New house build - Luxembourg
Discussion
Outside, the cement foundations for the driveway and exterior parking's in place and the roof tiles are almost finished.
Inside, the interior block built walls are going up, doorways being narrowed for the door frames, en-suite shower room walls, etc., and the wall between the kitchen and dining room's been removed and a lintel put in place to support the walls/floors above.
We've also paid the deposit on the kitchen and have the technical plans for that to give to the builders, so they know where the services and electrics are required, and not to put underfloor heating under the island so it can be bolted to the floor.
Today's been spent planning the layout of the bathroom, cloakroom and 2 shower rooms as we've a meeting on Sat with the suppliers for the technical plans and pricing.
Next week I have to deal with the sparky to tell him where we want all the sockets, light points, coax cables (cable tv and Sky) and Ethernet points (via a comms box on the office).
It's all happening very, very quickly now, presumably before winter sets in with snow likely.
Inside, the interior block built walls are going up, doorways being narrowed for the door frames, en-suite shower room walls, etc., and the wall between the kitchen and dining room's been removed and a lintel put in place to support the walls/floors above.
We've also paid the deposit on the kitchen and have the technical plans for that to give to the builders, so they know where the services and electrics are required, and not to put underfloor heating under the island so it can be bolted to the floor.
Today's been spent planning the layout of the bathroom, cloakroom and 2 shower rooms as we've a meeting on Sat with the suppliers for the technical plans and pricing.
Next week I have to deal with the sparky to tell him where we want all the sockets, light points, coax cables (cable tv and Sky) and Ethernet points (via a comms box on the office).
It's all happening very, very quickly now, presumably before winter sets in with snow likely.
If your friends were worried about the little sprinkling of flakes last weekend, they're in for a shock, Alex! Sounds like they're new here? 
Tiling's going on
Driveway foundations in, CostCentre#2 making a cameo appearance....
Wall opened up from kitchen to dining room. The inside of the 'foam ledge' you can see on the far opening, the top of that will be the interior floor levels once the conduits and underfloor heating are in, screeded and tiled. It's about 30cm difference from the current floor level.
Err, this "box" will be the en-suite shower room - it's a room within a room as we're using 2 bedrooms as a single master suite, but the en-suite's location was rather dictated by where the ventilation's already in place for the air/heat exchanger.
REAL slate.
So much nicer to look at than the tiles we have on our current house
The gaps are for, top, the vent in for the air/heat exchange system, bottom right, velux window in the office space above the garage.
Excuse picture quality, Blackberry used.
Not as exciting as updates by Muncher or pvapour, who're doing most or all the work themselves, but I'm a lazy office oik.
Tiling's going on
Driveway foundations in, CostCentre#2 making a cameo appearance....
Wall opened up from kitchen to dining room. The inside of the 'foam ledge' you can see on the far opening, the top of that will be the interior floor levels once the conduits and underfloor heating are in, screeded and tiled. It's about 30cm difference from the current floor level.
Err, this "box" will be the en-suite shower room - it's a room within a room as we're using 2 bedrooms as a single master suite, but the en-suite's location was rather dictated by where the ventilation's already in place for the air/heat exchanger.
REAL slate.
So much nicer to look at than the tiles we have on our current houseThe gaps are for, top, the vent in for the air/heat exchange system, bottom right, velux window in the office space above the garage.
Excuse picture quality, Blackberry used.
Not as exciting as updates by Muncher or pvapour, who're doing most or all the work themselves, but I'm a lazy office oik.
Edited by 5potTurbo on Friday 2nd November 08:48
This morning I spent at the bathroom suppliers, from when they opened at 0830 'til closing at 1230!
Fortunately my wife & I had done our homework or I'd still be there and the salesman would have been on overtime.
So, 4 hours to choose all the sanitary ware for cloakroom, bathroom and 2 shower rooms...I was bloody knackered after that!
I popped by the site on my way home to check something and the roofers were there in the pouring rain and high winds getting the tiles on the adjoining roof tops. Rather them than me. *shivers*
Fortunately my wife & I had done our homework or I'd still be there and the salesman would have been on overtime.
So, 4 hours to choose all the sanitary ware for cloakroom, bathroom and 2 shower rooms...I was bloody knackered after that!
I popped by the site on my way home to check something and the roofers were there in the pouring rain and high winds getting the tiles on the adjoining roof tops. Rather them than me. *shivers*
Roofing continues on all 4 houses in the row.
Friday evening I met with the sparky, and I expect a VERY big bill for extras there. We covered stuff like satellite (SKY) installation (dish mounting arm has to go on before the exterior insulation cladding to maintain the house's "A" rating), the number of network connections requested all over the house, so including a comms cupbard, patch panel, etc., and the lovely LED downlighters I shall be ordering froma certain "E36 GUY" , plus more power and lighting points than foreseen in the original spec, where to put the electric shutters control panel, etc.
Today I met with the heating/plumbing/sanitary ware installers to sort out where to site the underfloor heating controllers, the electric heated towel rails, extend some of the underfloor heating circuits to the downstairs cloaks and other placed, and the layout of the bath/shower rooms; they'll get the rest of the details from the sanitary ware suppliers so they know EXACTLY where to place the pipes and drainage - concrete floors on all levels can be a royal pain in the arse when you need to plan this stuff!
Wednesday sees the handover for 50% of the build costs to the construction company, so we'll be in debt again. *sobs*
Friday evening I met with the sparky, and I expect a VERY big bill for extras there. We covered stuff like satellite (SKY) installation (dish mounting arm has to go on before the exterior insulation cladding to maintain the house's "A" rating), the number of network connections requested all over the house, so including a comms cupbard, patch panel, etc., and the lovely LED downlighters I shall be ordering froma certain "E36 GUY"
, plus more power and lighting points than foreseen in the original spec, where to put the electric shutters control panel, etc.Today I met with the heating/plumbing/sanitary ware installers to sort out where to site the underfloor heating controllers, the electric heated towel rails, extend some of the underfloor heating circuits to the downstairs cloaks and other placed, and the layout of the bath/shower rooms; they'll get the rest of the details from the sanitary ware suppliers so they know EXACTLY where to place the pipes and drainage - concrete floors on all levels can be a royal pain in the arse when you need to plan this stuff!
Wednesday sees the handover for 50% of the build costs to the construction company, so we'll be in debt again. *sobs*
5potTurbo said:
Well, I wasn't wrong with the extras bill from the Sparky. Fookin' 'ell!
Oh, well... onwards and upwards.
Hello,Oh, well... onwards and upwards.
I'm sorry but I just wanted to briefly hijack your thread. Last year I started a thread about visiting Luxembourg for the Rock-A-Field festival and you gave me lots of advice so I just wanted to say thanks.
We drove from Great Yarmouth through France and Belgium into Luxembourg and absolutely loved our trip!
So yeah, thanks! Good luck with the build too.
Tom
I wasn't wrong either on my guesstimates for extras on the sanitary ware front, about the same as I spent on extra electrical/networking stuff. Still, it's not worth skimping if, like me, you'd look at things and think, "I wish I'd done that another way...", but I'll probably still end up doing just that!
Had a chat with E36GUY earlier about the lighting plan, which he's working on for some rooms for us.
And now, I hope the snow that's fallen in the last couple of days hasn't delayed progress too much.
The windows need to go in, then the plumbers will do the basic water/drainage pipework before the sparky joins the party for the conduits to be laid under the screed, then the plumbers go back in.
Fingers crossed!
Had a chat with E36GUY earlier about the lighting plan, which he's working on for some rooms for us.
And now, I hope the snow that's fallen in the last couple of days hasn't delayed progress too much.
The windows need to go in, then the plumbers will do the basic water/drainage pipework before the sparky joins the party for the conduits to be laid under the screed, then the plumbers go back in.
Fingers crossed!
Things have slowed in the last couple of weeks due to the weather....
Not much to be doing when the snow's on the ground; site shuts down.
Popped by yesterday and all the window units and motorised window shutter boxes are in the house ready to be installed
The tube you see on the floor ^^^ is for the air/heat exchanger, to pump warm air around the house. That'll be buried under 30+cm of screed.
Oh. There's supposed to be a wall there, for a window, not patio doors as was originally foreseen on the plans. I thought they'd have blocked up halfway by now, especially since the first fix plumbing starts today - they've no wal to fix the water and drainage pipes to for the sink & dishwasher. Hmmmmm
Triple glazed valux windows have been fitted for the office and laundry room
The neighbour's house with some windows installed. Triple glazed, dark grey exterior, white interior.
Not much to be doing when the snow's on the ground; site shuts down.
Popped by yesterday and all the window units and motorised window shutter boxes are in the house ready to be installed
The tube you see on the floor ^^^ is for the air/heat exchanger, to pump warm air around the house. That'll be buried under 30+cm of screed.
Oh. There's supposed to be a wall there, for a window, not patio doors as was originally foreseen on the plans. I thought they'd have blocked up halfway by now, especially since the first fix plumbing starts today - they've no wal to fix the water and drainage pipes to for the sink & dishwasher. Hmmmmm
Triple glazed valux windows have been fitted for the office and laundry room
The neighbour's house with some windows installed. Triple glazed, dark grey exterior, white interior.
Edited by 5potTurbo on Monday 17th December 09:45
Well, the windows are in (except for the kitchen), and so's the garage door. The fitters were just finishing off the 2nd floor dormer this morning. QUALITY name for the window company too. *starts head banging*
I'm pleased I caught them before they bugger off for 2 weeks though...
The wall that was "forgotten" in the kitchen has now been constructed!
...but those aren't sliding patio doors, like I ordered, like are in the plans, and like I was charged an enormous supplement to have....
A quick word with one of the window fitters (in a mixture of German & English as he didn't speak French, typical!) and he called his office to find the contruction company didn't order and sliding doors for my house. Hmmm.... they'll need to sort that out or give me a big chunk of change back then.
Ho, hum! Nothing more to do now for 2 weeks as the site will close tonight and re-open on 7th Jan. I don't care as we'll be skiing in Whistler!
Merry Christmas one and all!
I'm pleased I caught them before they bugger off for 2 weeks though...
The wall that was "forgotten" in the kitchen has now been constructed!
...but those aren't sliding patio doors, like I ordered, like are in the plans, and like I was charged an enormous supplement to have....
A quick word with one of the window fitters (in a mixture of German & English as he didn't speak French, typical!) and he called his office to find the contruction company didn't order and sliding doors for my house. Hmmm.... they'll need to sort that out or give me a big chunk of change back then.
Ho, hum! Nothing more to do now for 2 weeks as the site will close tonight and re-open on 7th Jan. I don't care as we'll be skiing in Whistler!
Merry Christmas one and all!
Du1point8 said:
<cough>pics please</cough>
I only took a couple.... seeing water pipes laid on cement pre-screeding's not too exciting, is it?
The interior walls on the 2nd floor for my daughters' bedrooms and shower room have been built though, and they hadn't before the Christmas break, and the site only re-opened on Monday this week!
I'll get some better pics this weekend, Du1point8.
2nd floor, poor photo view from Costcentre#1's room to the landing and shower room door, on the left,
2nd floor, poor photo view of Costcentre#1's room interior walls. Stack pipe visible on right side will be boxed in. That's from our en suite directly below.
Edited by 5potTurbo on Thursday 10th January 14:45
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