The 4 Month House Renovation
Discussion
Thanks - yes, it's a lovely place to be 
It was a good finish to the week with the chippies starting the roof.
Progress was swift and finished with a good view of what will be the final size. I keep saying it but it's so much bigger than I thought.
From the back and showing the new dormer in our bedroom
A comparison with the original
It was a good finish to the week with the chippies starting the roof.
Progress was swift and finished with a good view of what will be the final size. I keep saying it but it's so much bigger than I thought.
From the back and showing the new dormer in our bedroom
A comparison with the original
Catching up on a weeks progress
Mainly up on the structure and roof of the new bedroom
From the front
From the back showing the new dormer roof
Soffits going on (yes, we're going grey....
)
Inside view of the new bedroom - wide angle shot
The walls will be going in to build the walk-in wardrobe and en-suite
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Then there's the new chimney breast - after taking the old crazy paving off it was found that to get the new wood burner in properly the whole thing needed to be re-built, otherwise the flue wouldn't fit and they couldn't get the lintels in to support the chimney.
Mainly up on the structure and roof of the new bedroom
From the front
From the back showing the new dormer roof
Soffits going on (yes, we're going grey....
)Inside view of the new bedroom - wide angle shot
The walls will be going in to build the walk-in wardrobe and en-suite
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Then there's the new chimney breast - after taking the old crazy paving off it was found that to get the new wood burner in properly the whole thing needed to be re-built, otherwise the flue wouldn't fit and they couldn't get the lintels in to support the chimney.
Bringing this up to date, there's been some progress with internal walls and roofing.
First the new walls upstairs in the new master bedroom
Taken from the far corner, looking back towards the walk-in wardrobe and en-suite - the window is still boarded up to keep the weather out
Looking into the walk-in wardrobe
And into the en-suite - the hole in the floor is where the shower will be
Next is the roofing - it's been felted and tiled, but still has a few detailed areas to finish off such as the dormers. Also, the security shutters have been taken off
The gap in this one is where the velux will be in the master en-suite
And finally - they've started in the study/snug area to bring the floor levels up to the rest of the house - yes, there's insulation under the concrete
First the new walls upstairs in the new master bedroom
Taken from the far corner, looking back towards the walk-in wardrobe and en-suite - the window is still boarded up to keep the weather out
Looking into the walk-in wardrobe
And into the en-suite - the hole in the floor is where the shower will be
Next is the roofing - it's been felted and tiled, but still has a few detailed areas to finish off such as the dormers. Also, the security shutters have been taken off
The gap in this one is where the velux will be in the master en-suite
And finally - they've started in the study/snug area to bring the floor levels up to the rest of the house - yes, there's insulation under the concrete
Nearly three weeks later, once again, lots of things to talk about......
First the scaffolding at the front has come down. The main part of the roof has been almost finished, obviously the porch construction will be an integral part of this area and they can't finish anything else until that's done. A start has been made on the porch with the walls to either side.
Windows are coming soon and will finish off the waterproofing elements of the build - at the same time the plasterers will be starting upstairs.
Talking of upstairs, the carpenters and team have been finishing the walls, insulation and plaster boarding.
Top of the stairs, looking into (new)bed 1 to the left and 3
Looking in to the new master bed 1
Wide angle shot of Bed 1 looking back from the far corner (the yellow trug in the pic above)
Walk in wardrobe - en-suite to the right
Going back downstairs - the study and snug have been built with some of it boarded
Snug - looking in
And looking out
Study - where my desk will be - lots of Cat6 and power
.....and finally - the front door is back from being treated and sanded - it's now had coats of Osmo Oil before hanging
First the scaffolding at the front has come down. The main part of the roof has been almost finished, obviously the porch construction will be an integral part of this area and they can't finish anything else until that's done. A start has been made on the porch with the walls to either side.
Windows are coming soon and will finish off the waterproofing elements of the build - at the same time the plasterers will be starting upstairs.
Talking of upstairs, the carpenters and team have been finishing the walls, insulation and plaster boarding.
Top of the stairs, looking into (new)bed 1 to the left and 3
Looking in to the new master bed 1
Wide angle shot of Bed 1 looking back from the far corner (the yellow trug in the pic above)
Walk in wardrobe - en-suite to the right
Going back downstairs - the study and snug have been built with some of it boarded
Snug - looking in
And looking out
Study - where my desk will be - lots of Cat6 and power
.....and finally - the front door is back from being treated and sanded - it's now had coats of Osmo Oil before hanging
Lots happening again this week. The plasterers have started and other work on drainage and laying a new water main is going well. The fascias, soffits and guttering are also going on, even though the hinderance from a 60 year old Wisteria has slowed that progress.
Plastering in the Master bedroom:
Putting a new soakaway into the front and laying a new water main at the same time.
And of course with changing the Fascias and Soffits we had to get the Electricity folks into oversee the removal of the power supply.
The subsequent problem is that all the old roof tiles down the edge of the gables have shifted or some have broken and fallen off. That will require a complete re-work to make sure we don't have any leaks.
Big focus on plumbing coming next week with the UFH being laid. The kitchen delivery date has been agreed, and yes, it's from DIY Kitchens
At the same time the plasterers will be finishing off upstairs, the porch is due to be built (Oak has been delivered for that and will be treated this weekend).
Plastering in the Master bedroom:
Putting a new soakaway into the front and laying a new water main at the same time.
And of course with changing the Fascias and Soffits we had to get the Electricity folks into oversee the removal of the power supply.
The subsequent problem is that all the old roof tiles down the edge of the gables have shifted or some have broken and fallen off. That will require a complete re-work to make sure we don't have any leaks.
Big focus on plumbing coming next week with the UFH being laid. The kitchen delivery date has been agreed, and yes, it's from DIY Kitchens
At the same time the plasterers will be finishing off upstairs, the porch is due to be built (Oak has been delivered for that and will be treated this weekend).
One of the things that has kept us concerned all the way through is the front door. Not a subject that many renovations have as a focal point, however ours is quite big and required a porch sized to be in proportion.
The scale started to be real when they put the frame together.
And, when the rest of it was added the real size did make us laugh at the slightly ridiculous nature of it we can't wait for the actual door to go in!!
With some roof tiles on it does look better
In other news - the UFH is going down - first, the insulated boards, then the manifolds
They pressure tested it this morning and the latex screed is going down tomorrow - then the plaster boarding can be finished and the plastered let lose again, as they've been on hold waiting for the windows and plumber.
Upstairs, work continues on the skirting and architraves with some of the doors going up too
This week is boarding the master bedroom en-suite, finishing the doors, skirting and architraves upstairs. then the blitz starts downstairs. we've been waiting for the window company to give us a definite date as the kitchen is being delivered next week and being fitted the week after. The roofers need to finish many of the details, including the verges and porch. Then there's all the bits/tiles they've broken or missed on their way through. In addition there's the down pipes to finish and the soakaway for the main roof.
The scale started to be real when they put the frame together.
And, when the rest of it was added the real size did make us laugh at the slightly ridiculous nature of it
we can't wait for the actual door to go in!!With some roof tiles on it does look better
In other news - the UFH is going down - first, the insulated boards, then the manifolds
They pressure tested it this morning and the latex screed is going down tomorrow - then the plaster boarding can be finished and the plastered let lose again, as they've been on hold waiting for the windows and plumber.
Upstairs, work continues on the skirting and architraves with some of the doors going up too
This week is boarding the master bedroom en-suite, finishing the doors, skirting and architraves upstairs. then the blitz starts downstairs. we've been waiting for the window company to give us a definite date as the kitchen is being delivered next week and being fitted the week after. The roofers need to finish many of the details, including the verges and porch. Then there's all the bits/tiles they've broken or missed on their way through. In addition there's the down pipes to finish and the soakaway for the main roof.
It's been a while since I've updated this and the build has been progressing very well.
So - pictures of what's been going on.......
The usual front pic with the windows in - yes, I know they're 'resale grey' there are a whole load of details to finish with the hanging tiles over the upstairs window, sills etc. The verges on the end gable also need finishing as they disintegrated when the fascia boards were fitted.
Window swap half way through
Bed 2 - Plastered, with door to en-suite, skirting etc
Kitchen ceiling - building the extractor box
Kitchen - plastered and waiting for the units to go in
Loads of boxes from Pontefract
And the truck was a tight squeeze!
Kitchen with ceiling box plastered, ready for the extractor fitting
Next week is the decorating - the guys are going to mask and spray the house so most of the rest of the guys will be on other sites. Once that has been done, it's;
- Latex screed laid over UFH - went well, but exposed the need for another layer as there's been large areas which have sunk into the pipe runs and it's just in need of smoothing out
- Plastering - these guys are just artists and have been over (almost!) the whole place, superb finish
- Windows - a bit of a saga, but they're in
- Plumbing - Hot water tanks and boiler fitted, but not fully working
- Kitchen - yes, it's a DIY Kitchen loved the box of Yorkshire tea and flap jacks! I do have to recognise the guys from DIY who delivered it. They arrived just after 7pm and unloaded in less than an hour. Happy, pleasant and polite they couldn't have been better representatives of the whole DIY kitchens experience.
So - pictures of what's been going on.......
The usual front pic with the windows in - yes, I know they're 'resale grey'
there are a whole load of details to finish with the hanging tiles over the upstairs window, sills etc. The verges on the end gable also need finishing as they disintegrated when the fascia boards were fitted.Window swap half way through
Bed 2 - Plastered, with door to en-suite, skirting etc
Kitchen ceiling - building the extractor box
Kitchen - plastered and waiting for the units to go in
Loads of boxes from Pontefract
And the truck was a tight squeeze!
Kitchen with ceiling box plastered, ready for the extractor fitting
Next week is the decorating - the guys are going to mask and spray the house so most of the rest of the guys will be on other sites. Once that has been done, it's;
- Build the front door frame and fit the door
- Build the York Stone door step
- Fit sliding doors in the kitchen and the new back door
- Re-fit the verge tiles and tile the window surrounds
- Finish second fix electrics and plumbing
- Tiling in the master en-suite
- Fit woodburner in the lounge
- Another latex screed and then floor covering (Amtico)
- Clean up the white marks from where the security shutters were taken off
- Tidy up the drive where the soakaway has been fitted
- Snagging and detail fixes
- Clean the place, ready for re-occupation
Thanks folks,
To try and answer the questions;
To try and answer the questions;
- Windows - the finish we wanted (smooth, not wood grain) wasn't properly recorded on the order to the manufacturer, we had to work with the installer to compromise on that one
- Yes - the colour of the facias and windows was carefully thought through - we didn't want the cream render and grey windows 'look' and one of the planning constraints was that we had to retain hanging tiles on the end gables (we had discussed wooden cladding). Very pleased with the final look as the colours complement each other very well - just got to get rid of the white bits where the old shutters were taken off
- Again, Yes - living on site has been a great move - the team have really been pro-active in confirming big and little bits as they've been going on so any re-work has been avoided. The things you see on the TV programmes where the client hadn't got an answer when the builder wanted to know where to put key things has been avoided and they have confidence in us that when we say how and where, we're not going to ahh and umm for days
- Cost - we're currently close to the price quoted above when we add together all the elements as well as the 'can you just' extras. DIY kitchens were substantially cheaper than Wren and Magnet - nearly £15k after fitting and appliances taken into account
A quick update as I see it as a big milestone - the plumber switched the boiler on this afternoon. Low temp to start with to warm things through and get the UFH checked.
I'll do some pics later as it's been painted too. Latex screed going down tomorrow, ready for the flooring over the rest of the week.
I'll do some pics later as it's been painted too. Latex screed going down tomorrow, ready for the flooring over the rest of the week.
As mentioned, the boiler has been running now for nearly a day. The whole house is feeling warmer as the temperature is being increased slowly, to avoid cracking plaster or anything else.
The other significant step has been the decorating. Two guys came in and in a day had the whole place painted
They were so good in that they had it masked up by late morning, the mist coat done by mid afternoon and the whole place done and packed up by 10pm.
The flooring guy has been working to prep the floor today. I did think he'd be layering straight away, but his attention to detail has been top notch. He pushed the builders to insulate the two big openings that haven't got doors/windows yet. What that means is that the latex can dry better on the warm floor and then be switched off in time for him to lay the floor next week. He apologised as being 'the moaner', but I was massively reassured in that he is particular about getting it right.
The window supplier has apologised again as the big sliding doors in the kitchen have been delayed again by supply problems. That appears to be an issue hitting many parts of the building world, so no amount of nagging will change that.
The worktop supplier came to template the other day and saw the kitchen units. He was honest enough to have a quiet conversation with us that focused on.... 'I'm not sure the colour you've chosen will work'. Again, we appreciated that and went back to see what he would suggest. Our choice has changed and we were able to choose a piece of granite to use as a hearth.
Next steps are primarily getting the second fix electrics finished, the worktops in and the full clean. Then the groundworks re-starts to address the soakaway and patching the drive (any suggestions for a tarmac contractor in Woking/Camberley/Bracknell would be most welcome)
The decorators at work
The lounge after painting. You can see the cornice ready for the LED strip lighting which is being used instead of downlights in this and the snug.
The hearth laid - ignore the smudge of adhesive at the left hand end, that will be covered by latex
The front door step, laid out of the York stone lifted from the original front step. Also you can see the extra boarding which has been added with insulation to seal the house better so the flooring will go down better.
Water tank and other stuff in what we're calling the 'plant room' - an posh name for a big cupboard
The Oak post has gone in to support the back porch - yet to be finished off once the lighting has been sorted
The other significant step has been the decorating. Two guys came in and in a day had the whole place painted
They were so good in that they had it masked up by late morning, the mist coat done by mid afternoon and the whole place done and packed up by 10pm.The flooring guy has been working to prep the floor today. I did think he'd be layering straight away, but his attention to detail has been top notch. He pushed the builders to insulate the two big openings that haven't got doors/windows yet. What that means is that the latex can dry better on the warm floor and then be switched off in time for him to lay the floor next week. He apologised as being 'the moaner', but I was massively reassured in that he is particular about getting it right.
The window supplier has apologised again as the big sliding doors in the kitchen have been delayed again by supply problems. That appears to be an issue hitting many parts of the building world, so no amount of nagging will change that.
The worktop supplier came to template the other day and saw the kitchen units. He was honest enough to have a quiet conversation with us that focused on.... 'I'm not sure the colour you've chosen will work'. Again, we appreciated that and went back to see what he would suggest. Our choice has changed and we were able to choose a piece of granite to use as a hearth.
Next steps are primarily getting the second fix electrics finished, the worktops in and the full clean. Then the groundworks re-starts to address the soakaway and patching the drive (any suggestions for a tarmac contractor in Woking/Camberley/Bracknell would be most welcome)
The decorators at work
The lounge after painting. You can see the cornice ready for the LED strip lighting which is being used instead of downlights in this and the snug.
The hearth laid - ignore the smudge of adhesive at the left hand end, that will be covered by latex
The front door step, laid out of the York stone lifted from the original front step. Also you can see the extra boarding which has been added with insulation to seal the house better so the flooring will go down better.
Water tank and other stuff in what we're calling the 'plant room' - an posh name for a big cupboard
The Oak post has gone in to support the back porch - yet to be finished off once the lighting has been sorted
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