That 'big project' I've been banging on about for a few years now....

[James Harrison]

No problem. 

I can't say I'll be making a habit of it, not when Youtube wanted 45 minutes to upload a 6-minute video. 

Nor having seen how the Youtube community can be; one house restoration channel I follow has an audience who variously
1. Tell the guy what he could do/ should do/ somebody else would do
2. Berate him for having the audacity to use materials and methods he can afford - or do well
3. Expect a regular posting schedule

And I don't want that...

[Madasasteamfish]

Was interesting to get a clearer idea of the layout of the building, and to be reminded of the decoration in the dining room.

All the best for the next stage...

[James Harrison]

So, first week into the 2024 Programme and;

- Add taps and a siphon plug to the list of bits I've got for the bathroom (taps were a Christmas present, siphon plug is something I've bought for myself)

- Enquiry has been made to the glazers for a quote to replace the last two windows in the house

- Another pair of fingerplates, fitted to another door (this makes three of the downstairs doors now so adorned);
 

I'm starting to seriously think about how and when to restructure the bathroom; ideally I don't want to be doing it in the middle of Winter, and at the same time I want to be having tradespeople in whilst I'm on holiday- which makes it around Easter when realistically I want the work to be ongoing.  The question then becomes whether to carry on buying up bits in readiness, or expect the plumber to source them, or

It's also a case of, fundamentally, I don't like the look of most bathroom equipment on the market - the stuff that's marketed as being 'retro' just looks too twee or kitsch and the stuff the Edwardians actually had - isn't made any more.  Have you tried buying a needle shower recently? 

This is partly why I bought a copper basin- with, it has to be admitted, precious little thought about how I'm actually going to integrate it into the works.  A vague thought of fitting it into a vanity unit looks to be dying a death as I'm finding most of them come with the basin pre-fitted and the ones that don't... don't appeal aesthetically. 

Then I had a thought about setting it into a marble shelf.  Excellent! - except the marble shelf I had in mind was too narrow, too long and not intended to be fitted with a basin.  Plus I've no tools to drill or cut said marble, and I don't want to expose myself to silica dust...

So the latest thought now is to buy a couple of timber planks and build my own shelf, probably in the same sort of style as the radiator cover I built for the hallway a few years ago, and then secure that to the wall with a couple of nice cast-iron shelf brackets.  I'm assuming of course that the wall can support the weight. 
There's also the small matter of my wanting to swap the existing radiator and sink locations, which is a plumber job.  But for the plumber to be able to do that the bathroom floor needs to come up....

Hum, you can see the problem I'm sure.  The plumber needs to rip the old bathroom fittings out and then rearrange the plumbing, but then having done that because I'm apparently going down the bespoke basin route I need to have it ready immediately for him to fit, but I can't start building it until the existing has been torn down. 

[Sir Henry]

[snip]

Hum, you can see the problem I'm sure.  The plumber needs to rip the old bathroom fittings out and then rearrange the plumbing, but then having done that because I'm apparently going down the bespoke basin route I need to have it ready immediately for him to fit, but I can't start building it until the existing has been torn down. 

Presumably you know where you want the basin to go, so could you not get the plumber to fit the pipes in the right place with shut-off valves on? Then you can attach the taps yourself with lengths of push-fit flexible hoses once the basin is built.

[Sorontar]

I am glad you know about silica dust. Australia has effectively banned manufactured stone from being sold or cut due to the threat of silicosis.

Sorontar

[SeVeNeVeS]

Could we see the taps and waste fitting?

There is nothing stopping you from building your own vanity unit, prepare the holes and tails now the plumber only needsto fit it.

I would only use hard wood if you decide on that route and in one piece, damp enviroments and wood are not great together, I used a salvaged victorian science school lab mahogany top in my utity and get water staining, kitchen worktop offcut maybe, facebook marketplace or gumtree are good places to search often free.

I would be reluctant to make it just hanging on brackets, I feel a proper unit would both be stronger and also enable you to hide pipes and store your bleach and stuff. If you want it open under 2 supprt poles/legs at the front are a must.

are you just having a shower or a bath as well?

needle shower all looks great but I would consider the water pressure in the house and through the combi, alot of spray outlets and the rose could lead to very weak trickle as a result.

Just some things to think about.

[James Harrison]

[snip]

Hum, you can see the problem I'm sure.  The plumber needs to rip the old bathroom fittings out and then rearrange the plumbing, but then having done that because I'm apparently going down the bespoke basin route I need to have it ready immediately for him to fit, but I can't start building it until the existing has been torn down. 

Presumably you know where you want the basin to go, so could you not get the plumber to fit the pipes in the right place with shut-off valves on? Then you can attach the taps yourself with lengths of push-fit flexible hoses once the basin is built.

I could do that, but I don't trust myelf when it comes to DIY plumbing. 

Could we see the taps and waste fitting?

There is nothing stopping you from building your own vanity unit, prepare the holes and tails now the plumber only needsto fit it.

I would only use hard wood if you decide on that route and in one piece, damp enviroments and wood are not great together, I used a salvaged victorian science school lab mahogany top in my utity and get water staining, kitchen worktop offcut maybe, facebook marketplace or gumtree are good places to search often free.

I would be reluctant to make it just hanging on brackets, I feel a proper unit would both be stronger and also enable you to hide pipes and store your bleach and stuff. If you want it open under 2 supprt poles/legs at the front are a must.

are you just having a shower or a bath as well?

needle shower all looks great but I would consider the water pressure in the house and through the combi, alot of spray outlets and the rose could lead to very weak trickle as a result.

Just some things to think about.

They're a nice matching pair, but as it usually is I've now found that you can buy a copper mixer tap that actually matches/ goes with the basin I bought (albeit for a cost).  So I might buy one of those instead.

Duly noted about the issues with timber and I agree with the worries about relying on brackets.

In the bathroom at present there's a bath with a wall-mounted shower.  Ideally I want to keep a bathtub in there - something like a slipper bath, perhaps.  It's then just finding a shower that suits it.  I keep seeing fits like this;



But I can't for the life of me see how that works without getting water everywhere,wven with a shower curtain.

[SeVeNeVeS]

whats the size of that thread on the taps, could be the photo but they look like bath taps. Ceramic disc?

[James Harrison]

The internal diameter of the thread is 21mm.

[Sorontar]

Perhaps you need a bateau/boat bath - https://www.ukaa.com/guides/reclaimed-cast-iron-bath-styles-276

[James Harrison]

Perhaps you need a bateau/boat bath - https://www.ukaa.com/guides/reclaimed-cast-iron-bath-styles-276

Ooh!  Now there's a thought.

[SeVeNeVeS]

basin/ kitchen taps are 1/2 inch bath taps are 3/4 inch thread.

I would also avoid concealed shower controls and make all plumbing easily acessable for future maintenace.

Ive fitted bathrooms and told the customer thats not a great idea although it looks trendy what if something should go wrong in the future.

Csae in point bath taps fitted and set against the wall if the taps go wrong the whole bath has to be removed to replace and for god sake do not go for a tiled bath panel. it once happened she suplied the taps from screwfix, they went wrong and I had to destroy the whole bathroom and re tile cost her a fortune.which could have been avoided if she listened to my advice an hour job. 

[James Harrison]

I actually want as much of the plumbing and piping to be exposed as reasonably practicable. 

The vague plan - insofaras one exists at the moment - is that the WC and the bath will be simply swapped out for ones more to my my taste.  That would then dictate that the shower remains in it's current location - unless I opt for a slipper bath and shower/ taps arrangement shown in the photo I linked above.  Then the basin and radiator swap places, which would allow me to have a larger vanity unit / work surface around the basin and maybe even some storage shelving above it. 

This is the bathroom as currently set out, it's a fairly large room but the basin and bath are crammed together in a corner on one of the shorter walls;



Meanwhile the radiator/ towel rail is lost on one of the long walls.  It's beyond me why it's been set out like this...

[SeVeNeVeS]

From what I can see from the photo...... there is a box skirting under the basin wich means the waste goes under the bath to an outside wall on the right of the photo, i'm guessing the toilet is also on that wall.

The layout makes the waste runs as short as possible to avoid complication and the most direct route to outside main drainage.

May not be to your taste but practical.

Moving the bathroom around is always how to best run the waste pipes, hot and cold supplies can be put anywhere you like.

As you know from experience with the combi condence pipe freezing.

[James Harrison]

From what I can see from the photo...... there is a box skirting under the basin wich means the waste goes under the bath to an outside wall on the right of the photo, i'm guessing the toilet is also on that wall.

The layout makes the waste runs as short as possible to avoid complication and the most direct route to outside main drainage.

May not be to your taste but practical.

Moving the bathroom around is always how to best run the waste pipes, hot and cold supplies can be put anywhere you like.

As you know from experience with the combi condence pipe freezing.

You're right - the WC is also on the right hand wall, which is also the external wall. 
It might be worthwhile getting the plumber to have a look and advise before I start throwing more money at it. 

[SeVeNeVeS]

I would say it depends on what way the flooring joists run and how deep is the void.

If left to right in the photo you could run the waste inbetween. if the other way you really dont want be notching that much out for the waste to have a run and still have the house standing.

I had the same problem at my brothers old house.

[James Harrison]

I would say it depends on what way the flooring joists run and how deep is the void.

Well that gave me all the excuse I needed to indulge in a bit of breaking out and investigative work (the sort of stuff I really enjoy doing, until it all goes wrong or enthusiasm gets the better of me). 

The floortiles in the bathroom go into the airing cupboard.  Actually, because the bathroom is a converted bedroom, it rather looks like the tiles were laid first and then the aircupboard built over them.  But the important thing at the moment is, there was somewhere in the room where I could break out the tiles discreetly.

So I broke a few out at the back of the airing cupboard and what I found underneath was that the floor is more of those MDF/ plywood/ chipboard sheets.  I took a peek behind the bath paneling and there were more of these sheets there too.  So, short of taking up the entire floor, and then taking these sheets up, I don't know which way the joists are spanning. 

There might be a bit of a clue, because the bathroom is on a landing; you go up I think 12 steps, then there's a landing the bathroom opens off of, then a 90-degree turn and another step to reach first floor level proper.  On the landing the floorboards span in the direction I want to be taking my waste pipe in, which suggests that the joists will be in the way.  Then again, at the top of the stairs the floor boards go in the opposite direction, so they might not...

[SeVeNeVeS]

If ply and not chipboard, that could be layed ontop of the original flooring.

You should always ply before tiling on a timber floor, prevents movement and cracking.

Could be time to grit your teeth and go for it if you intend to replace the tiles in the long run. see what you got and plan from there.

IF the joists do run in your favour may I suggest getting the plumber to re-run the bioler condense under the floor, maybe tee into the basin waste at a suitable position to prevent any future freezing problems.

[Sir Henry]

Just a minor warning: when I removed the moth-infested carpet from the upstairs landing here, I found that the floorboards went in both directions so it appears you can't even trust that in some of these old houses.
And no, I didn't dare pull them up to see what's going on as they continue under the wall. The floor of the toilet to the right appears to be half and half, each way.

(My usual image host is offline so hopefully this one works)

Mr. Harrison, I may have a solution to your bathroom cabinet problem. I will dm you.

[James Harrison]

For the last four years or so the paddock has been woefully neglected.  Occasionally mowed, usually treated as a dumping ground, and generally left to go to seed.  Part of it has gone completely feral and will only be brought back to looking relatively civilised with a fair bit of effort. 

So, what to do?
Well, as the path was in danger of being completely overwhelmed, I decided to set-to with a lawn edger, shovel and rake and start breaking out the worst part of the lawn. 



You might gain an idea of the scale of the task from this. 



Once I'd been able to get the first few clumps out the going got a bit easier, and in short order I had at least a decent start made. 



By the time the garden waste bin was full I had at least been able to reclaim some of the garden path.
I'll carry on with this next weekend. 

[James Harrison]

This week;

1. The glazer came, measured up for the two new windows, quoted a price and I've paid a deposit.  So by late February / early March I should have completely replaced all of the windows.

2. Attempts to continue breaking out the lawn failed miserably yesterday as the ground was frozen (temperatures this week have been getting down to -5 or -6 overnight and struggling to get above freezing in the daylight hours), but a bit of a thaw yesterday and overnight made things a lot easier today.



Not only have I been able to pick up where I finished last week and work my way a couple of fence panels closer to the house, but the bit at the top of the paddock (which was grubbed out a few years ago when I took out the picket fence) has also been turned over and the weeds taken out.  There's now 'just' that bit in the middle, which is a bit over two fence panels in length, to deal with. 

3. Breaking out the lawn has turned up a few interesting bits and pieces. 



A couple of lumps of broken brick, fragments of quarry tile, glazed tile and roof tile, a few shards of glass, chips of slate and the odd little bit of ironmongery.  What I'm really hoping for, of course, is a complete floor or the footings of a grenhouse, but I've not come across that yet (in any case, I'm literally just scratching the surface of the top soil). 

[Sorontar]

Only people like us get excited about the old scraps we dig up. It reminds me of the map of my second home I hid as a kid in hole I dug down the rarely visited side of the house. The house has had a few renovations and owners since then, so I wonder if it was ever discovered and understood.


Sorontar

[James Harrison]

It's all part of the story of the house; there has to be some reason, after all, why there are big chunks of brick being dug up in the garden.  Whether that's from an old garden structure that's been pulled down, or renovations inside, or even just rubble and oddments from nothing in particular. 

The frustrating thing of course is that when I come across this stuff there's nothing really identifiable with it as dating evidence.  The idea of coming down onto some or other artefact covered over or wrapped up in a newspaper with an intact dateline is a trope of the cinema more than somethin that actually happens.

[James Harrison]

Not much got done on The Dig last weekend, but yesterday and this morning I finished off breaking the lawn out. 



So, that's at least one side of the paddock path clawed back from the cold, dead clutches of nature and available for use.  That done, I started digging down to see what, if anything, is below the ground. 



Quite quickly hit a mess of pinkish-coloured concrete, which seems to be the subgrade for the path and the patio.  I'm not sure why it extends quite this far from the patio, though. 



I did a very small scale dig down to the natural ground, which lies about a foot / 300mm below ground level.  You can see here that the dark brown 'dirt' (the top soil) changes to something more like a rusty sand.



Just above the natural ground I dug up some pieces of a black fabric.  It doesn't look like a geotextile or geomembrane and I'm not aware that any service protection covers look like this either, so I'm at a loss to explain it.  In any case having gone maybe 300 or 400mm down and found nothing in way of foundations, tile flooring, walls or anything else of interest, I concluded there was most likely nothing to be found but more soil if I carried on digging.  So that got backfilled. 

Courtesy of Historic England's aerial photographs viewer (https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/archive/collections/aerial-photos/) I found another aerial photograph of my neighbourhood, this time from 1948. 



And this one is from overhead, rather than at an ablique angle, and also catches my house dead-on rather than it being in the distance far away.  I'm struggling to see the greenhouse that another photograph suggested might be here, suggesting that there isn't a buried floor to be exposed after all. 

[von Corax]

Quite quickly hit a mess of pinkish-coloured concrete, which seems to be the subgrade for the path and the patio.  I'm not sure why it extends quite this far from the patio, though. 

'Round these parts, pinkish concrete means buried power lines.