordable granite), will see what ballpark they come back in and go from there

Access shouldn't be too much of an issue - longest length should be sub 2m and its only 1 flight of stairs....

Had the London Granite quote back at ~£2k....

Only issue I can foresee with DIY kitchens is the step from a ~600 to ~750 width half way down one edge

Edited by kiethton on Thursday 1st September 09:14

[kiethton]

fossilfuelled said:

Well good luck with it and see how they get back to you.
BTW hope the finger is feeling a bit better - funnily enough I hurt my pinky two weeks ago too! Have managed to build an entire house with no injuries and I was just moving a piece of ply and managed to crush the tip of my finger so hard I'm fairly certain (from breaking fingers numerous times before) its a tiny hairline fracture. What are the chances eh?! Nowhere near as bad as your thankfully.

Thanks for that, seems like fingers are an occupational hazard...

The NHS still haven't called despite meaning to do the op for pins on tuesday so I've gone via my Vitality - meeting the consultant this afternoon - just want everything external gone in 4 weeks time before I'm off to Croatia!

In the mean time as its just painting and sanding back left really i'll try to weald a roller with my left hand and a whip over Cindy in my right (Mod's I'm just joking!)- she can do the paintbrush work! haha

[kiethton]

maniac886 said:

kiethton said:

So next task - kitchen worktops

We're looking for some granite/quartz tops at a reasonable price, may be a little complicated compared to some though

Can anybody recommend a company?

I can recommend Mayfair granite, they supplied and installed our worktop when we had our kitchen redone last year and did an excellent job.

Thanks, like London they came in at ~£2k

[kiethton]

Not so busy weekend for obvious reasons, there has been some progress though!

We've finished cutting all of the light holes (what I was doing when I destroyed my finger), having marked everything over a number of hours with a chalk line and tape, triple checking everything -very happy with the positioning as you'll hopefully see over the next progress pictures.

The place is mid-way though being descended on by all of the trades, power points are on but the network cabling and lighting is still in progress - have had to take off the cupboard around the boiler as its fitted too tightly for the certificate to be issued - will be removed and replaced when certified...

The tiling has also been started (although annoyingly the architraves not finished....why the carpenter/tiler couldn't finish one job before starting another ill never know!), things are now taking shape, I've sanded down the walls and when all trades are done I'll clean the place thoroughly before the final decoration to ensure the finish is 100% with no dust everywhere

Granite quotes in progress - given the kink to go over the half-wall it's non-standard so need a special quote from DIY, Mayfair granite did call however and have given a bit of a discount and sent a sample very quickly - a contended if they'll discount a little more...

Pictures below finishing up with the tiling in the shower cubicle, the lies are looking good, the tiler has suggested white grout on the grey limestone and grey on the White tiles - I've overruled with white all over as I couldn't see the grey grout looking anything but dirty on a white tile...he's still got a load more tiles to fix!!!

[kiethton]

[kiethton]

Given we couldn't do too much today we decided to get to ikea this morning to get the wardrobes to enclose the gas meter and one that we'll need for the spare room to match that and our existing furniture, that and some breakfast bar stools

~2.4m long boxes required the front seat pushed all the way forward, both rear seats folded and the boot to be tied down with some packaging string...all I'll say, cindy's ride home wedged on top/next to a load of boxes wasn't very comfortable!!! Thank god for small, heavily tinted windows...although only 20 mins back to beckenham from Croydon she was rather glad when we pulled up outside!!!

[kiethton]

Haha your not the first to ask that!

Thought it best to keep it on until we've finished decorating etc - far easier to keep the kitchen looking nice!

[kiethton]

E36GUY said:

Ikea at Croydon at a weekend!

{shudder}

Don't ask me how but it wasn't bad at all!

Arrived at 10:55, walked to the departments we wanted upstairs, went down to collect everything and straight to a till - not even a minutes wait and all our bits were scanned - we were in and out in little over an hour

[kiethton]

And hats the worktops ordered, a few calls to and fro with Mayfair Granite has seen a decent discount negotiated.

They arrive next week to template and fit the week after - should be comfortably in time to move in - looking like the 24the now!

[kiethton]

So another mini update - we went over to the flat yesterday after work following a report of a leaking pipe, a repeat in the same location it was leaking in last month (before it comes into our flat, before the stop tap, outside in the hallway.

Went over with the plumber to look, only somebody forgot the keys....given this the guilty party was lifted up onto the balcony to break in, using a window left open by our tiler (he's already been reminded....)

Only thing is when she got in the front door wouldn't open from the inside...needless to say she was stuck up there for 10 minutes whilst our friendly neighbours found a ladder to rescue her....we have new locks to fit anyway to fix this small security/safety issue...(think the lock was locked from the outside when it doesn't need to be - the lever would't unlock it)



She did get a picture to show a little more progress on the tiling



with another wall of white tiles also up



After she was rescued we examined the pipes from the hallway to see why its leaking, its leaking from the joint in the public area before it reaches our stop tap and has already started wetting the hall downstairs.

1. rant mode on.

Following the above, my grumpy/nosy neighbour below (no wife, no kids, you know the type...) is now trying to threaten/woe betide me with costs if it moisture comes through the wall into his cupboard beside the hallway and affects him, trying to insist i call out people immediately to sort (like hell I'm calling pimlico at my cost), whilst ignoring the plumber friend that was with me and has told me categorically the leak is before my demise... When he's told I'd try and speak to the freeholder to sort he wasn't having any of it, saying that they wouldn't do anything I had to excuse myself to attend to more important things to stop him going on without reminding him that he's the one alone at home all day that already knows the property manager so could probably also call to resolve....typically its the same neighbour that's reported me to environmental health for noise, ignoring the letter/requests to let us know if there are issues.... Given the leak its been left that I'll attempt to contact the management company to resolve, but given I'm out of the office for pre-op this afternoon and surgery on the finger tomorrow It'll have to be best endeavours. Hey-ho!