New house build - Luxembourg
Discussion
Hello folks
What’s new in the wilds of Luxembourg?
Aside from the yearly ASHP servicing at €460, the WUFH in the family bathroom had stopped working, despite having had a new thermostat fitted last year. We weren’t going to call the heating company out as they’ve something like a €200 charge before their toolbox comes out, so we waited until he came to service the ASHP.
Apparently, “this gauge needs to read more than 1, and if it doesn’t, you turn this tap and that tap over there until it does, then it’ll all work ok….”. Of course. Silly me.
Still, that *fix* didn’t cost me another €200.
2022 electricity costs weren’t or bad. Having paid most on DD during the year, I had another €150 to pay on the annual statement, making the total around €1,900.
Plans for the house for 2023:
Redecorating from top to bottom, it’s all emulsion, made easier that both daughters will be at Uni from Sep.
Garden: creation of a deck at the side of our house which gets all the afternoon and evening sun.
Addition of a sneakily installed and rather hidden garden shed to get the gardening stuff out of the garage, to make room for my increasing bicycle collection.
I’d also like to add a metal framed gazebo that has a an electrically controlled top blind to cover a lot of the patio for summer lunch times.
Also repurposing a bit of the side return garden at the front to make another parking space. My new car, due in September, won’t wedge on the front like my Fiesta does without hanging over on to the pavement. Losing a bit of the grass area, which isn’t great grass anyway, won’t be a loss.
What’s new in the wilds of Luxembourg?
Aside from the yearly ASHP servicing at €460, the WUFH in the family bathroom had stopped working, despite having had a new thermostat fitted last year. We weren’t going to call the heating company out as they’ve something like a €200 charge before their toolbox comes out, so we waited until he came to service the ASHP.
Apparently, “this gauge needs to read more than 1, and if it doesn’t, you turn this tap and that tap over there until it does, then it’ll all work ok….”. Of course. Silly me.
Still, that *fix* didn’t cost me another €200.2022 electricity costs weren’t or bad. Having paid most on DD during the year, I had another €150 to pay on the annual statement, making the total around €1,900.
Plans for the house for 2023:
Redecorating from top to bottom, it’s all emulsion, made easier that both daughters will be at Uni from Sep.
Garden: creation of a deck at the side of our house which gets all the afternoon and evening sun.
Addition of a sneakily installed and rather hidden garden shed to get the gardening stuff out of the garage, to make room for my increasing bicycle collection.
I’d also like to add a metal framed gazebo that has a an electrically controlled top blind to cover a lot of the patio for summer lunch times.
Also repurposing a bit of the side return garden at the front to make another parking space. My new car, due in September, won’t wedge on the front like my Fiesta does without hanging over on to the pavement. Losing a bit of the grass area, which isn’t great grass anyway, won’t be a loss.
Edited by RC1807 on Sunday 2nd April 09:40
Had a gardening company come around yesterday for a site visit and measure up to quote for the hard landscaping I’d like done.
Let’s see how long it takes them to send their quote.
(I told them they’d need to get shifting if I say yes, before the ground is too hard for them to dig up!)
Let’s see how long it takes them to send their quote.
(I told them they’d need to get shifting if I say yes, before the ground is too hard for them to dig up!)
Fingers crossed, eh?
I have a € figure in mind, which when I mentioned that number to my wife, she thought I was nuts.
I guess I'm more used to Lux labour costs.
They're all jobs I could do, but I'd be limited to weekends and a couple of evenings, and it would take me until the end of 2024 to complete. I want this complete before Summer kicks in properly, so we can enjoy the garden.
I have a € figure in mind, which when I mentioned that number to my wife, she thought I was nuts.
I guess I'm more used to Lux labour costs.
They're all jobs I could do, but I'd be limited to weekends and a couple of evenings, and it would take me until the end of 2024 to complete. I want this complete before Summer kicks in properly, so we can enjoy the garden.
Found a place that had a shed in stock on Friday, and it was delivered today. Batiself in Strassen came up trumps, which is very odd indeed.
Rare for anything of this type to be available in LuLuLand, least of all at Batiself!
The shed's been laid flat and wrapped in that extra thick plastic for a while, so I must unwrap and check it all.
If it's all OK, I'll slather it in wood preserve, and the underside of it probably with gloopy bitumen so it doesn't rot from the base up when it's on its concrete slab.
I also found some climbing plants I can put in pots around the shed to help disguise it, especially when the surrounding beech hedge is bare in winter.
I'm going to paint the shed black and it will be in a shady corner, too.
I've also found some great (but quite pricey) pleached hedges that will help to screen the shed from the road at the front.
("Shhhhh.... there's not really a shed there....").
I need to YouTube about the best way to fix roofing felt - bitumen then felt, or using that rubber matting type stuff, whatever it's called. Fingers crossed.
Rare for anything of this type to be available in LuLuLand, least of all at Batiself!
The shed's been laid flat and wrapped in that extra thick plastic for a while, so I must unwrap and check it all.
If it's all OK, I'll slather it in wood preserve, and the underside of it probably with gloopy bitumen so it doesn't rot from the base up when it's on its concrete slab.
I also found some climbing plants I can put in pots around the shed to help disguise it, especially when the surrounding beech hedge is bare in winter.
I'm going to paint the shed black and it will be in a shady corner, too.
I've also found some great (but quite pricey) pleached hedges that will help to screen the shed from the road at the front.
("Shhhhh.... there's not really a shed there....").
I need to YouTube about the best way to fix roofing felt - bitumen then felt, or using that rubber matting type stuff, whatever it's called. Fingers crossed.
loudlashadjuster said:
Hey, if it's not fixed down it's technically not a permanent structure and is instead just 'resting' there. No need for permissions etc.
There is that.... 
I was very busy at the weekend, after I'd been cycling Sat. (Trying to get back into it...)
I managed to push the electric feed cable, that was originally outside and meant for a shed in a different location, under the supported slabs at the side of the house. I put a waterproof electrical cable box under the slabs, dug a trench, and fed another 10m of cable in conduit to the site of the planned shed concrete slab, which will be in the far top right of the below pic:
Yes, we have weeds. No, we can't buy decent weedkiller - it's been banned here!
Anyway, a lot of that's going to be removed with the landscaping that's due to commence ....
Sunday, I made a start of staining the new shed panels, before they're put together, as I figured that would be easier. It's a dark grey, almost black, translucent stain - they call it Ebony - from Alpina (this being a car based site...). You can see the 2 coats difference between the treated and untreated wood in my garage.
The landscaper confirmed today that they'll be starting the 30th. Yay!
They had some work delays due to the silly bank holiday period we have in Lux, where May is about 10 working days long, and they're not allowed to make any noise / work on those days.
I spent my BH weekend mostly staining the wood panels for the shed. 3 coats done, I've finally finished.
I had to do this indoors as the stain was drying too quickly outside.
All the panels in the garage:
Gardeners were supposed to start today. They emailed me at 08:40 to tell me that as the skip can't be delivered today, they'll start tomorrow.
Another day without rain means another day the ground bakes in the sun. They're going to find it tough digging when they're 2 weeks later than they thought they'd be starting the job.
I had to do this indoors as the stain was drying too quickly outside.
All the panels in the garage:
Gardeners were supposed to start today. They emailed me at 08:40 to tell me that as the skip can't be delivered today, they'll start tomorrow.
Another day without rain means another day the ground bakes in the sun. They're going to find it tough digging when they're 2 weeks later than they thought they'd be starting the job.
Erm, when it's finished? 
DAY 1:
3 guys with spades and 2 barrows filled a massive skip with hard, heavy clay soil and turf.
What will be my new parking space area +/-12m2. It will be laid with the lattice type concrete slabs (Rassengitter in Cherman), where grass can grow in the open parts of the lattice.
Decking area, which will be +/-12m2
Shed base, not very big at +/-3m2 - but big enough to get gardening tools out of the garage, giving me more space for road bicycles!
DAY 2, beginning:
Goods delivery, by a very helpful driver who craned the bags and concrete forms in from the street, putting them exactly where the gardeners needed them.
It's currently 25C with a slight breeze, and it'll stay like that until the end of next week.
The guys are going to need that breeze or they'll roast. They're proper hard grafters!
DAY 1:
3 guys with spades and 2 barrows filled a massive skip with hard, heavy clay soil and turf.
What will be my new parking space area +/-12m2. It will be laid with the lattice type concrete slabs (Rassengitter in Cherman), where grass can grow in the open parts of the lattice.
Decking area, which will be +/-12m2
Shed base, not very big at +/-3m2 - but big enough to get gardening tools out of the garage, giving me more space for road bicycles!
DAY 2, beginning:
Goods delivery, by a very helpful driver who craned the bags and concrete forms in from the street, putting them exactly where the gardeners needed them.
It's currently 25C with a slight breeze, and it'll stay like that until the end of next week.
The guys are going to need that breeze or they'll roast. They're proper hard grafters!
DAY 2 - End
Three Montenegrin chaps worked really hard again today. They're good at cleaning up after themselves, too, which is great.
All materials are now on site, including the composite decking. I'm pleased to see the boss bought the hidden fixings for the planks.
Concrete pads for decking supports are underway.
All the concrete edging is cemented in for my parking space.
Lots of filling in required now, and tamping down before a pallet and a half of the concrete lattice slabs are laid, then infilled with soil ready for grass seed.
Three Montenegrin chaps worked really hard again today. They're good at cleaning up after themselves, too, which is great.
All materials are now on site, including the composite decking. I'm pleased to see the boss bought the hidden fixings for the planks.
Concrete pads for decking supports are underway.
All the concrete edging is cemented in for my parking space.
Lots of filling in required now, and tamping down before a pallet and a half of the concrete lattice slabs are laid, then infilled with soil ready for grass seed.
Day 3 end
Parking space is finished. Lattice bits just need to be backfilled with soil then I can chuck some grass and wild flower seeds down.
Concrete base points for the composite deck are complete.
To do:
Backfill soil in the parking area
Build deck
Poor concrete slab for shed base
They said they’ll be done by Thursday!
Me:
Erect shed
Good bunch of guys doing the work and they clean up after each day’s work very well.
Parking space is finished. Lattice bits just need to be backfilled with soil then I can chuck some grass and wild flower seeds down.
Concrete base points for the composite deck are complete.
To do:
Backfill soil in the parking area
Build deck
Poor concrete slab for shed base
They said they’ll be done by Thursday!
Me:
Erect shed
Good bunch of guys doing the work and they clean up after each day’s work very well.
Day 5 - End
The 3 guys have finished their work!
17 sq.m. parking space added
10 sq.m. composite deck and a concrete slab for my shed…. Neighbour’s cat, Charlie, surveying in the background. And yes, he left his footprints in the wet slab the night before.
The tube sticking out of the slab is my electric feed: 400V. Once the shed’s in place (planning 17th for that as I’m committed elsewhere this weekend), I can get a sparky in to fit a consumer board, light point and indoor and outdoor power points.
The 3 guys have finished their work!
17 sq.m. parking space added
10 sq.m. composite deck and a concrete slab for my shed…. Neighbour’s cat, Charlie, surveying in the background. And yes, he left his footprints in the wet slab the night before.
The tube sticking out of the slab is my electric feed: 400V. Once the shed’s in place (planning 17th for that as I’m committed elsewhere this weekend), I can get a sparky in to fit a consumer board, light point and indoor and outdoor power points.
Shed is up!
Strange instructions to follow, a few bits of fettling to resolve some wonky, shonky panels, and it’s done.
View from the patio:
Warped door requires latch at the base to close it properly.
Parking space is big enough for the Octavia…..
So the Fiesta, soon to be Taigo, is fine …..
And now that’s all done, the decorators are coming in tomorrow to repaint CC#1 bedroom, so it’ll be a surprise for her on her return from Uni in 2 weeks.
Strange instructions to follow, a few bits of fettling to resolve some wonky, shonky panels, and it’s done.
View from the patio:
Warped door requires latch at the base to close it properly.
Parking space is big enough for the Octavia…..
So the Fiesta, soon to be Taigo, is fine …..
And now that’s all done, the decorators are coming in tomorrow to repaint CC#1 bedroom, so it’ll be a surprise for her on her return from Uni in 2 weeks.
I should get some new pics up.....
Grass and wild flowers are doing well on the new parking space area, which is now home to my new Taigo (Fiesta's gone) that I collected in July. Love it so far.
Hardwood framed furniture purchased from Auchan has been used a great deal on the new deck. I get to enjoy late afternoon / evening sun when I've finished work.
Mrs RC loves the shed which she must keep tidy!
I think we're the only people in the neighbourhood who feed the local bird population, so the sparrows, great tits and blue tits get through about 6 feeders full of peanuts a week. Just as well Mrs RC buys these in 20kg sacks!
Hedges all round underwent their late summer cutting (beech on side and front, laurel across the rear), which was about 24 collapsible garden containers of trimmings to recycling.
Having experienced quite some rain in the past weeks, the grass (weeds!) is now green again, and the bare patches that are shown above following the landscaping works earlier this year has new grass.
After this rain, we experienced some areas where a green slimy fungus developed in some patches. Mrs RC investigated and treated those, which have now gone.
Heating: usual b
ks from the much hated (in our house) ASHP.
All our hot water should be coming from solar panels, but we were finding that despite being in full sun all day, we didn't always have hot water in the evenings, so the ASHP / water heater were kicking in and shouldn't have been.
We still find all the stupid levels of machinery and online information for trouble shooting to be really quite ste, so of course, Genista have been out today to check settings, which they've "adjusted". The ASHP now won't kick in until will switch off Summer settings. That'll probably cost me another EUR200 for today, plus an unknown amount for EUR for electric used by the ASHP. Ho, hum.
Grass and wild flowers are doing well on the new parking space area, which is now home to my new Taigo (Fiesta's gone) that I collected in July. Love it so far.
Hardwood framed furniture purchased from Auchan has been used a great deal on the new deck. I get to enjoy late afternoon / evening sun when I've finished work.
Mrs RC loves the shed which she must keep tidy!
I think we're the only people in the neighbourhood who feed the local bird population, so the sparrows, great tits and blue tits get through about 6 feeders full of peanuts a week. Just as well Mrs RC buys these in 20kg sacks!
Hedges all round underwent their late summer cutting (beech on side and front, laurel across the rear), which was about 24 collapsible garden containers of trimmings to recycling.
Having experienced quite some rain in the past weeks, the grass (weeds!) is now green again, and the bare patches that are shown above following the landscaping works earlier this year has new grass.
After this rain, we experienced some areas where a green slimy fungus developed in some patches. Mrs RC investigated and treated those, which have now gone.
Heating: usual b
ks from the much hated (in our house) ASHP. All our hot water should be coming from solar panels, but we were finding that despite being in full sun all day, we didn't always have hot water in the evenings, so the ASHP / water heater were kicking in and shouldn't have been.
We still find all the stupid levels of machinery and online information for trouble shooting to be really quite s
te, so of course, Genista have been out today to check settings, which they've "adjusted". The ASHP now won't kick in until will switch off Summer settings. That'll probably cost me another EUR200 for today, plus an unknown amount for EUR for electric used by the ASHP. Ho, hum.You can go off some people, G.....
With oil or gas CH, you know what's happening and how to resolve issues much easier.
Our ASHP, with the associated air circulation system, has been a nightmare from day 1.
Reading or translating docs hasn't helped us.
I long for retirement and a collective system in an apartment building that I don't have to worry about.
With oil or gas CH, you know what's happening and how to resolve issues much easier.
Our ASHP, with the associated air circulation system, has been a nightmare from day 1.
Reading or translating docs hasn't helped us.
I long for retirement and a collective system in an apartment building that I don't have to worry about.
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