Monday 17 September
I was out all day, so had no idea what was happening in the house until I returned home. There was nothing to see... Text the partner of the man in charge asking is there a problem? Reply comes back, the guy’s van broke down outside Oxford. It’s in a garage at Wallingford. They will be here tomorrow. Hmmmm....we shall see.....
Tuesday 18 September
Another day when I’m out all day. This time, when I returned home there were signs of activity: a gangplank leading up into the skip; another delivery of aggregate/sand; noises inside.
When the guys left, I could see what they had been up to. The digging out has finished.
Brickwork has been toothed in between the extension and the original house (although no mortar yet)
They have started cutting the opening for the taller, wider garden doors.
The small leak in the bathroom caused by rerouting a waste pipe has also been fixed...sadly not the dripping tap, but that can be done another time.
So...Progress!
So...Progress!
Wednesday 19 September
I was out most of the day again, but the builders were still here by the time I got back home. In fact, they didn't leave until nearly 7pm. It was grey and raining outside so the iPhone photos are not great, but good enough for record purposes.
They have cut out the opening for the taller, wider doors into the garden, and replaced temporarily the old French doors in part of the opening while blocking the rest with a sheet of ply so the house is again relatively secure and watertight.
The skip is full now so once again, rubble has piled up inside. Not sure whether a replacement skip has been ordered, even though I suggested they booked one last week...we shall see.
I asked whether the Building Inspector had come. The answer was yes. I'm told it was all good, apart from the need to put in the concrete padstones under the ends of the beams - something I've asked to be done several times now, so far without success. Perhaps now they will get on and do it!
Not sure what's going to happen tomorrow in terms of the building project. I'm still waiting for a final quote for the kitchen supplier and fitter so that I can get that ball rolling. The deposit for the new garden doors and window will be paid tonight, so I will be in the supplier's system and we can fix a date for survey and installation in 5-6 weeks time.
Thursday 20 September
There has been some progress, but not a lot to see...
...At long last, the mortar has gone in where the brickwork in the extension has been has toothed in to the original house, so now both are tied in visually and in terms of maintaining the strength and integrity of the old and new walls. The mortar looks a bit rough at the moment, but that will improve when its dried out.
Inside the house aggregate has been laid as a base for the new floor slab. That's one less bag of stuff on the street, which will please my neighbours. The oversized floorboards in my home office have been replaced by ones of the right thickness. Now all they need to do is refix the skirting board and carpet and I can move back in.
I was out most of the day again, but the builders were still here by the time I got back home. In fact, they didn't leave until nearly 7pm. It was grey and raining outside so the iPhone photos are not great, but good enough for record purposes.
They have cut out the opening for the taller, wider doors into the garden, and replaced temporarily the old French doors in part of the opening while blocking the rest with a sheet of ply so the house is again relatively secure and watertight.
The skip is full now so once again, rubble has piled up inside. Not sure whether a replacement skip has been ordered, even though I suggested they booked one last week...we shall see.
I asked whether the Building Inspector had come. The answer was yes. I'm told it was all good, apart from the need to put in the concrete padstones under the ends of the beams - something I've asked to be done several times now, so far without success. Perhaps now they will get on and do it!
Not sure what's going to happen tomorrow in terms of the building project. I'm still waiting for a final quote for the kitchen supplier and fitter so that I can get that ball rolling. The deposit for the new garden doors and window will be paid tonight, so I will be in the supplier's system and we can fix a date for survey and installation in 5-6 weeks time.
Thursday 20 September
There has been some progress, but not a lot to see...
...At long last, the mortar has gone in where the brickwork in the extension has been has toothed in to the original house, so now both are tied in visually and in terms of maintaining the strength and integrity of the old and new walls. The mortar looks a bit rough at the moment, but that will improve when its dried out.
Inside the house aggregate has been laid as a base for the new floor slab. That's one less bag of stuff on the street, which will please my neighbours. The oversized floorboards in my home office have been replaced by ones of the right thickness. Now all they need to do is refix the skirting board and carpet and I can move back in.
However, my pleasure at seeing some progress is offset by a number of irritations....some trivial (like finding the bottle of washing liquid which I've been keeping in the bathroom where my temporary kitchen sink is located, half hidden on the aggregate, with its top missing - why?) ... and my broom, now broken but thankfully, easy to replace.
Some things are just an irritation (like noticing they have cut the electrical flex between high and low level sockets which are being retained in the new layout - it's been added to the pile of copper pipes and other wiring which the guys will no doubt sell on for scrap value)
Some things are just an irritation (like noticing they have cut the electrical flex between high and low level sockets which are being retained in the new layout - it's been added to the pile of copper pipes and other wiring which the guys will no doubt sell on for scrap value)
More annoying was going in the garden and finding the bags of scrap metal and drainage bits and pieces dumped on the planting beds, rather than on the paved area where they wouldn't have caused a problem...I moved as much as I could but some bags and the insulation boards are just too heavy...
Going back inside, I noticed that the key to French doors has gone missing. No way to lock up now, but at least living in a mid-terraced house means that the chances of a break in at the back are relatively remote. Nevertheless, it needs sorting out...
I also notice that the length of skirting board I had salvaged to reuse in my home office has gone missing, in spite of stacking it well out of the way downstairs with a big label on it saying "KEEP". Frustrating is an understatement...
Friday 21 September
It's been really windy overnight. So windy that the unlocked French doors have blown open and the house is freezing. Time to text the partner of the man in charge about the missing key, the missing skirting board, the heavy stuff dumped on plants in the garden....and to ask what's going to happen next, with a suggestion that they really need to replace there of flat roof on the loft dormer so that the scaffold can come down...while it's still in place, its stopping the roof lights being installed on the extension and preventing work progressing on the new floor.
He texts back to arrange a meeting on site later that morning and we go through all these points, which he will sort out one way or another. I'm also told that next week, work will start on the loft roof replacement so that the scaffold can be removed allowing other works to take place.
Other works will happen in the loft, including the replacement of the old purlin with a new one to allow the under eaves storage space to be incorporated into the room as its difficult for me to crawl into these narrow spaces with my back problems. He asks me to warn my neighbours about the structural work, as it may be necessary to knock through into one of the adjoining lofts to put the new purlin in place. This sets alarm bells ringing!
I remind him that the one of the benefits of the design of the replacement purlin was that it came in sections and was bolted together on site, so no need to install as one long beam invading neighbouring lofts as part of the installation process. He acknowledged that, but says it will depend on whether there's a single or double skin of bricks diving the loft spaces. They won't know that until they break open the plaster and look at the walls themselves...
I'm told the replacement loft windows will also be installed next week, and we discuss briefly the new sanitary ware in the loft toilet and bathroom. I will send him details of what I have bought already and what I would like the firm to supply and fit.
Last but not least, I point out to him that this is where the wifi cable comes in to the house and connects to the router. They must NOT cut that cable!!
Before he left site, we agreed that I would provide contact details for the firm who will supply and fit the new garden doors and window. All this information has already gone to the man in charge, but he doesn't appear to have passed it on. We also looked at the floor finish I've selected and discussed finished floor levels inside as he will need to know this when meeting the door people on Monday.
After he's gone, I email my neighbours to warn them about the impending loft works and giving them the name and phone number of the man who is currently running the show so they can contact him directly if they have any concerns about this work. I send details of the floor finish specification and installation guide to the partner of the man in charge as requested, so that he can work this information into his calculations for finished floor levels inside. I also chase up the kitchen fitter who has yet to come back to me with a quote and date for installation...and then I go out to buy food as the cupboard is bare and I have weekend visitors!
By the time I return home at 3.30pm, the builders have gone. Work hasn't started in the loft. A small bit of timber has been screwed across the French doors to make them secure...but only at one end, so I can lift the bar to open the doors and get into the garden. Outside, the insulation boards have been restacked on the other side of the garden so at least I can get to one of the planting beds..
However, the bags of pipework and electric cables which I struggled to remove from the bed on the other side have been put back on top of the plants along with other stuff. Grrrrr!
Why, oh why, oh why do they do this??? Obviously not gardeners. I think the plants one this side of the garden have had it now...
In anticipation of my weekend visitors, I set about trying to clear the place up a bit, starting by washing down the front door and path. That's when I noticed that the one of the coloured glass panels in the front door has been damaged. The lead which holds the glass in place has been broken in two places, pushed out from the inside, and the glass has sprung but luckily not fallen out. Another text to the man in charge and his partner to show them what's happened, flag up the need to be careful to avoid further damage and that they will need to pay the costs of repair...
And so ends week 16 of the "10 week" build. Well almost...just before bed time, there's an email from the man in charge with the next invoice and valuation of works done to date. That can wait. I'm having a weekend off building work stuff and being sociable for a change! So the email is acknowledged with a note saying that I'll deal with it one Monday when my visitors have gone and I'm back at home after my daytime appointment.
I also notice that the length of skirting board I had salvaged to reuse in my home office has gone missing, in spite of stacking it well out of the way downstairs with a big label on it saying "KEEP". Frustrating is an understatement...
Friday 21 September
It's been really windy overnight. So windy that the unlocked French doors have blown open and the house is freezing. Time to text the partner of the man in charge about the missing key, the missing skirting board, the heavy stuff dumped on plants in the garden....and to ask what's going to happen next, with a suggestion that they really need to replace there of flat roof on the loft dormer so that the scaffold can come down...while it's still in place, its stopping the roof lights being installed on the extension and preventing work progressing on the new floor.
He texts back to arrange a meeting on site later that morning and we go through all these points, which he will sort out one way or another. I'm also told that next week, work will start on the loft roof replacement so that the scaffold can be removed allowing other works to take place.
Other works will happen in the loft, including the replacement of the old purlin with a new one to allow the under eaves storage space to be incorporated into the room as its difficult for me to crawl into these narrow spaces with my back problems. He asks me to warn my neighbours about the structural work, as it may be necessary to knock through into one of the adjoining lofts to put the new purlin in place. This sets alarm bells ringing!
I remind him that the one of the benefits of the design of the replacement purlin was that it came in sections and was bolted together on site, so no need to install as one long beam invading neighbouring lofts as part of the installation process. He acknowledged that, but says it will depend on whether there's a single or double skin of bricks diving the loft spaces. They won't know that until they break open the plaster and look at the walls themselves...
I'm told the replacement loft windows will also be installed next week, and we discuss briefly the new sanitary ware in the loft toilet and bathroom. I will send him details of what I have bought already and what I would like the firm to supply and fit.
Last but not least, I point out to him that this is where the wifi cable comes in to the house and connects to the router. They must NOT cut that cable!!
Before he left site, we agreed that I would provide contact details for the firm who will supply and fit the new garden doors and window. All this information has already gone to the man in charge, but he doesn't appear to have passed it on. We also looked at the floor finish I've selected and discussed finished floor levels inside as he will need to know this when meeting the door people on Monday.
After he's gone, I email my neighbours to warn them about the impending loft works and giving them the name and phone number of the man who is currently running the show so they can contact him directly if they have any concerns about this work. I send details of the floor finish specification and installation guide to the partner of the man in charge as requested, so that he can work this information into his calculations for finished floor levels inside. I also chase up the kitchen fitter who has yet to come back to me with a quote and date for installation...and then I go out to buy food as the cupboard is bare and I have weekend visitors!
By the time I return home at 3.30pm, the builders have gone. Work hasn't started in the loft. A small bit of timber has been screwed across the French doors to make them secure...but only at one end, so I can lift the bar to open the doors and get into the garden. Outside, the insulation boards have been restacked on the other side of the garden so at least I can get to one of the planting beds..
However, the bags of pipework and electric cables which I struggled to remove from the bed on the other side have been put back on top of the plants along with other stuff. Grrrrr!
Why, oh why, oh why do they do this??? Obviously not gardeners. I think the plants one this side of the garden have had it now...
In anticipation of my weekend visitors, I set about trying to clear the place up a bit, starting by washing down the front door and path. That's when I noticed that the one of the coloured glass panels in the front door has been damaged. The lead which holds the glass in place has been broken in two places, pushed out from the inside, and the glass has sprung but luckily not fallen out. Another text to the man in charge and his partner to show them what's happened, flag up the need to be careful to avoid further damage and that they will need to pay the costs of repair...
And so ends week 16 of the "10 week" build. Well almost...just before bed time, there's an email from the man in charge with the next invoice and valuation of works done to date. That can wait. I'm having a weekend off building work stuff and being sociable for a change! So the email is acknowledged with a note saying that I'll deal with it one Monday when my visitors have gone and I'm back at home after my daytime appointment.
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