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Actual Update!
Aug. 21st, 2009 10:21 pmThough it is house related. I've not been around mostly due to tiredness and business from working on the house in most of my spare time, and well when I'm not doing that have been gaming heavily and reading occasionally to relax.
Well the short summary is we're not done yet, but we are in the last stage finally. Though there is a lot to do still. I've taken a fortnight off work, and I'm so far one week through it.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
purplegirl23 has been absolutely wonderful helping me this week; her protestations that she wouldn't be able to do much have been conclusively proven wrong. Generally it's been hard work this last week, but I'm enjoying it when I'm not feeling stressed!
This whole renovation thing has taken longer than I hoped, and once I've got my photos organised and uploaded I'll give a general breakdown of when the various things were done. The bulk of the delay really and it covers most of the time from early April till almost the end of June was waiting for the various workmen to finishing their bits, mostly the plumber. The main problem* was the Griffin pub in Bath. The other job the plumber had been doing; one he was due to finish originally early April. Except the owners have changed their mind, a lot. This necessitated a lot of work being completely undone and started again from scratch. Not just small things, but a newly finished conversion of part of the building into flats and the changing the location of the bar and the toilets more than once. Last I heard they finally finished in the first or second week of August...
*Other problems include:
- Losing a week worth of the plasterer's work a fortnight ago when he got swine flu.
- Delays getting the gas meter fitted, when 'it just needs an emergency cut off handle', became 'the whole pipe needs to be relaid', only for that to be delayed a few days when it wasn't how they were expecting it to be. Then once the pipe was done, we had to wait while the Gas utility company contacted the Gas supply company (which I had contacted to get the connection ready previously) to get the meter itself fitted.
- Various workmen going away on holiday for a week in the summer.
- The wrong bath being delivered after the whole delivery was delayed waiting for a sink. Ended up the bath was a discontinued model and us getting the one from the showroom. Of course this was at the point when the plumbing couldn't be finished till the bath was fitted, which delayed the plastering and everything else that follows from there.
In that time I've been doing what I can, with Andy being amazing by coming up to help me out on several weekends. For a while there wasn't much I could do really, other than dig the trench used for the new driveway wall. A lot of the time was spent bypurplegirl23 and I shopping, making all the expensive and important decisions we needed to make. Like picking the kitchen units, the kitchen flooring, the bathroom flooring, the gas fire, the paint colours for the rooms, the bathroom suites, the bathroom wall tiles, the lights, and more I can't recall currently... Of course in the last few weeks as things started moving reasonably again there have been loads of jobs. Mostly consisting of cleaning up the huge quantities of dust and mess created by having the wiring redone and central heating fitted, and the actual cleaning, filling and sanding of preparing the unplastered walls to paint. I've been doing this by working 3-4 evenings at the house until the light failed (normally 1.5 - 2.5 hours of work), going out and deciding/purchasing needed things with purplegirl23 on Saturdays, and then working on the house while she worked at GAME. The rest of my free time was spent feeling exhausted while relaxing as best I could.
Anyway now we're working to a deadline. We need to be done at the latest by the end of next week, to give me time to move before I get back to work. We also need to have Daniel's room ready so he can move his stuff in on Wednesday. Thankfully him being at a CP event over the bank holiday gives us a little more time to work with.
To give an idea of what needs to be done here's a room by room breakdown:
Kitchen - Floor tiles are layed and grouted, walls are painted, window has been redone to be a more useful height. Ceiling needs final painting, Kitchen units will start being fitted tomorrow. Cooker arrives Monday.
Lounge - One section of the wall is still needing to be plastered, but the old fireplace surround is now gone so that can be done. The oak floor still needs to be repaired, the walls and ceiling obviously need to be painted, and our new fireplace surround could do with being built. Gas pipe for lounge fireplace needs to be laid, and the actual fire installed (after it's bought).
Hallway - is cleaned and sanded ready to be decorated. Once decorated carpets need to be laid.
Understairs loo - Pipes have been fitted, walls have been sanded where needed, but need some cleaning. One of the walls has been under coated, another though needs a bit of a plaster repair. Rest of room needs to be decorated, floor needs to be laid and the suite needs to be installed.
Bathroom - Bath fitted, walls and ceiling have been painted with the under coat. Floor needs to be laid, rest of bathroom needs to be fitted, final coats of paint needed and some walls need to be tiled.
Front bedroom - final coat of paint needs to be finished/touched up in places. Carpets need to be laid.
Rear large bedroom walls are whitewashed and final coloured paint has started to go on. Once the paints done the carpet needs to be laid.
Rear small bedroom - ceiling needs to be sanded and whitewashed, though walls are white washed. Then there's the final coat, and the carpets.
Driveway - has been widened and new wall has been built and looks great. The actual driveway surface needs laying with small gravel in the short term, until it settles. Actual hard coating will probably be done next summer, it will be usable till then though.
Also generally lights and sockets need to be fitted. Also skirting boards need to be done. The central heating system is all in place, though a couple of radiators are currently off while the decorating is being done.
We also need to get around to choosing and buying furniture.
When all that is done, there will still be some things that need doing like the front porch, and the rear area being converted into the pantry/utility we want. They though can be done once we're in the house.
So it's been a lot of work, though I couldn't have done it without my Dad's help. Aside from the fact I spent all my money by the place so my parents have helped by paying for most of the renovation, he's also spent countless of his already over busy days sorting out workmen, collecting/transporting materials and generally project managing things in way I couldn't while at work.
Tomorrow we get an enforced pleasant break from working on the house as my sister is getting married. So I'm hoping for some good weather tomorrow, and lots of opportunity to relax and have fun.
Well the short summary is we're not done yet, but we are in the last stage finally. Though there is a lot to do still. I've taken a fortnight off work, and I'm so far one week through it.
purplegirl23 has been absolutely wonderful helping me this week; her protestations that she wouldn't be able to do much have been conclusively proven wrong. Generally it's been hard work this last week, but I'm enjoying it when I'm not feeling stressed!This whole renovation thing has taken longer than I hoped, and once I've got my photos organised and uploaded I'll give a general breakdown of when the various things were done. The bulk of the delay really and it covers most of the time from early April till almost the end of June was waiting for the various workmen to finishing their bits, mostly the plumber. The main problem* was the Griffin pub in Bath. The other job the plumber had been doing; one he was due to finish originally early April. Except the owners have changed their mind, a lot. This necessitated a lot of work being completely undone and started again from scratch. Not just small things, but a newly finished conversion of part of the building into flats and the changing the location of the bar and the toilets more than once. Last I heard they finally finished in the first or second week of August...
*Other problems include:
- Losing a week worth of the plasterer's work a fortnight ago when he got swine flu.
- Delays getting the gas meter fitted, when 'it just needs an emergency cut off handle', became 'the whole pipe needs to be relaid', only for that to be delayed a few days when it wasn't how they were expecting it to be. Then once the pipe was done, we had to wait while the Gas utility company contacted the Gas supply company (which I had contacted to get the connection ready previously) to get the meter itself fitted.
- Various workmen going away on holiday for a week in the summer.
- The wrong bath being delivered after the whole delivery was delayed waiting for a sink. Ended up the bath was a discontinued model and us getting the one from the showroom. Of course this was at the point when the plumbing couldn't be finished till the bath was fitted, which delayed the plastering and everything else that follows from there.
In that time I've been doing what I can, with Andy being amazing by coming up to help me out on several weekends. For a while there wasn't much I could do really, other than dig the trench used for the new driveway wall. A lot of the time was spent by
purplegirl23 and I shopping, making all the expensive and important decisions we needed to make. Like picking the kitchen units, the kitchen flooring, the bathroom flooring, the gas fire, the paint colours for the rooms, the bathroom suites, the bathroom wall tiles, the lights, and more I can't recall currently... Of course in the last few weeks as things started moving reasonably again there have been loads of jobs. Mostly consisting of cleaning up the huge quantities of dust and mess created by having the wiring redone and central heating fitted, and the actual cleaning, filling and sanding of preparing the unplastered walls to paint. I've been doing this by working 3-4 evenings at the house until the light failed (normally 1.5 - 2.5 hours of work), going out and deciding/purchasing needed things with purplegirl23 on Saturdays, and then working on the house while she worked at GAME. The rest of my free time was spent feeling exhausted while relaxing as best I could.Anyway now we're working to a deadline. We need to be done at the latest by the end of next week, to give me time to move before I get back to work. We also need to have Daniel's room ready so he can move his stuff in on Wednesday. Thankfully him being at a CP event over the bank holiday gives us a little more time to work with.
To give an idea of what needs to be done here's a room by room breakdown:
Kitchen - Floor tiles are layed and grouted, walls are painted, window has been redone to be a more useful height. Ceiling needs final painting, Kitchen units will start being fitted tomorrow. Cooker arrives Monday.
Lounge - One section of the wall is still needing to be plastered, but the old fireplace surround is now gone so that can be done. The oak floor still needs to be repaired, the walls and ceiling obviously need to be painted, and our new fireplace surround could do with being built. Gas pipe for lounge fireplace needs to be laid, and the actual fire installed (after it's bought).
Hallway - is cleaned and sanded ready to be decorated. Once decorated carpets need to be laid.
Understairs loo - Pipes have been fitted, walls have been sanded where needed, but need some cleaning. One of the walls has been under coated, another though needs a bit of a plaster repair. Rest of room needs to be decorated, floor needs to be laid and the suite needs to be installed.
Bathroom - Bath fitted, walls and ceiling have been painted with the under coat. Floor needs to be laid, rest of bathroom needs to be fitted, final coats of paint needed and some walls need to be tiled.
Front bedroom - final coat of paint needs to be finished/touched up in places. Carpets need to be laid.
Rear large bedroom walls are whitewashed and final coloured paint has started to go on. Once the paints done the carpet needs to be laid.
Rear small bedroom - ceiling needs to be sanded and whitewashed, though walls are white washed. Then there's the final coat, and the carpets.
Driveway - has been widened and new wall has been built and looks great. The actual driveway surface needs laying with small gravel in the short term, until it settles. Actual hard coating will probably be done next summer, it will be usable till then though.
Also generally lights and sockets need to be fitted. Also skirting boards need to be done. The central heating system is all in place, though a couple of radiators are currently off while the decorating is being done.
We also need to get around to choosing and buying furniture.
When all that is done, there will still be some things that need doing like the front porch, and the rear area being converted into the pantry/utility we want. They though can be done once we're in the house.
So it's been a lot of work, though I couldn't have done it without my Dad's help. Aside from the fact I spent all my money by the place so my parents have helped by paying for most of the renovation, he's also spent countless of his already over busy days sorting out workmen, collecting/transporting materials and generally project managing things in way I couldn't while at work.
Tomorrow we get an enforced pleasant break from working on the house as my sister is getting married. So I'm hoping for some good weather tomorrow, and lots of opportunity to relax and have fun.
