1960's to now : our renovation

1960's to now : our renovation

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croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Thursday 14th January 2016
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With the clock ticking for the rewire beginning Monday the fact you've been up since 4am doesn't count.



A rather grotty woodchipped ceiling.


Ex grotty ceiling.



And voila a board less ceiling.


This weekends job is to attempt to reboard it.

Full steam ahead






Edited by croakey on Thursday 14th January 20:45

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Friday 15th January 2016
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Messy doesn't begin to explain it, a sledgehammer proved to be very effective at pulling boards down... And making a mess

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Saturday 16th January 2016
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Another menial update...



The 'roach has been pressed into more material hauling and I've been putting stuff up instead of taking it down.





The last third will be done once I've bolted up the ventilation system for extractor hood.

Maybe... Just maybe I'll utilise my favourite tool to remove more kitchen later


croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Saturday 16th January 2016
quotequote all


A few swings of my trusty sledgehammer and a whole new load of crap to take tip wards.



Half the kitchen out, tiles off... And the retro 70's serving hatch is gone.







croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Saturday 16th January 2016
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I hadn't thought of looking on here for bulbs and lamps etc so already ordered boat load off eBay. They get good reviews so we'll see how we get on!

Under and over cabinet I'm thinking maybe some led rope / stick on led things. We had fluorescent in our old kitchen but I always felt they were too bright and didn't provide any ambience

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Monday 18th January 2016
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And so it begins...





After 14 hours door to door today I'm not feeling living in a building site. Let's hope it's all worth it!

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Tuesday 19th January 2016
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Leaving for work having spent the morning shifting stuff around for the Sparks... Looking forward to the break!

If you're considering a refurb/restoration and it needsa rewire do it before you move in if you can.The amount of dust and upheaval is huge, did I mention the dust?!!!!!




Second half of the kitchen to come out tomorrow to allow access, means we'll have no kitchen for 3 weeks. The wife won't be pleased!!!!


croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Thursday 21st January 2016
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The rewire continues...








Currently with no kitchen now so working on begging dinners from friends and family, eating out and takeaway. Lots of takeaway!

Luckily because we're new to this area we can work our way through and see what's good!

Also managed to remove the last bit of kitchen (bar the sink) and discovered that the floor I was concerned about a slight bow was down to laminate type tiles fitted with no expansion pinned to the skirting.

Fingers crossed the updates will get more interesting as we're moving towards making things look nice again!


croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th January 2016
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Currently sourcing flooring for downstairs that owing to practicality reasons is looking like a mix between some vinyl flooring and high spec laminates. Had engineered oak before and suffered some quite nasty scratches and discolouration I'm keen to avoid.

With that in mind does anyone have a clue to competitive pricing on "quickstep" flooring? Went to TileGiant where we saw it and I can't find anywhere much cheaper on line from a quick google?!

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th January 2016
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It's 99.9% what we'll order, the quality of it is far far superior to other laminates etc.

Still hunting the elusive bargain though!

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th January 2016
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Welshbeef said:
That's some serious hard work going on here - looking good
Thanks for the compliment

Right now motivation is...



-155302%

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th January 2016
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I tend to either have a go and figure it out or spend some time researching it online before attempting new stuff

For example I need to level the kitchen floor this week... Never done it but doesn't look rocket science.

Gardens?! I have a gardener because I don't know grass from weeds or plants or other green stuff outside!

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Sunday 24th January 2016
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Craikeybaby said:
Wallpaper stripping is the worst.
Especially wood chip, that's been painted, that's over other wallpaper that also been painted... Over more wall paper that has gaps that match the previous mentioned paint.

Id love to find the bloke who invented wood chip and poke him in the eye

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Monday 25th January 2016
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matty g said:
Our last renovation we stripped off all the wallpaper......And still ended up knocking it all back to brick and drylining.....Next time we didn't bother with the stripping just got the hammers out
If it wasn't for the fact I've already started I would likely do it that way!

Today has gone well... And not so well.

I've still got a shed load to do in the kitchen before the plasterer starts Wednesday evening... Including stripping the rest of the paper, boarding the ceiling, boxing some piping, filling in the chases with rapid set cement, and pva'ing the room... And I've managed none of it today.

Started with a Harris & Hoole large flat white to kick the day off



Found THE perfect flooring to our worktop... Deliberately gone for a grey(ish) wood so that the grey kitchen tones in.



Needed to get the ducting in for the cooker hood and wanted rigid as found the flexi stuff rattles and doesn't do a great job.

Balls.

The hole cut is too far out for the ducting to run straight and down, and not far enough out to squeeze a 90 degree bend and reducer.

So it was time to get all A Team.





Not my greatest bit of plastic welding ever... But I could only find my soldering iron and it does the job.




Attempted to move the old wardrobe (still handy to use) to get access for the Sparks.






Talking of sparks.

We're going to over run which when we agreed a day rate is going to cost me... Unfortunately working around a house of furniture and having the odd issue has held them up.

More annoyingly my plumber has gone into hiding and I'm relying on him running some pipes in the kitchen prior to plastering.

Keeping fingers crossed it comes together... Yet preparing for the worst





Edited by croakey on Monday 25th January 17:22


Edited by croakey on Monday 25th January 17:27


Edited by croakey on Monday 25th January 18:57

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Tuesday 26th January 2016
quotequote all
Finally something resembling an improvement!

Sparks have 95% finished now bar second fixing the kitchen once it's installed and fitting the CCTV. But the lighting is in and on.

Just now waiting for the plumber to run some pipes this week and then finish stripping the kitchen for the plasterer early next week.

Looks better in the flesh but some pics...






... Yes the scabby number sign is going, there's replacements ready to go up!



croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
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It's reflection...

I could claim it was planned but I'd be lying.

It was definitely planned

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
quotequote all
I had it my mind it wouldn't fit... Looking at it now I think I could of made it work. Obviously by the time I realised that if already cut it and begun fitting it!

The lights were from Amazon from memory and not overly expensive. I think I've got a better pic of the unit itself.

The outside looks ok; inside is beyond uninhabitable, dust and rubbish everywhere, I need to get cracking tidying! Was going to do it before late shift at work today but massively overslept and didn't get chance!

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
quotequote all
These are the light units



And a link ( I think I paid less than this though)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B008CPV4DM/ref=cm_sw_r...

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Wednesday 27th January 2016
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There will be some layout changes downstairs but not a full open plan rejig.

The plan is now coming from the front door is to block up the double doors directly to the right and then create a wide opening directly infront of you opening into the smaller part of the L

This breaks the space into more usable areas and the cut out will mirror the window into the garden meaning you get a direct front to back view as you come through the front door.

Struggling with motivation at the moment - not one usable room in the house is beginning to grate.

Let's hope it's worth it!

croakey

Original Poster:

1,193 posts

189 months

Thursday 28th January 2016
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You're thread would give me nightmares managing work and budgets etc so fair play for achieving what you have! Being right on the coast I often look at French property prices and dream!

I'm trying to remain optimistic that having done all the major dirty jobs life should begin to get better... Then remember we're still a long long way off!