The bath might look good, but the feet don't fit on properly and the plumber can't get a trap to fit underneath. That's the difficulty of buying from the internet. I've bought a trap from the same site, but the delivery man apparently couldn't find anyone to sign for it - even though it's a building site with eight people working there. Will wait up there for him tomorrow.
The extractor fan now installed - looks like something from Nasa space control and so it should - it cost a fortune.
Work on the south barn now stepping up, but we have fiddled with the plans so much, there is a bit of confusion about where the windows are going. I am the one who briefed the window people so I hope I've got it right. Windows are nearly finished and should be installed soon.
Just waiting for the water to be connected to the first barn and then everything can be tested and we can think of moving in. The utilities certainly work to their own time scale, it's a year since we first contacted them. They're not bothered whether we have a bath or not.
Thursday 30 September 2010
Wednesday 22 September 2010
The man from Jewsons offered me a job at a builder's merchant as I was helping unload 50 sheets of insulation. He doesn't realise the power of yoga!
Work on the south barn has started and north barn almost finished. The kitchen is nearly installed - all black units with a few cream ones thrown in which I think is effective, but the builder is more sceptical. I've ordered an extremely expensive extractor fan that comes up like a computer screen from behind the cooker when needed - a downdraft extractor. This is to get round the difficulty of extracting the cooker from the barn roof. The building inspector has agreed to it, but no-one has seen one before so not sure how it is installed.
The laminate floor stretches down the corridor and all the lights are working. The bath arrived today - cast iron, so very heavy, but the builders carried that.
Need to work out proper addresses for these barns as all the utilities are getting confused, but am trying to avoid anything too twee.
Work on the south barn has started and north barn almost finished. The kitchen is nearly installed - all black units with a few cream ones thrown in which I think is effective, but the builder is more sceptical. I've ordered an extremely expensive extractor fan that comes up like a computer screen from behind the cooker when needed - a downdraft extractor. This is to get round the difficulty of extracting the cooker from the barn roof. The building inspector has agreed to it, but no-one has seen one before so not sure how it is installed.
The laminate floor stretches down the corridor and all the lights are working. The bath arrived today - cast iron, so very heavy, but the builders carried that.
Need to work out proper addresses for these barns as all the utilities are getting confused, but am trying to avoid anything too twee.
Wednesday 15 September 2010
Working out where all the cables and pipes go is a bit of a headache. We keep thinking of extra branches to add while the trenches are open. The two barns will share a garage, so they need to have a branch cable to provide the electricity in their own half of the garage rather than end up paying for someone else's power.
Telecoms wires have to come from a pole at the end of the south barn which means digging another trench. Gas is all in even though the traffic lights are still in the road, much to everyone's annoyance. That is a big achievement though, it's about a year since I first contacted the gas company. Water pipes are also in but not turned on.
EDF inspected for the power connection to the south barn on Monday, but can't put that in for another six weeks. Trenches need to be filled in as it is difficult to get in and out of the site. The electrician's van slipped into the trench last night and took a while to push out.
Bathrooms are looking fantastic although the tiler did not think me saying it looked like a hotel was a compliment!
Telecoms wires have to come from a pole at the end of the south barn which means digging another trench. Gas is all in even though the traffic lights are still in the road, much to everyone's annoyance. That is a big achievement though, it's about a year since I first contacted the gas company. Water pipes are also in but not turned on.
EDF inspected for the power connection to the south barn on Monday, but can't put that in for another six weeks. Trenches need to be filled in as it is difficult to get in and out of the site. The electrician's van slipped into the trench last night and took a while to push out.
Bathrooms are looking fantastic although the tiler did not think me saying it looked like a hotel was a compliment!
Tuesday 7 September 2010
Bravo for Bravoliner
Drains fully repaired with new wonder lining from Germany. Bravoliner bends to fit the pipe, then is heated up and sets hard. It's guaranteed for 50 years. A bit expensive, but a lot cheaper than digging up the road.
We have a new hi-tech version and it is the first drain in the UK to use it.
A lot of digging is going on nevertheless. EDF had to dig up the drive and replace a T-junction from the 1930s, tropical fish saved and street lights back on. Only managed it by this afternoon though so power was off all night. Trenches still being hollowed out for gas and water.
We have a new hi-tech version and it is the first drain in the UK to use it.
A lot of digging is going on nevertheless. EDF had to dig up the drive and replace a T-junction from the 1930s, tropical fish saved and street lights back on. Only managed it by this afternoon though so power was off all night. Trenches still being hollowed out for gas and water.
Monday 6 September 2010
Digger drama
Digger got going to try and get the trenches in before the gas arrives next week. Just nudged an electricity cable which then cut off the power, not just for us, but the church across the road and next door to that. Mercy dash for a generator to keep some tropical fish alive - they need an electric pump for oxygen. Even though EDF came out, they couldn't see what the problem was with no obvious damage. Power is still off, EDF men still pondering!
Water pipes going in at the same time along with phone cable. So all can go into the same trench and make best use of the digger while it's there. Bathroom tiling started and all moving swiftly.
Water pipes going in at the same time along with phone cable. So all can go into the same trench and make best use of the digger while it's there. Bathroom tiling started and all moving swiftly.
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