With all the legal-y bits more or less tidied up, signed off and out the way, I can let slip now. I've bought an Edwardian house- and here's the plan. I'm going to take it back to something approaching its original internal appearance, or as close as I can reasonably achieve without causing myself undue grief (I don't want all electrical appliances plugged into a light fitting, for instance).
I take formal ownership next Friday (February 7) and whilst I won't be able to move in immediately (completely lacking anything in the way of furniture, fixtures and fittings and the ephemera you need to live comfortably), once I've accrued the basics I'll be moving over and the Grand Project will begin.
Congratulations, James!!
What a project you have set yourself - there will lots of joy, a bit of frustration (more than a bit, really!) tears and tantrums, but the end product will be worth the stress and grey hair!!
Olee! Olee! Olee!
I don't know why that particular exclamation was made.
Congratulations, empty house, everything from scratch and even worse. It looks romantic and inspiring. But I know, actually, it's a lot of worries. But I know You can handle it.
P.S. Damn translator. He seems to have started again with denials. I believe In your skills and success.
Congrats for the purchase and good luck for the project! We moved house 6 months ago and our new place feels much more "us", much more comfortable and better matching who we are (but unfortunately not the steamy part). I hope your new place, with or without the changes, soon will feel that same for you.
Sorontar
I have no doubt the outcome will be an unalloyed triumph :) I'm looking forwards to hearing updates on the project's progress.
Yours,
Miranda.
Congrats!
When thinking back, I bought my house in much the same condition and ripped out ALL electrice right to the main box where the "big" cable comes in through the wall.
Re-doing it all was the best idea ever. Now I know every wire has proper diameter, all fuses are the correct rating, and all cable routes are documented.
First order of business when I get in will be what I know as a measured survey; out with the measuring tapes, pencil and drawing board to produce a series of drawings of the structure in its current state. I can foresee myself producing a few sets of these, one purely structural, one for services, lighting, electrical outlets, waterpipes etc etc etc. Then a trip to the local records office to find any information about the house as originally built; one document lists it as built in 1900, another lists it as 1920, the local historical society place it 1900-1910 and the Ordnance Survey doesn't show it before 1923.
When that's done I'll do some small scale investigation work to find any remnants of previous decor or signs of any panelling or railing that has been stripped out (it would surprise me if I find anything dating back to the time of construction, the walls must have been replastered at some point in the last 100 years). Then I can start drawing up my own plans.
Go James!
I'm in!
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omg...I am so envious!
Brick exterior and a bay window! Wood floors and high baseboards! Very punky radiator grill!
(What is the black "surrounding" material on two of the grates? Steel? Painted Brass?)
You have landed a very attractive retro, non-cookie cutter house. It just begs for a Vic-wardian address plate and bell-pull.
But (a most delicate subject) I do hope the drains are good. (There's always something mentioned about "the drains" in that era).
I repeat most emphatically: I am sooooooo envious!
Soooo nice! Excellent fireplaces (particularly the one in photographs 2 and 4), and the restoration looks more than feasable. Congratulations, Sir!
That is a marvelous project you lucky so ann so. Are you intending to do a fair bit of the work yourself?
{...slinks back to little bungalow thread...}
Nice, very nice, James! You should have some fun with that!
Quote from: Deimos on February 08, 2020, 08:24:02 PM
omg...I am so envious!
Brick exterior and a bay window! Wood floors and high baseboards! Very punky radiator grill!
(What is the black "surrounding" material on two of the grates? Steel? Painted Brass?)
You have landed a very attractive retro, non-cookie cutter house. It just begs for a Vic-wardian address plate and bell-pull.
But (a most delicate subject) I do hope the drains are good. (There's always something mentioned about "the drains" in that era).
I repeat most emphatically: I am sooooooo envious!
Thanks! The black material could be steel, iron or slate, I'm not sure which (and that's assuming they're original to the house if they're later additions they could be anything). At some point the house was connected up to the main drainage, so I'm not too concerned about that as it's a water company/ county council issue.
Quote from: Hurricane Annie on February 08, 2020, 11:55:04 PM
That is a marvelous project you lucky so ann so. Are you intending to do a fair bit of the work yourself?
{...slinks back to little bungalow thread...}
I'm hoping to. My background is architecture/ architectural conservation (and I'm a design engineer by employment) so I'm quite well placed to know what I want and see that I get it, even if my involvement is only drawing it up. A lot of it (should be) simple DIY so I should be able to take a fairly hands-on role, at the moment my ideas don't run to ripping out the kitchen and bathroom. My parents did that recently and it led to months of chaos- never again, at least not in the short term.
Quote from: Darkhound on February 08, 2020, 09:21:34 PM
Soooo nice! Excellent fireplaces (particularly the one in photographs 2 and 4), and the restoration looks more than feasable. Congratulations, Sir!
Quote from: Banfili on February 09, 2020, 02:38:44 AM
Nice, very nice, James! You should have some fun with that!
Thank you both!
It really is crying out for a sympathetic restoration, so it's very lucky to have you as an owner :)
Yours,
Miranda.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 09, 2020, 10:09:46 AM
Quote from: Deimos on February 08, 2020, 08:24:02 PM
omg...I am so envious!
Brick exterior and a bay window! Wood floors and high baseboards! Very punky radiator grill!
(What is the black "surrounding" material on two of the grates? Steel? Painted Brass?)
You have landed a very attractive retro, non-cookie cutter house. It just begs for a Vic-wardian address plate and bell-pull.
But (a most delicate subject) I do hope the drains are good. (There's always something mentioned about "the drains" in that era).
I repeat most emphatically: I am sooooooo envious!
Thanks! The black material could be steel, iron or slate, I'm not sure which (and that's assuming they're original to the house if they're later additions they could be anything). At some point the house was connected up to the main drainage, so I'm not too concerned about that as it's a water company/ county council issue.
Well based on my experience of working in historic houses I'd suggest that it was built turn of the last century (1890-1910ish) based on what can be seen from the exterior, although the title deeds should give an exact date) and I'd hazard a guess at the 1st and 3rd fireplaces being original (judging by their size and design, I assume they're in upstairs rooms) which given the probable date of construction would most likely mean they're likeliest to have been removed whenever central heating was installed, and I can't see someone reinstating them without opening the flue (or replacing it with a modern fireplace). The last fireplace is certainly historic (but could easily be a reclamation job) the other I can't be sure of without getting a good look at it in person.
Fireplaces 1 and 3 are upstairs in the bedrooms. I believe they're cast iron, and I can only ascribe their survival after some radiators were fitted to someone looking at them and then at the impossibly steep stairs and then back at them and back at the stairs and thinking 'nah'. I believe the flues are open but neither have hearths, which begs the question where then the ashes are expected to fall. Both downstairs fireplaces have decent hearths.
The downstairs fireplaces as you say could be modern replacements-by which I mean reclamation yard jobs- they're certainly very very nice but somehow they don't 'gel' with the feel of the rest of the house. They don't really strike me as the sort of thing you'd expect to find in a terraced house built for a footplateman. They're not going anywhere though.
Knowing what you want and how to get it puts you 2 steps ahead of the game. Your well equipped for the task with that professional background. Enjoy the journey and all its rewards and punishments.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2020, 06:32:01 PM
Fireplaces 1 and 3 are upstairs in the bedrooms. I believe they're cast iron, and I can only ascribe their survival after some radiators were fitted to someone looking at them and then at the impossibly steep stairs and then back at them and back at the stairs and thinking 'nah'. I believe the flues are open but neither have hearths, which begs the question where then the ashes are expected to fall. Both downstairs fireplaces have decent hearths.
The downstairs fireplaces as you say could be modern replacements-by which I mean reclamation yard jobs- they're certainly very very nice but somehow they don't 'gel' with the feel of the rest of the house. They don't really strike me as the sort of thing you'd expect to find in a terraced house built for a footplateman. They're not going anywhere though.
Well, from my recollection fireplaces in bedrooms were only rarely (if ever) lit IIRC the only time a fire would be lit in a bedroom would be lit in cases of sickness.
With the extra information I'm inclined to say fireplace #2 is most likely to be a replacement (the house would probably have been built to accommodate a range and the alcove would have been subsequently filled in to comply with the clean air act at the latest, but you'd need to take the wall back to the brickwork to confirm).
Fireplace 2 was definitely built as a fireplace; the wall is stepped out (ie- there are alcoves either side) to get the chimney flue in. Assuming there was a range, the likely place for it would have been the party wall in the kitchen, or if not there an alternative (albeit an unlikely one) would be the back wall between kitchen and scullery/ WC, which was knocked through to create a longer room. I'm hoping to book some time at the local records office in a few weeks; there might be an original plan I can find.
Do let us know when the housewarming party starts. I'll bring scones. ;)
Quote from: Hez on February 11, 2020, 10:51:03 PM
Do let us know when the housewarming party starts. I'll bring scones. ;)
Excellent idea.
James, if you'll provide the tea I'll bring the brandy.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2020, 06:32:01 PM
Fireplaces 1 and 3 are upstairs in the bedrooms. I believe they're cast iron, and I can only ascribe their survival after some radiators were fitted to someone
You mean they're not the same fireplace?
You have two of those?(Smoldering Envy.)
Quote from: Hurricane Annie on February 08, 2020, 11:55:04 PM
That is a marvelous project you lucky so ann so. Are you intending to do a fair bit of the work yourself?
{...slinks back to little bungalow thread...}
I shall slink back with you, Hurricane!
Wouldn't mind something like, but do really need a bungalow-style cottage or cottage-style bungalow - stairs and I are not the best of friends. Anything more than one level and I need a lift (elevator) if I am going to be up and down all day in my own home!
And I will smoulder with envy alongside Darkhound! No fireplace in my little weatherboard bungalow, but I did put in a wood-burner!
The move-in has begun; a couple hundred books have gone over (and it still looks like I've three times as many to actually shift...)
In other news, a television stand arrived (that's going in the alcove in the front room), as did a rather nice table and chairs (for the dining room) and a bed is turning up tomorrow. So I have at least the rudiments of some furnishings. I'm looking at a nice leather Chesterfield sofa too- if it can be made to fit- but that's a purchase for next month.
Some outline design ideas....
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First thoughts for the front sitting room/library.
For the dining room I have in mind lighter colours (it faces north so needs all the help it can get) with a picture rail and frieze, a nice arts and crafts style wallpaper (probably not a Morris original as they're £80 a roll at least) down to chair rail level and then matchboard panelling below that.
Quote from: Deimos on February 11, 2020, 11:12:15 PM
Excellent idea.
James, if you'll provide the tea I'll bring the brandy.
Quote from: Hez on February 11, 2020, 10:51:03 PM
Do let us know when the housewarming party starts. I'll bring scones. ;)
I'll let you know when the corporeal Brassgoggles clubhouse opens its doors. I'm hoping to organise an open-house style event in the summer for people who want to come visit.
Wasn´t the idea to have the party at Cremorne & Pittance staton?
Waiting room should be big enough.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 12, 2020, 09:01:12 PM
The move-in has begun; a couple hundred books have gone over (and it still looks like I've three times as many to actually shift...)
In other news, a television stand arrived (that's going in the alcove in the front room), as did a rather nice table and chairs (for the dining room) and a bed is turning up tomorrow. So I have at least the rudiments of some furnishings. I'm looking at a nice leather Chesterfield sofa too- if it can be made to fit- but that's a purchase for next month.
First thoughts for the front sitting room/library.
For the dining room I have in mind lighter colours (it faces north so needs all the help it can get) with a picture rail and frieze, a nice arts and crafts style wallpaper (probably not a Morris original as they're £80 a roll at least) down to chair rail level and then matchboard panelling below that.
Complete with puppy, James?
I have a dog now - I think she will look lovely on a rug in front of the wood-burner this coming winter (if we get one, that is!)
I'm allergic to dogs, sadly. Which is a damn shame as I absolutely adore them.
The move is tomorrow and then- I will probably 'go dark' for a few weeks as I won't have internet until early March...
Quote from: James Harrison on February 14, 2020, 11:08:51 PM
I'm allergic to dogs, sadly. Which is a damn shame as I absolutely adore them.
The move is tomorrow and then- I will probably 'go dark' for a few weeks as I won't have internet until early March...
Cat? They look really good in front of a fire too!
Cat- I'm not sure about. I like cats. But I've not been around one long enough to know if it will kick off my allergies.
We moved most of the stuff over yesterday, which was a long and exhausting exercise, but that took so much time that there was none left in which to build what furniture I have. So that can be next weekend's task, when I plan to move in. This week I'll be roughing it with the bare minimum of belongings.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 16, 2020, 01:41:53 PM
Cat- I'm not sure about. I like cats. But I've not been around one long enough to know if it will kick off my allergies.
We moved most of the stuff over yesterday, which was a long and exhausting exercise, but that took so much time that there was none left in which to build what furniture I have. So that can be next weekend's task, when I plan to move in. This week I'll be roughing it with the bare minimum of belongings.
Many people with "cat" allergies are not really allergic to cats, but to cat spit, which gets on their coat when they groom. A daily wipe over with a damp cloth usually takes care of that problem, or if allergy is sever, twice a day. Or you could get get a couple of rabbits (desexed males are best!) - they can be litter trained, like cats!
Quote from: Banfili on February 16, 2020, 09:41:53 PM
A daily wipe over with a damp cloth usually takes care of that problem......
And who takes care of the claw marks you receive during that process?
(Our furball would take revenge if you approach her with anything wet).
Wearing chainmail is impractical for catching the cat.
Quote from: The Bullet on February 17, 2020, 07:15:42 AM
Quote from: Banfili on February 16, 2020, 09:41:53 PM
A daily wipe over with a damp cloth usually takes care of that problem......
And who takes care of the claw marks you receive during that process?
(Our furball would take revenge if you approach her with anything wet).
Wearing chainmail is impractical for catching the cat.
Wearing chainmail may be the only way to keep from getting scratched - outside of your face, which will shurely be targeted first.
Good luck with this James, I bought a mid-terraced house just over a year ago. Mine was built in 1997 to a vaguely Victorian style (but with the addition of a double length garage in place of the cellar). I am slowly Victorianising/Steampunking it internally.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on February 17, 2020, 07:28:48 AM
Quote from: The Bullet on February 17, 2020, 07:15:42 AM
Quote from: Banfili on February 16, 2020, 09:41:53 PM
A daily wipe over with a damp cloth usually takes care of that problem......
And who takes care of the claw marks you receive during that process?
(Our furball would take revenge if you approach her with anything wet).
Wearing chainmail is impractical for catching the cat.
Wearing chainmail may be the only way to keep from getting scratched - outside of your face, which will shurely be targeted first.
If you start when the cat is a young kitten they get used to it, and its more or less what their mothers did when they were babies. Im not allergic, but I do give my boys a wipe down with a damp cloth - and they are both rescues!
I was working from home today (because the country that invented the railway grinds to a halt when it rains) and my mother was dog-sitting for my brother. Charlie likes cats. Cats don't like Charlie. If I had a cat it would have to be a nice cat.
Most of my stuff got moved in on Saturday, but it took so long that there was to time to build or organise the furniture. I'm roughing it until next weekend when there will be another determined effort to move the last bits and pieces in and start making headway on clearing things away.
It might be a few months yet before I make a determined start- much as I want to just grab a brush and some paint and get cracking- I have this determined idea what I want (which I call 'Edwardian' even if it might not be- it's the feel of the thing I tend to go for rather than making sure every detail is absolutely correct). The problem is, if I jump straight in, I'll end up with all of the rooms in a state, not knowing where to turn and things will stall. This is why I tend to build my models one at a time (or at least try to).
The other thing of course is- the cost! There's been an awful lot of money spent this month already without throwing more of the stuff around.
"Singlefoot" is the way to go. One mod to one room at a time.It's not what you feel lke doing, but it's actually faster in the long run.As Ben Franklin said, "Gentlemen, we have no time to spare. Don't lets hurry."
Turns out, the dining room fireplace is a gas fire. There's still an open flue behind it, as though someone took out the original fireplace and just dumped a new fire in front of it. That's probably why it didn't quite look right. Something to look at when I get around to the dining room I think. The only room I have a definite idea for sf the moment is the front sitting room, and rather than just set off in a vague direction I'd sooner have a clear idea of of what I want. Post office man comes on Tuesday to install the internet so hopefully next week I'll be back from the blackout.
We made a family outing to the local Ikea yesterday after my brother reported there was a 'Victorian looking room' set up there. We went, there was, and there was much cooing and 'ooh, this is nice' over it. I came back with a pair of black/ brown low cabinet units and ten bookshelves, a very nice rug that whilst not Arts and Crafts does have very much that sort of aesthetic about it, and a couple of chests of drawers.
The rug and the cabinets have been placed in the front sitting room where the general plan is to turn one wall and a fireplace alcove into a wall of books. The rug covers the wooden floor nicely and removes the echo from the room; at times it does rather feel like you're walking around in clogs, such is the noise.
Further plans for the front room run to a bespoke desk built into the bay window, a deep red chesterfield sofa (I'm waiting on the showroom for the one I've seen to open next week before buying this) and then paint the room in Farrow & Ball stiffkey blue. Plus a bit of work removing cables, adding cables and rehanging the door. Photos to follow when the internet man connects me up next week.
Sounds great - particularly the bespoke desk. By the way, we've just seen your post on FB - it's not many people who could have a hat tower all of their own :D.
Yours,
Miranda.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 01, 2020, 05:24:50 PM
We made a family outing to the local Ikea yesterday after my brother reported there was a 'Victorian looking room' set up there. We went, there was, and there was much cooing and 'ooh, this is nice' over it. I came back with a pair of black/ brown low cabinet units and ten bookshelves, a very nice rug that whilst not Arts and Crafts does have very much that sort of aesthetic about it, and a couple of chests of drawers.
The rug and the cabinets have been placed in the front sitting room where the general plan is to turn one wall and a fireplace alcove into a wall of books. The rug covers the wooden floor nicely and removes the echo from the room; at times it does rather feel like you're walking around in clogs, such is the noise.
Further plans for the front room run to a bespoke desk built into the bay window, a deep red chesterfield sofa (I'm waiting on the showroom for the one I've seen to open next week before buying this) and then paint the room in Farrow & Ball stiffkey blue. Plus a bit of work removing cables, adding cables and rehanging the door. Photos to follow when the internet man connects me up next week.
Aaaahhhh, Ikea ..... I don't get in there very often owing to my inability to stop putting things into the trolley while walking round (although my husband has found the shortcut which means one doesn't have to go through all those tempting room-sets!
I am following your project with great interest and wish you every success with it - and a lot of fun along the way too.
And... I'm back! Enforced blackout has come to an end today when post office man connected up my landline and internet.
How high are the ceilings and (since I am unfamiliar with code/standards in the UK) what is typical ceiling height?
Quote from: Deimos on March 03, 2020, 09:49:02 PM
How high are the ceilings and (since I am unfamiliar with code/standards in the UK) what is typical ceiling height?
This is an excellent question! In Australia, the standard ceiling height of a modern house is 2.4m. In the olden days there was not really a standard, but a Queenslander house had ceilings between the height of 2.7 - 3.2m, but my parents' Queenslander had 4+ high ceilings - the idea being that the hot, tropical air would be up away from the occupants. Australian Victorian houses were between 3 - 4m, with 4m being the most common.
What are the standard ceiling heights in the US?
Tract houses (the more-or-less cookie cutter houses in big developments) that are mid -priced and were built in the middle to late 20th C (like mine) had 8 foot ceiling...very close to your 2.4m.
A lot of the newer mid priced homes now have 9 foot ceilings (~2.75m)
A lot of mid priced older houses built before 1950 also had 9 ft ceilings for the reason you stated....pre A/C a high ceiling permitted the warmer air to rise and leave the "people level" cooler.
Ceiling heights.... I grew up in a 1970s house with 8' ceilings or so. These ones.... just measured.... 260cm (or so) downstairs floor to ceiling, upstairs minimum ceiling height 210cm (to the front and back elevations) rising to 310cm. It's surprising how much of an effect that extra 20cm has.
Progress report. The first room that's going to come up against my take on the Edwardian look is.... *drum roll* the front sitting room. Work I've so far done on this:
- Found and purchased a nice light fitting;
- Discovered the television aerial plug doesn't work (send for an electrician);
- Discovered there are two television aerials (the other doesn't work either and can be removed);
- Found that the previous owners had both sky and cable television, with about 400' of wiring between them. I have neither, so the cable fitting was unscrewed and removed (after ensuring the wiring was dead) and the sky wiring- through a hole in the wall and up to a sky dish on the outside wall) was cut back so there's only a few inches of it inside the room. The sky dish will be coming down at some point and the wiring completely removed and holes made good.
The general look I want for the room is a cosy reading snug, so on the expedition to Ikea last weekend I bought about ten bookshelves and attendant metal brackets (to go with the five my brother previously picked up for me) and a pair of open cabinets. The cabinets are for my larger/ more unusally shaped books whilst everything else can go on the shelves. I still need another five of them, to be cut down so that the library corner fully takes in the fireplace inglenook and down the adjacent wall as far as the cabinets reach.
Then there was a nice rug I saw; 2.0 metres by 2.5 metres, it just fits the room nicely whilst looking very much in the style of Arts and Crafts to boot.
Then I bought a few testerpots of paint to try and find a colour I like. I first tried Farrow and Ball's Stiffkey Blue, but this just looks too dull and lifeless. I've now found a similar shade of greyish blue, perhaps closer to the blue/green side of things, that seems a bit livelier.
A big print went up over the fireplace, and at the moment that is about it. Further plans run to a Chesterfield leather sofa and an oak coffee table, and a desk in the bay window.
But before any of that can be done; the electrician needs to come and sort out the wires and television aerial and the light fitting, including moving the light switch. This needs to be done because the door opens into the room but is hung the wrong way; opening the door blocks the room and takes up valuable space. I want the door re-hung on the other side so that it opens into the wall. If that makes sense.
Then when that is done the shelves need to be erected temporarily. This is so that we can get the screwholes for the brackets in, before I undercoat the walls, fill all the other screw and wire holes, and paint. Then I can call that room tolerably finished for a given value of.
One of the annoying thing about my home is that half of the doors open to the wall (preferred) and half open into the room. I have only changed one (back door), which didn't need any rewiring. I would like to change the other doors, but cannot afford either the electrician to do the wiring, or the builder to do the doors!! So, I just have to live with it!
I suppose that the doors opening into the room allow the person entering to surprise anyone in the room, especially if they are entering with nefarious intent!
We just finished the three bedrooms down the back of the house, so technically our house is finally renovated... The carpet was put down yesterday, so the whole house was stacked up with all the furniture and junk taken out of the rooms, including the stuff in the wardrobes and cupboards because carpet went in there too. The floorboards underneath were the most basic of floorboards - pinus radiata, raw, rough sawn, up and down all over the place and unsuitable to do anything with except cover. Quickly.
Of course the carpet only went down after we had removed all the old carpet, the underlay (and two million staples) and all the mission brown 1980s architraves and skirting boards. Then we painted the walls and the new skirting boards and architraves then put them in place. There were also lots of cupboard and wardrobe doors to paint as well as a WIR to paint and new curtains to be made. I'm over it, and we still have to put back all the furniture and accoutrements. (Still, we finally got rid of the old pee stains from the previous owners' dog! and we are keeping our dogs OUT of there!)
Progress report. This week I've managed to get the internet and telephone wire connected, which was a bit of a job in and of itself, it took three engineers about five hours to manage it, not helped by: 1) not having a dedicated telephone line in the first place; 2) the first telegraph pole they looked at to get my wire from was at an angle such as to make it unsafe to climb; 3) the second telegraph pole examined was suitable but then they ran into other, unspecified difficulties. But they got there eventually.
This took so long that a planned excursion to Tamworth to order a sofa had to be delayed, so instead that day I made a trip to my parents, where a second pair of dining room chairs had been delivered. So by the end of the day last Tuesday I had a full complement of dining room chairs, my telephone was working and I could at last get back on the internet.
Nothing much then got done until yesterday, when I was able to make the trip to the sofa showroom; upshot is I've ordered a 2 seat bonded leather Chesterfield sofa, which should be arriving next week. I also had time to drop in the local DIY store and buy a spade, secateurs and a gardening trowel.
I got back and hosted a visit from a carpenter, with a view to getting a door frame repaired, skirting boards secured back to the walls where they've sprung off and some doors re-hung. He reckons it's about three days worth of work so that's booked in for my week off in mid-April. Two of the doors have basically been condemned as hanging together by their wits, so last night I ordered two new doors, which should be delivered next week.
Then I set-to in the front garden, which is (was) a bit of a jungle. My house is on a corner plot with a side road and I was also getting a bit anxious about one bush in particular which had grown over my wall, onto the pavement and was a bit of a health hazard (as it had inch-long thorns at just the right height to put a child's eye out).
To get to that bush meant having to cut down another bush just to get into the garden; I had three objectives.... 1) cut down a bush to gain access, 2) remove a tree stump next to my boundary wall, 3) prune back the thorn bush.
Well, what actually happened....
1) Cut down the smaller bush using secateurs, which I managed.
2) Remove the tree stump- after digging a trench about 2' deep through mostly firm clay and still at that depth finding quite substantial roots, I gave this up as a bad job. The roots I found I either chased up and dug out or cut through, so I have hopefully weakened it a little.
3) Prune back the bush. I removed it from the public side of my wall, then I decided that I didn't particularly want to keep getting stabbed by it either so I cut it down completely.
Then I cemented my position as the local nutcase by dragging it wholesale out of my front garden, down the side road and into my back garden. Where last night I had a bit of a bonfire. Being green it didn't burn particularly well and I think I got through more newspaper and kindling than the bush itself, but I note a lot of the leaves and berries have burnt away and a lot of the branches have at least started to char. Another go later today perhaps.
And finally the week ahead. Delivery of a sofa and two new doors, and hopefully an electrician will be paying a call to give a quote for moving a few light switches and installing a new light fitting.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49634056212_926d2d098e_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49633787456_521a01dac0_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49634055927_3f77616952_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49633262118_a845b874c5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49633787996_75eb70b830_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49633787931_c1e68d6485_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49633262798_a0775b997e_c.jpg)
You have a front garden! I thought they were a rare thing in the Isles[1]. Is there enough space for your drigible to be parked?
Are you going to make something of the sign "The Crescent T"? The name of your drigible maybe?
Sorontar
[1] A family member studied urban design in England and did their minor thesis on front garden usage. They had to send surveys to people back in Australia because their British contacts didn't really have a front garden they used.
It looks like you've had a hardworking weekend! We know exactly what you mean about roots - we have lots of trees around the boundary to our garden (basically to discourage any neerdowells who might think of trying to jump over the fence) so any kind of digging down inevitably means hitting a mass of roots. As to getting out stumps, we had a rather troublesome one that needed removing. Without much chance of digging it out, what we did was put multiple perpendicular slices across it down to ground level using a reciprocating saw, and then chopped out these sections using a hatchet. After a covering of soil we left the remainder rot down.
Yours,
Miranda.
I can imagine that feeling.
Had a huge sea buckthorn in front of the house, covering up the whole window.
The orange berries attracted lots of birds who "marked" their territory on my window.
Moving he lawn was no fun either as the thorns were in the range of 2.5 cm.
So glad to have got rid of it.....
You people and your thorns ;D.
Anything that grows in the low desert here has thorns; bougainvillea, citrus, shrubs, vines, the eleventy-seven varieties of cactus...one can either [literally] develop a thick skin, or get accustomed to being a pincushion.
After living here for over 35 years I'm a very accomplished pincushion.
Quote from: Sorontar on March 08, 2020, 11:30:51 AM
You have a front garden! I thought they were a rare thing in the Isles[1]. Is there enough space for your drigible to be parked?
Are you going to make something of the sign "The Crescent T"? The name of your drigible maybe?
Sorontar
[1] A family member studied urban design in England and did their minor thesis on front garden usage. They had to send surveys to people back in Australia because their British contacts didn't really have a front garden they used.
Not exactly rare, more that increasingly people take them up and replace them with driveways. Which is absolutely brilliant when we get a few days of rain and then wonder why somewhere that has never flooded is now under 2' of water.
As I have a garage at the bottom of the back garden my own front garden is pretty much guaranteed a future- if I can just rid the top 6" of soil of all the rootlets that stop you getting a good shovelful of muck out. I did manage to get the thorn bush rootball out today, though there are some pretty significant remnants of root still in the ground as eventually I lost patience and resorted to cutting it away with a saw.
Progress report (photos later perhaps, it is rather late and I'm rather tired).
1) The reclining chair in the sitting room has been dismantled, taken upstairs and rebuilt in the spare room. As my house pretty much backs on to the West Coast Main Line, I now literally can sit back and watch trains go by.
2) New doors for the master bedroom and the spare bedroom have arrived.
3) The sofa has arrived. A nice two seat bonded leather Chesterfield.
4) An electrician came to visit and gave his opinion on moving some light switches. Yeah.... solid walls, high ceilings and old wiring.... so the switches are staying where they are and most likely three of the doors that I said I would like to get rehung, will be staying as they are. I understand that the whole reason they open out into the room is a Victorian/ Edwardian quirk based on notions of privacy, so it's another original feature that will stay then.
5) That damnable thornbush has been well and truly dealt with. Last weekend I had a good bonfire and although it got rid of much of the leaves, the branches themselves obstinately refused to burn. So I left them a few days and tried again two nights ago, when they again refused to burn. So more determined efforts where deemed necessary. This morning I dug a hole in the back garden. I found a little old wooden barrel that had had no use for several years. I cut up the branches a little more and dumped them in the barrel, which I then placed in the hole. I stuffed it otherwise full of newspaper and kindling and set it alight. It burned dismally for an hour or so and kept going out, so I kept relighting it, steadily using more and more of my stocks of newspaper and dry wood, and then dumped about half a coal scuttle of nutty slack on top. This I thought actually killed the fire.... so I went away for a few minutes whilst the doors were delivered. I came back to quite an impressive blaze. Two hours and all but the stump was burnt away to ash.
Now I'm considering a fire pit in the back garden with a couple of benches and a brick wall around it.
Weekend progress report. Saturday: I had smart meters fitted for the the gas and electricity, and my brother came over to put the new bookshelves up. That took rather longer than we anticipated on account of the walls turning out to be solid plaster backing onto solid masonry. We expected this in the fireside alcove but not on the internal wall too... I think we can take away from this that any work that requires drilling in walls in the house is almost certainly going to be hard going.
So that took all day, from about 10 in the morning until gone 8 last night, and then this morning I spent 3 hours transferring all of my non-railway/ non-modelling books onto the new shelving. The railway and modelling books are going to stay in the spare room where they will be close at hand when the spare room becomes the railway room.
Unfortunately because today is the Stafford half-marathon (which has gone ahead in spite of ongoing public health concerns) the wardrobe couldn't be delivered, so that is now due next weekend.
Also, a new radiator, more in keeping with the aesthetic of the house, has been ordered for the front sitting room.
So, as far as the sitting room is concerned, works still outstanding basically run to
1) reinstating the television aerial and removing the remnants of the Sky and cable installations;
2) new radiator to be installed;
3) new light fitting to be fitted;
4) new light switch to be fitted;
5) redecoration;
6) coffee table to be sourced;
7) desk to be built for the bay window.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49661389743_86ae6053ee_c.jpg)
The sofa.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49662209572_7ae391381b.jpg)
Newly-installed shelving.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49661388443_66625aaf55_c.jpg)
And duly filled up with books.
Now if I can just work out a neat arrangement for the hifi, DVDs and CDs, I think I'll be most of the way sorted out.
That's all looking very neat and tidy :). Solid walls may be a pain to fix to, but at least you know that fixing isn't going to shift. All the internal walls of our house are breeze block, and anythng that is fixed to them that undergoes continual loading and unloading eventually crumbles the area around the fixing, so you end up fitting a succession of ever bigger wall plugs. Even using two-part filler doesn't help as it just ends up pulling away as the layer of breeze block around it fails too. One place where we have a towel rail has disintigrated so badly the only option left is to fit rawl-bolts...
Yours,
Miranda.
Solid walls are the best.
Here we have red bricks.
There are two types of bricks you hate but find almost in every spot where you have to drill.
a) light brown brick. Extremely hard but shatters like glass
b) black brick. Slow and hard to drill
My house was built in 1955 with additions from 1974. Up till now all these mean bricks have been dealt with by my mighty seventies hammer drill.
Old, heavy, loud but powerful enough for everything.
All gears are metal. Even the carbon brushes can be replaced using a simple screwdriver.
I love old tools.
Quote from: The Bullet on March 15, 2020, 04:31:26 PM
(snip)
My house was built in 1955 with additions from 1974. Up till now all these mean bricks have been dealt with by my mighty seventies hammer drill.
Old, heavy, loud but powerful enough for everything.
All gears are metal. Even the carbon brushes can be replaced using a simple screwdriver.
I love old tools.
They don't make them like that anymore ;)
Yours,
Miranda.
Quote from: The Bullet on March 15, 2020, 04:31:26 PM
Solid walls are the best.
Here we have red bricks.
There are two types of bricks you hate but find almost in every spot where you have to drill.
a) light brown brick. Extremely hard but shatters like glass
b) black brick. Slow and hard to drill
My house was built in 1955 with additions from 1974. Up till now all these mean bricks have been dealt with by my mighty seventies hammer drill.
Old, heavy, loud but powerful enough for everything.
All gears are metal. Even the carbon brushes can be replaced using a simple screwdriver.
I love old tools.
We have brown bricks which are also slow and really hard to drill. They were a particularly ugly colour, but thankfully the previous owner of the house had them covered in render so you can't see them. The bricks broke our 1970s hammer drill! We took it to be repaired and no-one would touch it...
Progress report. This weekend I have left the sitting room well alone, save for buying a coffee table (expected delivery 3 months, longer if this damnable plague keeps doing its thing) and going to the local DIY store to pick up some sugar soap, paint rollers and a 10L bucket of brilliant white emulsion. It was a mistake to walk back with this lot as the state of exhaustion by the time I got home rather set the tone for the day.
I decided that today was going to be another effort directed toward licking the jungle back into something vaguely looking like a front garden, so out came the shears and the two fir trees had a haircut. I lopped roughly the top 3' off of them in a bid to get more light in the morning (my sitting room faces south on an east-west axis and the trees do a good job of blocking early morning illumination). The job still isn't finished because the larger of the trees is too bulky for me to get the shears into the middle of it to take out the middle 1/3 or so. I might have another crack at this later. I was also hoping to generally thin the trees out as they encroach onto the path and make it difficult to get up and down with luggage in tow, but this goal hasn't been achieved, yet.
In the middle of doing this, a new wardrobe arrived. My parents were supposed to be coing over today to help build this, but damnable plague is damnable and put the brakes on this. So instead I took it out of the packaging (total weight 64kg) and took it upstairs into the bedroom piecemeal, where it is now waiting as a roundtoit job (hopefully sometime next week).
You need to make cabinets for the modern radiators, this also gives a further display surface for well rayguns.
Nice one mate, good luck with your Grand Project.
Quote from: Mr Peter Harrow, Esq on March 21, 2020, 04:11:35 PM
You need to make cabinets for the modern radiators, this also gives a further display surface for well rayguns.
That's the plan for the hallway, which is too narrow for a wider radiator. The intention at present is that it will be panelled which allows me to box out around the radiator. The hallway and front garden are intended to follow the sitting room; so far as finances permit the plan at the moment is to alternate expensive and inexpensive works, so the order will be something like sitting room- hallway- front garden- dining room- spare bedroom- master bedroom- kitchen- bathroom (the back garden being done in odd moments in between). Obviously this is dependant upon how damnable plague/ finances/ job security etc play out.
Well... semi-lockdown happened, didn't it? Fortunately on the very day it was announced my new radiator arrived. No more deliveries for the foreseeable unfortunately.
Because I've spent the last week and a bit working from home, means I've had a little more time in the evenings, which last week meant I made a start whitewashing the sitting room. Over the weekend I pulled all the furniture out and decisively finished the job, even using the tester pot of the proposed colour for a large-scale swatch.
If only I'd bought the paint before damnable plague started doing its thing....
I can feel your problem.
Even the hardware shops have closed.
I wanted to paint a few things but.....I am out of brushes.
Ordered online, have to wait.
Unable to proceed with the sitting room, I've shifted target and moved onto the entrance hallway.
The general plan in there, as it currently stands, is to put in timber matchboard panelling to waist height, taking it up the stairs on the party wall side to the half landing. Then above waist height I'll paint it a light colour- probably a cream of some description- to try and keep a sense of openness in a space only a bit over three feet wide.
Obviously thanks to damnable plague the chances of being able to buy paint or timber right now are roughly akin to those of my being able to climb up inside my chimney stack... but what I can do is at least order a few bits and pieces to make a start. So I've got the radiator cover ordered (an MDF thing with oak veneer- I would prefer proper solid timber but they are either unavailable or hideously expensive), an iron umbrella stand and an iron shoe rack.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 31, 2020, 06:49:39 PM
Unable to proceed with the sitting room, I've shifted target and moved onto the entrance hallway.
The general plan in there, as it currently stands, is to put in timber matchboard panelling to waist height, taking it up the stairs on the party wall side to the half landing. Then above waist height I'll paint it a light colour- probably a cream of some description- to try and keep a sense of openness in a space only a bit over three feet wide.
Obviously thanks to damnable plague the chances of being able to buy paint or timber right now are roughly akin to those of my being able to climb up inside my chimney stack... but what I can do is at least order a few bits and pieces to make a start. So I've got the radiator cover ordered (an MDF thing with oak veneer- I would prefer proper solid timber but they are either unavailable or hideously expensive), an iron umbrella stand and an iron shoe rack.
It's interesting. On this side of the pond most Shelter at Home ordinances catalogue home hardware shops as "essential" businesses. I can walk into my local hardware shop (but only wearing a respirator and gloves, and walking as far apart from other people). The self checkout lanes make things a bit easier.
Our hardware stores (one of them at least) are still open, except only for pre-ordered 'essentials'. Now, to me, 'essentials' in a hardware store is along the lines of 'things to stop your house falling down', but it's a bit odd what they do and don't deem essential. Paint and stuff- not essential. Furniture- essential. ???
Quote from: James Harrison on March 15, 2020, 01:48:44 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49661389743_86ae6053ee_c.jpg)
The sofa.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49662209572_7ae391381b.jpg)
Newly-installed shelving.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49661388443_66625aaf55_c.jpg)
And duly filled up with books.
Now if I can just work out a neat arrangement for the hifi, DVDs and CDs, I think I'll be most of the way sorted out.
Fabulous sofa
It is, rather, isn't it?
Well, that's just :-X -ing fantastic. The radiator cover arrived today. Height of the radiator: 95cm. Height of the cover: <95cm. Quite considerably <95cm. It means I now get to build one for myself but it's still £50-odd I could have done without losing.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 02, 2020, 07:34:18 PM
Well, that's just :-X -ing fantastic. The radiator cover arrived today. Height of the radiator: 95cm. Height of the cover: <95cm. Quite considerably <95cm. It means I now get to build one for myself but it's still £50-odd I could have done without losing.
Think about adapting what you already have. How much shorter is the cover? My initial thought wold be either lower the radiator, or add something special to the base of the cover to raise it, could save a lot of money and hassle. A photo or two would help.
The problem is that the radiator was installed to sit above the skirtingboards, which are (I suspect) original to the house, clocking in at 6" tall. The radiator cover is 80cm in height, so there's a considerable difference between the two. I could set it up on something but that's just setting up of course for when somebody barges into it and sends the thing flying. All told I think a bespoke solution is probably called for.
Can you replicate the skirting boards underneath the cover to give it the extra 15 cm? Or construct some 15cm brass(ish) legs for each of the corners of the cover?
Any way, I'm sure you'll sort it out. We normally do.
Sorontar
I'm guessing it looks like one of these
radiator covers (https://www.google.com/search?q=radiator+cover&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=cus2&sxsrf=ALeKk03bd3qXdkYTniqoEOaZmYdK08iG_A:1585993386683&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjiqLfjvc7oAhVNqp4KHZv9BsYQ_AUoAnoECA4QBA&biw=1205&bih=644#imgrc=cyqEh_qg-rv2tM)
But I second what SeVeNeVeS suggested....pics would help.
The situation may be salvageable, even to the point of making the cover look really punk/Vic-Wardian
Quote from: Sorontar on April 04, 2020, 09:34:54 AM
Can you replicate the skirting boards underneath the cover to give it the extra 15 cm? Or construct some 15cm brass(ish) legs for each of the corners of the cover?
Any way, I'm sure you'll sort it out. We normally do.
Sorontar
my thoughts exactly, looking at your photos I would say Torus 150mm available from B und Q/ Wickes might work very well.
I think that's very close (if not identical) to what I've already got. I've done a little bit of investigation work this morning with a sanding block and the skirting I've confirmed as timber (though not a light wood or pine). Because I'm pretty much bouncing off the walls in here when I'm not working, I've ordered a power sander this morning so I can hopefully make some progress getting the skirting boards and window sill prepared for eventual glossing.
Considering the sitting room generally the plan remains to paint the walls in a deep rich blue, with the ceiling, skirting, architrave and window surround a gloss white. As of last weekend I had cleaned down and whitewashed the walls and then used a testerpot of the proposed colour to do a large scale test in a corner, so I now get to see what it looks like in all sorts of lighting conditions before doing the whole room.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49734023066_2afaea0387_c.jpg)
I just wish I'd bought the paint before damnable plague started doing its thing.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 04, 2020, 10:10:29 AM
I think that's very close (if not identical) to what I've already got. I've done a little bit of investigation work this morning with a sanding block and the skirting I've confirmed as timber (though not a light wood or pine). Because I'm pretty much bouncing off the walls in here when I'm not working, I've ordered a power sander this morning so I can hopefully make some progress getting the skirting boards and window sill prepared for eventual glossing.
Considering the sitting room generally the plan remains to paint the walls in a deep rich blue, with the ceiling, skirting, architrave and window surround a gloss white. As of last weekend I had cleaned down and whitewashed the walls and then used a testerpot of the proposed colour to do a large scale test in a corner, so I now get to see what it looks like in all sorts of lighting conditions before doing the whole room.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49734023066_2afaea0387_c.jpg)
I just wish I'd bought the paint before damnable plague started doing its thing.
That blue is quite grand. It's like deep space or the deep ocean.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 04, 2020, 10:10:29 AM
SNIP...
Considering the sitting room generally the plan remains to paint the walls in a deep rich blue, with the ceiling, skirting, architrave and window surround a gloss white. As of last weekend I had cleaned down and whitewashed the walls and then used a testerpot of the proposed colour to do a large scale test in a corner, so I now get to see what it looks like in all sorts of lighting conditions before doing the whole room....
James, I really like that blue.....BUT.....you know that dark colors make a room look smaller, right? And the darker the color the smaller the room will seem. That blue would be great as an accent but if you paint all four walls that color, the room might start to feel a bit confining.
Did you say you were going to put in wainscoting? If so, then the blue would work pretty well, provided the wainscoting is light or even white (which would be best...imho)
wainscoting (https://www.google.com/search?q=wainscoting&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=cus2&sxsrf=ALeKk00IaKictqLSWTWFFxB7vNJx9rS2Xw:1586140286304&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj71NCC4dLoAhXNvJ4KHdtaB2YQ_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1205&bih=644)
And btw speaking of wainscoting (were we..?) it looks really good if your ceilings are high.
It wouldn't look good on my walls because the ceilings are 8ft. But it would work in a room that had 9ft ceilings or higher.
Quote from: Deimos on April 06, 2020, 02:35:26 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 04, 2020, 10:10:29 AM
SNIP...
Considering the sitting room generally the plan remains to paint the walls in a deep rich blue, with the ceiling, skirting, architrave and window surround a gloss white. As of last weekend I had cleaned down and whitewashed the walls and then used a testerpot of the proposed colour to do a large scale test in a corner, so I now get to see what it looks like in all sorts of lighting conditions before doing the whole room....
James, I really like that blue.....BUT.....you know that dark colors make a room look smaller, right? And the darker the color the smaller the room will seem. That blue would be great as an accent but if you paint all four walls that color, the room might start to feel a bit confining.
Did you say you were going to put in wainscoting? If so, then the blue would work pretty well, provided the wainscoting is light or even white (which would be best...imho)
wainscoting (https://www.google.com/search?q=wainscoting&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=cus2&sxsrf=ALeKk00IaKictqLSWTWFFxB7vNJx9rS2Xw:1586140286304&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj71NCC4dLoAhXNvJ4KHdtaB2YQ_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1205&bih=644)
And btw speaking of wainscoting (were we..?) it looks really good if your ceilings are high.
It wouldn't look good on my walls because the ceilings are 8ft. But it would work in a room that had 9ft ceilings or higher.
I'm sorry, each to their own but a whole room done I tend to agree, too dark, maybe a feature wall in that colour. By the way if you need any advice on building, I am a self employed everything, I have experience in plumbing, electrics, carpentry, double glazing , ex gas fitter, please do ask before you get ripped off for an opinion or maybe some DIY help.
Quote from: Deimos on April 06, 2020, 02:35:26 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 04, 2020, 10:10:29 AM
SNIP...
Considering the sitting room generally the plan remains to paint the walls in a deep rich blue, with the ceiling, skirting, architrave and window surround a gloss white. As of last weekend I had cleaned down and whitewashed the walls and then used a testerpot of the proposed colour to do a large scale test in a corner, so I now get to see what it looks like in all sorts of lighting conditions before doing the whole room....
James, I really like that blue.....BUT.....you know that dark colors make a room look smaller, right? And the darker the color the smaller the room will seem. That blue would be great as an accent but if you paint all four walls that color, the room might start to feel a bit confining.
Did you say you were going to put in wainscoting? If so, then the blue would work pretty well, provided the wainscoting is light or even white (which would be best...imho)
wainscoting (https://www.google.com/search?q=wainscoting&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=cus2&sxsrf=ALeKk00IaKictqLSWTWFFxB7vNJx9rS2Xw:1586140286304&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj71NCC4dLoAhXNvJ4KHdtaB2YQ_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1205&bih=644)
And btw speaking of wainscoting (were we..?) it looks really good if your ceilings are high.
It wouldn't look good on my walls because the ceilings are 8ft. But it would work in a room that had 9ft ceilings or higher.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 06, 2020, 12:02:40 PM
Quote from: Deimos on April 06, 2020, 02:35:26 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 04, 2020, 10:10:29 AM
SNIP...
Considering the sitting room generally the plan remains to paint the walls in a deep rich blue, with the ceiling, skirting, architrave and window surround a gloss white. As of last weekend I had cleaned down and whitewashed the walls and then used a testerpot of the proposed colour to do a large scale test in a corner, so I now get to see what it looks like in all sorts of lighting conditions before doing the whole room....
James, I really like that blue.....BUT.....you know that dark colors make a room look smaller, right? And the darker the color the smaller the room will seem. That blue would be great as an accent but if you paint all four walls that color, the room might start to feel a bit confining.
Did you say you were going to put in wainscoting? If so, then the blue would work pretty well, provided the wainscoting is light or even white (which would be best...imho)
wainscoting (https://www.google.com/search?q=wainscoting&client=firefox-b-1-d&channel=cus2&sxsrf=ALeKk00IaKictqLSWTWFFxB7vNJx9rS2Xw:1586140286304&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj71NCC4dLoAhXNvJ4KHdtaB2YQ_AUoAXoECBQQAw&biw=1205&bih=644)
And btw speaking of wainscoting (were we..?) it looks really good if your ceilings are high.
It wouldn't look good on my walls because the ceilings are 8ft. But it would work in a room that had 9ft ceilings or higher.
I'm sorry, each to their own but a whole room done I tend to agree, too dark, maybe a feature wall in that colour. By the way if you need any advice on building, I am a self employed everything, I have experience in plumbing, electrics, carpentry, double glazing , ex gas fitter, please do ask before you get ripped off for an opinion or maybe some DIY help.
I would agree about the colour being too dark, were it not that the room faces south. I wouldn't want my dining room painted in it as it faces north and gets no direct sunlight, but the sitting room is quite a bright room generally so I think it will be able to stand it.
Wainscotting- we were talking about that for the dining room, but having seen how little light it tends to get I'm having second thoughts (about panelling it out anyway). It might be reduced just to a dado and picture rail with an appropriate light wallpaper between the two.
Thanks for the offer SeVeNeVeS- I'll keep it in mind, much appreciated indeed.
What type of flooring do you have in the hallway James?
The hallway is tiled. Modern patterned tiles that have been modelled on Minton tiles of the late 19th/ early 20th century. The original tiles are still in place beneath but I have no idea what condition they're in, what they look like or whether they could be exposed again without being destroyed by the removal of the new tiles and grouting.
Pity. :(
There is just one way to find out.
If you are lucky, the new tiles do not stick reliably and come off when you hit the top lightly with a hammer.
Otherwise they stick better to the old tiles than the old tiles stick to the wall...
I have seen both cases.
Later this year our kitchen will be refurbished. I have found that on two walls we have three layers of tiles.
This will be a case for the big hammer and chisel.
Efforts are ongoing to strip the window sill and the skirting boards of layer upn layer of paint. The window sill has about three coats on there, the skirting boards only one or two I think but badly applied.
So far I've tried sanding it down by hand (much effort, no result), sanding it down with a palm sander (lots of dust and noise but no real result) and a heat gun (lots of heat, giving results slowly, but gave me electric shock whilst unplugging the thing ??? ).
Short of using chemical strippers (which I've read aren't particularly good since the more potent solvents were banned), any other options I could look at?
Quote from: James Harrison on April 10, 2020, 10:51:20 AM
Efforts are ongoing to strip the window sill and the skirting boards of layer upn layer of paint. The window sill has about three coats on there, the skirting boards only one or two I think but badly applied.
So far I've tried sanding it down by hand (much effort, no result), sanding it down with a palm sander (lots of dust and noise but no real result) and a heat gun (lots of heat, giving results slowly, but gave me electric shock whilst unplugging the thing ??? ).
Short of using chemical strippers (which I've read aren't particularly good since the more potent solvents were banned), any other options I could look at?
SYNSTRYP automotive paint stripper. If you get hold of any be VERY careful it is quite dangerous stuff.
I use it for anything and it hasn't let me down so far.
Masks and gloves, open windows, VERY toxic.
Could help.
starchem SYNSTRYP. (https://www.google.co.uk/search?source=hp&ei=ZVSQXtrgGI34U8WTuLAF&q=+starchem+SYNSTRYP&oq=+starchem+SYNSTRYP&gs_lcp=CgZwc3ktYWIQDDICCAAyAggAMgYIABAWEB4yBggAEBYQHkoKCBcSBjExLTUyN0oICBgSBDExLTFQkilYkilgkWpoAHAAeACAAeoBiAHqAZIBAzItMZgBAKABAqABAaoBB2d3cy13aXo&sclient=psy-ab&ved=0ahUKEwiap6He3N3oAhUN_BQKHcUJDlYQ4dUDCAg)
That looks like something that would be fantastic but probably trigger my asthma. It looks to be absolutely potent, going through the COSHH paperwork (https://refinishsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Starchem-Paint-Stripper-SPS5.pdf).
Buy better sanding discs? :-\ ;D
a small delta sander will do the trick.
It will get into the corners.
Start with 40 paper, then finish with 80 or 100 to get the wood smooth again.
Quote from: The Bullet on April 10, 2020, 12:29:45 PM
a small delta sander will do the trick.
It will get into the corners.
Start with 40 paper, then finish with 80 or 100 to get the wood smooth again.
That's what I've been using, it's likely to be what I return to (as I don't much like being zapped). It's just going to take a bit (well, OK, a lot) longer than I originally thought. But hey, I've got the time to kill at the moment.
A sharp stanley blade repeatedly dragged along the flat surface can remove a remarkable amount of unwanted paint, but if too much gusto administered grooves and ridges will show in the timber if this happens, back to the sander Im afraid.
Can you get CitriStrip (http://www.citristrip.com/) in the UK? I've seen it used on industrial machinery, and the SDS indicates that no breathing protection should be necessary given adequate ventilation.
Quote from: von Corax on April 10, 2020, 03:56:09 PM
Can you get CitriStrip (http://www.citristrip.com/) in the UK? I've seen it used on industrial machinery, and the SDS indicates that no breathing protection should be necessary given adequate ventilation.
Ooh, not heard of that before. I'll have to have a look.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 10, 2020, 02:42:40 PM
A sharp stanley blade repeatedly dragged along the flat surface can remove a remarkable amount of unwanted paint, but if too much gusto administered grooves and ridges will show in the timber if this happens, back to the sander Im afraid.
Back to the sander this afternoon. The window sill is about half done now, after I changed my technique from repeated long sweeping passes to concentrating on small areas.
Quote from: von Corax on April 10, 2020, 03:56:09 PM
Can you get CitriStrip (http://www.citristrip.com/) in the UK? I've seen it used on industrial machinery, and the SDS indicates that no breathing protection should be necessary given adequate ventilation.
I'll second von Corax on the Citri-Strip. I have used it...it [at least] works for removing latex paint and also adhesive that held down carpet. You have to leave it on for a while, longer than regular paint stripper.
It's still "acidic", but pretty mild. The directions tell you to wear gloves and eye protection because it can irritate skin, but it won't eat away your flesh down to the bone.
Sometimes I wore gloves, but sometime I didn't. I got some on my hands, but washed it off a few minutes later. No irritation and I still have my fingerprints :-D
I've finished sanding the window sill. Dear God, the dust.... no more sanding! Absolutely none. It's taken longer to clean up, than it did to sand the thing down. And it's sapped my will to sand the skirting boards. No, I think they'll get a wash down with sugar soap and that'll do before re-glossing.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 11, 2020, 01:09:40 PM
... I think they'll get a wash down with sugar soap and that'll do before re-glossing.
Had to look up "sugar soap"...
It's what we Yanks call Tri-Sodium Phosphate ...TSP for short.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 11, 2020, 01:09:40 PM
I've finished sanding the window sill. Dear God, the dust.... no more sanding! Absolutely none. It's taken longer to clean up, than it did to sand the thing down. And it's sapped my will to sand the skirting boards. No, I think they'll get a wash down with sugar soap and that'll do before re-glossing.
I have just finished the floors in the nut-house (a little cottage/cubby house we built under the oak tree - think 1/2 sized shepherd's hut.). I made a parquetry floor from old hardwood boards I got for free on Gumtree. Cut them all into lengths then liquid nailed (glue) them to the floor. Filled any gaps with a black filler, then drum sanded them down. Once varnished, they came up a treat, but the mess on the white gloss walls is terrible. Will have to wash them down and paint them again and they are tongue-in-groove pine boards. Thankfully it is a small room, so not too arduous, but I feel your pain. What a mess the sanding made, and everything had a dust extractor on it... Will have to be super careful to protect the awesome floor now. The skirting boards are not in yet, so could be sanded and painted outside.
This is my Iso project. The weather warms up a bit next week, so there will be a major push to finish it. All of the parts were free, or really cheap and most came from Gumtree and had been stock-piled for the time it took to get all the supplies needed. Of course the 'free' stuff meant we had to go and pull things apart and clean them up (from houses being demolished) to get skirting boards and architraves and weather boards and lining boards, so there has been a LOT of work involved.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on April 12, 2020, 02:13:11 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 11, 2020, 01:09:40 PM
I've finished sanding the window sill. Dear God, the dust.... no more sanding! Absolutely none. It's taken longer to clean up, than it did to sand the thing down. And it's sapped my will to sand the skirting boards. No, I think they'll get a wash down with sugar soap and that'll do before re-glossing.
I have just finished the floors in the nut-house (a little cottage/cubby house we built under the oak tree - think 1/2 sized shepherd's hut.).
Aren't you lucky to have your own nut house! Who in your family is going to be the lucky first resident?? ;D ;D
Quote from: Synistor 303 on April 12, 2020, 02:13:11 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 11, 2020, 01:09:40 PM
I've finished sanding the window sill. Dear God, the dust.... no more sanding! Absolutely none. It's taken longer to clean up, than it did to sand the thing down. And it's sapped my will to sand the skirting boards. No, I think they'll get a wash down with sugar soap and that'll do before re-glossing.
I have just finished the floors in the nut-house (a little cottage/cubby house we built under the oak tree - think 1/2 sized shepherd's hut.). I made a parquetry floor from old hardwood boards I got for free on Gumtree. Cut them all into lengths then liquid nailed (glue) them to the floor. Filled any gaps with a black filler, then drum sanded them down. Once varnished, they came up a treat, but the mess on the white gloss walls is terrible. Will have to wash them down and paint them again and they are tongue-in-groove pine boards. Thankfully it is a small room, so not too arduous, but I feel your pain. What a mess the sanding made, and everything had a dust extractor on it... Will have to be super careful to protect the awesome floor now. The skirting boards are not in yet, so could be sanded and painted outside.
This is my Iso project. The weather warms up a bit next week, so there will be a major push to finish it. All of the parts were free, or really cheap and most came from Gumtree and had been stock-piled for the time it took to get all the supplies needed. Of course the 'free' stuff meant we had to go and pull things apart and clean them up (from houses being demolished) to get skirting boards and architraves and weather boards and lining boards, so there has been a LOT of work involved.
I'd love to see it. One of my 'I'll get around to it' projects is a summerhouse in the garden.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 12, 2020, 09:21:27 AM
Quote from: Synistor 303 on April 12, 2020, 02:13:11 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 11, 2020, 01:09:40 PM
I've finished sanding the window sill. Dear God, the dust.... no more sanding! Absolutely none. It's taken longer to clean up, than it did to sand the thing down. And it's sapped my will to sand the skirting boards. No, I think they'll get a wash down with sugar soap and that'll do before re-glossing.
I have just finished the floors in the nut-house (a little cottage/cubby house we built under the oak tree - think 1/2 sized shepherd's hut.). I made a parquetry floor from old hardwood boards I got for free on Gumtree. Cut them all into lengths then liquid nailed (glue) them to the floor. Filled any gaps with a black filler, then drum sanded them down. Once varnished, they came up a treat, but the mess on the white gloss walls is terrible. Will have to wash them down and paint them again and they are tongue-in-groove pine boards. Thankfully it is a small room, so not too arduous, but I feel your pain. What a mess the sanding made, and everything had a dust extractor on it... Will have to be super careful to protect the awesome floor now. The skirting boards are not in yet, so could be sanded and painted outside.
This is my Iso project. The weather warms up a bit next week, so there will be a major push to finish it. All of the parts were free, or really cheap and most came from Gumtree and had been stock-piled for the time it took to get all the supplies needed. Of course the 'free' stuff meant we had to go and pull things apart and clean them up (from houses being demolished) to get skirting boards and architraves and weather boards and lining boards, so there has been a LOT of work involved.
I'd love to see it. One of my 'I'll get around to it' projects is a summerhouse in the garden.
Me too, maybe start another thread, with lots of photos, I try and use building waste, bricks wood etc myself for projects, the freer the better, I am kinda lucky in that respect being in the trade, but always want to see what others do.
Also this weekend....
... the umbrella stand arrived. Cast iron in four bits that screw together from the rear.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49765941912_de93c3ec0e_c.jpg)
Erected.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49765614291_1444bdf8c7_c.jpg)
And with my umbrella and canes duly installed.
Really nice....very attractive stand.
Cast iron, eh.....that thing ain't moving around, not no way, not no how.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 12, 2020, 05:21:23 PM
Also this weekend....
... the umbrella stand arrived. Cast iron in four bits that screw together from the rear.
I want one of those for my hall - have the sticks and all to fill it, too!
James, you need a "Drinks Globe" for the library/parlour ;D
I need 'something' in the way of occasional tables certainly. I have an oak coffee table on order but the delivery time for that is 12 weeks+ and that was even before damnable plague started its thing, so who knows when that will be delivered now?
In the meantime the garden is suffering under my ministrations. I've got two fir trees in the front that I've tried cutting down to bush size; unfortunately all I'm finding is that in removing the bulk and height all the greenery is disappearing- it's surprising how much timber you encounter as soon as you start cutting back the needles. So I think they will have to come out entirely. Which then leads onto the problem of disposal.
I'm allowed bonfires to dispose of garden waste, so long as they don't annoy the neighbours or cause a traffic hazard. As we all know however newly-cut timber, leaves and grass clippings give off smoke. Lots, and lots, of thick white/ grey/ yellow smoke. So you have to leave it to season and dry out a while, which means having somewhere to leave it, and whilst I've piled a fair bit at the side of the garage it just looks a mess. It would be helpful if the council actually came and emptied the garden waste bins they've given people...
So currently then;
- half of the front garden is either ripped out, slated to be ripped out, or just looks a mess;
- the back garden isn't much better;
- I've got a radiator that needs to be fitted but obviously plague is stopping the plumber coming over;
- I've got two doors ready to replace, a third that needs re-fixing to the wall, and sprung skirting that needs to be repaired, but obviously plague is stopping the carpenter;
- I've got a new light fixing to be fitted and a pull cord that needs looking at, and re-wiring the garage to look at, but obviously plague is stopping the electrician;
- I've ordered an iron shoe rack for the hallway but the manufacturers are closed because of plague;
- I've ordered some paint stripper which looks like it will be delayed because of plague;
- The sitting room walls are pretty much ready for painting but I can't get the paint because of plague.
There's a theme here. And all because somebody saw a wheezing pangolin and thought, 'lunch'.
Attention swung today away from the two fir trees and toward the tree stump. I tried to remove this several weeks ago, got about 30" down into the soil and came across a couple of heavy roots, and thought better of it. Slight change of tack today, I dug a deep trench around it (it abuts my boundary wall) and cut through as many of the roots as I could find. Having either pulled out, broken or sawn through about 5 or 6 of them, there's only one large root left, and that's half sawn through (I stopped because the saw blade kept sticking and it was awkward to manouvre the saw). So; trench about 2' deep around the tree, several of the roots cut. The idea tomorrow is to start angling the trench wall in below the stump with a view to undermining it. Hopefully then it can be toppled over, the inevitable big roots in the bottom can be dealt with and the stump hauled out and away. The roots are tending to be several inches below the soil surface and wherever I've tried to chase them have shown a tendency to be diving, so I'm of a mind to just cut them off and leave them insitu to rot.
Victory. The tree stump is out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49783427308_46314f5369_c.jpg)
I had several roots like this to cut through.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49783427398_8a8f88fdc2_c.jpg)
I dug up enough old bricks to make a decent episode of Time Team.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49783967861_ef5963c4f6_c.jpg)
This was the stump after I dragged it out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49783427513_94003a4624_c.jpg)
And this was the hole it left behind, which I've filled in to prevent any likelihood of the wall being undermined.
Well done, James!
I have the root ball from a 50-odd year old pine tree still lying in the front yard after the very nice council workers building the carpark last year used a digger to get it out for me - all I have to do is sort out how I am going get it to the green waste, or cut up and hauled into the cow paddock behind by back yard, and dumped on the pile of old wood & bits of trees gathered from the paddock!!
A former employer of mine used a tree root ball as a fireplace ornament. Stripped of bark and dried out, then placed upside down in the grate, it looked like a fire.
Well done. I have battled with trees and roots in my old house and blackberries in this one. My gardens became battlegrounds - me versus the greenery.
Sorontar
Quote from: Banfili on April 12, 2020, 03:50:06 AM
Aren't you lucky to have your own nut house! Who in your family is going to be the lucky first resident?? ;D ;D
[/quote]
It is supposed to be for the grandchildren, but I don't know if they will be worthy... ;D I will take photos when it is finished and try to work out how to put them online.
Quote from: Sorontar on April 17, 2020, 11:37:14 AM
Well done. I have battled with trees and roots in my old house and blackberries in this one. My gardens became battlegrounds - me versus the greenery.
Sorontar
I assume you were the jubilant, overwhelming victor (victrix?) in that war?
The root system of my pine tree would barely fit through the door! It's destined for an outside future, but as what, exactly, I'm not sure!
The problem with my root ball is that it weighs a ton (figure of speech). I've left it out front to dry out a little (hopefully) and drop the soil. It's raining today so I'm hopeful that will wash some of it off.
Quote from: Deimos on April 17, 2020, 09:33:43 PM
I assume you were the jubilant, overwhelming victor (victrix?) in that war?
The trees, yes, but for the blackberries I could only cut as far as the fenceline. The neighbour came out while I was battling through the undergrowth and branches (a pith helmet would have helped) and I had to warn them that some of the berries were on their side of the fence. I guess I will see in Spring whether it all grows back onto my side of the fence.
Sorontar
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49788989962_cc8c7b1351_c.jpg)
It's surprising how quickly the soil starts to fall away; possibly helped out by the rain washing at it. With a bit of luck the more soil it loses the more manageable it will become.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2020, 02:15:00 PM
It's surprising how quickly the soil starts to fall away; possibly helped out by the rain washing at it. With a bit of luck the more soil it loses the more manageable it will become.
I must check mine to see how much soil has washed away, & see if I can roll it over to wash off the other side!
Today I made a start on pulling out the larger of the two surviving trees. Dug a trench about 18" deep all around it, found remarkably few large roots considering how big it is.... then found that the main stem root goes under the garden path. Some fool planted it right next to a solid concrete raft, and the main roots of course go under it....
I think the only way I'll get it out is to undermine the tree as much as possible (considering the bushiness and the fcat that it will put your eyes out if you get too close) and try to expose as much of the root as I can, and then trust that the unsupported weight of the tree will break the root.
What kind of trees are they?
They are fir or pine trees. Basically, those awful evergreen ones that go brown in the middle and have loads of heavy branches.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 19, 2020, 01:06:48 PM
They are fir or pine trees. Basically, those awful evergreen ones that go brown in the middle and have loads of heavy branches.
Yeah...those are the ones that you have to strike a really tight balance with water between too much vs not enough.
And then if they get stressed and pests get to them it's basically "game over."
Out here if pine trees get distressed the bark beetles gets to them and finish them off.
Laylandii (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leyland_cypress)
That reads very much like what I have.
My local cemetery has them ....Cemetery cypress (https://www.google.com/maps/uv?hl=en&pb=!1s0x872ba798ddeda0e1%3A0x6233b4f750fa2298!3m1!7e115!4shttps%3A%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipMmSmmWLlsbbHLQ25R63rjKM2pgFrVPb5ueONFD%3Dw213-h160-k-no!5sMesa%20cemetery%20-%20Google%20Search!15sCAQ&imagekey=!1e10!2sAF1QipMmSmmWLlsbbHLQ25R63rjKM2pgFrVPb5ueONFD&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiHx6bEyvXoAhWDsZ4KHZ2bCDAQoiowHXoECBIQBg)
This evening in the garden....
- I managed to remove more soil from underneath the tree;
- Two more roots got smashed up;
- A one-man recreation of this scene from the 1990 film 'Misery' took place:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tURhk-5mDpE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tURhk-5mDpE)
The tree, incidentally, is still standing. Which is more than can be said for me.
Tonight's update from the trench. There's only the one root still supporting the tree. Unfortunately, it's 5" across and has so far defeated all efforts to cut through it. The tree, meanwhile, can happily be rocked back and forth through 20 or 30 degrees. This may yet take a few days to get it out.
Time for a battleaxe?
Not sure if this could help you in any way James, B&Q have opened some stores again, with restrictions.
No clue what part of the country you are so here's a list.
https://bqsocial.tumblr.com/post/616025338029457408/bandq-store-list
Quote from: Sorontar on April 23, 2020, 01:52:04 PM
Time for a battleaxe?
My mother is
far too old and frail to travel these days. ;D ;D (Joke, I
do love her dearly)
Yes! Stafford's on that list! Now, I've got a sort of human-powered razorwire chainsaw thing on order (should be on its way via Ebay) so I'll wait for that to arrive, however it does mean that paintwork can proceed in the sitting room.
https://bqsocial.tumblr.com/post/616025338029457408/bandq-store-list
Quote from: Sorontar on April 23, 2020, 01:52:04 PM
Time for a battleaxe?
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 23, 2020, 02:28:02 PMMy mother is far too old and frail to travel these days. ;D ;D (Joke, I do love her dearly)
Now
that is funny ;)
Update. I'm leaving B&Q for a week or so as it appears the notion of a DIY store reopening has everybody off their collective rockers and queueing around the block to get in. I've no desire to spend three hours in a queue (inevitably in front of or behind the one idiot who thinks that advice about not going out if hacking and coughing apply to everyone else but not him) and then find that the paint I want isn't in stock.
Which leaves the garden. I've excavated all around the first of the trees to be removed and underneath it, with the exception of the one side where it runs hard by the garden path and dives under it. The only root I'm aware of supporting it now is a 5 or 6" diameter tap root which- wouldn't you know- immediately it gets below ground level turns under the path. I've used the only saw in my arsenal- a mitre saw- to start cutting away at this and I've got maybe 2 to 3" through it, considering how awkward it is to get to it and how tough the wood is I consider this an achievement. In so doing however, and in removing the comedy Tom and Jerry-esque wedge to encourage the root to break, I've blunted the saw so there's nothing to be gained in continuing cutting.
The tree now gently rocks back and forth in anything other than a dead flat calm, however as these things usually are it's pivoting about a point about 8 or 9" below where I've been able to cut. Hopefully the bicycle chain/ chainsaw hybrid arrives today so I can progress the work.
May I humbly suggest buying a reciprocating saw and a savage blade, I have used these to hack away all sorts of garden vegetation, including tree parts and roots. Could save a lot of effort and time. Also a handy tool to have in the arsenal, you never know what the future brings when owning a home.
I've got a garden saw on order but it's taking its sweet time in arriving, and I'm not the most patient of people. I think- yes- if I can get onto a hardware store website today without having to wait hours I'll order a saw and just go pick it up.
~Edit~
Ah! Yes, that's what I meant to say too. Progress in the garden has gone forward in spite of lack of the necessary tool to get the trees out. I've ripped out two of the three bushes that are also on the disposal list. They came out a lot more willingly than the tree has.
The overall plan for the front garden is to lay out something in the way of an Edwardian formal front. I'm not planning, right now, to remove the concrete path, but I want a small low hedge alongside it. I'm going to have a bit of a planted border following the line of the garden wall and in the middle of the garden and front of house I'm going to lay some terracotta edging- you know, the sort that have the knotted rope effect at the top- and then lay some gravel in there, (I have in mind a yellow colour gravel), and then buy a stone bird bath and maybe a small stone bench to place in there too.
You could tile your concrete path in the appropriate vicwardian colours - red & yellow, perhaps, to match your yellow gravel.
Now there's an option- I'll have to investigate.
As long as you remember to chip/rough up the surface of the concrete the tiles should bond ok - you could use black and yellow for contrast - either that or red, or even a dark blue or green. Yellow and black are probably the best hi-vis options.
Quote from: Banfili on April 25, 2020, 11:02:10 PM
You could tile your concrete path in the appropriate vicwardian colours - red & yellow, perhaps, to match your yellow gravel.
I salvaged 100 original victorian tiles from my Mums garden before it was slabbed, I would say more of a dark cream rather than yellow, but a few hundred years of dirt on an unglazed tile could show more patina than original colour, the reds vary in colour, some close to maroon, also the firing of the tiles could be at different times and under different circumstances, they are 25mm thick.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 26, 2020, 11:23:36 AM
Quote from: Banfili on April 25, 2020, 11:02:10 PM
You could tile your concrete path in the appropriate vicwardian colours - red & yellow, perhaps, to match your yellow gravel.
I salvaged 100 original victorian tiles from my Mums garden before it was slabbed, I would say more of a dark cream rather than yellow, but a few hundred years of dirt on an unglazed tile could show more patina than original colour, the reds vary in colour, some close to maroon, also the firing of the tiles could be at different times and under different circumstances, they are 25mm thick.
Lucky you! Either would work just as well.
Victory. The first of the big trees is out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49850322648_e940d70c4a_c.jpg)
The tree, uprooted.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49850322728_02c99c6e8b_c.jpg)
The hole I had to dig to get it out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49850857756_f84b6dee3a_c.jpg)
The roots running under the path that I had to cut through.
Those roots, incidentally, I can't remove, without severely undermining the path. So I've backfilled over them and if they start growing new trees I'll just uncover them and cut away again.
This afternoon, I've been finally able to order the paint for the sitting room.
James, would it not be cheaper in the long run to remove the path (& the roots) then relay the path to how you want it?.
I doesn't look like a particularly well made path - not very deep, and doesn't look like it has any structural reinforcing - in fact, it looks like the top of my septic tank before a slab of it fell into the tank!!
I must agree with Wells, it would probably be better to rip it up and re-lay a decent path, at least twice as deep - then you could lay those lovely tiles on the top! If the roots continue on under the next-door fence, the roots can be killed with an injection of 'Tordon' - a renowned tree killer!
Quote from: Mercury Wells on May 03, 2020, 10:36:37 PM
James, would it not be cheaper in the long run to remove the path (& the roots) then relay the path to how you want it?.
Third opinion, yes replace the path and make it thicker. If you're going to lay tile on it, that's a must. Steel rebar for reinforcement, and segmented with expansion joints. As it is, after loosening the dirt, the concrete will begin to crack in no time at all.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 25, 2020, 10:17:11 AM
May I humbly suggest buying a reciprocating saw and a savage blade, I have used these to hack away all sorts of garden vegetation, including tree parts and roots. Could save a lot of effort and time. Also a handy tool to have in the arsenal, you never know what the future brings when owning a home.
Reciprocating saws are enormously useful around the house. I've used them with diamond blades to cut limestone, brick, and with the proper blade even wrought iron. Not to mention wood.
Oh, I'm going to have to agree on the path, doesn't look that good, not sure about the need for rebar, but belt and braces, 100mm 0f concrete sat on scalpings, whacker plated should do the job, then tile on top.
Did I ever welcome you to home ownership? A constant, ongoing pain in the butt, you do stuff now and in 10 years, yep it needs attention again ::) ;D
Spending money on tools and learning how to do things yourself, youtube etc, can save a fortune on labour costs, takes a little longer, but is worth it, where I live the average day rate is 150-200 plus materials.
Yes, remove the path, deepen the hole, build a subterranean laboratory, extend passageways to the nearest major waterway/cave, lay traintrack for future underground mechanical transport, cover construction with dirt, lay pretty path.
Simple!
Sorontar
The path is not a priority at the moment. It's serviceable and largely in one piece. Considering it is uniformly supported and only subjected to foot traffic, it's fit for purpose, if not exactly aesthetic. If I were to break it out right now- which I'm not, lacking a sledgehammer and skip- I've got nothing to hand to replace it with and no funds to hand to purchase a replacement. Maybe when I seriously start in the garden, perhaps.
Ahhh, the Möbius loop of home (or motor carriage or locomotive) restoration.
You need to fix A, but you find that to do A, you have to fix B first.
So you start on B only to find that C has to be completed before B can be attempted.
And so you start on C only to discover....yep, C can't be done until A is finished.
Been there ...good luck. In fact I'm still there...(it's a Möbius strip after all...) :P
How does the song go? https://youtu.be/Ge_4SlJWfl0
Feels quite apt at the moment.
Quote from: Deimos on May 04, 2020, 01:20:50 PM
Ahhh, the Möbius loop of home (or motor carriage or locomotive) restoration.
You need to fix A, but you find that to do A, you have to fix B first.
So you start on B only to find that C has to be completed before B can be attempted.
And so you start on C only to discover....yep, C can't be done until A is finished.
Been there ...good luck. In fact I'm still there...(it's a Möbius strip after all...) :P
Yes, I'm a bit of a sadist when it comes to that sort of job. Not only do I have the 1900-1920 period home, I'm also the proud owner of a 1970s British sports car (well, built 1970s. The design is very late 1950s).
Work this evening has run to making a start on getting the other tree out, which is a slightly easier job as it's a slightly smaller tree and should, fingers crossed, require a slightly smaller hole.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 04, 2020, 07:05:54 PM
SNIP
I'm also the proud owner of a 1970s British sports car (well, built 1970s. The design is very late 1950s)...
MGB?
Quote from: James Harrison on May 04, 2020, 07:05:54 PM
SNIP
Work this evening has run to making a start on getting the other tree out, which is a slightly easier job as it's a slightly smaller tree and should, fingers crossed, require a slightly smaller hole.
"...[T]hat hope which springs eternal...." ;)
It's a joy, isn't it!
My house is the first one that I have lived in in my life that has been owned by the occupant! My parents never owned a house. I grew up in rented housing, so was quite excited to finally get my own home. So far I have invested something like $50,000+ into renovations and modifications, and it still needs painting, or replacing the weatherboards with other cladding, insulating the walls, new guttering and resealing the roof!!
It just never ends - and there is never enough money!
Quote from: Banfili on May 04, 2020, 11:52:48 PM
It's a joy, isn't it!
My house is the first one that I have lived in in my life that has been owned by the occupant! My parents never owned a house. I grew up in rented housing, so was quite excited to finally get my own home. So far I have invested something like $50,000+ into renovations and modifications, and it still needs painting, or replacing the weatherboards with other cladding, insulating the walls, new guttering and resealing the roof!!
It just never ends - and there is never enough money!
What has been the single most expensive project/renovation (if I may ask)?
Over here it's typically the kitchen, and in a house of my size --1400 sq ft, kitchen ~ 10x10 -- it's about $20K -$25K (USD) depending on appliances being replaced.
I still have to do mine and I know it's going to run about $25K, not because of the appliances, which I will not replace just yet, but because I'm going a little bit spendy on the cabinetry, have new lighting installed and move the stove about a foot to the left.
Quote from: Deimos on May 05, 2020, 07:55:40 AM
Quote from: Banfili on May 04, 2020, 11:52:48 PM
It's a joy, isn't it!
My house is the first one that I have lived in in my life that has been owned by the occupant! My parents never owned a house. I grew up in rented housing, so was quite excited to finally get my own home. So far I have invested something like $50,000+ into renovations and modifications, and it still needs painting, or replacing the weatherboards with other cladding, insulating the walls, new guttering and resealing the roof!!
It just never ends - and there is never enough money!
What has been the single most expensive project/renovation (if I may ask)?
Over here it's typically the kitchen, and in a house of my size --1400 sq ft, kitchen ~ 10x10 -- it's about $20K -$25K (USD) depending on appliances being replaced.
I still have to do mine and I know it's going to run about $25K, not because of the appliances, which I will not replace just yet, but because I'm going a little bit spendy on the cabinetry, having new lighting installed and moving the stove.
My kitchen is a mission-brown 1970s abomination, with wallpaper the same as Mrs Brown's back entry in Finglas, Dublin!! I have peeled off most of the top of the wallpaper, and am left with the mushroom-y flocking from underneath. The previous owners ripped out the lovely 1960s kitchen to put the brown monstrosity in - I have decided that if I don't really look at I can live with it for now!
The real estate agent (I was thinking of selling a few years ago) said not to replace the kitchen at that time, as anyone who bought the house would probably want to put one in to suit their own taste. As it looks like I will be here for a good while yet, a new kitchen is on my list (at about $10-15,000), the outside work is needed first. The kitchen is last on the list.
I have some mobility issues, so the first steps were to future-proof access and the bathroom. Stage one was to rearrange the laundry by removing the big cupboard and installing a shower and new laundry tub. The cupboard was replaced by a flat-pack in the back entry. Had to have the shower installed there so that the bathroom could be gutted, and turned into a shower room, with shower, loo & handbasin - overall, stage one was probably the most expensive, being a double job. I have also had a handrail fitted at the front door.
Stage two was the addition of a lovely deck, with access via an up-to-standard ramp. Some of the timber stumps were replaced by concrete ones.
Stage three was reflooring and building in the front verandah which was pretty much wasted space, & turning it into a sunroom - included a small storm porch, so no getting wet while opening the door! This involved shifting a canvas blind from an outside window which was under shelter (couldn't see the reasoning for having it there!) Width of the new sunroom was decided by the width of the blind, which actually worked out perfectly!! That completed the first part of the renovations, and now I come to think of it, that was the $50,000 worth! This was in 2013.
Stages four and five happened a couple of years later, in 2016, when I had the carport on one side of the house extended to the end of the building, and the fencing modified - it has a bit of a dogleg now! Did that because the ramp I had incorporated in 2013 invaded the carport space, and the car wouldn't fit - at least, I could get the car in, but couldn't get out of the car!
Because the building of the sunroom left the front room a bit dark, my builder then cut a chunk out of the western wall of the house, and put a window into the space. I use it as an office/library/study and needed the light. A canvas blind that had previously occupied the eastern lounge room window was now under the new carport, and was redundant. The new window was made to fit the old blind, and duly installed. Another $10,000 worth, now I think about it! And a new door on the shed!
So, $60,000-odd thousand, in all, and still some external work to be done! Both myself and the builder are into up-cycling and recycling, which is why the blinds were shifted, taps moved, etc.!
So, really, about $60,000 = $10,00 a stage.
Oh my! If you had had a crystal ball at the time you first started all that you could have taken your own advice that you gave James, about totally ripping something out (e.g. his sidewalk) and replacing it rather than trying to shore it up/fix/restore it.
In your case just raze the house and start over! ;D
Truthfully it is really a lot easier to do just that, if one can afford to do it that way.
Folks not far from me have bought an older house (like mine over even 10 years older than mine, c. 1960s, mine was built in 1970) Then they totally razed the old house and had a bigger one built on the lot.
Disadvantages: 1) the people obviously must have somewhere else they are staying for the 6 -9 months it takes to build the new one, and
2) the new one tho' it is priced appropriately for any new build, the quality is inferior to the old house.
It still "meets code" as we say, but the materials are cheaper, workmanship is not as "polished" (referring to appearances), nice details are lacking. My house is better built than a lot of the newer houses that cost twice the price of mine (at current market value).
We moved into a 1972 flat roof home September last year but so far we have had
- plug gas leak -> plumber for $AUD 100-200
- replace all the gas and water external plumbing -> 2 weeks of plumbing work and more than $20,000 work
- had a pool full of red dust from the bushfires (lots of work and $50-100 pool chems)
- broken pool pump due to dust from bushfires, $500 (I think)
- install a new split cycle heater/cooler for $3000
Still got
- two roof leaks to fix, one of which is right behind my chair in my office.
- broken electrical wiring outside the verandah (possum ate it)
- broken electrical wiring for garden lights (lawnmower ate it)
- shower drainpipe that plugs up every 4 months
Moving home is fun! We don't want to have to modify anything.
We had escaped (and sold!) a mission-brown 1977 house that had huge cracks across the ceiling. Som eone was actually happy to repair it! (They were a builder).
Quote from: Deimos on May 05, 2020, 10:44:11 AM
Oh my! If you had had a crystal ball at the time you first started all that you could have taken your own advice that you gave James, about totally ripping something out (e.g. his sidewalk) and replacing it rather than trying to shore it up/fix/restore it.
In your case just raze the house and start over! ;D
Truthfully it is really a lot easier to do just that, if one can afford to do it that way.
Folks not far from me have bought an older house (like mine over even 10 years older than mine, c. 1960s, mine was built in 1970) Then they totally razed the old house and had a bigger one built on the lot.
Disadvantages: 1) the people obviously must have somewhere else they are staying for the 6 -9 months it takes to build the new one, and
2) the new one tho' it is priced appropriately for any new build, the quality is inferior to the old house.
It still "meets code" as we say, but the materials are cheaper, workmanship is not as "polished" (referring to appearances), nice details are lacking. My house is better built than a lot of the newer houses that cost twice the price of mine (at current market value).
The house itself is is structurally sound, craftsman built, hardwood frame - it's just the 'peripherals', so to speak, that need attending to - it was built in 1968.
Quote from: Deimos on May 04, 2020, 08:46:20 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 04, 2020, 07:05:54 PM
SNIP
I'm also the proud owner of a 1970s British sports car (well, built 1970s. The design is very late 1950s)...
MGB?
Quote from: James Harrison on May 04, 2020, 07:05:54 PM
SNIP
Work this evening has run to making a start on getting the other tree out, which is a slightly easier job as it's a slightly smaller tree and should, fingers crossed, require a slightly smaller hole.
"...[T]hat hope which springs eternal...." ;)
No, not an MGB- I had it's smaller sibling, the Midget. But we don't talk about that.... afterward I bought a Spitfire (no, not the machinegun-toting Merlin-powered type) which has been fun and infuriating in about equal measure.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 05, 2020, 04:20:34 PM
No, not an MGB- I had it's smaller sibling, the Midget. But we don't talk about that....
Ah, the driveway ornament you so often referred to.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 05, 2020, 04:20:34 PM
I bought a Spitfire (no, not the machinegun-toting Merlin-powered type) which has been fun and infuriating in about equal measure.
I wish I could have been able to see it, and witness its' performance last summer.
Oh, we were going to Penhryn Castle in it, weren't we? And it started playing up dropping out of gear when I was getting it off the hotel carpark. Probably a good job we didn't go in it, it failed the MOT later that week because one of the chassis rails was cracked.
Plans for the long weekend:
1) The second of the trees to be removed: this last week I've done a fair bit of work removing branches and digging out around and underneath the tree. There are three roots I can see still supporting it; one right in the middle of it about 2" across, one on one side going under the pavement about 2", and one on the other other side going under the pavement about 5" across. So somehow I've got to get a saw into the non-existant gap betwixt trunk and pavement and work down. The good news is that the tree moves so freely and with such violence now that I think just getting most of the way through the larger root would weaken it to the point of failure.
2) Whilst digging out around the tree I've found some fragments of old decorative tile. Hopefully whilst removing more soil and getting the tree out I'll be able to find some more. This might give some more definitive dating evidence for the age of the house- it doesn't appear on the ordnance survey maps prior to the 1921 issue (revised 1923), but the building's architectural style and detailing seems more in keeping with a late Victorian or Edwardian date- certainly pre-WWI at any rate. In an ideal world of course I could just visit the town record office but even ignoring damnable plague it's only open I think the third weekend of every month and you have to ring up in advance and book the records you want. And when the online database of those records simply gives one number to several boxes of documents and plans covering the period 1890- 1954.... the phrase 'needle in a haystack' doesn't begin to cover it. There is another option- in 1910 or so there was a nation-wide land survey undertaken for tax purposes and the records for that are well-documented- but that would involve a trip to Kew. Which is obviously out of the question right now.
3) I've been able to buy the paint for the sitting room walls. This will be an involved job!- all 500 or so books need to be removed, all the furniture moved and covered, then get the ladders in.... but I'm looking forward to starting it. The main wall colour I've got, however the white gloss for the woodwork will have to wait until next payday.
Scratch point 1. Both trees are now out- no more gardening for a little while! (Unless I can get a gardening fork, in whcih case the soil needs breaking up and turning over).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49869179178_5c745622f4_c.jpg)
That was exhausting and backbreaking and I'm glad it's over and done with. The roots are cut off below the soil so if they start to grow back I might need to dig it out again and prune.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49869712426_0d064a7d5c_c.jpg)
Whilst digging the second tree out I found a few pieces of tile, which once cleaned up it turn outs actually fit together. A modest effort on Google this morning suggests it was made by Craven Dunnill Jackfield of Ironbridge, founded 1872 and still active today. I'm now investigating whether they have an archive of designs and patterns which would tell me whether this is a floor, wall or fireplace tile and whether they still make them.
I would guess, judging by the colour and where found, if 25mm 1" thick that there could be an original floor or garden tile, is it glazed? if not, odds on.
Nope, not glazed, and it's roughly I should say 0.75" thick. I'm guessing the patterned side (the photograph) would have been the underside. The other side (not photographed) is just a smooth unmarked surface. The fragments I've got add up to a triangle roughly 4" x 3"; judging by the details on the back, I reckon an unbroken one would probably be 5 or 6" square.
Garden tile. I'd bet on it. If you found a reddish one too, there's your garden path design plan sorted. ;D
I've not found a red tile, yet. I've found a couple of old broken bricks and roof tiles by the wall, but that's it. Of course, both gardens need going over with a fork to break up the soil so who knows what will turn up when I get around to that?
~Addendum~
First coat of paint applied to the fireplace alcove and the back wall of the sitting room. It took three hours or so and I'm worn out and bored to tears by the idea of more painting tonight. Tomorrow I might move the sofa and do another wall or two.
Isn't it VE Day over your way? Why not take a well earned break from breaking your back. 8)
That Möbius restoration loop will still be there Monday morning, juneau...
Builders and renovators can be very lazy, dumping what they tear out over the years in the property to save skiip costs, have you had a floor up yet? (I'm assuming floorboards under, let me guess, Laminate? ::) ) What about the loft? I'd be straight up there with a lead-light inspecting things. When I used to fit heating I have seen broken up cast iron and marble fireplaces and most of a sandstone bay shoved under the floor, so you never know what could be lurking........
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2020, 03:19:55 PM
Isn't it VE Day over your way? Why not take a well earned break from breaking your back. 8)
That Möbius restoration loop will still be there Monday morning, juneau...
It is indeed, it's a Bank Holiday in honour of being the 75th Anniversary. Sorry, let me rephrase that. It's the early May Bank Holiday, shifted a few days. Government decided last year that it would do too much damage to the economy to let everyone have a one-off three-day working week by giving us the May Bank Holiday and then a VE Bank Holiday a few days later. Which rings pretty hollow right now of course.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 08, 2020, 03:33:42 PM
Builders and renovators can be very lazy, dumping what they tear out over the years in the property to save skiip costs, have you had a floor up yet? (I'm assuming floorboards under, let me guess, Laminate? ::) ) What about the loft? I'd be straight up there with a lead-light inspecting things. When I used to fit heating I have seen broken up cast iron and marble fireplaces and most of a sandstone bay shoved under the floor, so you never know what could be lurking........
How did you guess I've got laminate in the reception rooms? :D I'm in two minds about it, it may come up it may not. Below which are of course the floorboards and, this being an old house, below the floorboards there's an airgap ventilating to outside via a couple of airbricks. I understand this is a safeguard of sorts against one or other of the types of rot.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2020, 03:51:00 PM
Below which are of course the floorboards and, this being an old house, below the floorboards there's an airgap ventilating to outside via a couple of airbricks. I understand this is a safeguard of sorts against one or other of the types of rot.
Ventilation is vital, underfloor, cavity, loft etc, what gets me is cavity insulation, I have heard so many stories of yes, the house is eco friendlier now, but I have damp, dry-rot, wet-rot and mould.
Chimneys are another thing, every-one blocks them up, but they are a vital source of air change, the cold you feel is actually updraft, we try to achieve a hermetic seal with double glazing and insulation to save on fuel bills, but at the end of the day a house needs to naturally breath with lots of fresh airflow, cold as that maybe.
:P
My house is concrete block (8 x 8 x 16 inches... 2 cavity).
It has no insulation at all except in the ceiling. I do have double glazed windows (an improvement).
But I have a lot of "airflow".
The block acts as a thermal mass, slowly absorbing the [often extreme] heat over the summer and and then releasing it to keep the house warm from October to December.
I usually do not have to use the heat pump until January, and then only at night (nights are typically around 40F).
From December through March the blocks cool off and then keep the house cool enough (similar to adobe but not nearly as efficient) that I do not need to use the Air cond. until mid-late April or May.
That is, the block heat up and cools down lagging the outside temps by about 3 months.
It is why no insulation is used in the walls.
The picture is a pretty accurate depiction of how my house is constructed, except there is no exterior "stucco" (yuck-o) finish...just painted block.
(https://www.greenbuildermedia.com/hs-fs/hub/309276/file-2535478144-jpg/Blog_Images/Jack_Nersinger/cbs.jpg?width=753&name=cbs.jpg)
That looks to be quite specialised to the area, noting the comment about subterranean termites (we don't have those in Staffordshire)... nor do we have hurricanes. Other than that though it's quite similar to how houses in the UK are built, except for the materials. Concrete blocks tend to be used on the inside face of structural or load-bearing walls, and the outside face is generally brick. That's for modern construction of course- older houses such as mine have suspended floors with an air gap, but below that I'm expecting I will find a concrete raft of some description, which was the norm by the turn of the 20th Century. One day I'll dedicate a post to the books and sources that I'm using for structural matters.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49873887167_75d2b5dcbf_c.jpg)
Yes, there is new paint in the sitting room. No, it's not given a brilliant even finish. Yes, it needs a second coat. Frustratingly the camera consistently fails to give an accurate reading of the colour, which is a nice deep rich lively blue. The colour, by the way, is 'Antibes' from B&Q. It's a similar tone to the Farrow and Ball 'Stiffkey Blue' I originally intended to use but has more vibrancy to it and is about a quarter of the cost.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2020, 10:17:01 AM
....
Yes, there is new paint in the sitting room. No, it's not given a brilliant even finish. Yes, it needs a second coat. Frustratingly the camera consistently fails to give an accurate reading of the colour, which is a nice deep rich lively blue. The colour, by the way, is 'Antibes' from B&Q. It's a similar tone to the Farrow and Ball 'Stiffkey Blue' I originally intended to use but has more vibrancy to it and is about a quarter of the cost.
Are the walls plaster (as in venetian plaster) or just painted sheetrock/drywall (what I think you all call plasterboard/wallboard/gypsumboard)
If the walls are real plaster I can see why the first coat looks so uneven.
But if the surface is drywall, even the first coat should look more even than it does.
What kind of roller are you using?
Difficult to say whether the walls are plaster or 'just' plasterboard. I recall when we drilled them to put the bookshelves up it came away more like a fine dust than grains. Which suggests it's more like a plaster. I'm not using a roller for this as when I whitewashed the walls a few months ago it proved pretty much less than useless, comprehensively failing to spread the paint. So this has all been done with brushes- between 0.5" and3". I suspect the fact that halfway through I started wetting the brush before dipping in the paint to improve the flow has a good deal to do with the patchy look. The good news is that the side wall I did this morning has a far better, more uniform, look to it.
The plan for this afternoon- is it 3.30PM already?!? is to start down the other side of the room working toward the window.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2020, 02:34:51 PM
Difficult to say whether the walls are plaster or 'just' plasterboard. I recall when we drilled them to put the bookshelves up it came away more like a fine dust than grains. Which suggests it's more like a plaster. I'm not using a roller for this as when I whitewashed the walls a few months ago it proved pretty much less than useless, comprehensively failing to spread the paint. So this has all been done with brushes- between 0.5" and3". I suspect the fact that halfway through I started wetting the brush before dipping in the paint to improve the flow has a good deal to do with the patchy look. The good news is that the side wall I did this morning has a far better, more uniform, look to it.
The plan for this afternoon- is it 3.30PM already?!? is to start down the other side of the room working toward the window.
TBH I suspect that given the probable age of the building it'll be plaster over lath/brick rather than plasterboard, and using a brush over that sort of area would definitely contribute to a slightly patchy finish.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2020, 02:34:51 PM
...
The plan for this afternoon- is it 3.30PM already?!? is to start down the other side of the room working toward the window.
Please say that you are going to take down the shelf brackets before you start painting in earnest.....please tell me that.
The shelf brackets.... yes... they had to be drilled and then screwed into solid masonry. Then because of the porous nature of the bricks we had to use a mastic to secure them in. So the brackets are going nowhere unless you pull the house down, and even then I think they'd still stubbornly hold on. The shelves, about half of them have had to be sized to fit a specific location. I'm not about to start taking them off and then playing 'lets see where this one fits' later. It will be quicker and easier all around to just paint around them and clean up afterward.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on May 09, 2020, 02:54:38 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2020, 02:34:51 PM
Difficult to say whether the walls are plaster or 'just' plasterboard. I recall when we drilled them to put the bookshelves up it came away more like a fine dust than grains. Which suggests it's more like a plaster. I'm not using a roller for this as when I whitewashed the walls a few months ago it proved pretty much less than useless, comprehensively failing to spread the paint. So this has all been done with brushes- between 0.5" and3". I suspect the fact that halfway through I started wetting the brush before dipping in the paint to improve the flow has a good deal to do with the patchy look. The good news is that the side wall I did this morning has a far better, more uniform, look to it.
The plan for this afternoon- is it 3.30PM already?!? is to start down the other side of the room working toward the window.
TBH I suspect that given the probable age of the building it'll be plaster over lath/brick rather than plasterboard, and using a brush over that sort of area would definitely contribute to a slightly patchy finish.
All I can say is that until I started wetting the brush before dipping into the paint it wasn't spreading. The brush would go to the wall, the paint would come off the brush, and then the brush would immediately start to drag when trying to spread it. I've dubbed it Thirsty Wall Syndrome. Curiously, the other walls didn't seem to suffer quite so badly with it- in slightly more time than it took to paint the back wall, the rest of the room got done today.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49874387938_4a95278bfd_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49874388158_fb57298ece_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49875229502_3ab6af72ac_c.jpg)
Second coat starts tomorrow- I have about 500 books piled up in the dining room that need to be back on their shelves by Monday otherwise I shall have nowhere to conduct my day job. For tonight- I would say a beverage with a % proof is in order, but I'm all out in that line and obviously the pub isn't an option.
Look I know this is your house, but, yep there's always a but with me.
Too bold for my taste, I would at least bang in a white picture rail, white from that to the ceiling and maybe a white dado to break up the slab of colour, then maybe, just maybe a very slightly lighter blue between the two, so you go White skirting, dark blue, white dado, lighter blue, white picture rail, white to ceiling. Will add a few breaks.
I hate painting btw and really must get around to it myself.............
Yeah, I'm keeping the reveal around the bay window white above sill level for exactly that reason. I've got a very nice deep plaster cornice which will also be staying white. I like the idea of dado and picture rails- always have- and I'm thinking of having one or the other in the other in dining room and hallway- but they have to fall, for me, at a reasonable level. In the sitting room that would be at the top of the door frame, and then following that line around it would pick up the top bookshelf- no problem- and then come around to the bay window and land about 3" below the top of the glazing, which would just look awkward and botched. That's a problem I'm also going to have if I go for dado or picture rails in the dining room- there's going to be an awkward bit of detailing to get it around the window and still look right.
And now that I've had a go at painting a room myself- I've never done it before- I wholeheartedly agree it can be an awful job. The problem I was having yesterday was it just wouldn't spread- get it on the wall and marvel as it gets suckered up by the plaster- hence why I took to wetting the brush first, which got around that problem but left a very patchy finish. Today's issue was the lack of natural light (it's been very overcast all day) which meant trying to paint by artificial light, which I've found is excellent at hiding any patchy areas or streaks until you've moved on to another area, so you have to keep coming back to bits already done.
Been reading up on painting plaster walls.
Prep work, is always emphasised of course (no matter what the surface is.)
So the articles mentioned priming with shellac to seal it.
I've always used shellac to first seal a surface when I wasn't sure how the old paint or finish (such as on wood) would behave with a new paint finish. Prevents non-adhesion, peeling, wrinkling... I love the stuff as a surface prep.
It will also stop any mildew, ( altho' mildew is not a big problem in the desert ;))
So....you might try sealing maybe just one wall with shellac (just as an experiment) before painting it.
Yes, it is an extra step and expense, but if it works the advantages are,
1) the paint will go on much easier,
2) you won't need more than 2 coats of paint because the plaster won't be sucking it up, which should save you a chunk of change.
3) coats will be much more uniform in color ...i.e. no splotching
4) makes the whole job less onerous
I'll bear that in mind for the next room. Because today a second coat went on the back wall and the alcove and....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49879850257_cd8238542f_c.jpg)
Much more acceptable result, and the paint flowed better too.
So from this point, the other walls need a second coat- this will probably take a few days at least considering the only time to hand are going to be a few hours each evening- and when that is done I'll leave it a week or so for the paint to really fully dry and harden, and then paint the cornice and the window reveal. That's probably two weeks' evenings, all told. By that point I might be able to justify buying the gloss for the skirting and door frame. The problem with the skirting board is that it has sprung, so needs securing back in place (this was one of the jobs the carpenter would have been doing had it not been for the plague).
Anyhow, bits I can get done by myself basically mean that when this plague has gone away I'll only need the new light fitted, the new radiator fitted and the skirting board sorted out and then this room is more or less done.
~Addendum~ I'm forgetting the ironwork for the brackets. They will be cleaned up.
Last night I had a go at breaking up the tree trunks. Too much like hard work, mission aborted- though I may have another crack at the smaller tree tonight. Whilst doing that, I found a few more pieces of broken tile, which suggests that the path may once have been made up of a mixture of 5" square and 1" square buff-coloured tiles. I also found a piece of red tile, which I reckon would originally have been on the roof, as there is a nail hole neatly drilled through it.
Work also progressed in the sitting room, where the chimneybreast got a second coat of paint. That makes, err, five sections of wall painted. Out of fourteen.
So, tonight's plan:
1) Rake up the last bits of tree foliage and branches in the garden;
2) Make an attempt to reduce the smaller of the two trees to kindling;
3) Paint another few sections of wall.
I while back, I thought you wrote about getting some paint rolls. Would a small paint roll have helped with the uniformity issue? Or did the damnable plague interfere with that as well? Of course, I mean, depending on what is still considered "essential" and still can be purchased across the pond. There are in fact acrylic primers of various shades for the very same situation you face.
Yes, I bought some paint rollers. The little one (that will squeeze behind the back of a radiator) is actually quite good, the larger one perhaps less so. It tends to stick a lot, or alternatively throw an unholy mix of paint and water everywhere like some sort of possessed paddlesteamer thrashing about. So I've resorted to brushes instead, which get the job done, s-l-o-w-l-y and tiringly.
I think the plan for this evening will be to finish the blue paint in the sitting room, as last night I managed to get both the second alcove and below the bay window done.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49890601098_176c07612e_c.jpg)
All blue walls done....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49891110278_2c378a3f56_c.jpg)
Next objective: strip and repaint the bay window reveal and window sill. Actually the window sill is already stripped, it just needs repainting. I think I'll go for a slightly off-white satin or eggshell for these, and on the skirting boards too.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 13, 2020, 07:37:25 PM
All blue walls done....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49891110278_2c378a3f56_c.jpg)
Next objective: strip and repaint the bay window reveal and window sill. Actually the window sill is already stripped, it just needs repainting. I think I'll go for a slightly off-white satin or eggshell for these, and on the skirting boards too.
And tidy up the tops of your walls, too! ;D Or did you tape those first?
Quote from: Banfili on May 14, 2020, 01:32:01 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 13, 2020, 07:37:25 PM
All blue walls done....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49891110278_2c378a3f56_c.jpg)
Next objective: strip and repaint the bay window reveal and window sill. Actually the window sill is already stripped, it just needs repainting. I think I'll go for a slightly off-white satin or eggshell for these, and on the skirting boards too.
And tidy up the tops of your walls, too! ;D Or did you tape those first?
You mean the crown moldings.
Yes the cornice are on the to-do list. I've got to wait for the paint to fully dry out first- I don't want it peeling off with the masking tape.
Are you using regular masking tape or the stuff vehicle painters use for lining out & stuff!
Just regular decorator's low tack masking tape.
Tonight then the window reveal got a dousing with paint stripper. After the fun and games I had with a palm sander on the window sill, I'm quite surprised how little fuss I've had so far. Paint it on, give it a little while to soften the paint and then it just falls off with the slightest touch from a scraper.
The venetian blinds had to be taken down to get at the window reveal of course and this highlighted an amusing bodge. They had a nice little decorative moulding on them, which proved to be secured with velcro. I'm debating at the moment whether I want to reinstate blinds at all, as I without them there's a lot more light in the room. There's also something of an exposed feel though, considering how the trees and bushes are largely gone from the garden and how the footpath actually curves around in front of the house. I do prefer the option of having at least a bit of privacy.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 14, 2020, 05:20:24 PM
Tonight then the window reveal got a dousing with paint stripper. After the fun and games I had with a palm sander on the window sill, I'm quite surprised how little fuss I've had so far. Paint it on, give it a little while to soften the paint and then it just falls off with the slightest touch from a scraper.
The venetian blinds had to be taken down to get at the window reveal of course and this highlighted an amusing bodge. They had a nice little decorative moulding on them, which proved to be secured with velcro. I'm debating at the moment whether I want to reinstate blinds at all, as I without them there's a lot more light in the room. There's also something of an exposed feel though, considering how the trees and bushes are largely gone from the garden and how the footpath actually curves around in front of the house. I do prefer the option of having at least a bit of privacy.
Might I suggest some net curtains? That would be in keeping with the style you're looking to achieve overall.
Looking good and I like the colour. A few suggestions/ bits of advice based upon the various decorating I have done in my house/my mum and dads house.
1: Don't water down emulsion paint, the emulsion from B&Q etc. is already the right consistency for applying with a brush or roller.
2: Rollers splatter a lot, that's just how they are so you will need to cover everything with dust sheets (end of life curtains and bed sheets work well). Use a proper roller tray and make sure you don't have too much paint on the roller (roll paint out of it on the textured surface of the tray before applying to the walls) or it will splatter more.
3: A roller will be unusable if you water down the paint, a roller will (generally) give a more even finish than a brush on large areas but you need to use random strokes with it not do it in lines.
4: Unless you are looking to go for a varnished wood finish for your window frames (or the existing paint is flaking) stripping them is generally a waste of time, just give them a light sand and paint over wear a good mask as a house the age of your's WILL have lead paint.
5: Same as above applies to plastered walls, if the walls are already painted the plaster is sealed and no primer should be needed unless you're trying to cover a dark colour with a light colour or cover old water stains etc. Wash the walls down with sugarsoap before painting and the paint will stick better. If you have bare plaster, paint with a 60/40 paint/water mix (with a brush), to cure the "thirsty wall" issue no need to use your good paint for this I have some watered down wilko basics paint for this purpose.
6: Masking tape is often more likely to pull paint off if you let the paint fully dry/harden before removing (especially for gloss/satinwood paint). If this is problem, run a sharp knife along the edge before pulling the tape off.
7: As I'm sure you have discovered it's usually far easier to paint before installing shelves etc!
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on May 15, 2020, 07:32:51 AM
Looking good and I like the colour. A few suggestions/ bits of advice based upon the various decorating I have done in my house/my mum and dads house.
1: Don't water down emulsion paint, the emulsion from B&Q etc. is already the right consistency for applying with a brush or roller.
2: Rollers splatter a lot, that's just how they are so you will need to cover everything with dust sheets (end of life curtains and bed sheets work well). Use a proper roller tray and make sure you don't have too much paint on the roller (roll paint out of it on the textured surface of the tray before applying to the walls) or it will splatter more.
3: A roller will be unusable if you water down the paint, a roller will (generally) give a more even finish than a brush on large areas but you need to use random strokes with it not do it in lines.
4: Unless you are looking to go for a varnished wood finish for your window frames (or the existing paint is flaking) stripping them is generally a waste of time, just give them a light sand and paint over wear a good mask as a house the age of your's WILL have lead paint.
5: Same as above applies to plastered walls, if the walls are already painted the plaster is sealed and no primer should be needed unless you're trying to cover a dark colour with a light colour or cover old water stains etc. Wash the walls down with sugarsoap before painting and the paint will stick better. If you have bare plaster, paint with a 60/40 paint/water mix (with a brush), to cure the "thirsty wall" issue no need to use your good paint for this I have some watered down wilko basics paint for this purpose.
6: Masking tape is often more likely to pull paint off if you let the paint fully dry/harden before removing (especially for gloss/satinwood paint). If this is problem, run a sharp knife along the edge before pulling the tape off.
7: As I'm sure you have discovered it's usually far easier to paint before installing shelves etc!
All very very good which I heartily endorse (he says whilst resting his aching body). The only reason I painted around the shelves was because after the fun we had putting them up it was the lesser of two evils, believe me. Much of the plaster appears to be new- at least in the sitting room. I'm trying to smooth down the window reveal at the moment- it was thick with paint- and although the original goal was to take it back to plasterwork and regain the 3mm or so of extra space it's reaching a point where the effort isn't worth the return.
The weekend's activity is repainting the window sill and reveal. I've got some eggshell brilliant white paint, which seems to be going down really well. Efforts to sand *all* of the existing paint off the reveal were terminated as successive coats of paint stripper removed increasingly less paint, it reached the point where the effort wasn't worth the result. So I washed it all down- the stripper did at least do a good job of removing the worst excesses of the existing paint, which had deep runs and ridges in it- and set to with paint brush. I think another coat on the window sill tomorrow and that part will be done. And then onto cleaning up the cornices with some emulsion.
Thinking ahead to when damnable plague is finished I'm starting to look at brass- or even oak- electrical sockets and switches.
Window reveal and sill are done- next stage is cleaning up the cornices. Tried white emulsion on these, it was next to useless so the eggshell brilliant white was brought onto the job. It's done quite well but it will need a second coat (rapidly coming to the conclusion that phrase should be the subtitle for the thread) and trying to paint in the very bottom of the cornice- the underside- is an exercise in futility. So when I touch in the blue paint- probably next week- the underside of the cornice will probably remain blue and then the white will come in at the lowest point of the vertical plane. When that is done there is still the skirting board to attend to, which needs at least partially stripping down and repainting (and given how quickly the eggshell paint is diminishing I think I'll need a second tin of it to be sure of being able to finish the job), but when that is done- and when the shelf brackets have been cleaned up (I'll need to lay in a stock of black metal paint for those) and the mantelpiece has been cleaned down, I'll have taken it as far as I personally can. We'll then be in the hands of damnable plague as everything else needs to be done by tradespeople who obviously can't come right now.
Today's activity has been to start cleaning up the cornices. However, in other news, I may have been able to pin down the date of the house a little more.
Now, this is a bit convoluted, so bear with me.
The particular area of Stafford where I live has a local history website, part of which gives details of the people who appear on the local war memorial and roll of honour. One of those people is listed as 'killed in action 1917, the son of ------, of 267 Ventnor Terrace.' Now I have noticed that most of the larger houses in the street have names- I always have a private chuckle at one of them because it's the name of the slum estate where my Mother grew up....
But I've never noticed a Ventnor Terrace and I've been wondering why my own terrace doesn't seem to have a name, like the others. I'd also point out that the current no.267 is a terraced house. In fact it's a few doors further down my own terrace.
So I signed up for a trial period on a genealogy website and trawled through the 1911 Census. It turns out 'Ventnor Terrace' was a terrace of nine houses. None of them are identified as No.267. My terrace is also, a terrace of nine houses... further, if I look at the 1923 Ordnance Survey map, there's only one terrace of nine houses- and wouldn't you know but it's my terrace.
It's all conjectural of course as there's no definitive proof, but there's substantial circumstancial evidence, I would argue, that the following is true:
- The current No.262 - No.270 constitute what was formerly known as Ventnor Terrace;
- Being on the end, my house would either have been No.1 or No.9;
- As both No.1 and No.9 are listed as occupied in the 1911 Census it must therefore follow of course that the house predates that.
~Addendum~ supposition confirmed. Typing "Ventnor Terrace, Doxey" into Google brings up a deadlink but of course the first few lines appear on the Google search page. "Number 50, Doxey still bears a faint sign indicating Hawthorne Terrace. Opposite was Ventnor Terrace including the houses from the junction with The Crescent...."
The Crescent is the name of the street running down the side of my house, No.50 is only a few yards donw the road from my house- on the opposite side- and the faint sign is actually painted on (the bricks are painted a dull cream colour and the text is largely washed out). So the next question now is- is there any evidencethat my house would have had a similar sign?
Always interesting to find out the history of a house. As a student I once lived in a house where the roofline was very slightly different to the houses either side. I found out from chatting to neighbours that the houses on the road had all been individually built (despite being a terrace) and the one we were in was the first built. Interesting but also a pain as the different roof angles resulted in lots of leaky lead flashing!
Oh absolutely it's interesting. I've just been looking up whether I could reinstate the 'Ventnor Terrace' moniker. Well, after a fashion I could, but it would cost money that's arguably better spent elsewhere and at the end of it I'd have an address that looks odd, if I could get [number] Ventnor Terrace, [address] I probably would but it looks like it would have to be the format Ventnor Terrace [number] [address] which is wrong no matter which way you cut it.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 17, 2020, 06:26:22 PM
Oh absolutely it's interesting. I've just been looking up whether I could reinstate the 'Ventnor Terrace' moniker. Well, after a fashion I could, but it would cost money that's arguably better spent elsewhere and at the end of it I'd have an address that looks odd, if I could get [number] Ventnor Terrace, [address] I probably would but it looks like it would have to be the format Ventnor Terrace [number] [address] which is wrong no matter which way you cut it.
Please do keep on with the search - I do love an historical mystery! My own house was built in 1968/9 by the owner/builder, and doesn't have any kind of mystery about it at all, apart from why on earth they built it with the bedrooms on the side facing the noisiest side of the house next door - the kitchen and living room!
Quote from: James Harrison on May 17, 2020, 06:26:22 PM
Oh absolutely it's interesting. I've just been looking up whether I could reinstate the 'Ventnor Terrace' moniker. Well, after a fashion I could, but it would cost money that's arguably better spent elsewhere and at the end of it I'd have an address that looks odd, if I could get [number] Ventnor Terrace, [address] I probably would but it looks like it would have to be the format Ventnor Terrace [number] [address] which is wrong no matter which way you cut it.
Why not go for a purely decorative name plate by the door such as "Ventnor Villa" or some such? I remember plenty of houses/terraces in my home town which had stone 'builder's plates' with a name and date such as "[X] Villa 19XX" set into the front.
That's one option, but I'm not sure if it comes under the Council's definition of naming/ changing the name of the house. I think for the present I'll just informally refer to it as 'Ventnor Terrace' in conversation rather than start adding it to my address.
This might be of some help to you, James. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/4209325/Property-advice-How-to-change-the-name-of-your-house.html. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/4209325/Property-advice-How-to-change-the-name-of-your-house.html.) Or just ask the P.O. & L.A. for more info.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on May 18, 2020, 07:43:13 PM
This might be of some help to you, James. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/4209325/Property-advice-How-to-change-the-name-of-your-house.html. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/4209325/Property-advice-How-to-change-the-name-of-your-house.html.) Or just ask the P.O. & L.A. for more info.
I get 404 on that link.
Quote from: von Corax on May 18, 2020, 08:23:05 PM
Quote from: Mercury Wells on May 18, 2020, 07:43:13 PM
This might be of some help to you, James. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/4209325/Property-advice-How-to-change-the-name-of-your-house.html. (https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/property/advice/4209325/Property-advice-How-to-change-the-name-of-your-house.html.) Or just ask the P.O. & L.A. for more info.
I get 404 on that link.
So do I as well,strange it worked earlier.
I can't access that link either :(
The main difficulty I foresee- should I decide to pursue reinstating the old name- is that the house is one of a terrace of nine. Maybe, when this damned plague is over, time to meet the neighbours and sound them out on it. It'd be very odd if only the one house in the terrace used it.
Would you want to have your place just being one of 9, or somewhere unique?
Sorontar
The name applies to all nine though, hence the 'Terrace' bit. You can't have one or two houses in the row using the name and the others not bothering, it makes nonsense of it.
Update: the blue paint is just about finished. There's just a few areas of white cornice to clean up (again) and then to source some black Hammerite or hobby paint for the brackets.
~Addendum~ white paint cleaned up. This has been a saga, trying to repaint a whole room by myself.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917236891_fe103b533a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49916723153_0529bf3ca5_c.jpg)
9PM, May 20 2020, and the walls are done- basically the stuff to be done now is smaller cleaning up jobs, a new light and new radiator (and painting behind that, when the existing radiator is removed). Two days shy of having been here for three months.
James, what a lovely room! That is looking really beautiful - "Proper job", sir!!
I'm gonna have to eat my previous words of doubt.
That looks really good!
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 21, 2020, 05:34:43 AM
I'm gonna have to eat my previous words of doubt.
That looks really good!
Quote from: Banfili on May 20, 2020, 11:00:21 PM
James, what a lovely room! That is looking really beautiful - "Proper job", sir!!
Thanks! I think what I'm finding is why I failed as a wannabe architect 15-some-odd years ago. I have these ideas which can work well in execution, but when it comes to describing them either orally, written or drawn I find of struggle to get my intention across. The other rooms of course will need to be treated a bit lighter as I just won't get the same levels of sunlight or even daylight, but I'm holding off doing anything until I have a concept for what I want to achieve.
That sounds like a good plan!
I have plans for my place if I can get enough money together to see the project through! Stages 7 to 10 in the renovation plan!!
That does look rather splendid
Quote from: Banfili on May 21, 2020, 11:25:49 AM
That sounds like a good plan!
I have plans for my place if I can get enough money together to see the project through! Stages 7 to 10 in the renovation plan!!
10/20 years in, a sudden, unexplained brainfart in the middle of the night ruins all previous plans and when put into action covers the whole house in brick dust and rubble, which takes the next year to clean............ Bin there, done that ::)
I hope not, I really do. I'm thinking at the moment 'how splendid it would be' if I were to lower the upstairs ceilings and install a second staircase to turn the attic space into a habitable room. Realistically- I don't have the money to employ somebody to do it, nor the wherewithall to do it myself. Mind you, by the time I'm ready to look at the upstairs rooms- the bathroom and the bedrooms (which are almost at the bottom of the list), I might be able to afford it.
No, I think if I'm going to go into the tear own and rebuild side of things I'd be looking at adding a conservatory down the side of the kitchen and a small summerhouse by the garage- or even installing a second floor over the garage space. But this is extra room I don't need yet.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 20, 2020, 08:07:23 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917236891_fe103b533a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49916723153_0529bf3ca5_c.jpg)
9PM, May 20 2020, and the walls are done- basically the stuff to be done now is smaller cleaning up jobs, a new light and new radiator (and painting behind that, when the existing radiator is removed). Two days shy of having been here for three months.
Nice colour combination. Blue on white and brown or possibly orange-brown. Sounds odd, but it's a combination I know very well, because we had it all over at my childhood home to great effect.
Funny you should mention brown because that's the colour of the curtains that were left behind when I moved in. I did think they might need replacing but having put them back up a few nights ago as an interim measure whilst I draw breath (and wait for payday) I've actually noticed they complement the blue quite well, so they're probably going to stay.
The last few bits I'm planning to look at are cleaning up the fireplace and the shelf brackets; I was able, yesterday, to buy a tin of black eggshell paint so that's going to be this weekend's chore. There are 40 brackets to repaint and so far I've done 6 of them, and my assessment of the task is that watching paint dry would be less mind-numbingly dull.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 22, 2020, 04:40:46 PM
Funny you should mention brown because that's the colour of the curtains that were left behind when I moved in. I did think they might need replacing but having put them back up a few nights ago as an interim measure whilst I draw breath (and wait for payday) I've actually noticed they complement the blue quite well, so they're probably going to stay.
The last few bits I'm planning to look at are cleaning up the fireplace and the shelf brackets; I was able, yesterday, to buy a tin of black eggshell paint so that's going to be this weekend's chore. There are 40 brackets to repaint and so far I've done 6 of them, and my assessment of the task is that watching paint dry would be less mind-numbingly dull.
The three colours are setting the tone for decoration. Try to repeat the pattern. Bring white for definition and light (eg a large blue and white Chinese vase somewhere). The floor and door are setting the colours for furniture, a coffee table made from some Victorian farm implement for example. Blue glassware...
For us it was the 1970s, so you guessed it, the blue part was the rug! Dark royal blue, with orange brick, clay tile floors and wall brown wood frames and 1950 modern redwood furniture. White ceilings and some walls as well, accented with Mexican ethnic art for a splash of colour. Cobalt blue and white Spanish patterned tile in the kitchen. All cobalt blue hand-blown glassware. It had a lot of impact, in a very good way. Looked like something out of a fashion magazine or an architectural magazine.
I've actually got a veritable cornucopia of colours in the sitting room; consider....
-deep blue walls;
-light brown curtains;
-wood effect floors;
-varnished timber door;
-white skirting/cornice/window reveal;
-burgundy sofa;
-black fireplace and bookshelves;
-green rug and tiling to the fireplace.
Somehow it all gels nicely.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 23, 2020, 10:07:08 AM
I've actually got a veritable cornucopia of colours in the sitting room; consider....
-deep blue walls;
-light brown curtains;
-wood effect floors;
-varnished timber door;
-white skirting/cornice/window reveal;
-burgundy sofa;
-black fireplace and bookshelves;
-green rug and tiling to the fireplace.
Somehow it all gels nicely.
Purely uniform tones are practically impossible to find and undesirable. Our bricks on the wall were hand formed and fired so they came in various shades from chocolate brown to bright orange.
Burgundy on the sofa groups with the bruwn/orange/red group. The wood looks to be a bit on the orange side for the floor and door. Green might seem as a stretch to group with blue, but it is the closest because tthe "deep blue" looks, at least on my screen to have some green content. Black is neutral. White can also vary in shade, though I'd recommend to stay away from yellowish tones to allow white to be sharper at defining edges. You basically have 3 colours.
@James : When you say "Wood effect floors" what is that exactly?
In the US "wood floors" can be one of three types:
1)Real solid wood (often "reclaimed"), that is 100% wood, the planks being about 1" (2cm) thick ...the best to have, if you can afford it.
2)Engineered (aka engineered laminate) wood floor which is a laminate of 5-7 layers of artificial material with the top layer (5mm) being real wood. The overall thickness is typically no more than 12mm, if that.
It typically comes in planks or squares which are locked together for install. Next best thing to real wood, except that unlike real wood you can only sand it (for refinishing) a few times before you sand through it to the other non-wood layers.
3) Laminate "with the look of real wood" ....made like the engineered wood except that the top layer is a foil that looks like wood. Shapes and install are also the same.
It is the most affordable and the most commonly used but is also the least durable. In the US the most well known name for (to the point of it becoming a generic term for all wood look laminate flooring) is PERGO.
The image on the foil can look really good or completely fake. Price, of course, is usually the determining factor.
Edit: after Googling Pergo it seems the company also offers engineered (or engineered laminate) flooring.
But originally --at least 30 years ago when I first heard about it--- Pergo was strictly the total fake stuff.
A variation on the the totally fake wood look floor is LVT --Luxury Vinyl Tile--- which can be squares or planks or roll-out sheets. Some brands look totally, amazingly like real wood.
It can also be made to look like stone (this being only in squares or sheets) and because it is vinyl it can be textured to mimic real stone, such as travertine or slate.
As best as I can tell, the floor in the sitting room is about 5mm thick and composed of that laminated stuff that locks together (sold in planks that clip together tongue and groove fashion). Onto which is printed or laminated a sort of pine effect. I'm not entirely certain how I want to progress with this. Around the fireplace I can lift it up a little and it suggests that underneath there's a black or very dark brown floor (I can't tell whether this is the floorboards- I know it was the fashion prior to fitted carpets to paint floorboards).
If I go down the route of taking the floor out, 1) I don't know what it will reveal- sometimes what you don't know won't worry you... 2) It would lower the floor by about 5mm, meaning that 'something' would need to be done with the skirting boards. And the door frame. 3) I'd then need to decide whether to clean up the original floorboards or re-cover them.
If I keep the current flooring though it will definitely need cleaning as it's covered in paint spots, little drips of filler, brick dust, paint dust....
The wooden floor suits the room but part of me wants to see if a darker tone, such as a walnut, might suit it even better.
So, what is left to do in the sitting room?
Shall we start with the elements that I'm either dealing with or can do for myself?
1) Cleaning up the shelf brackets. There are 40 of these and they got covered with spots of white and blue paint whilst painting the rooms. To this end I've bought some eggshell black paint and I'm using one of my larger hobby brushes to repaint them back into black. I've got 6 of these left to do.
2) Repainting the fireplace surround. This is a flat slate black sort of a colour and informed my decision to go for black shelving. It's looking a bit tired so I'll be giving it a new coat of black paint.
3) A coffee table. I ordered one, with a 12-week delivery timescale, and then plague struck, so it could be another 12 weeks after that's done its thing before it turns up.
4) A CD unit in the bay window. Myself and my brother are looking at building one basically from scratch. Of course it's going to have to wait until after plague.
5) A new light fitting in the ceiling. I've actually got the light sitting in a box in the spare room. Had plague not struck it would have been fitted by now.
6) A new radiator. Again, I have the radiator to hand. It's waiting on the plumber being able to come and fit it.... and of course in between remving the existing radiator and fitting the new one, there's a path of wall that currently can't be reached that needs to be repainted.
7) Varnishing the door. Maybe a summer holiday job?
Re: the floor...
I'd live with it for now if it's in good shape, and only needs cleaning up.
As you mentioned it would be a lot of work to replace it...not so much pulling it up (if it's floating) as dealing with the skirting and door frame being too high.
The quick and dirty way of dealing with too high skirting would be a strip of "quarter round" to cover the gap.
I've never liked the look of that because it screams "cover-up" but it's still done a lot.
And it doesn't address the gap at the bottom of the door frame.
You'd either have to cut and install new longer vertical pieces of the frame, or carefully cut away 6 inches or so at the bottom of each piece (and a little of the skirting on each side) and install plinth blocks.
Plinth blocks actually look pretty neat (when done right).
Quote from: Deimos on May 24, 2020, 12:36:56 PM
Re: the floor...
I'd live with it for now if it's in good shape, and only needs cleaning up.
As you mentioned it would be a lot of work to replace it...not so much pulling it up (if it's floating) as dealing with the skirting and door frame being too high.
The quick and dirty way of dealing with too high skirting would be a strip of "quarter round" to cover the gap.
I've never liked the look of that because it screams "cover-up" but it's still done a lot.
And it doesn't address the gap at the bottom of the door frame.
You'd either have to cut and install new longer vertical pieces of the frame, or carefully cut away 6 inches or so at the bottom of each piece (and a little of the skirting on each side) and install plinth blocks.
Plinth blocks actually look pretty neat (when done right).
I think you're right, there.
~~~~~
I've got a handle, a germ of an idea, how I want to proceed with the dining room.
You may recall, months ago, I was thinking of putting up a picture rail and a chair rail in there, and panelling below the chair rail and painting to above the picture rail and having some William Morris style wallpaper in between, but since moving in I've found
1) The room has the ability to feel smaller than it is
2) The size of the fireplace and the height of the boxing around the electric meter dictate the height of the lower rail
3) Meanwhile if the picture rail goes in at a height to look right the vertical proportions of the room all told are going to look very odd considering (2)
4) The room faces north and has only a small window (in fact a future project might even.... no I won't mention that yet, we'll see how the next few years pan out first).
So that idea sort of died off. I'm toying with the idea of applying it to a larger room instead, maybe the master bedroom when I reach that point.
The problem I'm having in trying to restore the house is really a fewfold.
1) Every room I've looked at so far, even if only peeling wallpaper back or sanding paint down, has yielded up no clue whatever about previous decoration or colour schemes.
2) Pretty much all of my reference material considers the 'middle class household' and above. Five or six bedroom houses that were for the more prosperous when built and the rich today. My house has two bedrooms, probably originally three, and although sited in the 'posh' end of town is, unabashedly, of humble origin. So it comes in right at the very bottom of the scale of my reference books, if it features on their spectrum at all.
3) Much of my reference material shows huge rooms all decorated exactly the same and the only way you can tell what the room does is by the funiture in there.
4) Chintz. So much chintz. I don't do chintz.
So, what I'm doing is- it
is a restoration after a fashion- following Viollet-le-Duc's maxim of restoring a building to
a state of completeness it may never have originally possessed- but I can't take it back to how it would have originally looked in 1900 and odd, because the information simply doesn't exist and in any case if I were to do that I'd be looking at major structural work to reinstate the original kitchen and bathroom facilities, or lack thereof. I've said from the start that this is not an Historic England or National Trust style project, the aim is a comfortable home for myself.
So the approach I'm taking is to restore it to
how it might have appeared, within reason, which broadly means Edwardian-styled interiors with modern electrics and plumbing and so on and so forth.
As I've just said, Edwardian-styled interiors are all a bit.... not dull as such but
repetitive. Bright neutral colours and reproduction furniture. Now you might be thinking if that's the case why have I painted the sitting room in a dark blue, but my argument is that it's a masculine space (or at least, I'm treating as a library-sitting room which qualifies as such) and you'd expect to find darker hues there as such, whether painted or wooden panelled.
So, back to the dining room. As I say, it's a smaller room, it faces north and it has a small window- and any direct sunlight you might reasonably expect to garner in spite of those circumstances is still blocked by the kitchen and bathroom range. So the brighter colours I think are more necessary here. Going through my books this morning, I think a light cream sort of colour would be period-appropriate, as would either a picture rail or a chair rail- not both- and then a wallpaper in a complementary light shade below. I'm just looking if I can find an appropriate pattern that I like- and keep running into chintz.
I can think of two options;
1) Cream paint from cornice level to a chair rail, varnished timber chair rail, and light coloured (green? or red?) wallpaper below. Maybe striped two-tone green or striped red/cream.
2) White paint from cornice level to a picture rail, varnished timber picture rail, cream paint below. A patterned wallpaper would I think be too much over that sort of a height.
It's all academic at present anyhow, as I'm having to work from home and the only room I can use for that is the dining room. So it's an aspect of the project that will have to wait until the normality of getting up at silly o'clock in the morning and spending hours a day crammed into commuter trains travelling to and from the office returns.
So; update.
Three months since moving in and the sitting room I can pretty much tick off my to-do list.
The front garden is still in the stages of being torn to bits, the trees are being hacked up now into chunks to dry out and use as firewood, which is a slow process as the saw keeps getting caught in the moist wood. I'm tearing out a few wild grass plants but generally the rate of progress is dictated by the capacity of the garden waste bin, which is currently full.
I've got the germ of an idea for how to treat the dining room but that is going to have to wait until after I can return to my workplace, as that's the only room in the house where I feel comfortable working from home (so I don't want to start ripping it to pieces whilst having to work in there for 8 hours a day 5 days a week).
That leaves the kitchen, two bedrooms, bathroom and hallway. The bedrooms I don't have the first clue what I want yet- the spare bedroom yes I do but if that gets done then work on the house will stop as work on the model railway will start. The bathroom will be in a constant state of mess whilst the rest of the house is attended to, so that's at pretty much the bottom of the list (I would say, even after the spare room). The kitchen, even leaving aside the issues of getting plumbers etc in during a pandemic, will be quite an involved and expensive job and I don't feel up to that yet.
Which leaves the hallway. This is a very awkward space on account of its narrowness, height, lack of light, the proportions don't lend themselves to anything I can think of and of course being a main throughfare through the house whatever I do needs to be hardwearing.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934383753_279777e77a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934897621_d223e4d7e5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934384138_110ef197f8_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934898266_fdc4ec9619_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934898446_26c41f2292_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49935201642_1fa31bd04d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934384843_46c85c12d0_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934384963_92571a2e22_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49934385073_0cf3fb91ef_c.jpg)
This is going to need a very different approach to the sitting room. I like the plaster arch at the foot of the stairs, and I like the timber balustrading at the top of the stairs. Everything else from top to bottom though? Don't be surprised if it goes. If I could be certain of getting the tiles up without damaging the originals still in place below (and if I could be certain that the originals below are still useable) I'd even go so far as taking the floor out.
Hmm, personally I'd be tempted to leave the tiles in place for now, as they don't seem too bad, but I might look to replace them. I'd certainly look to replace the carpet for one of a paler colour. My knowledge of historic houses suggests a fawn colour might be a good choice for the walls.
As to increasing the light levels I might suggest hanging a large mirror on the wall opposite or next to the doorway in order to reflect some light into the darker sections.
Re: the hallway
I agree with MAASF about the tile...for now I'd leave it as it helps to break up the narrowness of the hallway.
Here are a few suggestions: Narrow hallway fixes (https://www.affordableinteriordesign.com/blog/2018/11/25/the-dos-and-donts-of-styling-a-narrow-hallway)
I'm not taken with all of them but I do like the idea of wainscoting or a "chair rail" (sans any chairs!) with maybe wallpaper or a different color paint above (or below) the wainscot or rail.
At the moment the tile takes the place of the suggested rug.
And if the hall passes the "chicken test" you could hang a mirror or two, or art (like pictures of old trains....I have pics -- black and white--of old locomotives pulled from calendars which I then had framed....they always elicit appreciative comments).
I would also suggest leaving the tile, it doesn't look out of period and appears to be in reasonable condition. I would suggest a dado rail part way up then lincrusta wallpaper below (various Victorian looking patterns of this are still readily available). Then pain the lincrusta a reasonably dark colour, if you want to go full Victorian go for a dark gloss colour. Then above painted a lighter colour, you could then add a gallery wall above that with loads of framed pictures and mirrors (get to the charity shops after lockdown ends, they always have loads of frames). Then maybe re-do the stairs with paintedtreads and a narrow carpet with stair-rods. You need to find a good lantern style light for the front half and I would suggest a radiator cover unless you fancy replacing the radiator with something more period. Another thing you could do is replace that frosted glass fanlight with plain glass then cut a template to spray frosting spray leaving the house number or possibly the old name in plane glass.
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on May 25, 2020, 07:15:20 PM
I would also suggest leaving the tile, it doesn't look out of period and appears to be in reasonable condition. I would suggest a dado rail part way up then lincrusta wallpaper below (various Victorian looking patterns of this are still readily available). Then pain the lincrusta a reasonably dark colour, if you want to go full Victorian go for a dark gloss colour. ...
Ooooooo... that Lincrusta wallpaper is great (had to look it up...didn't know what it was.)
It doesn't seem to be available in the US.....I'm trying to locate something similar or maybe a company that distributes Lincrusta in the US. But its' so very Vic-wardian...I'm sold on it just from reading about it and looking at the pics.
I had to look up Lincrusta wallpaper too, I've always known it as anaglypta wallpaper.
Seems either is the same sort of thing.
Quote from: Deimos on May 26, 2020, 01:09:55 AM
Ooooooo... that Lincrusta wallpaper is great (had to look it up...didn't know what it was.)
It doesn't seem to be available in the US.....I'm trying to locate something similar or maybe a company that distributes Lincrusta in the US. But its' so very Vic-wardian...I'm sold on it just from reading about it and looking at the pics.
E-bay ?
I was interested in the issue of weeds being pulled out. Can't you make a temporary compost pile in your front garden? Is it forbidden by any local regulations?
Some very good ideas and links posted, thanks chaps (and chappesses). I tried the chicken test... and wedged in there :-\ (and no I'm not fat nor even big-boned).
Re: anaglypta/ lincrusta; I've started (barely) taking down the stuff that's already up but that's more because it was already blistered and peeling. I'm certainly open to having a period version of it instated.
My very vague thoughts at the moment are a varnished dark wood dado rail both sides (above handrail height) and light cream paint top to bottom. I was going to have a radiator cover in there but you may recall the snafu when I ordered one and it proved 6" too short to cover the radiator and reach the floor. That radiator is probably going to have to stay, if I were to replace it with another like the one for the sitting room it will eat into the available space too much. Staircase, I'm not a fan of the carpet but I've not considered what to replace it with yet.
Quote from: morozow on May 26, 2020, 09:54:38 AM
I was interested in the issue of weeds being pulled out. Can't you make a temporary compost pile in your front garden? Is it forbidden by any local regulations?
I'm allowed bonfires, I'm allowed compost heaps. Problem is the front garden is out onto a fairly busy road and I don't want drifting smoke causing a traffic hazard and annoying the nieghbours. Nor do I want a compost heap on public display (having one in the back is another thing entirely as it's private), it's the look of the thing. One of my parents neighbours had three or four rusting old cars full of junk on his driveway and gained the nickname 'Steptoe', which has never quite gone away (neither have the cars actually), and I'm not thrilled about the prospect of following his example.
Lincrusta wallpaper In the US this can be found under embossed or textured wallpaper. Depending on what each store calls it. They have it at Home Depot. Just checked the web site.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 26, 2020, 05:23:10 PM...
I was going to have a radiator cover in there but you may recall the snafu when I ordered one and it proved 6" too short to cover the radiator and reach the floor. That radiator is probably going to have to stay, if I were to replace it with another like the one for the sitting room it will eat into the available space too much. Staircase, I'm not a fan of the carpet but I've not considered what to replace it with yet....
Re radiator: I agree that hallway space (width-wise anyway) being at a praemium it would make no sense to replace it with a larger one. Leave it and live with it as is. Guests will enter through the hallway but you certainly aren't going to entertain them there.
Re the stairs: sooner or later (as you are well aware) the carpet will begin to look so shabby that you will have to do something. So start googling now to see what others have done in similar situations so you can at least be turning over some ideas whilst you do other projects.
I do know people have torn out the carpeting on stairs and then redone the steps [somehow] with real wood.
I can't imagine your stairs being anything other than wood, but maybe really, really worn. Or not. (One can always hope, juneau....).
Time was maybe 50 years ago that wall-to-wall carpet was all the rage.
For the life of me I can't figure out why my dad covered all the hardwood floors in the bedrooms with carpet.
It was a new house so it wasn't like the wood floors were in bad shape. They weren't. Yet he covered perfectly good hard wood floors.
Anyway, maybe your stairs are in pretty good shape and the previous owner(s) just had a carpet fetish.
Quote from: montysaurus on May 26, 2020, 07:26:40 PM
Lincrusta wallpaper In the US this can be found under embossed or textured wallpaper. Depending on what each store calls it. They have it at Home Depot. Just checked the web site.
Thank you....will check it out.
More garden work happened tonight. There were two large grass-like plants that I decided I didn't want. In the course of cutting them down and putting them in newly-emptied garden waste bin, another tree stump was discovered.... this one had been dead for some time though and was half rotten, so the shovel and trowel were able to make short work of it.
By this point I was worn out, so the root system of the second plant will wait until tomorrow. And, after that is down, I can finish off turning the garden topsoil over. Oh, and those two tree trunks still need cutting into smaller pieces....
Front garden is.... as cleared as it is going to be. Now comes the 'fun' bit.... turning over 8" of clay topsoil.... another time perhaps.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2020, 05:54:28 PM
Front garden is.... as cleared as it is going to be. Now comes the 'fun' bit.... turning over 8" of clay topsoil.... another time perhaps.
HAHA.....have fun...I know exactly what you mean, cubed.
I will take clay any day rather than what we deal with in the lower deserts; if only it were just clay.
We have clay but also Caliche (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche).
In high desert it might not start until 10 inches below the surface. Low desert where I live it can be the surface itself.
It's called "nature's cement" for a reason. Sometimes it requires a jackhammer to break the stuff up (if you want to spare your back).
I was lucky....I got away with just using a pick-axe (Gimli, call your office), and it was only in a few places.
Had to deal with just clay after that which, after hammering at the caliche, was like falling off a log.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2020, 05:54:28 PM
Front garden is.... as cleared as it is going to be. Now comes the 'fun' bit.... turning over 8" of clay topsoil.... another time perhaps.
Start a pottery perhaps?
Clay soil can be very tough indeed. In Southern California, a few eons ago I used to have a 5 acre property in the mountains, about 16 miles and 1000 ft above coastal San Diego. All of Southern California is covered in red clay soil (red from iron oxide) . The aggregate rock and pebbles make the top soil extremely dense. I broke the handle of a brand new pick-axe once just trying to dig a small hole for a post.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2020, 05:54:28 PM
Front garden is.... as cleared as it is going to be. Now comes the 'fun' bit.... turning over 8" of clay topsoil.... another time perhaps.
Quote from: Deimos on May 29, 2020, 01:13:53 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2020, 05:54:28 PM
Front garden is.... as cleared as it is going to be. Now comes the 'fun' bit.... turning over 8" of clay topsoil.... another time perhaps.
HAHA.....have fun...I know exactly what you mean, cubed.
I will take clay any day rather than what we deal with in the lower deserts; if only it were just clay.
We have clay but also Caliche (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliche).
In high desert it might not start until 10 inches below the surface. Low desert where I live it can be the surface itself.
It's called "nature's cement" for a reason. Sometimes it requires a jackhammer to break the stuff up (if you want to spare your back).
I was lucky....I got away with just using a pick-axe (Gimli, call your office), and it was only in a few places.
Had to deal with just clay after that which, after hammering at the caliche, was like falling off a log.
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on May 29, 2020, 01:04:03 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2020, 05:54:28 PM
Front garden is.... as cleared as it is going to be. Now comes the 'fun' bit.... turning over 8" of clay topsoil.... another time perhaps.
Start a pottery perhaps?
Start a cement business instead!
Wiki
QuoteCaliche is used in construction worldwide. Its reserves in the Llano Estacado in Texas can be used in the manufacture of Portland cement; the caliche meets the chemical composition requirements and has been used as a principal raw material in Portland cement production in at least one Texas plant.
Wouldn't it'd be awesome to use it and purify it to make some clay bricks or tile to showcase in the house?
I agree actually, it would be very cool to do that. But the more I turn the garden over the more I'm coming to the conclusion that I've got more of a clayey sand or gravel than anything else. It comes out the ground in thick cohesive clumps which are easy enough to break up (and it's very damp) but once turned over it dries out quite quickly and turns to dust or granular stuff. That's something clay doesn't do, leastways not overnight. I think what I've likely got is a dense slightly clayey sand overlying a slightly looser material- and of course a lot of what I originally took for cohesion (hence saying it was clay in the first place) could equally well have just been a mat of very fine tree and grass roots binding the soil together.
This morning I've been doing some garden work. It's now just going 11AM and, frankly, it's too hot to keep on at it. What I've achieved over the last few evenings is to cut my tree trunks down as far as practical into winter firewood, I've now got a pile of smaller logs and two large (4' or so) trunks/root balls where I feel carrying on trying to cut them up is too much effprt for what it is worth. The branches are close together and several inches across, the one saw can't reach all the way to cut them whilst the other starts to cut then jams, and if you do manage to find somewhere you can actually reach to cut you end up sawing off maybe 3 or 4 inches of length. It's just not worth it.
So I've reinforced my reputation as the town lunatic and dragged them out the front garden, down the side street and into the back garden, where they're now sunning themselves in front of my garage wall. Four or five months time they should be nicely dried out ready for bonfire night.
I'm starting t think that late Spring/ early Summer is perhaps not the best time of year to do serious yard work in a garden that has open aspects to east and west and faces south, you get direct sun from dawn until dusk.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 30, 2020, 10:05:43 AM
I'm starting t think that late Spring/ early Summer is perhaps not the best time of year to do serious yard work in a garden that has open aspects to east and west and faces south, you get direct sun from dawn until dusk.
But to be fair, it wouldn't usually be such a big problem. Normally you'd be just as likely to be trying to stop the holes being filled up with rain water ...
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on May 30, 2020, 10:11:53 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 30, 2020, 10:05:43 AM
I'm starting t think that late Spring/ early Summer is perhaps not the best time of year to do serious yard work in a garden that has open aspects to east and west and faces south, you get direct sun from dawn until dusk.
But to be fair, it wouldn't usually be such a big problem. Normally you'd be just as likely to be trying to stop the holes being filled up with rain water ...
:D This is very true.
I've finished wrecking the front garden. I think this little ditty is probably appropriate for this post.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQV8xDXSvw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQV8xDXSvw)
When removing the trees I had to dig out slightly below the garden path, and in so doing I found these fragments.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49955433277_362e43bf07_c.jpg)
Buff, unglazed, half-inch thick tiles. I traced the markings on the back and they're from a tile works in Bridgnorth, about 20 miles away. I'm tempted, from where they were found, to think they are the remnants of the original path.
Moving around the front of the house and around the bay window....
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49954647658_22da8b79bf_c.jpg)
These larger lumps of burnt red tile were found. There's a suggestion of that same circular marking, which makes me at least consider they might be more garden path tiles, but I'd also note they're the same colour as my roof tiles, so I can't discount that theory.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49955433367_345f720814_c.jpg)
In roughly the same location, I also found these fragments. Note the hole punched through one piece. That was done before the tile was fired. The only reason I can think of for putting a hole through a tile is to be able to nail it to a roof batten. So I think this is a bit of an old roof tile.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49955433177_d843cdda9b_c.jpg)
Lots, and lots, of lumps of brick and/or terracotta were found around the garden wall. I know it's a relatively new wall and I'd note one of my neighbours in the next terrace still has their 'original' wall. Which appears to be brick with terracotta details and a semi-circular top.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49955150751_194c77813d_c.jpg)
Much-corroded length of iron or steel rod or cable, appears to have a bit of a screw thread at one end. Can't remember exactly where in the garden I found this, I think it was somewhere around the front of the house though.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49955298646_ec4a989cdf_c.jpg)
Aerial view of the house in 1934; much enlarged from a wider photograph, hence the graininess. A few interesting things to point out:
1) My garage predates 1934.
2) It appears my front garden was originally larger and at some point a corner of it was nibbled off, presumably for road improvement works.
A possible clue where the tiles are concerned, are they the same thickness? A narrower red tile with a hole, as you suggest, could be a roof tile, but I think slate was generally used for roofs in most areas of the UK, not sure about where you live tho'.
The colours pretty much match the tiles I salvaged from my Mums garden.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 31, 2020, 10:52:56 AM
Aerial view of the house in 1934; much enlarged from a wider photograph, hence the graininess. A few interesting things to point out:
1) My garage predates 1934.
2) It appears my front garden was originally larger and at some point a corner of it was nibbled off, presumably for road improvement works.
Which is your house, James?
All those tiles and bits and pieces dug up in your garden make the archaeologist in me drool!
If you are looking at that photograph, my terrace is the one in the middle of it. My house is on the left-hand end. My house is practically in the centre of the photograph.
I agree, like an episode of Time Team ;D
When I dug the pond, many, many years ago the only thing I found interesting out there was a concrete base and side walls for a WW2 Anderson Shelter, with corrugations for the steel roof. Extremely hard concrete, so hard, I had to change the plans for the whole pond.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 31, 2020, 11:26:31 AM
A possible clue where the tiles are concerned, are they the same thickness? A narrower red tile with a hole, as you suggest, could be a roof tile, but I think slate was generally used for roofs in most areas of the UK, not sure about where you live tho'.
The colours pretty much match the tiles I salvaged from my Mums garden.
The red and buff are roughly the same thickness, but there's a definite lip or joint between them if you place them next to each other. That striated look on the red/black/burnt tile is exactly like the tiles on the roof to the bay window (and I note that some tiles there have broken apart and bits gone presumably skittering over the edge and into the garden). Hmm, that might be a job to look at when lockdown is over and done with- getting a roofer out to give an opinion whether it could do with repair.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 31, 2020, 11:43:04 AM
I agree, like an episode of Time Team ;D
When I dug the pond, many, many years ago the only thing I found interesting out there was a concrete base and side walls for a WW2 Anderson Shelter, with corrugations for the steel roof. Extremely hard concrete, so hard, I had to change the plans for the whole pond.
Please tell me the Anderson Shelter
became the pond?
Quote from: James Harrison on May 31, 2020, 11:47:10 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 31, 2020, 11:43:04 AM
I agree, like an episode of Time Team ;D
When I dug the pond, many, many years ago the only thing I found interesting out there was a concrete base and side walls for a WW2 Anderson Shelter, with corrugations for the steel roof. Extremely hard concrete, so hard, I had to change the plans for the whole pond.
Please tell me the Anderson Shelter became the pond?
In part, half was used as a firm base for a bit of the pond, the other half I'm afraid is under my small conservatory.
I'd have been tempted to waterproof the concrete, then flood it :D
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49955349008_7fe58efaf7_c.jpg)
One of the other little things I've done this weekend; some sketch elevations of the dining room with my three thoughts for decoration in there. I think I've decided which one I'll be going for in due course.
Textbook example this evening of how I conduct my DIY.
Since moving in I've been unable to shut the dining room door on account of the piece of floor trim covering the joint between hallway and dining room floors. It sits too high, so as you push the door shut the bottom of it catches the trim. The second you loose the door, it springs back open.
This evening I noticed that it's not exactly securely fixed down, so I was able to lever it off. Success!- the door can now be shut. In so doing I found I'd exposed the edge of the hallway tiles. "The original tiles are still in place, they're just underneath these new ones".... I remember the vendors telling me. You can see where this is going, can't you?
Long story short. One of the tiles is now shorn of its grouting, tomorrow (if I get chance) I might get a chisel and see if I can remove one or two of them intact and crucially without wrecking anything still in place below, to inspect these original tiles.
From what I can tell;
1. There might be something below these tiles, there might not. The bit I can see around where the floor trim was, all I can see is lumps of rough grout and cement- not a smooth colourful tile finish as you might expect.
2. If I break the existing tiles trying to prise them up and there is nothing below, well I've kind of put myself in a situation, haven't I?
3. If I get the tiles up and there is a floor below, there's no guarantee I can expose it without damaging it. Nor do I know what condition it is in, nor whether I'll be able to clean it up assuming it's covered in lumps of grout and cement.
4. If there is a floor there in good condition, it will be sitting about 10mm lower than the rest of my floors. Ergo, if there is a floor there which has been covered up, at the same time all of the ground floor in the house was similarly raised so you're not stepping up and down between rooms.
So I think on balance the best way to go is to assume there's nothing there and just re-grout the existing tiles. I was somewhat disappointed to find they're a fake- they are large modern tile, each of which has the Minton pattern printed four times on them. So what looks like four smaller tiles is in fact one large one. Maybe sometime I will replace the floor and fully investigate but now is not that time I feel.
When fixing a house remember 4 things. In the following order. Try to do it right the first time. Do The things that will stop other major problems from happening first. There is a certain order to do some things. (example Repair the plumbing leak before you fix the ceiling below.) and lastly, it ats a marathon, so pace yourself.
Yes, I'm planning this to be a fairly long-term project with the major bits getting done first. The difficulty at the moment of course is this damn' plague, and stopping me getting people in to look at things that I can't. Otherwise most of the carpentry (largely minor issues) and electrical work (largely minor issues) would be done by now.
Meantime I'm just doing the little bits that will keep me occupied- the sitting room was an easy win as it just needed paint, and clearing out the front garden would have needed doing anyway, and the hallway is another bit where probably 95% of the work is of the order of painting and decorating.
I've broken out the magnifying glass ( :D ) this evening and the unsolved mystery of the hallway floor gets more intriguing. The modern tiles are raised above the other floors by about 10mm, suggesting they really have been laid on top of an existing surface. Underneath the tiles, on the edge I have exposed, in places you can see something a bright red. The condition of whatever that bright red is though, remains unknown. I was hoping to be able to buy some more tools at lunch time and have a good go at it tonight but curiously enough half the town had nothing better to do at 1PM on a Monday than stand around in the DIY store carpark. Meanwhile I had to get back to work, so that was a wasted trip out (even if it was a nice walk in the sun).
Err.... something happened. It was a nice something!- don't worry!- and I rather like where it might lead.
"The original tiles are underneath these ones...."
Well of course having been told that, you'd be curious, wouldn't you?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49961145587_5aac2fa1c8_c.jpg)
"There's something there..."
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960364298_dfc3ebb20f_c.jpg)
"Just the vaguest hint of...."
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960363828_3bcbe06cef_c.jpg)
"Just a fragment, or something larger?"
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49961145472_36534f4ac0_c.jpg)
"Larger"
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960860666_78539074fa_c.jpg)
"Larger...."
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49960364508_dac425c9e9_c.jpg)
"It's still going...."
It looks like it's about making for the front door. A few of them seem to have been robbed out but you can buy modern reproductions and it appears there's enough to reinstate the original pattern. What sort of a philistine would cover these up though?
Quote from: James Harrison on June 01, 2020, 06:52:01 PM
What sort of a philistine would cover these up though?
Never underestimate the power of "fashion". I remember seeing more than one home decor programme where the presenter took up the carpet/lino in the hallway of the house in question and was in raptures over the tiles beneath, ignoring the fact that back in the 70s etc. they weren't "fashionable" and so were covered up with more popular styles.
Another good example is how a few years ago, my sister and her partner were redecorating their kitchen and was moaning to my mother about how expensive Belfast sinks were, running to several hundred pounds (for internation forumites this is what I refer to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sink#/media/File:Belfast_sink.jpg) and was astounded to be told my grandfather still had the one that had been taken out of his kitchen in the 1970s (when it was replaced with a stainless steel version) down the garden where he used it as a water trough, along with a steel wash tub.
My Grandparents had three Belfast sinks, ironically sunk up to the rim, in their back garden. I think they were still there when the house was sold last year (and have doubtless since been skipped). Which is a pity really because the long-term plan for the kitchen is to put in a Belfast sink.
Two heavy duty masonry chisels bought. Tonight the real fun begins...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49964499192_7430d0c111_c.jpg)
The current situation. I estimate I've uncovered about a tenth of it so far.
Progress!
Looking good, James, keep up the good work!
When it's time to actually lay new tile....
This place is in the States but maybe there is a similar place in England:
Restoration Tile (https://restorationtile.com/)
Quote from: James Harrison on June 02, 2020, 06:35:11 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49964499192_7430d0c111_c.jpg)
The current situation. I estimate I've uncovered about a tenth of it so far.
Just the job for a patient archaeologist!
Quote from: Deimos on June 02, 2020, 08:54:33 PM
When it's time to actually lay new tile....
This place is in the States but maybe there is a similar place in England:
Restoration Tile (https://restorationtile.com/)
There are a couple of places I know about that I can get replacement tiles from, there are architectural salvage yards dotted around the country to investigate, a few companies actually make reproductions of them (or else have been churning them out nonstop for the last 120 years). I've got a few places in mind I can get some from.
Quote from: Banfili on June 03, 2020, 07:03:00 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on June 02, 2020, 06:35:11 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49964499192_7430d0c111_c.jpg)
The current situation. I estimate I've uncovered about a tenth of it so far.
Just the job for a patient archaeologist!
You ain't seen nothing yet; the anaglypta has yielded up a secret in a few places where I'm removed it...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49968148582_27de2ab0a5_c.jpg)
The current state of the hallway.
Last night I noticed some of the anaglypta around the doorways and arch was peeling, so I took a putty knife to it. What I found underneath was a mucky brown-yellow paint that has a waxy sort of a feel to it; not in the 'urgh! greasy! yucky!' sense but just feels nice and smooth, your fingers glide across it. In one or two places I've worked at it further and underneath it is just white plaster. It's not plasterboard.
I'm hesitant to announce I've found an original Edwardian interior, certainly not a complete one anyway- it looks like this is just on the one side of the hallway, proven in extent just around the arch at the moment (whether it carries on to the front door is yet to be determined).
I'll just note the following however.
1) It looks like it has been applied to bare white plaster, whilst the plaster could have been stripped and replaced of course you'd expect it to be done in plasterboard like one or two other areas I've investigated- and also, that archway is plaster too, and there isn't a joint between it and the painted stuff....
2) When I applied water to the paint it didn't sink in, it just sat on the surface and ran down the wall. Like you'd expect from an oil paint. Edwardian paints tended to be either distemper (water-based) or linseed-oil based. Linseed-oil paints do yellow over time, but unsurprisingly the most popular colours were the cheapest, ochre being a very popular one. Which is about what I've got, actually.
So the question is where to go from here. The rest of the anaglypta is coming down of course, that's a given. And in some areas the plaster needs repair, so with the best will in the world a little bit of this old paint will be lost. I also have doubts that I'll be able to get an exact match, and what with it being water-repellant if I were to try to work it into the decoration I'd probably have to go down the oil paint route. I'm not a huge fan of open vats of foul-smelling oil paints and turpentine and what not, the fumes disagree with my lungs.
My thoughts right now are to clean up the walls, see exactly how much of this old wall finish remains, try to colour-match it in emulsion, and then cover the walls with lining paper before painting it. To my mind that gets me an evidence-based reproduction interior without unduly damaging the historic fabric.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49970656218_9481ebfde3_c.jpg)
And another evening at it. If you're wondering why progress seems so slow, it's because I limit myself to one hour an evening of hammering and banging. Don't want to upset the neighbours.
I've popped a few more of the modern tiles up and the originals appear to go as far as the recessed doormat, just behind the front door. I did think they'd have been robbed out to install this but intriguingly the pattern stops there too; that is, the red/black diamond pattern turns to just straight red. I'm a little perplexed by this; perhaps there's a step, perhaps the tiles are themselves recessed for a mat, perhaps they've just been robbed out.
Guess we'll find out when I work my way back there.
Press on! .....or rather more accurately: Pry off! ;D
Further progess. All of the modern tiles are off (except those in the recess) and it appears that the recess is, in turn, set into a recess. The original edging tiles carry on eithe side of it to the front door. If that weren't enough, I had another go at the walls last night with a scraper and it appears that I've got a wall of original, or at least old, paint fron the front door back to the arch at the foot of the stairs.
Plans for today then are to see if I can source a lead testing kit (If it is original 1900-and-something paint I'm reasonably sure it's either washable distemper or linseed oil paint, however if the wall has been replastered at some point between about 1920 and 1993 there's a likelihood it's lead paint).
If it is lead paint it will of course have to be sealed in and covered over. If it isn't lead paint, I'll carry on uncovering it, clean it up and see exactly what I have in terms of condition, area and colour / tone.
In some areas I'm now reaching a point of hammering and chiselling away for no real return, so a change of tactics is called for.
Soap, water and a suitable scraping tool (I'm using a screwdriver)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49980238966_bd5435bc8b_c.jpg)
This is in the wet state- in dry condition the colours are duller and more chalky (the water where I live is so 'hard' that it wouldn't surprise me to learn that at night it goes around mugging little old ladies).
It's looking encouraging though.
I know a thing or two about clay tiles and stone from a past lifetime; Given that the tile floor is in the interior of the house, and you have carpet next to it, I can't give you the advice of using muriatic acid to clean up the mortar. If the tiles were outside, that would make your life a lot easier. Also, you may not be able to restore any real shine to them because they're all scratched now. One thing that could help is a synthetic stone sealant (never use oil based sealant - ever!), which could bring back some color and a satin shine to them.
Good advice. Another reason I couldn't use acid is the fumes and vapours- and my lungs are already poor enough as it is. If I can't revive any shine to them, to my mind it's no great loss- it just adds to the patina. They're 110+ years old after all, you'd expect some sort of aging.
If you had been considering replacing some of them, I'd just go whole hog and replace the entire hallway floor with the reclaimed/reproduction tiles that [you said previously] are available. That way you don't have to be concerned about matching the "worned" look of the original tiles. Yes, more expense, but sometimes it's the better way to go in the long run.
The only ones I'm planning to replace are those which have been robbed out. So far it looks like I'll only need three or four, and that being the case it's cheaper to go to an architectural reclaimation yard and buy a few. The modern reproductions I've found are slightly too small (4" square vs 4.25") and- although sourcing obviously new tiles is, speaking with my academically-qualifed architectural conservationist hat on, correct, I know the mortar-filled gap around the new tile would get on my nerves.
I've reached the halfway point with clearing the mess. 7' 7" cleared from the foot of the staircase, 7' 2" to go to the front door. It feels like I'm getting somewhere.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 06, 2020, 09:00:19 AM
Plans for today then are to see if I can source a lead testing kit (If it is original 1900-and-something paint I'm reasonably sure it's either washable distemper or linseed oil paint, however if the wall has been replastered at some point between about 1920 and 1993 there's a likelihood it's lead paint).
Famous last words. Lead paint in the hallway, lead paint in the dining room. Luckily it's not flaking or chipping off, so- at the moment- it's safe, insofar as it can be safe. What this does mean, of course, is that extra care will be needed when removing the wallpaper over it.
All mortar chiselled away, or at least as much of it as can be chiselled away. The remainder is the stuff that's too small to be effectively got at, with the chisel at least. Out with white vinegar, soapy water, putty knives and a brush and so on and so forth.
And- another element brought full circle- chiselling out the original recess for the doormat. Which is larger than the one that replaced it- so a new mat is needed. I've found somewhere that will not only produce the size I need, but offers an option to personalise it... (you can see where this is going).... so I've ordered one with 'Ventnor' printed on it as a nod to the original name of the terrace.
I like the sound of that (Ventnor) although ours would definitely have to say 'Abandon hope!'
Do you know if your terrace has any connection to the Isle of White, are there any other streets nearby with IoW inspired names? Not that that means much as our road names are all Lake District related and there's no other connection.
But you know, Queen Victoria and Osborne House ...
To my knowledge, there are no local links with the Isle of Wight. I guess someone just thought it was a pretty name.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 15, 2020, 06:11:18 PM
To my knowledge, there are no local links with the Isle of Wight. I guess someone just thought it was a pretty name.
Well a quick google search suggests that Ventor potentially derives from the family name le Vyntener. It's entirely possible that a similarly named family was a major landowner in the area. Have a look around at local street and pub names as any pub named (blank) arm's usually refers whomsoever was to the local lord (many similar pubs near my parents refer to 'Leeds' as the Duke of Leeds was one of several nearby landowners).
Progress to date....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50013570361_7b956f0609_c.jpg)
In the wet state. When dry I'm anticipating there will just be a sheen of dusty mortar clinging on for final washing-down. All told about 2/3 of the floor is now tolerably clear of mortar.
Classic harlequin....nice :)
Apart from the dusty chalky residue that always seems to get left behind, the hallway floor is now totally cleared. I'm in two minds about taking the skirting boards off, temporarily, to see what is going on at the edges of the floor (which would also allow me to clear out some of the gaps where tiles have come loose and gaps opened out with loose grout). For tonight though I think a rest, as I've been on it for the better part of three weeks.
It is interesting that the non-tiled gap near the door isn't centered (that would really annoy me). Do you think it was added before or after the tiles?
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on June 19, 2020, 12:11:55 AM
It is interesting that the non-tiled gap near the door isn't centered (that would really annoy me). Do you think it was added before or after the tiles?
Sorontar
It would annoy the bejasus out of me, but if you take the radiator into consideration, and you can see the gap nicely at the back end of the radiator, it
is centred!
You are making great progress, James!
Quote from: Sorontar on June 19, 2020, 12:11:55 AM
It is interesting that the non-tiled gap near the door isn't centered (that would really annoy me). Do you think it was added before or after the tiles?
Sorontar
It looks to me like it is centred to the door (which makes sense for a doormat recess) and the door isn't centred to the room.
You know, I hadn't noticed that! (I put it down to usually scrabbling around on my hands and knees there and seeing only half of it at at time). Oh well; it is what it is.
~Addendum~
The floor has about reached a point of diminishing returns. I've:
-hammered 95% of the mortar off;
-scraped 95% of the remaining 5% off;
-washed it down to remove 95% of what was left after that;
-polished it to remove 95% of what still remained.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50022834088_c40fe368fa_c.jpg)
And that is the result. I reckon most of what's still on there will wear off given time, wear and cleaning. Time for the next element of the hallway; remving layer upon layer of paint from the central heating pipes. They're copper under the caked paint, you know....
And looking very nice indeed, James!
Do you have one of those electric floor polishers with the stiff bristle pads, and the soft polishing pads - regular scrubbing and polishing with one of those might help over time - or did you do it all by hand?
Quote from: Banfili on June 19, 2020, 09:12:08 PM
And looking very nice indeed, James!
Do you have one of those electric floor polishers with the stiff bristle pads, and the soft polishing pads - regular scrubbing and polishing with one of those might help over time - or did you do it all by hand?
I concur. And as a conservationist would you consider the silicone sealant afterwards just to bring colour back a bit? You might not be able to get rid of every single bit, but isn't that part of the history now?
Quote from: Banfili on June 19, 2020, 09:12:08 PM
And looking very nice indeed, James!
Do you have one of those electric floor polishers with the stiff bristle pads, and the soft polishing pads - regular scrubbing and polishing with one of those might help over time - or did you do it all by hand?
I've done it all by hand, on my hands and knees with nothing more sophisticated than hammer and chisel, hot water and white vinegar.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on June 19, 2020, 09:21:49 PM
I concur. And as a conservationist would you consider the silicone sealant afterwards just to bring colour back a bit? You might not be able to get rid of every single bit, but isn't that part of the history now?
I'm fighting shy of anything that's irreversible, the view I'm generally taking is to (within reason) present restored areas in 'as uncovered' condition. The wear and tear, discolourations, scuffs etc are part of its patina and although I could remove them, I'd be looking at more destructive cleaning methods that irreparably damage the fabric of the tiles. I think from this point on any improvement in the colour is likely to come about from repeated gentle cleaning over a period of months rather than swift harsh measure.
It certainly could be in a worse condition. In Sydney, the following Victorian terrace house just sold for over 4.6 million Australian dollars (3.1 mil USD, 2.5 mil GBP, 2.8 mil EUR). Its hallway has a similar tiled pattern (though larger tiles) but the rest of the house needs a bit of work (the photos show how much).
https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156 (https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156)
Strangely I think it was sold more for the location than the building.
Sorontar
Quote from: James Harrison on June 20, 2020, 08:28:12 AM
Quote from: Banfili on June 19, 2020, 09:12:08 PM
And looking very nice indeed, James!
Do you have one of those electric floor polishers with the stiff bristle pads, and the soft polishing pads - regular scrubbing and polishing with one of those might help over time - or did you do it all by hand?
I've done it all by hand, on my hands and knees with nothing more sophisticated than hammer and chisel, hot water and white vinegar.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on June 19, 2020, 09:21:49 PM
I concur. And as a conservationist would you consider the silicone sealant afterwards just to bring colour back a bit? You might not be able to get rid of every single bit, but isn't that part of the history now?
I'm fighting shy of anything that's irreversible, the view I'm generally taking is to (within reason) present restored areas in 'as uncovered' condition. The wear and tear, discolourations, scuffs etc are part of its patina and although I could remove them, I'd be looking at more destructive cleaning methods that irreparably damage the fabric of the tiles. I think from this point on any improvement in the colour is likely to come about from repeated gentle cleaning over a period of months rather than swift harsh measure.
Electric floor polisher, with lavender and beeswax polish, with thick lambswool polishing pads, wouldn't hurt your floor, and would reduce the wear and tear on your knees and shoulders!!
I've done something really :-X -ing stupid.
I've tried to disconnect two of my radiators so I can get them off the wall to redecorate behind them (one of them I'm actually replacing so that probably fed into what follows....)
The one in the hallway- which is staying for the moment- was OK. The one in the sitting room- which is being replaced- well....
I *thought* I'd turned the feed / return valves off. Bit difficult because of the state they are in (the lugs to actually turn them off and on are broken, at best). I tried to open the bleed nipple/ airlock and the edges of that had been turned, so I couldn't get any purchase.
So (and I can't believe I did this)- I drilled the airlock. Water gushing everywhere, massive panic.... I've plugged it temporarily with Milliput but that's failed twice (so I've now got Milliput with a towel over the radiator, so if it fails again it will hopefully coerce the water into a bucket rather than up the wall), emergency plumber has been called out- we'll see what they can do (once they've stopped laughing at my ineptitude). Best case- seal the radiator off, cap the feedpipes and then leave it until I can get the new one fitted. Worse case, I guess, turn off the central heating, disconnect the water, bleed the whole system out....
Gah!
Quote from: James Harrison on June 20, 2020, 01:26:27 PM
I've done something really :-X -ing stupid.
I've tried to disconnect two of my radiators so I can get them off the wall to redecorate behind them (one of them I'm actually replacing so that probably fed into what follows....)
The one in the hallway- which is staying for the moment- was OK. The one in the sitting room- which is being replaced- well....
I *thought* I'd turned the feed / return valves off. Bit difficult because of the state they are in (the lugs to actually turn them off and on are broken, at best). I tried to open the bleed nipple/ airlock and the edges of that had been turned, so I couldn't get any purchase.
So (and I can't believe I did this)- I drilled the airlock. Water gushing everywhere, massive panic.... I've plugged it temporarily with Milliput but that's failed twice (so I've now got Milliput with a towel over the radiator, so if it fails again it will hopefully coerce the water into a bucket rather than up the wall), emergency plumber has been called out- we'll see what they can do (once they've stopped laughing at my ineptitude). Best case- seal the radiator off, cap the feedpipes and then leave it until I can get the new one fitted. Worse case, I guess, turn off the central heating, disconnect the water, bleed the whole system out....
Gah!
At least if they turn the central heating off it's summer time!!
No -4
0 overnight, and maximum of +4
0 daytime temperature!
pop the plastic caps off the valves, get a small adjustable spanner and tighten the valves clockwise hard.
Have you got TRV's? a penny in between the the valve head and the pin tighten to off position should stem the flow.
A combi? worst, drain the heating, sort the leaks and re-charge to 1.2 bar...........vent all other radiators, charge, repeat.........
I had the plastic-covered valves, but it would appear some of them are life-expired (including the ones that I buggared up in the sitting room). I still can't get over that I thought drilling through the bleed nipple was a sure-fire route to a successful outcome... lesson learnt there.
So; buggared-up valves that shear their heads before opening and closing; bleed nipples with turned heads that shear rather than open or close; and then something interesting going on with the pipework that means some of the radiators re-pressurise as you're trying to bleed the system.
I think, in future, I'll leave the waterworks side of things to the experts.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 20, 2020, 04:16:53 PM
...I think, in future, I'll leave the waterworks side of things to the experts.
My philosophy [almost] exactly.
I do very minor plumbing such as changing out sink/lav faucets and replacing the supply lines.
Same with electrical, very minor, such as replacing wall outlets and switches.
Anything that can result in a flood or fire, I leave to the experts(?)
My plumber told me his first calls on Monday morning are from the wives whose husbands attempted something over the weekend--despite the wife's protest that they should wait and just call the plumber later in the week--and resulted in exactly the fiasco the wife feared.
I fear my problem is that my enthusiasm swiftly leads me into territory I then find myself anxious to quit.
Quote from: Sorontar on June 20, 2020, 11:16:08 AM
It certainly could be in a worse condition. In Sydney, the following Victorian terrace house just sold for over 4.6 million Australian dollars (3.1 mil USD, 2.5 mil GBP, 2.8 mil EUR). Its hallway has a similar tiled pattern (though larger tiles) but the rest of the house needs a bit of work (the photos show how much).
https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156 (https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156)
Strangely I think it was sold more for the location than the building.
Sorontar
It just breaks my heart to see these stately and elegant homes fall into disrepair and/or ruin.
After looking at the pics I think it will take quite a chunk of change to restore it... maybe another million USD....?
In light of your surmise (high-lighted) do you think the new owners bought it merely to raze it and build something more "commercially profitable" on the site?
"Out with the old, in with the new!" If it's older than 50 years, (never mind a century) get rid of it!
Kind of like that clock "repair-person" who wanted to gut an old clock of its mechanical movement and put in a quartz movement.
(Must stifle the urge to kill, must stifle it...must....
must....
must...
stifle...)
Quote from: Deimos on June 20, 2020, 06:26:06 PM
Quote from: Sorontar on June 20, 2020, 11:16:08 AM
It certainly could be in a worse condition. In Sydney, the following Victorian terrace house just sold for over 4.6 million Australian dollars (3.1 mil USD, 2.5 mil GBP, 2.8 mil EUR). Its hallway has a similar tiled pattern (though larger tiles) but the rest of the house needs a bit of work (the photos show how much).
https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156 (https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156)
Strangely I think it was sold more for the location than the building.
Sorontar
It just breaks my heart to see these stately and elegant homes fall into disrepair and/or ruin.
After looking at the pics I think it will take quite a chunk of change to restore it... maybe another million USD....?
In light of your surmise (high-lighted) do you think the new owners bought it merely to raze it and build something more "commercially profitable" on the site?
"Out with the old, in with the new!" If it's older than 50 years, (never mind a century) get rid of it!
Kind of like that clock "repair-person" who wanted to gut an old clock of its mechanical movement and put in a quartz movement.
(Must stifle the urge to kill, must stifle it...must....must....must...stifle...)
That area of Sydney, and those houses are pretty much all heritage protected - one of the caveats of sale would be that they can't raze the building, the purchaser must preserve as much of the heritage aspects of the building as possible.
The facade must stay at least. Most of the shells are ok, it's just the innards that fall to pieces, especially if the roof leaks. Judging by the amount of internal damage to the lathe and plaster ceilings, the roof is the first thing to be replaced. Start at the top and work down.
I wouldn't expect much change from AU$1.5 to 2 million.
My parents live in a terrace in a similar part of Melbourne. The previous owner was an architect and kept the original building (that was in a decent condition), but added a modern kicthen and lounge to the back, then subdivided the rest and built another (modern) house there with entrance from a lane. From the front, you would be none-the-wiser.
A few doors down though, a modern terrace house has been built. It is flat, concretey and not Victorian or Edwardian at all, but they have at least given it a balcony etc but it does not really fit in with its neighbours.
James, I can't remember if you said whether your area had any historical gradings/restrictions. Can some-one build a modern brutalist construction next door?
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on June 20, 2020, 11:16:08 AM
It certainly could be in a worse condition. In Sydney, the following Victorian terrace house just sold for over 4.6 million Australian dollars (3.1 mil USD, 2.5 mil GBP, 2.8 mil EUR). Its hallway has a similar tiled pattern (though larger tiles) but the rest of the house needs a bit of work (the photos show how much).
https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156 (https://www.domain.com.au/112-surrey-street-darlinghurst-nsw-2010-2016260156)
Strangely I think it was sold more for the location than the building.
Sorontar
I'm just looking at the plans for that; the ground and first floor are approximately the same as mine (though about half as wide again), but the depth of the building is no more (in fact maybe a little less, considering my rear range juts out 5 metres or so) and my garden is... nearly twice the length of theirs (including the terrace). You're getting maybe three times the house (two extra floors and the extra half width to all) but paying something like 15 times more for it. I'm not convinced that's a square deal.
Historical significance? Who was/ what is Darlos? Were they an architect? Local politician or administrator? An early area of the city? And why is it significant- 'because it's old' isn't really a valid reason in and of itself. And would the majority of people know, or care?
Location? 'Close to the amenities'... so am I- 10 minutes walk one way and I'm in the town centre, 10 minutes the other way I'm out in the countryside.
So again I find myself wondering exactly what merits the price tag for such a wreck.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 21, 2020, 08:42:45 AM
Location? 'Close to the amenities'... so am I- 10 minutes walk one way and I'm in the town centre, 10 minutes the other way I'm out in the countryside.
That´s exactly my point. 35 km to work by car, ok. BUT
Small village, big garden (the whole plot is about 1000 square metres)
100m to the fire-station (you can see me sprint this distance quite often)
300m to the hardware shop
500m to the huge supermarket
750m to the Kindergarten (our daughter starts there in August)
1.5km to another huge supermarket
Bonus: this is the village where I grew up.
Quote from: Sorontar on June 21, 2020, 03:33:30 AM
My parents live in a terrace in a similar part of Melbourne. The previous owner was an architect and kept the original building (that was in a decent condition), but added a modern kicthen and lounge to the back, then subdivided the rest and built another (modern) house there with entrance from a lane. From the front, you would be none-the-wiser.
A few doors down though, a modern terrace house has been built. It is flat, concretey and not Victorian or Edwardian at all, but they have at least given it a balcony etc but it does not really fit in with its neighbours.
James, I can't remember if you said whether your area had any historical gradings/restrictions. Can some-one build a modern brutalist construction next door?
Sorontar
No restrictions whatsoever. It's not listed nor is it in a conservation area. If you took a walk along my street you'd see probably 75- 80% of the houses date to the 1890s/ 1900s, there are a few which are 1930s and a few which are probably about 1970s. That's the case for about half a mile. Once you get past that first half a mile, there's a change to mostly inter-war or 1950s housing and then another a little further on to predominantly modern brick identikit snotboxes.
I can't recall if I've shown this before?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50028152798_42b771c8d2.jpg)
A postcard of my street dated to sometime in the first decade of the 20th Century as a marketing tool to attract tenants to the area. In fact it was taken just outside my house!- but cuts it off (as well as the general stores and post office on the opposite corner). The scene is remarkably similar today, if you overlook that the road has now been tarmacked and most of the garden walls demolished as everybody demands their own horse. The wonder is why the local civic society haven't slapped a conservation area order on it.
James, you may want to cover up the village name.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on June 21, 2020, 01:16:43 PM
James, you may want to cover up the village name.
Now we know where you live! ;D
Quote from: Mercury Wells on June 21, 2020, 01:16:43 PM
James, you may want to cover up the village name.
Indeed; done.
Quote from: Banfili on June 21, 2020, 01:22:51 PM
Now we know where you live! ;D
Just so long as you don't send some blokes around.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 21, 2020, 02:41:44 PM
Just so long as you don't send some blokes around.
We might come around and help...
So; sitrep after The Event.
The sitting room radiator is down. The valves for the new radiator are fitted. The brackets for the old radiator have been removed (and the holes and cracks they left behind filled, ready to be smoothed down probably this coming weekend).
Meanwhile work carries on in the hallway, specifically stripping the paint off the skirting boards. The intention is to have stained skirting boards as a border between the floor tiles and the walls, which I'm intending to clean down and paint in a light cream colour.
Another case of enthusiasm running away with the programme.
I've been looking at sanding down the skirting boards in the hallway and then varnishing them instead of painting. Last night, whilst removing the paint, I wondered firstly why there was gum on top of the skirting and secondly why the coard seemed to pant as the scraper was being worked over it.
Turns out the plaster doesn't go all the way to the floor. This seems to be a fairly common Victorian/ Edwardian way of avoiding damp working up the wall surfaces from a solid floor, and the usual means to attach the skirting was then to screw it to wooden blocks fitted into the masonry.
In mine, the wooden blocks have gone, replaced with random lumps of broken ply wood, offcuts of moulding and about half a can of mastic run along the top to get rid of any rough edges....
So the skirting board is now off, which actually helps me out when it comes to cleaning it down considering some radiator pipes run right along the top, and I'm looking at reinstating the wooden blocks.
I'm going to go out on an opinionated limb here (which I never do ;D) about your plans for the hallway skirting.
If the other skirting throughout the house is --or is going to be--white, the convention (which I happen to agree with) dictates that the hall skirting be white also.
The argument (one of them at least) for this is that doing it all one color skirting maintains a visual continuity/integrity throughout the house.
I have seen done what you are planning, to stain/varnish some of the skirting.
Where that stained varnish meets the doorway casing (US: trimwork/millwork around doors/windows is called casing) was, to my eyes anyway, not a little bit jarring.
My first thought was "Why on earth did he do that? It would have looked so much better to continue with the white baseboard." (US: baseboard=skirting).
Your plan to paint the walls a light cream need not change. Painting the skirting a bright white (US we would use "appliance" white) would still contrast very nicely with the cream.
Pic (stock) shows cream walls with white trim.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ac/1e/8a/ac1e8a7dd108a819e2f5cb5d36390170.jpg)
Currently it's a bit of a mix between white and plain timber. Hallway, sitting room, dining room and both bedrooms white. Kitchen and bathroom- timber... It also clashes with the varnished balustrade and bannister on the staircase.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 26, 2020, 05:22:00 PM.... It also clashes with the varnished balustrade and bannister on the staircase.
Oh yeah, I forgot about the staircase being wood. :-[
Neveeerrrrrrr miiiiiinnnnd
Quote from: James Harrison on June 26, 2020, 05:22:00 PM
Currently it's a bit of a mix between white and plain timber. Hallway, sitting room, dining room and both bedrooms white. Kitchen and bathroom- timber... It also clashes with the varnished balustrade and bannister on the staircase.
I always think of white as being more traditional, but I suspect my bias comes more from the fact that my father always bought white gloss paint to do the doorframes, skirting and picture rails! I won't distress you by mentioning some of the colour schemes the rest of the family came up with, suffice to say that I think white and wood not only 'go' but are remarkably restrained :D
Quote from: James Harrison on June 25, 2020, 04:23:50 PM
I'm looking at reinstating the wooden blocks.
Not quite sure how committed you are to traditional methods, but some plasterboard built out and stuck on with dot and dab to the same level as the existing plaster, leave a 20mm gap from the floor, packing complete. Use a solvent free gripfill type stuff to stick the skirting to the plasterboard and a few well placed nails, leave to go off, then caulk with the same adhesive, which should be stainable.
If any of that makes any sense, I'm surprised ;D
That makes sense actually.
At the moment the situation is this:
-skirting boards taken down for cleaning up;
-awful old wallpaper removed from behind the radiator so I can just build a custom radiator cover;
-awaiting a return visit from the plumber as one of the old valves that was giving problems last weekend started dribbling and dripping this morning and- well although I have tightened it up, that just seemed to make matters worse as it was went from drip-drip to a constant dribble. My guess is it's given up the ghost and needs replacement. Not a fan of these radiators and central heating lark of late.
Just had a quick look back at the photos and it appears you have roll top radiators. Not the most efficient these days, so although extra expense, whilst replacing valves, maybe the rads too??.......
I know it's easy for me to say, it ain't my money.
What type of boiler do you have? Combination?
If space is an issue in the hallway, maybe a repro cast iron column rad, with no need for a wooden cover.
something like this.....
https://www.featureradiators.co.uk/cast-iron-radiators/core-column-radiators-302mm-to-1802mm-high-up-to-33-rrp.html (https://www.featureradiators.co.uk/cast-iron-radiators/core-column-radiators-302mm-to-1802mm-high-up-to-33-rrp.html)
That one you've linked to is very very similar to the one in a box in the dining room waiting to be installed in the sitting room. I do very much like the Vicwardian-styled cast iron ones and I was/am intending to gradually work through and replace the existing radiators with more period-appropriate examples. It's just the expense (which is more difficult when you find yourself having to spend money intended for improvements on ongoing repairs and maintenance to stuff you're trying to save up to replace).
Do you recall, several years ago, there was a Government grant scheme to encourage people to have central heating installed? A neighbour of my parents took advantage of it and the end result was/is the cheapest nastiest radiators on the market and pipes randomly appearing out of ceilings, floors and walls, with the cheapest nastiest fixtures and fittings. The appearance of my central heating, radiators and pipework is about on that level.
Combined butcher's bill from two weekends of plumbing issues; best part of £600 I could have better spent elsewhere gone (so be surprised if there's any appreciable progress that requires, you know, more than a few quid spent this month), one radiator wrecked, two sets of radiator valves replaced, entire system drawn down and pressurised twice... I'm tired. I'm just so tired.
The hallway, I'm going to split that into smaller projects. First project from the front door to the foot of the stairs. And then I think I'll call a halt to proceedings indoors for the year and sort out the front garden.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 27, 2020, 09:15:26 PM
Combined butcher's bill from two weekends of plumbing issues; best part of £600 I could have better spent elsewhere gone (so be surprised if there's any appreciable progress that requires, you know, more than a few quid spent this month), one radiator wrecked, two sets of radiator valves replaced, entire system drawn down and pressurised twice... I'm tired. I'm just so tired.
The hallway, I'm going to split that into smaller projects. First project from the front door to the foot of the stairs. And then I think I'll call a halt to proceedings indoors for the year and sort out the front garden.
Ouch! 400 of which I guess was labour. Plumbing really is not that difficult, 100 quid spent on tool basics, youtube and google. confidence and looking stuff up could save a fortune.
It was youtube, google and (over)confidence that has caused at least half of my difficulties in the first place. From now on, 'water' joins 'gas' and 'electrics' on the list of things I want absolutely no part in....
OK. possibly a wise decision.
It can be good to step back for a while to ponder. I spent 5 years constantly wrecking and changing my house, knocking down walls, turning the stairs around, loft room, new heating, re-wire the electrics, conservatory, kitchen, bathroom.............. got totally fed up with it and left it for 2 years.
Then I discovered Steampunk............ Aaaand started wrecking the place all over. :P
Take a few months to recover both financially and physically, the enthusiasm will return.
The room I've finished so far gives me encouragement. I just think I've burnt myself out for the moment (stupid costly DIY mistakes, no get up and go for my other interests, slowly finding my interest, enthusiasm and work ethic at my job ebbing away....) I think I just need to get way from *all* of it for a little while.
Right, plan for the first part of the hallway.
1) Some of the tiles are loose and need to be re-grouted, so I'll need to clean out 110+ years of dust and grime etc from the edge of the tiling, make sure it's all clean concrete there, and re-grout.
2) Skirting boards need several layers of paint removing and then staining/ varnishing.
3) Copper pipework.... I really want to take this back to copper and lacquer it, as it can't be hidden make a statement of it. However as has been demonstrated anything I touch plumbing-wise WILL turn around and rip my head off, walking away with the contents of my wallet having done so. With a modicum of care and hours of VERY careful paint stripping and wire wool work, it might be possible. But I'd obviously want to stop far short of anything in the way of valves and whatnot. I'll have a think about this one.
4) Most of the wallpaper has been removed, and the lead paint below shows no sign of real damage or decay. So I'm minded to note where it is and how much of it there is to alert any future owner of the house should I sell on (not planning to at the moment!) and paint over it.
5) I want to build a bespoke Arts and Crafts style timber cover for the radiator. In my mind I'm imagining something inspired by Charles Rennie Mackintosh or Gustav Stickley.
6) Walls to be painted a very light cream or ivory colour to try to draw as much light as possible in. I'm not a fan of white, it just looks too stark, but a creamy off-white tone is palatable.
Well the paint is come off the skirting boards easily enough, at the moment, even if it looks like it will a multi-stage process of stripper- scraper- stripper-wirewool- palm sander.
The wallpaper seems to come off the walls easily enough when wet, so I don't see problems there.
The jury is still out on taking all the paint off the pipework, now whether I just clean down the vertical pipes and leave the horizontal ones running up to the radiator in the painted state... considering the horizontal ones will eventually be largely hidden by the radiator cover.
Copper paint for the pipes?
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on June 29, 2020, 07:11:43 PM
Copper paint for the pipes?
This might sound absurd but I have a dislike of faking things. I'm firmly of the school of thought that if you want something to look like wood/ copper/ brass etc, you should use wood/ copper/ brass etc.
I've made a tentative start taking the paint off the pipes, very very slowly and gently. I've also decided to concentrate on getting the wallpaper off, and how much of it left will probably finish that tomorrow or Saturday.
Then to strip the skirting boards.... that's a job that's probably just shy of half done. Two of the boards are more timber than paint but the largest is yet to be even touched. Then the discovery that whoever put the doorframes in used that awful rubbery sealant stuff to secture them, not to the plaster but to the wallpaper... result? It's gone through the paper to the plaster, and removing it takes chunks of the plaster out. I'm going to call in a plasterer to sort that out as it's rapidly going past what I feel competent to repair.
Today a fascia and guttering man was called in to give a quote.... I would like to reinstate the cast iron gutters and the fascias are going to pieces...
Well, I'm on holiday for a week and a day and because my planned jaunt up a Welsh mountainside has been postponed (thank you very much, whoever thought that a wheezing wild animal was a sensible dinner option) that means more spare time to spend on the house.
So this morning I've finished off removing the wallpaper in the entrance hallway to reveal the old paint in all its glory.
For those taking notes, it's all of one wall and one side of the archway.
From this point the plan is to call in a plasterer to make good where the old plaster has failed, and then cover this all up with a light cream / ivory colour with stained timberwork and the dark floor tiles (reminds me- pop out to the hardware store later to pick up some tile grout).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071522112_5f24f0256d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071269926_07faed8972_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071269946_c3ae9cd0d3_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50071522207_0f5f06d67f_c.jpg)
I've done up a few old houses over the years (in a 'restore to former glory' rather than 'strip down to modern minimalism' kind of way) and my suggestion at this point would be to cancel the plasterer and with the money you save, fill and sand the holes in the plaster yourself, paper the wall with thick lining paper and then paint that.
Thick lining paper does a wonderful job of smoothing down old walls, which always have bumps, scratches, dints and dips and takes paint very forgivingly - if you're doing it in cream or ivory you may well save yourself a coat. And it's dead cheap.
When we moved in to the place we're in now I had access to an A2 copier so I designed and printed my own 'wallpaper'. So much cheaper than buying a Sandford or Morris pattern.
Now I'll go back and read the previous 14 pages and see that my points have been made and refuted earlier... ;)
The main issue (which you can't really see in the photos) is the areas where it's crumbed away and left huge gaps and holes down to bare brickwork. Not saying I couldn't fix that myself; just saying I couldn't take pride in the result.
Regarding the copper pipework...
I've been having a go at cleaning the stuff up in the hallway and, although the paint comes off, it is an awful lot of effort for a result that- well, yes it looks good. It just takes so long and I honestly think if I were to carry on with it it would lead to the project stalling. Also of course it means a bit of coercing pipes this way and that to be able to get all around them and- well my luck so far with the plumbing has been woeful at best, hasn't it?
So, what I'm now considering is to keep the pipes the same colour as the wall and just buy some nice new brass / copper fixtures for them.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 03, 2020, 12:41:21 PM
The main issue (which you can't really see in the photos) is the areas where it's crumbed away and left huge gaps and holes down to bare brickwork. Not saying I couldn't fix that myself; just saying I couldn't take pride in the result.
I agree. A professional plaster job will look better and will be finished much faster. If a uniform finish is a problem, I'd suggest using a primer before applying color, even if the color is very light.
Plasterer has visited and given his assessment. The one wall is more or less life expired (well I kind of guessed that anyway as it was crumbling more and more as I took the wallpaper off), the other side is newer plasterboard and skim but it appears hasn't been secured back to the wall, or the dabbing holding it in hasn't taken. I didn't notice this earlier but if you lean up it, it deflects.
So summary is that the lot needs taking down and replacing. I've been told it's probably a day's work to put it all right again.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 04, 2020, 09:11:44 AM
Plasterer has visited and given his assessment. The one wall is more or less life expired (well I kind of guessed that anyway as it was crumbling more and more as I took the wallpaper off), the other side is newer plasterboard and skim but it appears hasn't been secured back to the wall, or the dabbing holding it in hasn't taken. I didn't notice this earlier but if you lean up it, it deflects.
So summary is that the lot needs taking down and replacing. I've been told it's probably a day's work to put it all right again.
Welp. There you go! Either way just filling in holes and covering with paper as a type of base wasn't going to work...
Yep; I wasn't expecting the hallway to become a bare brickwork job but there you go :D
Radiator's got to come down, I'm guessing the associated pipework has also got to be removed, all the plaster needs to come off....
On the bright side, I've been advised that the awful plastic trim around the front door is neither structural nor keeping the building weathertight, so that's come down today in readiness (to take the plaster up to the door). Also, if the radiator and pipework do have to come down, I'll be able to ask the plumber to put new copper pipe in and either set them off the wall far enough for Menson clamps or soruce something in brass a bit more aesthetic than the bargain basement teflon things presently holding the pipes in place.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 02, 2020, 06:54:26 PM
Today a fascia and guttering man was called in to give a quote.... I would like to reinstate the cast iron gutters and the fascias are going to pieces...
You can get some quite convincing repro cast iron look guttering and downpipes, plastic, so will not rot over time.
Some random googly website to show examples........
https://www.brettmartin.com/en-gb/plumbing-and-drainage/products/cast-iron.aspx (https://www.brettmartin.com/en-gb/plumbing-and-drainage/products/cast-iron.aspx)
NOT cheap tho. :(
Yeah, that's been suggested and although I usually insist on honesty with materials I think with things like guttering you also have to consider the maintenance aspect. I'm waiting on the quote at the moment for cast iron and if it is on the steep side I'll reconsider plastic. I've already agreed to a timber-appearance plastic fascia, so-watch this space.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 04, 2020, 01:13:25 PM
Yeah, that's been suggested and although I usually insist on honesty with materials I think with things like guttering you also have to consider the maintenance aspect. I'm waiting on the quote at the moment for cast iron and if it is on the steep side I'll reconsider plastic. I've already agreed to a timber-appearance plastic fascia, so-watch this space.
Light oak to match the windows? you can get a lighter colour called Irish oak, I helped fit a full house of windows with black monkey tail handles a few weeks ago, does look very nice. Possibly more cottagey than town house. :-\
Sorry, not an oak colour, it's dark grey / black but it has a timber grain effect on it.
Anthracite? I hate it, where windows are involved, seems my city is turning grey in both windows and paint, everyone is going down this road, grey of various shades are taking over the world. Are there more than 50?........... The answer is yes. :P
?
I have plans for the windows and doors but that is waiting on having the disposable income to spend.
Let me guess, composite door, I would not have one if you payed me, been fitting these for years, and not really very good, if you do Be careful, Trojan hinges are a must and steel in the frame, more adjustment for the future, when the wieight of the thing makes it want to drop.
With the windows, make sure each habitable room with only one entrance has a fire escape, not just a top opener, at the mommemt looking at the pictures, you are pretty much going to fry unless you sleep with a very big hammer. ;)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on July 04, 2020, 01:55:53 PM
Anthracite? I hate it, where windows are involved, seems my city is turning grey in both windows and paint, everyone is going down this road, grey of various shades are taking over the world. Are there more than 50?........... The answer is yes. :P
?
I thought that was just a phenomenon on this side of the pond. What the heck is going on? Whole buildings and houses of all sizes painted on dark charcoal gray all over. At first, I thought it was weathering or some sort of insulation. I thought to myself "heh! The owner got tired of the leaks and just asked the roofing guys to cover the whole house in tar." But the paint never came on.
Then I saw a brand new house be erected in that color. To their credit, they chose to contrast with white moulding and an all snow-white second storey with plastic siding ::) a new two storey black house on an all post WWII single storey 1950/60s bungalows neighborhood with bright colours, sticks out like a sore thumb. Then I saw one, two, three old 70s houses go charcoal, painted all near-black, no detail whatsoever.
Is this a "stealth fad"? Or some sort of Borg Collective phenomenon? People preparing for the 2nd US Civil War (visibility, you know. Damn Yankees!)? Maybe it's Covid-19, makes people go color-blind and averse to light. Large 1980s office buildings originally in khaki and light tan with tinted windows, now nearly all black (which looks far worse than even the 1980s tanned brutalist structure ever did). ???
PS. If I see the Mexicans paint over their primary colours /Native American colours mid - century Barragán buildings in Anthracite, then I'll believe something very wrong is happening to people and we will be taken over by alien forces. .
I was thinking more along the lines of having a proper wooden front door and timber sash windows. The ones at the moment are serviceable enough but really not in keeping with the style.
Progres report for the day.
1) Plasterer visited and condemned the entrance hallway.
2) The loose floor tiles in the entrance hallway have been relaid (tomorrow's job will most likely be to grout them).
3) The plastic trim/ reveal around the front door has been removed.
4) The longest skirting board in hallway (approx. 11' 6") has been taken back to bare timber for the most part.
5) A few paint tester pots have been put on the bare plaster in the hallway to decide on a colour.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 04, 2020, 04:36:56 PM
I was thinking more along the lines of having a proper wooden front door and timber sash windows. The ones at the moment are serviceable enough but really not in keeping with the style.
Eurocell vertical sliders are a good qaulity product, not sure of colour options available, I've only fitted white, maybe something to look into, same effect with less maintenance than wooden box sashes.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on July 05, 2020, 07:32:18 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 04, 2020, 04:36:56 PM
I was thinking more along the lines of having a proper wooden front door and timber sash windows. The ones at the moment are serviceable enough but really not in keeping with the style.
Eurocell vertical sliders are a good qaulity product, not sure of colour options available, I've only fitted white, maybe something to look into, same effect with less maintenance than wooden box sashes.
Thanks for the heads-up, I'll look into it.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on July 05, 2020, 07:32:18 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 04, 2020, 04:36:56 PM
I was thinking more along the lines of having a proper wooden front door and timber sash windows. The ones at the moment are serviceable enough but really not in keeping with the style.
Eurocell vertical sliders are a good qaulity product, not sure of colour options available, I've only fitted white, maybe something to look into, same effect with less maintenance than wooden box sashes.
This is what has been achieved in (so far) two and a half days of holiday....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50078531161_8eaba59679_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50078782687_9c879b3832_c.jpg)
The plastic internal trin around the front door has been taken down in readiness for the plasterer to box it out properly. Note the 'that'll do' brickwork and the timber lintel over the door. I've had an experimental prod at this and it's solid enough, though if it were rotten are we really expecting a bit of uPVC was holding the house up?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50078531361_6c866e2ce6_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50078531121_b81097d9fa_c.jpg)
I've broken the back of sanding down the skirting boards. I regard these two, the longest and the shortest, as done. I've now reached a point of diminishing returns where the effort to remove the last scraps of paint won't be rewarded in the overall finish, so these are about ready for washing down and staining / varnishing. The third of them has had about half of the paint removed but I think would benefit from another round of paint stripper before breaking out the stanley knife, wire wool and sand paper. When that third board is done there are still two doorframes and a little bit of board still in situ to address.
I would say originally those bricks around the door would have been timber lined and an architrave to the plaster, may I suggest ripping off the remaining plastic trim ,with a sturdy and sharp scraper and hammer.
Do this before the plasterer. those skirting boards look like replacements, available from wickes, so time spent on stripping or just buy new?.
You intend replacing the door anyway so no harm done.
The last photo suggests a little damp in the bottom corner, or is that residue from soaking wallpaper?
That patch I interpret as staining, possibly from wallpaper paste- I've got a few areas where something sticky has been on the wall and left dark brown patches like that. I'm struggling to see how it could be damp, as the plasterboard is not physically attached to the wall (tap it, it's hollow and it shifts). So I'm reasonably confident it's not something wicking out from inside the wall.
The trim that's still in place is very firmly siliconed in, with the waterproof stuff. I'm of the opinion that attempts to remove it right now would result in either a hole where the door used to be, or the weather getting in. The door is on the list for renewals but it's far, far down that list. As in, two or three years away if not longer.
Skirting boards- yes, I've been looking at those on the Wickes website and they are practically identical. Replacing them would have saved me a few hours of sanding and stripping but at a cost, firstly of buying them and then paying somebody to cut them to size. Meanwhile I've got some here that already fit and just needed a few hours of elbow grease (and this coming weekend I've had a lot of spare time to kill).
In fact, except for taking paint off the sitting room and dining room doorways, I think I've about taken the hall as far as I can for the moment:
-Floor tiles have been exposed, cleaned up and relaid where necessary;
-Skirtings have been sanded back to bare wood, need to be stained or varnished;
-Chosen the colour for the walls;
-Plasterer has been and now I'm waiting on a quote and a date from him for replastering the walls.
Progress for the day....
- Guttering contractor came back with a price for iron gutters. When I came around, I asked for a quote in plastic. Fascia is confirmed as black ash ogee moulding.
- Plastering contractor gave a price for replastering the entrance hallway, however this can't be done yet because plaster can't be bought for ready money right now. (Thank you very much damnable plague).
- Plumber is booked in to take down the hallway radiator preparatory to replastering for later this week. Also to service the boiler, which has this week taken to shutting itself down as soon as any demand is made for hot water.
- I've bought a paint scraper and set-to on the sitting room/ entrance hall doorway. Brilliant; in half an hour this evening I've got more old paint off than I had in three or four hours of scratching at it with putty knives this afternoon.
The plan for this week remains to take all skirting boards and doorways in the hall back to bare timber.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 06, 2020, 06:46:23 PM
Progress for the day....
- Guttering contractor came back with a price for iron gutters. When I came around, I asked for a quote in plastic. ...
Back when you mentioned that you were considering iron gutters I didn't say anything.
Rather, I decided to position myself behind you to catch you when you heard the quote.
So, iron or plastic...those are the only two options?
I may be misunderstanding UK terminology for this, but are iron gutters really iron or are they galvanized (zinc plated) steel?
And no aluminium? Gutters in the US are often made of Al..... mine are. Not expensive at all.
Aluminium gutters aren't a thing, to my knowledge, in the UK, at least in the mainstream domestic market. It's plastic or iron, and the iron really is the cast variety, with all the starting cost and ongoing maintenance that thwt entails.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 06, 2020, 10:28:56 PM
...[T]he iron really is the cast variety, with all the starting cost and ongoing maintenance that thwt entails.
Good lord...I can only imagine the type(s) of hangers required to support them. :o
Edit: OK.. So I googled cast iron gutter to see what they looked like.
They
are pretty neat ...too bad they cost so much.
But I also googled aluminium gutter [UK] and got not a few hits.
Maybe something to check out just to see another alternative to plastic?...
Quote from: James Harrison on July 06, 2020, 10:28:56 PM
Aluminium gutters aren't a thing, to my knowledge, in the UK, at least in the mainstream domestic market. It's plastic or iron, and the iron really is the cast variety, with all the starting cost and ongoing maintenance that thwt entails.
Reading in fascination the differences between US and UK construction standards. American gutters are practically disposable and usually hung from the edge of a timber roof. They are meant to be frequently changed and are really available in aluminium, PVC or copper if you're fancy, but it's all sheet metal. Iron gutters would be made for durability
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 07, 2020, 01:23:16 AM
.... American gutters are practically disposable and usually hung from the edge of a timber roof. They are meant to be frequently changed and are really available in aluminium, PVC or copper if you're fancy, but it's all sheet metal. Iron gutters would be made for durability
Can't say my gutters are "frequently changed".
They've been hanging up there for about 18 years now and still look good ...Aluminium, Desert Tan [what else? ::)] by Alcoa.
Of course I keep tabs on any contractors on the roof (including the actual roofers).
I politely ask them to lean their ladders where the gutter IS NOT.
Quote from: Deimos on July 07, 2020, 12:05:41 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 06, 2020, 10:28:56 PM
...[T]he iron really is the cast variety, with all the starting cost and ongoing maintenance that thwt entails.
Good lord...I can only imagine the type(s) of hangers required to support them. :o
Edit: OK.. So I googled cast iron gutter to see what they looked like.
They are pretty neat ...too bad they cost so much.
But I also googled aluminium gutter [UK] and got not a few hits.
Maybe something to check out just to see another alternative to plastic?...
Aluminium isn't exactly common here though, the options available off the shelf are either standard plastic (either square or half round or variations thereof) or iron. My understanding that pretty much anything else has to be made to order. If you take my street as being typical for the UK, probably 90% of it is guttered in plastic. The majority of the rest is iron, in varying states of maintenance or repair, and aluminium is very much non-present.
So for me at least it's a case of Hobson's choice.
Anyhow; progress today....
-The plasterer has called and said he hopes to be able to do the hallway next week;
-More of the paintwork has been taken off the doorframes (exhausting work this, you can have a 5 or 10 minute blast at it then have to stop for another 15-20 minutes to recover);
-Three months after it arrived, my wardrobe has finally been built (so now tonight's activity is to put all my clothes in it).
I'm close to having at least one doorway stripped back to timber and I anticipate the other will not be quite such an arduous task (having only one or two coats of paint rather than at least seven).
Quote from: James Harrison on July 07, 2020, 03:49:29 PM
Anyhow; progress today....
-The plasterer has called and said he hopes to be able to do the hallway next week;
-More of the paintwork has been taken off the doorframes (exhausting work this, you can have a 5 or 10 minute blast at it then have to stop for another 15-20 minutes to recover);
-Three months after it arrived, my wardrobe has finally been built (so now tonight's activity is to put all my clothes in it).
I'm close to having at least one doorway stripped back to timber and I anticipate the other will not be quite such an arduous task (having only one or two coats of paint rather than at least seven).
Have you considered investing in a heat gun? It might well improve your chances/ability to remove paint (especially as it seems the previous of owners/occupants of your home didn't bother stripping the old paint before redecorating).
I've got one. Unfortunately it likes to give people a shock when you unplug it, so it's waiting for plague to go away so it can be taken back to the store. I also recall using it to strip the window sill, which it did in a very halfarsed can't-be-bothered fashion, and then gave me an electric shock.
For your gutters it might be worth giving this kind of thing a look https://seamless-gutters.online/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ_WTvkHIrSfk0rmXQzs5YCdNrSHcNglNX5ECC6yxXKyvBweqreK0_gaAgfnEALw_wcB (https://seamless-gutters.online/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ_WTvkHIrSfk0rmXQzs5YCdNrSHcNglNX5ECC6yxXKyvBweqreK0_gaAgfnEALw_wcB)
A google search for "Yorkshire gutters" leads to a few companies producing essentially the same product in extruded aluminium they also have a few more interesting profiles available than your standard half round or half hexagon
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on July 08, 2020, 07:01:47 AM
For your gutters it might be worth giving this kind of thing a look https://seamless-gutters.online/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ_WTvkHIrSfk0rmXQzs5YCdNrSHcNglNX5ECC6yxXKyvBweqreK0_gaAgfnEALw_wcB (https://seamless-gutters.online/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ_WTvkHIrSfk0rmXQzs5YCdNrSHcNglNX5ECC6yxXKyvBweqreK0_gaAgfnEALw_wcB)
A google search for "Yorkshire gutters" leads to a few companies producing essentially the same product in extruded aluminium they also have a few more interesting profiles available than your standard half round or half hexagon
That's as may be but as I see it the fundamental problems are thus:
1) My guttering is in places in a state of almost collapse (part has already fallen off) and needs replacing as soon as possible, not in several weeks allowing for lead time in having something bespoke designed and made up. Which in any case I can't afford.
2) The stuff that I have seen available off the shelf is twice the cost as the plastic option, even just for straight 6' runs of the half round type. Less expensive than iron I grant you (about 2/3 the cost) but still more than I can afford.
3) Whichever material I choose, the profile has to match up with the neighbour's guttering, because on the front of the house my guttering runs onto the neighbours. And whilst that still leaves me with the freedom to do as I please on the back, I'll leave eccentric multi-profile guttering to other lunatics thank you very much.
4) What's it like to maintain and repair? Iron would have been difficult, plastic is easily replaced, aluminium is.....?
In any case the chap is now booked in for sometime next week so any further discussion will have to be purely academic.
Quote from: Deimos on June 25, 2020, 09:41:07 PM
I have seen done what you are planning, to stain/varnish some of the skirting.
Where that stained varnish meets the doorway casing (US: trimwork/millwork around doors/windows is called casing) was, to my eyes anyway, not a little bit jarring.
My first thought was "Why on earth did he do that? It would have looked so much better to continue with the white baseboard." (US: baseboard=skirting).
Works on the stripping have now progressed far enough that I can get an idea of how well my design in my head is translating into actual physical appearance.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50089148368_1afde98848_c.jpg)
Doorway on the sitting room side. This is done and won't be changed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50089719891_78aa637bd8_c.jpg)
The same doorway on the hallway side.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50089719871_732a739e1b_c.jpg)
And the joint between the two. When shut, the door actually sits in a lip, so the edge of that lip is a logical place for the switch.
I'm calling a halt there for the week.
I've achieved;
- circa 23' of skirting board sanded down;
- two doorways sanded down (one completely to bare wood the other to about 90% of what I want);
- radiator taken down ready for the plasterer;
- loose tiles in the floor relaid;
- decision on the final paint colour made;
- all the wallpaper taken down for first phase of the hallway redecoration;
- plastic trim around the front door taken down;
- plasterer booked in;
- guttering guy booked in.
I'm just going to clean up now and call a halt there. Something that may or may not need doing I've learnt is a replacement boiler. The current one shuts itself down everytime I shower, the plumber reckons it's a symptom of some or other component being worn out and advises not to do anything rash yet but he'll make a few calls and get back to me.
You are doing very well, though, James!
I'm tired. I'm just so very, very tired. I could really have done with- well in an ideal world without pague striking literally a few weeks after I moved in- not so much spending money on furniture or paint or anything like that, but just getting the trades in to give their assessments and spending this year getting things like the plumbing and the guttering and the plaster sorted out. I did actually start off with that intention- you might recall I had an electrican come round and given a list of jobs and a carpenter came round and was given a list of jobs- and then this bloody thing struck didn't it and what I've done so far is and was basically born out of frustration at nothing else getting done.
A few days away from it (and back to work on Monday), I think tomorrow I'll just clean the woodwork down with sugarsoap and then water to make sure it's all cleaned up. No point staining the wood until the plasterer has done his work. Once the plasterer has been though, I should hopefully be in a situation where all I need to do is paint the walls, reinstate the radiator and clean the floor up and then- done (for a given value of).
There will still be the small matters of a radiator cover (I'm looking through photographs and blueprints, what I want to build - and it will need to be a bespoke one- is something inspired by Mackintosh or Stickley) and a new light fitting.
And then of course in a week's time the guttering guys are coming to do the guttering on the garage and the rear half of the house.
And then onto the front garden. I have ideas for this (I've shared them before) but of course the longer you sit on them the more you refine them. I'm now thinking of slightly lowering the level of the gravel area- which means a bit of digging out (and that spoil I'll move onto the back in readiness for my plans there) and, if my budget runs to it, breaking out the concrete pad and footpath and going for brick or tile.
I know you have had a few hits and misses with your personal work (in Victoria there has been an increase of DIY injuries during our shutdown), but you are contributing to maintaining the income of your tradies. That, and hopefully the quality of the end result, is a positive (even though it is a negative on your wallet) .
Quote from: James Harrison on July 09, 2020, 11:21:19 AM
The current one shuts itself down everytime I shower, the plumber reckons it's a symptom of some or other component being worn out and advises not to do anything rash yet but he'll make a few calls and get back to me.
Is it ONLY the shower, or when other hot taps are run, the boiler shuts down?
IF only the shower, try running without the head on, hose only, if it works, clean the holes in the shower head with viakal, worth a try 3 minutes, 3 quid versus 3 grand. May not be enough water for the flow switch to kick in.
It tends to be just when the shower is running, I'll give that a go with the viakal.
Do take the head off and try with the hose only first, if ok try cleaning the head, or purchase a new better one, suggests the shower rather than the boiler to me.
Well I took the shower head and ran it, I kept the boiler cabinet open so I could so what was going on there too as I was doing so.
The boiler pressure starts fluctuating madly. It usually runs somewhere between 1.5 and 2 bar, it plunged down to about 0.8 then built back up to 2, then fell again to about 0.8 and then went up toward 2.8 to 3 bar and then locked out. Hmmmm......
That ain't right, oh well, bang goes my theory (hope the boiler doesn't do the same), worth a go tho.
see what solution your Plumber comes up with.
It was worth a try though.
It could be something as simple as last time I had an emergency plumber out they didn't repressurise the system fully (ie- air got in or out or whichever it is), or it could be something more. I've no inclination to go tinkering with it understandably so shall see what the plumber says. I think a new boiler though would give me complete peace of mind.
It never rains but it pours, eh?
Pressure fluctuation?
Maybe there is something wrong within the valves.
Seems to me that the valve is too slow to react, so the pressure drops, then over-reacts and starts oscillating until it trips the pressure warning.
Fluctuations in pressure would suggest (to me) a few of possibilities:
- System is air locked (the same thing would occur if you ran the heating but you haven't need too because it's summer) this should be an easy fix, turn on heating (to open up the boiler's heat exchange loop to the central heating system) and bleed all radiators, re-pressurising using the boiler fill loop when needed, repeat until the air is gone. (though this may be more difficult with radiators missing/capped off)
- One of the pressure reducing valves in the boiler has failed/is failing, it will be plumber job but these tend to be bought-in components and are (usually) fairly easy to obtain.
Can you tell if when this happens the burner is shutting on/off each time? (leave shower running and listen to the boiler to see if you can her the gas going on/off). If it is, that might point more towards some sort of temperature sensor/thermocouple issue
Yep, definitely. Turn the shower on and the boiler comes on (you can hear it fire up, much the same as turning a tap on). Given a few minutes it starts making wheezing noises (air/water in the pipes) and then it goes quiet, and the lock-out light comes on. Generally I have enough time to get it warm and wash my hair, and then everything else has to be doen with cooler/ tepid/ cold water.
When running the taps, it seems to take ages to warm up and then you get a wheezing noise and then hot water carries on with no real problem. I've not yet been able to get the boiler to lock out just through running the taps (but then again I'm trying to avoid that as knowing my luck I'd break the boiler completely as a result of experimental efforts to diagnose the issue).
I've decided to bite the bullet and asked the plumber to source and install a new boiler. It's coming next Thursday and that will, I hope, give me complete peace of mind. Currently I'm going upstairs everytime I run a tap to make sure it's not locked itself out.
Of course, a few hours after I took that decision the oven decided it didn't want its door any more, and threw that on the floor and smashed it. So now I've had to buy a new oven too, as the door was nearly half the cost of a complete new appliance.
I've not had a good time of it of late.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 14, 2020, 05:11:58 PM
I've decided to bite the bullet and asked the plumber to source and install a new boiler. It's coming next Thursday and that will, I hope, give me complete peace of mind. Currently I'm going upstairs everytime I run a tap to make sure it's not locked itself out.
Of course, a few hours after I took that decision the oven decided it didn't want its door any more, and threw that on the floor and smashed it. So now I've had to buy a new oven too, as the door was nearly half the cost of a complete new appliance.
I've not had a good time of it of late.
Well it may be scant comfort, but they do say bad things come in threes so by my reckoning you're in the clear. But I understand it may well be an uncomfortable time.
In all honesty sometimes I wonder if the Universe is planning to thoroughly demoralise me then put a train through the back garden.
Othertimes, this feels remarkably apt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxAgOYoIzw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxAgOYoIzw)
Quote from: James Harrison on July 14, 2020, 07:01:09 PM
In all honesty sometimes I wonder if the Universe is planning to thoroughly demoralise me then put a train through the back garden.
Othertimes, this feels remarkably apt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxAgOYoIzw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CPxAgOYoIzw)
Somewhat reminds me of this..
GEORGE FORMBY: It Serves Me Right (I Shouldn't have Joined) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_28mmoBNEgY#)
Quote from: James Harrison on July 14, 2020, 05:11:58 PM
I've decided to bite the bullet and asked the plumber to source and install a new boiler. It's coming next Thursday and that will, I hope, give me complete peace of mind. Currently I'm going upstairs everytime I run a tap to make sure it's not locked itself out.
Of course, a few hours after I took that decision the oven decided it didn't want its door any more, and threw that on the floor and smashed it. So now I've had to buy a new oven too, as the door was nearly half the cost of a complete new appliance.
I've not had a good time of it of late.
You're just experiencing an appliance laboral strike.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 15, 2020, 02:10:12 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 14, 2020, 05:11:58 PM
I've decided to bite the bullet and asked the plumber to source and install a new boiler. It's coming next Thursday and that will, I hope, give me complete peace of mind. Currently I'm going upstairs everytime I run a tap to make sure it's not locked itself out.
Of course, a few hours after I took that decision the oven decided it didn't want its door any more, and threw that on the floor and smashed it. So now I've had to buy a new oven too, as the door was nearly half the cost of a complete new appliance.
I've not had a good time of it of late.
You're just experiencing an appliance laboral strike.
I was replacing appliances and fittings even before I even moved in to my house! Had to replace the toilet pan, which was cracked - neither the real estate agent or the owner had noticed that. Then, first time I used the stove two (of four) hot plate elements and the oven were broken. Couldn't test those before I moved in as the electricity wasn't connected at that stage. Next was a wood burning stove for the lounge room, and about twelve months after that I had to replace the gravity fed hot water service (boiler) that lived in the roof space with a new mains pressure external hot water service! What a start! Then, add in the 50-60 thousand for all the renovations between 2013 and 2016 ....!
I'm in a slightly better mood tonight. Tomorrow
1) The guttering guys sort out the rear half of the house and the garage;
2) The new oven arrives;
3) The plasterer comes to have another look at the hallway (after some more wallpaper was removed).
Slowly, very slowly, at least some of the jobs are getting looked at.
Meanwhile I'm wondering if there is anything to be gained quite yet from removing the stair carpet. No, perhaps wait until after the plastering is done.
Oh go on, take up the stair carpet, you know you want to.
Besides you might find something interesting - my mother-in-law used to put ten and twenty pound notes under hers ("to keep them safe") and sometimes used to 'lose' them if they got pushed too far in. Fortunately she told us this after she'd moved into sheltered housing but before we sold the house.
We found enough to have made it worth looking!
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on July 17, 2020, 03:54:30 PM
Oh go on, take up the stair carpet, you know you want to.
Besides you might find something interesting - my mother-in-law used to put ten and twenty pound notes under hers ("to keep them safe") and sometimes used to 'lose' them if they got pushed too far in. Fortunately she told us this after she'd moved into sheltered housing but before we sold the house.
We found enough to have made it worth looking!
Sure beats finding only loose coins in the sofa ;D
The only things I've found so far have been huge lumps of rubbery gunk someone thought was a good idea to fill the joint between the plaster and the skirting boards with :D
Today's activities:
The new oven arrived, and had to be unpacked to get it inside (it's now going to sit in a corner of the kitchen for a week until the plumber can fit it). The garage and the rear of the house have been fitted up with new fascia board and guttering (photos later), which is a relief.
Not inquiring into any specific numbers but.....gosh o'mighty I'll bet your credit card/bank account is throwing a hissy fit right now. :o
Well, because I spent a number of years in a job I came to hate (not the job itself but other factors at play) meant that I waited and waited and waited until moving out from my parents (until I had a new job that I felt secure in that I'd be happy in for, potentially, decades to come).
Upshot was that that took so long that I was able to save up quite a large deposit (and a nice safety net over that).
Yes, I'm loathe to spend it- you can only spend it once- but at least it's going on important things.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50122559018_44fd20ea46_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50123122651_27051a95d2_c.jpg)
So, this is the new fascia and guttering- and I'm very happy with it. Plasterer has just visited and the hallway will be getting sorted out on Monday, next Thursday the new boiler and the oven will be fitted....
And I did experimentally take some carpet up - it is back down now but I know where it was cut so how long a length I'm going to have to rehome- I've got a painted staircase....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50123481977_a56516b466_c.jpg)
And here is that staircase. My assumption is that the unpainted strip in the middle would originally have been hidden under a strip of carpet held in place with stair runners.
Thoughts.... strip the skirting back to the timber and varnish it, but leave the staircase with the white paint for contrast and a bit of light. Reinstate the carpet strip and runners.
Right, plasterer is coming on Monday to replaster the hall between the front door and the archway at the foot of the staircase. I'm planning to do the hall in phases as it runs from the front to the back of the house and from the ground level up to the rafters. So, the extent of Phase 1 is....
1) Replastering the walls, from the front door to the foot of the stairs.
2) Stripping the paint off the skirting boards and doorframes and varnishing same, from the front door to the top of the staircase.
3) Painting the walls from the front door to the top of the staircase (on the corridor side) and from the front door to the foot of the staircase (on the full height side).
4) Clean up the tile floor, finally.
5) Removing the staircase carpet and cleaning up the staircase (stretch goal dependant upon how stressed and tired out points 1 through 4 leave me).
6) Build a bespoke radiator cover.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 17, 2020, 05:47:02 PM
My assumption is that the unpainted strip in the middle would originally have been hidden under a strip of carpet held in place with stair runners.
True, since in the days before fitted carpets the carpet would cover the middle of the room (you'd expect to have about a 5" gap between the edge of the carpet and skirting boards) and the exposed floorboards would be painted/waxed.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 17, 2020, 05:47:02 PM
Thoughts.... strip the skirting back to the timber and varnish it, but leave the staircase with the white paint for contrast and a bit of light. Reinstate the carpet strip and runners.
If you're going down that route, don't forget to factor in enough length to cover at least 2 extra steps as standard practice was to periodically move the carpet up and down (so that the carpet on the tread covers the riser and vice versa) in order to even out the wear (and thus make your carpet last twice as long).
I'm guessing then that the top and bottom step, the carpet would be folded back on itself, to accommodate the additional length?
Quote from: James Harrison on July 18, 2020, 12:16:28 PM
I'm guessing then that the top and bottom step, the carpet would be folded back on itself, to accommodate the additional length?
Is it two steps or one step?
Quote from: James Harrison on July 17, 2020, 05:47:02 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50123481977_a56516b466_c.jpg)
And here is that staircase. My assumption is that the unpainted strip in the middle would originally have been hidden under a strip of carpet held in place with stair runners.
Thoughts.... strip the skirting back to the timber and varnish it, but leave the staircase with the white paint for contrast and a bit of light. Reinstate the carpet strip and runners.
My goodness, that photo takes me back!
Yes, a strip of carpet down the middle, white paint at the sides, always remember to wear slippers as a misplaced, sock covered foot would slip and deliver you to the bottom much faster than intended.
I also have early memories of carpet in the centre of the living room, but lino not floorboards where it didn't cover at the edges; I don't know if the lino extended over the whole floor.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 18, 2020, 12:16:28 PM
I'm guessing then that the top and bottom step, the carpet would be folded back on itself, to accommodate the additional length?
That was usually the case from my understanding.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on July 19, 2020, 10:42:02 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 18, 2020, 12:16:28 PM
I'm guessing then that the top and bottom step, the carpet would be folded back on itself, to accommodate the additional length?
That was usually the case from my understanding.
That's very useful to know actually- carpet and stair rods are something I anticipate looking at next year or possible even later but I'll bear that in mind.
Now, yesterday I said that taking up the carpet was something I might/ might not do right now, but on further consideration...
1) The carpet needs to come up anyway to be able to fully clean the skirting boards;
2) The plasterer is coming tomorrow and that's going to be a messy business;
3) When the carpet does come down I want to use it to line my garage and protect against scratching my car on the brickwork, which I can't really do if as a result of 1) and 2) it's dirty.
So....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50128573803_862e40ba7d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50129141796_b20092e705_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50129141861_67af42e128_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50129362912_6190b336e3_c.jpg)
I took it down this morning!
It's amazing, actually, how replacing the dark carpet with light-coloured wood draws so much light so much further back into the house.
I love the note left by the previous owners, shame you will have to remove it.
I often leave names, dates and sometimes coins hidden.
I have an old bit of a soap box found amongst a box sash rip out. More often newspapers used as packing.
When I gutted my house there was a BMW wheel cover, with "Lucky Do Not Remove" written on it. After some investigation, turns out a BMW smashed through the front of the house and came to a stop inches from a baby asleep in a cot in the front room. That explains why the brickwork of the front elevation is new then.
It was placed back where I found it, under the stairs once they were turned around.
My mate found a WW11 service revolver in a cavity, perfectly preserved. Disposed of responsibly to the law, may I add.
I agree, a shame it will need to go, but at least it is recorded for posterity. One idea I am toying with is using a Sharpie (other markers are available) to note things up before painting over them.
Have you thought about keeping the treads the natural wood and painting the kick boards (The down part) white?
I agree with Montysaurus, I think it's my contemporary eye, but I'd rather like the steps to be in wood finish rather than painted. May not be historically accurate, but it'd look much better in my opinion
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on July 19, 2020, 12:56:42 PM
I love the note left by the previous owners, shame you will have to remove it.
I often leave names, dates and sometimes coins hidden.
I have an old bit of a soap box found amongst a box sash rip out. More often newspapers used as packing.
When I gutted my house there was a BMW wheel cover, with "Lucky Do Not Remove" written on it. After some investigation, turns out a BMW smashed through the front of the house and came to a stop inches from a baby asleep in a cot in the front room. That explains why the brickwork of the front elevation is new then.
It was placed back where I found it, under the stairs once they were turned around.
My mate found a WW11 service revolver in a cavity, perfectly preserved. Disposed of responsibly to the law, may I add.
You can take a picture or remove the plank and frame it :P I'm serious, actually. It's part of the house.
Quote from: montysaurus on July 20, 2020, 01:39:39 AM
Have you thought about keeping the treads the natural wood and painting the kick boards (The down part) white?
That might work even better than my idea.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 20, 2020, 04:50:43 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on July 19, 2020, 12:56:42 PM
I love the note left by the previous owners, shame you will have to remove it.
I often leave names, dates and sometimes coins hidden.
I have an old bit of a soap box found amongst a box sash rip out. More often newspapers used as packing.
When I gutted my house there was a BMW wheel cover, with "Lucky Do Not Remove" written on it. After some investigation, turns out a BMW smashed through the front of the house and came to a stop inches from a baby asleep in a cot in the front room. That explains why the brickwork of the front elevation is new then.
It was placed back where I found it, under the stairs once they were turned around.
My mate found a WW11 service revolver in a cavity, perfectly preserved. Disposed of responsibly to the law, may I add.
You can take a picture or remove the plank and frame it :P I'm serious, actually. It's part of the house.
Yeah, I've got a photo of it, undecided at the moment whether to erase it, add to it, cover it up or preserve it.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 20, 2020, 04:35:37 PM
You can take a picture or remove the plank and frame it :P I'm serious, actually. It's part of the house.
Yeah, I've got a photo of it, undecided at the moment whether to erase it, add to it, cover it up or preserve it.
[/quote]
If it were carved, or a bit older than 5 years I'd probably keep it, but a blue texta, nah!
Quote from: Banfili on July 20, 2020, 10:17:29 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 20, 2020, 04:35:37 PM
You can take a picture or remove the plank and frame it :P I'm serious, actually. It's part of the house.
Yeah, I've got a photo of it, undecided at the moment whether to erase it, add to it, cover it up or preserve it.
If it were carved, or a bit older than 5 years I'd probably keep it, but a blue texta, nah!
[/quote]
True. It's going to fade soon anyway. There's no way you can preserve the text. Take a photo, get some alcohol and wipe the tread clean :P
Or if you want to be ridiculous about it you can have a small brass plaque with the inscription "In honour of Danny, Shell, Jack and Sonny, 2015. Four of the chillest blokes to ever have stepped on these treads" ;D :D
It could have been Danielle, Michelle, Jacqueline and Sonia. I wouldn't presume they were "blokes".
Quote from: Sorontar on July 21, 2020, 12:43:57 AM
It could have been Danielle, Michelle, Jacqueline and Sonia. I wouldn't presume they were "blokes".
Pardon me. "Blox" then, to cover the whole gender spectrum. Otherwise I'd have to assume they were "gals" or some such which is equally binary. The English language lacks the proper terms to go neutral in this case unless I say "persons" or "people," which while correct, does not carry the same youthful camaraderie connotation as "blokes or gals."
"Hominoid lifeforms" covers it nicely. Except I suspect Sonny was a cat or dog. "Carbon-based sentient beings", then?
Big leap forward today, plastering in the entrance hallway is done. Now to see how much the local authority wants to charge for 9 or 10 rubble sacks full of broken gypsum and plasterboard.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 21, 2020, 06:32:37 PM
"Hominoid lifeforms" covers it nicely. Except I suspect Sonny was a cat or dog. "Carbon-based sentient beings", then?....
Terran inhabitants...
Quote from: Deimos on July 21, 2020, 07:42:57 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 21, 2020, 06:32:37 PM
"Hominoid lifeforms" covers it nicely. Except I suspect Sonny was a cat or dog. "Carbon-based sentient beings", then?....
Terran inhabitants...
"Bags of mostly water" (Ref. Star Trek)
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 21, 2020, 10:08:11 PM
Quote from: Deimos on July 21, 2020, 07:42:57 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 21, 2020, 06:32:37 PM
"Hominoid lifeforms" covers it nicely. Except I suspect Sonny was a cat or dog. "Carbon-based sentient beings", then?....
Terran inhabitants...
"Bags of mostly water" (Ref. Star Trek)
(Channeling TOS Spock) Illogical "bags of mostly water."
BTW Thank you for sharing this project with us. I check daily for updates. Also don't sweat the blokes thing, we do not know how people identify themselves until they tell us.
Quite right montysaurus. For all we could know, you might identify yourself as a dinosaur, or an archangel, or ... Monty's Treble (http://www.thegoonshow.net/scripts_show.asp?title=s09e02_i_was_montys_treble).
I just identify myself as someone who would have made a costly mess if I had tried to do as much as James in my house.
Sorontar
Quote from: montysaurus on July 22, 2020, 12:31:34 AM
BTW Thank you for sharing this project with us. I check daily for updates. Also don't sweat the blokes thing, we do not know how people identify themselves until they tell us.
You're welcome. This is the sort of project I can really get my teeth into.
Quote from: Sorontar on July 22, 2020, 12:44:02 AM
I just identify myself as someone who would have made a costly mess if I had tried to do as much as James in my house.
Sorontar
Not sure that I don't fall into that category myself :-\
Today marks 5 months since I moved in. At the rate I'm currently going, then, it's going to be at least a 3-year project. And that's before I factor in my ideas to do maybe one or two rooms each year...
Today's tasks are fairly mundane- trying to clean up tile floors in the wake of the plasterer.
So, this is the current situation. The good news is that the old boiler is out and the new boiler is well on the way to being in. The bad news is that I don't seem to have an accessible stoptap...
We (that is, the plumber) tried a stopcock outside my backdoor but that doesn't seem to be attached to anything. We then tried one outside in the street. The watermain burst. I've now got a stream running down the street and the waterboard on the way to fix the problem. When they're here the plumber is also going to ask where, exactly, my stoptap is and, if I don't have one, fit a new one.
I suppose this goes with the territory of buying a >100 year-old house that appears to have had little in the way of heavy repairs or maintenance done, but it does precious little for my blood pressure and stress. I'm again swinging toward thoughts of finishing the entrance hallway and then calling it a day for the year.
Update. The house doesn't have a stoptap. Waterboard has stopped the geyser in the street and restored water to my neighbours but mine- can't be turned off. So we're looking at a road closure and digging up the pavement to fit a stoptap for my house.
After about four or five hours of my remaining in the sitting room with my head in my hands waiting for something more to go wrong, I can report that the new boiler is installed and working, that the new oven is installed and working, and that the radiator in the entrance hallway has been reinstated.
Well, that was a bit of a fight the house put up, wasn't it? What with the being unable to turn the water off and then bursting the watermain and then struggling to get any gas pressure after swapping the ovens over, between all of that I'm in a mood to just go out for a few hours and swear off anything to do with the utlities ever again.
Better to have the geyser in the street than in the house.
Helped a friend renovating his house.
Took down the wooden panelling from the kitchen ceiling.
Works in the cellar were almost finished. Water was turned on.....and the whole big kitchen turned into a shower. Water was coming from every single screwhole in the concrete ceiling.
The pipe running through the ceiling had ruptured in several places flooding the hollow concrete structure completely.
Took days to dry.
Keep going.
The worst of it is... another radiator decided to start dripping. Not as bad as the last time- this is a drip every few minutes- but it's leaked probably 100ml in 5 hours. Plumber's coming back tomorrow to replace the suspect part.
I'm getting tired of living on the set of a 1-man production of A Night to Remember.
The last* leak sorted out today. It turned out to be a rubber gasket in the bottom of the radiator bleed valve that had perished.
*until next time.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 23, 2020, 05:49:59 PM
The worst of it is... another radiator decided to start dripping...
I'm getting tired of living on the set of a 1-man production of A Night to Remember.
Maybe you could put on some music during the leaks and pretend it's the [8] musicians who played on while the ship sank.
They did that to calm the passengers....methinks you also could use some calming. :)
Quote from: Deimos on July 24, 2020, 04:16:44 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 23, 2020, 05:49:59 PM
The worst of it is... another radiator decided to start dripping...
I'm getting tired of living on the set of a 1-man production of A Night to Remember.
Maybe you could put on some music during the leaks and pretend it's the [8] musicians who played on while the ship sank.
They did that to calm the passengers....methinks you also could use some calming. :)
Painting. Painting will calm me down.
The good news is, that with the walls replastered and the radiator back up, the way is now tolerably clear to build a radiator cover, reinstate the skirting boards and start painting. The bad news is, there isn't money for any of that until payday, next week.
Considering I need to decide exactly what I want the radiator cover to look like, how large, whether on brackets or free-standing, and so on and so forth, I think designing that can be this weekend's task.
Right, the radiator cover.... you may recall I bought one a few months ago but forgot to consider the height of the radiator when the skirting board was factored in. So, that one is not an option.
Also, although you can get some very nice covers that both fit and go with my aesthetic tastes, these tend toward the expensive. The very expensive. So, realistically, the only option is to build one from scratch. I don't want to drill into my newly-plastered wall so it will need to be freestanding, I'm considering in the long term replacing the radiator in the hallway so anything I design/ build will need to be of suitable dimensions to fit any putative later radiator. This basically means making it wider (say 15cm), but at the same time I'm going to need to kep the width to a practical minimum so as not to block the front door. It's also going to have to extend past the end of the radiator by 15cm or so to allow me access to the controls and valves. So, overall I'm looking at a length of around 145cm, depth of around 15cm and height of around 110cm.
My thoughts for the hallway generally are tiled floor, dark stained timberwork, very pale cream paint and exposed copper pipework with brass fixings. Over the radiator I'll be hanging a bespoke Art Nouveau style mirror.
I'm looking really for inspiration in the Art and Crafts or Art Nouveau style- probably the latter as that will gel with the mirror- and I also want to use materials and a colour palette that complements the rest of the hall. That realistically means dark stained timber, copper and brass. Metalwork isn't my forte, carpentry is a complete unknown- though this is probably about as simple as carpentry can get- so I'll likely be using off-the-peg timber strip, planks and mouldings and brass or copper wire rather than sheet. I can solder- just about-so this could be a nice practice piece for those model railway etched brass kits in my to-do pile too...
One initial thought is to build a basic timber frame, brace it up with a mesh timber panel, and then find a stained glass window I like the look of and copy it in wire in front of that mesh.
So is this sort of thing a start, or not the style you want (they call it Baroque)
https://www.woldswood.co.uk/made-to-measure-radiator-covers-24-w.asp (https://www.woldswood.co.uk/made-to-measure-radiator-covers-24-w.asp)
Sorontar
Perhaps something a little more like this.
(https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/16/15/1024x819/gallery-1460745996-screen-shot-2016-04-15-at-114622-am.png?resize=980:*)
Quote from: James Harrison on July 25, 2020, 04:27:37 PM
Perhaps something a little more like this.
(https://hips.hearstapps.com/pop.h-cdn.co/assets/16/15/1024x819/gallery-1460745996-screen-shot-2016-04-15-at-114622-am.png?resize=980:*)
So are you going to whip that up at your place? I like the idea of using pre-cut craft wood to keep the number of cuts to a minimum. Perhaps something along the lines of Frank Lloyd Wright geometric forms? I know it's American, and modernist, but it's period correct.
I'm one of those people who believes that using craft wood pieces means cutting by hand, as opposed to using heavy electric tools. A rotary saw blade is very fast, but unless you have the right blade and some experience, it'll butcher the edges of your craft sticks of wood. I've taken a penchant for using "shark teeth" hand saws and Japanese pull saws, because they're very quick on white wood like pine, but can also leav very clean sharp edges. Otherwise with a bit more patience, traditional small-blunt teeth hand saws with proper squares and guides will also leave a professional edge.
Some advice on staining... I have had good results with 2-3 coats of wax-solvent based stain (eg Minwax in the USA, there must be a UK equivalent) in combination with several finishing layers layers of polyurethane. Note that wood also "drinks" the stain, so you need several layers. You can and should apply a bit more stain here and there before the first layer dries, to even out the color.
Applying stain is an art, not a science. The colours of the wood grain will reverse when you stain the wood. Dark streaks in pine are full of sap, whereas the light streaks are like a sponge. So when you apply the stain, it's the light colored streaks that will absorb most of the stain. So try to visualize the wood grain in reverse colors before you cut your pieces.
Every subsequent layer of stain is more difficult to absorb, because of the wax build up inside the wood, so the first layer of stain is the most important to achieve even results. You need to make sure it's as even as you want on the first application, and then you need to let that dry completely, wiping any excess afterward before applying the next coats. The second and third costs are just for darkening the stain. It will always dry to a very dull finish and lighten over a few days unless you apply the polyurethane as directed after it dried.
Looks American Craftsman (Arts and Crafts) to me. Lovely.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on July 26, 2020, 07:09:30 AM
Looks American Craftsman (Arts and Crafts) to me. Lovely.
Yep. It's the period.
From Wiki "American Craftsman"
QuoteIts immediate ancestors in American architecture are the Shingle style, which began the move away from Victorian ornamentation toward simpler forms; and the Prairie style of Frank Lloyd Wright. The name "Craftsman" was appropriated from furniture-maker Gustav Stickley, whose magazine "The Craftsman" was first published in 1901.
A Frank Lloyd Wright dining set
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed1ekpRXoAAteRs?format=jpg&name=large)
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 26, 2020, 06:58:25 AM
[
Some advice on staining... I have had good results with 2-3 coats of wax-solvent based stain (eg Minwax in the USA, there must be a UK equivalent) in combination with several finishing layers layers of polyurethane. Note that wood also "drinks" the stain, so you need several layers. You can and should apply a bit more stain here and there before the first layer dries, to even out the color.
Applying stain is an art, not a science. The colours of the wood grain will reverse when you stain the wood. Dark streaks in pine are full of sap, whereas the light streaks are like a sponge. So when you apply the stain, it's the light colored streaks that will absorb most of the stain. So try to visualize the wood grain in reverse colors before you cut your pieces.
Every subsequent layer of stain is more difficult to absorb, because of the wax build up inside the wood, so the first layer of stain is the most important to achieve even results. You need to make sure it's as even as you want on the first application, and then you need to let that dry completely, wiping any excess afterward before applying the next coats. The second and third costs are just for darkening the stain. It will always dry to a very dull finish and lighten over a few days unless you apply the polyurethane as directed after it dried.
Other staining suggestions: To prevent wood from absorbing too much stain, especially the end grain, or if the wood is soft (e.g. pine, spruce) and tends to splotch, sand to 220 grit and then use a sealer before staining.
You can buy sealers (typically a polyurethane) ready mixed.
But if you intend to put a final coat of poly on the wood after staining, take some of that poly and thin it 50/50 with whatever its medium is (water based poly use water, solvent based poly use paint thinner/mineral spirits), and wipe it on the wood with a lint free cloth. Cover every bit of wood that you intend to stain.
Let it dry the appropriate amount of time (ref the directions of the container), then stain.
And FWIW I use alcohol based stains, specifically the "dyes" used in leather work... Fiebings to be exact...The regular one , not the Eco or Pro.
If you want to see how good it looks check out my keyboard: Nemo Keyboard (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,49880.0.html)
Wood is maple sanded to 220, end grain to 280, sealed with solvent based polyurethane thinned 50/50, then stained with Fiebings (mixture of Moccasin Brown, Medium Brown and Dark brown. Varnished (4 coats) of Spar varnish. Varnish was thinned to wipe it on.
Spar varnish is boat varnish. It has not an atom of polyurethane in it. I dislike using polyurethane as a topcoat.... it look like plastic (because it IS plastic).
Put too many coats of poly on something and it will crack.
Spar varnish expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. It also gives a deeper lustre than the poly imo.
Quote from: Deimos on July 26, 2020, 07:46:04 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 26, 2020, 06:58:25 AM
[
Some advice on staining... I have had good results with 2-3 coats of wax-solvent based stain (eg Minwax in the USA, there must be a UK equivalent) in combination with several finishing layers layers of polyurethane. Note that wood also "drinks" the stain, so you need several layers. You can and should apply a bit more stain here and there before the first layer dries, to even out the color.
Applying stain is an art, not a science. The colours of the wood grain will reverse when you stain the wood. Dark streaks in pine are full of sap, whereas the light streaks are like a sponge. So when you apply the stain, it's the light colored streaks that will absorb most of the stain. So try to visualize the wood grain in reverse colors before you cut your pieces.
Every subsequent layer of stain is more difficult to absorb, because of the wax build up inside the wood, so the first layer of stain is the most important to achieve even results. You need to make sure it's as even as you want on the first application, and then you need to let that dry completely, wiping any excess afterward before applying the next coats. The second and third costs are just for darkening the stain. It will always dry to a very dull finish and lighten over a few days unless you apply the polyurethane as directed after it dried.
Other staining suggestions: To prevent wood from absorbing too much stain, especially the end grain, or if the wood is soft (e.g. pine, spruce) and tends to splotch, sand to 220 grit and then use a sealer before staining.
You can buy sealers (typically a polyurethane) ready mixed.
But if you intend to put a final coat of poly on the wood after staining, take some of that poly and thin it 50/50 with whatever its medium is (water based poly use water, solvent based poly use paint thinner/mineral spirits), and wipe it on the wood with a lint free cloth. Cover every bit of wood that you intend to stain.
Let it dry the appropriate amount of time (ref the directions of the container), then stain.
And FWIW I use alcohol based stains, specifically the "dyes" used in leather work... Fiebings to be exact...The regular one , not the Eco or Pro.
If you want to see how good it looks check out my keyboard: Nemo Keyboard (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,49880.0.html)
Wood is maple sanded to 220, end grain to 280, sealed with solvent based polyurethane thinned 50/50, then stained with Fiebings (mixture of Moccasin Brown, Medium Brown and Dark brown. Varnished (4 coats) of Spar varnish. Varnish was thinned to wipe it on.
Spar varnish is boat varnish. It has not an atom of polyurethane in it. I dislike using polyurethane as a topcoat.... it look like plastic (because it IS plastic).
Put too many coats of poly on something and it will crack.
Spar varnish expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. It also gives a deeper lustre than the poly imo.
Here's a bit more details on the difference between spar varnish and polyurethane. It's true that spar varnish is more flexible, but it's also softer. Varnish is basically made up of three things: hardener, oil and solvent. Hardeners like polyurethane alkyd or phenolyc resin are what makes the "hard shell" over the wood. The hardness is controlled with oil of various kinds.
https://thecraftsmanblog.com/spar-varnish-vs-regular-varnish/
Spar varnish has more oil, and as Deimos suggests, the alkyd or phenolic shell is more flexible than polyurethane. If this is around a radiator which will regularly stress the wood and finish, then perhaps spar varnish is better. The only thing is (correct me if I'm wrong, I'm going by memory from childhood) spar varnish will have a stronger odour and will take longer to dry. It's also "tacky" in the sense that if you leave a glass of water on the surface for a long time, it will stick to the glass a bit leaving a mark on the finish. We had spar varnish all over my childhood home. My grandfather used it for some wooden surfaces like wood plank ceilings, but mostly we used it over artisanal hand made brick we had all over the walls (it darkens the colour to show the range of orange - brown in each brick) !
I'll take each post in turn.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 26, 2020, 06:58:25 AM
So are you going to whip that up at your place? I like the idea of using pre-cut craft wood to keep the number of cuts to a minimum. Perhaps something along the lines of Frank Lloyd Wright geometric forms? I know it's American, and modernist, but it's period correct.
I'm one of those people who believes that using craft wood pieces means cutting by hand, as opposed to using heavy electric tools. A rotary saw blade is very fast, but unless you have the right blade and some experience, it'll butcher the edges of your craft sticks of wood. I've taken a penchant for using "shark teeth" hand saws and Japanese pull saws, because they're very quick on white wood like pine, but can also leav very clean sharp edges. Otherwise with a bit more patience, traditional small-blunt teeth hand saws with proper squares and guides will also leave a professional edge.
Some advice on staining... I have had good results with 2-3 coats of wax-solvent based stain (eg Minwax in the USA, there must be a UK equivalent) in combination with several finishing layers layers of polyurethane. Note that wood also "drinks" the stain, so you need several layers. You can and should apply a bit more stain here and there before the first layer dries, to even out the color.
Applying stain is an art, not a science. The colours of the wood grain will reverse when you stain the wood. Dark streaks in pine are full of sap, whereas the light streaks are like a sponge. So when you apply the stain, it's the light colored streaks that will absorb most of the stain. So try to visualize the wood grain in reverse colors before you cut your pieces.
Every subsequent layer of stain is more difficult to absorb, because of the wax build up inside the wood, so the first layer of stain is the most important to achieve even results. You need to make sure it's as even as you want on the first application, and then you need to let that dry completely, wiping any excess afterward before applying the next coats. The second and third costs are just for darkening the stain. It will always dry to a very dull finish and lighten over a few days unless you apply the polyurethane as directed after it dried.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on July 26, 2020, 07:09:30 AM
Looks American Craftsman (Arts and Crafts) to me. Lovely.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 26, 2020, 07:16:25 AM
Quote from: Synistor 303 on July 26, 2020, 07:09:30 AM
Looks American Craftsman (Arts and Crafts) to me. Lovely.
Yep. It's the period.
From Wiki "American Craftsman"
QuoteIts immediate ancestors in American architecture are the Shingle style, which began the move away from Victorian ornamentation toward simpler forms; and the Prairie style of Frank Lloyd Wright. The name "Craftsman" was appropriated from furniture-maker Gustav Stickley, whose magazine "The Craftsman" was first published in 1901.
A Frank Lloyd Wright dining set
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ed1ekpRXoAAteRs?format=jpg&name=large)
Yes, that's my plan (or the idea at least), the photograph I posted is a Stickley-inspired design. As you say, it's period-correct. It's a bit awkward to describe exactly the sort of look I'm aiming for but if you imagine I'm attracted equally to the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau,
and also have a great regard for the furniture designs of Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Gustav Stickley,
and Frank Lloyd Wright's Prairie Style.... somewhere in the middle of all
that is what I'm aiming for.
I am looking at using commrcially-available timber strips and ouldings to build the carcass of the cover, and then the panels to the front are very much in abeyance at present, I can imagine my first idea of the mesh with the wire decorative panels would look good- if well executed- but also vertical timber strips would be rather neat. More thought required there. I'll also re-read and take on board comments regarding the timber staining.
Quote from: Deimos on July 26, 2020, 07:46:04 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 26, 2020, 06:58:25 AM
[
Some advice on staining... I have had good results with 2-3 coats of wax-solvent based stain (eg Minwax in the USA, there must be a UK equivalent) in combination with several finishing layers layers of polyurethane. Note that wood also "drinks" the stain, so you need several layers. You can and should apply a bit more stain here and there before the first layer dries, to even out the color.
Applying stain is an art, not a science. The colours of the wood grain will reverse when you stain the wood. Dark streaks in pine are full of sap, whereas the light streaks are like a sponge. So when you apply the stain, it's the light colored streaks that will absorb most of the stain. So try to visualize the wood grain in reverse colors before you cut your pieces.
Every subsequent layer of stain is more difficult to absorb, because of the wax build up inside the wood, so the first layer of stain is the most important to achieve even results. You need to make sure it's as even as you want on the first application, and then you need to let that dry completely, wiping any excess afterward before applying the next coats. The second and third costs are just for darkening the stain. It will always dry to a very dull finish and lighten over a few days unless you apply the polyurethane as directed after it dried.
Other staining suggestions: To prevent wood from absorbing too much stain, especially the end grain, or if the wood is soft (e.g. pine, spruce) and tends to splotch, sand to 220 grit and then use a sealer before staining.
You can buy sealers (typically a polyurethane) ready mixed.
But if you intend to put a final coat of poly on the wood after staining, take some of that poly and thin it 50/50 with whatever its medium is (water based poly use water, solvent based poly use paint thinner/mineral spirits), and wipe it on the wood with a lint free cloth. Cover every bit of wood that you intend to stain.
Let it dry the appropriate amount of time (ref the directions of the container), then stain.
And FWIW I use alcohol based stains, specifically the "dyes" used in leather work... Fiebings to be exact...The regular one , not the Eco or Pro.
If you want to see how good it looks check out my keyboard: Nemo Keyboard (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,49880.0.html)
Wood is maple sanded to 220, end grain to 280, sealed with solvent based polyurethane thinned 50/50, then stained with Fiebings (mixture of Moccasin Brown, Medium Brown and Dark brown. Varnished (4 coats) of Spar varnish. Varnish was thinned to wipe it on.
Spar varnish is boat varnish. It has not an atom of polyurethane in it. I dislike using polyurethane as a topcoat.... it look like plastic (because it IS plastic).
Put too many coats of poly on something and it will crack.
Spar varnish expands and contracts with temperature and humidity. It also gives a deeper lustre than the poly imo.
I love your keyboard, Deimos!
Thank you :)... Still in use since 2018. Have had to clean a few sticky keys but that is it.
Will have to disassemble it sometime soon, maybe in the next few months, so as to polish it in earnest and make some minor modifications on the embellishments.
During that interim I will be using a plain black keyboard...very unsteampunk and very boring. :P
Just my two bobs worth on staining.
Most of the wood you get from B+Q and the like is cheap pine not to good for stain, and colron wood stain used to be good but they have changed the formula to water base and is basically brown paint.
I like raggedy so tend to use Tan boot polish (KIWI) with a dusting of black for distressing then a coat of spirit based varnish to seal it all in, works on pine, ply and MDF, also animal bones for those taxidermy moments I have now and then.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on July 26, 2020, 09:29:20 AM
Just my two bobs worth on staining.
Most of the wood you get from B+Q and the like is cheap pine not to good for stain, and colron wood stain used to be good but they have changed the formula to water base and is basically brown paint.
I like raggedy so tend to use Tan boot polish (KIWI) with a dusting of black for distressing then a coat of spirit based varnish to seal it all in, works on pine, ply and MDF, also animal bones for those taxidermy moments I have now and then.
Agreed, but there's a difference between craft wood and the quality used for construction. Now if you have a lot of money you can go to a wood specialist or even buy modeling wood, but that can get expensive. We used to have a wood specialist in town who sold all manners of fine and exotic woods. I'm not sure if they survived the COVID onslaught. My guess is they are gone by now. Shame I only got to see their store once in 2013.
Also I agree that water based stains are horrible. Might as well use watercolors! I much prefer mineral spirit based stains. They can be a bit of a mess, but the tones can be much nicer. When done properly with smooth varnish, you'll get a 3-D "candy color" effect on the light streaks of the grain
Quote from: James Harrison on July 26, 2020, 08:25:59 AM
I am looking at using commrcially-available timber strips and ouldings to build the carcass of the cover, and then the panels to the front are very much in abeyance at present, I can imagine my first idea of the mesh with the wire decorative panels would look good- if well executed- but also vertical timber strips would be rather neat. More thought required there. I'll also re-read and take on board comments regarding the timber staining.
At our Lowe's and Home Depot supermarkets they have these "confessional" aluminium mesh panels ::) You might want to take a look at those. ;D The first time I saw them I cracked up. DIY clergy.
I've no real preference for which stain to use; the principal objective is that it should match the dark mahogany colour on the bannister, balustrade and newel post. I've used water-based stuff in the past on one of those laser-cut plywood kits and particularly impressed with how it made the ply swell...
It's a project that has to wait a few more days yet, until payday, anyway.
In the meantime, today my Father and I damn-near killed ourselves trying to lower the level of the front garden. The objective is that the gravelled area should be a few inches lower than the borders. So it has to be dug out and levelled more than that to be able to get the subgrade down and weed-proof membrane laid. We've got somewhere between a third and half of it hauled out into the back garden, but soil is surprisingly heavy and it's an exhausting slog.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 26, 2020, 04:10:34 PM
I've no real preference for which stain to use; the principal objective is that it should match the dark mahogany colour on the bannister, balustrade and newel post. I've used water-based stuff in the past on one of those laser-cut plywood kits and particularly impressed with how it made the ply swell...
It's a project that has to wait a few more days yet, until payday, anyway.
In the meantime, today my Father and I damn-near killed ourselves trying to lower the level of the front garden. The objective is that the gravelled area should be a few inches lower than the borders. So it has to be dug out and levelled more than that to be able to get the subgrade down and weed-proof membrane laid. We've got somewhere between a third and half of it hauled out into the back garden, but soil is surprisingly heavy and it's an exhausting slog.
In my personal experience it's not so much preference, as much as what you want in the end. Water stains tend to look like you used artist's water colour paint, or alternatively if you took house paint and then tried to wipe it off, leaving a colour residue. It's part of the finish that was popular in the 1980's called "white washing." Pastel colours were infused on wood furniture, to give the piece a "salvaged look." At their absolute best, water based stains will look like you took a colour marker and just went to town all over the piece. Maybe the tone changes with a resin on top, but honestly, I've been so put off by the results, the piece never makes it to the varnishing stage. You just can't compare to oil and solvent based stains.
There's a reason why mineral spirit solvents and oil are used for wood. Primarily, all wood swells with water. Plywood also responds very poorly to humidity and will tend to delaminate. It can be sealed, but those thin layers warp enormously with water if not sealed properly. Warping is also an issue with traditional wood glue (the milky liquid type) and latex glue (white silicone-like paste). You have to take it into account when assembling wood pieces together. Clamping of pieces while the glue dries is usually mandatory. In other countries where there's less regulation on toxicity of solvents, neoprene glue (the yellow, rubbery type) is preferred over white resin type glues for wood, precisely because it prevents warping and makes assembly faster.
FWIW, for centuries luthiers used the same stains/dyes that leatherworkers used...and they still do.
I went to quite few luthier sites to see what kind of stains they use. Leather dyes (alcohol based ) aren't the only dyes they use, but they are definitely up there as one preference. They do not raise the grain like water based stains, and the stain penetrates well.
I spread the dye on the wood with a lint free cloth, then maybe lighten it with another cloth dampened with alcohol.
And cleanup is easy; again, with alcohol.
(The alcohol from the drug store at about 90% strength...70% contains too much water)
Quote from: Deimos on July 27, 2020, 04:34:44 AM
FWIW, for centuries luthiers used the same stains/dyes that leatherworkers used...and they still do.
I went to quite few luthier sites to see what kind of stains they use. Leather dyes (alcohol based ) aren't the only dyes they use, but they are definitely up there as one preference. They do not raise the grain like water based stains due, and the stain penetrates well.
I spread the dye on the wood with a lint free cloth, then maybe lighten it with another cloth dampened with alcohol.
And cleanup is easy; again, with alcohol.
(The alcohol from the drug store at about 90% strength...70% contains too much water)
Alcohol would be one of those solvents. I'm sure it dates back to antiquity. What is your source?
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 27, 2020, 05:25:32 AM
Quote from: Deimos on July 27, 2020, 04:34:44 AM
FWIW, for centuries luthiers used the same stains/dyes that leatherworkers used...and they still do.
I went to quite few luthier sites to see what kind of stains they use. Leather dyes (alcohol based ) aren't the only dyes they use, but they are definitely up there as one preference. They do not raise the grain like water based stains, and the stain penetrates well.
I spread the dye on the wood with a lint free cloth, then maybe lighten it with another cloth dampened with alcohol.
And cleanup is easy; again, with alcohol.
(The alcohol from the drug store at about 90% strength...70% contains too much water)
Alcohol would be one of those solvents. I'm sure it dates back to antiquity. What is your source?
Source for what? Alcohol? ???
Quote from: Deimos on July 27, 2020, 04:34:44 AM
Leather dyes (alcohol based ) aren't the only dyes they use, but they are definitely up there as one preference.
Tandy leather? Springfield Leather? Some local provider like a saddler? Just curious, because I never find those at my local hobby shop.
OH....sorry. OK...Tandy leather if you want to spend a lot of money and get a little dye.
My go to place for dye (and I buy the quart size...just ordered 6 more colors) Montana Leather Company (https://montanaleather.com/).
(The medium being alcohol it really never goes bad. Keep it tightly shut, but you can always thin it with alcohol if need be.)
Maybe the small bottles 4oz bottles are no cheaper at MLC than at the local Tandy, but the price for the 32oz bottle beats every price I've seen anywhere seven ways from Sunday.
About half the price of anywhere else. And most places (even evil-bay) stick it to you on shipping.
MLC shipping is extremely reasonable...six 32 oz bottles of dye, a 4 oz can of cement, $110 total including shipping ($12).
I've never seen it locally except at a Tandy (if you have one in your area), a leather supply place (again, if you have one in your area) or an old time shoe repair place.
Otherwise it's pretty much an online purchase.
Edit: have to amend what I said. I haven't been to a Tandy site in a long time. I guess they got smart.... Free shipping. Tandy Leather (https://tandyleather.com/)
The 32 oz bottle is a few dollars more than what I paid, so my shipping cost is a wash.
But you can get the little bottles for ~$5 and, as I said, shipping is free.
Good way to check out different colors and not pay a whole lot.
Also I buy the "original" (regular) version, not the Pro or Eco versions. Eco was made for CA (so what else is new?) and the Pro is...I don't know.
But I do know from visiting leather forums (fora?) that most people still prefer the regular (original) dye, tho' you don't want to get it too much on your hands...apparently it has some nasty chemicals in it...carcinogenic and all that. So wear nitrile gloves when using it.
Quote from: Deimos on July 27, 2020, 08:47:41 AM
OH....sorry. OK...Tandy leather if you want to spend a lot of money and get a little dye.
My go to place for dye (and I buy the quart size...just ordered 6 more colors) Montana Leather Company (https://montanaleather.com/).
(The medium being alcohol it really never goes bad. Keep it tightly shut, but you can always thin it with alcohol if need be.)
Maybe the small bottles 4oz bottles are no cheaper at MLC than at the local Tandy, but the price for the 32oz bottle beats every price I've seen anywhere seven ways from Sunday.
About half the price of anywhere else. And most places (even evil-bay) stick it to you on shipping.
MLC shipping is extremely reasonable...six 32 oz bottles of dye, a 4 oz can of cement, $110 total including shipping ($12).
I've never seen it locally except at a Tandy (if you have one in your area), a leather supply place (again, if you have one in your area) or an old time shoe repair place.
Otherwise it's pretty much an online purchase.
Edit: have to amend what I said. I haven't been to a Tandy site in a long time. I guess they got smart.... Free shipping. Tandy Leather (https://tandyleather.com/)
The 32 oz bottle is a few dollars more than what I paid, so my shipping cost is a wash.
But you can get the little bottles for ~$5 and, as I said, shipping is free.
Good way to check out different colors and not pay a whole lot.
Also I buy the "original" (regular) version, not the Pro or Eco versions. Eco was made for CA (so what else is new?) and the Pro is...I don't know.
But I do know from visiting leather forums (fora?) that most people still prefer the regular (original) dye, tho' you don't want to get it too much on your hands...apparently it has some nasty chemicals in it...carcinogenic and all that. So wear nitrile gloves when using it.
Thank you, it's worth a look, just to have alternatives. Local shops, though, are disappearing very quickly...
I figure it is a thankless exercise to start painting and staining wood quite yet, until everything has been scraped and cleaned down properly. Which means the task for the foreseeable will be getting layer upon layer of paint off the staircase. It's actually not too bad; a lot of it just flakes off; but using paint stripper is hopeless (it just gets the top layer sticky and does nothing underneath), the heat gun works quite well at softening it but has a nasty habit of giving electric shocks, so I'm sworn off using it, and that leaves the paint scraper, wire brush and wire wool- in other words, brute force and elbow grease in quantity.
There are 11 or 12 steps to the main staircase and so far I've cleaned up two and a third or so treads. Like I say, the task for the foreseeable.
Unless the orbital sander turns up on schedule...
Quote from: James Harrison on July 28, 2020, 07:13:16 PM
I figure it is a thankless exercise to start painting and staining wood quite yet, until everything has been scraped and cleaned down properly. Which means the task for the foreseeable will be getting layer upon layer of paint off the staircase. It's actually not too bad; a lot of it just flakes off; but using paint stripper is hopeless (it just gets the top layer sticky and does nothing underneath), the heat gun works quite well at softening it but has a nasty habit of giving electric shocks, so I'm sworn off using it, and that leaves the paint scraper, wire brush and wire wool- in other words, brute force and elbow grease in quantity.
There are 11 or 12 steps to the main staircase and so far I've cleaned up two and a third or so treads. Like I say, the task for the foreseeable.
Unless the orbital sander turns up on schedule...
You need a new heat gun mate. I wouldn't bother opening it to see where the fault is. They're pretty inexpensive.
The orbital sander is a better idea. But you need to wear a mask and get the right type of sandpaper. I have a feeling that a sander would save the steps from a lot of unneeded gouges created by the scraper and the steel wool... ::)
Are we talking about gouges in the stair treads, or the inevitable we-can-all-see-it-coming self-inflicted awful injury when I fall backwards down the stairs with said tools?
Quote from: James Harrison on July 29, 2020, 06:21:57 PM
Are we talking about gouges in the stair treads, or the inevitable we-can-all-see-it-coming self-inflicted awful injury when I fall backwards down the stairs with said tools?
Bit of both, perhaps? ;D
Quote from: James Harrison on July 29, 2020, 06:21:57 PM
Are we talking about gouges in the stair treads, or the inevitable we-can-all-see-it-coming self-inflicted awful injury when I fall backwards down the stairs with said tools?
We can see both coming.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 30, 2020, 01:03:05 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 29, 2020, 06:21:57 PM
Are we talking about gouges in the stair treads, or the inevitable we-can-all-see-it-coming self-inflicted awful injury when I fall backwards down the stairs with said tools?
We can see both coming.
So can I :-\
The new toy arrived today and it's an impressive piece of kit. I still need to use the scraper to get the first layer or two of paint off- the hard top layer that the sandpaper just can't seem to cut through- but once that's gone and the sander gets going it's remarkably stress-free. It's cleaned up the top two treads beautifully and with a bit more effort on the third I see no reason why that shouldn't go the same way.
Six and a half (or so) treads cleaned up now. On the one hand, it is starting to look quite neat. On the other; there is still an awful lot to do. I'm not quite a quarter way through removing all the paint off it. I can see this job getting tiresome before long.
going step by step....literally
Quote from: James Harrison on August 01, 2020, 05:58:29 PM
Six and a half (or so) treads cleaned up now. On the one hand, it is starting to look quite neat. On the other; there is still an awful lot to do. I'm not quite a quarter way through removing all the paint off it. I can see this job getting tiresome before long.
It is a big project (renovating a house) that can be overwhelming, and then depressing, if you keep thinking about the thing in its entirety.
Focus on the job at hand, envisioning how
that one part only will look when it's finished. I find that doing a big project way (mentally), helps a lot toward keeping me not only motivated, but enthusiastic....well, fairly enthusiatic. ::)
"How do you eat an elephant?....One bite at a time."
Press on! Excelsior!
Quote from: Deimos on August 01, 2020, 08:02:56 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 01, 2020, 05:58:29 PM
Six and a half (or so) treads cleaned up now. On the one hand, it is starting to look quite neat. On the other; there is still an awful lot to do. I'm not quite a quarter way through removing all the paint off it. I can see this job getting tiresome before long.
It is a big project (renovating a house) that can be overwhelming, and then depressing, if you keep thinking about the thing in its entirety.
Focus on the job at hand, envisioning how that one part only will look when it's finished. I find that doing a big project way (mentally), helps a lot toward keeping me not only motivated, but enthusiastic....well, fairly enthusiatic. ::)
"How do you eat an elephant?....One bite at a time."
Press on! Excelsior!
And if that doesn't work, just look back on what you have achieved and the time frame in which you've done it (for example I don't think I could have redecorated your front room in the time you did-at least not to the same extent, and or the time you've expended in it as you seem to carrying out the work in your 'off time' i.e. evenings and weekends after work).
Thank you both for the votes of confidence. I think the more I'm getting doen the more daunting the whole project becomes... hence my thoughts to stop a while once the entranc end of the hallway is done.
Progress today so far then.
I got a little bit more paint off the staircase (every little helps, right?) and am planning to have a decent go at it with the orbital sander later this afternoon. My parents came over and we levelled, turned over, raked out and weeded the front garden. That's now going to be left a few weeks for the soil to settle before placing the weed-proof membrane. In the meantime I get to price up, order and pay for somewhere between one and three tons of gravel.
Then I went into town and bought some weedkiller for other side of my fence, where there are weeds growing along the footpath. Technically this is the council's job- it's their land- but they show neither willing nor ability to weed the pavements so....
So; final update of the weekend's progress.
We've already covered the garden; the staircase went from four treads sanded down to nine. Of those nine, six I'm happy with and three I think would benefit from a few minutes with wire wool. I'm not trying to get these boards back to newly-cut appearance; I'll settle for clean enough to be able to stain. And of course the lowest level of paint is the original finish to the staircase, and handily that is a dark brown colour anyway, so it won't stand out.
Otherwise we have patches of blue/green, a few shades of cream and white, another dark brown- the same range really as the doorway I sanded down.
Three steps left to sort out- one of which is actually the intermediate landing- and then onto the risers. I reckon it's reasonable that I'll be two or three into that element of the job by next weekend.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 02, 2020, 06:02:14 PM
So; final update of the weekend's progress.
We've already covered the garden; the staircase went from four treads sanded down to nine. Of those nine, six I'm happy with and three I think would benefit from a few minutes with wire wool. I'm not trying to get these boards back to newly-cut appearance; I'll settle for clean enough to be able to stain. And of course the lowest level of paint is the original finish to the staircase, and handily that is a dark brown colour anyway, so it won't stand out.
Otherwise we have patches of blue/green, a few shades of cream and white, another dark brown- the same range really as the doorway I sanded down.
Three steps left to sort out- one of which is actually the intermediate landing- and then onto the risers. I reckon it's reasonable that I'll be two or three into that element of the job by next weekend.
I've never liked the look of multiple layers of paint on wood. It never looks good, no matter what colour you use. It's a relief to think those steps will go back closer lto the original look!
All the treads are done. Now for the risers. These will need a different approach as the rotary sander when used in a vertical plan tends to dictate its direction of travel.
Well I dosed up three of the risers with paint stripper this morning before work and set to a little while ago. It's got a lot of the paint off, but that's only because there was a lot more paint on them to begin with. So I think stripper isn't going to be an option here. Hopefully in a few days the new heat gun will arrive and we'll see how we get on with that.
Re:- The front garden
Edwardian front gardens (https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=edwardian+front+gardens&iax=images&ia=images)*
I hope that they're of some use?.
*I dont know how genuine these designs are, btb. :-[
Quote from: Mercury Wells on August 06, 2020, 12:24:00 AM
Re:- The front garden
Edwardian front gardens (https://duckduckgo.com/?t=ffab&q=edwardian+front+gardens&iax=images&ia=images)*
I hope that they're of some use?.
*I dont know how genuine these designs are, btb. :-[
The gravel, the box hedges, the tiled path to the gate are all as-per my own intentions.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 05, 2020, 06:32:02 PM
Well I dosed up three of the risers with paint stripper this morning before work and set to a little while ago. It's got a lot of the paint off, but that's only because there was a lot more paint on them to begin with. So I think stripper isn't going to be an option here. Hopefully in a few days the new heat gun will arrive and we'll see how we get on with that.
Be careful with the heat gun if you're looking to keep the risers as bare/varnished wood, it is very easy to scorch old dry timber with a heat gun if you leave it focused on one area for too long. It shouldn't get hot enough to actually burn but will leave an ugly black mark
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on August 07, 2020, 06:46:32 AM
Be careful with the heat gun if you're looking to keep the risers as bare/varnished wood, it is very easy to scorch old dry timber with a heat gun if you leave it focused on one area for too long. It shouldn't get hot enough to actually burn but will leave an ugly black mark
A
good heat gun (aka "spendy" one) will have two heat settings. Both settings can burn skin but I don't think the lower one will scorch wood.
Yes, I think 'careful now' will need to be the watchword.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 07, 2020, 04:03:46 PM
Yes, I think 'careful now' will need to be the watchword.
Down with this sort of thing
Down with This Sort of Thing. Careful Now. | Father Ted (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gT9xuXQjxMM#)
One that does not scorch wood will not give enough heat to attack the old paint.
Impatient to make a start whilst waiting on the heatgun, I've had a go at the top three risers and managed, after a fashion, to clean them up.
The top one is done.
The one below that is very nearly done.
The one below that is merely nearly done.
I don't think any one method or tool alone will get it all off; the issue I keep running into is that there are at least 7 or 8 layers of paint on it.
So you start with stripper and that gets maybe one layer softened up, which you then attack with the scraper. Which is brilliant until the scraper gets completely clogged with sticky half-melted paint. So then you try to sand it off and the sanding pad just gets clogged with paint....
When you've sorted that out, the sanding pad does a good job of getting some paint off but then generates heat. Which melts the paint which clogs up the sanding pad and then you're back to square one. Back out with the scraper and now you find that sanding the paint has made some of it very brittle so it comes away with little effort.... and then when it gets hard-going again you're back to the sander....
I'm trying at the moment to work out a method that will get it off reliably without recourse to a 'this tool isn't effective, try another' approach.
It is progressing- but it's a tortuously slow process.
May I ask what paint stripper? if nitromors, give up now, it is useless.
Back to my original suggestion of automotive stripper, if it could set off your asthma purchase a good mask, trust me on this, could save a hellova lot of time, with quick results, no burning etc etc.
When using stripper don't let it evaporate, as in leave it on for too long before the scraping starts, the paint will just go hard again.
I'm using something called 'Fuze Biostrip 20' which does an 'acceptable' job of levering up one coat of paint.
Ok, so a water based stripper on an oil based paint, doesn't sound too convincing to me.
ya need chemicals, either that or elbow grease. :-\
It does lift it; it doesn't get all of it. And as I say if there are more than a few layers of paint you'll be there all day, laying it on, waiting half hour or so for it to take effect, removing the stuff it has softened and then starting over again on the stuff left behind.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50202423167_44fca5a62b_c.jpg)
I've not given a photo update in a while so...
Definitely broken the back of this little job, considering what it looked like three weeks ago. The top three risers I regard as done, pretty much, the next three have been dosed twice with paint stripper and the remaining six have just been gone over a bit with the scraper to get the cracked/ bubbled areas in a mood to come away.
Looking great so far, I would say as long as the walls and carpet strip are a lightish colour that there will work really well!
Do not despair, time, tenacity and perseverance my friend.
Slog on!
Thanks. I think I'm going for an attitude if I can get it 90% or 95% back to bare wood I'll settle for that because the effort to get every scrap off is... sapping my will to carry on. It's funny how something can go mentally from 'this will never get finished' to 'it's nearly there' and I think the turning point with this was getting the paint off the mouldings/ skirtings to each side (there was only one or two coats on those so that was a quick part of the task). So, now, I have six risers more or less done, have started the seventh and called it a day there and that leaves the other five to even start and the half landing at the top.
And then I can start staining it all. Or, maybe more pertinantly, get the skirting board back in place from the stairs to the front door. Amd then build a radiator cover. And then, finally, stain all the wood. I'm still aiming at mahogany stain for the timber and a very light cream/ off-white colour for the walls.
Oh!- and I found a reproduction Edwardian light fitting to hang in the entrance corridor.
Much as I would like to fill the house with genuine Edwardian pieces, there are a few factors going against me there. Firstly I can only afford the cheaper stuff (read: damaged, nobody's likely to pay much for it). Secondly if my attitude to my genuine Edwardian top hat is anything to go by, I'd be constantly afraid to do anything that might damage it.... I might as well put the red rope up everywhere and treat it as a museum... Thirdly this is going to be a work in progress for some time yet to come so anything I do buy is likely to get dusty/ dirty/ knocked against- see point 2 again...
Would sugar soap work?
Now there's a thought- I've not tried sugar soap on it.
After a bit more work I've got the sum total of two risers and the half landing still to strip of paint. Nearly there now....
VICTORY!!!
Staircase is done, at least up as far as the half landing. That will take a little while longer but the awkward/ difficult bit is done now.
I think I'm about ready to buy the woodstain. (And then in about a week's time I can start whinging about how long a job that is/ the smell/ how long it takes to dry/ not covering up the residue of paint etc etc etc).
You can get coloured hard waxes which go on and stain and finish the timber with very little chemical smell. I did all our wooden floors with it, and after 6 years the floors still look amazing. Hard-wearing, one application and low chemical fumes - win-win in my opinion.
One thing that is true is that you'll get less absorption of a stain on those areas which are already saturated by *something * Not much you can do about it. Perhaps do a test on a particular spot to see how it stacks up to the job. Another idea is to creatively use a thin brush to cover the white spot with something dark before applying the stain..
Hard waxes sound intriguing.
I still think that even with residue, it'll look splendid in brown stain. Like showing the age of the staircase through a patina, rather than an ugly layer of paint.
James, are you going to do a final sanding before staining?
You might consider using a sanding block with 180 or 220 grit sandpaper. Do it by hand (orbital sanders leave a swirl) and go in the direction of the grain. You may be able to get off more of the residual paint and avoid the splotcing that JW mentioned (where the stain would not be absorbed.)
Really, prep work is everything in something like this. Quite often one thinks one can live with a flaw (whatever it may be) because taking the time to remedy it just seems more bother. But then once the stain and sealer are on that flaw just keeps jumping out to remind you it's there.
I can see living with a flaw if it requires added work in doing something else to get rid of it (e.g. replacing the piece of wood), but if it only requires more repetition of what you had already been doing [sanding] (and are, understandably, fed up with said repetition), well, it still might be worth it to do that last bit to get it right.
Just my opinion (and the result of my own experience in finishing wood).
There's an idea to give the whole lot a final once-over with sugar soap and detergent to get rid of the paint stripper residue and lift off the dust and muck that has accumulated in the corners, and then I'll probably give it a good scrub down just with water and a wire brush to make sure everything that can be got at has been.
Beyond that though there's not much more I can do, short of shotblasting it.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 10, 2020, 06:25:47 PM
There's an idea to give the whole lot a final once-over with sugar soap and detergent to get rid of the paint stripper residue and lift off the dust and muck that has accumulated in the corners, and then I'll probably give it a good scrub down just with water and a wire brush to make sure everything that can be got at has been.
Beyond that though there's not much more I can do, short of shotblasting it.
Hard to tell without some images. Before you dive into the stain, send us some pics, so we can get a feel for what's going on!
Half-landing is cleaned up. Now I'm really at the point where I can vacuum it all down, get up all the dust, then set-to with soap and water to lift up anything left behind.... I really want, almost, just to get a hosepipe on it and blast it down but then where does all the water go..... maybe not.
Realistically the next step is, as I say, hoover, soap and water. Then I can reinstate the plaster down to the skirtings and then I can look at staining the wood.
Oh- and I may or maynot be having a decorator come around to give a quote on painting my high walls too.
The water board have come around, closed the road (or part of it) and started digging a hole....
I *think* I now have a new stop valve for the water....
In other news, the staircase is now cleaned up to the point that I feel I can stain it, except for the awkward internal corners where riser, tread and moulding meet- I'm checking through my tools to see if I've got something that can haul the accumulated muck out of there.
I've also ordered some timber to build a radiator cover- just the carcass and the top at the moment, as I'm still undecided what I want the front panels to look like. In any case I can't afford to buy materials for the whole thing in one go, so I'll build the basic frame and have a think about the front later.
In the front garden, the soil has settled a bit after we dug some of it out and raked the rest level a few weeks ago. I've reconsidered my initial idea of using terracotta rope-top edges having seen the fairly limited range of bits (bearing in mind the front garden describes a curve) and now I'm thinking about using some small stone setts instead to edge the gravelled area in the middle. I'm trying to price up the gravel at the moment and that looks like it will be a purchase deferred until September at the earliest.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 15, 2020, 09:00:22 AM
...In other news, the staircase is now cleaned up to the point that I feel I can stain it, except for the awkward internal corners where riser, tread and moulding meet- I'm checking through my tools to see if I've got something that can haul the accumulated muck out of there...
Maybe use a putty knife?
Putty Knife (https://www.google.com/search?q=putty+knife&client=firefox-b-1-d&sxsrf=ALeKk0217NOPrMNg_7AfrvVU8SrURwjA2g:1597485545982&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=Y6qKDAPsVf2-tM%252CNel4FPe-dsrNiM%252C%252Fm%252F0b1f7s&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQESV29F57niRHTh5ouaiNUWGYeVQ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi724G0-ZzrAhXhOn0KHbeOAhoQ_B0wNHoECAMQAw&biw=1381&bih=914#imgrc=Y6qKDAPsVf2-tM)
That's exactly what I've done, and it di the job beautifully. The only bits left now, really, are the trim under the edge of the tread.
It's a bit awkward to photograph- especially at the top where there is no light- but this is the current state of play.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228462641_ae375e5205_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228682272_44b616c944_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228462711_a6fc97305b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227820878_669257acfa_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227820903_54b79a8cfa_c.jpg)
I'll probably use my dremel to get into that moulding- so now I just need to go out for some sanding bands.
Looking fantastic James!, well worth all that hard work........not sure if the hand banister needs to stay though. :-\
The handrail is staying- at least for the moment- as I don't have anything better to replace it with. I'll have to do some research into period-appropriate handrails. Definitely it was worth all the work- I can say now that I'm out the other side of it- I think it is about ready to be stained. I've cleaned it down with white spirit this afternoon (the instructions for the stain say to wash it with white spirit first and it let it dry out)- so hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to make a start on improving the colour.
I take my hat off to you, not only on the job you've done, but the fact you have achieved it in this heat!
(Yes, yes, I know, cue for those of you in hotter climes to have a chortle ...)
Thank you (though actually, this was very shaded and the only heat I had to contend with was generated by myself)....
I think now that I'm about to start putting the whole thing back together I'm turning a corner with this little part of the project, there's still a lot to do but I can see the end of this bit of it.
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on August 15, 2020, 05:59:16 PM
I take my hat off to you, not only on the job you've done, but the fact you have achieved it in this heat!
(Yes, yes, I know, cue for those of you in hotter climes to have a chortle ...)
It's not a chortle, more like a snort and a pffft! ;D
Quote from: James Harrison on August 15, 2020, 10:18:56 AM
That's exactly what I've done, and it di the job beautifully. The only bits left now, really, are the trim under the edge of the tread.
It's a bit awkward to photograph- especially at the top where there is no light- but this is the current state of play.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228462641_ae375e5205_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228682272_44b616c944_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228462711_a6fc97305b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227820878_669257acfa_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227820903_54b79a8cfa_c.jpg)
I'll probably use my dremel to get into that moulding- so now I just need to go out for some sanding bands.
That's a very good job, but be careful with the Dremel, it'll eat a lot of material fast or leave round marks.
The photos give a lot of information on what to do. A darker color may be in order, as all that wood "wear" would blend in well with something like a mahogany colour. There's no reason why the staircase tone should match the other moulding in the house,being that it's a stand alone feature. It would contrast with the carpet.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 15, 2020, 03:25:59 PM
Looking fantastic James!, well worth all that hard work........not sure if the hand banister needs to stay though. :-\
I can see keeping the hand banister for assisting anyone who is unsteady on his feet, whatever the reason for the unsteadiness (age, health, blindness/poor vision.)
I've watched toddlers climb stairs and they always use the banister.
Admittedly I prefer its absence for aesthetic reasons, but sometimes aesthetics have to give way to practicality (and the vicissitudes of life :P)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0c/ac/25/0cac25e470ec21d3aa0f36cbd1408b88.jpg)
I spent all of five minutes with a dremel on it. I got a wrecked sanding belt and the smell of smouldering wood for my efforts. Then I put it away and decided that it's good enough.
Quote from: Deimos on August 15, 2020, 07:16:54 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 15, 2020, 03:25:59 PM
Looking fantastic James!, well worth all that hard work........not sure if the hand banister needs to stay though. :-\
I can see keeping the hand banister for assisting anyone who is unsteady on his feet, whatever the reason for the unsteadiness (age, health, blindness/poor vision.)
I've watched toddlers climb stairs and they always use the banister.
If the wooden bannister is too thick and dark, how about replacing it with a smaller diameter metal one, a bit further down the track?
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on August 15, 2020, 06:29:06 PM
SNIP
Quote from: James Harrison on August 15, 2020, 10:18:56 AM
That's exactly what I've done, and it di the job beautifully. The only bits left now, really, are the trim under the edge of the tread.
It's a bit awkward to photograph- especially at the top where there is no light- but this is the current state of play.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228462641_ae375e5205_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228682272_44b616c944_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50228462711_a6fc97305b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227820878_669257acfa_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50227820903_54b79a8cfa_c.jpg)
I'll probably use my dremel to get into that moulding- so now I just need to go out for some sanding bands.
That's a very good job, but be careful with the Dremel, it'll eat a lot of material fast or leave round marks.
The photos give a lot of information on what to do. A darker color may be in order, as all that wood "wear" would blend in well with something like a mahogany colour. There's no reason why the staircase tone should match the other moulding in the house,being that it's a stand alone feature. It would contrast with the carpet.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 15, 2020, 07:17:55 PM
I spent all of five minutes with a dremel on it. I got a wrecked sanding belt and the smell of smouldering wood for my efforts. Then I put it away and decided that it's good enough.
Don't give up! The speed of the Dremel is too high. That's why it's burning. Do you have speed settings on your Dremel? Either way the only way to tackle that bit properly is by hand, wrapping a 150 grit piece of sandpaper around a rectangular block of wood so you get straight edges. That way you don't gouge the profile of the moulding.
If you insist on using the Dremel, then you should do that kind of detailing with a circular wire brush attachment, Dremel #428. It'll still gouge the wood a bit, but it's more likely not to burn the wood and reach all the nooks and crannies.
https://widgetsupply.com/product/bat66-428-ops.html
Quote from: Deimos on August 15, 2020, 07:16:54 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 15, 2020, 03:25:59 PM
Looking fantastic James!, well worth all that hard work........not sure if the hand banister needs to stay though. :-\
I can see keeping the hand banister for assisting anyone who is unsteady on his feet, whatever the reason for the unsteadiness (age, health, blindness/poor vision.)
I've watched toddlers climb stairs and they always use the banister.
Admittedly I prefer its absence for aesthetic reasons, but sometimes aesthetics have to give way to practicality (and the vicissitudes of life :P)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0c/ac/25/0cac25e470ec21d3aa0f36cbd1408b88.jpg)
Banisters are a necessity, especially on steep staircases. I though there would be local legislation on their use, whether it's the UK or anywhere else for that matter!
Quote from: Banfili on August 16, 2020, 03:00:06 AM
Quote from: Deimos on August 15, 2020, 07:16:54 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 15, 2020, 03:25:59 PM
Looking fantastic James!, well worth all that hard work........not sure if the hand banister needs to stay though. :-\
I can see keeping the hand banister for assisting anyone who is unsteady on his feet, whatever the reason for the unsteadiness (age, health, blindness/poor vision.)
I've watched toddlers climb stairs and they always use the banister.
If the wooden bannister is too thick and dark, how about replacing it with a smaller diameter metal one, a bit further down the track?
I have a feeling that all that aging on the staircase requires a darker colour, might as well darken the banister, but the finish will be a problem (looks too polished), and you'd have to strip the finish off the banister. After all, what do we care, as long as James is doing all the work? ;D :D :D
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on August 16, 2020, 04:26:05 AM
Quote from: Banfili on August 16, 2020, 03:00:06 AM
Quote from: Deimos on August 15, 2020, 07:16:54 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 15, 2020, 03:25:59 PM
Looking fantastic James!, well worth all that hard work........not sure if the hand banister needs to stay though. :-\
I can see keeping the hand banister for assisting anyone who is unsteady on his feet, whatever the reason for the unsteadiness (age, health, blindness/poor vision.)
I've watched toddlers climb stairs and they always use the banister.
If the wooden bannister is too thick and dark, how about replacing it with a smaller diameter metal one, a bit further down the track?
I have a feeling that all that aging on the staircase requires a darker colour, might as well darken the banister, but the finish will be a problem (looks too polished), and you'd have to strip the finish off the banister. After all, what do we care, as long as James is doing all the work? ;D :D :D
When this.... (gestures outside).... madness is over, I'll organise a weekend working party and you can all come over and do it for me :D
Yes, that staircase is almost a 1 in 1 climb (possibly even a bit steeper than that), it's definitely the sort of thing you want a handrail on because one slip and there is no way you'll be able to stop yourself going all the way to the bottom.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 16, 2020, 08:24:55 AM
....Yes, that staircase is almost a 1 in 1 climb (possibly even a bit steeper than that), it's definitely the sort of thing you want a handrail on because one slip and there is no way you'll be able to stop yourself going all the way to the bottom.
Falling down the stairs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efkpjJ6Ba_8)
Quote from: Deimos on August 16, 2020, 10:09:59 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 16, 2020, 08:24:55 AM
....Yes, that staircase is almost a 1 in 1 climb (possibly even a bit steeper than that), it's definitely the sort of thing you want a handrail on because one slip and there is no way you'll be able to stop yourself going all the way to the bottom.
Falling down the stairs (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=efkpjJ6Ba_8)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k1rQIwuF4lQ (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=k1rQIwuF4lQ)
Yeah. I think you're almost there. With a dark enough stain you can reincorporate those dark tones into the wood. It's just the white bits that will be trouble. Try the Dremel #428 rotary brush attachmen, might be worth your while. One warning though: wear plastic eye protection, those wire brushes tend to break apart sending random bits of wire alongwwith whatever you're scraping, and you don't want any of it to get to your eyes.
Those remaining white bits could be gone with, you already have paint stripper and a heat gun, add a Combination Shave Hook and BINGO, possibly, maybe...........
The worst of the remaining white has proved quite brittle in some areas and has just crumbled off with a bit of coercion from the paint scraper. Largely it's confined to the underside moulding on just the bottom four or five steps, so if I can sort out some of my files and other scrapers it might just drop off quite nicely.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50232588087_27d1bdffd5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50231719483_f26e8824c6_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50231719498_3cda8e79a7_c.jpg)
At long last!!!
It's going to need three coats (so sayeth the tin), it's an external woodstain (which is that the shop had, however considering this is going to see quite a lot of traffic....) and in maybe four hours I'll be able to go back and do the steps I've missed. Hopefully a two and half litre tin will be enough to completely do the staircase.
Just an idea here.
Have you thought of caulking the gaps in the floorboards? Could prevent cold winter draughts up your trouser legs in the future.
I read somewhere, many years ago, a simple mashed up newspaper mixed with pva teased into the joints, allowed to dry will take stain and foot traffic.
As I say, just a random thought.
Those gaps are into an internal service space anyway- they come out onto the ceiling of the cupboard under the stairs. I haven't noticed any draught from them- yet.
Long term they may well be replaced, if a like-for-like replacement can be sourced.
TBH, the banister might be the perfect opportunity for a slight bit of anachronism. Based on my recollection of growing up in a similar house, and my own experience of working in historic properties, I can't recall seeing a contemporary example of a wall mounted banister rail, so you might be better off finding a modern style you like which matches the stain on the stairs, or otherwise decorating it in a Vicwardian/SP manner.
The bannister rail, truth be told, doesn't really bother me too much. Yes it's quite bulky but it matches with the balustrade along the top, which is also quite chunky sections of timber. If I can find something more period-appropriate- fantastic. If not, which so far I've drawn a blank and what you've said suggests I'm not going to get much luck, I can at least live with it. It might need another coat or two of stain as it's a little work-worn but it's not something abominable.
The current state of play with the staircase is that the whole lot has been given one coat of stain, and half of it has been given a second. I think I'm going to call it a night there.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 16, 2020, 05:49:45 PM
The bannister rail, truth be told, doesn't really bother me too much. Yes it's quite bulky but it matches with the balustrade along the top, which is also quite chunky sections of timber. If I can find something more period-appropriate- fantastic. If not, which so far I've drawn a blank and what you've said suggests I'm not going to get much luck, I can at least live with it. It might need another coat or two of stain as it's a little work-worn but it's not something abominable.
The current state of play with the staircase is that the whole lot has been given one coat of stain, and half of it has been given a second. I think I'm going to call it a night there.
I wouldn't worry about matching eras. This is an antique house, it's meant to show the passage of time! And the stain you chose was taken wery well by the patina on the staircase. Did you choose the colour to match the banister? Because from this vantage point the banister blends perfectly with the staircase. Definitely looking good. The staircase will look like an antique but in a most pleasing way!
The handrail and balustrade rather dictated the stain, as I wanted the whole lot to match. It's keyed in a lot better than I thought it would- I was expecting two subtly different shades. It looks very promising at the moment.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 17, 2020, 12:08:31 PM
The handrail and balustrade rather dictated the stain, as I wanted the whole lot to match. It's keyed in a lot better than I thought it would- I was expecting two subtly different shades. It looks very promising at the moment.
It definitely is. Though a "weathered" or "worn" look is more of a contemporary affectation. In the past people wold be more likely to just paint over it. But that is exactly the problem, isn't it? People didn't have an appreciation for the past, the history. Now that old things are rare, we're proud to show the patina.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50244333243_630e177bc0_c.jpg)
All that is left to do tonight is a third coat on half of the steps and the mouldings.... it's taken a month but it's finally, finally, done....
Looks good.
Oh my, James! Lovely color and it came out extremely well! Absolutely smashing!
What I do quite like is that the plaster colour on the left hand wall is tonally quite close to the cream I have in mind, so it's looking like my planned colour will work.
Maybe I missed it in one of your previous posts but....What are you sealing it with (brand name)?
Came out great. You should be proud.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 19, 2020, 04:24:14 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50244333243_630e177bc0_c.jpg)
All that is left to do tonight is a third coat on half of the steps and the mouldings.... it's taken a month but it's finally, finally, done....
Looking lovely, James - well worth the time and effort!
That looks lovely and matches the rest of the wood really well. Good choice.
It is 1 year since I moved house last year and the new owner of our old place (a builder) has renovated and sold it already (approx $AUD200,000 profit minus reno costs). It is amazing what a good reno can do to the value of a house.
Sorontar
Quote from: Deimos on August 19, 2020, 08:13:18 PM
Maybe I missed it in one of your previous posts but....What are you sealing it with (brand name)?
If they're reading this I hope Ronseal thank me for the plug ;)
Quote from: James Harrison on August 20, 2020, 05:28:20 PM
Quote from: Deimos on August 19, 2020, 08:13:18 PM
Maybe I missed it in one of your previous posts but....What are you sealing it with (brand name)?
If they're reading this I hope Ronseal thank me for the plug ;)
Is it one of these products? (Sounds like a game of 20 questions :P ) https://www.ronseal.com/for-home/wood-care/wood-varnish/ (https://www.ronseal.com/for-home/wood-care/wood-varnish/)
Or maybe my first question wasn't clear. I assumed you were doing this in two steps 1) stain, 2) seal.
I didn't look at other Ronseal products but it occurred to me that they may have a one step product, i.e stain and seal in one application.
FWIW I don't care for one step anything, if it was made /formulated to avoid an original (and time proven) two step process.
I prime, then paint. Or I stain, then seal.
Very common example of this (ill-considered) idea is and primer and paint in one product.
I know paint pros still prime and and paint in separate steps.
The two-in-one product doesn't quite do what it's supposed to for either "step", or doesn't do it very well or durably...."Jack-of-all-trades, master of none."
Very nice work, are you going to remove the rest of the carpet?
Quote from: Deimos on August 21, 2020, 09:25:39 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 20, 2020, 05:28:20 PM
Quote from: Deimos on August 19, 2020, 08:13:18 PM
Maybe I missed it in one of your previous posts but....What are you sealing it with (brand name)?
If they're reading this I hope Ronseal thank me for the plug ;)
Is it one of these products? (Sounds like a game of 20 questions :P ) https://www.ronseal.com/for-home/wood-care/wood-varnish/ (https://www.ronseal.com/for-home/wood-care/wood-varnish/)
Or maybe my first question wasn't clear. I assumed you were doing this in two steps 1) stain, 2) seal.
I didn't look at other Ronseal products but it occurred to me that they may have a one step product, i.e stain and seal in one application.
FWIW I don't care for one step anything, if it was made /formulated to avoid an original (and time proven) two step process.
I prime, then paint. Or I stain, then seal.
Very common example of this (ill-considered) idea is and primer and paint in one product.
I know paint pros still prime and and paint in separate steps.
The two-in-one product doesn't quite do what it's supposed to for either "step", or doesn't do it very well or durably...."Jack-of-all-trades, master of none."
I'm not sure which one it is of all of those, except that it's primarily intended for external use.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on August 21, 2020, 02:38:25 PM
Very nice work, are you going to remove the rest of the carpet?
Eventually yes, at the moment the upper half of the carpet is staying.
The problem with a varnish, lacquer, shellac or what have you, is that if that external cost scratches it's more difficult to repair the damage. I rather like the look of plain stain and wax alone. It's very easy to repair scratches and gouges.
It does look like a one-step stain and seal was used on those steps. It's very easy to tell. A stain alone tends to be very dull in finish and has zero thickness above the surface of the wood. Varnish will have a quite visible thickness over the wood for obvious reasons. The stain plus seal product will be absorbed into the wood, but will dry into a semi-gloss or satin finish.
I quite like the satin/ semi-gloss finish. It matches with the other woodwork. I'm just glad the whole blasted thing is done now!- I can get on with other bits of the hallway.
To which end; I've started staining the doorframes and the skirting boards have been reinstated. Which means I can't use the front door for the day because I've got braces running from wall to wall keeping the boards in place whilst the adhesive sets.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on August 22, 2020, 12:17:26 AM
The problem with a varnish, lacquer, shellac or what have you, is that if that external cost scratches it's more difficult to repair the damage. I rather like the look of plain stain and wax alone. It's very easy to repair scratches and gouges....
Pax, JW but I must disagree with you about the wax. Looks good, easy to repair, yes, but not too durable in high traffic areas.
It could work on the skirting and risers, but on the steps it would wear through rather quickly.
Poor James would be spending a good deal of his leisure time re-waxing the steps.
Yesterday was spent reinstating the skirtingboards. This was about half an hour of activity followed by all day of being unable to do anything else because the hallway was full of bits of timber whilst the adhesive was setting.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50257149728_e4733feb76_c.jpg)
Like this.
However, this morning I was able to remove them and now I have this situation...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50257808676_08199568c3_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50257149758_abba7dd9b2_c.jpg)
So now I can start to stain them.
I'm expecting a delivery of timber this week too so I'll be able to make a start on building a radiator cover. Fingers crossed in a few weeks time the entrance passageway will be finished. The remainder of the hall as I say is a project for another time.
Except I can't start staining the skirting boards yet because the one stuck for about 10 minutes after being struck and then sprung off the wall far enough that I could put my finger down the gap.
So now it's been caked with adhsive and baulked up again.
So instead today one of the walls up the staircase has been washed down to remove the residue of wallpaper and paste before I paint it. When the wall has dried out from its bath I can run some caulk around the ede where the plaster meets the staircase and doorframe and then wait again for it all to set.
Whilst it is starting to look slightly less like a wreck I do hope I'm not about to enter a phase of being able to work for 30 minutes and then having to wait a day for things to dry out or set.
What is the wall made of? (I mean behind the plasterboard).
Can't the skirting be nailed down?
Behind the skirting boards I've got plaster skim and plasterboard for about 3/4" and then solid brick behind that. If I were to screw or nail them down I'd need to have timber blocks in the wall to secure them to, which aren't there any longer (on one side they were removed when the walls were replastered long before I bought the house and on the other I think they were removed when I had the hall replastered). So it really is a case of using adhesive or not having skirting boards. The plaster isn't going to hold screws or nails which means drilling right through to the masonry. That was a fun all-day task when I was putting bookshelves up back in mid-March and I'm sure would be improved no end by now being on my hands and knees and trying to avoid radiator pipes at the same time :-\
It's looking more hopeful that it has stuck this second time at least but I'll probably keep the bracing in overnight again to give it the best part of 24hrs to set.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 23, 2020, 05:01:29 PM
Behind the skirting boards I've got plaster skim and plasterboard for about 3/4" and then solid brick behind that. .... The plaster isn't going to hold screws or nails which means drilling right through to the masonry. That was a fun all-day task when I was putting bookshelves up back in mid-March and I'm sure would be improved no end by now being on my hands and knees and trying to avoid radiator pipes at the same time :-\ ...
Oh, wow....Not fun. You know, it's always something.... :P
I'm gaining an irrational... not exactly hatred but... something, toward this house. Everytime I try to do something it has to be a fight. I'm still hopeful, all told, that once the skirting boards have been wrestled back into place I am then on the home straight, even if that does take a little while. It's pretty much 'just' cleaning things up and painting, once they're fixed.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 23, 2020, 05:59:32 PM
I'm gaining an irrational... not exactly hatred but... something, toward this house. Everytime I try to do something it has to be a fight. I'm still hopeful, all told, that once the skirting boards have been wrestled back into place I am then on the home straight, even if that does take a little while. It's pretty much 'just' cleaning things up and painting, once they're fixed.
"...once they're fixed." Aye, there's the rub. "Many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip." ;)
Well, yesterday marked 6 months since I moved in. And I've gone from 'how hard can it be?' to being just one more setback away from burning the ****-er down and walking away. Hence why, once the entrance hall is sorted, I'm planning to leave it until next year and go away and do something else in the meantime. Probably ooh and ahh over photographs of Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Edwardian interiors in glossy coffeetable-type books and come back with the wonderful idea of squeezing a Mackintosh tearoom into a north-facing 12' x 9' room...
Quote from: James Harrison on August 23, 2020, 06:22:05 PM
Well, yesterday marked 6 months since I moved in. And I've gone from 'how hard can it be?' to being just one more setback away from burning the ****-er down and walking away. Hence why, once the entrance hall is sorted, I'm planning to leave it until next year and go away and do something else in the meantime. Probably ooh and ahh over photographs of Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau and Edwardian interiors in glossy coffeetable-type books and come back with the wonderful idea of squeezing a Mackintosh tearoom into a north-facing 12' x 9' room...
Please tell me your "How hard can it be?" was only a tongue-in-cheek musing and not your real opinion about fixing up your place...Please tell me that.
Because if you really did think it would not be, at the very least, incredibly exasperating, I would have to think you have lived a very sheltered life.
Murphy's Law and Its Corollaries
Anything that can go wrong will go wrong
If there is a possibilty of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong.
Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
If anything simply cannot go wrong, it will anyway.
If you perceive that there are four possible ways in which a procedure can go wrong, and circumvent these, then a fifth way, unprepared for, will promptly develop.
Left to themselves, things tend to go from bad to worse.
If everything seems to be going well, you have obviously overlooked something.
Nature always sides with the hidden flaw.
Mother nature is a bitch.
It is impossible to make anything foolproof because fools are so ingenious.
Whenever you set out to do something, something else must be done first.
Every solution spawns new problems.
Murphy's Law of Thermodynamics: Things get worse under pressure.
Murphy's Constant: Matter will be damaged in direct proportion to its value
Quantization Revision of Murphy's Laws: Everything goes wrong all at once.
The Murphy Philosophy: Smile . . . tomorrow will be worse.
In sum: Murphy was an optimist
It was very much tongue-in-cheek :D I could see that there would be a fair amount of fixing things needed when I first viewed the house. And then when I moved in and found that in the intervening three months the previous owners had done some more damage (a door hanging off the wall and another that gained broken glass and bits of joinery that suddenly needed fixing).
It's more the things that have either gotten broken trying to fix something else (radiator flooding #2), or that have gotten broken because I got bored at the weekend (radiator flooding #1), or that have been uncovered and been immediately condemned (entrance hall plastering), or have simply broken because obviously they got bored of working (boiler, cooker) that have sapped my will to try and get more done this year.
leakproof seals: will
self-starters: won´t
foolproof: isn´t
Interchangeable Parts: aren´t
Quote from: The Bullet on August 24, 2020, 08:27:19 AM
leakproof seals: will
self-starters: won´t
foolproof: isn´t
Interchangeable Parts: aren't
HAHA...ain't it the truth (https://youtu.be/c0dgPlAFyK8)
Quote from: James Harrison on August 23, 2020, 06:58:32 PM
.....that have sapped my will to try and get more done this year.
Don't sell yourself short!
You've achieved an incredible amount and should be proud; have a break from it, do something else you really enjoy for a bit, then come back to it in a few weeks feeling rejuvenated and full of enthusiasm.
By the way, those stairs look splendid!
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on August 24, 2020, 03:47:51 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 23, 2020, 06:58:32 PM
.....that have sapped my will to try and get more done this year.
Don't sell yourself short!
You've achieved an incredible amount and should be proud; have a break from it, do something else you really enjoy for a bit, then come back to it in a few weeks feeling rejuvenated and full of enthusiasm.
By the way, those stairs look splendid!
Thank you!
Today.... some timber arrived. I can make a start on the radiator cover.... once I finalise the design and get a few more tools and screws.
Taking a break from work is a logical action. At least while mother nature is asleep and not trying to kill you. But then again, when you buy something old, that's the way it is. Need I remind you of the adventures with your car? Hence I must conclude that you're a bit of a masochist. You'll be back at it in no time flat. ;D
Quote from: James Harrison on August 24, 2020, 04:25:27 PM
Today.... some timber arrived. I can make a start on the radiator cover.... once I finalise the design and get a few more tools and screws.
Lucky. Due to CoViD, we're having a major shortage of lumber.
Quote from: von Corax on August 25, 2020, 12:34:50 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 24, 2020, 04:25:27 PM
Today.... some timber arrived. I can make a start on the radiator cover.... once I finalise the design and get a few more tools and screws.
Lucky. Due to CoViD, we're having a major shortage of lumber.
Pax von Corax but your post made me laugh. You live in a country that is full of forests, and yet there's a shortage! Oh, the irony! ROFL
We've had shortages of building plaster, timber, paint... everybody viewed lockdown as the perfect time to take up DIY.
Yesterday, wood arrived.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268348732_b1afea3bbc_c.jpg)
Some rough cuts just to get it approximately to size.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50267509378_aacaa02db0_c.jpg)
And then this evening cut and sanded down. Joinery isn't one of my strong points, there is more filler than timber in the corners. Not helped by the fact the skirting is just slightly too large to comfortably fit in the mitre saw.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268170306_ed3b7084a4_c.jpg)
More staining too- not tonight as there is filler and mastic trying to set.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50267509373_d2545cdca0_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50268170256_7aac961df9_c.jpg)
I had to use the awkward wide-angle lens on the 'phone to get these views, the doors aren't nearly as wide as they might appear.
Interesting lights in the room at the bottom of the stairs. Will they stay?
My Dear James -
I have meant to post several times, and got distracted by the "we need a new admin" effort...
You Sir , are doing a bang up job! It is coming out very well and you have the satisfaction of have done it yourself!
Do not be dismayed by the "it's taken 6 months and I only have this much" part.
I have been remodeling this house in New Mexico for the last 13 years, and every time I say "aha, done"
I come up with another major mod; such as remodelling the 30 foot by 75 foot attached garage by dividing into a workshop,
giant pantry, and normal 2 car garage; replacing the entire Hot Water furnace, or the Hot water heater; or
adding a 2000 gallon reservoir tank to the well system so as to accommodate an ozone purification system...
now I want to pour concrete pads in the crawlspace, a new 2" concrete pad on the existing "very rough" garage floor,
two new garage doors and openers..... and then start on landscaping the 2 acres... Oh and the master bath needs a remodel...
When you feel exhausted and ready to burn it down , you have to get away with a cup o' and relax and enjoy and decompress...
yhs
prof marvel
Your garage measures 30 x 75??!!! :o
That's bigger than my house! (2250 vs 1450 sq ft), even should I add the garage to it (another 400 sq ft)
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 06:29:07 AM
Your garage measures 30 x 75??!!! :o
That's bigger than my house! (2250 vs 1450 sq ft), even should I add the garage to it (another 400 sq ft)
Bigger than my house, too!! Before the 4mx4m room extension was done in the 70s, my house was 1000sq ft, even smaller than Deimos's house!!
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
Quote from: Prof Marvel on August 26, 2020, 05:42:35 AM
My Dear James -
I have meant to post several times, and got distracted by the "we need a new admin" effort...
You Sir , are doing a bang up job! It is coming out very well and you have the satisfaction of have done it yourself!
Do not be dismayed by the "it's taken 6 months and I only have this much" part.
I have been remodeling this house in New Mexico for the last 13 years, and every time I say "aha, done"
I come up with another major mod; such as remodelling the 30 foot by 75 foot attached garage by dividing into a workshop,
giant pantry, and normal 2 car garage; replacing the entire Hot Water furnace, or the Hot water heater; or
adding a 2000 gallon reservoir tank to the well system so as to accommodate an ozone purification system...
now I want to pour concrete pads in the crawlspace, a new 2" concrete pad on the existing "very rough" garage floor,
two new garage doors and openers..... and then start on landscaping the 2 acres... Oh and the master bath needs a remodel...
When you feel exhausted and ready to burn it down , you have to get away with a cup o' and relax and enjoy and decompress...
yhs
prof marvel
Thank you! It's a nice feeling when bits get finished.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 25, 2020, 11:18:15 PM
Interesting lights in the room at the bottom of the stairs. Will they stay?
I *adore* that light fitting. There is no way that it won't be staying.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
Oh my! :o.... Well, as long as their tires(tyres) were fully inflated, it should not have been too uncomfortable ;D
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50267509373_d2545cdca0_c.jpg)
Quote from: James Harrison on August 25, 2020, 06:07:56 PM
.....I had to use the awkward wide-angle lens on the 'phone to get these views, the doors aren't nearly as wide as they might appear.
That picture of the doorway just so much reminds me of the wedding scene from Beetlejuice ;D
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/6d/86/06/6d860651bc9606c3f4bbf7b16b55ac22.jpg)
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 09:05:06 AM
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
Oh my! :o.... Well, as long as their tires(tyres) were fully inflated, it should not have been too uncomfortable ;D
Pssst, Monty Python reference me thinks. ;) ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 09:16:20 AM
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 09:05:06 AM
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
Oh my! :o.... Well, as long as their tires(tyres) were fully inflated, it should not have been too uncomfortable ;D
Pssst, Monty Python reference me thinks. ;) ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k
It is? ....so it is. I had never seen most episodes of Monty Python because for years I didn't have access to a TV.
Quote from: Prof Marvel on August 26, 2020, 05:42:35 AM
I have been remodeling this house in New Mexico for the last 13 years, and every time I say "aha, done"
I come up with another major mod; such as remodelling the 30 foot by 75 foot attached garage by dividing into a workshop,
giant pantry, and normal 2 car garage;
Sounds like Jay Leno's Garage. Does it double as an airship hangar? ;) It's even bigger than our "underground" garage in CDMX.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BJImrQ2CYAAJVZ3.jpg:large)
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 09:26:39 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 09:16:20 AM
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 09:05:06 AM
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
Oh my! :o.... Well, as long as their tires(tyres) were fully inflated, it should not have been too uncomfortable ;D
Pssst, Monty Python reference me thinks. ;) ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k
It is? ....so it is. I had never seen most episodes of Monty Python because for years I didn't have access to a TV.
When I was young you didn't have to have TV in the house, my Dad was crazy about Monty Python and the goons. I was brought up listening to both on reel to reel, vinyl albums and tapes.
::)
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
I didn't know you were from Yorkshire! Before I understood the reference, for a moment I thought you were a hamster...
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 09:26:39 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 09:16:20 AM
Quote from: Deimos on August 26, 2020, 09:05:06 AM
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
Oh my! :o.... Well, as long as their tires(tyres) were fully inflated, it should not have been too uncomfortable ;D
Pssst, Monty Python reference me thinks. ;) ;D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k
It is? ....so it is. I had never seen most episodes of Monty Python because for years I didn't have access to a TV.
The Four Yorkshiremen Sketch (http://youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k#)
So I suppose, now you're going to tell us how instead of watching the 6 o'clock news, you'd all gather around the table and re-enact the news with sock puppets, yes?
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 09:55:31 AM
...When I was young you didn't have to have TV in the house, my Dad was crazy about Monty Python and the goons. I was brought up listening to both on reel to reel, vinyl albums and tapes. ::)
Now that you mention it, I think my brother had the albums, or at least some of them.
But I never listened to them.... (or maybe he never allowed me to listen to them :P)
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on August 26, 2020, 10:07:02 AM
The Four Yorkshiremen Sketch (http://youtube.com/watch?v=VKHFZBUTA4k#)
So I suppose, now you're going to tell us how instead of watching the 6 o'clock news, you'd all gather around the table and re-enact the news with sock puppets, yes?
HA.HA.HA.
This is going way off topic, sorry James.
Back to the job (jobs) in hand, looking forward to see how the radiator cover progresses.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 10:16:47 AM
This is going way off topic, sorry James.....
*Ahem*....We
eventually would have gotten back on topic, thank you very much. ;)
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 08:30:29 AM
Wow, your houses are all massive. I used to live in a shoebox in the middle of a road. We didn't have a garage. I had to worry about cars driving over my bed instead.
Sorontar
A shoebox? Luxury! We used to dream of having a shoebox, we used to have to live in a lake.....
Oh, I give up, this forum can be like visiting a mental asylum sometimes. Loons everywhere you turn.
Maybe that's why I just keep coming back, over and over and over........... ;D
Anyway.......... Back on topic?
[shuffles around looking shy and coy]
Sorrrrrryyyyyy. I just thought it had to be said.
:-)
Anyway, the wood work is still looking great James, however big your house is.
Sorontar
ps. Yes, I was thinking of that sketch but didn't realise it predated Monty Python.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 26, 2020, 11:50:08 AM
[shuffles around looking shy and coy]
Sorrrrrryyyyyy. I just thought it had to be said.
:-)
You are a very naughty boy........... Now I'm off again.
Right, that's it, no more Monty Python!
If you can James, I would use that timber as soon as poss' if purchased from B+Q or wickes, it can tend to warp and distort more than a little if left for too long, I once had a skirting board that would make a mutant banana look straight and true, I ended up chopping it into pieces for fire wood.
For the luv of the lord please don't install a candelabra or we will be flooded with The Two Ronnies
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ozpek_FrOPs
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on August 26, 2020, 10:07:02 AM
So I suppose, now you're going to tell us how instead of watching the 6 o'clock news, you'd all gather around the table and re-enact the news with sock puppets, yes?
Socks? We had to use roadkill (as socks!)
Enough Already!!
Hmmm, I got my eye on you now Sorontar.
In my notes are written subtle disrupter and thread de-railer, possible anarchist with the desire for world domination through supposed innocent statements, there is more here. Just saying mate, you are being watched............ ;D ;D
Live in a shoebox? Eee, luxury, you don't know you're born. Try living in a shoe, and having to clear out whenever the big chap wanted to wear it.
Noted re: leaving timber for too long, I'm hoping to be making a start on using most of it this coming weekend (any children or people of a nervous disposition are hearby warned that there will in all likelihood be prolonged anguished swearing).
I think my overall plan for this evening is to get a third coat of stain on the doorframes and then start heading out toward the front door with it. If I can just get the one side of skirting finished I'll be happier...
Jees' now the OP is at it,
hmmm original notes updated on Sorontar........possible internet / 5G mind control...... capture and vivisection using Z Sqaud?, hmmm, could use the Australian force, a bit more local.......
Uuuum, yes, take your time, plan it and execute, or we back on Sorontar, I'm a bit confused now, will be back....................
I can move onto some bits from 'At last the 1948 show' if Monty Python and the Two Ronnies are getting a bit stale.
Stop it!
I have my tin foil helmet bolstered with a thick lead lining on and so am the only one with any sense here!
No more comedy sketches
I want pain, blood and wood shavings mixed with lashings of adhesive and wood stain, with a slight hint of despair, get this back on track. Oooh a certain person has a lot to answer for, Yes, you know who you are........... ;D
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 05:39:44 PM
No more comedy sketches
How do you feel about The Money Pit?
I'd like to oblige with more progress but all I've achieved tonight is to give the skirting board out to the front door a first dose of stain. And a photograph of that would be about as interesting as watching paint dry.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 26, 2020, 06:32:27 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 05:39:44 PM
No more comedy sketches
How do you feel about The Money Pit?
The film with Tom Hanks? Just about sums up every ones experience of buying a home IMHO, all looks good even after a survey, you move in and start to find the horrors one by one, slowly but surely that survey isn't worth the ink or paper and now you have to deal with those damp problems, dangerous electrics, a roof that could be ready to collapse and dicky boiler. But, congratulations you're on the ladder, your first home, you will never be able to afford to move because you have to chuck vast amounts of cash at the wreck you have successfully purchased, it's all yours my son, along with that mortgage you can just about afford every month.
NO a pointless movie with no message ::)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 07:10:36 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 26, 2020, 06:32:27 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 26, 2020, 05:39:44 PM
No more comedy sketches
How do you feel about The Money Pit?
The film with Tom Hanks? Just about sums up every ones experience of buying a home IMHO, all looks good even after a survey, you move in and start to find the horrors one by one, slowly but surely that survey isn't worth the ink or paper and now you have to deal with those damp problems, dangerous electrics, a roof that could be ready to collapse and dicky boiler. But, congratulations you're on the ladder, your first home, you will never be able to afford to move because you have to chuck vast amounts of cash at the wreck you have successfully purchased, it's all yours my son, along with that mortgage you can just about afford every month.
NO a pointless movie with no message ::)
Ooooh, lucky me - first (and probably only) home, AND ........ TaDah! ....... no mortgage!!!
And yes, it is a money pit! With renovations of $60,000-odd already spent over and above the purchase price, an still more to do, but no $$ to do it with!!
Quote from: Banfili on August 28, 2020, 12:17:18 AM
Ooooh, lucky me - first (and probably only) home, AND ........ TaDah! ....... no mortgage!!!
And yes, it is a money pit! With renovations of $60,000-odd already spent over and above the purchase price, an still more to do, but no $$ to do it with!!
OMG !!!
You pulled it off with NO MORTGAGE!
you have no idea what an outstandiong achievement that is. Also a mountain not on your shoulders.
instead of mortgage payments, you can use the money for whatever you wish, which will probably include "incremental improvements on the house"
yhs
prof marvel
Just a short update this evening.
All skirting board reinstated from the foot of the staircase up to the front door. Now it just needs staining. That can be a job over the long weekend...
Now that the skirting board is all glued down, it occurs to me to wonder if you could have stained it first...?
I think had I stained it first I would have struggled to get it to stick (that is how things generally play out for me). The longer lengths needed bracing and shoring, and that would have played havoc with the finished surface.
Quote from: von Corax on August 28, 2020, 07:00:26 PM
Now that the skirting board is all glued down, it occurs to me to wonder if you could have stained it first...?
He could have. But not at the speed he's working and without a final layer of sparior polyurethane. If done carefully he could have stained it being careful not to have too much dripping in the back of the skirting, and then varnish. But without the varnish, the wax in the stain will remain slippery /tacky fora long time (it's a mix of resin and wax residue), and any part with that stain will not stick well to any kind of glue, mastic, sealant or whatever.
Fair enough. I rent.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50279491366_06769a5617_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50279491446_a8c703f639_c.jpg)
That's how it looks as of these evening.
Couple of reasons why I'm only staining it when secured in place;
1, the walls aren't square, which means some fairly large gaps that need to be be filled when the boards are in place, which once filled then need to be stained over.
2, the awkwardness of the size of the skirtings, which just barely fit into the mitre saw, means that the joints are approximate at best and need to be filled in and smoothed off afterward, which then again would dictate more staining. You might reasonably ask why then I'm not using smaller mouldings but they wouldn't be in keeping with the rest of the house, which has these tall (7-inch someodd) mouldings throughout.
3, I've got nowhere to keep 8 or 9-foot skirting boards to dry if prestained. All of the timber that arrived last week is currently sitting in the hallway on the floor. If I stained it before fitting it, it would get scuffed/ trodden on/ dirt tracked over whilst drying. At least when secured to the wall it is tolerably out of the way when it is wet.
4, it never occured to me to do it any other way. I think if the main lengths had gone in perfectly when dry-fitted I'd have considered it, but it was obvious from the start that they were going to need a lot of coercion to go neatly back onto the wall.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 28, 2020, 08:01:26 PM
Couple of reasons why I'm only staining it when secured in place;
1, the walls aren't square, which means some fairly large gaps that need to be be filled when the boards are in place, which once filled then need to be stained over.
2, the awkwardness of the size of the skirtings, which just barely fit into the mitre saw, means that the joints are approximate at best and need to be filled in and smoothed off afterward, which then again would dictate more staining. You might reasonably ask why then I'm not using smaller mouldings but they wouldn't be in keeping with the rest of the house, which has these tall (7-inch someodd) mouldings throughout.
3, I've got nowhere to keep 8 or 9-foot skirting boards to dry if prestained. All of the timber that arrived last week is currently sitting in the hallway on the floor. If I stained it before fitting it, it would get scuffed/ trodden on/ dirt tracked over whilst drying. At least when secured to the wall it is tolerably out of the way when it is wet.
4, it never occured to me to do it any other way. I think if the main lengths had gone in perfectly when dry-fitted I'd have considered it, but it was obvious from the start that they were going to need a lot of coercion to go neatly back onto the wall.
TBH in my experience, staining/painting ANYTHING before its' in its' final position is a good way of ruining the finish of any paint/colour. If the surface is in the least bit tacky when any work's being done (most interior gloss paints can take up to 48 hours to cure properly depending on conditions), dust, particles etc. will stick, if there's glue/adhevsive to be applied, you have to be INCREDIBLY careful in applying it to prevent it getting on the paint/stain, and not to mention any fiddling/fettling that needs to be done will affect it as well.
Because of all that even if you do paint/stain it before fixing, chances are you'd have to go over it again once it's in place.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on August 28, 2020, 09:11:03 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 28, 2020, 08:01:26 PM
Couple of reasons why I'm only staining it when secured in place;
1, the walls aren't square, which means some fairly large gaps that need to be be filled when the boards are in place, which once filled then need to be stained over.
2, the awkwardness of the size of the skirtings, which just barely fit into the mitre saw, means that the joints are approximate at best and need to be filled in and smoothed off afterward, which then again would dictate more staining. You might reasonably ask why then I'm not using smaller mouldings but they wouldn't be in keeping with the rest of the house, which has these tall (7-inch someodd) mouldings throughout.
3, I've got nowhere to keep 8 or 9-foot skirting boards to dry if prestained. All of the timber that arrived last week is currently sitting in the hallway on the floor. If I stained it before fitting it, it would get scuffed/ trodden on/ dirt tracked over whilst drying. At least when secured to the wall it is tolerably out of the way when it is wet.
4, it never occured to me to do it any other way. I think if the main lengths had gone in perfectly when dry-fitted I'd have considered it, but it was obvious from the start that they were going to need a lot of coercion to go neatly back onto the wall.
TBH in my experience, staining/painting ANYTHING before its' in its' final position is a good way of ruining the finish of any paint/colour. If the surface is in the least bit tacky when any work's being done (most interior gloss paints can take up to 48 hours to cure properly depending on conditions), dust, particles etc. will stick, if there's glue/adhevsive to be applied, you have to be INCREDIBLY careful in applying it to prevent it getting on the paint/stain, and not to mention any fiddling/fettling that needs to be done will affect it as well.
Because of all that even if you do paint/stain it before fixing, chances are you'd have to go over it again once it's in place.
Well, that is in fact inevitable. You would have to refinish. On this side of the pond, I don't know of any pre-painted moulding, other than plastic imitation-wood moulding used for recreational vehicles/boats/prefabricated homes, and seams for kitchen Formica finishes. For standard residential moulding, wood or PVC moulding, the closest you'll get to prefinished is moulding with a layer of primer applied (usually white).
Quote from: Prof Marvel on August 28, 2020, 01:25:40 AM
Quote from: Banfili on August 28, 2020, 12:17:18 AM
Ooooh, lucky me - first (and probably only) home, AND ........ TaDah! ....... no mortgage!!!
And yes, it is a money pit! With renovations of $60,000-odd already spent over and above the purchase price, an still more to do, but no $$ to do it with!!
OMG !!!
You pulled it off with NO MORTGAGE!
you have no idea what an outstandiong achievement that is. Also a mountain not on your shoulders.
instead of mortgage payments, you can use the money for whatever you wish, which will probably include "incremental improvements on the house"
yhs
prof marvel
Yep, no mortgage, and I had to but a car as well - no car repayments, either!!
And I do know, especially now, just how big an achievement it all is - I'd have been up the Putty without a paddle well and truly, otherwise!
Mind you, it took all my superannuation, so now I have only a government pension, but hey, no mortgage!!
I consider myself fortunate to have been able to save up a 15% deposit and still have enough left in the bank afterward to cover moving expenses and make a start on the works. Funny thing is, my brother's house was only a few thousand more than mine yet he had to have a 30-year mortgage whilst I got away with a 25...
Long weekend and the first thing I did this morning was go down the local hardware store/ builders merchants and buy tools and materials.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50281706302_6e0f3b0f08_c.jpg)
Then the skirting board got a second coat of stain.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50280864313_da50b34bdf_c.jpg)
And a concept sketch for the radiator cover.
My advise would be make an easily removable cover, for two reasons.....
They are dust traps.
IF, you should have a future issue with the heating, the vent and valves need to be accessible for maintenance.
The design looks good. 8)
The plan for it is that it will be free standing in front of the radiator; the radiator it is covering up is not only one of those that started dribbling a few months ago but also fairly high up on the list for replacements (just so soon as I have another £200-odd going begging looking for something to be spent on). I'm very conscious that I don't want this to be built like a battleship!- I (or a plumber) will have to move it around.
I reckon I've got enough material to at least build the carcass and the lid, but the timber laths to the front will be probably a job in a few weeks time.
James, you shame me :-[.... there are so many interior improvements (some rather minor and therefore easy to do) that are staring me in the face, and here I sit on BG or other forums (fora) not doing a blessed thing about them. It's time I got cracking >:(
Cutting one sheet of timber into two counts as a start... right? Because what's actually happened today is my brother and sister-in-law came to visit and brought my niece with them so...
At least I had a completed room to show them :D
Quote from: Deimos on August 29, 2020, 04:31:09 PM
James, you shame me :-[.... there are so many interior improvements (some rather minor and therefore easy to do) that are staring me in the face, and here I sit on BG or other forums (fora) not doing a blessed thing about them. It's time I got cracking >:(
I totally agree, same thing here. ::), a lot of painting, I hate painting!
Speaking of painting....
All skirting boards are now fully stained. Next stage- painting the walls. Now have I got time this afternoon to nip down the hardware store?.....
Raw plaster needs a mist coat (Or known in the trade as a p!ss coat) as a primer, afore the final colour is applied, not trying to teach you how to suck eggs here, but just in case.........
If not done that paint will peel off in sheets.
Yeah, I've got a big tub of matt white emulsion for exactly that purpose. The plan is try to have a decent go at one wall this evening, if I can get just the one wall done (even only in undercoat) it will feel like a huge leap forward.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 30, 2020, 07:45:42 AM
Quote from: Deimos on August 29, 2020, 04:31:09 PM
James, you shame me :-[.... there are so many interior improvements (some rather minor and therefore easy to do) that are staring me in the face, and here I sit on BG or other forums (fora) not doing a blessed thing about them. It's time I got cracking >:(
I totally agree, same thing here. ::), a lot of painting, I hate painting!
That is one of the commonest complaints in the DIY Home Improvement world.
I don't know anyone who likes to paint, unless someone else does all the prep work (which includes draping and/or moving furniture) and clean-up.
If all I had to do was wield the roller I'd probably enjoy it. ;D
It's why so many people are willing to pay someone else to do it.
Someone I knew that did it as a side job told me "Anyone can paint. But not a lot of people can paint both correctly
and efficiently; that is, make a profit doing it."
I don't mind painting too much, it's the faff that goes with it. Moving furniture and covering it up before you even begin. The stuff sinks into the wall straight off the brush so you end up with one patch that looks very nice.... and a big area around it that doesn't. The paint tin doesn't sit neatly anywhere except on the floor in the one place you can be absolutely guaranteed someone will tread in it. The step ladders always need moving around. After a little while your arms start to ache incessantly. After a little while longer you are bored out of your wits.
I sometimes think Rowan Atkinson had the right idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X1SuLjnRcI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X1SuLjnRcI)
Quote from: James Harrison on August 30, 2020, 05:23:28 PM
I don't mind painting too much, it's the faff that goes with it...I sometimes think Rowan Atkinson had the right idea.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X1SuLjnRcI (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X1SuLjnRcI)
Too funny! ;D
(And I had to look up "faff"...had never heard of or read that word before now)
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So that's two diluted coats of white emulsion put down over as far as I'm planning to paint this year. I'm just amazed how much lighter the hallway looks now. I've also got two tins of the final colour ready to use but am debating whether first to put down one final coat of the white- neat, this time- just to get a uniform background surface to work from.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 31, 2020, 10:21:50 AM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50289899147_1cb7614b27_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50289899192_514aa58ce0_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50289075623_fd831d8a2d_c.jpg)
So that's two diluted coats of white emulsion put down over as far as I'm planning to paint this year. I'm just amazed how much lighter the hallway looks now. I've also got two tins of the final colour ready to use but am debating whether first to put down one final coat of the white- neat, this time- just to get a uniform background surface to work from.
Those stairs really are steep! Much more noticeably so in these photos - would you consider walking them out a bit further down the track?? On second thoughts - not - mainly because of the doorway at the bottom!
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 30, 2020, 02:36:09 PM
Raw plaster needs a mist coat (Or known in the trade as a p!ss coat) as a primer, afore the final colour is applied, not trying to teach you how to suck eggs here, but just in case.........
If not done that paint will peel off in sheets.
I did not know that!
I am literally about to embark on a plastering experiment, so this is excellent info, thanks!
Over here we deal almost exclusively with "sheat-rock" aka "plasterboard". It also needs a primer coat, but I guess the paper coating
does not suck up paint anything like raw plaster.
yhs
prof marvel
Quote from: James Harrison on August 31, 2020, 10:21:50 AM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50289075623_fd831d8a2d_c.jpg)
So that's two diluted coats of white emulsion put down over as far as I'm planning to paint this year. I'm just amazed how much lighter the hallway looks now. I've also got two tins of the final colour ready to use but am debating whether first to put down one final coat of the white- neat, this time- just to get a uniform background surface to work from.
James that looks GREAT!
I am assuming you having masking tape down?
if so, I would leave it alone for a bit and see how you like the "all white " look....
yhs
prf mvl
The problem with the white paint, or at least the stuff I'm using, is that it is proving very dusty, almost more like chalk. The final colour is a sort of off-white so it's going to be fairly close to this anyway, albeit perhaps with a bit more warmth to it. I'm hoping, fingers crossed, to be able to make a start on the top coats tonight. We shall see.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 01, 2020, 04:25:02 PM
The problem with the white paint, or at least the stuff I'm using, is that it is proving very dusty, almost more like chalk. ...
You mean after you apply it and it dries it's dusty??? Uhhh...that doesn't sound right.
Paint is basically colored glue (that's an over simplification but a pro told me to think of it like that).
It needs a clean dry surface to get max adhesion, and once it dries, it seals whatever it has been applied to.
The good news is that the cream colour going on top seems to rather like it.
Yes, I finally (after about 3 months) have reached the point where I can 'just' repaint it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50307385268_c8ff1b8931_c.jpg)
This was the state of play yesterday evening after everything had had a first coat of the top colour.
This morning the left hand side, the archway and the door (behind photographer) had a second coat of it and I think- that might give a finish good enough to regard as, err, finished.
Just the right hand side back to the archway to do now.
It's a very very subtle colour.
And then of course when that is done- the floor and timber needs cleaning up, then I've got an electrician coming next week (and fitting a new light is on his to-do list) and after that there's of course the radiator cover to build.
Looks nice. Certainly brightened the hallway by a significant degree.
Yes I think the one side of it is largely satisfactory, apart from a few areas which just need touching in. And then the pipework to address.
I tried to clean that up- and it didn't go too well. I'm not keen on metallic paint, it's a bit of fakery and in nay case it would like get all over the walls. Which leaves painting them the same colour as the walls...
It might not look so very poor. I'm still looking at those solid brass brackets to hold them into the wall too, so the cream pipes and brass brackets would likely be quite a nice combination.
Plasterer is supposed to be coming back at some point to repair a few areas of the cornice and then I'll be able to repaint that too.
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Beg leave report that Phase 1 of the hallway is almost finished....
I've got a new hallway light going in on Wednesday, walls are painted to my satisfaction, I've started the final cleaning up of the floor and the timberwork....
Quote from: James Harrison on September 06, 2020, 05:45:02 PM
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50312882212_e7efc5d2cc_c.jpg)
Beg leave report that Phase 1 of the hallway is almost finished....
I've got a new hallway light going in on Wednesday, walls are painted to my satisfaction, I've started the final cleaning up of the floor and the timberwork....
Lordy, those stairs are steep - I'd have to live on your ground floor, James!
Quote from: Banfili on September 06, 2020, 11:50:39 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50312040598_5e7343615d_c.jpg)
Lordy, those stairs are steep - I'd have to live on your ground floor, James!
Yep....and no space for a Fredricksen Chair (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chBQWmxg-FY) either. ;D
It's surprising how quickly you get used to those steep stairs. A few weeks after moving in I was fairly bounding up and down them.
First I like to thank you again for sharing this experience. Who would have thought watching paint dry would be so exciting. I check in daily.
Perhaps you could could post before and after photographs, for a side-by-side comparison?
Quote from: montysaurus on September 07, 2020, 05:44:05 PM
First I like to thank you again for sharing this experience. Who would have thought watching paint dry would be so exciting. I check in daily.
Perhaps you could could post before and after photographs, for a side-by-side comparison?
Thank you (and trust me, having done it myself I can assure you watching paint dry is not the most gripping of spectator sports. Except for when the dry colour is noticeably different from what it looks like in the tin. ;) )
I can't do like for like comparisons however...
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This was the sitting room the day I got the keys.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917236891_fe103b533a_c.jpg)
And this is it now.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49506159832_9f94c54c35_c.jpg)
Likewise, the hallway then...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50307385268_c8ff1b8931_c.jpg)
... and now.
Holy Moly, Great work James!
It looks great. It what's really nice is you're doing it the correct way, not covering things up with a coat of paint. Keep up the good work.
I need to update those pictures.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50323191378_17451a2528_c.jpg)
Also addressed but not photographed; the pullcord in the bathroom, two of the light switches, the light in the cupboard under the stairs and a coupleof plug sockets.
James, I just have to ask - what is the name of the colour you painted on the walls? It is stunning!
The blue is known as Antibes Blue.The cream is Champagne.
Further adventures with the quarry tile floor this morning, an attempt to remove the grout / plaster / mortar remnants. I used an acid-based cleaner, which has done a brilliant job of breaking and lifting all of that muck up. Then you have to wash it all down with water, which then dries leaving chalky deposits behind (as I've said before, the water here is so hard I think it mugs little old ladies).
So now I just have that to clean up. And then research into buffing and polishing the floor so it doesn't get ingrained with dirt again.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 12, 2020, 11:10:48 AM
So now I just have that to clean up. And then research into buffing and polishing the floor so it doesn't get ingrained with dirt again.
Based on my own experience of protecting stone surfaces and the like in historic houses it might be worth looking into microcrystalline wax (renaissance wax is generally the standard brand) and applying that to the tiles.
Be warned, it will mean spending a couple of hours on your hands and knees to apply and then buff it, and it will need reapplying periodically, but I daresay mopping and waxing the floor once every 6 months or so would be preferable to trying to get all the dirt out on a regular basis. It would also be worthwhile you looking into wood wax for the stairs for the same purpose.
That's exactly what my thoughts are. I've just spent 2 hours+ washing it down with acid and water, and then vinegar to get the water stains off, and I don't want to be doing that every few weeks.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 12, 2020, 01:34:43 PM
That's exactly what my thoughts are. I've just spent 2 hours+ washing it down with acid and water, and then vinegar to get the water stains off, and I don't want to be doing that every few weeks.
Try using Distilled water. No minerals, skips the vinegar.
If doing it by hand, 1 gallon will go a long way.
over here, I buy it at the supermarket for $.99 a gallon to use in the humidifier.
One can also distill their own using an old pressure cooker....
yhs
prof marbles
Distilled water was the thing that came to mind about three hours after I finished the job yesterday :D Still, something to remember for next time. I'm looking into waxing and buffing the floor but first I need to get two or three new tiles.
Today's fun and games has been to continue with the radiator cover.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50336630843_5f5da98860_c.jpg)
Starting with fabricating the side panels (yes, I remembered these needed to be mirrored or handed rather than identical). 18mm timber sheet backing, then a length of skirting board at the bottom and a length of 2" x 1" on the corner. My skills aren't up to mitred corners and tenon joints, so this has to be right angles, butt joints and screws.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50337478237_8e95918749_c.jpg)
The sides set up roughly so as to give an idea of how large this thing will eventually be. Reassuringly I could get the front door open past it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50337320561_acf3dc2425_c.jpg)
The start of the front panel and the (planned to be) top piece laid down. The front panel is a length of the skirting board with a piece of 2" x 1" at each end to be able to get a good strong screwed joint. The top of the panel is likely going to be another piece of what I'm using for the top, and that will give a good strong rectangular frame for the vertical stripping that will eventually be fitted.
Then the top itself is probably to be drilled through in a diamond pattern. When the whole thing is finished and stained it's going to be quite an impressive piece of work I hope.
Work on the garden can now proceed too, as I've been gifted 48 block pavers that my parents were getting rid of.
The floor cleaned up well. Looking good.
Thanks, it's looking better than it was so I think it was worthwhile.
Some more progress on the radiator cover this evening...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50342736006_0432951850_c.jpg)
The basic form is there now so onwards with with the slatting on the front.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50358697692_2dea6c1be4_c.jpg)
Last night I was able to reinstate the bespoke mirror I've had for the last three years. I also bought a Charles Rennie Mackintosh-inspired vase whoch I think complements it very well.
Some strip wood has been ordered for the front of the radiator cover and that should be arriving on Monday, which means I'll be able to finish that off.... plans for this weekend are basically to sand down the cover and then start cleaning the hosue top to bottom. It is surprising how much dust, dirt and general detritus just gets tracked everywhere when redecorating and it's a futile task to try to clean it up as you go along because five minutes later it's back in greater quantities.
Ah yes.
The fine dust gets everywhere, even into cabinets that have remained closed during the whole time of renovation.
You can only use a damp cloth to pick it up as the vacuum cleaner only redistributed the stuff evenly.
Sounds like my gardening at the moment. It's spring and the minute I rake up petals in the courtyard, more fall to replace them.
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on September 19, 2020, 11:00:08 AM
Sounds like my gardening at the moment. It's spring and the minute I rake up petals in the courtyard, more fall to replace them.
Sorontar
Our camellias are being 'helped' to death by the resident wattle bird. It knock about 50+ flowers a day onto the lawn/plants/paths/flower pots etc. (Big garden, lots of camellias). I have to remove them every day to prevent the smothering of other plants and remove the ones that are knocked into the fish pond. Thankfully they float, but I am a bit over it and there are a gazillion move buds on the camellias...
It took a couple of hours but I managed to clean all the floors and get all the dust out of the sitting room (which was the worst affected).
Things are starting to draw to a close for the year, the remaining jobs left to do are
-Repairing the ceiling cornice in the hallway (plasterer knows about this and has pencilled it in his diary)
-Fitting the new radiator in the sitting room (plumber booked for mid-October)
-Putting in two new doors upstairs and repairing the one to the cupboard under the stairs (depends when the carpenter is able to resume work)
-Finishing the radiator cover in the hallway (final delivery of timber booked for tomorrow)
-Getting the front garden done (I'll be laying out some of this today)
And then.... relax! Until next year.
The front garden got raked over and de-weeded (for about the third time) today. Then I priced up some stone pavers... there's no way I'm paying £500+ for 10 square metres, I don't need that many...
What I have ordered, though, are some brass clamps for the hallway radiator pipes.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 20, 2020, 07:21:32 PM
The front garden got raked over and de-weeded (for about the third time) today. Then I priced up some stone pavers... there's no way I'm paying £500+ for 10 square metres, I don't need that many...
It might be worth looking up reclamation yards/architectural salvage places nearby. I suspect they might be able to provide something suitable (perhaps not stone pavers, but I imagine they might have plenty of flagstones or similar) for your limited needs without breaking the bank.
Then again, extra pavers and the like might come in handy for other things (like extra paths, lining for beds/a fire pit, standings for your driveway ornament).
Quote from: James Harrison on September 20, 2020, 07:21:32 PM
The front garden got raked over and de-weeded (for about the third time) today. Then I priced up some stone pavers... there's no way I'm paying £500+ for 10 square metres, I don't need that many...
Can't you buy pavers individually? Buy whatever will fit in the truck bed (if you own a truck) or the boot of your car.
I bought 20 or so pavers per trip and make 2 or three trips to the supplier. (I have a small car)
It was a lot cheaper than paying for 144 pavers (100 more than I needed) to be delivered on pallet for $600. :P
I'm trying to find a price for individuals. I've been gifted 48 of them which I reckon is enough to do about half of what I have in mind (basically edging around a gravelled area), now just to find another 50 or so.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50368734297_718112cdac_c.jpg)
A small victory. Now I just need to stain it.
Nice. Looks good...very Mission Arts and Craft style.
Thanks- that's exactly the look I was aiming for.
James, with re:- to the radiator cover. Have you given any thought to a (mesh?) vent in the ledge, so the the heat can rise?
I did say I was going to do 'something' with the lid, didn't I?
Must admit that kind of slipped my mind, there no funds to hand to go out and buy a vintage one, nor to buy a tool to drill a pattern through the top.
It's open enough to the front (approx. 50%) and to the sides so the heat should be able to get out easily enough, it's just whether it gets caught under the solid top and accumulates there. I'll see how I get on with it as it is over the next few months.
Speaking of the radiator, I ordered the brass clamps for the pipes and they arrived yesterday, so this morning's little job was to fit them.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50385613492_3f64bb5c95_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50384735208_cbae04a3c2_c.jpg)
Much neater. That's another little thing ticked off the snagging list.
Nice touch. God is in the details. So you stained the radiator cover? One idea is to buy a cylinder saw bit like the one you use for opening holes for door knobs and just drill 4 or 5 of holes. If you make a pilot hole in the center of each opening before inserting the bit it's easy enough to do it precisely. The wood might splinter a bit around the hole, but it's on the unstained, hidden part facing the radiator top. Easy to stain the hole edges. The cheapest mesh I know is a pre-painted steel mesh for gutters. It's black so you can cut to size with snips and just staple or nail to the underside of the board.
Yeah, I stained the radiator cover to match the rest of the timber work. The jury's still out whether to drill a series of holes into the top, take out a larger area and fit a brass grille or mesh, or leave it as it is. Now that the heating has to be turned on in the evening I'll be able to make a judgement whether more ventilation in the top will heat the hallway better.
Fitting the clamps this morning pulled the one pipe out and away from the new plaster that it was tight in against, which means that the paint needs to come out again to touch in that little area. At the same time I can finish off repainting the pipes. These little finishing details just beget more work, don't they?
Quote from: James Harrison on September 26, 2020, 02:01:21 PM
Yeah, I stained the radiator cover to match the rest of the timber work. The jury's still out whether to drill a series of holes into the top, take out a larger area and fit a brass grille or mesh, or leave it as it is. Now that the heating has to be turned on in the evening I'll be able to make a judgement whether more ventilation in the top will heat the hallway better.
Fitting the clamps this morning pulled the one pipe out and away from the new plaster that it was tight in against, which means that the paint needs to come out again to touch in that little area. At the same time I can finish off repainting the pipes. These little finishing details just beget more work, don't they?
;D It is never ending work.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 26, 2020, 02:01:21 PM
Yeah, I stained the radiator cover to match the rest of the timber work. The jury's still out whether to drill a series of holes into the top, take out a larger area and fit a brass grille or mesh, or leave it as it is. Now that the heating has to be turned on in the evening I'll be able to make a judgement whether more ventilation in the top will heat the hallway better.
Might I suggest a narrow rectangular hole in the top of the cover? Not only will it enable heat to rise, it would also prevent any kind of micro climate to exist in the top of the cover.
That's a valid point to consider; I don't want my hard work to become a colony for nasty bugs after all.
Things generally are starting to wind down now- there's a couple of finishing jobs for the bits I've looked at this year and the front garden is probably going to get just the hard landscaping done between now and Christmas (hopefully during my week off in mid-October).
My current aspirations for next year are to replace the guttering to the front of the house, get professional decorators in to finish off the hallway (upstairs and to the ceiling), get the dining room redecorated and- just maybe- think about more appropriate external doors and windows.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50390060363_c8b791dea4_c.jpg)
A few days ago- before the brass clamps were fitted to the wall- but that is pretty much the overall finish at present. I've had another go at the floor with acid this morning- and that seems to have gotten still more mortar off- but the stuff is very potent and I'm reluctant to use it again even with the door open for ventilation. What is still on the tiles only seems willing to be removed through more mechanical means- it comes away easily enough with sandpaper- so I may yet go over the floor with a palm sander and fine grade abrasive pads, VERY carefully.
The plaster still has to come back and fix the cornicing which fell apart a few months ago and then that of course will need painting, but other than that and sealing the floor I think this area too can now be ticked off the list.
Looking Great, James!
Quote from: James Harrison on September 23, 2020, 04:17:01 PM
I did say I was going to do 'something' with the lid, didn't I?
Must admit that kind of slipped my mind, there no funds to hand to go out and buy a vintage one, nor to buy a tool to drill a pattern through the top.
It's open enough to the front (approx. 50%) and to the sides so the heat should be able to get out easily enough, it's just whether it gets caught under the solid top and accumulates there. I'll see how I get on with it as it is over the next few months.
You might consider raise the top by ~ 1 inch with spacers, and that allows better "natural rising flow" out thru the edges under the top...
yhs
prof marvel
In the US, we have products like Soft Scrub and Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. They are made for areas you want to scrub but not abrade.(Such as Glass Stove Tops.) Perhaps something like that would work on the floor, but be less harsh than sanding. Its not expensive, so might be worth a try. I haven't tried it myself, just a thought.
The radiator cover has now been bolted back to the wall... after somebody nearly tipped it over yesterday. No, that wasn't my doing.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50416255508_871fd019b9_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50416949416_7d33f5231c_c.jpg)
And the umbrella and shoe stands have been moved back to their proper place after months in the dining room.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50417112952_618243aa2b_c.jpg)
I think those floor tiles have really come up a treat and I'm looking into resin or waxes to seal them. I need to reinstate the missing three or four first though.
Planned works this week....
I've got 300kg + of MOT type 1 turning up tomorrow to be used as hardcore beneath some brick pavers in the front garden. These pavers I'm planning to use as a border edging. So- at last- some work other than demolition is going to be happening in the front garden.
Thursday I'm hoping to visit a local architectural salvage yard and maybe come back with a couple of quarry tiles to replace the ones which have been robbed out of my hallway floor. Hopefully that will then leave me in a position of being able to seal it all.
Quote from: James Harrison on October 12, 2020, 05:58:04 PM
I've got 300kg + of MOT type 1...
I'm not familiar with that designation, but I'm guessing it's similar to our Granular A crushed stone? (Either that, or it's regurgitated asphalt...)
Quote from: von Corax on October 12, 2020, 07:58:10 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on October 12, 2020, 05:58:04 PM
I've got 300kg + of MOT type 1...
I'm not familiar with that designation, but I'm guessing it's similar to our Granular A crushed stone? (Either that, or it's regurgitated asphalt...)
MOT type 1 looks like what we would call 'Cracker Dust'. It packs down good and hard and makes good driveways and paths. We usually operate in square metres rather than by weight. We had 3 sq m of mushroom compost and 4 sq m of 20mm pine bark delivered a few days ago. All spread now, and that was uphill from the only place it can be delivered on our block. Still, it weighs a LOT less than Cracker Dust!
I'm afraid I let a bit of civil-engineer speak in yesterday :D
MOT type 1 is clean crushed quarry stone and used largely as road subgrade- think along the lines of railway ballast but smaller. In my professional life I also use it for construction roads and working platforms for havy machinery (large cranes, piling rigs and the like).
12 bags of crushed rock turned up. I only used about 7.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469961447_7e78b8a1d4_c.jpg)
First dig a nice long deep trench. I aimed for 6" (4" for the stone and 2" for the pavers) and somehow ended up with an 8" pit.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469803946_22f030d3a4_c.jpg)
Having emptied two bags of stone into the gaping maw at one end, I was still 4" below ground level. So I put some of the soil back in on top, compacted it, then placed the pavers on that. Once backfilled up level with the top of the pavers and compacted, these are going nowhere.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469803861_7d955b93c0_c.jpg)
And then on around the rest of the garden.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469961997_71ff2a703b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469805741_67d6036967_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469961722_703a2f6af6_c.jpg)
It took the better part of three hours all told.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469964092_90c70664a3_c.jpg)
And I've still got to sort out the big heap of arisings and source the gravel.
Quote from: James Harrison on October 13, 2020, 08:03:10 AM
I'm afraid I let a bit of civil-engineer speak in yesterday :D
MOT type 1 is clean crushed quarry stone and used largely as road subgrade- think along the lines of railway ballast but smaller. In my professional life I also use it for construction roads and working platforms for havy machinery (large cranes, piling rigs and the like).
Oh, no. I like the engineering jargon, as long as you explain it. Looks like 37.5 or 25 mm Hydraulic Base Gravel. ;D
...and these small stone blocks will soon be used for an outdoor OO gauge layout?
Not in the front garden; I wouldn't trust the local youths not to nick it :D
You know those gaps in the hallway floor, where the tiles had been robbed out?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50491134977_d09b3ff3b6_c.jpg)
I made an excursion to a local architectural salvage yard today. Another little job ticked off the list. Also.... I decided I needed a boot scraper beside the front door. I'm not keen on the sort that require holes to be drilled into the wall and the pavement (not keen on wrecking the masonry), nor on the sort that rely on a couple of small prongs that stick into the soil (how touching- the manufacturers think that soil will give enough resistance for the thing not to fall over), nor on the sort that rely on their own self weight for stability (a few kilos- the local types will have that up, away and through somebody's window in no time).
Err, until I found this one that relies on its own weight. http://gwr2807.blogspot.com/2012/12/chairs-become-boot-scrapers.html (http://gwr2807.blogspot.com/2012/12/chairs-become-boot-scrapers.html)
At 20kg or so it's not going to shift as soon as you rest your foot against it, and anyone foolhardy enough to try and nick it is going to put their back out, or of course pick it up by the brush and get a broken foot.
It's also a neat little nod to local history (two disused railway lines are within 5 minutes' walk, what was a locomotive running shed is 10 minutes' walk away and at the bottom of my road is where W G Bagnall (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W._G._Bagnall) used to build locomotives, not to mention this part of the town was developed to house railwaymen and locomotive engineers) and a subtle hint of some of my interests.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50494009992_8beea71ff7_c.jpg)
That's the last element of the sitting room dealt with. One room crossed off the list in its entirety.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50493799568_b37f7c4401_c.jpg)
Boot scraper / back breaker has arrived.
I had a look at those, and I'm sorely tempted to obtain one (even though at present I don't have a use for one).
I'm looking at mine and puzzling out how to bolt it down. It needs 25mm diameter bolts, which need something a bit more than 50mm mass concrete to bite down into. I can see this becoming a huge block of cement and some expensive fixings to secure it.
I'm sure it wouldn't be too hard to get hold of a sleeper end (or similar sized large lump of wood) to bolt it to.
I could, but then that itself in turn needs to be set into the ground. Although actually what I could do, would be to mount it on a railway sleeper and then lose that alongside the garden path when I get around to ordering some gravel.
Quote from: James Harrison on October 16, 2020, 05:48:56 PM
I'm looking at mine and puzzling out how to bolt it down. It needs 25mm diameter bolts, which need something a bit more than 50mm mass concrete to bite down into. I can see this becoming a huge block of cement and some expensive fixings to secure it.
What about 'faking it' use rawlplugs and standard screws into the concrete (with repair washers to fit the holes) then glue some thing like these https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/products/m16-24mm-nut-bolt-cover-cap-black-plastic-polyethylene (https://www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/products/m16-24mm-nut-bolt-cover-cap-black-plastic-polyethylene) to the top to look like the oversized rail bolts (painted green to match).
Nice find! I may well resort to it.
This week's task; planting a hedge. Some weedy-looking.... things.... arrived a few days ago. I'll post a picture when they look a bit less dead.
A month after work ceased for the year and I think I can give a bit of a summary of what worked, what didn't, what to do different next time and what might be done next year.
- Garden: the hedge hasn't died, then again neither has it exactly grown yet.
- Stuff dragged out the house / garden: this week will be the first time in.... four or five months.... that I'm not filtering bricks/ tiles/ rubble/ bits of dead tree through the various waste and recycling bins. I had a bonfire early this month which pretty neatly got rid of 90% of the tree branches, twigs and stumps. The remainder then went through the bins...
- Sitting room: there are still some bits to finish off in there. Paintwork on the timber could do with another coat, one or two of the walls the blue is looking a bit patchy, I still need to build something for the bay window. Next year I might buy some more bookshelves and take up the main back wall with these (probably only three in height rather than five though).
- Hallway: the bottom end of the hall needs finishing off (mainly in the ceiling where the plasterer needs to come back and address the broken cornicing). The floor tiles still need sealing in and the threshold needs cleaning up and painting. At the top of the hallway I've found what I think is a studwork wall that possibly needs looking at, as the plaster flexes. Worse case that would need entire renewal, best case I guess is replastering it on one side...
- Fenestration: the doors and windows are serviceable enough but hardly in the Edwardian fashion. I've got a few avenues to pursue for replacements there.
So the plan for next year is aready shaping up as dealing with more structural things than simply repainting;
1) That wall in the upper hallway
2) New windows and doors
3) New guttering and boarding around the front of the house
4) Lowering the level of the patio to the rear (to below the damp proof).
Meanwhile the reference library continues to grow, with the acquisition of Trevor Yorke's The Edwardian House Explained and Stefan Muthesius' The English Terraced House.
With two weeks away from work and (it looks like) two weeks with precious little to do, I've had another look at the quarry tile floor.
Quick recap:
I uncovered this in July / August, have managed to remove about 95% of the mortar, plaster, paint and woodstain that was on it and am planning to re-wax and re-seal it in the New Year.
But before I do that, I want to try to remove as much of the remaining detritus as possible. So far I've tried a few types of stain remover, something that dissolves mortar, steam cleaning and white vinegar... so today's experiment was a viciously sharp woodworking chisel. Which, it would seem, has actually managed to remove quite a lot of the remaining muck in the areas I've tried it. The drawback is that the chisel blunts within a few minutes...
Now, as you no doubt know by now, I like my dangerous chemicals.
Have you tried Brick Acid?
A qoute from google......
Hydrochloric acid based cleaner. Removes stubborn stains, limescale, ingrained dirt, heavy cement and mortar stains from brick, concrete, paving and patios, scaffolding and tools. Apply by brush. Use protective goggles, gloves and clothing to cover face, eyes and skin.
Great stuff, will clean your toilet too.
I've had a go with some methanesulphonic acid on it, which did a good job of removing a lot of the muck and grime, but required leaving windows and doors open (unless you want to breathe in all that acid-y goodness). Which is a bit of a problem when it's hovering around freezing outside.
I've no problem with using chemicals if it comes to it, it's the caveats that go with using them (you know, needing to leave windows and doors open, get draughts going, storage and ultimate disposal and cleaning it all down afterward so my it's safe should my 6-month-old niece come visit and decide to lick the floor etc) that put me off somewhat.
Ok, yeah I get that, I once got my dad a couple of gallons of 100% Hydrochloric acid, after he died and I cleared the shed found some, unwound the lid and after 30 years...... HOLY NASAL IRRITATION the thing was wafting visible vapours.
These days I think it could be watered down a bit, it can be found in most toilet cleaners, but whether in strong enough concentration for what you need, I'm not sure.
Once Brick Acid is used, it does need repeated good dousing with water to dilute and become innocuous.
After industrial paint stripper, Hydrochloric acid is my personal no1 fave for everything............
Just an idea, back to scraping with that there chisel, I suppose :'(
Acid is nasty stuff. You have to clean it afterwards, preferably by neutralising it first with baking soda. Messy cleanup anyhow.
Well, as brick acid isn't too expensive, I decided I'd have a go.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50751402906_4d2f45b81d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50750663253_9e6141822c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50751402961_900fdcfac1_c.jpg)
The worst areas, for me, were the edges where the tiles go under the skirtings. These had gotten caked in mortar, plaster, paint, woodstain and also harboured the majority of the stuff I couldn't get off in the Summer... I have to say after a few hours of work they look a lot better now.
Wowser, looks like that cleaned up rather well, I know I spout some random rubbish, but sometimes, just sometimes, I might actually know something......... ;D
Just got to stop your niece licking the tiles over Christmas now, not that she is allowed in the house under the plague restrictions.
;D
She's not coming here over Christmas so by the time we are allowed to meet up again the floor will have been cleaned down and made safe.
Well, all told I'm quite pleased with that result today, so between Christmas and New Year I'm going to have another go at the floor with the acid (today I just concentrated on the edges rather than the middle), and then I'm going to get it all sealed.
The plan for next year broadly is to concentrate on the facade.
I want new front and back doors (the existing ones, the front door has a couple of splits down it and the back one has a cat flap. I don't have a cat.)
I want new windows throughout. I've seen some rather nice conservation-area approved sash windows, which are basically reproductions of Georgian / Victorian / Edwardian designs in modern materials.
I want to have the new guttering and bargeboards brought around the front of the house, which I know will mean needing some scaffolding put up, and whilst that scaffold is up I want the bay window roof tiling addressed.
Then coming indoors there's a couple of jobs left over from this year that need doing, there's a wall that possibly needs rebuilding and- if I get through all of that- there's the top end of the hall that needs redecorating...
I've used acid on the remainder of the floor now and it's brought up a lot of muck and gunk (a lot of it seems to be grout...) but I think I've about reached the point where more effort won't necessarily produce a better result. I think I'm going to call it there...
Another thing I've found- one of the tiles in the sitting room doorway loosened and I was able to pry it out- another thing I've found is that I've got a suspended floor in the sitting room. There's about an 18" gap between the underside of the floor and (what feels like) sand or soil below. Most odd, as the rest of the ground floor is a concrete slab.
With the unglazed tiles I salvaged from my mums garden, I used a flap wheel in an angle grinder to remove years of encrusted cement and concrete, very dusty and possibly a bit brutal for your hallway, but a finer sand paper type stuff, dunno........ :-\
Quote from: James Harrison on December 28, 2020, 04:14:12 PM
Another thing I've found- one of the tiles in the sitting room doorway loosened and I was able to pry it out- another thing I've found is that I've got a suspended floor in the sitting room. There's about an 18" gap between the underside of the floor and (what feels like) sand or soil below. Most odd, as the rest of the ground floor is a concrete slab.
Time to bring in the corpse dogs? ???
Quote from: von Corax on December 28, 2020, 04:41:35 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on December 28, 2020, 04:14:12 PM
Another thing I've found- one of the tiles in the sitting room doorway loosened and I was able to pry it out- another thing I've found is that I've got a suspended floor in the sitting room. There's about an 18" gap between the underside of the floor and (what feels like) sand or soil below. Most odd, as the rest of the ground floor is a concrete slab.
Time to bring in the corpse dogs? ???
It's the resting place of the last person who took this money pit on.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on December 28, 2020, 04:34:47 PM
With the unglazed tiles I salvaged from my mums garden, I used a flap wheel in an angle grinder to remove years of encrusted cement and concrete, very dusty and possibly a bit brutal for your hallway, but a finer sand paper type stuff, dunno........ :-\
All of the cement and concrete is off, what is left is like an ingrained dusty sandy stuff. It's actually in the pores of the material- run a blade or anything in that line over the tiles and they're smooth. I think the only way to get rid of that would be to sand down the tiles to remove the top millimetre or so of the surface, at which point Ruskin's rant about restoring worn-down surfaces comes to mind. What I almost want to do is get a big ball of blutack and roll it around on top of each tile to see if I can get more off....
~Addendum~
(http://)(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50771728312_0b00603486_c.jpg)
I don't think there's much more to remove at all. What is left is the sort of residue you might reasonably to expect to see as a result of a century and more of ue and abuse....
Quote from: James Harrison on December 28, 2020, 05:01:13 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on December 28, 2020, 04:34:47 PM
With the unglazed tiles I salvaged from my mums garden, I used a flap wheel in an angle grinder to remove years of encrusted cement and concrete, very dusty and possibly a bit brutal for your hallway, but a finer sand paper type stuff, dunno........ :-\
All of the cement and concrete is off, what is left is like an ingrained dusty sandy stuff. It's actually in the pores of the material- run a blade or anything in that line over the tiles and they're smooth. I think the only way to get rid of that would be to sand down the tiles to remove the top millimetre or so of the surface, at which point Ruskin's rant about restoring worn-down surfaces comes to mind. What I almost want to do is get a big ball of blutack and roll it around on top of each tile to see if I can get more off....
~Addendum~
(http://)(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50771728312_0b00603486_c.jpg)
I don't think there's much more to remove at all. What is left is the sort of residue you might reasonably to expect to see as a result of a century and more of ue and abuse....
I would say that if all the paint and grout is removed give it a darn good hoover then seal it with resin or wax, they are antique tiles after all so slight blemishes and natural flaws are to be expected, alot of the stain glass I have fitted here, I left some of the original paint on before encapsulating between 2 glass sheets, all part of the objects history.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on December 28, 2020, 05:20:34 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on December 28, 2020, 05:01:13 PM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on December 28, 2020, 04:34:47 PM
With the unglazed tiles I salvaged from my mums garden, I used a flap wheel in an angle grinder to remove years of encrusted cement and concrete, very dusty and possibly a bit brutal for your hallway, but a finer sand paper type stuff, dunno........ :-\
All of the cement and concrete is off, what is left is like an ingrained dusty sandy stuff. It's actually in the pores of the material- run a blade or anything in that line over the tiles and they're smooth. I think the only way to get rid of that would be to sand down the tiles to remove the top millimetre or so of the surface, at which point Ruskin's rant about restoring worn-down surfaces comes to mind. What I almost want to do is get a big ball of blutack and roll it around on top of each tile to see if I can get more off....
~Addendum~
(http://)(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50771728312_0b00603486_c.jpg)
I don't think there's much more to remove at all. What is left is the sort of residue you might reasonably to expect to see as a result of a century and more of ue and abuse....
I would say that if all the paint and grout is removed give it a darn good hoover then seal it with resin or wax, they are antique tiles after all so slight blemishes and natural flaws are to be expected, alot of the stain glass I have fitted here, I left some of the original paint on before encapsulating between 2 glass sheets, all part of the objects history.
I think that's a good point about the patina- and one that I generally try to follow. There is such a thing as over-restoring something like this. I've ordered the sealant and I'm expecting to be summonsed to the store tomorrow to collect it- so that I think will be the next (and last) thing to do to the floor. Except for the door threshold, which I'm still working on (a lot of the paint flecked away to reveal- I can't make my mind up quite what it is. Either stone, or slate, or concrete.)
And so the saga of the hallway floor reaches its conclusion. There was one area that needed cleaning back- the door threshold. It was caked in old white paint, a silver-grey 'stuff' and odd random other bits and pieces. A few hours with some water, scrapers and brick acid and...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50774785228_a4a874dda6_c.jpg)
Much better.
All that is really left now of course is to give the floor one last clean down and then I can have at it with the sealant that I picked up today.
And that's the floor finished, sealed, done!
Then I started on the hurculean task of trying to clean out the back bedroom. In the long term this is planned to be the hobby room (though that may or may not go ahead), and it hasn't been touched since I first moved in- just filled up with all the rubbish and mess and shut the door behind me and....
... but isn't this what back bedrooms are for?
The plan was that the back bedroom would become a hobby room. Having managed to clear a path through what felt like the entirety of the London & North Eastern Railway's rolling stock yesterday to the back corners of the room, I'm now not so sure. It would make a fine railway room, but there may come a time I need a second bedroom- or even turn it into an upstairs reception room.... hmmm.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50782302493_3d87976096_c.jpg)
That's the quarry tile floor, thoroughly cleaned, scraped, acid washed and sealed. Time to move on to another project in the house.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 31, 2020, 12:36:40 PM
The plan was that the back bedroom would become a hobby room. Having managed to clear a path through what felt like the entirety of the London & North Eastern Railway's rolling stock yesterday to the back corners of the room, I'm now not so sure. It would make a fine railway room, but there may come a time I need a second bedroom- or even turn it into an upstairs reception room.... hmmm.
Well, in the choice between a problematic and distant need for a second bedroom and a hobby room with a comfy armchair or sofa that I'd almost certainly use frequently, I know where my vote would go :D.
In fact at the moment I am reclaiming a corner of our back bedroom (which is, of course, stuffed to the ceiling with
miscellaneous junk very important and potentially necessary objects, because that
is what back bedrooms are for), and turning it into a sewing nook.
That floor looks lovely now.
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,50805.msg1004265.html#msg1004265 (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,50805.msg1004265.html#msg1004265)
This is the post where you announced your plans on the hallway, with photos, on 26 May 2020. Now I look at your finished photos on 1 Jan 2021. Happy New Year!
Sorontar
Just noticed that there are 2 black tiles missing.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on December 31, 2020, 01:43:36 PM
Just noticed that there are 2 black tiles missing.
They have always been missing- that is how they were when I uncovered them.
Quote from: Sorontar on December 31, 2020, 01:18:45 PM
http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,50805.msg1004265.html#msg1004265 (http://brassgoggles.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,50805.msg1004265.html#msg1004265)
This is the post where you announced your plans on the hallway, with photos, on 26 May 2020. Now I look at your finished photos on 1 Jan 2021. Happy New Year!
Sorontar
Had I known it would take the best part of seven months (and I know I shut everything down in late October), I
might, possibly, have reconsidered starting it. Or I'd have roughly got rid of the tiles and mortar on top and then called some professional conservators in to finish the job.
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on December 31, 2020, 10:47:53 AM
... but isn't this what back bedrooms are for?
My back bedroom is so full of essential
stuff, it's somehow self multiplying like a chimera released, it's spreading to the upper passage, the front bedroom, the loft room, kitchen cabinets and the bathroom.
All things I could one day use ::)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on December 31, 2020, 02:08:48 PM
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on December 31, 2020, 10:47:53 AM
... but isn't this what back bedrooms are for?
My back bedroom is so full of essential stuff, it's somehow self multiplying like a chimera released, it's spreading to the upper passage, the front bedroom, the loft room, kitchen cabinets and the bathroom.
All things I could one day use ::)
I sympathise- when I moved here I said to myself that my hobbies would have precisely
one room -the back bedroom- and no more. Which is of course why the bookcases in the dining room (which I'm planning to ultimately dispose of) are laden down with model railway and classic car magazines ::) No matter how hard you resist it, the esoterica will multiply and go forth.
Now looking to next year. The plan was to order new front and rear door and get the windows changed and have the roofing and guttering people come to sort out the front half of the house, but that was before we all got shifted up into Tier 4 restrictions (this is getting quite tiresome now). So, if there is to be any progress in the immediate future, it looks like I'll be going more on things I can do myself with a minimum of outside help.
So if I look at things half-finished;
1) Front garden- lay the gravel chippings I've been looking at. Hmm, I'd need to buy them in (around £100 for a tonne), not really a problem there but there's a lot of muck-shifting, levelling and packing ground and what-not involved with it. Maybe a job best left until the weather is improving?- I usually take a week off in early to mid-March.....
2) Phase 2 of the hallway- cleaning up the full-height and first floor walls, taking up the carpet, cleaning, stripping and staining the woodwork. I can address some of that, but.... well the full-height wall really needs to be painted by professional decorators, whilst the stud wall alongside the staircase is
suspect and I want to get it checked out. What I could still be doing of course could be the back wall, the lower part of the full-height wall (the bit I can reach I mean) and the carpet and woodwork.
On the plus side 1) and a lot of 2) are low-cost things that by the time I've finished them this whole plague thing could have sorted itself out and of course give me a bit more time to save money toward the big ticket items. On the debit side I can see myself repeating the mistakes of last year, not being able to do one thing I launch blindly into something else...
Got bored (not much to do in the evenings in the blasted land of Tier 4). So I took up the remainder of the carpet in the hallway. I might make a start on stripping the paint and whatnot tomorrow.
Well done, James - congratulations on a "proper job!"
My back triple (!) bedroom is halfway between a bedroom - it has a bed, & a sofa bed in it, and a storage/craft room. I am going to turn it into a studio/craft room, with sleep furniture!
Start as I mean to go on.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50787226182_8e891d70bc_c.jpg)
Carpet up, gripper rods removed and start to strip the paint off the floorboards. The chocolate brown colour is, as best I can tell, the original 1900-and-something paint. At some point that has been painted over with light brown, light blue and white, which can be scraped off with a bit of effort (nothing too onerous). I'm then going to give this a dosing with some paint stripper (assuming I've stil got some to hand) to try to clean the boards up a little more.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50787123691_c36181f1dd_c.jpg)
Then started stripping the anaglypta off the walls- very carefully as the ceiling height is 'very high' and I have no desire to throw myself over the bannister rail and down the staircase. The long wall is pretty much life-expired- the plasterboard noticeably moves as you scrape the wallpaper off- so that needs attention. Plus the little strip of plaster down the side of the master bedroom doorframe is loose...
I've called it a day there but the plan is to clean up the floorboards and strip the doorframes and skirting, call the plasterer in to do his work, then get on with staining the wood and painting the walls.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50791400046_ed548c4931_c.jpg)
This is a task that is probably going to take me into next week but at the moment isn't looking like it will turn into epic like the staircase did. It's stripping the paint off the floorboards.
Unlike when I did the staircase, I have the right tool for the job from the outset. Unlike the staircase, I'm working on a flat horizontal level. Unlike the staircase, the floorboards aren't caked with paint (though there are still two or three layers of paint on them). And unlike the staircase, the existing paint is largely quite brittle and breaks away fairly easily (though after a few minutes it still starts to tell on arms and shoulders).
I think I should also say that if I learnt anything when I did the staircase, it's that you don't need to take the timber back to pristine newly-laid condition.
So what I will be doing is to run the paint scraper over the boards just the once, then use paintstripper on them just the once. When the floorboards are cleaned I'll move on and strip down the skirting boards and doorframes. Then I'll wash down the walls and remove the backing paper and paste (on the front and back walls of the hall only), and by that point I'll hopefully have an idea when the plasterer will be able to come out and rebuild the side wall.
Potentially what I'm looking at then is doing this in two parts; 1) stripping it all down, then wait a while until I'm able to 2) put it all back together again.
Only five planks wide?
That passage seems to be meant for slim people only....
Technically, five and a half. (The half makes all the difference). This corridor is 62cm across; the floorboards are 11cm each (which surprises me because I always thought that narrow floorboards were more of a modern thing).
Quote from: The Bullet on January 02, 2021, 05:03:19 PM
Only five planks wide?
That passage seems to be meant for slim people only....
Look at the entrance hallway that James just finished .....not very wide either.
Maybe people were slender back then.
But it's really ironic because this is an "Edwardian" era house and Edward VII was actually pretty rotund.
He probably would have to have been greased and shoe-horned just to get through the front door. ;D
Quote from: Deimos on January 02, 2021, 08:43:38 PM
Quote from: The Bullet on January 02, 2021, 05:03:19 PM
Only five planks wide?
That passage seems to be meant for slim people only....
Look at the entrance hallway that James just finished .....not very wide either.
Maybe people were slender back then.
But it's really ironic because this is an "Edwardian" era house and Edward VII was actually pretty rotund.
He probably would have to have been greased and shoe-horned just to get through the front door. ;D
:D I find that imagery amusing. Personally I'm glad it's only a narrow space, having had to strip it all down. Extra width would have made a taxing job even more onerous. If it had been anything more than a half hall I think those tiles would have remained buried and the carpet would have stayed put.
James, as always we are astounded and humbled by your progress here. We've been in our house so long that the mortgage is paid off and we still have things waiting to be done from when we moved in...
Quote from: Deimos on January 02, 2021, 08:43:38 PM
Quote from: The Bullet on January 02, 2021, 05:03:19 PM
Only five planks wide?
That passage seems to be meant for slim people only....
Look at the entrance hallway that James just finished .....not very wide either.
Maybe people were slender back then.
But it's really ironic because this is an "Edwardian" era house and Edward VII was actually pretty rotund.
He probably would have to have been greased and shoe-horned just to get through the front door. ;D
It's a good job it was well past the crinoline era by then ;D. Past the grand bustle period too; you could have got along that space wearing one, just so long as you didn't need to turn around...
Yours,
Miranda.
Quote from: Miranda.T on January 03, 2021, 05:16:02 PM
James, as always we are astounded and humbled by your progress here. We've been in our house so long that the mortgage is paid off and we still have things waiting to be done from when we moved in...
Quote from: Deimos on January 02, 2021, 08:43:38 PM
Quote from: The Bullet on January 02, 2021, 05:03:19 PM
Only five planks wide?
That passage seems to be meant for slim people only....
Look at the entrance hallway that James just finished .....not very wide either.
Maybe people were slender back then.
But it's really ironic because this is an "Edwardian" era house and Edward VII was actually pretty rotund.
He probably would have to have been greased and shoe-horned just to get through the front door. ;D
It's a good job it was well past the crinoline era by then ;D. Past the grand bustle period too; you could have got along that space wearing one, just so long as you didn't need to turn around...
Yours,
Miranda.
Thank you! (I ascribe my progress to 'Itchy Finger Syndrome', perhaps better described as a surfeit of enthusiasm). The house dates from... I'm not exactly sure when, but you'll recall several months ago I looked at the Census returns and from those deduced it was built sometime between 1901 and 1911.
Now, the 1911 Census is quite interesting in that the occupations of the occupants are given. Bearing in mind that the street has been renumbered so I don't know whether my house was originally No.1 or No.9 in its terrace, in 1911 it was occupied by either an electrical fitter or a house painter. Considering that the area of town I live in was, at that time, a stone's throw from a railway loco depot and a few heavy engineering works, it's fair to say that when originally built it was viewed as workers housing (albeit for more skilled, higher-paid workers) rather than being a 'des res', indeed Robert Tressell's description of Easton's home in
The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists could almost have been written after a visit to my own- even down to the room dimensions he gives.
There's another interesting book I've recently finished reading,
The English Terraced House by Stefan Muthesius (because it's rather jolly to read up a bit on the history of the sort of house you live in), and there's more than a few features of my home (the narrow half hall, the straight staircase, the bay window on the ground floor only) that are features more likely to be found in housing built for the working or lower middle classes than for the upper tiers of society.
Huh, I suppose it was a good move to go out to buy some Nitromors last night, considering we're back in lockdown...
Well, that somewhat throws my plans out.... right, between now and February my priority is going to be to strip down and clean up the doorframes and skirting boards in the upstairs part of the hall, hopefully by the time that is done I'll be able to book in the plasterer to look at the woebegone wall and then I should be looking by sometime in April to have the majority of the hall finished (except for one the one tall triple-height area).
Quote from: Deimos on January 02, 2021, 08:43:38 PM
Quote from: The Bullet on January 02, 2021, 05:03:19 PM
Only five planks wide?
That passage seems to be meant for slim people only....
Look at the entrance hallway that James just finished .....not very wide either.
Maybe people were slender back then.
But it's really ironic because this is an "Edwardian" era house and Edward VII was actually pretty rotund.
He probably would have to have been greased and shoe-horned just to get through the front door. ;D
Bertie would have paid big money for the pleasure of that type of jolly adventure - according to rumour
Slow going, this stripping paint business. You might find a little bit of paint reacts with the stripper and comes away easily enough, but the rest is barely touched...
So, today's experiment is dosing the woodwork up with paintstripper and then laying some cling film on top to hopefully get the stripper to actually do its job rather than just dry on top of the paint.
First ten days' work on the upstairs hall and landing;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50821669456_534d38a0ed_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50821768457_470b9306d4_c.jpg)
Most of the old paint has come off the floorboards- a lot of it just flaked off with minimum effort. Then moving on to stripping the paint off the doorframes, architraves and skirting boards, and although there's only one or two coats on this it's almost like there's a waxy/ plastic texture to the paint and it's resisting the stripper, even when I've covered it with clingfilm.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50821669501_54e7d2fe71_c.jpg)
The last riser on the staircase; this much like the others is absolutely caked in several layers of paint and it's putting up stiff resistance.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50821669501_54e7d2fe71_c.jpg)
I've got a lot of the wallpaper off and this is highlighting the cracked, broken and in laces blown nature of the lath and plaster.
It's slow going at the moment but even if I were able to strip it all back in a few days it would still be a couple of months before I can get a plasterer in to repair that wall...
Nitromors is basically useless these days, at the risk of repeating myself synstrip.
Tradesmen are still allowed to work in other peoples homes, and as far as I'm aware building suppliers, b@q wickes, toolstation, screwfix etc are open but with limited opening times under tier 4.
Anyway, looking good my man.
Ordered some Synstrip. Nitromors is good, but it doesn't go very far. A 750ml tin was enough to do two doorframes and start some skirting boards and s third doorway. It worked quite well- burnt through a couple layers of paint quite impressively- but seems to be brought to a stop by plastic/ wax in the paint (maybe those pre-primed skirting and doorframes you can buy?)
Synstrip has arrived today (the Nitromors ran out on Monday). Let's see how this goes....
Ah. Hum.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50834834098_8ab561db5a_c.jpg)
Yes, that's exactly how that goes. Slip with the wirebrush when stripping the doorframe and go right through the plasterboard.
A wire brush went through plaster-board??!!! That plasterboard had to be pretty thin, or maybe extremely brittle. Wow. :o
Yes, but you know you were secretly worried about running out of things to do in lockdown.
Quote from: Deimos on January 14, 2021, 07:27:25 PM
A wire brush went through plaster-board??!!! That plasterboard had to be pretty thin, or maybe extremely brittle. Wow. :o
To be fair I stripped the wallpaper off of it and noticed it was almost swinging loose, so I knew that it would need looking at. I wasn't expecting to be able to punch straight through it with the end of the wirebrush though! Luckily I saw the funny side of it.
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on January 14, 2021, 07:32:15 PM
Yes, but you know you were secretly worried about running out of things to do in lockdown.
How to keep yourself occupied 101. Wreck your house...
Quote from: James Harrison on January 14, 2021, 05:47:22 PM
Slip with the wirebrush when stripping the doorframe and go right through the plasterboard.
Seems that renovating is a good workout if you are strong enough to break walls with your bare hands.
Quote from: The Bullet on January 15, 2021, 09:13:29 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 14, 2021, 05:47:22 PM
Slip with the wirebrush when stripping the doorframe and go right through the plasterboard.
Seems that renovating is a good workout if you are strong enough to break walls with your bare hands.
(https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-01b9587e604c3a941db678b395aa5102)
I have to ask, after my banging on, how's the synstrip going?
Uuuum, you see, I realized today I haven't actually used it on wood yet :P my bad and if I led you down a false path, I apologize sir........... Ooops ::)
It's no worse than any of the others I've tried, they all seem to have difficulty lifting gloss paint (even covered up in cling film it's like they just sit on the surface and do little). It's getting the stuff off at least, it's just taking ages about it.
This weekend's task is removing the paint residue with a palm sander and finegrit sanding pads. Very dusty work... actually, it's not going too badly at the moment*, an hour's work and one doorframe is nearly finished. If I can get at least the doorways done today the skirting boards can follow tomorrow.
*I look forward to the inevitable technical difficulties that will arise when the job is three-quarters done and the clock shows that the shops have just closed for the day.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 15, 2021, 01:17:03 PM
It's no worse than any of the others I've tried, they all seem to have difficulty lifting gloss paint (even covered up in cling film it's like they just sit on the surface and do little). It's getting the stuff off at least, it's just taking ages about it.
Now that does surprise me, it's the best stripper I've experienced since Gloria at the Go Go Club back in the early 80's but that's another story.
I've used the stuff on all sorts of metal and to be honest it has never let me down.
So not too good on wood then?
I've got a couple of old box sash sliders I need to strip, guess I will find out then. :P
It's curious. In some places the slightest sniff of the stuff has the paint falling away in strips, in others you can liberally coat it on and the paint doesn't shift. What the arious strippers have done, though, is to loosen the paint (or break it down) enough that the palm sander has no problems getting rid of it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841558162_ac12a78128_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841558192_87719a7268_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50840744278_1fd9f1079b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841466591_10c628159d_c.jpg)
Two weeks in to Phase 2 of the hallway then and so far;
1) Carpet, gripper rods, random screws / nails / staples removed from the floor;
2) Floorboards are mostly stripped down;
3) Wallpaper is pretty much entirely gone;
4) Skirting boards and door reveals are about half-stripped.
Is that indicating that one floorboard has gone its own way/is a later addition?
Ahh, yes, a pox on all those tradesmen who use 359 staples when 2 would have done the job... (Been there, done that.)
Quote from: Sorontar on January 17, 2021, 02:15:25 AM
Is that indicating that one floorboard has gone its own way/is a later addition?
My suspicion is that the middle board is a later replacement (incidentally, all the others are solid as rocks and the midlle one is the only one that creaks!)- and that possibly if I take it up I'll find the pipework for the central heating running beneath it.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on January 17, 2021, 02:30:29 AM
Ahh, yes, a pox on all those tradesmen who use 359 staples when 2 would have done the job... (Been there, done that.)
And there's always that one that you only find when you run into it with an expensive and fairly delicate tool edge....
Yes, been there last week.
Kitchen floor had 3 layers of linoleum, below that was a layer of thin wood, then a 2cm layer of sisal tiles.
These were stuck to the wooden planks (original floor).
Someone seemed afraid of the floor moving so used about 100 nails to keep the tiles to the planks (in a 9ft by 9ft kitchen).
We found a newspaper from November 1964 buried there.
The fun continues...
Quote from: The Bullet on January 17, 2021, 10:33:41 AM
Yes, been there last week.
Kitchen floor had 3 layers of linoleum, below that was a layer of thin wood, then a 2cm layer of sisal tiles.
These were stuck to the wooden planks (original floor).
Someone seemed afraid of the floor moving so used about 100 nails to keep the tiles to the planks (in a 9ft by 9ft kitchen).
We found a newspaper from November 1964 buried there.
The fun continues...
That's got the potential to turn into a massive job for a small room (a bit like how my hallway turned out last year, by the end of that I had to stop for a few months because I was just.... utterly demoralised.) What are you planning to do in there?- restore a previous covering or take it back to bare fabric and start over?
Quote from: James Harrison on January 16, 2021, 03:24:14 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841466591_10c628159d_c.jpg).
Nice optical illusion. ;D
Quote from: Mercury Wells on January 17, 2021, 08:49:03 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 16, 2021, 03:24:14 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841466591_10c628159d_c.jpg).
Nice optical illusion. ;D
I agree - took me ages to work out what I was seeing...
Quote from: Mercury Wells on January 17, 2021, 08:49:03 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 16, 2021, 03:24:14 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841466591_10c628159d_c.jpg).
Nice optical illusion. ;D
Maybe I'm being dense but I don't see the illusion? :-\
Slow work this evening, and not much of it (no point racing to get all the timber cleaned up if it's going to be months before the next bit can be done). I'm going to have to stop with the paint stripper as it's causing my skin to dry out and crack (and that's even wearing gloves whilst using it). Which is a shame because I've just worked out that this particular stripper works best if removed almost as soon as it is applied. Looks like another session with the palm sander next weekend.
The illusion is where the skirting board meets the other skirting board in the corner. It looks like a thick plank of wood.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on January 18, 2021, 12:44:18 AM
Quote from: Mercury Wells on January 17, 2021, 08:49:03 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 16, 2021, 03:24:14 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50841466591_10c628159d_c.jpg).
Nice optical illusion. ;D
I agree - took me ages to work out what I was seeing...
Glad it wasn't just me then.
The third doorway, or at least the door reveal, has been cleaned down. That just leaves the awkward concave bit of each of the architraves, plus several feet of skirting board, to sort out.Most of it (ie- the skirtings) should be a fairly quick job. Then I'll source some sisal and look to filling in the gaps between the floorboards. The jury is out at the moment whether to stain the floor and skirting boards now, or after the plaster has been sorted out.
I'd recommend sorting the plaster out before staining the floorboards, otherwise you could well find yourself trying to scrape plaster/paint off the stain and potentially damaging it in the process.
In my experience with decorating, it's always best to start at the top and work downwards.
Thinking back to what happened to the tiled floor, I think you're right.
Today at the Pit. More sanding down. More woodgrain revealed. The plasterer has been contacted. The unremitting rain has found a way both through the front door, and under the front doorframe seal.
All the skirting is now sanded down... that just leaves the architraves (and the awkward bits thereof) to finish off. I've ordered some sisal to caulk the floorboards with.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 21, 2021, 06:16:16 PM
All the skirting is now sanded down... that just leaves the architraves (and the awkward bits thereof) to finish off. I've ordered some sisal to caulk the floorboards with.
Funny I had to look up the word Sisal, and I didn't realize that the name would hit so close ;D I should have known what it was. You learn something every day. Basically a fiber of the Agave sisalana plant (sister to the Henequen / Agave fourcroydes which is a neame I did know) both plants are native in South Mexico, especially Yucatan State, and in Central America., So is this like a woven mat, or like a rope?
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 23, 2021, 09:02:13 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 21, 2021, 06:16:16 PM
All the skirting is now sanded down... that just leaves the architraves (and the awkward bits thereof) to finish off. I've ordered some sisal to caulk the floorboards with.
Funny I had to look up the word Sisal, and I didn't realize that the name would hit so close ;D I should have known what it was. You learn something every day. Basically a fiber of the Agave sisalana plant (sister to the Henequen / Agave fourcroydes which is a neame I did know) both plants are native in South Mexico, especially Yucatan State, and in Central America., So is this like a woven mat, or like a rope?
Used for much the same purpose as oakum on sailing ships - caulking the seams - and much the same thing!
It comes in the form of a rope (I believe it's used more for making cat scratching posts these days?) and you use a hammer and chisel to force it into the gaps between the floorboards- as Banfili says, it's very similar to caulking a wooden boat. I'm looking forward to being able to have a go with it.
I think first order of business today is to mop the hallway floors, top, bottom and stairs. I've come to the conclusion that I've got as much paint off as I reasonably can, so now seems a good time to clean up all the mess (there was no point doing it earlier as it would just be replaced as soon as I started sanding again). Then I've got an experiment in mind, which I should have a result for by tomorrow morning- I'll reveal all then.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 23, 2021, 09:02:13 AM
So is this like a woven mat, or like a rope?
None of the two.
Feels like a half-inch thick wooden board. Pretty heavy, hard to saw, creates a low of dust when sawn or broken.
In the fifties when this house was built they were common.
Quote from: The Bullet on January 23, 2021, 12:00:40 PM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 23, 2021, 09:02:13 AM
So is this like a woven mat, or like a rope?
None of the two.
Feels like a half-inch thick wooden board. Pretty heavy, hard to saw, creates a low of dust when sawn or broken.
In the fifties when this house was built they were common.
Are we talking about the same material?
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sisal+rope (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sisal+rope)
The experiment then...
Trying to clean up the timberwork, and finding that the paint inside the odd and hard to reach areas can't be shifted, at least not without spending hours and days on it. But- does the paint there need to be removed at all?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50866777921_098f0d2e33_c.jpg)
I decided to stain this doorframe with some of the white paint still on it in places. Tell me where the paint is...
Is that paint in the bottom right hand corner, or light from the room beyond? Otherwise, looks pretty good from here! It's a beautiful door, by-the-way!
That is light coming through a gap in the bottom of the door.
It's a curious door actually, I don't think I'll ever understand the reasoning of why anybody would put stained glass in a bathroom door. I think actually it might be a case of somebody bought some vintage stained glass and then built a door around it- I've got a similar one between the dining room and the kitchen. I am very much taken with them in any case.
Now, that's as far as the upper hallway is going to proceed until after the plasterer has been and done their work... so I've pushed on a little with another project I want to look at this year, and measured up for new doors and windows, and gone to the nearest people who do what I want and asked for a quote. Couple that with ordering some more shelves for the sitting room this morning and suddenly I look back on the weekends last Summer when I had emergency plumbers called out and laugh at how I thought at the time *that* was an expensive weekend.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 23, 2021, 10:58:55 AM
It comes in the form of a rope (I believe it's used more for making cat scratching posts these days?) and you use a hammer and chisel to force it into the gaps between the floorboards- as Banfili says, it's very similar to caulking a wooden boat. I'm looking forward to being able to have a go with it.
I think first order of business today is to mop the hallway floors, top, bottom and stairs. I've come to the conclusion that I've got as much paint off as I reasonably can, so now seems a good time to clean up all the mess (there was no point doing it earlier as it would just be replaced as soon as I started sanding again). Then I've got an experiment in mind, which I should have a result for by tomorrow morning- I'll reveal all then.
Yes I think I've seen the cat scratchers before. Little demons that they are it's barely tough enough for them.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 23, 2021, 12:27:42 PM
Quote from: The Bullet on January 23, 2021, 12:00:40 PM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 23, 2021, 09:02:13 AM
So is this like a woven mat, or like a rope?
None of the two.
Feels like a half-inch thick wooden board. Pretty heavy, hard to saw, creates a low of dust when sawn or broken.
In the fifties when this house was built they were common.
Are we talking about the same material?
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sisal+rope (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sisal+rope)
Yeah, that is what I was thinking about. I knew the other equivalent "henequén rope" because that was a traditional crop in the flatlands of Yucatan state, and it made many people including foreign industrialists wealthy in the city of Merida in the 19th century (I've shown videos about those mansions before, here in BG!!), but after 17 years and having several friends and even extended family (my uncle's godparents) from Yucatan, you'd figure I'd heard from Sisal before. Never stop learning or just never paid attention.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 23, 2021, 03:28:35 PM
The experiment then...
Trying to clean up the timberwork, and finding that the paint inside the odd and hard to reach areas can't be shifted, at least not without spending hours and days on it. But- does the paint there need to be removed at all?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50866777921_098f0d2e33_c.jpg)
I decided to stain this doorframe with some of the white paint still on it in places. Tell me where the paint is...
Looks good from this distance. Depends to what degree the paint can absorb the finish on top. We've seen the "patina" blend well before with the wood finish. .
I think the upshot of the experiment is that the old paint that is still in place, can remain so.
The conclusion of a very cold and snowy weekend at the Pit and this is what I've achieved;
1) Cleaning up all the dust, scrapings and leavings from the week's paint removal;
2) Staining the doorframe in the wall least likely to need attention from the plasterer;
3) Removing the last bits of wallpaper and wallpaper paste from the same wall;
4) Rough application of a priming coat of plain white emulsion on that same wall;
5) Making contact with the door and window contractor;
6) Making contact with the plasterer.
I think that's quite enough for three evenings and two days, don't you?
Quote from: James Harrison on January 24, 2021, 07:23:34 PM
I think the upshot of the experiment is that the old paint that is still in place, can remain so.
The conclusion of a very cold and snowy weekend at the Pit and this is what I've achieved;
1) Cleaning up all the dust, scrapings and leavings from the week's paint removal;
2) Staining the doorframe in the wall least likely to need attention from the plasterer;
3) Removing the last bits of wallpaper and wallpaper paste from the same wall;
4) Rough application of a priming coat of plain white emulsion on that same wall;
5) Making contact with the door and window contractor;
6) Making contact with the plasterer.
I think that's quite enough for three evenings and two days, don't you?
Just reading all that you have done has made me tired!
I think I shall retire to the parlour with a cuppa tea and pipe to facilitate the recovery of my strength. ;)
The window and door people got back to me with a quote.
I'm not so vulgar as to discuss financial stuff in open forum, so take what you will from this: :-\ , so far as the windows I want are concerned. The doors are a more positive story and I've replied this evening saying I'm happy to proceed.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 25, 2021, 05:41:36 PM
The window and door people got back to me with a quote.
I'm not so vulgar as to discuss financial stuff in open forum, so take what you will from this: :-\ , so far as the windows I want are concerned. The doors are a more positive story and I've replied this evening saying I'm happy to proceed.
Yep, I know that from first hand experience....replacement windows are expensive. :o
It's not so much that they're a case of my ambitions exceed my reach. It's that, having bought them, I'm then trusting to my luck (ha!) that nothing expensive happens for about the following 6 months...
Quote from: James Harrison on January 23, 2021, 12:27:42 PM
Quote from: The Bullet on January 23, 2021, 12:00:40 PM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 23, 2021, 09:02:13 AM
So is this like a woven mat, or like a rope?
None of the two.
Feels like a half-inch thick wooden board. Pretty heavy, hard to saw, creates a low of dust when sawn or broken.
In the fifties when this house was built they were common.
Are we talking about the same material?
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sisal+rope (https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=sisal+rope)
Definitely. The fibres are just not woven to a rope but glued and pressed to form boards.
That sounds almost, but not quite, like chipboard. Little 'flakes' of timber saturated with glue and pressed together into a board. It weighs a tonne and doesn't cope well with water.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 25, 2021, 07:02:21 PM
That sounds almost, but not quite, like chipboard. Little 'flakes' of timber saturated with glue and pressed together into a board. It weighs a tonne and doesn't cope well with water.
Sounds more like MDF to me.
Chipboard is the same as Particle Board in the United States. It's used architecturally, for cheap mass produced furniture and old school speaker enclosures. Then there is Fibreboard / Fiberboard which comes in low medium (MDF) and high density types, which look very different from one another. MDF is more commonly used now for furniture, and molding pieces like baseboards, architecturally. Then there's the stuff made from recycled paper, which you see coming from China, I forget what it's called.
Particle board/Chipboard (old school)
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Particleboard.jpg)
MDF
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f2/MDF_Sample.jpg/800px-MDF_Sample.jpg)
MDF... I'd forgotten about that... nasty stuff if you breathe its saw dust in.
With the windows being a bit of a nope at the moment, I've turned my attention to getting the front guttering and bay window roof sorted out. Oh, and someone is coming to measure up the doors in a few weeks.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 26, 2021, 01:41:10 PM
... Oh, and someone is coming to measure up the doors in a few weeks.
What is the plan for the doors? E.g. 4 or 6 panel doors? Wood look, or painted [white maybe?]
Just by way of examples...https://www.nicksbuilding.com/interior-doors.php (https://www.nicksbuilding.com/interior-doors.php)
Quote from: Deimos on January 26, 2021, 10:26:22 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 26, 2021, 01:41:10 PM
... Oh, and someone is coming to measure up the doors in a few weeks.
What is the plan for the doors? E.g. 4 or 6 panel doors? Wood look, or painted [white maybe?]
Just by way of examples...https://www.nicksbuilding.com/interior-doors.php (https://www.nicksbuilding.com/interior-doors.php)
Something a bit like this...
(https://static.wixstatic.com/media/45565a_e07ea970679746aeae18943c2e22c5df~mv2.jpeg/v1/fill/w_710%2Ch_1100%2Cal_c%2Cq_90/file.jpg)
Front and back. For the exact design though, you'll have to wait until late March / early April.
This week at the Pit then;
I got a quote for new front and back doors, approved that, and booked somebody to come over on Monday and take measurements. Anticipated fitting in early April.
I got a quote for new sash windows to the front of the Pit. I decided that at the moment I will not have sash windows to the front of the Pit.
I got a quote for new guttering, bargeboards and bay window roof tiling to the front of the Pit, and approved that. Date of works unknown due to difficulties sourcing materials and the requirement to put scaffolding on the front of the Pit. Note to self; Do not tell the scaffolders what I do for a living. Do not sit in a deckchair watching the scaffolders work asking difficult questions. Do not start comparing the scaffold to my copy of TG20:13.
Thirty metres of sisal rope arrived earlier this week and I've sent the morning plugging the gaps between floorboards in the upstairs hallway. The squeeky floorboard now isn't.
I had a squeeky floorboard in my living room, after some investigation and a brainfart..... turned into project oubliette....... beware the knock on effect, happy with the result but a screw or nail will do sometimes. :P
This board, somebody had already nailed it down at 305mm centres. Both sides. Almost more nail than board :D But it's fixed now.
I rely on screws of a board is squeaky as nails may after some years come loose.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 30, 2021, 12:38:53 PM
This week at the Pit then;
I got a quote for new front and back doors, approved that, and booked somebody to come over on Monday and take measurements. Anticipated fitting in early April.
I got a quote for new sash windows to the front of the Pit. I decided that at the moment I will not have sash windows to the front of the Pit.
I got a quote for new guttering, bargeboards and bay window roof tiling to the front of the Pit, and approved that. Date of works unknown due to difficulties sourcing materials and the requirement to put scaffolding on the front of the Pit. Note to self; Do not tell the scaffolders what I do for a living. Do not sit in a deckchair watching the scaffolders work asking difficult questions. Do not start comparing the scaffold to my copy of TG20:13.
....
Probably a good idea at least in the beginning.
When it came time for me to sign off the contractor's work, it was then that I mentioned that I worked in Aerospace Quality Control for almost 35 years.
And oh, btw
this is not straight, and there is a gap in
that, and
that over there doesn't at all line up ( all of which I have taken pictures).
So, I will sign off (and pay you the balance due) after those little items are taken care of.
:D I have to keep it quiet as well that I trained (originally) as an architect...
This evening I poked around the specific bit of the wall that moves in and out if you brush against it. Yeah... well, a bit of poking unsurprisingly resulted in a small hole. Trying to chase it back to more solid ground just resulted in a steadily larger hole and steadily more of the plaster breaking loose. It was like trying to climb out of a frozen lake, the edges kept crumbling away. I think, perhaps, I should leave that well alone for the plasterer to pass judgement on.
But I learnt something from it.
1) The reason the plaster moves is becase it has broken loose from the timber laths that should really be providing some measure of support.
2) Because the laths themselves are now in turn also loose from the plaster, they will also move.
3) The studwork that the laths are nailed to, though, seems quite solid.
Box tetris on my side.
(some might remember the old DOS game called Sokoban)
New kitchen has been delivered. Now every bit of floor space including half the corridor and garage are blocked by boxes.
Installation due to start on Thursday.
Wait and see.
This week at the Pit;
1) Somebody came and measured up the front and back doors. I signed off on the door details.
2) The guttering and roofing people confirmed that their scaffolding will be going up next week ready for them to do the guttering and roof the week after.
3) The plasterer visited; as expected the hallway wall is life-expired and needs to come down. Says he can fit in next week but will need a skip...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50914435966_14ca18e857_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50914435961_cd76aaf1e0_c.jpg)
Well, I got the architrave and the skirting board down, but in so doing more of the plaster fell away. If anybody has a hankering to know what a lath and plaster wall looks like, there's your answer. Plasterer has provided a quote for the work and he'll be sorting the mess out next week, I've had to order a skip to take the rubble away, so it looks like it'll be quite busy (and expensive) until about the middle of the month.
You could save a truck load of money by plaster boarding that yourself, quite a simple job with maybe some celotex jammed between the studs for sound insulation. Plasterboard, drywall screws and some 4x2/2x2. I would say a skip will be half empty once completed and the lathes you could burn......... :-\
So only need to pay for the skim.
When I bought my place I spent the best part of a year planning. All the bricks and plaster went into the garden and wacker plated as hardcore for a slabbed patio.
Any wood painted or not was burned in the winter to try and save on heating bills.
The only skip I needed was when I dug the pond, far too much spoil to re-use.
Contractors narrowly escaped a good beating.
I told them were the wires were installed in the walls.
I showed them the wiring plans provided by THEIR conpany.
I gave them A4 sized printouts showing ALL cables before the wall was plastered.
I offered them a cable finder to use before drilling.
I heard a masonry drill, followed by a CLICK!
Of course, they had drilled into a cable.
The second cable in this kitchen that is.
Two weeks ago they killed another one.
Now everything is delayed and they are "struggling to find a date when they can fir the remaining bits" and I still have half the living room cluttered with boxes and cabinet parts.
@James: I hope your renovation goes better......
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on February 06, 2021, 01:04:51 PM
You could save a truck load of money by plaster boarding that yourself, quite a simple job with maybe some celotex jammed between the studs for sound insulation. Plasterboard, drywall screws and some 4x2/2x2. I would say a skip will be half empty once completed and the lathes you could burn......... :-\
So only need to pay for the skim.
When I bought my place I spent the best part of a year planning. All the bricks and plaster went into the garden and wacker plated as hardcore for a slabbed patio.
Any wood painted or not was burned in the winter to try and save on heating bills.
The only skip I needed was when I dug the pond, far too much spoil to re-use.
Typically, that is how I prefer to work things (trees felled last Spring made a good bonfire in November, for instance). Using plaster as hardcore is a good idea but when I looked into last year doesn't seem to be the done thing now, apparently it can give off some or other noxious gas when buried. The laths I think I would prefer to keep (bonfire 2 this Autumn anyone?)
Quote from: The Bullet on February 06, 2021, 02:17:28 PM
Contractors narrowly escaped a good beating.
I told them were the wires were installed in the walls.
I showed them the wiring plans provided by THEIR conpany.
I gave them A4 sized printouts showing ALL cables before the wall was plastered.
I offered them a cable finder to use before drilling.
I heard a masonry drill, followed by a CLICK!
Of course, they had drilled into a cable.
The second cable in this kitchen that is.
Two weeks ago they killed another one.
Now everything is delayed and they are "struggling to find a date when they can fir the remaining bits" and I still have half the living room cluttered with boxes and cabinet parts.
@James: I hope your renovation goes better......
Oops- oh dear...
Not 100% sure here, but I know plasterboard, gypsum based is refused in skips, but the stuff coming off your walls is old, so possibly lime plaster...... with a skim of modern plaster on top :-\
Honestly I would bury it, a small amount ain't going to impact the environment like a landfill site, full of noxious nasties on a major scale.
My local tip is a joke, paint and stuff you would think need special treatment go straight into the general landfill bin. And from what I have read over the years possibly ends up in a third world country along with alot of our re-cycled plastic. Mountains of the stuff. ::)
One year in. This time last year I was picking the keys up, even if it was another fortnight before I was able to move.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941856_b88b9ccf70_c.jpg)
That was the front garden. Now the trees have gone, and the huge thorn bush has gone.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50469964092_90c70664a3_c.jpg)
This was early October, before I planted a photinia hedge (which has still yet to progress beyond the pathetic twigs stage).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49506159832_9f94c54c35_c.jpg)
The front hallway; about the only things to remain here today are the ceiling and the plaster archway. The walls have been replastered, the foor tiles have been ripped out, the carpet on the stairs has gone.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50751402906_4d2f45b81d_c.jpg)
That's the same space last month, save that the focus was more on the restored tile floor.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917236891_fe103b533a_c.jpg)
I don't think I have a photo of the sitting room in as-bought condition but I remember there was a lot of beige.... this was last Summer, since when a decent light fitting has been put in and the radiator replaced.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505432718_d415804a09_c.jpg)
The upstairs hallway, which did actually still look like this until between Christmas and New Year. Now the carpet is up and the wallpaper has come down and one of the walls is going to be replastered this week...
Quote from: James Harrison on February 08, 2021, 06:16:40 PM
One year in. This time last year I was picking the keys up, even if it was another fortnight before I was able to move.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941856_b88b9ccf70_c.jpg)
James, have you an upstairs window missing?
No, it really does have only the one front window upstairs. And that is all it has ever had.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on February 08, 2021, 06:31:44 PM
...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941856_b88b9ccf70_c.jpg)
James, have you an upstairs window missing?
"Dang, now where did that window get to? It was here when I moved in....."
Quote from: Deimos on February 09, 2021, 06:35:25 AM
Quote from: Mercury Wells on February 08, 2021, 06:31:44 PM
...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941856_b88b9ccf70_c.jpg)
James, have you an upstairs window missing?
"Dang, now where did that window get to? It was here when I moved in....."
Clicked "close window" and...whooops! it was gone.
Quote from: The Bullet on February 10, 2021, 05:34:45 PM
Quote from: Deimos on February 09, 2021, 06:35:25 AM
Quote from: Mercury Wells on February 08, 2021, 06:31:44 PM
...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941856_b88b9ccf70_c.jpg)
James, have you an upstairs window missing?
"Dang, now where did that window get to? It was here when I moved in....."
Clicked "close window" and...whooops! it was gone.
Its just Microsoft trying to update. ;D
"Windows 4 House has encountered a fatal error"...
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2021, 06:29:35 PM
"Windows 4 House has encountered a fatal error"...
And your entire house suddenly turns blue :o
Quote from: Deimos on February 10, 2021, 07:54:49 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2021, 06:29:35 PM
"Windows 4 House has encountered a fatal error"...
And your entire house suddenly turns blue :o
At the moment, only the parlor has turned blue.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on February 11, 2021, 06:22:38 AM
Quote from: Deimos on February 10, 2021, 07:54:49 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2021, 06:29:35 PM
"Windows 4 House has encountered a fatal error"...
And your entire house suddenly turns blue :o
At the moment, only the parlor has turned blue.
"Blue Parlour of Death" does not have a reassuring ring to it.
Quote from: von Corax on February 11, 2021, 07:45:51 AM
...
"Blue Parlour of Death" does not have a reassuring ring to it.
Oh, that sounds absolutely poetic! (in a kind of surreal way... ;))
Quote from: Deimos on February 11, 2021, 09:02:39 AM
Quote from: von Corax on February 11, 2021, 07:45:51 AM
...
"Blue Parlour of Death" does not have a reassuring ring to it.
Oh, that sounds absolutely poetic! (in a kind of surreal way... ;))
It does, puts me in mind somewhat of something like a dignitas (assisted dying) clinic. Albeit of a far more dubious legal status.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on February 11, 2021, 11:39:32 AM
Quote from: Deimos on February 11, 2021, 09:02:39 AM
Quote from: von Corax on February 11, 2021, 07:45:51 AM
...
"Blue Parlour of Death" does not have a reassuring ring to it.
Oh, that sounds absolutely poetic! (in a kind of surreal way... ;))
It does, puts me in mind somewhat of something like a dignitas (assisted dying) clinic. Albeit of a far more dubious legal status.
....
Well that went bleak quite quickly, didn't it? :-\
This week at the pit. The life-expired plaster was knocked off. I've found that the kitchen, in winter, is about as warm as a morgue (need to get that fixed).
Quote from: James Harrison on February 12, 2021, 05:06:48 PM
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on February 11, 2021, 11:39:32 AM
Quote from: Deimos on February 11, 2021, 09:02:39 AM
Quote from: von Corax on February 11, 2021, 07:45:51 AM
...
"Blue Parlour of Death" does not have a reassuring ring to it.
Oh, that sounds absolutely poetic! (in a kind of surreal way... ;))
It does, puts me in mind somewhat of something like a dignitas (assisted dying) clinic. Albeit of a far more dubious legal status.
....
Well that went bleak quite quickly, didn't it? :-\
...
If you'd only kept better track of your windows, such posts wouldn't happen.... ::) ;D
So what you're all saying is that this used to be Sweeney Todd's house... That's interesting. And could explain the missing window. ;D
Is there a trap door leading to the kitchen?
If the previous owners didn't even have insulation put in the kitchen, what makes you think they'd have had a trapdoor put in? :D
(Seriously, that room needs to be insulated this year. I'm not going through another winter cold spell with that room being that cold).
I have to ask, this has been on my mind since you posted the first pictures.
Would the bay have been originally sandstone? I see the head/lintels are but the brickwork looks newer than the rest, good job done using squints. where I live bays are all sandstone, just wondered if a regional thing or a necessary update for structural reasons. It can deteriorate quite badly.
The bays in the rest of the terrace are exactly the same; stone cills and lintels but otherwise brickwork.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 13, 2021, 11:36:21 AM
The bays in the rest of the terrace are exactly the same; stone cills and lintels but otherwise brickwork.
Up north regional then, thanks for the answer.
No problem.
Plasterer has finished his work.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50938915146_6ea720d88a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50938221218_b3f8fe2d18_c.jpg)
"The front fell off."
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50938915091_056d99be73_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50939023257_e3c52af01b_c.jpg)
So that means now that everything is ready for me to finish off the hallway. That's going to be fun, doing those high walls.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 13, 2021, 11:10:21 AM
If the previous owners didn't even have insulation put in the kitchen, what makes you think they'd have had a trapdoor put in? :D
(Seriously, that room needs to be insulated this year. I'm not going through another winter cold spell with that room being that cold).
James, is there absolutely no insulation in the kitchen? Is it just plaster work (on whatever backing is used) and then brick? Plaster directly on brick?
And how cold does it get there in the winter (outside temps)?
The thing with the kitchen is, half of it has another room over and the other half is single storey (being converted coal bunker or outdoors toilet). It's the single storey section which is absolutely freezing, hence the suspicion that there's no insulation in the roof.
As to how cold it gets? Well, we've had a 2-week cold snap where the temperature has struggled to get above freezing in daylight hours. Not exactly Siberia but it's hardly tropical either.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 13, 2021, 07:52:52 PM
The thing with the kitchen is, half of it has another room over and the other half is single storey (being converted coal bunker or outdoors toilet). It's the single storey section which is absolutely freezing, hence the suspicion that there's no insulation in the roof.
As to how cold it gets? Well, we've had a 2-week cold snap where the temperature has struggled to get above freezing in daylight hours. Not exactly Siberia but it's hardly tropical either.
If the single storey section may have functioned as something that didn't require insulation (your mention of a coal bunker or privy) then are you also assuming there is no insulation in the walls also? Or is there?
I'm tolerably confident that the walls are insulated, being the same width throughout (you can see that it's two bricks thick everywhere). It would have been a fairly simple thing to get some insulation in there when the conversion was done. What would have been a bit more involved- and hence why I reckon it wasn't done- would have been to take down the ceiling in the single storey bit and pack out the roof with insulation.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 14, 2021, 09:22:16 AM
I'm tolerably confident that the walls are insulated, being the same width throughout (you can see that it's two bricks thick everywhere). It would have been a fairly simple thing to get some insulation in there when the conversion was done. What would have been a bit more involved- and hence why I reckon it wasn't done- would have been to take down the ceiling in the single storey bit and pack out the roof with insulation.
Well, that was unfortunate, and not very well thought out.
After all, hot air rises, so right when you need it the most, in winter, it all rises right up through the ceiling and away it goes. :P
Well, the skip has gone. Which is a blessed relief because about three hours after it was hauled away the scaffold went up for fitting the new guttering (which is going in this weekend).
The new plaster has about dried out, which means that I can now get on with the paintwork, except I've first got to put the skirting and architrave back and that might be a bit of an issue because in some places the new plaster is thicker than the old. I need to have a think about how I'm going to get that back up without damaging the new plaster, having skewiff mouldings or unsightly gaps everywhere.
First order of business though is a coat of white paint on the front hallway ceiling.
I've got the day off work, so...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50953310762_841a6fe92e_c.jpg)
That is the front half of the hallway, finished. I'd still got the ceiling to paint, until the coving was fixed over the weekend. So now that that is done, on with the rest of it I suppose.
It's really looking very good, James!
Thanks! Never one to let grass grow under my feet, I'm already pressing on with the next section. The Tall Wall. I've got the last of the wallpaper off of it and found that I can reach the ceiling using a paint roller with an extendable handle, the difficulty mostly seems to be getting the wallpaper paste off.... I can reach it to wet it down, other than that I've just got to hope that it washes off as I can't get to it with a scraper...
Quote from: James Harrison on February 18, 2021, 07:12:19 PM
Thanks! Never one to let grass grow under my feet, I'm already pressing on with the next section. The Tall Wall. I've got the last of the wallpaper off of it and found that I can reach the ceiling using a paint roller with an extendable handle, the difficulty mostly seems to be getting the wallpaper paste off.... I can reach it to wet it down, other than that I've just got to hope that it washes off as I can't get to it with a scraper...
Scraper nailed to long shaft of wood?
Quote from: Mercury Wells on February 18, 2021, 08:17:11 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on February 18, 2021, 07:12:19 PM
Thanks! Never one to let grass grow under my feet, I'm already pressing on with the next section. The Tall Wall. I've got the last of the wallpaper off of it and found that I can reach the ceiling using a paint roller with an extendable handle, the difficulty mostly seems to be getting the wallpaper paste off.... I can reach it to wet it down, other than that I've just got to hope that it washes off as I can't get to it with a scraper...
Scraper nailed to long shaft of wood?
I MacGyver'ed something like that yesterday for getting the paper off. Great concept but scrapers turn out to be remarkably unbalanced when secured to a length of 2 x 1 with a couple of elastic bands and some string.
Well, the guttering and fascia boards are now done. In the course of doing that it was found that I had a hitherto unsuspected leak in the roof, which (luckily) could be fixed there and then- it just means that the bay window roof is now a job for another time.
Coming inside, I've cleaned down the tall wall, so that's now ready for priming, there's another wall that also needs cleaning down but then when that has been done the upper hallway is basically ready for painting to start. When the hall was replastered a week or two ago I've found that the walls aren't square and the architrave and skirting board will need some quite substantial packing out to get them to fit again... it's not so bad as the entrance hallway was but this is starting like another example of a project that grows legs and runs away. I just have to take solace in that it might not look like it, but most of the more involved work has been done...
Keep it up, James - the end result is well worth the amount of blood, sweat and tears!
Quote from: James Harrison on February 20, 2021, 03:02:08 PM
...When the hall was replastered a week or two ago I've found that the walls aren't square and the architrave and skirting board will need some quite substantial packing out to get them to fit again... it's not so bad as the entrance hallway was but this is starting like another example of a project that grows legs and runs away. ...
Walls are never square, floors are never level, ceilings are never flat.
Walls are only kind of square, floors are kind of level, and ceilings are kind of flat.
It's true in my house that is only 50 years old, so I think it's a safe bet to say it's also true in your 100 year old house.
That's very true. I've started to box-out so I can at least get the doorway architrave on, but at the moment it's a bit of a comedy of errors;
1) My woodworking clamps are just ever-so-slightly narrower than the width of the doorframe plus the boxing, which means I can't just glue the new timber in place.
2) The plug socket in the hallway had to be taken out for the plastering, and couldn't be put back in because of a broken wire connection on the back. So now the nearest plug socket is in the back bedroom and the extension cable doesn't reach the door... meaning....
3) I'm having to use a hand-powered drill to put in the screwholes for the new timber, and funnily enough the drillbit keeps getting stuck in the hole or else falls out of the drill.
4) The timber is just slightly wider than the thickness of the doorframe, so I either have to pare it down or accept a lip in the doorframe...
As ever, on the face of it a five-minute job becomes an all-day affair.
The architrave has been reinstated, for a given value of... I need to get hold of a nail punch to drive them fully home, and then there's some whacking gurt big gaps that need filling, but it's largely back up...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50966082073_6d2720cbcb_c.jpg)
So there's the packing out I had to fit...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50966894977_3d8e85997c_c.jpg)
... and there's the moulding put back up.
Well, tonight....
Painting started!
The first thing I'm doing is to coat the walls in a primer/ sealer, to lock away any wallpaper adhesive that hasn't been washed off.
Priming the hallway took three nights, horrible evil-smelling stuff that sticks to the palms of your hands like glue and rips the hair off your arms when you try to wash it off.
But now that that is done, paint has started to creep up the staircase and I'm hopeful that, very soon, I'll be able to show some photos of at least the finished walls.
Minor milestone this evening; the entirety of the hallway has one coat of the final colour on. It's just slow and tedious work, especially considering just how much of it there is that needs painting. I'll be glad when the walls are finished....
Pleased to say that all walls now have two coats of colour on. I shall have to see how it dries out before ticking that off the to-do list, at the moment (wet in patches) it looks dreadful...
~Addendum~
It's a little patchy in some places and needs a bit of tidying up but it's largely done...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50997644616_ce52468561_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50997644721_aba7465975_c.jpg)
Woodwork next.
Looking lovely, James - Proper job!
I see there is access to the roofspace. Is there any room up there for further developments, like a dock for a dirigible? (or a skylight)
Sorontar
That is about three and half metres up in the air with a drop right to the ground on the one side. I've not been up there, no plans to attempt the ascent either...
You would need climbing gear for that one. But I'd be curious about what, if anything was stashed in the space up there!
Quote from: Banfili on March 04, 2021, 11:06:22 PM
You would need climbing gear for that one. But I'd be curious about what, if anything was stashed in the space up there!
Looking at it it seems to me the access is delineated by some curious angles. Seems like Non Euclidean angles to me. Only God knows what you might find there!
I find it hard to believe that you have lived there for a year now and have never been in the loft.
I would have been straight up there to check rafters, roof and insulation, let alone what potential goodies previous owners have left kicking about.
Get thee a ladder, deep breath and go and investigate with a lead-light, you never know what you may find!
https://youtu.be/-9dbAQJIu1o
It does intrigue me, but;
-It's 3.5 metres up in the air;
-My ladders are too short;
-When I have taken the ladders upstairs, three rungs up I'm above the railing around the staircase;
-One slip and I'd be killed to death.
So for the moment it is remaining the unopened door of mystery.
Really don't see the problem, I climb a loft ladder almost daily at that height above my stairs, but then again I don't suffer from vertigo, unless it's a roof, will not climb on a roof from a ladder now, ooooh no, came off one once with a big splat, never again, scaffold for me .........
One day.... It will be opened to reveal what's lurking, maybe.......
:-\
If I can add vertigo is not something to be embarrassed about, I once new a man when i was an apprentice, he was hard as nails, a fighting type and could tear anyones throat out in a heartbeat and often did, froze on a roof, took 3 men to coax him down gently, step by step.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on March 05, 2021, 07:54:50 AM
Get thee a ladder, deep breath and go and investigate with a lead-light, you never know what you may find!
Erm... You don't have any mysterious stains on the ceiling, do you :o
I was a volunteer at the local art gallery in the city where I grew up, and the default lighting technician, because I was the only one who wasn't afraid of heights!! Since my MVAs, however, no ladders for me - I haven't even been able to stick my head through the roof space access, because climbing ladders are now a thing of the past - not supposed to even change my own lightbulbs!! The plumber, however, informed me that there wasn't anything up there except the insulation, electric; wiring, the decommissioned HWS, and dust!!
However, if I could afford one off those wide step ladders with a handrail, I may just venture up it!
Quote from: James Harrison on March 05, 2021, 05:12:38 PM
It does intrigue me, but;
-It's 3.5 metres up in the air;
-My ladders are too short;
-When I have taken the ladders upstairs, three rungs up I'm above the railing around the staircase;
-One slip and I'd be killed to death.
So for the moment it is remaining the unopened door of mystery.
Good Lord man! Get a long stick and attach a selfie stick to it and use your cellphone to look up there!
Might be worth a try:
A friend of mine had a similar setup.
That hatch needed a good prod with a long stick to rise a bit and then flap downwards revealing a built-in ladder that could be pulled down using the hooked end of that stick.
Maybe yours is the same.
I'm not going up there until I absolutely have to :D There's a hatch up there that does not have a ladder on the other side.
I think this weekend I'll be concentrating on the smaller jobs that need to get done before I can look at staining the woodwork;
1) Fixing the skirting board back in place- yes, did this last night. Also used up half a container of decorator's caulk filling in the gaps between it and the wall...
2) Filling the gap between the architrave and the walls- mostly done, with little slivers of timber and more decorator's caulk.
Once 1) and 2) are done I will need to leave them well alone for at least a week for the various adhesives and fillers to properly set and cure.
3) Spray my Photinia not-yet-a-hedge with fungicide, the Winter hasn't killed it off but the leaves are being attacked by something...
4) Re-varnish the bannister rail.
5) Clean the paint spittle off the staircase woodwork.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 06, 2021, 12:36:45 PM
I'm not going up there until I absolutely have to :D ...
OK. I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738 (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738)
Quote from: The Bullet on March 06, 2021, 12:21:57 PM
...
A friend of mine had a similar setup.
That hatch needed a good prod with a long stick to rise a bit and then flap downwards revealing a built-in ladder that could be pulled down using the hooked end of that stick.
Maybe yours is the same.
Yep...lots of houses in the States have a similar set-up to access the attic space between the ceiling and the [roof] rafters.
Mine does not. I just use a ladder... been up there a dozen times or so to re-route wiring for ceiling lights/fans.
*cough-cough-sneeze*...Started using a half face respirator/filter after the first time. :-p
Yesterday I managed a lot of fixing timber in place and filling gaps around same; then I cleaned down, revarnised and reinstated the bannister rail...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51013334267_b5d06a556a_c.jpg)
I've been living with a fully-stained staircase for the last six months or so and lately I've found that I've been reconsidering whether this was a good idea, considering how narrow the staircase is, how little light it gets and how that entire back end of the hallway just gives off something of a very dark vibe. So...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51013330777_075cfb69d9_c.jpg)
I painted the risers- just the risers- the same colour as the walls. I think that's a much more refined result.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 07, 2021, 06:54:18 PM
I painted the risers- just the risers- the same colour as the walls. I think that's a much more refined result.
I agree. It's a surprising difference.
Quote from: von Corax on March 07, 2021, 08:05:07 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 07, 2021, 06:54:18 PM
I painted the risers- just the risers- the same colour as the walls. I think that's a much more refined result.
I agree. It's a surprising difference.
Ditto.
Excellent decision...100% improvement.
Quote from: Deimos on March 07, 2021, 09:02:43 PM
Quote from: von Corax on March 07, 2021, 08:05:07 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 07, 2021, 06:54:18 PM
I painted the risers- just the risers- the same colour as the walls. I think that's a much more refined result.
I agree. It's a surprising difference.
Ditto.
Excellent decision...100% improvement.
The stairs look very smart - good job James!
The benefits of a bungalow - no stairs!! There are quite a few multi-storey dwellings with quite large rooms being built in Australia now - very much in the American style. And, of course, they cost an arm and a leg - the mortgages, especially in capital or major cities can be huge! Who wants to be in their early to mid twenties, with a $800,000 mortgage!!
That looks so smart.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 06, 2021, 03:12:01 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 06, 2021, 12:36:45 PM
I'm not going up there until I absolutely have to :D ...
OK. I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738 (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738)
Or it appeared empty ...
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 06, 2021, 03:12:01 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 06, 2021, 12:36:45 PM
I'm not going up there until I absolutely have to :D ...
OK. I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738 (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738)
I'd like to read it but unfortunately it doesn't play well with adblock. And I'm not turning my adblock off because.... well, have you seen
the carnage out there? I sometimes make the mistake of using my 'phone for internet browsing and some sites... there
might be some actual content squeezed in between the adverts?
Mmmmm.
This week I've mainly been working on the floorboards in the upstairs hall. They've got some pretty big gaps between them (packing them out with sisal/ rope didn't really work, the stuff kept falling out and working itself loose, not to mention trying to pack it in tight just resulted in splintered board edges), which had to be filled and smoothed down, and the paint/ plaster cleaned off them. By last night I was in a position where I could start to stain them, and this morning I've finished that off (total three coats of mahogany stain over them, and I may yet have to go back and work over some areas a little more).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51031533358_11fbb2826e_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51031533368_e6ba283608_c.jpg)
I've still got to even start staining the skirting boards, plus the staircase needs a bit of cleaning up, plus the rail around the top of the staircase could do with a cleanup and varnish. But it's nearly there now!
Once I've done those few final bits I'll be planning for Hallway Phase 3, which at the moment I'm thinking will be
1) New light fitting at the top of the stairs;
2) New light switches and plug sockets;
3) Stair runner carpet with brass rods etc.
I believe sailors had the same difficulties with the caulking between planks working loose with the working of the ship! Pitch lavishly applied worked, but the detritus was a bit of a problem when cleaning the decks!
Quote from: James Harrison on March 13, 2021, 11:56:02 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 06, 2021, 03:12:01 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 06, 2021, 12:36:45 PM
I'm not going up there until I absolutely have to :D ...
OK. I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738 (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738)
I'd like to read it but unfortunately it doesn't play well with adblock. And I'm not turning my adblock off because.... well, have you seen the carnage out there? I sometimes make the mistake of using my 'phone for internet browsing and some sites... there might be some actual content squeezed in between the adverts?
Mmmmm.
On second thought, perhaps it's best you don't read it. ;D It'll make you paranoid. It's a news story on a woman living in a city apartment who found an entire hidden apartment (flat) behind the bathroom mirror. She found it because she felt a strong cold draft in her bathroom and couldn't figure out where the cold air was coming from. It turned out that many years in the past there had been a murder at the next door apartment. Seeing as no one wanted to rent the unit, the property owners decided to block off and never rent that apartment again, but they still needed some access to the space in case a water pipe burst, etc, and they chose the bathroom mirror as an access point. She found it by removing the mirror. ;D
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 14, 2021, 06:16:09 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 13, 2021, 11:56:02 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 06, 2021, 03:12:01 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 06, 2021, 12:36:45 PM
I'm not going up there until I absolutely have to :D ...
OK. I'm just going to leave this here...
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738 (https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/nyc-woman-discovers-empty-apartment-behind-bathroom-mirror-n1259738)
I'd like to read it but unfortunately it doesn't play well with adblock. And I'm not turning my adblock off because.... well, have you seen the carnage out there? I sometimes make the mistake of using my 'phone for internet browsing and some sites... there might be some actual content squeezed in between the adverts?
Mmmmm.
On second thought, perhaps it's best you don't read it. ;D It'll make you paranoid. It's a news story on a woman living in a city apartment who found an entire hidden apartment (flat) behind the bathroom mirror. She found it because she felt a strong cold draft in her bathroom and couldn't figure out where the cold air was coming from. It turned out that many years in the past there had been a murder at the next door apartment. Seeing as no one wanted to rent the unit, the property owners decided to block off and never rent that apartment again, but they still needed some access to the space in case a water pipe burst, etc, and they chose the bathroom mirror as an access point. She found it by removing the mirror. ;D
You all know, you all
do know, that this is the perfect scenario for a story like
Rosemary's Baby, right?
Yesterday I managed to get the floor and skirtings completely stained, and then moved on to the balustrades...which themselves are now nearly finished.
Plan for today is to finish that bit off and then touch-in the edges, clean up the stair treads, and then I think I can call it done...
Thank you! You inspire me. I'll go fill the gap between the wall and the sink with sealant.
Quote from: morozow on March 14, 2021, 05:06:02 PM
Thank you! You inspire me. I'll go fill the gap between the wall and the sink with sealant.
Glad to have been the catalyst!
Aside from cleaning up half of the stair treads (the other half I've done this evening).... it's done!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51036834326_396b93748b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51036938782_ee1258ca4a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51036938772_03b608bf34_c.jpg)
Well, I say 'done', what I of course mean is, 'for the moment'. There's one fairly important bit that needs to be sorted out (reinstating a plug socket), then I want to replace the standard white plastic light switches with a brass toggle type (the DIY store only had the two gang ones in stock yesterday) and I'm on the lookout for a nice brass and frosted glass pendant light.
Where's my list of ambitions for the year gone?
New front guttering
Upper half of the hallway
New front and rear doors (They're at least on order, if not actually installed yet....)
New windows (More expensive than anticipated... a lot more expensive than anticipated....)
Finish the front garden
Wow, it's looking really good - love all the timber - it gets painted out so much these days, which is such a shame.
A few options here for toggle type switches from online retailers
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=dolly%20switch&Submit=Search (https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=dolly%20switch&Submit=Search)
https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4118_4120_4135&sort=8&_z__show=all (https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4118_4120_4135&sort=8&_z__show=all)
https://socketstore.co.uk/search?searchterms=toggle# (https://socketstore.co.uk/search?searchterms=toggle#)
https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5675_5676 (https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5675_5676)
https://www.dowsingandreynolds.com/product-category/light-switches-plug-sockets/ (https://www.dowsingandreynolds.com/product-category/light-switches-plug-sockets/)
Some interesting things to consider there, thanks!
I've found the light fitting I want for the upper hallway.
(https://www.dusklights.co.uk/images/interiors-1900-dark-star-large-inverted-3-light-tiffany-pendant-light-p7028-46693_image.jpg)
For the moment, I'm just enjoying having my evenings and weekends back (not that you can do much at the moment...) and getting ready for the next hurculean effort, which I think is going to be *drum roll* the master bedroom.
Really like the light, James! Real Tiffany?
Quote from: Banfili on March 18, 2021, 09:24:13 PM
Really like the light, James! Real Tiffany?
It's 'in the stye of' I think. https://www.interiors1900.com/about-us/ranges (https://www.interiors1900.com/about-us/ranges)
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on March 18, 2021, 08:48:02 AM
A few options here for toggle type switches from online retailers
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=dolly%20switch&Submit=Search (https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=dolly%20switch&Submit=Search)
https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4118_4120_4135&sort=8&_z__show=all (https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4118_4120_4135&sort=8&_z__show=all)
https://socketstore.co.uk/search?searchterms=toggle# (https://socketstore.co.uk/search?searchterms=toggle#)
https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5675_5676 (https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5675_5676)
https://www.dowsingandreynolds.com/product-category/light-switches-plug-sockets/ (https://www.dowsingandreynolds.com/product-category/light-switches-plug-sockets/)
Those Bakelite switches are nice, but you really need something like this:
https://www.historichouseparts.com/switches-switchplates/push-button-switches/ (https://www.historichouseparts.com/switches-switchplates/push-button-switches/)
Quote from: James Harrison on March 18, 2021, 05:30:24 PM
Some interesting things to consider there, thanks!
I've found the light fitting I want for the upper hallway.
(https://www.dusklights.co.uk/images/interiors-1900-dark-star-large-inverted-3-light-tiffany-pendant-light-p7028-46693_image.jpg)
For the moment, I'm just enjoying having my evenings and weekends back (not that you can do much at the moment...) and getting ready for the next hurculean effort, which I think is going to be *drum roll* the master bedroom.
Quote from: Banfili on March 18, 2021, 09:24:13 PM
Really like the light, James! Real Tiffany?
I'm not sure it's specifically Tiffany's style (their designs were usually a bit more involved, more Art Nouveau, with less straight lines) but it definitely fits the stained glass produced between 1890-1920, within the British "Modern Art" and "Arts and Crafts" movement and slightly less so with the highly geometric FL Wright's "American Prarie" movement.
Speaking of Arts and Crafts (and I know about the cost of shipping and compatibility issues with electrical systems) have you seen these?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/695051617/mosaic-light-switch-plates-covers (https://www.etsy.com/listing/695051617/mosaic-light-switch-plates-covers)
https://www.wayfair.com/3dRose--Stained-Glass-2Gang-Toggle-Light-Switch-Wall-Plate-lsp_18108_2-L7427-K~DOTG3484.html (https://www.wayfair.com/3dRose--Stained-Glass-2Gang-Toggle-Light-Switch-Wall-Plate-lsp_18108_2-L7427-K~DOTG3484.html)
Making something like this with mosaic imitating stained glass would be a fun project.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ew4IQrcXEAEm1Nq?format=jpg&name=large)
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 19, 2021, 10:48:11 PM
Speaking of Arts and Crafts (and I know about the cost of shipping and compatibility issues with electrical systems) have you seen these?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/695051617/mosaic-light-switch-plates-covers (https://www.etsy.com/listing/695051617/mosaic-light-switch-plates-covers)
https://www.wayfair.com/3dRose--Stained-Glass-2Gang-Toggle-Light-Switch-Wall-Plate-lsp_18108_2-L7427-K~DOTG3484.html (https://www.wayfair.com/3dRose--Stained-Glass-2Gang-Toggle-Light-Switch-Wall-Plate-lsp_18108_2-L7427-K~DOTG3484.html)
Making something like this with mosaic imitating stained glass would be a fun project.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ew4IQrcXEAEm1Nq?format=jpg&name=large)
I'm imagining that in NZ native paua shell { abalone family}
(https://cdn.designrulz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/inprog1_03871.webp)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSR3tcecBnOsiJ3zluwsinL3Tl-2cE4cTdw7w&usqp=CAU)
Quote from: James Harrison on March 18, 2021, 05:30:24 PM
Some interesting things to consider there, thanks!
I've found the light fitting I want for the upper hallway.
(https://www.dusklights.co.uk/images/interiors-1900-dark-star-large-inverted-3-light-tiffany-pendant-light-p7028-46693_image.jpg)
For the moment, I'm just enjoying having my evenings and weekends back (not that you can do much at the moment...) and getting ready for the next hurculean effort, which I think is going to be *drum roll* the master bedroom.
Well you can't have that light fixture. I've decided it's going in at my abode instead. Maybe in the foyer or reception room . { Inside the front door or living room }
It's an inspiring piece
I still have some of these in the spares box:
(https://www.zaehlerschrank24.de/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/b406a9cdc224c57c443df60b8bd9edbe/t/h/thpg-bakelit-feuchtraum-aufputz-drehschalter-wechsel-ip44-100831.jpg)
Bakelite rotary switches.
They might come in handy for your lab or dungeon.....
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 19, 2021, 10:48:11 PM
Speaking of Arts and Crafts (and I know about the cost of shipping and compatibility issues with electrical systems) have you seen these?
https://www.etsy.com/listing/695051617/mosaic-light-switch-plates-covers (https://www.etsy.com/listing/695051617/mosaic-light-switch-plates-covers)
https://www.wayfair.com/3dRose--Stained-Glass-2Gang-Toggle-Light-Switch-Wall-Plate-lsp_18108_2-L7427-K~DOTG3484.html (https://www.wayfair.com/3dRose--Stained-Glass-2Gang-Toggle-Light-Switch-Wall-Plate-lsp_18108_2-L7427-K~DOTG3484.html)
Making something like this with mosaic imitating stained glass would be a fun project.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ew4IQrcXEAEm1Nq?format=jpg&name=large)
I love those! I've just bought a set of brass toggle switches for the hallway lights (more because they were the closest things to Vicwardian that I could get locally than anything else) but I think I'll be having a closer look at those for the other rooms.
Quote from: von Corax on March 19, 2021, 07:35:00 PM
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on March 18, 2021, 08:48:02 AM
A few options here for toggle type switches from online retailers
https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=dolly%20switch&Submit=Search (https://www.tlc-direct.co.uk/tcl/search?query=dolly%20switch&Submit=Search)
https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4118_4120_4135&sort=8&_z__show=all (https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4118_4120_4135&sort=8&_z__show=all)
https://socketstore.co.uk/search?searchterms=toggle# (https://socketstore.co.uk/search?searchterms=toggle#)
https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5675_5676 (https://www.myswitchshop.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5675_5676)
https://www.dowsingandreynolds.com/product-category/light-switches-plug-sockets/ (https://www.dowsingandreynolds.com/product-category/light-switches-plug-sockets/)
Those Bakelite switches are nice, but you really need something like this:
https://www.historichouseparts.com/switches-switchplates/push-button-switches/ (https://www.historichouseparts.com/switches-switchplates/push-button-switches/)
I'm not sure whether I can get that sort of fitting in UK spec but it's definitely worth further investigation.
Quote from: The Bullet on March 20, 2021, 08:56:21 AM
I still have some of these in the spares box:
(https://www.zaehlerschrank24.de/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/b406a9cdc224c57c443df60b8bd9edbe/t/h/thpg-bakelit-feuchtraum-aufputz-drehschalter-wechsel-ip44-100831.jpg)
Bakelite rotary switches.
They might come in handy for your lab or dungeon.....
Mayb when/if I excavate out a cellar.
Well, this is the first weekend of the year where I'm not obliged to spend half of it covering myself in paint and woodstain, which is of course why I've been worrying at the bedroom carpet around the fireplace...
Looking at the planned list of works for the year, we've got
- Finish off the hallway (pretty much done)
- New guttering (done)
- New doors (on order, paid for, just waiting for an installation date)
- New windows (might have to raincheck on that as the windows I want are quit expensive)
- Finish the front garden
I've got a week off work coming up just after Easter and the plan is that the front garden will get done then, as really 'all' that needs doing is to lower the soil level by a measly two inches and replace with gravel. No point ordering the gravel yet as it only takes two or three days to arrive and I don't much want a bulk bag of the stuff sitting in the garden for days on end.
The master bedroom, which is pencilled in for the next big inside project, I have absolutely no idea what I want it to look like at the moment. My reference works for Edwardian interiors suggest 'calming colours' (whatever they may be) or else light coloured paints or flowery wallpaper. I think I've mentioned before my disdain for anything that even comes close to hinting at chintz... and so that leaves light coloured paint, but I've already got quite plenty of that in the hallway. It looks very very nice in the hallway but I suspect it wuld become something of a bore if then taken as the keynote for the whole upstairs.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51054489423_041322b73d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51054489023_003287d896_c.jpg)
Moving away from the sphere of the architectural historians, we have Hermann Muthesius' three-volume work, Das Englische Haus, of 1904, of which I've got the complete and unabridged English translation (published about 2009). From which these pair of charming plates are taken... something like that I think I could work with. The difficulty is, that the ceiling follows the line of the roof...
Well, in terms of light coloured pain as far as bedrooms are concerned, for the period I might suggest having a look at beige/sand tones or a pale blue.
Or if you do want to go for wallpaper, a damask motif could well work.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on March 20, 2021, 04:40:51 PM
Well, in terms of light coloured pain as far as bedrooms are concerned, for the period I might suggest having a look at beige/sand tones or a pale blue.
Or if you do want to go for wallpaper, a damask motif could well work.
That could work you know... that second photograph I posted earlier, if I went for those sort of colours split by a dado or picture rail.
One of my bedrooms is a sea mist green, and the other is quite a nice blue - if I ever had the chance to repaint I would have the green bedroom (mine) in the same colour, and also the blue room, which is my office. The rest of the main part of the house is a sort of creamy magnolia - quite nice, overall. The big back room is the green, and front sunroom is white. All looks rather harmonious overall! I'd use the same or similar colours if I repainted. Ceilings are all white. Skirting boards and doors are stained timber, which look nice against the wall colours. I lack picture rails, which I would like to have - they are a future project!
Quote from: Banfili on March 20, 2021, 09:42:34 PM
One of my bedrooms is a sea mist green, and the other is quite a nice blue - if I ever had the chance to repaint I would have the green bedroom (mine) in the same colour, and also the blue room, which is my office. The rest of the main part of the house is a sort of creamy magnolia - quite nice, overall. The big back room is the green, and front sunroom is white. All looks rather harmonious overall! I'd use the same or similar colours if I repainted. Ceilings are all white. Skirting boards and doors are stained timber, which look nice against the wall colours. I lack picture rails, which I would like to have - they are a future project!
We added picture rails to a long ago house and couldn't believe the difference they made. Such simple things often add a huge punch of character. In this house we removed the mean and ugly 1980s skirting boards and replaced them with something much higher - the rooms instantly looked bigger. The 1980s were horrible years architecturally in Australia...
Quote from: Synistor 303 on March 21, 2021, 11:55:24 PM
Quote from: Banfili on March 20, 2021, 09:42:34 PM
One of my bedrooms is a sea mist green, and the other is quite a nice blue - if I ever had the chance to repaint I would have the green bedroom (mine) in the same colour, and also the blue room, which is my office. The rest of the main part of the house is a sort of creamy magnolia - quite nice, overall. The big back room is the green, and front sunroom is white. All looks rather harmonious overall! I'd use the same or similar colours if I repainted. Ceilings are all white. Skirting boards and doors are stained timber, which look nice against the wall colours. I lack picture rails, which I would like to have - they are a future project!
We added picture rails to a long ago house and couldn't believe the difference they made. Such simple things often add a huge punch of character. In this house we removed the mean and ugly 1980s skirting boards and replaced them with something much higher - the rooms instantly looked bigger. The 1980s were horrible years architecturally in Australia...
My house is very late 1960s. It took the second owners in the late 1970s to destroy the lovely 60s style kitchen and put in a horrible brown laminex monstrosity instead. It's horrible, but I lack the finances to change it back! I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't take down the picture rails as well!
Well, my current thoughts...
I think extending the light cream from the hallway into the master bedroom would look quite nice, however some measure of refinement or extra detailing would be introduced:
1) Putting a dado rail around the room at about 4' / 120cm above floor level;
2) Introducing a second shade of cream;
3) All woodwork to be that mahogany stain colour;
4) Above the bed I'm thinking of putting in a few small tile murals (the Alphonse Mucha ones I find quite appealing) with a dado border;
5) Replace the carpet;
6) I might be on the verge of uncovering the remnants of a hearth on the bedroom floor....
With a loud thud a big thick envelope landed on the doormat this morning from the solicitors. It's extracts of various legal papers from people who've owned the property down the years...
- The abstract and supplement of a 1929 copy of the original title deeds, the earliest date given is 3rd June 1905 and that is for a contract of sale for the land between a medical doctor and a local builder, then there are a series of mortgages and conveyancing documents from 1905, 1906, 1907, 1923, 1929, 1947, 1971, 2003 and 2013;
- A death certificate dated 1985;
- Contract of sale for a corner of the front garden dated 1991;
- An undated Architect's drawing, hand-draughted on detail paper with imperial measurements, for the conversion of the third bedroom into a bathroom (given the name of the Client this can be narrowed down to sometime between 1971 and 1991);
- A letter dated Tuesay this week confirming myself as the property owner.
What an interesting bundle of documents, James!
I got a copy of the deed, and a copy of the the will of the previous owner - not much of a bundle! But my house was built in 1967/8 so not much of an owner history. I am the third owner.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 25, 2021, 05:56:52 PM
With a loud thud a big thick envelope landed on the doormat this morning from the solicitors. It's extracts of various legal papers from people who've owned the property down the years...
- The abstract and supplement of a 1929 copy of the original title deeds, the earliest date given is 3rd June 1905 and that is for a contract of sale for the land between a medical doctor and a local builder, then there are a series of mortgages and conveyancing documents from 1905, 1906, 1907, 1923, 1929, 1947, 1971, 2003 and 2013;
- A death certificate dated 1985;
- Contract of sale for a corner of the front garden dated 1991;
- An undated Architect's drawing, hand-draughted on detail paper with imperial measurements, for the conversion of the third bedroom into a bathroom (given the name of the Client this can be narrowed down to sometime between 1971 and 1991);
- A letter dated Tuesay this week confirming myself as the property owner.
That should make for an evening of incredible reading, James.
Time to relax in your blue parlour with a cuppa tea, and begin your perusal.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 25, 2021, 05:56:52 PM
With a loud thud a big thick envelope landed on the doormat this morning from the solicitors. It's extracts of various legal papers from people who've owned the property down the years...
- The abstract and supplement of a 1929 copy of the original title deeds, the earliest date given is 3rd June 1905 and that is for a contract of sale for the land between a medical doctor and a local builder, then there are a series of mortgages and conveyancing documents from 1905, 1906, 1907, 1923, 1929, 1947, 1971, 2003 and 2013;
- A death certificate dated 1985;
- Contract of sale for a corner of the front garden dated 1991;
- An undated Architect's drawing, hand-draughted on detail paper with imperial measurements, for the conversion of the third bedroom into a bathroom (given the name of the Client this can be narrowed down to sometime between 1971 and 1991);
- A letter dated Tuesay this week confirming myself as the property owner.
I only received anything, deeds, associated paperwork etc once I payed off my mortgage.
Before that didn't see a thing, they were held in storage by my mortgage company and now sit in the fireproof safe tucked away in my back bedroom.
All of the properties I have owned were subdivided in the 1970s. They seem rather juvenile compared to your place. Do you have to establish a preservation plan to protect some of those documents, appointing a curator and place them in a sterilised, dimly lit environment.
Yeah, Aussies don't really know what is antique and what is just old.
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on March 26, 2021, 08:12:00 AM
All of the properties I have owned were subdivided in the 1970s. They seem rather juvenile compared to your place. Do you have to establish a preservation plan to protect some of those documents, appointing a curator and place them in a sterilised, dimly lit environment.
Yeah, Aussies don't really know what is antique and what is just old.
Sorontar
Ahem! Some Aussies do!
I am hoping to get husband to stop by and pick up a copy of the deed to our house in town... (it was built in 1925) but with things as crazy as they have been he hasnt had time or thought of it. (We bought it in 1987) Now, our 10acres where I am at in fishing trailer we set up for my disability I recieved the deed and packet on it. It was once part of a 400 acre track that was sold and divided and has had 5 family live on it since 1904? (I think?) including us. Has mainly been owned by banks and financial groups as tax write offs letting cattle run on it it looks like. I know we plan to totally redo house in town but there is something about being out here where deer walk right up to your window that will be hard to leave! :-\
That's fascinating. I'd like to be truly out in the countryside, but for the foreseeable future I've just got to make do with having it a short walk away. It's nice, now the evenings are getting longer, to be able to go out and within ten minutes be in fields and fresh air.
Things are still progressing whilst I draw my breathe....
1) Called the people I've ordered the doors from. No installation date known yet...
2) The roofing people have visited and replaced several of the tiles in the bay window roof. Touch wood, roofing and guttering now finished.
3) The new hallway light has been delivered, I'm just waiting on the new switches now. I've also had to buy a new ladder so that the electrician can actually reach the ceiling to install it.
4) Gravel has been ordered for the front garden and will be delivered just after Easter. That gives me a week and a few days to get the soil down to the founding level, which has meant having to buy a wheelbarrow.
There's probably going to be a frantic burst of activity through late March and into April and then I'll need several months to gather my resources for the next big push.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 27, 2021, 05:35:03 PM
...
3) The new hallway light has been delivered, I'm just waiting on the new switches now. I've also had to buy a new ladder so that the electrician can actually reach the ceiling to install it.
...
You had to buy the ladder for the electrician to [basically] do his job??!!!
Good golly. Over here if one had 20 foot ceilings and the electrician only had a ladder that reached, say 12 feet, he'd have to find a ladder [somewhere/somehow] to do the job.
No way would the customer be expected to provide
any tool(s) for a contractor.
I chose to buy a new ladder because there are two rooms as well as the hallway with 3.-some-odd metre-high ceilings and at some point a bulb will blow and I will have to get up there myself to sort it out. It's something that has been on the to-buy list for a little while now. If it were only the hallway that were difficult to access?- yes I'd leave that for the electrician to sort out for themselves.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 27, 2021, 07:16:41 PM
I chose to buy a new ladder because there are two rooms as well as the hallway with 3.-some-odd metre-high ceilings and at some point a bulb will blow and I will have to get up there myself to sort it out. It's something that has been on the to-buy list for a little while now. If it were only the hallway that were difficult to access?- yes I'd leave that for the electrician to sort out for themselves.
New ladder, new adventure. Get in the loft, man! Explore that previous no go zone. ;D
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on March 28, 2021, 09:15:28 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 27, 2021, 07:16:41 PM
I chose to buy a new ladder because there are two rooms as well as the hallway with 3.-some-odd metre-high ceilings and at some point a bulb will blow and I will have to get up there myself to sort it out. It's something that has been on the to-buy list for a little while now. If it were only the hallway that were difficult to access?- yes I'd leave that for the electrician to sort out for themselves.
New ladder, new adventure. Get in the loft, man! Explore that previous no go zone. ;D
:D That's getting into 'another new ladder' territory. This new ladder gets me safely to ceiling level and no higher, there's a yawning gulf to cross between top of ladder and attic floor.
The mysterious roof space may need a jetpack, I suspect.
Sorontar
It needs either mountaineering equipment, or a lift.
Go as high as you can using the ladder, then put on the "Ultra Jumps" to get the last few feet......
(https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0460/0768/1178/products/blue_black_2048x2048_75277e46-0c77-4f65-951a-b5ef36cd65dd.jpg?v=1609270877)
Quote from: James Harrison on March 28, 2021, 09:45:57 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on March 28, 2021, 09:15:28 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on March 27, 2021, 07:16:41 PM
I chose to buy a new ladder because there are two rooms as well as the hallway with 3.-some-odd metre-high ceilings and at some point a bulb will blow and I will have to get up there myself to sort it out. It's something that has been on the to-buy list for a little while now. If it were only the hallway that were difficult to access?- yes I'd leave that for the electrician to sort out for themselves.
New ladder, new adventure. Get in the loft, man! Explore that previous no go zone. ;D
:D That's getting into 'another new ladder' territory. This new ladder gets me safely to ceiling level and no higher, there's a yawning gulf to cross between top of ladder and attic floor.
It's not even my house and I so want to see what's in the loft, oh well, maybe when time and money dictate, get a man in to install a proper loft ladder and suitable hatch, until then it will remain a mystery me thinks.
There's plenty enough to be getting on with, without adding the loft to the to-do list :D
Today I've been moving soil out of the front garden, working on my own means that it has to be moved twice;
- from where it sits into the wheelbarrow;
- then in the wheelbarrow from the front garden into the paddock.
Conclusion? I'd have had a very, very short career as a navvy. My chest was pounding after an hour and there were dots in my vision. Still, two hour-long sessions and I've moved the best part of two-thirds of a tonne out of there, reckoned on the following basis;
1) Capacity of wheelbarrow = 85 litres;
2) Density of water = 1kg/ litre;
3) Density of garden soil = approx. 1.5kg/ litre (in-situ, damp)
4) Assuming wheelbarrow filled to 1/2 capacity* (approx. 40 litres), weight of soil therefore = (40*1.5) = 60kg per barrow load
5) Number of barrow loads moved = 12, (12*60) = 720kg = 0.72 tonnes
*pessimistic assumption, however consider the soil has air gaps and water does not, an 85-litre container filled with soil will be have a considerable volume of air in it.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 28, 2021, 02:46:27 PM
There's plenty enough to be getting on with, without adding the loft to the to-do list :D
Today I've been moving soil out of the front garden, working on my own means that it has to be moved twice;
- from where it sits into the wheelbarrow;
- then in the wheelbarrow from the front garden into the paddock.
Conclusion? I'd have had a very, very short career as a navvy. My chest was pounding after an hour and there were dots in my vision. Still, two hour-long sessions and I've moved the best part of two-thirds of a tonne out of there, reckoned on the following basis;
1) Capacity of wheelbarrow = 85 litres;
2) Density of water = 1kg/ litre;
3) Density of garden soil = approx. 1.5kg/ litre (in-situ, damp)
4) Assuming wheelbarrow filled to 1/2 capacity* (approx. 40 litres), weight of soil therefore = (40*1.5) = 60kg per barrow load
5) Number of barrow loads moved = 12, (12*60) = 720kg = 0.72 tonnes
*pessimistic assumption, however consider the soil has air gaps and water does not, an 85-litre container filled with soil will be have a considerable volume of air in it.
I wouldn't sell yourself short there, that's an impressive amount to shift in a relative short amount of time (especially considering you're shifting it twice). Also, after a little bit of research and calculation I'd say you've not done too far off what a trained navvy would be capable of.
Based on your calculations (and an assumption of a trained navvy being able to move 12 cubic yards of earth each day) the average navvy would move just over 9 tonnes of earth each day. You've managed (by your own estimation) nearly 3/4 tonne (twice, so therefore you've actually moved 1.5 tonnes by the standards of our hypothetical navvy since they would either be shoveling earth into a wheelbarrow, or shifting wheelbarrows full of earth, rather than both as you have done) in 2 hours. So assuming you'd done a full day as a navvy, that means you've have moved about 6 tonnes over a "normal" working day (by modern standards), which a navvy almost certainly wouldn't have done, so add in the fact navvies would probably average a 10-hour shift (which would take you up to 7.5 tonnes) each day I reckon you're not far off what they could accomplished.
The problem (as I see it) is, that your typical navvy would be able to do that, day in, day out for 10 hours+ a day. Meanwhile after an hour of it I had to pack up for two hours to recover. New respect gained, I think, for the people who built the Tring Cutting/ Woodhead Tunnels/ Chat Moss Crossing.
Another (roughly) third of a tonne shifted this evening. I think I've more or less got the level I needed now, just needs a bit of a cut and fill to get it all just so...
Quote from: James Harrison on March 28, 2021, 02:46:27 PM
Today I've been moving soil out of the front garden, working on my own means that it has to be moved twice;
- from where it sits into the wheelbarrow;
- then in the wheelbarrow from the front garden into the paddock.
Conclusion?
Conclusion: You need a 5" gauge garden railway.
Same amount of stuff to shift but more fun doing it.
Funnily enough I came to more or less the same conclusion myself. When I get around to the paddock things may actually boil down to building a feldbahn.
And a final effort this evening saw a bit of a ditch dug from the down pipe to roughly the midde of the garden, which was then filled up with gravel and stones.
A tonne and a third, or thereabouts, of soil shifted.
And it's a good job I pulled my finger out and got that done, as the gravel has just arrived, a week earlier than expected.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51091796362_0d2a7a21e0_c.jpg)
This was last weekend, when I started ripping the top off the garden.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51091796327_aa913fb9f1_c.jpg)
Early in the week I was in a position to dig the drainage ditch (this was then filled with the sort of gravel used for building roads and driveways).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51091781379_95c3e2906c_c.jpg)
And then this morning I and my Father were able to lay the gravel. It's surprising how little coverage a tonne of the stuff provides, we had just enough to finish the job.
Yep... a little bit of rock weighs a lot. How deep did you lay it?
Seems like you would need a couple of cm at least, depending on what size gravel it is.
E.g., What we call pea [size] gravel you don't need very deep... no ore than a cm, if that.
This was 20mm Golden Gravel and we laid roughly a 5cm-thick layer of it.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 03, 2021, 01:14:51 PM
This was 20mm Golden Gravel and we laid roughly a 5cm-thick layer of it.
Chunky stuff....5cm sounds about right for it
Quote from: James Harrison on April 03, 2021, 12:54:20 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51091796327_aa913fb9f1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51091781379_95c3e2906c_c.jpg)
James, you need to remove your house number & the street name.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on April 03, 2021, 01:48:49 PM
James, you need to remove your house number & the street name.
Well spotted, however as that street name isn't part of my address, it's a bit of a needle in a haystack trying to pin the location down from the two.
I've bit the bullet, and ordered the sash windows for the front elevation. This means- no more large (by which I mean, expensive) projects this year.
I'm wrestling at the moment whether I would be happier 1) getting most of the house say 75-80% complete, and then going back to finish it off at my leisure, or 2) getting the bits I've already worked on absolutely finished before moving on through the rest. I can see benefits and drawbacks to both, and they're pretty much the same.
Current plans and thoughts are, going from front to back;
Front garden- replace the concrete path with brick pavers, install a bird bath (garden then finished);
Hallway- floor tiles for the threshold, maybe fit brass stair rods and a carpet runner (hallway then finished);
Sitting room- more shelving, install parquet flooring, build a window seat (sitting room then finished);
Dining room- no work done yet, no idea what I want to do in there;
Kitchen- no work done yet, beyond vague ideas of a Belfast sink and brass taps, no idea what I want to do in there;
Master bedroom- no work done yet, research/ design work in progress;
Second bedroom- no work done yet, no idea what I want to do in there;
Bathroom-no work done yet, vague ideas of a reproduction Edwardian bathroom suite;
Paddock- no work done yet, vague ideas for a pergola, pond, a summer room...
Quote from: James Harrison on April 08, 2021, 08:49:05 AM
I've bit the bullet, and ordered the sash windows for the front elevation.
Colour and brand? Anthracite on white to match the fascia? or have you gone for maybe chartwell green? the green would suit the property really well contrasted with a fancy black composite front door........ :-\
I've always liked Irish oak, I fitted golden oak windows in my place about 10 years ago but when they need replacing, (the coating does
not do well south facing, heat separates the glue, blisters and bubbles appear, which is starting to happen, my mothers front door is atrocious!) I think maybe a change to the Irish oak.
Edit...... If you are going for composite doors, I will repeat my previous advice, you
must make sure there is steel reinforcement on the hinge side and that there are
4 Trojan 3D Butt Hinges fitted , that slab is 'kin heavy and will drop......... I do this stuff all day, every day and anything less is a problem waiting to happen, which is money wasted, get it right the first time. ;)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 11, 2021, 01:04:51 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 08, 2021, 08:49:05 AM
I've bit the bullet, and ordered the sash windows for the front elevation.
Colour and brand? Anthracite on white to match the fascia? or have you gone for maybe chartwell green? the green would suit the property really well contrasted with a fancy black composite front door........ :-\
I've always liked Irish oak, I fitted golden oak windows in my place about 10 years ago but when they need replacing, (the coating does not do well south facing, heat separates the glue, blisters and bubbles appear, which is starting to happen, my mothers front door is atrocious!) I think maybe a change to the Irish oak.
Edit...... If you are going for composite doors, I will repeat my previous advice, you must make sure there is steel reinforcement on the hinge side and that there are 4 Trojan 3D Butt Hinges fitted , that slab is 'kin heavy and will drop......... I do this stuff all day, every day and anything less is a problem waiting to happen, which is money wasted, get it right the first time. ;)
Duly noted re: the doors and hinges.
I can't recall how much detail I've previously gone into when talking about the doors, considering they've been on order now for nudging three months.
Well, they're going to look something like this, except the metalwork will be enamelled in black and the glazing will have a different pattern.
(https://www.compositetimberdoors.co.uk/wp-content/gallery/nottingham-composite-doors/nottingham-2-crl1-chart.jpg)
Then the doorframes are going to be be cream with a woodwork effect, and the windows, which are the 'Heritage Rose' sash type, will match with the doorframes.
The new hallway light is up...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51120679503_b972d81cbf_c.jpg)
... and some brass toggle switches have been installed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51120199882_8b000f47e2_c.jpg)
So is that the hallway finished? Err.... no. I've got to get another light switch (two of them were OK, the third turned out to be an intermediate switch, so I've had to order another fitting), and some of the screws weren't long enough so I've got an odd mix at the moment of brass and nickel screws, but I think I'm right in saying that is the last of the big hallway jobs finished. Except for replacing the front door of course.
Very smart, James!
Looking very nice.
Thank you both. Now for the next project...
Very nice indeed. Good choice.
Your garden is taking a fabulous shape. The landing light is just right. Keep up the good work
I do like a nice brass toggle switch...
Quote from: James Harrison on April 17, 2021, 10:46:35 AM
The new hallway light is up...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51120679503_b972d81cbf_c.jpg)
Quote from: James Harrison on April 17, 2021, 01:58:19 PM
Thank you both. Now for the next project...
Please tell me that whilst the stepladder was in place, you used it to at least take a tentative peek into that loft, opportunity missed me thinks if not. Looking good and I am still watching with interest.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 18, 2021, 05:30:17 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 17, 2021, 10:46:35 AM
The new hallway light is up...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51120679503_b972d81cbf_c.jpg)
Quote from: James Harrison on April 17, 2021, 01:58:19 PM
Thank you both. Now for the next project...
Please tell me that whilst the stepladder was in place, you used it to at least take a tentative peek into that loft, opportunity missed me thinks if not. Looking good and I am still watching with interest.
(Just between us two, I'm betting he didn't... ;))
:D
That ladder is barely tall enough that you can just about reach the ceiling with it. To go any higher, with at least a small degree of cetainty of being able to safely make it back down, I need a longer ladder...
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2021, 09:54:09 AM
:D
That ladder is barely tall enough that you can just about reach the ceiling with it. To go any higher, with at least a small degree of cetainty of being able to safely make it back down, I need a longer ladder...
I am so jealous - I'd love a house with nice high ceilings (even a shorty like me can touch the ceilings in our house if I jump). I suspect your loft, once you get to explore it, has a lovely high pitch too. In ours you're shuffling about on your knees, even at the highest point. Yes, I think the original market for our design of house was suburban Hobbits...
Yours,
Miranda.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 12, 2020, 09:01:12 PM
The move-in has begun; a couple hundred books have gone over (and it still looks like I've three times as many to actually shift...)
In other news, a television stand arrived (that's going in the alcove in the front room), as did a rather nice table and chairs (for the dining room) and a bed is turning up tomorrow. So I have at least the rudiments of some furnishings. I'm looking at a nice leather Chesterfield sofa too- if it can be made to fit- but that's a purchase for next month.
Some outline design ideas....
(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/23/fd/04/23fd04bbe0c52a107ebd3fa447cbe7a1.jpg)
(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/c2/36/10/c23610f64987c03fb28482c16430eecf.jpg)
First thoughts for the front sitting room/library.
For the dining room I have in mind lighter colours (it faces north so needs all the help it can get) with a picture rail and frieze, a nice arts and crafts style wallpaper (probably not a Morris original as they're £80 a roll at least) down to chair rail level and then matchboard panelling below that.
That dog gives a visceral reaction. I want a kilim
That is a pleasant shade of blue
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2021, 09:54:09 AM
:D
That ladder is barely tall enough that you can just about reach the ceiling with it. To go any higher, with at least a small degree of cetainty of being able to safely make it back down, I need a longer ladder...
May I suggest that if you ever do manage to scale the horrible heights to Unknown Kaddath, that you install a rope ladder attached to a strong piece of timber or suitably anchor it to masonry, you know for the time when you actually *must* go up there to round any acute non Euclidean angles and stop the Hounds of Tindalos?
Sash windows ordered for the front rooms. They'll take about three months to arrive.
So;
-sash windows ordered for the sitting room and the master bedroom. They'll take about three months to get here, maybe a bit more, and when they do arrive some of the plasterwork in the window reveals will have to be broken out, as will the existing MDF windowsill.
-having installed a better, brighter light in the hallway last weekend, it's illuminated all the places where it was too dim to see to do the decorating properly. So now, when I can be bothered, I think at least one wall upstairs will need another coat of paint.
-it's also highlighted the rough and ready nature of some of my DIY repair to the plasterwork on the staircase, so I've spent this morning sanding all that back (and a decent chunk of this afternoon cleaning and coughing all the dust up).
Is it getting there? Yes.
Will I be undertaking more big jobs this year? No, probably not.
Next job I'm thinking about, finding the stop valve for the water. The pipework runs behind all of the kitchen units, which means (carefully) cutting away the back of those to trace the pipes back. Knowing my luck I'll drill through a pipe... I'm using my pipe and wire- finder and going at this very, very carefully.
Big news... the doors are coming! They will be fitted early next week.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 28, 2021, 06:30:05 PM
Big news... the doors are coming!
The doors or the Doors?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbj1RFaoyLk]
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbj1RFaoyLk (http://[url)[/url]
Yeah, The Doors are coming. I'm having the sitting room re-done as a 20,000-seat arena :D
But you'll only be able to let in 5000 people because of social distancing and covid restrictions .....
Quote from: James Harrison on May 01, 2021, 10:27:51 AM
Yeah, The Doors are coming. I'm having the sitting room re-done as a 20,000-seat arena :D
https://youtu.be/th04azA3ueg (https://youtu.be/th04azA3ueg)
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on May 01, 2021, 03:59:33 PM
But you'll only be able to let in 5000 people because of social distancing and covid restrictions .....
There will be none of this carry on!
https://youtu.be/U6bRukfcUf0
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on May 01, 2021, 03:59:33 PM
But you'll only be able to let in 5000 people because of social distancing and covid restrictions .....
:D
You owe me a new keyboard. This one is covered in tea.
This evening I have found the water stoptap. It had covered itself in cobwebs and was lurking behind the back of a cupboard. It's a relief to know I've even got one. At the moment, it seems to be seized open. I can't turn it off. As, right now, I don't need it off, this isn't a problem but I think when I have the plumber come in July to service the boiler I'll ask them to have a look at that too.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 02, 2021, 06:25:49 PM
This evening I have found the water stoptap. It had covered itself in cobwebs and was lurking behind the back of a cupboard. It's a relief to know I've even got one. At the moment, it seems to be seized open. I can't turn it off. As, right now, I don't need it off, this isn't a problem but I think when I have the plumber come in July to service the boiler I'll ask them to have a look at that too.
Sounds like a plan, James! & perhaps the judicious application of some WD40 may assist in the loosening process?
Quote from: James Harrison on May 02, 2021, 06:25:49 PM
This evening I have found the water stoptap. It had covered itself in cobwebs and was lurking behind the back of a cupboard. It's a relief to know I've even got one. At the moment, it seems to be seized open. I can't turn it off. As, right now, I don't need it off, this isn't a problem but I think when I have the plumber come in July to service the boiler I'll ask them to have a look at that too.
Not to put too fine of a point on it, James, but you do not have a water stoptap; you have a water
non-stoptap. ;)
Which means, you currently do not have a water stoptap.
I hope you do not have a serious leak between now and July that would necessitate having to shut off the water. :o
Quote from: James Harrison on May 02, 2021, 06:25:49 PM
This evening I have found the water stoptap. It had covered itself in cobwebs and was lurking behind the back of a cupboard. It's a relief to know I've even got one. At the moment, it seems to be seized open. I can't turn it off. As, right now, I don't need it off, this isn't a problem but I think when I have the plumber come in July to service the boiler I'll ask them to have a look at that too.
A common problem, people wind the thing open and leave it and so it siezes, once open, you gotta turn it back (clockwise) a 1/4 turn (same with the main stopcock in the street). If you start forcing it with a big set of grips,
could cause leaks on the olives or spindle gland nut, depending on how old it is, best left to your plumber methinks. ;) A modern alternative is a Surestop with remote, but I tend to like good old fashioned brass.
https://www.surestop.co.uk/product-range (https://www.surestop.co.uk/product-range)
Well, previously there were three headaches, or rather, thoughts that kept me awake at night:
1) Do I have a stop tap?
2) If I don't, how would I be able to get any plumbing work done?
3) If the water needs to be turned off in a hurry I don't have a hope in hell do I...
I'd point out that to replace the boiler last year, the plumber turned off the water outside (which burst the main), and then every house in the terrace except my own lost its water supply. Meanwhile I had to turn all my taps full on so that the boiler could actually be fitted without flooding the house.
Now that's been reduced to one, namely:
1) The stop tap is jammed on.
As I say, not a problem right now as
-No plumbing work is planned this year
-We're headed toward Summer so the pipes are hardly likely to freeze between now and two months' time
-I've no cause, reason or desire to go messing with the pipework so there's no reason why it should start leaking.
Of all the outcomes I was ruminating, this is toward the better end of the scale.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 03, 2021, 03:08:19 PM
Well, previously there were three headaches, or rather, thoughts that kept me awake at night:
1) Do I have a stop tap?
2) If I don't, how would I be able to get any plumbing work done?
3) If the water needs to be turned off in a hurry I don't have a hope in hell do I...
I'd point out that to replace the boiler last year, the plumber turned off the water outside (which burst the main), and then every house in the terrace except my own lost its water supply. Meanwhile I had to turn all my taps full on so that the boiler could actually be fitted without flooding the house.
Now that's been reduced to one, namely:
1) The stop tap is jammed on.
As I say, not a problem right now as
-No plumbing work is planned this year
-We're headed toward Summer so the pipes are hardly likely to freeze between now and two months' time
-I've no cause, reason or desire to go messing with the pipework so there's no reason why it should start leaking.
Of all the outcomes I was ruminating, this is toward the better end of the scale.
Wat-er problem, you don't have. :D
I do have, it appears, a water issue, however it's more wind-driven rain than high-pressure potable that's the cause. Somebody's got to come back look at the bay window roof again after yesterday's almost monsoon-like conditions.
In more positive news though.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51158262624_09ff0d3450_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51156800097_15d090842e_c.jpg)
Just a bit of a difference.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50390060363_c8b791dea4_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51156815262_4763db4423_c.jpg)
OK, maybe a bit more profound then.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51157463466_eac4583ef7_c.jpg)
Oh, make that two of them then.
Aww, but I liked the hinges on the old front door. Very 20,000 Leagues.
They had a certain quality about them that would not be denied, didn't they? Though to me they were more suggestive of Das Boot or K19 The Widowmaker than 20,000 Leagues.
Quote from: von Corax on May 04, 2021, 04:15:51 PM
Aww, but I liked the hinges on the old front door. Very 20,000 Leagues.
Not just the hinges (Holy Moley, those were some hefty hinges! Too bad they couldn't be used on the new door) but the window too... Very much like a (submarine) porthole.
It's really looking good James, and a credit to your hard work and application! Well done, sir!!
I like the decoration between the downpipe and the rear wall!
Quote from: Sorontar on May 06, 2021, 02:54:13 AM
I like the decoration between the downpipe and the rear wall!
I'm no architect, but I'm fairly certain that's a bracket for a hanging basket or similar.
Perhaps Mr Harrison would be kind enough to provide a picture from a different angle?
It's a hanging basket bracket. There's an identical one next to the front door.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 06, 2021, 04:32:33 PM
It's a hanging basket bracket. There's an identical one next to the front door.
A nice home made SP "fake gas lamp" would look nice, hanging there.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on May 06, 2021, 06:33:59 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 06, 2021, 04:32:33 PM
It's a hanging basket bracket. There's an identical one next to the front door.
A nice home made SP "fake gas lamp" would look nice, hanging there.
Why "fake" ? Make it a real one with electric guts! I'm sure there's one to be found somewhere.
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/03/the-last-gas-streetlights.html (https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/03/the-last-gas-streetlights.html)
That's exactly the thought I had, well I haven't had chance to look into it yet but- watch this space.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on May 07, 2021, 06:01:40 AM
...
Why "fake" ? Make it a real one with electric guts! I'm sure there's one to be found somewhere.
https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/03/the-last-gas-streetlights.html (https://www.amusingplanet.com/2019/03/the-last-gas-streetlights.html)
That looks very cool, very Vic-Wardian, very apropos. :)
Go for it James! (or something similar) ;)
Quote from: James Harrison on May 07, 2021, 04:05:47 PM
That's exactly the thought I had, well I haven't had chance to look into it yet but- watch this space.
To be fair, there's the electrical regulations aspect of it. Regulations don't necessarily have to make engineering sense (you just need a ground wire to earth and a lamp hefty enough not to melt in case of a short circuit) and local rules are just there to discourage people from making installations outside of regional norms. However, in the US people are so in love with historical lighting, that you can find 1001 reasonable facsimiles - all made in China - which look the part and pass all regulations. I'm sure you could find something decent at local hardware shops.
There's a number of alternatives, from the "smaller than real" garden lamp post type,to the full-size street lamp size. You can use small white LED bulbs to simulate the gas lamp fittings
From Home Depot
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0z8Oj_XEAQCbgF?format=jpg&name=large)
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E0z8OrJWUAADXBl?format=jpg&name=large)
From Lowe's
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E00BEyfWEAUqm0-?format=jpg&name=large)
Funny you should say that because part of the plan for the paddock is to put one of those in, about half way down, a bit like the gas standards in Narnia.
You might want to look at
switches.
They can be flashed with a software called
so they stay inside your WLAN (without calling any chinese servers)
There are several types.
The one I use goes inside the wall behind the original switch. The switch can still be used as usual but in addition you can switch the respective lamp using an app.
Quite useful to switch on the garden lamp at the far end without having to walk through the dark garden to use the switch.
Most important feature for me: the app displays the status of the lamp (on /off).
Cheap and reliable stuff.
This even works if you have several switches for the same lamp.
A couple of small jobs this morning.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51165369893_3b01ff0b54_c.jpg)
A couple of pictures hung at the top of the stairs. They look rather lost on this very tall wall. I have some thoughts on that, mostly on the theme of another large print I have and either a long narrow shelf or a dado rail. I'm wondering, at the moment, whether a dado taken just around the upper hallway would work or just look odd.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51165913959_d3f1aab64f_c.jpg)
The electrician came and fitted the last of the brass toggle light switches.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51165913964_e53c3a3828_c.jpg)
And I fitted a finger plate to the sitting room door.
I think it's the smaller details like this that are going to take a while to really sort out and achieve the feel I am after.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 11:43:34 AM
A couple of small jobs this morning.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51165369893_3b01ff0b54_c.jpg)
A couple of pictures hung at the top of the stairs. They look rather lost on this very tall wall. I have some thoughts on that, mostly on the theme of another large print I have and either a long narrow shelf or a dado rail. I'm wondering, at the moment, whether a dado taken just around the upper hallway would work or just look odd.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51165913959_d3f1aab64f_c.jpg)
The electrician came and fitted the last of the brass toggle light switches.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51165913964_e53c3a3828_c.jpg)
And I fitted a finger plate to the sitting room door.
I think it's the smaller details like this that are going to take a while to really sort out and achieve the feel I am after.
The frames are too small atm, maybe bigger, taller frames eventually.
A dado would work, but I think that could involve different colours above and below, how would that fit the rest of the house? maybe a picture rail and paint the ceiling down to it in white.
The problem with a picture rail is that half of the ceiling follows the line of the roof, so unless it goes in at doorframe level it's going to look quite odd when it ploughs into the ceiling. Of course, putting it in at doorframe level then itself looks a bit unfortunate because the proportions are all out.
Hmm. It's a bit of a poser and I'm going to run into the problem again when I get around to the bedrooms.
The pictures are a bit small for that wall. Maybe they would look well in your blue sitting room....
As a [larger] alternative, how about some Art Nouveau ladies by Elisabeth Sonrel (1874 - 1953)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoD2Ar2VkqLEPUER4yaued4g-Qcyv48kXdXo4XbMVzhXFF_LlB4njvyiiQG6u6ZP_Q1bI&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMks1tM9dLOdXHs6ol0l6a27zKujNneqkxIypm4mmXjDJGrfMibZHmaKK1pMi9kTOXF_c&usqp=CAU)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzx90nEvQh79Y1wEi3to5Mg35d2u_hQ-Rugb91HiQIdaAi75pFK_9bnEH2bsOAe1dbWp4&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1CYMvzlFCl6-1fnVrKZmWdIRe1V54GVikGsczVJUFILHtMAOHJzMxDsNBLgyvkyWwGrE&usqp=CAU)
Elisabeth Sonrel (right side of page) (https://www.google.com/search?q=art+nouveau+artwork&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjZx9Hd3brwAhWHlJ4KHerBAFUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=art+nouveau+artwork&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBRAeMgYIABAIEB4yBggAEAgQHlCHkwFY4MQBYInXAWgAcAB4AIABXIgBpQ2SAQIyMJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=xdqWYJnRL4ep-gTqg4OoBQ&bih=848&biw=1284&client=firefox-b-1-d#imgrc=tP8LX3zP8IAy7M)
You can get them as large as 17 x 40 (WxH inch poster), but you'd also (I would think) want have it framed.
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 07:07:00 PM
The pictures are a bit small for that wall. Maybe they would look well in your blue sitting room....
As a [larger] alternative, how about some Art Nouveau ladies by Elisabeth Sonrel (1874 - 1953)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoD2Ar2VkqLEPUER4yaued4g-Qcyv48kXdXo4XbMVzhXFF_LlB4njvyiiQG6u6ZP_Q1bI&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMks1tM9dLOdXHs6ol0l6a27zKujNneqkxIypm4mmXjDJGrfMibZHmaKK1pMi9kTOXF_c&usqp=CAU)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzx90nEvQh79Y1wEi3to5Mg35d2u_hQ-Rugb91HiQIdaAi75pFK_9bnEH2bsOAe1dbWp4&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1CYMvzlFCl6-1fnVrKZmWdIRe1V54GVikGsczVJUFILHtMAOHJzMxDsNBLgyvkyWwGrE&usqp=CAU)
Elisabeth Sonrel (right side of page) (https://www.google.com/search?q=art+nouveau+artwork&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjZx9Hd3brwAhWHlJ4KHerBAFUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=art+nouveau+artwork&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBRAeMgYIABAIEB4yBggAEAgQHlCHkwFY4MQBYInXAWgAcAB4AIABXIgBpQ2SAQIyMJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=xdqWYJnRL4ep-gTqg4OoBQ&bih=848&biw=1284&client=firefox-b-1-d#imgrc=tP8LX3zP8IAy7M)
You can get them as large as 17 x 40 (WxH inch poster), but you'd also (I would think) want have it framed.
Oooh, those do look nice. I'd be tempted to invest in some of those myself if and when I get my own domicile.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on May 08, 2021, 07:57:58 PM
...Oooh, those do look nice. I'd be tempted to invest in some of those myself if and when I get my own domicile.
"
When"....just
"when"....no "if" about it (you must think positively ;))
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 07:07:00 PM
The pictures are a bit small for that wall. Maybe they would look well in your blue sitting room....
As a [larger] alternative, how about some Art Nouveau ladies by Elisabeth Sonrel (1874 - 1953)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoD2Ar2VkqLEPUER4yaued4g-Qcyv48kXdXo4XbMVzhXFF_LlB4njvyiiQG6u6ZP_Q1bI&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMks1tM9dLOdXHs6ol0l6a27zKujNneqkxIypm4mmXjDJGrfMibZHmaKK1pMi9kTOXF_c&usqp=CAU)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzx90nEvQh79Y1wEi3to5Mg35d2u_hQ-Rugb91HiQIdaAi75pFK_9bnEH2bsOAe1dbWp4&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1CYMvzlFCl6-1fnVrKZmWdIRe1V54GVikGsczVJUFILHtMAOHJzMxDsNBLgyvkyWwGrE&usqp=CAU)
Elisabeth Sonrel (right side of page) (https://www.google.com/search?q=art+nouveau+artwork&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjZx9Hd3brwAhWHlJ4KHerBAFUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=art+nouveau+artwork&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBRAeMgYIABAIEB4yBggAEAgQHlCHkwFY4MQBYInXAWgAcAB4AIABXIgBpQ2SAQIyMJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=xdqWYJnRL4ep-gTqg4OoBQ&bih=848&biw=1284&client=firefox-b-1-d#imgrc=tP8LX3zP8IAy7M)
You can get them as large as 17 x 40 (WxH inch poster), but you'd also (I would think) want have it framed.
I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 10:21:23 PM
...I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Did you check out the link? Those 4 are by no means the only ones available.
There were about a half dozen more Elisabeth Sonrel ladies of similar dimensions.
(No, not
those dimensions. Well, actually, yes, of both
those dimensions
and the hallway-appropriate poster dimensions. ;D)
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 11:43:34 AM
A couple of pictures hung at the top of the stairs. They look rather lost on this very tall wall. I have some thoughts on that, mostly on the theme of another large print I have and either a long narrow shelf or a dado rail. I'm wondering, at the moment, whether a dado taken just around the upper hallway would work or just look odd.
I think it's the smaller details like this that are going to take a while to really sort out and achieve the feel I am after.
James, for what it's worth, in one of my working incarnations I was a technician at a regional art gallery, responsible among other things for hanging paintings and photographs. One of the first "rules" for hanging paintings is that the centre of the picture should be roughly at eye level for the average human height. I have no idea what that is now, other than that I am not it, being a couple of inches shy of "average" height for a female, which used to be 5'6"! If a painting is hung at a height that is too low or too high, the perspective changes, and the painting can look a little out of whack!
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 10:21:23 PM
...I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Did you check out the link? Those 4 are by no means the only ones available.
There were about a half dozen more Elisabeth Sonrel ladies of similar dimensions.
(No, not those dimensions. Well, actually, yes, of both those dimensions and the hallway-appropriate poster dimensions. ;D)
I did, and I've bought a couple.
And- I also think I might have cracked how to break those massive walls up (not literally- sledgehammers are not required). I'm toying with the idea of running a picture rail around the hallway at the roughly the level of the top of the doorways.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 08:30:03 AM
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 10:21:23 PM
...I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Did you check out the link? Those 4 are by no means the only ones available.
There were about a half dozen more Elisabeth Sonrel ladies of similar dimensions.
(No, not those dimensions. Well, actually, yes, of both those dimensions and the hallway-appropriate poster dimensions. ;D)
I did, and I've bought a couple.
And- I also think I might have cracked how to break those massive walls up (not literally- sledgehammers are not required). I'm toying with the idea of running a picture rail around the hallway at the roughly the level of the top of the doorways.
Too low, start about 200/ 300mm above the front bedroom door architrave, scribe a level line around the landing, where it meets the sloping ceiling above the bathroom door ( ? ) is where is could get tricky, either cut short at the angle of the ceiling and stop it there, or carry on around to meet up which would involve making a packing piece to fill the gap, either would do, depending on how deep that packer has to be..........
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 09, 2021, 10:01:19 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 08:30:03 AM
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 10:21:23 PM
...I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Did you check out the link? Those 4 are by no means the only ones available.
There were about a half dozen more Elisabeth Sonrel ladies of similar dimensions.
(No, not those dimensions. Well, actually, yes, of both those dimensions and the hallway-appropriate poster dimensions. ;D)
I did, and I've bought a couple.
And- I also think I might have cracked how to break those massive walls up (not literally- sledgehammers are not required). I'm toying with the idea of running a picture rail around the hallway at the roughly the level of the top of the doorways.
Too low, start about 200/ 300mm above the front bedroom door architrave, scribe a level line around the landing, where it meets the sloping ceiling above the bathroom door ( ? ) is where is could get tricky, either cut short at the angle of the ceiling and stop it there, or carry on around to meet up which would involve making a packing piece to fill the gap, either would do, depending on how deep that packer has to be..........
But that leads to this sort of situation
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51168358935_d965b51362_w.jpg)
Which to my eye doesn't look a particularly happy, well-considered or elegant solution.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 10:48:09 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 09, 2021, 10:01:19 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 08:30:03 AM
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 10:21:23 PM
...I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Did you check out the link? Those 4 are by no means the only ones available.
There were about a half dozen more Elisabeth Sonrel ladies of similar dimensions.
(No, not those dimensions. Well, actually, yes, of both those dimensions and the hallway-appropriate poster dimensions. ;D)
I did, and I've bought a couple.
And- I also think I might have cracked how to break those massive walls up (not literally- sledgehammers are not required). I'm toying with the idea of running a picture rail around the hallway at the roughly the level of the top of the doorways.
Too low, start about 200/ 300mm above the front bedroom door architrave, scribe a level line around the landing, where it meets the sloping ceiling above the bathroom door ( ? ) is where is could get tricky, either cut short at the angle of the ceiling and stop it there, or carry on around to meet up which would involve making a packing piece to fill the gap, either would do, depending on how deep that packer has to be..........
But that leads to this sort of situation
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51168358935_d965b51362_w.jpg)
Which to my eye doesn't look a particularly happy, well-considered or elegant solution.
Bloody hell. That room looks familiar (unless I'm mistaken it's where I used to volunteer).
I'm not sure exactly where it is, but I understand it is a National Trust property.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 10:48:09 AM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51168358935_d965b51362_w.jpg)
Which to my eye doesn't look a particularly happy, well-considered or elegant solution.
To my eye that doesn't appear too sloppy or out of place, but it's your gaf (slang for home/ house for our non Brits' on the forum ;) ) and you are going to have to look at it every day, and if you don't like it don't compromise........
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 10:48:09 AM
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 09, 2021, 10:01:19 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 08:30:03 AM
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 11:20:29 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 08, 2021, 10:21:23 PM
...I do like those. I've got a large Alphonse Mucha absinthe print that would look well there (but I need to get it framed first), but those would also look rather nice.
Did you check out the link? Those 4 are by no means the only ones available.
There were about a half dozen more Elisabeth Sonrel ladies of similar dimensions.
(No, not those dimensions. Well, actually, yes, of both those dimensions and the hallway-appropriate poster dimensions. ;D)
I did, and I've bought a couple.
And- I also think I might have cracked how to break those massive walls up (not literally- sledgehammers are not required). I'm toying with the idea of running a picture rail around the hallway at the roughly the level of the top of the doorways.
Too low, start about 200/ 300mm above the front bedroom door architrave, scribe a level line around the landing, where it meets the sloping ceiling above the bathroom door ( ? ) is where is could get tricky, either cut short at the angle of the ceiling and stop it there, or carry on around to meet up which would involve making a packing piece to fill the gap, either would do, depending on how deep that packer has to be..........
But that leads to this sort of situation
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51168358935_d965b51362_w.jpg)
Which to my eye doesn't look a particularly happy, well-considered or elegant solution.
I'm going to play the role of devil's advocate here. Honestly, I don't think that it would even look good to have any kind of dado or picture rail - at any height, in that situation. Probably just my contemporary eye, but the trapezoidal shapes you're forming on the wall just clutter the cleanliness of the wall.
A much more contemporary solution would be to break up the monotony with sconces (though I realize installation of the lamps would be probably an insurmountable problem.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E09N104XsAgg-nK?format=jpg&name=medium)
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on May 09, 2021, 03:28:17 PM
I'm going to play the role of devil's advocate here. Honestly, I don't think that it would even look good to have any kind of dado or picture rail - at any height, in that situation. Probably just my contemporary eye, but the trapezoidal shapes you're forming on the wall just clutter the cleanliness of the wall.
Aaaand, I'm going to have to disagree, Victorian and Edwardian decoration was awash with superfluous woodwork and over the top detailing, if you want a contemporary, minimalist feel, just paint the place white and burn every thing else you currently own.
Sorry JW :-* ;D
How about a huge mirror?
something along the lines of...........
(https://i.etsystatic.com/20062110/r/il/0bc3b2/2559073843/il_1140xN.2559073843_sxqo.jpg)
I would personally see that as a blank canvas to hang an untold amount of taxidermy or stained glass on, but that's just me ;D
I like the idea of a mirror, but... there is absolutely no natural light to be had up there for any money.
Consider, that when the plasterer was in doing the upstairs hallway, at the end of the job he said how much more difficult it was because he could barely see what he was doing. And that was in the middle of the day with the lights on. Now, granted, since then I've put in a new fitting with more powerful bulbs, but it's still a case of artificial light or stygian darkness.
I like the light cream colour I've got up there, I like the dark woodwork, it's funny really how the only two walls that are almost offensively bland are the corridor side. The staircase wall, which by its nature is even taller from top to bottom, you don't notice. What I could almost get away with, I think, would be something at about waist height just on those two walls to break it up a bit. Now whether that's a dado rail that runs 'captive' between the two doorframes or something in the nature of a long, narrow shelf, I don't know. Though I can imagine if I put a shelf up there I would be constantly walking into it, the corridor being only about 70cm across after all.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51167932716_c09566fbcb_c.jpg)
I'm talking about along the right-hand side of that corridor, probably at about the same height as the rail around the staircase, just between those two doorframes.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 04:38:42 PM
I like the idea of a mirror, but... there is absolutely no natural light to be had up there for any money.
Consider, that when the plasterer was in doing the upstairs hallway, at the end of the job he said how much more difficult it was because he could barely see what he was doing. And that was in the middle of the day with the lights on. Now, granted, since then I've put in a new fitting with more powerful bulbs, but it's still a case of artificial light or stygian darkness.
I like the light cream colour I've got up there, I like the dark woodwork, it's funny really how the only two walls that are almost offensively bland are the corridor side. The staircase wall, which by its nature is even taller from top to bottom, you don't notice. What I could almost get away with, I think, would be something at about waist height just on those two walls to break it up a bit. Now whether that's a dado rail that runs 'captive' between the two doorframes or something in the nature of a long, narrow shelf, I don't know. Though I can imagine if I put a shelf up there I would be constantly walking into it, the corridor being only about 70cm across after all.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51167932716_c09566fbcb_c.jpg)
I'm talking about along the right-hand side of that corridor, probably at about the same height as the rail around the staircase, just between those two doorframes.
On first glance, dado about the height of the banister rail, picture rail 200mm above the door, mirror on the opposing wall to shed some borrowed light from the hallway, pictures and any subsequent frippery can be added later as finance and whimsy takes you........ And a huge stags head, you just gotta do one of them. And no shelf of any kind, a constant obstacle to be avoided in the early morning wonders from bedroom to bathroom.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 04:38:42 PM
I like the idea of a mirror, but... there is absolutely no natural light to be had up there for any money.
... Now whether that's a dado rail that runs 'captive' between the two doorframes or something in the nature of a long, narrow shelf, I don't know. Though I can imagine if I put a shelf up there I would be constantly walking into it, the corridor being only about 70cm across after all. ...
No shelf (or shelves). As you noted, the corridor is 'way too narrow for that, unless they were to be recessed in the wall(s).
But, if I remember rightly, you don't have much wall depth --if any-- to work with.
Yes, those walls, one is load bearing and therefore solid masonry behind the plaster, the other is a stud wall, so you have a bit of timber and then the plaster over that. Not wide enough to make a hollow in for a shelf.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 11:17:33 AM
I'm not sure exactly where it is, but I understand it is a National Trust property.
I'm fairly confident that it's William's bedroom at Mr Straw's house, (the National Trust property I used to volunteer at, and I recommend visiting if you're ever in North Nottinghamshire, and a quick google proves it).
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 04:38:42 PM
I like the light cream colour I've got up there, I like the dark woodwork, it's funny really how the only two walls that are almost offensively bland are the corridor side. The staircase wall, which by its nature is even taller from top to bottom, you don't notice. What I could almost get away with, I think, would be something at about waist height just on those two walls to break it up a bit. Now whether that's a dado rail that runs 'captive' between the two doorframes or something in the nature of a long, narrow shelf, I don't know. Though I can imagine if I put a shelf up there I would be constantly walking into it, the corridor being only about 70cm across after all.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51167932716_c09566fbcb_c.jpg)
I'm talking about along the right-hand side of that corridor, probably at about the same height as the rail around the staircase, just between those two doorframes.
Looking at that picture reaffirms my suggestion of a dado or picture rail at around door level height (the picture rail may be preferable as you wouldn't necessarily have to take it down the stairs to stop it looking odd I seem to recall a door at the top of the stairs). A mirror might also improve the light levels on the landing.
Ah, excellent. I'll add it to my list of places to visit, just so soon as we're allowed to travel around without let it hindrance again.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 09, 2021, 04:38:42 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51167932716_c09566fbcb_c.jpg)
I'd be inclined to drop the pictures slightly, top of the frames level with the top of the light switch - think it would be more balanced. And it's a big lot of wall! Perhaps one or two only larger pictures, or an small array of mixed sizes, but nothing so big as to overwhelm anything else?
Well now.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51172672533_989c7a45dd_c.jpg)
Enthusiasm won in straight sets, which means that from here on in I'm proceeding with extreme caution, in case exuberence leads me into territory I find myself anxious to quit.
I should explain, this is the outside wall (or one of them) of the dining room. Inside, below that window, I'm finding that the plasterwork is very powdery and comes off as dust. I got hold of a moisture meter and showed it to these spots and it gave a reading of 'OL', meterspeak for 'too wet for me, Guv'. So I've got a bit of an issue there as I've no idea where that moisture might be coming from.
The wall faces north whilst the prevailing wind and weather comes from the west, and my garden fence shields it from the worst of that.
There's a DPC in the wall (or at least, a line of those little caps you find when the rising damp snakeoil salesman has succeeded on putting the frighteners on someone), so it shouldn't be from that source I would have thought.
There's no overflowing guttering or broken downpipes or anything that leads to water streaming down the outside face of the wall.
The only thing on the wall that could retain water was a big wooden block to the underside of the window cill, which I removed last night on account of it being quite rotten.
So what does that leave?
Condensation?
Poor air circulation?
Historic damp that's still working it's way out?
Is the DPC (damp proof course for people wondering what he's talking about) made from metal? Could it be corroded or broken in some way?
The original would have been probably either slate or bitumen, then somebody has come along in the 115 years or so since and pumped some sort of chemical stuff in there to do the same job. One thing that does make me think though- the more modern DPC is only about half a brick (approx 50mm / 2") above ground level. I wonder if the outside level has been brought up and it's getting in that way.
A bit more exploring this evening. I raked out the gravel (there was a tiny strip of the stuff maybe 2" wide between the slabs and the house). That was absolutely sopping wet. The brickwork behind it looked like it had been chucked in a bucket of water. I went down an inch or so and struck concrete. I then started trying to pry up the slabs and found there's nothing keying them in. They're laid on a bed of concrete and then rely on their own selfweight and the benevolence of Mother Earth to stay there. I've taken up a row of those in front of the dining room, which has lowered the ground level by about 25mm/ 1"- not a lot but it's easily doubled the clearance that was there previously- and I'm going to gradually work my way along and take them all up. Means I'll have a bare concrete patio for a little while but needs must.
Then maybe next year I'll break that concrete out, put in a French drain around the back of the house and relay a patio 150mm/ 6" or so lower than it is at the moment.
Hopefully though the little bit that I've already started on will have an effect over the next few weeks.
Maybe the paint is responsible?
Quote from: James Harrison on May 11, 2021, 07:22:15 PM
A bit more exploring this evening. I raked out the gravel (there was a tiny strip of the stuff maybe 2" wide between the slabs and the house). That was absolutely sopping wet. The brickwork behind it looked like it had been chucked in a bucket of water. I went down an inch or so and struck concrete. I then started trying to pry up the slabs and found there's nothing keying them in. They're laid on a bed of concrete and then rely on their own selfweight and the benevolence of Mother Earth to stay there. I've taken up a row of those in front of the dining room, which has lowered the ground level by about 25mm/ 1"- not a lot but it's easily doubled the clearance that was there previously- and I'm going to gradually work my way along and take them all up. Means I'll have a bare concrete patio for a little while but needs must.
Then maybe next year I'll break that concrete out, put in a French drain around the back of the house and relay a patio 150mm/ 6" or so lower than it is at the moment.
Hopefully though the little bit that I've already started on will have an effect over the next few weeks.
Those slabs, and the concrete they are sitting on....are they significantly angled away from the house?
Over here, the typical [outdoor] drainage slope for a patio or yard is minimum 2 inches of drop-off for every 10 feet, but 4-5 inches being more typical.
4-5 inch drop over 10 feet is about a 2 to 2.5 degree slope.
Also, it might be worth the expense to bring in a building inspector or structural engineer to identify/locate the cause of the problem.
Repairs made on guesswork (or "think-work", as in "I think this is causing the problem") can get expensive as the guesses (or "thinks") may not result in [completely] fixing the problem. It may even exacerbate it. And then, because you still have a problem, you go on to the next guess (or "think").
Should a "pro" identify the cause, it doesn't mean you can't still fix it yourself. The inspector/engineer may even be able to advise you as to the best way to fix the problem once and for all.
There isn't an appreciable drop on the patio at all, it's completely flat looking along the brick courses. I was planning to lower it a bit anyway as it is more usual to step down into the garden as well as out into it.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 12, 2021, 06:33:53 AM
There isn't an appreciable drop on the patio at all, it's completely flat looking along the brick courses. I was planning to lower it a bit anyway as it is more usual to step down into the garden as well as out into it.
Well, when you lower it, also slope it away from the house.
Quote from: Deimos on May 12, 2021, 07:08:29 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on May 12, 2021, 06:33:53 AM
There isn't an appreciable drop on the patio at all, it's completely flat looking along the brick courses. I was planning to lower it a bit anyway as it is more usual to step down into the garden as well as out into it.
Well, when you lower it, also slope it away from the house.
That's the intention. Interesting development today in that I took a tape measure outside. In my patio: from top of concrete to top of gravelboard = 230mm. In the street outside: from tarmac to top of gravelboard = 290mm.
So at some point the garden has been raised by 60mm, and then 25mm thick slabs have been laid on top of that... if I took it back down so that the garden is at the same level as the street, suddenly I get somewhere around 150mm between ground level and the DPC (versus the approx 70mm I have at the moment). Which can only be a good thing.
When it comes time to grade the ground slope for your patio you might consider using a water level.
If you have never used one or don't know about it, it's pretty much a fool proof method to getting the slope you want.
landscape water level (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HMBZlZkqU4)
I use a more simplified setup, but it has always worked well.
I think that's a really good idea actually, because I was wondering how I'll get the levels right when I really take the problem in hand.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51172672533_989c7a45dd_c.jpg)
So this was taking the rotten wood down below the window cill. You can see from the amount of dust just how bad it was, one tap and quite a lot of it crumbled and blew away on the breeze.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51176794423_8a2e7602b1_c.jpg)
Then raking out the little strip of gravel between the slabs and the house, and you can see how damp that was. You can also see how the brick behind the gravel was also wet.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51177664920_4108e03bbc_c.jpg)
This was yesterday evening, having levered up and carried away something like 18 of these slabs, now stacked up at the bottom of the paddock. Only another 30 to go, oh plus the ones in front of the kitchen....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51176574761_4e9a9f7ec6_c.jpg)
And this is the same area this evening, with the concrete having dried out a bit and the brickwork having mostly dried, on the surface at least. For comparison, when exposed all of it was like that darker patch on the right.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 13, 2021, 04:31:54 PM
I think that's a really good idea actually, because I was wondering how I'll get the levels right when I really take the problem in hand.
Yeah.... the principle is so simple that it strikes me as something that Archimedes or the ancient Egyptians might have been the first to figure it out.
When you get ready to grade/level the dirt look at more than one [youtube] presentation.
The principle is the same, but some folks modify (or simplify) it bit.
You may find a way to do it on the cheap since you are not doing a huge amount of acreage (or are you?) .
Anyway, check out a few of the vids before spending your shillings.
Re the water damage
Wow :o. You are fortunate the damage never progressed to mold inside the house. :P
I am indeed, I think. Certainly if it had reached that stage I'd have been looking at the problem a lot sooner.
Last night I got several more slabs up, and when I reached what was originally the WC I found that the concrete came up with the slabs, uncovering a sort of metal grate with holes in it. I'm not sure whether those holes are present through design or rust, so for the moment I've covered it back up with slabs and will leave well alone. Pouring water down the holes shows that, whatever it is, it is still connected to the drains.
I was going to spend today taking up some more slabs, however it has done nothing but rain. So instead I've done one of the inside roundtuit jobs and put some more shelving up in the sitting room.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51179705802_1baba4d57d_c.jpg)
Efforts to reduce the level of the patio were able to resume this morning. The plan was to take up the slabs down the side of the house, the row in front of the kitchen and then a row down to the lawn, so that ay any water that would otherwise collect around the walls has a clear path to drain down.
And I've achieved that;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51181556012_f4599b5a68_c.jpg)
All of them taken up down the side of the house (and then I've put a few back as stepping stones because of the mud and muck that had collected above the concrete)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51183326050_9bc8ef9f5e_c.jpg)
And a row taken up across the front of the kitchen
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51181556057_86ab19d219_c.jpg)
And a row down to the lawn.
Whilst taking those up though, I found a few holes in the concrete, with some metal in the bottom with holes through that metal. Now, obviously this needs further investigation but mindful of how my curiosity tends to lead to big, expensive projects and accidents I left well alone.
But then this morning one of the slabs broke up some more of the concrete whilst it was coming up... What I have found is, is that I've got slabs on top of blinding (which is basically cheap and nasty concrete, it has cement and sand in it but the bare minimum of aggregate) on top of another layer of concrete. And the two layers haven't really bonded together very well, if at all- so when it starts to peel away in one area the whole lot starts to come up. And what that uncovered, as that happened, was that I've got another manhole cover I never knew I had.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51181555977_338ddc8511_c.jpg)
So now I think the plan has to be to get all of the slabs up (which was my original intention anyway, until I'd moved about 20 of them and worked out just how cumbersome they are), then try to break away the blinding to uncover the concrete below. And hopefully this won't become another example of a project that grows legs and runs away with me, because (not to put too fine a point on it) I really can't afford that this year.
Do you know where the stormwater drain and sewage and gas pipes are? I presume all electrical/telecommunications lines are above ground.
Sorontar
ps. I like the distant self-portrait photo.
I know where the foul and stormwater drains run, I know where the mains water pipe (should) run, I know where the gas and the electric come in. What I don't know is how deep down some of those are.
Basically around the front of the kitchen I'm safe to whack away at the ground as hard as I please, down the side I'm going to need to be a bit mroe gentle.
So you haven't (yet) lifted that steel plate to see what it's covering?
If you don't plan to investigate, you might consider leaving it exposed like the similar one in your third pic.
It would necessitate getting another steel panel to place on top of it. (Hit a salvage place for one...it would then have the proper "aged" appearance like the other one.)
Alternately you'd have to figure a way to place the pavers on top of it, such that those few pavers can be (more or less) easily removed to gain access to the steel plate.
I'm suggesting this only because you don't know what's down there and, at some point, you may have to open it up.
And if it comes to that you want to disturb your patio as little as possible.
I'd probably go with "removable" pavers because 1) little to no extra expense, and 2) they don't weigh as much as a steel plate.
Or if you do investigate it, and there is nothing down there that you would ever need to access, then permanently cover it up.
That steel plate covers the foul drain. When I uncovered the lifting points last week, I took up the other manhole cover and then poured some water down the lifting point holes, and it flowed down the drain. What is a relative unknown at the moment, is what sort of a condition the chamber below is in- it's probably reasonable to assume it's fairly sound, as the drain isn't blocked and the cover isn't obviously sagging anywhere, but beyond that...
It's also probably reasonable to take the view that the top of the manhole is the original level of the back patio, so when I do come to do this properly I'll be breaking out the concrete and then building back to that same level, which means that overall I'll have dropped the level by about 60mm or so (very approximately 2.5 inches). That, probably, is about right- when I started I had about 70mm clearance between the slabs and the DPC and I'm now I'm talking about losing another 60mm, which puts it at about 130mm or 5 inches, which is about 2 courses of brick. Which, going by the front of the house, is about right.
I think what I should really clarify too, is that in our building regulations permanently covering up a manhole over live services (say, by pouring an inch of concrete over it) is forbidden. So that access hole not only needs to stay, but it shouldn't have been covered over in the first place, regardless of there being another access point about four feet away. I definitely think something in the way of a piece of Edwardian ironmongery (whether reclaimed original or modern reproduction) will be called for when the time comes.
Well, all the slabs are up at least. All hundred-and-some-odd of them. Just the blinding to get rid of now. Encouragingly, the stuff underneath the blinding does actually seem to be laid to a fall, out toward the street, so hopefully one I've scraped off the mix of cement, sand and garden rubbish that passes for the blinding it should be tolerably dry.
Success!
Refer back to the photo on page 40 when I was removing the timber add-on to the window sill. Note how the patio slabs were practically wedged under the door threshold.
Well, it's taken a week and more to do it, but this is the same area today.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51194304652_e1b70146bf_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51195787584_3194235e0a_c.jpg)
That was the thickness of the slabs (about 30mm) plus the thickness of the blinding they had been laid on (by the house, this varied between 10mm and 40mm or so). I've uncovered a manhole I never knew I had, another smaller plate that looks like something to do with the drainage, the bullnose bricks that would have formed the original threshold, and in so doing taken the level down by a course of bricks (about 80 - 85mm, including the mortar).Away from the house, the concrete got thicker... much thicker. In some areas I've dropped the level by 100mm, and note- I've only taken it down to good concrete.
There's still a good part of the patio to clear, so we're not completely done yet, but the critical bit is finished.
Finished, swept down, all the rubble moved off down the paddock (tomorrow's task being to hire a skip to cart it all off), here's a before and after so you can get an idea of the overall effect. I've even gone to the trouble of organising identical weather conditions.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51199090485_d641b75cf1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51198806279_dc254eb406_c.jpg)
And so now we wait to see if it has any effect on the damp patches below the window.
Good job....backbreaking work, tho'.
So, that solid wood fence to the left (In the pic) is obviously a property boundary.
What about the little picket fence? Boundary? Or does the green space beyond it belong to you? Is that the paddock?
The little picket fence is mine, the grass beyond it is mine, and the building beyond that is also mine, as is the wooden fence going down the left hand side.
All told, my plot is about 140' long by 15' wide. The paddock is 60' by 15', the house is 40' x 15, the front garden is about 15' x 15' and the remainder is the garage.
So the building down the end is the garage? The verandah is interesting. Do you have plans for that building as well? Decking outside? Roof that opens up to allow you to land your aircraft inside?
Sorontar
Quote from: James Harrison on May 23, 2021, 09:23:17 PM
The little picket fence is mine, the grass beyond it is mine, and the building beyond that is also mine, as is the wooden fence going down the left hand side.
All told, my plot is about 140' long by 15' wide. The paddock is 60' by 15', the house is 40' x 15, the front garden is about 15' x 15' and the remainder is the garage.
Long narrow lots were not uncommon in many older cities in the US, especially east of the Mississippi River.
But I still find it a little difficult imagining a house on such a narrow lot. The length of your lot is a little less than half again the length of mine (110'), and is about as wide my garage (19'...the lot width is 75') Those architects had to be really good at designing narrow homes :o.
Quote from: Deimos on May 24, 2021, 04:25:37 AM
Long narrow lots were not uncommon in many older cities in the US, especially east of the Mississippi River.
But I still find it a little difficult imagining a house on such a narrow lot. The length of your lot is a little less than half again the length of mine (110'), and is about as wide my garage (19'...the lot width is 75') Those architects had to be really good at designing narrow homes :o.
They're an incredibly common sort of home in the UK (and even more so before the 1960s happened), but considering how many non-UK architects and architectural historians find them fascinating I get the impression they're pretty rare anywhere else. There's a fantastic book I can recommend-
The English Terraced House by Stefan Muthesius- that goes into considerable detail about how the type evolved.
Quote from: Sorontar on May 24, 2021, 03:53:32 AM
So the building down the end is the garage? The verandah is interesting. Do you have plans for that building as well? Decking outside? Roof that opens up to allow you to land your aircraft inside?
Sorontar
That is indeed my garage. It's contemporary with the house, it's got a wonderful open roof space (just a pity there's no access to get up there, nor a floor to stand on if I could) and it's big enough to get two cars in (with room left over for workbench and tools). I just have to be mindful that the doors open on the long side, so long saloon cars and the like won't fit in!
I have plans for the bottom end of the paddock but they are very much the very last thing I'll be looking at.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 24, 2021, 04:29:26 PM
Quote from: Deimos on May 24, 2021, 04:25:37 AM
Long narrow lots were not uncommon in many older cities in the US, especially east of the Mississippi River.
But I still find it a little difficult imagining a house on such a narrow lot. The length of your lot is a little less than half again the length of mine (110'), and is about as wide my garage (19'...the lot width is 75') Those architects had to be really good at designing narrow homes :o.
They're an incredibly common sort of home in the UK (and even more so before the 1960s happened), but considering how many non-UK architects and architectural historians find them fascinating I get the impression they're pretty rare anywhere else. There's a fantastic book I can recommend- The English Terraced House by Stefan Muthesius- that goes into considerable detail about how the type evolved.
Had to think about it for a bit, but it finally came to me: in the US terraced houses are called Row Houses.
Here is a link to a brief explanation of them (and your UK Terraced Houses are mentioned as well. ) Row Houses Explained (https://www.landisconstruction.com/row-houses-explained/)
I would say you are, without a doubt doing the right thing there, as a general rule the damp course is at the level of the underside of the 150 cill on the door and ground level outside should be 150mm below that.
A lot of digging, but well worth the effort.
A couple of others things to maybe consider are...........
Do you have cavity wall insulation?
Debris from previous works in the house, eg windows, over the years bridging the cavity? ( my guess)
Air bricks, I don't see any.
I would chain drill out a brick under the centre of the window at damp course level, with an air brick in mind, once the hole is made, route around for crap and see what could be going on.
If all clear, it won't hurt any, if full of shyte, then further action required on clearing the cavity.
silicone injection an absolute waste of time and money...........it does not work.
Just looking back at your photos.
- Looks like a chemical injection DPC has been done, you can see the caps on the black painted bricks
- Is that concrete fencepost tight against the wall? Could be bridging the DPC.
I must say I'm learning a bit about British building standards and the issues around it! It's amazing how building philosophies can vary across the world.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on May 28, 2021, 02:27:06 PM
I must say I'm learning a bit about British building standards and the issues around it! It's amazing how building philosophies can vary across the world.
I am seriously hoping certain things have changed, I'm out of touch these days.
When I was a corgi gas fitter, I got picked up on my mate physically hanging a boiler.
Is HE registered? I was asked. No but I am, and I marked it all out and he banged holes and screwed it to the wall........
That is illegal, was the reply
BUT according to the rules at the time "ANY COMPETENT PERSON" could fit a gas appliance, so, my argument was, if a person under instruction from a QUALIFIED person is deemed incompetent then what the hell does the word competent mean?
We ended fudging the subject, It was agreed that
I hung every boiler myself and I passed the annual inspection . ::)
Farce.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 28, 2021, 10:27:03 AM
I would say you are, without a doubt doing the right thing there, as a general rule the damp course is at the level of the underside of the 150 cill on the door and ground level outside should be 150mm below that.
A lot of digging, but well worth the effort.
A couple of others things to maybe consider are...........
Do you have cavity wall insulation?
Debris from previous works in the house, eg windows, over the years bridging the cavity? ( my guess)
Air bricks, I don't see any.
I would chain drill out a brick under the centre of the window at damp course level, with an air brick in mind, once the hole is made, route around for crap and see what could be going on.
If all clear, it won't hurt any, if full of shyte, then further action required on clearing the cavity.
silicone injection an absolute waste of time and money...........it does not work.
I don't know about the cavity wall, whether that is filled up or not with insulation. Debris bridging the cavity is my next best guess, however before starting knocking bricks out of the wall I'm going to wait a few months and see if the wall starts to dry out inside. There are air bricks, however there are none in that elevation- there are I think two or four in the adjacent wall facing into the street. Problem is of course, does that air adequately circulate round a 90-degree corner....
Quote from: Lord Pentecost on May 28, 2021, 01:28:16 PM
Just looking back at your photos.
- Looks like a chemical injection DPC has been done, you can see the caps on the black painted bricks
- Is that concrete fencepost tight against the wall? Could be bridging the DPC.
It's not jammed absolutely tight against the wall. It's close enough that you can't see daylight through, but not physically cemented/ grouted to the brickwork.Which could actually be a bad thing as I can imagine it becomes a bit of a water trap. To be fair, the fence is on the to-do list but as I want to replace with a proper brick wall, firstly it's an expense that will need saving for and secondly I'm pretty sure the local authorities will have something to say on it.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2021, 04:56:45 PM
I don't know about the cavity wall, whether that is filled up or not with insulation. Debris bridging the cavity is my next best guess, however before starting knocking bricks out of the wall I'm going to wait a few months and see if the wall starts to dry out inside. There are air bricks, however there are none in that elevation- there are I think two or four in the adjacent wall facing into the street. Problem is of course, does that air adequately circulate round a 90-degree corner....
When the doors were fitted, you would probably know, a ton of either grey polystyrene balls or a light snow of white fluffy stuff coating the place afterwards.
I would think about putting a few air bricks in any way, like I said, can't hurt.
Just think of cavity ventilation like a bendy straw with one end pinched off or left open when blown through, a way in and a way out. ;)
Aah, that would be a 'no' then. Nothing came pouring out of the wall when the doors were changed over.
I ordered a skip for the bank holiday weekend with a vew to getting rid of most of the slabs, the broken concrete and the piles of spoil brought out of the front garden. Well, I got all of the concrete into it but lucked out on the other two, as the concrete proved surprisingly bulky. At least the paddock looks a little less like Stoptoe's Yard now though.
As my approach to each of the rooms appears to be of the order of splitting each one down into a series of smaller projects, tasks or phases, means that I've been able to start on the next internal space. I was planning that to be the master bedroom but I'm still in the doldrums on that front even getting a rough concept of what I want to do in there. Meanwhile I found a colour I think will look good in the bathroom- a vibrant but quite dark shade of emerald green- so I've started cleaning down and undercoating the walls preparatory to repainting. You'll have to forgive my modesty if I don't give a blow by blow pictorial account of this one.
Right, the bathroom. Originally this was another bedroom. When the deeds came through the post a few months ago, one of the documents was a drawing for the conversion of the back bedroom into a bathroom. There is no date on that drawing but I would note that the client is stated as the person who owned the house from about the 1970s to the late 1990s, that it's hand draughted on detail paper and that all the dimensions on it are imperial, which dates it more toward the '70s then the '90s. Incidentally I'd note that the same drawing shows what is now the kitchen as being split up into three rooms; a small kitchen, a coal bin and a WC accessed from an outside door. I'm not proposing to restore the house to that arrangement but it explains why there's a whacking gurt big beam across the kitchen ceiling.
There's not really much to be said about the bathroom fittings, they're serviceable but that's about it really. White porcelain, white plastic, no thought or nous about them behind basic ergonomics and manufacturing/ retailing down to a price. Take it as read that, ultimately, they will be replaced with something more to my liking. Around the fittings some white tiling has been fitted, quite plain and boring but nothing really offensive to the senses. That will probably go eventually but it's not a priority at the moment.
As to the paintwork, like much of the rest of the house it's a victim of the 2010s idea of three magnolia walls and one that gives you a migraine after looking at it for a few minutes.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51211584344_c046856c3e_c.jpg)
So I whitewashed the one wall.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51211032808_d4c0a37067_c.jpg)
And I've started to paint.
So, is that a needless cord for the ceiling fan that makes you fear pulling the ceiling down every time you use it?
Sorontar
Nope, that turns on the lights and the extraction fan. I had to have it replaced last year because when I moved in, my morning and evening rituals involved standing there pulling on the rope for ten minutes to get the light on.
The skip has gone and taken with it the concrete.
Density of concrete = 2.4 tonnes/cubic metre;
Area of the patio (side of house) = 5m x 2m
Depth of concrete = 0.05m (pessimistic average)
So weight of concrete moved = 1.2 tonnes
Area of patio (back of house) = 4.5m x 3m
Depth of concrete = 0.05m (pessimistic average)
So weight of concrete moved = 1.6 tonnes
Total weight of concrete = 2.8 tonnes, moved twice (patio - paddock, paddock - skip) = 5.6 tonnes moved.
No wonder my back has packed in.
Well, three days after the skip went and naturally it was only then that part of the concrete around the front of the house decided to break apart... block or brick paving from the street to the house and around in front of the bay window is on the agenda for next year.
I was only able to start painting the bathroom again yesterday after a week spent in some discomfort, I'm hopeful that a week or so will see two coats on and that little job done.
Then it's just a case of waiting for the new windows to arrive.
Phew... that's one of the spoil tips cleared away in the paddock. I think the other, larger one might need a bit of thinking about, the one-cubic-metre bag is already getting pretty full.
The bathroom has had one coat of paint all around and needs another. When that is done- I think I'll stop a while.
Well, I'm not intending to give a blow-by-blow account of the bathroom but this first part of it is... getting there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51243126827_3ed3b9ab30_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51244897100_77a876ec42_c.jpg)
Once the painting is finished I'm calling it for the year. Not to put too fine a point on it my resources are expended.
Work is also slowly continuing on clearing away the spoil tips in the paddock, but soil is damned heavy, bending down for any length of time to riddle the stuff is taxing, and, honestly?- it's just too hot and humid to spend hours at a time out there. Plus the previously-mentioned issue of running out of space to store the material.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 13, 2021, 10:54:43 AM
Well, I'm not intending to give a blow-by-blow account of the bathroom but this first part of it is... getting there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51243126827_3ed3b9ab30_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51244897100_77a876ec42_c.jpg)
Once the painting is finished I'm calling it for the year. Not to put too fine a point on it my resources are expended.
Work is also slowly continuing on clearing away the spoil tips in the paddock, but soil is damned heavy, bending down for any length of time to riddle the stuff is taxing, and, honestly?- it's just too hot and humid to spend hours at a time out there. Plus the previously-mentioned issue of running out of space to store the material.
That is a superb and rich colour.. It will be a fabulous bathroom
Bathroom looks great James.
Now for heavens sake have a rest - I'm tired out just thinking about all you've done ;)!
Heheheh. What can I say?- Itchy Finger Syndrome.
James, what colour are your cut-in tiles. please? They look like dark brown in the pictures. When I did my tiny bathroom I did the floor in a 10cm matt charcoal grey non-slip tile, with a 2.5cm cut-in at the bottom of the wall, 10cm gloss white wall tiles with a 2.5cm decorative band of the floor tiles about 5cm from the top of the white ones, and the rest of the wall & ceiling in white paint. Looks smashing!! I painted the walls white because the bathroom is now inside, as opposed to previously having access from what was originally an open verandah access, but which is now built in - it's a bit dark, with the only "outside" light coming from what was the window to the outside.
Those small tiles are actually a black/ charcoal sort of a colour.
That makes it very much like my bathroom wall, except I only have one row of grey!
Sitrep.
Three coats of green paint on all walls- it's now got a nice, even finish.
I'm now masking up the joint between the walls and the ceiling and starting to clean up the over-brushing there.
Once that is done, I'll clean up the excess green paint (off the tiles, the bathroom suite, the floor and the skirting boards)- and then for this year I'm calling a halt to proceedings.
Remaining to be looked at for my to-do list:
-New front windows (actually on order, deposit paid, awaiting an installation date);
-Not-quite-damp patch on the bay window ceiling (the roofers are supposed to be getting back to me with a date they can come look at that, it's not got any worse in the last two months so I'm not really worried about it at the moment);
-Contined monitoring of the damp patches in the dining room (I think they're starting to dry out a bit but it'll probably be at least a few months before I see any real difference, assuming removing all that concrete has done the trick).
Bathroom has now been repainted, and I'm calling it for the year. Resources, patience and enthusiasm exhausted. So now it's just a case of cleaning up the messier bits, finishing off sifting through the spoil pile in the paddock (there is no way I shifted 2 tonnes+ of soil out of the front garden... is there?) and then taking it easy, until next year.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 26, 2021, 09:18:48 AM
Bathroom has now been repainted, and I'm calling it for the year. Resources, patience and enthusiasm exhausted. So now it's just a case of cleaning up the messier bits, finishing off sifting through the spoil pile in the paddock (there is no way I shifted 2 tonnes+ of soil out of the front garden... is there?) and then taking it easy, until next year.
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all 42 pages of this post and catching up with you.
Enjoy a well earned rest and return refreshed to tackle the next project.
Thanks Maduncle, it's good to see you back here after too long an absence! I'm loving your robot project.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51273505017_44ce0bdc81_c.jpg)
All of the soil I took out of the front garden, graded, sifted and bagged ready for eventual re-use. Rough estimate, there's the best part of two tonnes there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51275281730_9ed9d01b29_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51274426293_0b0823eb7d_c.jpg)
These two dead patches of lawn are where I originally dumped it. It, and all that concrete I broke out a month or so back (which has of course largely been skipped). For context, the two spoil tips were at one point taller than the picket fence.
Did you find anything interesting while sifting the soil?
When you mention "The Paddock", I automatically think of a field with horses. :-[
How you are not looking at the shower fittings in the bathroom and thinking "golly, I could really steam that lot up with some brass ..." is beyond me.
All plumbing is inherently steampunk.
Quote from: maduncle on June 28, 2021, 04:18:35 AM
How you are not looking at the shower fittings in the bathroom and thinking "golly, I could really steam that lot up with some brass ..." is beyond me.
All plumbing is inherently steampunk.
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E48r0ZhWYAEGEgx?format=jpg&name=large)
I have plans in that regard. Next year, perhaps.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 28, 2021, 06:29:25 AM
I have plans in that regard. Next year, perhaps.
Now where did I put that ...
(https://imagizer.imageshack.com/v2/640x480q90/923/lPMDGK.jpg)
... ah there it is. My "Gentleman's Grooming and Information Station".
Quote from: Mercury Wells on June 28, 2021, 01:35:09 AM
Did you find anything interesting while sifting the soil?
When you mention "The Paddock", I automatically think of a field with horses. :-[
Unfortunately not, I suspect I hauled all the interesting bits (100 year old tile fragments and the like) out of it when first moving it. The paddock, incidentally, is the joke name I've come up with for the back garden after the discovery that it's large enough to comfortably corral a horse in it. Not that I have any ambitions in that direction of course.
Quote from: maduncle on June 28, 2021, 04:18:35 AM
How you are not looking at the shower fittings in the bathroom and thinking "golly, I could really steam that lot up with some brass ..." is beyond me.
All plumbing is inherently steampunk.
I have plans to do something about that but they're going to wait until I get around to replacing the bathroom suite and kitchen.
Except for the cheesey "gear" wallpaper....
(https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/902/252/medium/parker-tucker-tucker-parker-wk4-project-pcc2-1605.jpg?1467072995)
Quote from: Deimos on June 29, 2021, 04:50:38 AM
Except for the cheesey "gear" wallpaper....
(https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/902/252/medium/parker-tucker-tucker-parker-wk4-project-pcc2-1605.jpg?1467072995)
And the gratuitous over use of copper pipe. It's a bloody lavatory, not a fountain in your garden.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on June 29, 2021, 12:49:20 PM
Quote from: Deimos on June 29, 2021, 04:50:38 AM
Except for the cheesey "gear" wallpaper....
(https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/902/252/medium/parker-tucker-tucker-parker-wk4-project-pcc2-1605.jpg?1467072995)
And the gratuitous over use of copper pipe. It's a bloody lavatory, not a fountain in your garden.
A traditional lavatory with white ceramic faucet /valve handles in a two-tone ceramic tiled bathroom would be more Steampunk. Brings to mind the Chiltern Firehouse Hotel in London.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on June 29, 2021, 01:46:25 PM
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on June 29, 2021, 12:49:20 PM
Quote from: Deimos on June 29, 2021, 04:50:38 AM
Except for the cheesey "gear" wallpaper....
(https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/902/252/medium/parker-tucker-tucker-parker-wk4-project-pcc2-1605.jpg?1467072995)
And the gratuitous over use of copper pipe. It's a bloody lavatory, not a fountain in your garden.
A traditional lavatory with white ceramic faucet /valve handles in a two-tone ceramic tiled bathroom would be more Steampunk. Brings to mind the Chiltern Firehouse Hotel in London.
Your kidding, right, JW? About the
"gratuitous over use of copper pipe"?
Since when has Steampunk not been the over use of brass or copper anything?
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/KusAAOSwKrhgjWJP/s-l500.jpg)
(https://blog.minifigures.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/steampunk-hat.jpg)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/88/86/21/888621c77f0de9aaea47463a39351e0f.jpg)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/0e/d7/5d/0ed75d850249ed323726cff46980818a.jpg)
On a practical level that pipe is probably not doing much good for functionality. Too many bends in it, too many points where the flow gets restricted and slows right down. Not to be too coarse about it but you want a decent flush, not a gentle dribble.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 29, 2021, 04:36:24 PM
On a practical level that pipe is probably not doing much good for functionality. Too many bends in it, too many points where the flow gets restricted and slows right down. Not to be too coarse about it but you want a decent flush, not a gentle dribble.
Exactly, I don't have a problem with non-functional pipes being used for decoration on a prop/display piece (provided that it actually seems to serve a purpose) but that looks like the designer has just added copper for the sake of copper (and as said above, would only stop the lav flushing properly).
Oh, I agree with both of you. I saw the drop in "flush pressure" problem immediately.
But the way JW phrased his objection was primarily as a "gratuitous" (uncalled for) use of copper pipe.
My protest was that a gratuitous use of copper (or brass) pipe in a steampunk project is not per se a reason to reject it.
If it were there would be very few impressively "eye candy" steampunk projects.
Quote from: Deimos on June 29, 2021, 06:05:40 PM
Oh, I agree with both of you. I saw the drop in "flush pressure" problem immediately.
But the way JW phrased his objection was primarily as a "gratuitous" (uncalled for) use of copper pipe.
My protest was that a gratuitous use of copper (or brass) pipe in a steampunk project is not per se a reason to reject it.
If it were there would be very few impressively "eye candy" steampunk projects.
Dear Marie. Read the quote carefully, again. I wasn't the one who wrote the phrase "And the gratuitous over use of copper pipe" ::)
I was the one who wrote that a traditional ceramic bathroom would look more Steampunk:
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on June 29, 2021, 12:49:20 PM
Quote from: Deimos on June 29, 2021, 04:50:38 AM
Except for the cheesey "gear" wallpaper....
(https://cdna.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/002/902/252/medium/parker-tucker-tucker-parker-wk4-project-pcc2-1605.jpg?1467072995)
And the gratuitous over use of copper pipe. It's a bloody lavatory, not a fountain in your garden.
My apologies JW....
So my reply (by which I still stand) is directed to whomever made the statement amount gratuitous copper pipe.
Quote from: Deimos on June 30, 2021, 06:10:18 AM
My apologies JW....
So my reply (by which I still stand) is directed to whomever made the statement amount gratuitous copper pipe.
Maybe we need to distinguish between "gratuitous" copper pipe and "counterproductive" copper pipe...
Quote from: von Corax on June 30, 2021, 07:08:02 AM
Quote from: Deimos on June 30, 2021, 06:10:18 AM
My apologies JW....
So my reply (by which I still stand) is directed to whomever made the statement amount gratuitous copper pipe.
Maybe we need to distinguish between "gratuitous" copper pipe and "counterproductive" copper pipe...
That makes it sound so naughty... Scandalous, really. "Gratuitous copper pipes" :D I can think of a time when we did have "gratuitous copper pipes being built by a few members. All in the name of medicine, of course. ::)
Quote from: James Harrison on June 29, 2021, 04:36:24 PM
On a practical level that pipe is probably not doing much good for functionality. Too many bends in it, too many points where the flow gets restricted and slows right down. Not to be too coarse about it but you want a decent flush, not a gentle dribble.
Actually the decent flush comes from the water already in the bowl and the ease of which it leaves the bowl.
A gentle refill of the bowl from the water tank above should be achievable via any length of gratuitous copper pipe required.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on June 29, 2021, 12:49:20 PM
And the gratuitous over use of copper pipe. It's a bloody lavatory, not a fountain in your garden.
Quote from: Deimos on June 29, 2021, 02:01:44 PM
Your kidding, right? About the "gratuitous over use of copper pipe"?
Since when has Steampunk not been the over use of brass or copper anything?
I thought superfluous detailing frippery
was Steampunk, obviously I was mistaken, if so, maybe 90% of Tactile threads should be moved to Off Topic and labelled
gratuitousIf a Mod on a Steampunk forum thinks copper and brass is too much and over-used where are we going?.......
It's a fantasy world, not some English Heritage historical restoration forum, so,
copious amounts of brass, copper and any form of self expression of what you personally feel is Steampunk is allowed........
The only thing that really bothers me about the bathroom is the black wall paper with cogs on it, really. A bathroom needs light, so you can cleanse yourself from all that coal zoot at the end of the day. I'd much rather see plenty of ceramic along with the brass.
Now then, a couple of months ago I broke out the patio concrete to a depth of several centimetres and uncovered a sealed up manhole cover. Well, next week I've got a plumber coming to do a few small jobs and asked him to also check the inspection pit below. Problem is, the manhole cover is grouted in and gummed up with concrete. So I've spent a little time today with a chisel and hammer and some mortar acid and broken all of that out. And now the cover can be taken off.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51302476533_13df9c26c2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51301541437_3f844fd1b0_c.jpg)
So it looks like my belief that the pipe leads back to the main soil pipe is correct. The branch off to the side, that looks it could be to the outlet drain for the washing machine. It doesn't look like I've got a drain going back under the kitchen (half of which used to be an outdoor WC).
You might as-well get it all checked out with a camera (Endoscope) type thingy anyway.
These renovations are such an adventure I am wondering when the photographic coffee table book is being published.
:-)
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on July 11, 2021, 02:18:05 AM
These renovations are such an adventure I am wondering when the photographic coffee table book is being published.
:-)
Sorontar
:D
I hadn't considered that but if there is demand for it...
Quote from: James Harrison on July 11, 2021, 09:43:48 AM
Quote from: Sorontar on July 11, 2021, 02:18:05 AM
These renovations are such an adventure I am wondering when the photographic coffee table book is being published.
:-)
Sorontar
:D
I hadn't considered that but if there is demand for it...
One please - folio hardback.
Quote from: maduncle on July 11, 2021, 08:25:57 PM
One please - folio hardback.
I'll start looking into options for short-run private publishing. But it might be years away yet depending on how long the house takes.
There's been a little bit more progress; the plumber came this morning, serviced and cleaned the boiler (I can't believe it's been a year since I had that put in), loosened off the stop tap- so I've finally got control of water coming into the house, and checked over the drains below that manhole I've uncovered. Clean bill of health all round I'm happy to say.
Don't stress yourself about my semi-jesting suggestion. I find this thread very informative and interesting but I think it may be better to make a dedicated blog (after a year or so of work) that tells the story (without our interjections), rather than a physical book. Much less stressful.
Was this the same plumber as you have used before? I am wondering if for buildings like this, having the same tradies working on its innards is as beneficial as having a regular family doctor.
Sorontar
Yes, it was the same plumber. It certainly helps having the same tradespeople in to do repeat work as they're aware of what's already been done, things to watch out for, etc.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 10, 2021, 02:47:39 PM
Now then, a couple of months ago I broke out the patio concrete to a depth of several centimetres and uncovered a sealed up manhole cover. Well, next week I've got a plumber coming to do a few small jobs and asked him to also check the inspection pit below. Problem is, the manhole cover is grouted in and gummed up with concrete. So I've spent a little time today with a chisel and hammer and some mortar acid and broken all of that out. And now the cover can be taken off.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51302476533_13df9c26c2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51301541437_3f844fd1b0_c.jpg)
So it looks like my belief that the pipe leads back to the main soil pipe is correct. The branch off to the side, that looks it could be to the outlet drain for the washing machine. It doesn't look like I've got a drain going back under the kitchen (half of which used to be an outdoor WC).
That actually looks cool.
How about replacing the lid with a piece of thick glass in a steel frame?
You could even fit one or two disconnected doo dads in the pit to give it a more technical look.
It's still possible to get pavement lightwell glass (I don't know the exact terminology for it)- basically blocks of glass that are set into a frame in the pavement that allow dayight into cellars and basements. It's an idea...
Quote from: James Harrison on July 13, 2021, 08:16:55 AM
It's still possible to get pavement lightwell glass (I don't know the exact terminology for it)- basically blocks of glass that are set into a frame in the pavement that allow dayight into cellars and basements. It's an idea...
Will they be smooth enough to let you see inside? Otherwise there's no point.
I'm not sure why you'd want to see inside a foul drain though, considering what it's carrying away...
Having been under the footpaths of Seattle[1], IIRC traditionally the idea is to provide light, rather than visibility. In this case though, it is your yard so you can do whatever you like.
Sorontar
[1] Big history lesson there, all to do with the main city roads being raised one floor of the buildings.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 15, 2021, 07:07:49 AM
I'm not sure why you'd want to see inside a foul drain though, considering what it's carrying away...
Well, there you go! I think we can assume the waste will neither be guilded or particularly Steampunk.
As an aside, local building ordinances in Texas prohibit that kind of junction box. It varies from one region of the world to another. My grandfather, a civil engineer found out the wrong way, by building first and then asking for the county inspection. He was so sure of himself, that drainage in Texas would be treated the same as in Mexico. He had to demolish and rip out all PVC tubing and reinstall per local ordinance (it was a small cabin in a rural area, it was built as a bungalow of sorts prior to building a large house that never was built).
Talking of glass though...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51314177500_e3a482b694_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51313172721_87c79da34c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51314176125_0cccefe83e_c.jpg)
Yes, this is the same house.
*murmurs appreciatively*
Very nice Sira.
That satellite dish is going to have to come down. Unfortunately I don't think my ladder quite reaches it.
Really, really nice.
Is there a reason you didn't go with the small panes on the bottom half of the windows?
If that is how it was done back then (I am unfamiliar with the details of Edwardian residential design) then I can see why you did it.
But if what merely your preference I am curious as to why you chose that way.
I noticed the "Edwardian satellite dish" on the down spout. ;)
It's dark colored and so pretty unobtrusive. But is there any way you can have that moved to the back of the house, or to the side, but towards the back?
Like mounted up near the roof where you cans till get good reception....
Edit: HAHA ...just posted this right after yours, so I guess you answered my "Dish" question
Quote from: Deimos on July 15, 2021, 05:28:41 PM
Really, really nice.
Is there a reason you didn't go with the small panes on the bottom half of the windows?
If that is how it was done back then (I am unfamiliar with the details of Edwardian residential design) then I can see why you did it.
But if what merely your preference I am curious as to why you chose that way.
That is a feature of Edwardian windows. They had the ability to create large panes of glass (this was the era when picture windows in shops became a thing), but at the same time the preference was for smaller panes to create, I suppose, a more homely feel. So this is how they gave themselves the best of both worlds.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 15, 2021, 05:25:51 PM
That satellite dish is going to have to come down. Unfortunately I don't think my ladder quite reaches it.
So where is it going to go? (Unless you don't need it.)
Are you connected via cable / fiber-optics?
I have a digital service which comes through the normal aerial on the apex of the roof. The satellite dish is disconnected and basically a bit of scrap bolted to the wall.
Right, what next?
Reminder, the list I set out at the start of the year ran thus:
1) The entire upper half of the hallway;
2) New guttering around the front;
3) New front and back doors;
4) New windows;
5) Complete the front garden.
Of that list, points 1) through 3) are achieved. Point 4) was never going to be completely done this year, as there are 7 windows, one of which is a bay, however I've done the front elevation which puts me in a good place to pick up in the future. Point 5) is a case of 'complete for a value of', in that it's not letting the street down any more however the garden path is crumbling increasingly and will need looking at at some point.
In addition to that list I have
6) Broken out the rear patio to reinstate a drop down into the back garden;
7) Repainted the bathroom.
The budget for big-ticket items for this year is completely gone, so anything else I do for the foreseeable future is going to have to be of the pocket money variety. Paint and wallpaper I can afford, more new windows, floor coverings, replastering rooms etc is out of the question.
Big ticket items (none of these will happen before 2022, he says)
1) 5 new windows
2) New sitting room flooring
3) Replastering the dining room
4) New dining room floor
5) Remodelling the kitchen
6) Edwardian-style bathroom suite
7) New garden path / new back patio
Smaller projects (potentially August 2021 onward)
1) Loft access
2) New television aerial
3) New sitting room plug sockets
4) New master bedroom/ second bedroom doors
5) Removing the satellite dish and making good front facade pointing
6) Reinstating under-stairs cupboard door
7) Repainting/ repapering the master bedroom
Well done - Suspect the small item list will be empty by the end of the year.
Just one quick question, James. Did you at one stage say that you have a professional connection to civil engineering or architecture? In other words, you do have a background that can relate to renovating?
Sorontar
Quote from: maduncle on July 17, 2021, 06:34:02 AM
Well done - Suspect the small item list will be empty by the end of the year.
Yes, I think you might be right there. There are certainly three or four on that list that can be progressed in the very near future.
Quote from: Sorontar on July 17, 2021, 06:39:35 AM
Just one quick question, James. Did you at one stage say that you have a professional connection to civil engineering or architecture? In other words, you do have a background that can relate to renovating?
Sorontar
I do. Academically I'm a half-trained architect with a further qualification in architectural conservation, professionally I'm a design engineer in the field of civil and structural engineering.
Right, today (before it got stupidly, stupidly hot) I did a bit of spadework and investigated a concrete slab which I found whilst breaking out the patio. The concrete slab is actually under the lawn but the act of removing the patio uncovered the edge so I figured I may as well chase it up and see where it goes and why it's there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51317999824_1b74fede64_c.jpg)
Forgive the dazzle camouflage effect but this is what I uncovered (this is after I hosed it down).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51317999849_e7a394deb1_c.jpg)
In one place there was a bit of a slab mortared onto it, well that came loose and uncovered this hole. I got a length of timber and lowered that down there and it turns out it's a chamber about 5' / 1500mm deep. As this point I started thinking I'd uncovered the bottom half of a bomb shelter or a cellar or something in that line, but at that point a neighbour ran a tap and I heard water rushing through it. I can only assume that it's a drain that runs the length of the terrace and plumbs everybody into the main drainage in the road.
Still, better I find this out now this way than later on through breaking the thing whilst landscaping the paddock, isn't it? So when that shiny ball of hate in the sky has gone away for the evening I'll be back out with a shovel digging down just a little bit, as I don't have a clear idea either of the orientation of the drain or its depth. If I get down 12 or 18' or so and I don't strike it, all well and good, if it's just below the surface on the other hand then I'll need to proceed with caution.
Oh, I've also ordered a loft ladder, I'm thinking if fact of moving the loft hatch out of the hallway and into the master bedroom. So if I fall trying to get into the loft I'm not literally falling top to bottom of the house.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 17, 2021, 04:25:41 PM
Right, today (before it got stupidly, stupidly hot) I did a bit of spadework and investigated a concrete slab which I found whilst breaking out the patio. ....
In one place there was a bit of a slab mortared onto it, well that came loose and uncovered this hole. I got a length of timber and lowered that down there and it turns out it's a chamber about 5' / 1500mm deep. As this point I started thinking I'd uncovered the bottom half of a bomb shelter or a cellar or something in that line, but at that point a neighbour ran a tap and I heard water rushing through it. I can only assume that it's a drain that runs the length of the terrace and plumbs everybody into the main drainage in the road.
Still, better I find this out now this way than later on through breaking the thing whilst landscaping the paddock, isn't it? So when that shiny ball of hate in the sky has gone away for the evening I'll be back out with a shovel digging down just a little bit, as I don't have a clear idea either of the orientation of the drain or its depth. If I get down 12 or 18' or so and I don't strike it, all well and good, if it's just below the surface on the other hand then I'll need to proceed with caution.
Oh, I've also ordered a loft ladder, I'm thinking if fact of moving the loft hatch out of the hallway and into the master bedroom. So if I fall trying to get into the loft I'm not literally falling top to bottom of the house.
How hot is "stupidly, stupidly hot"? As in both temperature and humidity/dewpoint?
(Dewpoint is actually a better way than a "humidity reading" to spec the amount of water vapor present.)
Just curious...where I live "stupidly, stupidly hot" is anything above 110F. :P
As to the depth and orientation of the drain, isn't there a regulation/requirement that specifies that?
(Like a part of those regulations that said you couldn't permanently cover that foul/drain line access point in your patio).
In the US those rules, reqs and regs are referred to as "code"; there is electrical code, plumbing code, structural code, etc.
An inspector will say [this or that] "doesn't meet code." (What the inspector told JW's grandfather about the sewer/waste line he put in.)
Plumbing code here would say a waste water line has to be x number of inches below grade and also spec'd at some downward angle where it would finally meet the city's main sewer line.
Well, the terrace dates back to 1905 so there's bound to be a certain amount of 'stuff' connected to it that is still operating but not exactly compliant with current regulations. After a bit more work this evening I've ripped out the picket fence and I've decided that if the drain is deep enough down that the posts for that could be installed without causing issues, then I should be OK to carry on with my plans. Obviously though this will need revisiting if my plans run to the construction of a ship canal. Realistically now that I know it's there I can plot the landscaping works to avoid it.
As to heat, I can't give a dewpoint but it was 31-32 Celsius earlier today, which is headed toward heatwave territory for the UK. All I can say is that it is very hot, humid and sticky and not very pleasant to be working in. Or even to be idle in.
There's something else to look at isn't there? There's the whole soggy plasterboard situation that needs watching.
Well, the good news is that the area affected hasn't got any worse for my smashing up the patio caper. The bad news is, it's not got any better either. It's still registering as 'yeah, damp mate' whenever I pass the moisture meter across it. Well after the better part of two months the question is whether I've got a flow through the plasterboard (as in, water evaporates out the front and in so doing wicks more in from behind), or whether the moisture in the plaster is just stationary. So to try to speed things up a bit I've ordered a dehumidifier. I'll just have it running 24/7 in that corner and see what happens.
What has also happened though is I've had to take down a bit of skirting board to remove a length of old defunct cable. Err, that dragged some plasterboard off with it and behind that plasterboard I've got foam insulation board. The plasterboard was registering was wet, the foam insulation registers as dry. The brickwork behind the foam is sitting on a brick plinth, the plinth registers as very damp whilst the brick wall itself registers as pretty dry. All of this is above the damp proof course.
Where I'm going to take this, is to see what happens when the dehumidifier turns up and has had a little time to make an impact.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 18, 2021, 03:59:59 PM
There's something else to look at isn't there? There's the whole soggy plasterboard situation that needs watching.
Well, the good news is that the area affected hasn't got any worse for my smashing up the patio caper. The bad news is, it's not got any better either. It's still registering as 'yeah, damp mate' whenever I pass the moisture meter across it. Well after the better part of two months the question is whether I've got a flow through the plasterboard (as in, water evaporates out the front and in so doing wicks more in from behind), or whether the moisture in the plaster is just stationary. So to try to speed things up a bit I've ordered a dehumidifier. I'll just have it running 24/7 in that corner and see what happens.
What has also happened though is I've had to take down a bit of skirting board to remove a length of old defunct cable. Err, that dragged some plasterboard off with it and behind that plasterboard I've got foam insulation board. The plasterboard was registering was wet, the foam insulation registers as dry. The brickwork behind the foam is sitting on a brick plinth, the plinth registers as very damp whilst the brick wall itself registers as pretty dry. All of this is above the damp proof course.
Where I'm going to take this, is to see what happens when the dehumidifier turns up and has had a little time to make an impact.
After we moved into this house, we noticed that anything kept in the cupboard in the spare room tended to get a bit of mould on it. We removed a garden immediately outside the floor to ceiling window and changed the window to a double-glazed one, but it still took 2-3 years for it to properly dry out. We also continue to use those 'moisture absorber' things in there, going from using 4-5 each year (as they filled up) to now only needing one.
There didn't seem to be anything dripping or leaking out that side of the house that could have caused it, but the previous owners still had their lunch money from school, and we assumed they NEVER heated or allowed the room to air/dry out. The window didn't have any damage on it either. It just takes time (and heat) to dry.
2-3 years... :o
I think I'll be setting a fire in that corner :D
Quote from: James Harrison on July 19, 2021, 04:06:46 PM
2-3 years... :o
I think I'll be setting a fire in that corner :D
Enclose the corner in Plexigalss /Pespex and make it a mini greenhouse.
Instant humidity, the window provides natural light... plant some ferns (Vict-Wardians were very fond of ferny, frondy plants).
Voila. Victory. Problem solved. Utilization of corner accomplished. ;)
The dehumidifier arrived and was immediately set to the problem. I think it's got its work cut out for it.
In other news, I found a picture book. The Opulent Eye by Nicholas Cooper (1976, reprinted 1980). What sets this apart from my other reference works is that this is a book consisting pretty much entirely of period interiors between roughly 1890 and 1910, so there's masses of details in there, mostly it has to be said of the sort of house you'd expect to see in backissues of Country Life but still quite useful.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51326975044_093805fb3b_c.jpg)
This is captioned "The Library, The Hollies, King's Road, Richmond. 1909."
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51326250921_7a07d0fa35_c.jpg)
And if I take a monochrome photograph of my own sitting room...
The similarity is quite remarkable! I think if the original occupiers of your home could jump forward in time a century or so they would be feeling right at home :).
Yours,
Miranda.
Is that a Tripod in that picture, on the wall?
Quote from: Mercury Wells on July 21, 2021, 07:23:54 PM
Is that a Tripod in that picture, on the wall?
Yes, yes it is. From an (I think) 1906 edition of War of the Worlds. https://www.openculture.com/2015/09/the-first-illustrations-of-h-g-wells-war-of-the-worlds.html (https://www.openculture.com/2015/09/the-first-illustrations-of-h-g-wells-war-of-the-worlds.html)
Quote from: James Harrison on July 15, 2021, 03:02:29 PM
Talking of glass though...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51314177500_e3a482b694_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51313172721_87c79da34c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51314176125_0cccefe83e_c.jpg)
Yes, this is the same house.
Very nice! My only personal niggle would be, original box sash windows would have been set back more into the internal reveal exposing more external brickwork and lintel. I can see
why they are set out so far, obviously a casement window 70mm removed and the new are 140mm, so unless you cut away the reveals and window boards, etc etc more damage to the inside, anyway enough of me rambling.......... like I said, looks very good.
Yes, I mean it was fit them like this (and the fitters really have done an excellent job there), or try to set them further back and basically destroy the window reveals inside (taking plaster off the walls, cutting the sill back etc). I'm really pleased with them and my intention is to have some fitted to the back rooms (at least the dining room and the second bedroom) too, when finances allow.
Work has been carrying on for a few other areas;
1) A new loft hatch and ladder have been delivered, but not yet fitted (I'm planning to move the access into the master bedroom so that falling off the ladder is less likely to be lethal);
2) The picket fence in the paddock has been removed, four of the five footings have been dug out and broken up (and the fifth is only still there because it's alongside/ underneath the neighbour's fence and I don't want to damage that- big hole needs to be dug to get it out, but not yet eh?).
Quote from: James Harrison on July 25, 2021, 09:53:52 AM
and the fitters really have done an excellent job there
I agree, looks fantastic, get them back for any further work. ;)
Well, I got bored so that big hole got dug and the fifth footing came out. I can now say that the picket fence is well and truly history.
That footing, incidentally, was not only hard alongside the boundary line, but sitting above/ alongside the electrical feed to the garage, and on top of a drain ::) ::) ::) Incredible. As a result of digging it out though I now know that there are no fewer then three electrical conduits running the down the side of the paddock, and their depth.
That big lump of concrete also had a present for me. Cue the Time Team music.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51335187804_a84686762a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51335187814_aeeda64b93_c.jpg)
This was sitting underneath it. Thin glazed tiles, cemented to a concrete slab that realistically could only be part of a floor. We know my sitting room floor is suspended on joists, so it's unlikely to come out of there, I've already found the hallway floor so it's not from there, that leaves the dining room (living room as was), the kitchen or the downstairs toilet (ripped out in the 1960s/ 70s). Personally I think this looks too decorative to be a part of the workaday floor (and I've found enough remnants of quarry tile to suggest the larger downstairs rooms were originally floored as a repeat of the hall).
I could well imagine that it's part of a hearth, but the colours and particularly the pattern look a bit too modern for the 1900s. I get more of an Art Deco or 1950s vibe from it.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 25, 2021, 06:07:25 PM
Well, I got bored so that big hole got dug and the fifth footing came out. I can now say that the picket fence is well and truly history.
That footing, incidentally, was not only hard alongside the boundary line, but sitting above/ alongside the electrical feed to the garage, and on top of a drain ::) ::) ::) Incredible. As a result of digging it out though I now know that there are no fewer then three electrical conduits running the down the side of the paddock, and their depth.
That big lump of concrete also had a present for me. Cue the Time Team music.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51335187804_a84686762a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51335187814_aeeda64b93_c.jpg)
This was sitting underneath it. Thin glazed tiles, cemented to a concrete slab that realistically could only be part of a floor. We know my sitting room floor is suspended on joists, so it's unlikely to come out of there, I've already found the hallway floor so it's not from there, that leaves the dining room (living room as was), the kitchen or the downstairs toilet (ripped out in the 1960s/ 70s). Personally I think this looks too decorative to be a part of the workaday floor (and I've found enough remnants of quarry tile to suggest the larger downstairs rooms were originally floored as a repeat of the hall).
I could well imagine that it's part of a hearth, but the colours and particularly the pattern look a bit too modern for the 1900s. I get more of an Art Deco or 1950s vibe from it.
That is a very cool find, maybe a tiler can date it for you?
Quote from: James Harrison on July 15, 2021, 03:02:29 PM
Talking of glass though...
Yes, this is the same house.
Oh, very nice, James!
Quote from: James Harrison on July 17, 2021, 07:01:28 PM
. . . but it was 31-32 Celsius earlier today,
"Oh, is that all" she says, smugly!!
Sorry, James, I couldn't resist! That's a warmish Spring day here!
Quote from: Banfili on July 27, 2021, 01:03:53 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 17, 2021, 07:01:28 PM
. . . but it was 31-32 Celsius earlier today,
"Oh, is that all" she says, smugly!!
Sorry, James, I couldn't resist! That's a warmish Spring day here!
It sounds like you live in a climate where temps are similar to mine.
Unless you also have high humidity/dewpoint...If that is the case, uhhh .... I don't envy you. :P
We only deal with [relatively] high humidity (50-65%) 2-3 months of the year.
The rest of the year it's usually 10-30% :) (And that is also when the temps are lower too. ;))
Some very small things achieved over the last week;
1) I fitted a cast brass doorstop to the skirting behind the front door after *another* instance of the door handle hitting the wall and putting a hole in the plaster ::)
2) The plasterer visited to look at the damp issue in the dining room. We've actually found that the mortar in the outside skin below the window cill has crumbled to the extent you can poke a pencil rubber through it, so the thought is that that's the cause of it. So that will be pointed up. Plasterer will also obviously sort out the plaster inside, and will also install my new loft hatch/ loft ladder and give me a contact to speak to for fitting new bedroom doors upstairs.
3) I've started digging out borders in the paddock as I'm tired of looking at 2' tall grass at the edges right next to the fences that the mower just can't get to.
Another week, another few small things done.
1) Got a quote from the plasterer to sort out the pointing below the dining room window, replace the plaster in the damp areas inside the dining room, fit the new bedroom doors (these I've actually had for 18 months but obviously plague got in the way) and fit the new loft access. He's coming over next week to do all that.
2) Fitted a finger plate to the other side of the sitting room door, so it has a finger plate either side. I've also found a nice brass finger plate design that will eventually be used in the dining room.
3) Finished digging out the borders down both sides of the paddock, so I can at least keep the lawn neat now.
I've also been browsing through my Edwardian interiors fashionplate book I mentioned a few weeks ago and I've found my inspiration for the dining room...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51363451620_4b1d95e866_c.jpg)
Something, perhaps, along those lines. Next year, maybe.
Made it into the loft. No hidden treasures. No dividing walls either, it just runs the full length of half the terrace. That won't do now...
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 12:12:25 PM
Made it into the loft. No hidden treasures. No dividing walls either, it just runs the full length of half the terrace. That won't do now...
No loft dividing fire walls between properties? I don't think I have
ever heard of that. Hmmm, could be a cause for concern, requiring immediate attention.
I would have thought the surveyor picked that up and definitely made a major point in his report as a problem........ You did have a survey done before purchase, yeah?
Check your buildings and contents insurance details, you could be at risk of both fire and intrusion clauses and IF anything might happen, not be covered.
What do you intend to do?
No hidden treasures? No hidden board games with the word Jumanji on them? No mirrors with no reflections? No paintings of an old man who looks like your grandfather?
Oh well. But yes, I am surprised there is no divider in the ceiling. Is there insulation? If so, what type? Can you stand up in there?
Sorontar, who moved from a house with a tiled hip roof I could walk under, to a house with a flat metal roof that has no roof space.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 09, 2021, 01:33:45 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 12:12:25 PM
Made it into the loft. No hidden treasures. No dividing walls either, it just runs the full length of half the terrace. That won't do now...
No loft dividing fire walls between properties? I don't think I have ever heard of that. Hmmm, could be a cause for concern, requiring immediate attention.
I would have thought the surveyor picked that up and definitely made a major point in his report as a problem........ You did have a survey done before purchase, yeah?
Check your buildings and contents insurance details, you could be at risk of both fire and intrusion clauses and IF anything might happen, not be covered.
What do you intend to do?
I did have a survey done. I repeatedly asked for a more in-depth survey and was repeatedly fobbed off (not impressed), and I'm really quite annoyed because I
specifically asked the vendor, 'does this wall (tapping the party wall at the time) go right up to the roof?' and was told 'yes'.
My concern really is twofold, one from a security aspect (though I'm sure if any of the neighbours were going to do the whole Carry on Screaming climbing-through-a-wall thing they'd have done it by now), second though if the house three doors down catches fire what's stopping the flames travelling through the roofspace?
As to intentions, I plan on having a chat with the Council's planning department to see about getting it properly separated and bricked off.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 09, 2021, 02:57:08 PM
No hidden treasures? No hidden board games with the word Jumanji on them? No mirrors with no reflections? No paintings of an old man who looks like your grandfather?
Oh well. But yes, I am surprised there is no divider in the ceiling. Is there insulation? If so, what type? Can you stand up in there?
Sorontar, who moved from a house with a tiled hip roof I could walk under, to a house with a flat metal roof that has no roof space.
I haven't been up there properly yet, the ladder was up, there were two guys holding it steady and I just popped my head through the open hatch. There's insulation above the ceilings (so on the loft floor) but the beams, purlins and the back face of the tiles are all on view, there's no insulation below or in the roof structure itself. In one corner there is a cardboard box... but none of the following are to be found there.
-The Ark of the Covenant;
-The Oak Island treasure;
-Confederate gold;
-General Yamashita's war chest;
-Jumanji;
-Lord Lucan;
-Shergar;
-Flight 19;
-The SS Cotopaxi
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51367702208_01a4f4250b_c.jpg)
And finally, there is the source of the damp. That huge stone lump is the dining room external window cill. It is sitting on a solid brick wall. You will note that there is rather a nasty crack running right through it, which is certainly one of no doubt many places around it where water is wicking through.
You will also note the sort of hollow in the wall on the internal side. Somebody had filled this. With several layers of plasterboard. A material of course well known for its weatherproof abilities. So it had wicked through and around the cill, been suckered up by the plaster, and then gone through the wall. Incredible.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 04:37:32 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51367702208_01a4f4250b_c.jpg)
And finally, there is the source of the damp. That huge stone lump is the dining room external window cill. It is sitting on a solid brick wall. You will note that there is rather a nasty crack running right through it, which is certainly one of no doubt many places around it where water is wicking through.
You will also note the sort of hollow in the wall on the internal side. Somebody had filled this. With several layers of plasterboard. A material of course well known for its weatherproof abilities. So it had wicked through and around the cill, been suckered up by the plaster, and then gone through the wall. Incredible.
Ah, yes, the old 'plaster-board method of waterproofing'. We had that underneath our shower in the ensuite. It never dried out and had rotted all the floorboards directly under it. Great stuff... It was also up the wall a bit. Brilliant. We replaced the floorboards and when they put the shower in I gave it 6 coats of water-proofing under the tiles just to make sure.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 04:37:32 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51367702208_01a4f4250b_c.jpg)
And finally, there is the source of the damp. That huge stone lump is the dining room external window cill. It is sitting on a solid brick wall. You will note that there is rather a nasty crack running right through it, which is certainly one of no doubt many places around it where water is wicking through.
You will also note the sort of hollow in the wall on the internal side. Somebody had filled this. With several layers of plasterboard. A material of course well known for its weatherproof abilities. So it had wicked through and around the cill, been suckered up by the plaster, and then gone through the wall. Incredible.
So, if understand you correctly, a double skin solid wall with no cavity and the sandstone cill bridges both, no wonder you have damp.
They certainly had some strange house construction methods, when built.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 04:24:14 PM
As to intentions, I plan on having a chat with the Council's planning department to see about getting it properly separated and bricked off.
No, no, no, no, no. What you should do is
fill up the entire loft space with your stuff.Because possession is nine tenths of the law.
Even better, fill it up with stuff you can't be bothered to get rid of and then if another household
do go up there they'll think it belongs to previous tenants of their property and dispose of it for you ...
I have it! Your train set can go in the loft. It will give you far more floorspace than in the room you are currently planning to use it for. Since the neighbours aren't using it, you can!
Glad you have identified the context of the damp too.
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on August 11, 2021, 08:40:07 AM
I have it! Your train set can go in the loft. It will give you far more floorspace than in the room you are currently planning to use it for. Since the neighbours aren't using it, you can!
Glad you have identified the context of the damp too.
Sorontar
That's really not a bad idea at all, is it...
What I might need to do to achieve that though is a proper loft conversion, get lights and power up there, ventilation, board it all out... could easily become quite an expensive sideshow.
The handymen have been in for three days and they reckon there is another day's worth of work. At the end of it;
-The damp issue will hopefully have been dealt with (they have broken out the wet plasterboard, put in something actually weatherproof behind the cill, tanked the brickwork and put new plasterboard on);
-Both bedroom doors will have been replaced;
-The door to the cupboard under the stairs will have been rehung;
-A proper loft ladder will have been installed.
Hopefully some photos of all this tomorrow.
We hang out for the photos...
(Living vicariously through lockdown) ;)
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 04:32:31 PM
Quote from: Sorontar on August 09, 2021, 02:57:08 PM
No hidden treasures? No hidden board games with the word Jumanji on them? No mirrors with no reflections? No paintings of an old man who looks like your grandfather?
Oh well. But yes, I am surprised there is no divider in the ceiling. Is there insulation? If so, what type? Can you stand up in there?
Sorontar, who moved from a house with a tiled hip roof I could walk under, to a house with a flat metal roof that has no roof space.
I haven't been up there properly yet, the ladder was up, there were two guys holding it steady and I just popped my head through the open hatch. There's insulation above the ceilings (so on the loft floor) but the beams, purlins and the back face of the tiles are all on view, there's no insulation below or in the roof structure itself. In one corner there is a cardboard box... but none of the following are to be found there.
-The Ark of the Covenant;
-The Oak Island treasure;
-Confederate gold;
-General Yamashita's war chest;
-Jumanji;
-Lord Lucan;
-Shergar;
-Flight 19;
-The SS Cotopaxi
Before you block off the neigjbird' loft area... Did you check if the geometry of the roof frame was Euclidean? Make sure there are no blue ichor stains along the acute angles of the roof and loft floor. You might have to plaster any sharp corners, just in case. Also, you don't know if all available other roof access openings lead to another dimension.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on August 12, 2021, 03:21:56 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2021, 04:32:31 PM
Quote from: Sorontar on August 09, 2021, 02:57:08 PM
No hidden treasures? No hidden board games with the word Jumanji on them? No mirrors with no reflections? No paintings of an old man who looks like your grandfather?
Oh well. But yes, I am surprised there is no divider in the ceiling. Is there insulation? If so, what type? Can you stand up in there?
Sorontar, who moved from a house with a tiled hip roof I could walk under, to a house with a flat metal roof that has no roof space.
I haven't been up there properly yet, the ladder was up, there were two guys holding it steady and I just popped my head through the open hatch. There's insulation above the ceilings (so on the loft floor) but the beams, purlins and the back face of the tiles are all on view, there's no insulation below or in the roof structure itself. In one corner there is a cardboard box... but none of the following are to be found there.
-The Ark of the Covenant;
-The Oak Island treasure;
-Confederate gold;
-General Yamashita's war chest;
-Jumanji;
-Lord Lucan;
-Shergar;
-Flight 19;
-The SS Cotopaxi
Before you block off the neigjbird' loft area... Did you check if the geometry of the roof frame was Euclidean? Make sure there are no blue ichor stains along the acute angles of the roof and loft floor. You might have to plaster any sharp corners, just in case. Also, you don't know if all available other roof access openings lead to another dimension.
It's been open for four days now; if any loftnonces were going to come and carry me off to the land of the fae they'd have done it by now.
They're still at it... although the only thing still to be done now is to fit the new loft hatchm and that has been held up because the loft floor has been boarded and carpeted and that's kind of stopping them seeing where the joists are...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51373692086_6088ef215b_c.jpg)
The damp patch has been boarded up and skimmed at least.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51373694406_540a6bceff_c.jpg)
The new door for the railway room has been hung, unfortunately they've claimed that room as their own for a bit of a workshop so I can't close it at the moment.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51373693831_c8a453d5d8_c.jpg)
The new door for the master bedroom has been hung, if you're wondering why this one has some frosted glass panels well
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51374426649_1e21c7ae39_c.jpg)
the hallway does get a least a
little bit of sunlight now.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51374426674_527a5fc6f9_c.jpg)
Here be loftnonces. It's absolutely boiling up there and I've no idea why, the roof is uninsulated so any heat should in theory just vent straight outside.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 12, 2021, 04:20:00 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51374426674_527a5fc6f9_c.jpg)
Here be loftnonces. It's absolutely boiling up there and I've no idea why, the roof is uninsulated so any heat should in theory just vent straight outside.
Unfortunately, in my experiences of lofts and attics (and attics bedrooms, one of which I currently live in) being directly underneath the roof tends to make them hot in summer simply because of constantly being exposed to the sun. Of course the alignment of the building can affect that, as can ventilation (or the lack of it), you'll probably find it'll be freezing in winter though.
If you don't intend on a future loft conversion, a simply way to lighten up a dark space (the landing) is a velux and duct down to a hole carved in the cieling, I live in a very dark, small house and have tried to give borrowed light from various sources, including holes cut in walls with some stained glass, loads of mirrors and the loft hatch left open with a velux above.
I've gained access to a hot, dusty, 4' tall crawlspace. There is nothing for anybody there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376806249_a4afd2965d_c.jpg)
Well, at least if I fall off that I'm not looking at a 20 foot plunge onto quarry tiles.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376806179_e8d8c38441_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377078980_9263958739_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377079050_453a2706ef_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377079070_43518aa190_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376071141_53d80cd586_c.jpg)
Yeah, I don't think I could make reasonable use of that space for living.
I can imagine the conversation with family.
"Hi James, what have you been up to."
"Oh, just been crawling around in my roof space and exciting the steampunk community by sharing photos that show that it is dark, hot and cramped"
Thanks for sharing James.
Sorontar
ps. is that a roof fan I see (well, a fan in the roof)?
I don't think there's a fan up there, I know there's a plug-in light with a cable that stretches from here to Timbuktu though.
Next planned bout of work isn't until next year now.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 14, 2021, 04:46:47 AM
I can imagine the conversation with family.
"Hi James, what have you been up to."
"Oh, just been crawling around in my roof space and exciting the steampunk community by sharing photos that show that it is dark, hot and cramped"
Thanks for sharing James.
Sorontar
ps. is that a roof fan I see (well, a fan in the roof)?
...and now that you've said it, I can see how really weird we all are. Excellent!
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on August 12, 2021, 05:18:49 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 12, 2021, 04:20:00 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51374426674_527a5fc6f9_c.jpg)
Here be loftnonces. It's absolutely boiling up there and I've no idea why, the roof is uninsulated so any heat should in theory just vent straight outside.
Unfortunately, in my experiences of lofts and attics (and attics bedrooms, one of which I currently live in) being directly underneath the roof tends to make them hot in summer simply because of constantly being exposed to the sun. Of course the alignment of the building can affect that, as can ventilation (or the lack of it), you'll probably find it'll be freezing in winter though.
Welcome to the wonderful world of heat transfer™
Indeed the air trapped in those spaces is meant to be the insulation. Modern fibreglass insulation allows you to do those loft and attic conversions. The other thing is that hot air rises, and in mukti-story buildings, you will find second upper floors are always warmer than bottom floors.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 13, 2021, 06:54:57 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376806249_a4afd2965d_c.jpg)
Well, at least if I fall off that I'm not looking at a 20 foot plunge onto quarry tiles.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376806179_e8d8c38441_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377078980_9263958739_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377079050_453a2706ef_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377079070_43518aa190_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51376071141_53d80cd586_c.jpg)
Yeah, I don't think I could make reasonable use of that space for living.
It does look fairly less useful than imagined. The radiative heat from the roof tiles (radiation inward after getting solar radiation from the outside) during the day is bigger than the radiative loss due to poor insulation. Makes you want to fill the whole space with insulation ;D
Well, if anything it does point the way for my priorities for the next build season.
1) That loft really does need partitioning, if for nothing else than from a fire safety point of view.
2) The stone window cill in the dining room is pretty much shot, the crumbled bottom face is one thing but it's also cracked right through... now it has been siliconed up but that is at best a short-term fix, so that really does need replacing as soon as possible next year.
3) Whilst replacing the cill I might as well replace the window at the same time, for another sash type, but I know that's going to be a bit on the expensive side.
Hi James,
The thing I thought might be a fan was on the right in this photo:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51377078980_9263958739_c.jpg)
Sorontar
Well spotted that fellow!
So today, I had a look at some engineered wooden flooring for the sitting and dining rooms. Very, very nice. But the price... *sharp intake of breath*. Next year, perhaps...
Some preparatory work for next year's programme. Before I can do anything about laying a new floor in the dining room, I've got to address the door threshold because at the moment it's a bit of a mess. I have half a line of quarry tiles that suddenly just stops and turns to concrete, so my thought is that I'll excavate a little bit of a trench in the concrete, complete the line of quarry tiles, and take it on from there.
And for a little while that plan seemed to work quite well, the dining room screed being laid on top of a decent concrete slab and it just peeled away. But then the slab stopped, and the screed became more like 80mm thick, and very crumbly, dusty and rubbly into the bargain.
By the time I'd got my trench sorted out it was a lot deeper than anticipated, and a bit wider too, and part of the quarry tile floor had been undermined.
So this morning I spent some time mixing and placing some screed to at least partially fill the hole, but leave the trench behind so that I can complete the quarry tile flooring.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51406904892_1bd1d7b0c1_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51408411589_46be542508_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51407923493_f89ec035b2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51407923523_7603f22970_c.jpg)
Is that the coal cellar?
Nope, it doesn't have a coal cellar and to the best of my knowledge (including a set of plans drawn in the 1960s or 70s) it's never had one. The 'back services' for the house (so pantry, coal storage and toilet) were originally housed in a series of small rooms that were eventually knocked together into a kitchen, so there's never been any need for a cellar. If there were a cellar I'd expect to be finding some sort of a brick base below the floor and a window or doorway to the outside.
Pity :( otherwise it would have been a great place to:-
1) build your train set
2) have your Evil Overlord (TM) base
3) or even both.
;D
Oh, I can imagine a train set running from a cellar up to the loft and back. Guess that'll have to remain in my imagination.[1]
Sorontar
[1] Australia presently has an advertisement for a phone company that has kids running their (modern) diecast cars along home-made tracks from the second to ground storeys in an apartment block. If kids imagined it, it must be real.
It's a shame :( I had great hopes for the loft but we've seen already that that's a non-starter. Which leaves a couple of options, but all of them 'just a bit' on the expensive side...
1) Underground room in the paddock;
2) Extension of the house into the paddock;
3) Conversion of the garage roofspace.
I suppose there is an option 4), excavating a basement below the house, but that would be in the 'very, very expensive' bracket and in any case- I don't really need more space at the moment.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 29, 2021, 06:45:21 AM
Oh, I can imagine a train set running from a cellar up to the loft and back. Guess that'll have to remain in my imagination.[1]
Sorontar
[1] Australia presently has an advertisement for a phone company that has kids running their (modern) diecast cars along home-made tracks from the second to ground storeys in an apartment block. If kids imagined it, it must be real.
Thanks.
Now I can't get that B52's song out of my head.
Well, I'm declaring end of the build season (there's been things going on since January and it's now the end of August, I've got everything on my to-do list done and some more on top and I am tired. And broke.)
If there's one thing I've learnt this year it's that in spite of everything I've got done, there's been no real huge change in how the house overall looks or feels, by which I mean there's nowhere that has gone through an obvious transformation. Oh, I've done the hallway of course but that's not really somewhere you spend a lot of time in... the front garden is starting to look quite nice but that's more due to rain and sunshine than anything I've done.
So I think the thing to learn from this is more to concentrate on one or two areas at a time rather than spread efforts out every-which-where.
So the 2022 Programme of Works is going to concentrate on the dining room. Few reasons for this;
1) Although yes I want a new bathroom suite, and a new kitchen, those are going to cost ££££ and that's simply money I don't have at the moment (I'm probably going to need a year or two of reduced spending on the house, to save up to get even one of those done).
2) Point 1) not withstanding, the dining room does need some expensive work on it and I think I could reasonably hope to get the finances for that together over this winter.
3) Honestly, it's just a bit depressing only having the one room anywhere near finished and I'm looking for a room that I think could reasonably get done in a build season (say, March to September).
4) Although Point 3) could equally apply to the master bedroom, I have an idea how I want the dining room to look whilst the bedroom... no such luck yet.
Right, so, 2022 Programme of Works.
1) I'm going to have the party wall extended up into the loft space so that will fully partition my house off from my neighbours. (Spring 2022)
2) Then I'm going to have a new television aerial installed and I'll have the wires from that taken down into the sitting room, so that I'll finally be able to watch broadcast television in there. (Spring 2022)
3) Then the satellite dish on the front will be taken down, the aerial on the roof will be brought down (assuming it can be reached), and the cats cradle of old wiring on the end wall will be disconnected, taken down and all made good. (Summer 2022)
4) I'm going to replace the dining room window with a sash window of the same type I've had fitted in the sitting room and master bedroom. Whilst replacing the window I'm also going to replace the cill. (Winter 2021 order for Spring 2022 installation)
5) The gas fire in the chimneybreast will be disconnected and the plumbing for that taken out. At the same time I'm going to have the awful el-cheapo radiator in there taken down. (Spring 2022)
6) I'm going to take down the skirting boards and have the walls reskimmed. (Spring 2022)
7) Once the new plaster is dried out I'll fit new skirtings and a picture rail. (Spring/ Summer 2022)
8) Redecorate the dining room. (Summer 2022)
9) Install a new radiator similar to the one I've got in the sitting room, lay a new engineered timber floor. (Summer/ Early Autumn 2022)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51412752403_7bd3b0bc34_c.jpg)
And that's my quarry tiled floor finished off and taken across the door reveal. Now to just resist itchy finger syndrome until next year.
Quote from: Sorontar on August 29, 2021, 06:45:21 AM
Oh, I can imagine a train set running from a cellar up to the loft and back. Guess that'll have to remain in my imagination.[1]
Sorontar
[1] Australia presently has an advertisement for a phone company that has kids running their (modern) diecast cars along home-made tracks from the second to ground storeys in an apartment block. If kids imagined it, it must be real.
I rather like that ad - especially when the mother's clippers slip when giving the teenager a haircut!
Well, as it usually is, no sooner have I decided to lay off for the rest of the year I've had an idea how I want another of my rooms to look. In this case I've suddenly been taken with the idea of putting a dado rail around the master bedroom and painting the walls cream above (to line through with the hallway) and a pale lightish green below. Quite how I'd treat the floor, whether to replace the carpet or return to bare floorboards and a rug I don't know yet.
This is about the third colour scheme I've arrived at for that room... which tells me that although I've got it sussed out that I want to break the walls up in height, how I actually want the room to look is still probably in abeyance with a few more iterations yet before I get a firm plan.
This is a problem I run into quite often, I know more the look I'm trying to avoid than the one I'm trying to achieve, so I've decided that work actually only starts when I've got a firm grip on what I'm aiming at. The sitting room was easy enough to pin down, I wanted a heavy library/ study/ smoking room sort of a look and the dark blue colour scheme was arrived at quite early and the rest of the room sort of assembled itself around that. The dining room which I'm planning to be next on the agenda, I had a couple of ideas for that and then found a scheme that just 'clicked' in a picture book of 1890s - 1910s interiors. That's assuming I'm still smitten with the idea in about six months' time when I get around to starting it. The hallway decor was dictated more by the tall narrow dark nature of the space than anything else, if I hadn't kept the walls plain and gone for a light cream sort of a colour it would just be a dark pit in the middle of the house.
Anyway, remember a few months ago when I was looking at Art Nouveau prints? I've finally gotten around to sending them off for framing. Now I just need to decided whether I want them in the hallway, as originally planned, or the bedroom...
Quote from: Deimos on May 08, 2021, 07:07:00 PM
The pictures are a bit small for that wall. Maybe they would look well in your blue sitting room....
As a [larger] alternative, how about some Art Nouveau ladies by Elisabeth Sonrel (1874 - 1953)
(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRoD2Ar2VkqLEPUER4yaued4g-Qcyv48kXdXo4XbMVzhXFF_LlB4njvyiiQG6u6ZP_Q1bI&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRMks1tM9dLOdXHs6ol0l6a27zKujNneqkxIypm4mmXjDJGrfMibZHmaKK1pMi9kTOXF_c&usqp=CAU)(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTzx90nEvQh79Y1wEi3to5Mg35d2u_hQ-Rugb91HiQIdaAi75pFK_9bnEH2bsOAe1dbWp4&usqp=CAU) (https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ1CYMvzlFCl6-1fnVrKZmWdIRe1V54GVikGsczVJUFILHtMAOHJzMxDsNBLgyvkyWwGrE&usqp=CAU)
Elisabeth Sonrel (right side of page) (https://www.google.com/search?q=art+nouveau+artwork&tbm=isch&ved=2ahUKEwjZx9Hd3brwAhWHlJ4KHerBAFUQ2-cCegQIABAA&oq=art+nouveau+artwork&gs_lcp=CgNpbWcQAzICCAAyBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBxAeMgYIABAHEB4yBggAEAcQHjIGCAAQBRAeMgYIABAIEB4yBggAEAgQHlCHkwFY4MQBYInXAWgAcAB4AIABXIgBpQ2SAQIyMJgBAKABAaoBC2d3cy13aXotaW1nwAEB&sclient=img&ei=xdqWYJnRL4ep-gTqg4OoBQ&bih=848&biw=1284&client=firefox-b-1-d#imgrc=tP8LX3zP8IAy7M)
You can get them as large as 17 x 40 (WxH inch poster), but you'd also (I would think) want have it framed.
Do you remember, way back in May when we had that discussion about the very tall wall and the very small prints....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51467819479_906df6c277_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51467819619_fe8b8d96bc_c.jpg)
Well, these happened. The usual story, £20 per print and then £50 per frame, but they came back this evening and- they suit that wall quite nicely.
Then efforts to save the funds for work in the dining room suffered a setback, when I found this at a Swedish furniture shop.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51467914504_bd09880643_z.jpg)
Ignore that it's modern and from IKEA, to me it's got the look of an early 20th Century piece (look at some of the startlingly proto-Modernist interiors of, roughly, the 1905-14 era and you'll see what I mean). That's something I think I can build a room around.
It's a very nice look, James, and the prints came up well, too - great start to the dining room, and the hall wall will look lovely with those prints!
Is that Waterford you have stashed in the dresser??
I wish :D That's just the picture in the catalogue.
Just don't do those ugly grey wooden floors... *retch*
Chance discussion with the neighbours this evening about the (lack of) a party wall between our crawl spaces (stop tittering at the back, that is not a euphemism). They're happy for wall to be taken up to the roof, so that will be the first order of business in Spring.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 18, 2021, 08:10:53 PM
Chance discussion with the neighbours this evening about the (lack of) a party wall between our crawl spaces (stop tittering at the back, that is not a euphemism). They're happy for wall to be taken up to the roof, so that will be the first order of business in Spring.
There's nothing like a party wall in your crawl space! I can see why they would be happy for that to happen - after all, you could be that guy who crawls into their crawl space and peers down into their house aka almost any scary movie you want to mention...
You should have told them that your hydroponic and heating system is too small to cover the whole crawl space so you need to halve it with a wall.
Quote from: James Harrison on September 18, 2021, 08:10:53 PM
Chance discussion with the neighbours this evening about the (lack of) a party wall between our crawl spaces (stop tittering at the back, that is not a euphemism). They're happy for wall to be taken up to the roof, so that will be the first order of business in Spring.
Not a great thing in a house fire, many terraces burnt house to house in the past due to the shared roof space. Not sure if you can use firecheck plaster or some other form of protection, but if you can ...
I believe our regulations state that a party wall has to be incombustible; so either 'proper' masonry work or else stud walling with a double skin of 12mm plasterboard to both sides.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51492440773_0d43b09454_c.jpg)
It only took about three and a half hours to assemble it this morning.... I'm going to use it as basically the signature piece to build the rest of the dining room around.
That's a really nice looking piece, although I'd be tempted to replace the glass shelves with wood - but that's just because I'm not a big fan of glass shelves!
Quote from: James Harrison on September 19, 2021, 12:53:41 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51492440773_0d43b09454_c.jpg)
It only took about three and a half hours to assemble it this morning.... I'm going to use it as basically the signature piece to build the rest of the dining room around.
Very elegant; I presume the lower part will be used for display?
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on September 19, 2021, 05:51:27 PM
That's a really nice looking piece, although I'd be tempted to replace the glass shelves with wood - but that's just because I'm not a big fan of glass shelves!
I'm thinking about going in the opposite direction with a 1940s display cabinet I've inherited*. It's 'CC41', i.e. wartime utility, and the shelves are stained plywood. As we will be using it to display cut glass vases etc. (some our own, some inherited) I'd like to let light pass through the levels easily.
Yours,
Miranda.
* We've also inherited a very tall mahogany Victorian sideboard, which is currently in storage as we have no space in the house for it. We're currently considering options for how to rectify this...
Right, let's start trying to work out a timetable for next year.
1. Attic space party wall. Needs to be done sooner rather than later.
2. Dining room. This is the project that needs to be more thoroughly planned, largely because there are three elements that I need to schedule correctly if I'm not to end up in a bit of a mess. Broadly the room needs a new window, new plaster and a new radiator (plus I want to take out the gas fire and open up the old fireplace).
If the window gets changed first then I run the risk of getting plaster all over it. So the plastering needs to take priority over the window. But for the plastering to be done means taking down the existing radiator. If I'm having the radiator taken down I may as well have the gas fire taken out at the same time, that's not a job for the Winter is it.... realistically I think the earliest I should even be contemplating taking all of the heating out of that room should be March, preferably April.
Then I have the plumber back in in July to service the boiler, whilst he's here it would make sense to have the radiator plumbed back in.
So I'm saying I won't be able to start work on the room until March / April, and that it needs to be completed to the point I can get the radiator plumbed back in in July, which is what? four to four and a half months?- to have the room stripped out, replastered, dried out, repainted and the carpentry reinstated. Possibly a big ask with other things going on. Note that once that date has passed I'll then be hoping to get the window and sill replaced before the weather breaks- in fact with the sill there are no ifs and buts, it needs replacing. I'm under no illusion that the repair made this Summer is a one-winter fix at best.
Can be done but I think it will be a bit tight and need some smart planning and turnaround.
Quote from: James Harrison on November 14, 2021, 04:10:10 PM
1. Attic space party wall. Needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Every time I read this I think, "Wet bar and coloured lights."
Quote from: von Corax on November 14, 2021, 06:17:00 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on November 14, 2021, 04:10:10 PM
1. Attic space party wall. Needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Every time I read this I think, "Wet bar and coloured lights."
That's so Austin Powers.
Quote from: von Corax on November 14, 2021, 06:17:00 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on November 14, 2021, 04:10:10 PM
1. Attic space party wall. Needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Every time I read this I think, "Wet bar and coloured lights."
Sounds hectic and exactly like the sort of dive nightclub I'd spend hours coming up with excuses to avoid being dragged to in my student days. Now a speakeasy on the other hand...
Quote from: James Harrison on November 14, 2021, 09:24:38 PM
Quote from: von Corax on November 14, 2021, 06:17:00 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on November 14, 2021, 04:10:10 PM
1. Attic space party wall. Needs to be done sooner rather than later.
Every time I read this I think, "Wet bar and coloured lights."
Sounds hectic and exactly like the sort of dive nightclub I'd spend hours coming up with excuses to avoid being dragged to in my student days. Now a speakeasy on the other hand...
In my student days we went to 'wine bars'... Small premises were charged exorbitant amounts for a beer licence in those days (to protect the pubs), so they called themselves Wine Bars. Of course we couldn't afford wine, so we drank cider (on tap). Ghastly stuff, but better than nothing...
There would be a band on a Wednesday and Saturday night, usually a jug band or some other folksy kind of music - the type you listen to, not dance to, as there was no room for dancing. They were great places and appealed to the young who would never be interested in a disco *shudder* or an Australian pub *shudder* (which at the time were the haunt of nasty old men who hated their wives).
I think the wine bars would have been similar to a speakeasy.
The inspiration for my dining room- you remember that from a few months ago don't you? I ran it through some AI colourising programme on the internet, and this was the result...
... that wallpaper is a lot lighter in tone than I was expecting. I was thinking it would be a deep wine red or bottle green sort of a colour.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51709069304_c692f63d77.jpg)
That is pure Arts and Crafts, my favorite architectural and decor time. Just stunning.
Quote from: James Harrison on November 27, 2021, 04:58:05 PM
The inspiration for my dining room- you remember that from a few months ago don't you? I ran it through some AI colourising programme on the internet, and this was the result...
... that wallpaper is a lot lighter in tone than I was expecting. I was thinking it would be a deep wine red or bottle green sort of a colour.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51709069304_c692f63d77.jpg)
That fireplace mural is worth reproducing.
The fireplace mural is definitely making the cut.
Beware AI colourising software...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51755048328_4211f15d93_c.jpg)
Colour photo of my sitting room.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51755446894_f2e76a834c_c.jpg)
Monochrome photo of same.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51753977452_cdf1065845_c.jpg)
Monochrome photo then colourised via AI.
I don't think it's quite accurate somehow.
The 2022 givens and druthers list.
Givens:
Strip out and completely redecorate the dining room (you knew that was on the cards already).
Install a firewall in the roofspace (again, you knew that was part of the plan earlier this year).
Druthers:
New television aerial in the loft, and removal of the Jodrell Bank arrangement on the roof/ front wall/ side wall.
New footpath in the front garden, and new patio in the paddock.
New timber floor in the sitting room.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 01, 2021, 07:30:17 PM
The fireplace mural is definitely making the cut.
Its a fabulous mural - in any era
Quote from: Hurricane Annie on December 20, 2021, 07:23:07 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on December 01, 2021, 07:30:17 PM
The fireplace mural is definitely making the cut.
Its a fabulous mural - in any era
Isn't it just though? I think it's absolutely fantastic and I'm looking forward to having a go at one like it.
During The Outage, I did this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51810904230_8224414921_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51820832782_4bf04fc3b8_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51820832767_e0b06ef27a_c.jpg)
Which just seems to nicely set the entrance hallway off.
This is looking grand, and by the time you are finished, James, you are going to have one pretty schmick house!
I leave the site for a few years, just a few years, mind you, and people are buying and restoring Victorian houses. I swear, I can't leave you lot alone for any amount of time before you get delusions of grandeur!
But seriously, all kidding aside, looks bloody marvelous, and while I'm not jealous of the work required (and the dosh), am am quite jealous of the results!
I'm hoping to finally get started on a remodel of my current home myself sometime this year.
Quote from: Banfili on January 19, 2022, 10:36:25 PM
This is looking grand, and by the time you are finished, James, you are going to have one pretty schmick house!
Banfilli! We didn't see you in Spare Goggles and since we didn't think we'd be back here, thought we'd lost you forever! Glad to see you!
Quote from: Banfili on January 19, 2022, 10:36:25 PM
This is looking grand, and by the time you are finished, James, you are going to have one pretty schmick house!
Quote from: Xenos on January 19, 2022, 10:58:38 PM
I leave the site for a few years, just a few years, mind you, and people are buying and restoring Victorian houses. I swear, I can't leave you lot alone for any amount of time before you get delusions of grandeur!
But seriously, all kidding aside, looks bloody marvelous, and while I'm not jealous of the work required (and the dosh), am am quite jealous of the results!
I'm hoping to finally get started on a remodel of my current home myself sometime this year.
You ain't seen nothing yet.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on January 20, 2022, 04:01:02 AM
Quote from: Banfili on January 19, 2022, 10:36:25 PM
This is looking grand, and by the time you are finished, James, you are going to have one pretty schmick house!
Banfilli! We didn't see you in Spare Goggles and since we didn't think we'd be back here, thought we'd lost you forever! Glad to see you!
Synistor, there were some tech problems this end as well as the other end! Wild weather playing havoc with lines and towers up here. All seems to be sorted now!
Quote from: James Harrison on January 20, 2022, 05:52:58 PM
Quote from: Banfili on January 19, 2022, 10:36:25 PM
This is looking grand, and by the time you are finished, James, you are going to have one pretty schmick house!
Quote from: Xenos on January 19, 2022, 10:58:38 PM
I leave the site for a few years, just a few years, mind you, and people are buying and restoring Victorian houses. I swear, I can't leave you lot alone for any amount of time before you get delusions of grandeur!
But seriously, all kidding aside, looks bloody marvelous, and while I'm not jealous of the work required (and the dosh), am am quite jealous of the results!
I'm hoping to finally get started on a remodel of my current home myself sometime this year.
You ain't seen nothing yet.
*Turns on the BTO*
I suppose after I get the floor ripped out, the walls tore down, and the closet destroyed, I'll have to get pictures of the space I'll be renovating posted in off-topic. Cause as I said, it's going to be decidedly *not* steampunk (I do have to take my wife and child's aesthetic sensibilities into consideration).
Very much looking forward to seeing where you go with it, mate! It's looking gorgeous so far!
A low-key start, but a start nonetheless, to the main project for this year. I've begun stripping the paint off the skirtings and electricity cabinet in the dining room. This is likely going to take a few weeks- like I said, it's also the home office and I'm also working from the office proper for half the week now, so my evenings are gone- but the intention is to get this bit done before I get the plumber in to take out the heating.
~99% of the paint has been removed from the skirting boards, the doorframes and architraves, and the electrical box. Next step of course is to stain the lot.
So impressed.
Work's proceeding on the first of the given's on this year's programme- the wall in the attic is going up as I type this.
A few more weeks and I'll be able to think about having the gas fire and radiator in the dining room taken down.
We need to see pitchas!!! Show us the pichas, (please).
There is precious little to show at the moment as they've only put the wallplate in and measured up for the studwork.
Welcome to my brand new luxury loft apartment.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51898595627_cacab86ca7_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51900204715_7676e16987_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51899639568_c6ed0f0889_c.jpg)
Luxury! to quote Michael Palin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYtYBI6eZ3E (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYtYBI6eZ3E)
Hopefully you (and your insurance company) now feel a little less stressed next time Mr. Jenkins from down in Number 23 burns his toast.
Sorontar
And the bonus is that it stops those creatures from creeping along in the roof-space! (I once saw them in a documentary called; "The X-Files"...) ;D
Quote from: James Harrison on February 23, 2022, 04:47:39 PM
Welcome to my brand new luxury loft apartment.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51898595627_cacab86ca7_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51900204715_7676e16987_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51899639568_c6ed0f0889_c.jpg)
Ooh, I'm so jealous - there's so much you can do with that space! I've probably mentioned thi before, our attic is so shallow the best closest you can get to being upright in it is kneeling, and that's at it's highest point :-\
Yours,
Miranda.
Ditto. At no point in there can I stand up.
Date for the diary; 25th March the plumber is coming to take down the ining room radiator and disconnect the dining room gas fire.
Quote from: Xenos on January 24, 2022, 04:40:25 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 20, 2022, 05:52:58 PM
Quote from: Banfili on January 19, 2022, 10:36:25 PM
This is looking grand, and by the time you are finished, James, you are going to have one pretty schmick house!
Quote from: Xenos on January 19, 2022, 10:58:38 PM
I leave the site for a few years, just a few years, mind you, and people are buying and restoring Victorian houses. I swear, I can't leave you lot alone for any amount of time before you get delusions of grandeur!
But seriously, all kidding aside, looks bloody marvelous, and while I'm not jealous of the work required (and the dosh), am am quite jealous of the results!
I'm hoping to finally get started on a remodel of my current home myself sometime this year.
You ain't seen nothing yet.
*Turns on the BTO*
I suppose after I get the floor ripped out, the walls tore down, and the closet destroyed, I'll have to get pictures of the space I'll be renovating posted in off-topic. Cause as I said, it's going to be decidedly *not* steampunk (I do have to take my wife and child's aesthetic sensibilities into consideration).
Very much looking forward to seeing where you go with it, mate! It's looking gorgeous so far!
Do you get one room to yourself where you can let rip with a steampunk aesthetic?
Well, today's effort was to deweed the front garden after the Winter. A whole carrier bag of weeds came out of it (weighing probably somewhere around 10 kilo) and it still looks half overgrown. I'm hoping that this year the photinia will start taking on more the aspect of a hedge than some thin reedy looking things.
Well, what a difference a year makes.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51949446216_c2f71c9c81_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51950051940_e2e4840aaa_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51949446286_1c53becc8e_c.jpg)
It's not quite acquired hedge status yet but if you cast your minds back to about 11 months ago when the gravel was laid...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51948473977_b0d5b937ce_c.jpg)
... you can see that it is, slowly, getting there.
Gas fire is out. That revealed a fireplace pretty much completely filled with rubble and soil. Having removed all that, I took the hearth up. Which revealed a sheet of particle board with a white bloom underneath it, suggestive of a damp issue around the chimney stack. The bricks and soil I took out were cold and damp, so I'm hoping that a little while for the bottom of the stack to dry out will improve things.
After the best part of four days without internet normal service has been resumed. Now a picture, so I am told, says a thousand words, so what sort of a story do these tell?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51967187234_249424b7a8_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51967187249_330aaf1f4b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51965899372_10463ce15e_c.jpg)
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And because that wasn't quite exciting enough I decided to take care of unfinished business in the hallway.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51966906741_ac0c1c284a_c.jpg)
Ye Gads! that there is a lot of rubble from the chimney.
With that amount of rubbish and looking at the state of the void, I doubt if the gas fire was very safe to use.
What do you intend to do with it now? Restore to an open fire or just have it as some kind of feature?
The plan was to get rid of the surround and have an open brick fireplace with some firedogs in there, however on taking the surround out it proved to be solid cast iron... it's a bit more upmarket than I gave it credit for. And looking around on the internet it seems surrounds like that generally come with a range of fire options, electric, gas or solid fuel. So I think I'm now erring toward keeping the surround and buying a solid fuel grate for it. I mean the fireplace is basically cosmetic anyway, yes it's functional but I have central heating so it's probably not going to be used outside of a dire emergency (that, or if energy prices become so exorbitant it's cheaper to burn that cat).
For the last week or so I've been clearing paint and plaster off the radiator pipework in the hallway with a view to having nice shiny pipework. I've tried several different methods and I thinks now I've enough data to tabulate what works if anybody else wants to have a go at something similar.
Paint stripper- works well for the bits that it can reach, eg the front face of the pipe. Less effective on the sides and the back face.
Paint scraper- does get stubborn/ multi-layers of paint off but only takes off think slivers (straight blade versus curved surface).
Sandpaper- too brittle for use on the back of the pipe. Clogs easily, not much of an effect.
Dremel polishing pads- can be useful, make sure that the pad has a fair amount of polishing compound and work in small areas. Pads wear out quickly!
Dremel sanding pads- good at getting paint off the front/ sides, can't reach to the back of the pipe. Expensive and wear out quickly. Not recommended for long runs.
Emery cloth/ aluminium oxide paper- robust enough to be passed around the pipe and good for getting the stuff off the back. Scratches the pipe.
Wire wool- can't be used around the back of the pipe as it pulls apart but gives good results on areas which it can reach.
Methylated spirits- seems to clean the paintwork more than anything else, maybe just gets a thin layer of it off.
This is not shaping up to be the quick little job I thought it would be.
you have obviously tried everything, I would attack it thus....
Lashings of synstryp (paint stripper) left for 20 minutes or so, scrape with the back of a fresh stanley blade, a circular wire brush in a cordless drill, emery cloth wrapped around and pulled back and forth and around the circumference in a see saw motion (if that makes any sense) finished with a final buff with wirewool.
The problem is it will tarnish with time, so duraglit / brasso metal polish or if required a coat of automotive lacquer (from halfords) which would require masking of the wall etc.........
What I'm finding is that there is no magic bullet that will do the job in one pass. What makes it more difficult for me really is that the pipes are maybe 20mm apart, maybe 15mm off the wall, and maybe 15mm away from the edge of a doorframe, so there's not much working room at all.
What seems to be an approach which gives a good result though is to start off with paint stripper, which gets most of the stuff off on the front half, then start with a piece of emery cloth passed around the back of the pipe and rubbed, as you say, with a sort of see-saw motion back and forth. That gets rid of the paint from the back of the pipe and seems to leave two fairly thin strips of paint, one to each side. To get rid of those I either then turn a few degrees to attack each one with the emery again, or try to get at them with a dremel fixing, use a small bruch to apply more paint stripper.
It's quite a long process but well worth it I think. I'm just going to need to wirewool the pipes afterward to try to take the worst of the scratches out. Lacquering the pipes is on the to-do list so that they don't tarnish.
As you know I personally like a bit of green verdigris on my pipework to give a certain used look, a slight spray with viakal or a wipe with plumbers flux, left to take effect and then lacquer.
You are probably looking for shiny shiny...
Happy polishing! A long and labourious task but well worth the effort.
Moving back to the main event for the year for a little while this evening.
Last week I had the gas fireplace taken down and having let it a week for areas of suspected damp to at least dry out and prove they aren't, I had a prod around with the moisture meter.
Chimney breast walls were still showing as wet so out came a hammer and off came the plaster. Plaster upon plaster, down to brickwork. I think I can say with reasonable certainty that the firehole was originally somewhat larger- certainly wider- and at some point it was bricked up to create a smaller aperture. I also found that the bricks had a white layer on them, some sort of effervesence, so water has been wicking through them.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51978905812_76f1071a5f_c.jpg)
There are also bricks set in the floor around the hearth that last week were showing as damp and still were this evening. At least one of them was shattered, so I risked pulling it up. And underneath? Soil.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51979911141_7f6e61894b_c.jpg)
I've an idea how I can fix this but that's not going to happen tonight.
Well, tonight I'm the proud owner of a trench in the dining room. I look forward to inevitably putting my foot down there and breaking my leg.
Still, that's next weekend sorted, eh?
Now all I have to do is demonstrate exactly why I'm employed as a civil and structural engineer.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51990917503_910ace3d75_c.jpg)
So there's the bare trench I've dug out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51991140689_8a5974e2ca_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51991418190_5e8f3590df_c.jpg)
Lined it with some damp proof membrane.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51991140679_638004cf6f_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51989860957_7c184c91b4_c.jpg)
And now to fill it with concrete.
A bit of a domestic rough and ready mix this, four parts gravel two parts builder's sand and one part cement (with a bit of water). I don't think I could say that it is any way shape or form BS8110, BS8500 or BS EN 1992-compliant, but then again as I'm not using it as a footing for a railway viaduct or in a drydock wall I don't think that's an issue.
Tsk, tsk, tsk... I can see those hearth tiles just breaking apart or exploding (!!) if you put them over that non-compliant concrete! What if a little kiddie was walking past just as they went up? No, sir, that's just an accident waiting to happen. I'll just get my clipboard and write this down.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on April 09, 2022, 12:24:53 AM
Tsk, tsk, tsk... I can see those hearth tiles just breaking apart or exploding (!!) if you put them over that non-compliant concrete! What if a little kiddie was walking past just as they went up? No, sir, that's just an accident waiting to happen. I'll just get my clipboard and write this down.
*Muttering about people who get in the way of getting things done*
Cue the Time Team music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQV8xDXSvw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faQV8xDXSvw)
Plasterer came yesterday and gave his verdict on the chimney breast. All the plaster there needs to come off as it's all either damp or life expired. Chimney breast then needs to be tanked and re-plastered.
So I started breaking the plaster off. At some point the room was replastered, by which I mean somebody put new plaster straight over the old. In one or two places I found remnants of wallpaper between the plaster layers.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51992750930_ac25f38a31_c.jpg)
Breaking back and through to the brickwork I found that beneath a shell of hard plaster there's just dust.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51992750920_764d94240b_c.jpg)
Pretty soon I reached a point where I just have to accept things will get worse before they get better.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51992750950_b7620f0296_c.jpg)
Gritting teeth and pressing on, I found this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51991201347_6452758846_c.jpg)
That, ladies and gentlemen, is the original fireplace opening. It's a good yard across and about 6' high. Problem is, if I open it up, that room is going to absolutely freezing in winter. The only thing that will go in that opening and look sane is a range, which I don't really need as the old scullery/ coal bunker/ toilet were converted into a kitchen long ago.
I think this something maybe to record and cover back up again.
Right, where's my little list?
Quote from: James Harrison on December 18, 2021, 06:41:11 PM
The 2022 givens and druthers list.
Givens:
Strip out and completely redecorate the dining room (you knew that was on the cards already).
Install a firewall in the roofspace (again, you knew that was part of the plan earlier this year). Done
Druthers:
New television aerial in the loft, and removal of the Jodrell Bank arrangement on the roof/ front wall/ side wall. Didn't need a new aerial, just some wiring. Jodrell Bank decommissioned this morning.
New footpath in the front garden, and new patio in the paddock.
New timber floor in the sitting room.
I would strip the rest of the plaster off and see what you have actually got there in feature brickwork.
Depending on that, open the void and maybe think of a working wood burner as a feature, both visually appealing and practical. Could save on the gas bills.
(https://lirp.cdn-website.com/ef5525d5/dms3rep/multi/opt/IMG_20190530_143946-06e9a69f-0e60f41c-960w.jpg)
The rest of the chimney plaster needs to come down anyway, so all of the brickwork will be uncovered. I was surprised just how large the original opening was, just about tall enough to stand inside.
More work (well, a little more work) on the chimney breast this morning. The brickwork I'm exposing... isn't of the highest quality or workmanship, shall we say? Lots of broken/ cracked bricks, not so much front and centre but on the returns, and the mortar joints are quite thick too. I'm wondering just how much money the builder saved by skimping that little bit of a brick in each course. I can now read Tressell's 'Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' and nod sagely as he discusses the ways builders and decorators skimped on quality.
The bricks uncovered, particularly on the returns, have a crust of white salty stuff on them so there's definitely damp been getting through somehow, I can only think that as the chimney breast lacks a damp proof that ground water has, over time, got into the masonry and then come up via capillary action/ osmosis. The plasterer seems to think this can be cured by cleaning the bricks off and applying a tanking compound, which yes stops it coming out on the finished surfaces but it's probably not very healthy for the masonry itself.
That moisture has to go somewhere and the tanking compound acting as an impermeable barrier makes the bricks more susceptible to spalling due to the water trying to force its way out. I would hope that as the compound is only on one side of the brickwork it would encourage the water to favour the inside face of the chimney stack but then how is it going to get away from there? I don't know if I should be thinking about having the chimney swept and then setting regular fires in the hearth to get any moisture to evaporate and go up the flue.
Then I have ex-coursemates from my conservation masters pulling my leg about having the audacity to use a plastic DPM and concrete to plug a damp issue in a modern concrete floor... I suupose they would prefer me to rip it all out and reinstate per page 172 of Volume 2 of Muthesius' Das Englishe Haus... "The entire internal floor space is covered with a 150mm layer of concrete to keep damp out"...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51995911255_000eb8ff5c_c.jpg)
And at that point, I'm leaving off for the plasterer to pick up from.
The dust though...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNRhAhq9hc&t=91s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNRhAhq9hc&t=91s)
James, may I ask "Why replaster at all?" Why not just leave the exposed brickwork of the chimney breast, and install that small woodburner as suggested by SeVeNeVeS? Or one of those faux-woodburner electric heaters?
Quote from: Banfili on April 14, 2022, 12:26:41 AM
James, may I ask "Why replaster at all?" Why not just leave the exposed brickwork of the chimney breast, and install that small woodburner as suggested by SeVeNeVeS? Or one of those faux-woodburner electric heaters?
A few reasons really;
1) Look at the state of the brickwork, would you really want it on display?
2) It doesn't fit in with my plans
Quote from: James Harrison on April 10, 2022, 07:11:56 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51995911255_000eb8ff5c_c.jpg)
And at that point, I'm leaving off for the plasterer to pick up from.
The dust though...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNRhAhq9hc&t=91s (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbNRhAhq9hc&t=91s)
I'd say the hearth is crying out for a 'real fire', although of course they are a lot of work to maintain. Mind you, if you opened it uo back to the original fireplace it looks like you could fit in an entire hog roast...
Yours,
Miranda.
It is beautiful! Flaws and all! It is crying out to be open to breathe. And be seen. Even if you don't want to put anything in there cant you block the chimney part? This screams Victorian/Edwardian/Steampunk etc to me. I would set a fake metal cradle with fake logs and set brass pots or a cauldron in there. I get it is not in your scheme of what your wanting but it is just a shame to cover this gorgeous piece of the past up.... I would love to find something like this. :(
That brickwork would never have been on display though. If I were to return it to original appearance, it would still be hidden behind plasterwork.
I would have something a little along these lines, from a local open air museum.
(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/00/72/8d/00728da6446602f90cf0c87a4376cc51.jpg)
You wouldn't see the brickwork and judging by the standard of workmanship and materials (and the fact I'm finding pegs that set the depth of the original plaster) that was never the intention of the builder.
And if I were to throw caution to the wind and open it back up to its original size and plaster it, the scale of it would be out of kilter with the rest of the room. That cast iron range in the photo above?- 'completes' the wall. Imagine it as an open hole and it just looks wrong.
I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here, but I second Seven and Banfili's suggestion of leaving the brick and installing a faux cast iron burner. It looks the best.
I was also going to suggest a fix for the terrible state of the coursework. A trick used by my grandfather when he was building our house down in CDMX. We had exposed brickwork as interior walls. The interior surfaces of the brick walls were painted with Marine Spar Varnish - the real thing. The bricks were hand made, artisanal, very porous and with various colours ranging from chocolate brown where the brick was burned and almost melted during the firing, through to bright orange where the bricks was properly fired. It had cracks, dents, bubbles, and all sorts of imperfections, just no remnants of white plaster or sum such (which would be difficult to remove, but in America is usually appreciated as"recycled bricks." After the varnish was applied the colours of the brick popped out beautifully by orders of magnitude. The walls went from ugly to beautiful.
The only problem I see with varnishing the bricks is the humidity issue you speak of. You'd need to solve the issue first...
Just my two pence.
Addendum: Using the technique above, building a new brick surface l on top of the old one? Just a thought.
Brickwork wasn't often exposed inside a Victorian house. I hate exposed brick walls - plaster that sucker! Then you can hang a nice picture or a mirror above it and have a nice mantle without constant brick dust dropping on everything.
I'm googling tiles for fireplace surrounds and I'm finding Victorian, Edwardian and Arts and Crafts examples...
https://www.motawi.com/products/arts-crafts-fireplace (https://www.motawi.com/products/arts-crafts-fireplace)
James obviously doesn't like the idea and has his own ideas on what to do, all part of the master plan.
Looking at the brickwork now exposed, I would re-plaster and fit a cat iron surround and have a working fireplace to burn wood if required at any time.
The bricks are just too far gone to look good imo.
My 2 bobs worth.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on April 17, 2022, 06:32:33 PM
I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here
Absolutely not. It's interesting to see how people would treat the space if it were their own.
The original plan of course did call for some exposed brickwork but that was dependant upon the condition and the bond, and neither condition has been met. In fact as I've broken away the plaster in the corners what I've found is that the masonry is just basically broken bricks used because they wouldn't be visible. I mean, look, it's just a wreck...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52011519807_76b5ec1ac2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52011519812_8ff212cb89_c.jpg)
What I have in mind is something more polished than that.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2022, 10:32:06 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on April 17, 2022, 06:32:33 PM
I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here
Absolutely not. It's interesting to see how people would treat the space if it were their own.
The original plan of course did call for some exposed brickwork but that was dependant upon the condition and the bond, and neither condition has been met. In fact as I've broken away the plaster in the corners what I've found is that the masonry is just basically broken bricks used because they wouldn't be visible. I mean, look, it's just a wreck...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52011519807_76b5ec1ac2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52011519812_8ff212cb89_c.jpg)
What I have in mind is something more polished than that.
It is pretty battered around the edges, isn't it! It's your house, your room, your choice! I think whatever you do it will turn out pretty schmick! :D
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2022, 10:32:06 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on April 17, 2022, 06:32:33 PM
I hope I'm not beating a dead horse here
Absolutely not. It's interesting to see how people would treat the space if it were their own.
The original plan of course did call for some exposed brickwork but that was dependant upon the condition and the bond, and neither condition has been met. In fact as I've broken away the plaster in the corners what I've found is that the masonry is just basically broken bricks used because they wouldn't be visible. I mean, look, it's just a wreck...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52011519807_76b5ec1ac2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52011519812_8ff212cb89_c.jpg)
What I have in mind is something more polished than that.
Now that I see the sides of the hearth, they do look pretty rough. Definitely meant to be covered. But that makes it a bit trickier. The opening which has been reduced in size will look fairly small after plastering. It's begging for some detail other than plaster.
There's a whole cast iron fireplace surround and wooden mantelpiece going to be reinstated there in, hopefully, a few weeks.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2022, 05:00:07 PM
There's a whole cast iron fireplace surround and wooden mantelpiece going to be reinstated there in, hopefully, a few weeks.
Much better! Victorian or Arts and Crafts?
I'm putting back what I've just had ripped out :D
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941576_6081da733d_c.jpg)
The cast iron surround and the mantelpiece and timber columns are going back in. The gas fire itself has been thrown out, so I'll be in the market for a solid fuel grate (or maybe some andirons or firedogs), and those modern slate tiles have gone too (underneath those is where I've had to dig the floor up and reinstate with damp-proof membrane and concrete).
Once the plasterer has finished their work there's going to be a lot of change quite quickly;
1) Fireplace surround and mantel refitted
2) Timber hearth surround reinstated
3) Concrete fill into the hearth surround and new hearth tiles
Quote from: James Harrison on April 18, 2022, 05:24:54 PM
I'm putting back what I've just had ripped out :D
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941576_6081da733d_c.jpg)
The cast iron surround and the mantelpiece and timber columns are going back in. The gas fire itself has been thrown out, so I'll be in the market for a solid fuel grate (or maybe some andirons or firedogs), and those modern slate tiles have gone too (underneath those is where I've had to dig the floor up and reinstate with damp-proof membrane and concrete).
Once the plasterer has finished their work there's going to be a lot of change quite quickly;
1) Fireplace surround and mantel refitted
2) Timber hearth surround reinstated
3) Concrete fill into the hearth surround and new hearth tiles
*Facepalm*
I didn't see that one coming. Well, how'bout those tiles then? ;)
I have one or two ideas but am waiting until the chimneybreast has been replastered so I know how much room I have to play with.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 19, 2022, 08:13:38 AM
I have one or two ideas but am waiting until the chimneybreast has been replastered so I know how much room I have to play with.
On first glance, I thought you had written "chimneybeast."
I hear one of those has three heads and seven legs and can live in the sort of small metal tube you see poking out of a caravan roof *shudders*
Quote from: James Harrison on April 19, 2022, 01:18:22 PM
I hear one of those has three heads and seven legs and can live in the sort of small metal tube you see poking out of a caravan roof *shudders*
Those don't take kindly to plastering. To begin with you have to have it stop moving first.
The fireplace has to sit on top of the hearth. By extension therefore the plaster cannot extend below level of same. So when rebuilding the fireplace the order has to be hearth- plastering- fireplace. This was only borne home to me this morning whilst looking at photographs of how the hearth used to be before I started breaking it up.
So today has been partly spent mixing and pouring concrete to create a new hearth. This now has maybe four days, at the outside, to cure to the point that it can be stood on by the plasterer. I'm happy to leave it for weeks to dry out before placing the tiles (insofaras concrete ever fully dries out- which it doesn't). On the plus side, being concrete this can't rot like its predecessor was.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52015605774_6137a43dff_c.jpg)
The following day...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52017590364_9e0f17aa7b_c.jpg)
Well I must have done something right because it's holding its shape after I took the timber edging off to clean up. Had I ended up with a puddle of stony gloop and a burst bit of timber moulding I would have had to sack myself from my day job.
Other bits and pieces are starting to come together now, I've got somebody coming next week to measure up for a new window, plasterer is coming this weekend to waterproof the chimneybreast and reskim the whole room and I'm starting to look at and price up picture rail mouldings, hearth tiles and paints.
Just looking at the scraggly bricks, I wonder if the two outer "columns" on either side were originally sticking out from the wall a bit further than the two inner "columns". An owner might then have wanted to change to a single, add-on mantelpiece and roughly knocked some of the bricks in half so that it was an "even" front. The roughness could then be hidden being the new mantelpiece. Just a thought, anyway. Has anyone seen that sort of fireplace in the era? This is the best I could find (from ebay!)
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse3.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.pS9xPjUDDxe19m7vJrsYkAAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1)
Sorontar
Possibly, as the chimneybreast foundations come outside (ie-into the room) of the chimney itself. So perhaps the inglenooks were originally a bit deeper.
This evening I've bought the moulding that will go around the room at top of doorframe level. All 56' / 16.8 metres of it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52018279539_064c40ff51_c.jpg)
The cost of it makes me question whether timber grows on trees. Between hiring a skip, booking a plasterer, ordering a new window and buying this, April's been an expensive month. It's probably just as well that the dining room can only be worked on at weekends and during the occasional holiday from the day job, I think trying to do the whole thing in one go would put undue strain on my cashflow. There is still a new radiator and a new floor to be bought...
Quote from: James Harrison on April 20, 2022, 11:25:12 AM
The following day...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52017590364_9e0f17aa7b_c.jpg)
Well I must have done something right because it's holding its shape after I took the timber edging off to clean up. Had I ended up with a puddle of stony gloop and a burst bit of timber moulding I would have had to sack myself from my day job.
Other bits and pieces are starting to come together now, I've got somebody coming next week to measure up for a new window, plasterer is coming this weekend to waterproof the chimneybreast and reskim the whole room and I'm starting to look at and price up picture rail mouldings, hearth tiles and paints.
Looks as though you're well on your way to taming the chimneybeast.
Quote from: von Corax on April 21, 2022, 07:37:51 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 20, 2022, 11:25:12 AM
The following day...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52017590364_9e0f17aa7b_c.jpg)
Well I must have done something right because it's holding its shape after I took the timber edging off to clean up. Had I ended up with a puddle of stony gloop and a burst bit of timber moulding I would have had to sack myself from my day job.
Other bits and pieces are starting to come together now, I've got somebody coming next week to measure up for a new window, plasterer is coming this weekend to waterproof the chimneybreast and reskim the whole room and I'm starting to look at and price up picture rail mouldings, hearth tiles and paints.
Looks as though you're well on your way to taming the chimneybeast.
I think it is safe to say that the methodology and order of doing things is getting clearer in my mind.
- Once the plastering is done and has been allowed to dry I can think about an initial whitewash coat;
- Then I can put the picture rail up;
- Then paint the walls;
- By which time the concrete around the hearth will have cured
- And at that point I can set in the hearth tiles
- And once they're in the fireplace can be put back.
As it was a nice, warm, dry afternoon, I took the mouldings outside and stained them mahogany.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52020027824_5821b223e2_c.jpg)
Just offered up to the existing wall, bear in mind that the whole room is going to be reskimmed.
And then I painted up a bit of the wall in some paint I had to hand.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52019820588_e50b466387_c.jpg)
Just to confirm my thoughts that emerald green is just too bright and cartoony. Something in way of a deeper, more sober hue is required.
Today's effort has mostly been trying to empty the room, so far as is practical, in readiness for the plasterer's visit tomorrow. Some more of the vinyl flooring has been taken up and discarded (I'm not planning on having a bare concrete floor over winter...), and I've bought the paint.
Hopefully, when the plastering is done, the room should start to come back together pretty quickly. Allow three or four days for the plaster to dry out takes us to the middle of next week, coat or two of whitewash in the evenings, window fitters coming to measure up for the new window on the 19th, the picture rail over the early May bank holiday weekend, then the week after that I can start the proper paint work.
The window I'm told will have a ten to twelve-week lead, so that should be going in sometime around mid-July, that's also when ideally I'd want to be thinking about getting a new radiator plumbed in, and then I think the only major part to be done would be the new flooring, which so long as it is done by October we should be OK.
It would be so much simpler to timetable this if I didn't have to use the room as an office as well....
Work is now well in hand in putting the dining room back together again.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52024826435_017628c862_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52024559669_1875f170cb_c.jpg)
About half of the room has been re-skimmed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52024312036_5d2fd406b0_c.jpg)
And the chimneybreast has been covered up again. Don't worry, there's a hole to be made in this for the fireplace- I'm told it's easier to do this after skimming it though.
I must say I have never seen expanding foam used to secure plasterboard before always dot and dab, there you go. :-\
You going leave the ceiling artexed?
I don't think the expanding foam is there to secure the plasterboard as inspection this morning suggests that it's only been used on the chimneybreast corners. Maybe it's been used to get a decent smooth joint between the new and old suitable for skimming over, or perhaps it's been used there for its anti-moisture properties- I'm sorry to say I'm powerless to speculate there.
The artex ceiling is actually a textured paper, and yes the intention is that it will remain (on the basis that there's nothing unsound about it and with the issues I've already found in the room I'm in no mood to go fooling about with something that looks okay until I discover another problem to deal with). If it were artex I don't know what I would do, what with it being a matrix of plaster and asbestos...
Quote from: James Harrison on April 24, 2022, 07:27:50 AM
I don't think the expanding foam is there to secure the plasterboard as inspection this morning suggests that it's only been used on the chimneybreast corners. Maybe it's been used to get a decent smooth joint between the new and old suitable for skimming over, or perhaps it's been used there for its anti-moisture properties- I'm sorry to say I'm powerless to speculate there.
The artex ceiling is actually a textured paper, and yes the intention is that it will remain (on the basis that there's nothing unsound about it and with the issues I've already found in the room I'm in no mood to go fooling about with something that looks okay until I discover another problem to deal with). If it were artex I don't know what I would do, what with it being a matrix of plaster and asbestos...
my mistake, from the photos, it
appears to be artex as long as those corners are sound and solid, no problem with the foam, just never seen it before.
Big news this weekend; the plastering is done...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52027226005_7a76c58160_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52025672507_59d12aab63_c.jpg)
Expect a lot of change pretty quickly from this point onward.
Sitrep, four days after the plasterer finished. With the exception of a few little patches on one wall, the plaster's dry. I've started applying the mist coat (not quite half way around the room with it yet), I'm hoping to get the back of it broken this evening and give the last wall just an extra day or so to finish off.
Well.... one week on...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52040622165_06272fd532_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52040157323_ef7ab58f9e_c.jpg)
The mist coat is finished and- the picture rail is up. All the way around.
Further good news- the new window has been ordered (anticipated installation somewhere around three months away).
You can reasonably expect a fair bit of work, now, to get done in a short(ish) space of time.
Today's little task was to replace the skirting and the electric cabinet (both of which had been taken down last Summer to allow the first round of damp-proofing to be sorted out). Of course it was too much like hard work for this to be a simple job;
1. The one long piece of skirting doesn't follow the wall;
2. That same piece is warped at one end;
3. The two smaller pieces of skirting sit in an inglenook which has been replastered, twice, so needed cutting down to size;
4. The electric box sits in front of one piece of skirting and on top of a second;
5. The whole lot needed to be put back in a specific order to get it all to fit.
Well I got it all glued and screwed back, after a bit of a struggle, and now I just need to fill the gap behind the long piece.
Much as I would like, right now, to move on to painting, I think it might be as well just to sit back a few days, get the timber work absolutely finished. I've got ten to twelve weeks before the new window turns up to get the room painted, there's no especial hurry in that regard.
Things moved on quicker than thought.
The picture rail, which has been nailed/ tacked up, has had the nail holes filled, the filler sanded back, and then the filler stained over. Picture rail is now done- assuming I don't get paint over it...
The skirting boards and architraves, which got caked in places with plaster, they've been cleaned up. I think the only thing now outstanding on the skirting boards is caulking/ filling behind the ones I've refitted, well that's a work in progress.
Which leaves, err...
... Well, the painting has started...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52045205231_f671b6508a_c.jpg)
It's a very subtle off-white/ pale cream that I'm applying between the picture rail and the ceiling, it's a bit paler than I had in mind (but I had this tin of paint sitting in a cupboard and the swatch on the label suggested it should dry pretty close to what I want) so we'll see how it goes. Naturally of course halfway around the room I start wondering what will happen if I run out before I've finished with it and naturally of course it looks like this particular colour is now discontinued. So the priority is to get all walls above the picture rail done (at least two coats, I think) before using it anywhere else (for example the window reveals or the chimney breast below picture rail level).
Using a light colour above the picture rail and a darker one below will make the room look larger. We did this in a previous house and couldn't believe the difference.
Well, what a difference a week makes...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52056769596_76cfafbbe4_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52057259345_7b8a28082c_c.jpg)
There is still a huge amount of work to be done, not least of which is finishing off the hearth and putting the fireplace back in, but it is getting there.
Coming along very nicely! Not too sure the wall colour is for me, but I am known for not being brave on that front. ;D
You can get away with dark colours in a bright, naturally lit room but where I live very small rooms so I tend to opt for pastels.
Now that it's actually on the wall in quantity, I'm not sure I haven't done a foolish thing. Don't get me wrong, I think the colour is fantastic, but the window faces north so it never gets any direct sunlight. I think I've made a naturally dark room, even darker :-\
There's still a lot of work to be done though so this isn't the final effect yet.
Is it a darker colour than your sitting/lounge room? Does that get more sun? Are you happy with how light that room is?
It's a darker tone than the blue in the sitting room (which does get more sun. A lot more sun.)
Like I say though, there's a second phase to the painting that I've yet to even start and that I think should lighten it back up again overall.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52071200251_64bdfd5fe6_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52071429019_5f3e933534_c.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52071205988_4147d90d60_c.jpg)
I'll spare you the tedious blow by blow account of the week's painting as acting like a bore isn't a particularly attractive character trait. What I will say is that about half of the room needs a third coat of paint as the camera doesn't quite capture how patchy it looks in areas. Also the front of the chimneybreast is yet to be touched at all below picture rail level, that is waiting until I've put the fireplace back in and the fireplace is waiting on tiling the hearth. Well, I've bought the tiles, I just need to lay them- that might be a job for this weekend.
Bits that need doing/ finishing off at the moment...
1) Green paint
2) Repainting the coving
3) Hearth tiles
4) Refitting fireplace
5) Painting the chimneybreast
And then I can pause and draw breath, as the next planned bit is installing a new radiator, which I haven't bought yet! And then it's just the small matter of a new floor, which again- you guessed it- not bought yet.
Right, let's think this through.
I've just spent some time this morning painting the covings, of the eight lengths going around the room I've got seven of them done.
I've been working this last fortnight on the walls, of the eight walls I consider three of them finished. Four of the remainder just need a final coat of paint.
The eight wall- the chimneybreast front- I have a different idea for.
But before I can work on the chimneybreast I need to have the fireplace back in.
Before I can put the fireplace back I need to have the hearth tiles down.
To place the hearth tiles I need to know where the fireplace sits.
I need to know 1. the level of its bottom and 2. its centreline relative to the chimneybreast.
You can see where this is going, if I just randomly put the tiles down I will end up with awkward gaps at the bottom and nothing will line through....
I have a big hole already cut into the new plaster for the fire, but it needs enlarging. So there's an additional layer of complexity in working out the centreline of the hole relative to the centreline of the chimneybreast relative to the centreline of the fireplace, to make sure I enlarge it by the correct amount in the correct place.
There's no point my putting tiles down until that hole has been enlarged, unless I want to get them dirty/ broken before the job is finished. But I can't enlarge the hole until I know where the fireplace sits, and that's dependent upon the top level of the tiles....
I think this might need a dry run or six.
Turns out that the fireplace surround and the insert sit at the same level. The concrete base for the insert is still in situ so I know that so long as my tiles sit flush with that then everything will be on the same level. All well and good. After a bit of measuring and marking out I was able to work out just how much the hole needed to be enlarged by. A sensation of deja vu then came over me as once again I found myself sawing through plaster.
That done, and the mess vacuumed up, I was able to mix and place some screed to sit the tiles on. Now I have to wait a few days or so for that to cure, unless I want to rush the job and end up with cracked tiles. Finally, I've put an initial base coat of paint onto the chimneybreast...
The hearth tiles are in!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52086025357_bb85b414d3_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52087556410_3ee1f4612a_c.jpg)
Of course, it just had to be the case that the tiles were 20cm x 20cm whilst the hearth was 26cm wide, didn't it? I had to cut every single one of them to size. The alternative would have been to have one whole tile and a little over a quarter of another next to it, which wouldn't have looked right.
And then for getting them level... that was an ordeal. They're not quite level now but they're close enough (and it's not like I'll be walking on them)- the odd mm difference here and there isn't going to keep me awake at night.
So later this weekend I'll probably be grouting them, and once that is done I can clean up that wooden moulding around them. Once that's done I can, maybe, think about perhaps getting the fireplace back in. And that will be a relief because I'm pretty tired of having to move several heavy lumps of iron around the room as a precursor to actually doing anything in there.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 20, 2022, 06:35:12 PM
The hearth tiles are in!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52086025357_bb85b414d3_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52087556410_3ee1f4612a_c.jpg)
Of course, it just had to be the case that the tiles were 20cm x 20cm whilst the hearth was 26cm wide, didn't it? I had to cut every single one of them to size. The alternative would have been to have one whole tile and a little over a quarter of another next to it, which wouldn't have looked right.
And then for getting them level... that was an ordeal. They're not quite level now but they're close enough (and it's not like I'll be walking on them)- the odd mm difference here and there isn't going to keep me awake at night.
So later this weekend I'll probably be grouting them, and once that is done I can clean up that wooden moulding around them. Once that's done I can, maybe, think about perhaps getting the fireplace back in. And that will be a relief because I'm pretty tired of having to move several heavy lumps of iron around the room as a precursor to actually doing anything in there.
I was wondering how you were going to fit the tiles in (having done this once myself..). Good option - they don't even look cut-down. And though patterned, they are not overwhelming. I like it!
Thanks- I managed to grout them last night (which is another tiny little step to completion) and now I've found that the wooden moulding has somehow managed to stick itself to the tiling. Not a bad thing, I was planning to fix it down permanently anyway, but I wanted to clean it up first. Rather than try to pry it loose and potentially damage what I've already done, I think I'll clean it up and finish it where it lies. I'm hoping next weekend I'll be able to refit the fireplace, firstly because that will represent a big leap forward but secondly and mostly because I'm just tired of having to shift heavy lumps of metalwork around preparatory to doing anything in the room.
Bits still to do:
- Change the window (new window ordered and should be here in late July/ early August- ish)
- Repair the outside window sill (not sure whether I'll have a go at this myself or get a stone mason in)
- Reinstate the fireplace (hopefully next weekend)
- Finish painting the window reveal/ final cleanup of the paintwork (I might do this tonight)
- 'Detail' painting (next few weeks- all will be revealed)
- New radiator (still needs to be ordered)
- New timber flooring (still needs to be ordered)
Overall I'm on track and more or less on budget, the flooring at the moment is the big unknown because I priced that up last September and it wouldn't surprise me if the cost of it has gone through the roof since.
And then stretch goals to get the room even closer to completely finished (because I usually employ what I call an '80% rule'- get the room 80% done and move on to something else):
- New door from the hallway;
- Brass finger plates on both doors;
- Fix the leaded glass in the kitchen door;
- Fit brass light switches and power outlets;
- Do 'something' to neaten the corner where the telephone line/ internet cable and box just randomly disappear into the wall.
Two months (and a few days) after it was ripped out, and the fireplace has been reinstated.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52105392685_18792e0e88_c.jpg)
Oh how I laughed when I found that (unsurprisingly) it looks exactly the same as it did before I started the job.
The chimneybeast has been tamed!
Well, bricked up and panelled in at least. You can still hear it roaring on quiet days and at the dead of night.
Perhaps ypu could put the roaring down to a roaring ghost fire? Every Victorian house needs a ghost...
That looks lovely, James! Well done!
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2022, 12:38:32 PM
Oh how I laughed when I found that (unsurprisingly) it looks exactly the same as it did before I started the job.
I imagine you would have been very worried if you found it wearing a bustle or spats. Being able to get it back to what it looked like beforehand is a very good thing. Congrats to you and your tradespeople.
Sorontar
Thanks!- I think I'm actually onto smaller bits now, which is good. Still need to source a new radiator and a new floor covering but all I'm doing for those is paying for them...
Which leaves
1. Cleaning up the window sill
2. Cleaning up and staining the mantlepiece
3. Painting a frieze over the mantle
4. Stenciling on the walls
So what I think I'll do- a little later- is break out the palm sander and try to get on with 1 and 2.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 28, 2022, 12:38:32 PM
Two months (and a few days) after it was ripped out, and the fireplace has been reinstated.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52105392685_18792e0e88_c.jpg)
Oh how I laughed when I found that (unsurprisingly) it looks exactly the same as it did before I started the job.
It looks as you say yourself no different, but you have the comfort in knowing that all the work confirms no future problems will arise where the chimney breast is concerned.
Well, today's task. Firstly there were a pair of timber plinths that needed to be fixed back to the mantlepiece. One of these was a fairly easy job- just a bit of planing needed (the mantle originally sat a little lower than the fire surround, but is now level with it). The other- needed to lose about 5mm. A ticklish bit of sawing ensued.
That done, I was able to stain the mantle. And whilst I was at it, I also finished cleaning up the window sill and stained that too.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52107969473_23b7bf81c2_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52107969488_d2b25829d7_c.jpg)
If you can credit it, there is still more wooden trim yet to be reinstated around the fireplace.
I've also been thinking about the new flooring, my first thoughts were to put down some engineered timber parquet but that was quite expensive when I looked at it last year and- the more I think about it the more I think it might not look right. So, I'm now thinking, why not just lay floorboards over the concrete slab? It will be cheaper to install, I can match the staining to the trim already in the room, I can probably lay it myself rather than needing to get somebody in, it will look less 'busy', it won't distract from the walls (see below) and I think it would give me more options for when I get around to making the internet and telephone corner look a bit more polished.
The last thing I've done is to measure the walls up. I'm not planning on having solid blocks of that very nice dark green colour, I want something to catch the eye. I'm thinking of just a very simple, small, geometric stencil, something along the lines of an elongated 8-pointed star, either repeating the cream/white colour above the picture rail or in gold (decision not made yet).
We laid timber flooring over builders pine flooring (which was rough, soft, cheap timber designed to have carpet or tiles over it). We used an Australian hardwood nailed and glued. From memory it was 12 mm thick. It worked our really beautifully. Used a hard wax to stain and finish it - virtually no smell and we could walk on it 3 hours later. That was 8 years ago and it still looks great.
Some more of the awful horrible vinyl flooring got broken up today... the days are numbered for what is left. The jury is out on what will replace it.
In more positive news though;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52110481288_b9633f3f2a_c.jpg)
The stove polish arrived. Not quite an hour's work tonight saw the fireplace pretty much cleaned up.
Those are beautiful tiles. Your project is coming along nicely. A very tasteful rendition of the original features
That's about the only part of the room that I regard as practically finished (in fact, no, there's more of that wooden trim to put back isn't there....)
The last few days, you remember when I said there was another 'something' I was going to do with the paintwork?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52116711086_021c56f76d_c.jpg)
So I drew up and cut out this stencil and once I'd got a couple on the wall I wasn't sold on the idea, it looked a good deal more coarse than I had in mind. But then I broke out my tester pots and this happened....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52115685077_d56c69c853_c.jpg)
Which is a lot more refined and pretty much what I was aiming for in the first place. Now, this is going to take a little while...
Ooo, I love that - it looks really good!
I don't propose to give a blow by blow account of the painting, it's boring and tedious enough doing it, let alone writing about it afterward. What I will say, though, is that this is what it looks like with one wall finished and a second in a tolerably advanced state.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52121418653_51362b1023_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52121418678_f671f03170_c.jpg)
Can we get a close-up of one of the stars?
Ask and ye shall receive.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52121446156_3fc7b5d173_c.jpg)
What needs to be understood though is that the eye doesn't just concentrate on oneof these, looking at the wall I've already completed you find your attention darting across it rather than just focussing on one small area. The mind takes in the overall effect rather than concentrating on the neatness of each individual star. So presenting a typical example of the star bereft of its context gives an unrealistic representation of how your eyes actually perceive the complete pattern.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 04, 2022, 01:21:20 PM
What needs to be understood though is that the eye doesn't just concentrate on oneof these, ... you find your attention darting across it rather than just focussing on one small area. The mind takes in the overall effect ...
I had actually noticed that in the wide-angle shots. I was just curious how much work went into it.
It actually gets better and better - just looks totally 'right'. As if the house is controlling its own decoration.
I'm not really too surprised by that, because the decor of this particular room is at least informed or 'inspired by' period photographs of contemporary interior design. The sitting room and the hallway, on the other hand, are more based on my own ideas (the sitting room) or a few photos of modern recreations (hallway).
So long as the whole all hangs together though I'm taking a fairly laissez-faire approach to my influences and inspirations. I'd hesitate before pigeon-holing the project as 'conservation', 'restoration' or mere 'refurbishment', as there are elements of all three (and a lot more besides) going on as I deem appropriate. Perhaps the closest description I've yet come up with is that it's a modern take on Viollet-le-Duc's philosophy of 'restoration to a state of completion that may never have originally existed'- I'm under no illusion that if I treated this as a true restoration project the bathroom would become a third bedroom and be replaced by a tin bath in front of a fireplace, for instance.
I think I'll stop myself there, as this is another instance where sadly we simply don't have time for my three-hour lecture on building conservation philosophy and it's practical application to working buildings as opposed to museums.
This room is looking very livable-in. Well done you.
Quote from: frances on June 05, 2022, 06:23:55 PM
This room is looking very livable-in. Well done you.
Thanks- it's getting there.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 05, 2022, 04:06:22 PM
I'm not really too surprised by that, because the decor of this particular room is at least informed or 'inspired by' period photographs of contemporary interior design. The sitting room and the hallway, on the other hand, are more based on my own ideas (the sitting room) or a few photos of modern recreations (hallway).
So long as the whole all hangs together though I'm taking a fairly laissez-faire approach to my influences and inspirations. I'd hesitate before pigeon-holing the project as 'conservation', 'restoration' or mere 'refurbishment', as there are elements of all three (and a lot more besides) going on as I deem appropriate. Perhaps the closest description I've yet come up with is that it's a modern take on Viollet-le-Duc's philosophy of 'restoration to a state of completion that may never have originally existed'- I'm under no illusion that if I treated this as a true restoration project the bathroom would become a third bedroom and be replaced by a tin bath in front of a fireplace, for instance.
I think I'll stop myself there, as this is another instance where sadly we simply don't have time for my three-hour lecture on building conservation philosophy and it's practical application to working buildings as opposed to museums.
So it's not just me then! Spouse and I have many discussions on the 'restoration' of bathrooms - keeping everything looking (as they imagine) like it was in some era or other and failing completely by making them so uncomfortable they would be horrible to use...
Quote from: James Harrison on June 05, 2022, 04:06:22 PM
... it's a modern take on Viollet-le-Duc's philosophy of 'restoration to a state of completion that may never have originally existed'...
Isn't that the essence of Steampunk? — "Recreating a future that never existed."
So by that measure then the house is a Steampunk project, with nary a gear in sight.
Things are going to go quiet a little while as I've other demands on my time for a few weeks, bt when I get going again I'll be finishing off the painting and doing something with the floor.
Exams over, back to the house. Right, priorities.
1) Finish the stencilling.
2) Get the garage wiring sorted out (guess who managed to throw the wrong switch over the weekend....)
3) Order the new radiator.
4) Sort out the flooring.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 21, 2022, 04:22:50 PM
...
4) Sort out the flooring.
There's a quick and easy way of making bespoke parquet patterns on a real wood board that you can lay as (or more) easily as laminate, if you're interested...
Quote from: Sir Henry on June 21, 2022, 06:14:23 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on June 21, 2022, 04:22:50 PM
...
4) Sort out the flooring.
There's a quick and easy way of making bespoke parquet patterns on a real wood board that you can lay as (or more) easily as laminate, if you're interested...
Oh? Do tell please!
Fake parquet
First, measure your floor and work out how many 8'x4' boards would be needed to cover the floor. The plan is to buy sheets of pale plywood (birch or poplar usually), without too many 'plugs' or repairs (Be fussy). Some builders' merchants sell pale as standard, but many only sell dark, hardwood-faced boards - you need to look around. Also, prices of ply at the moment are changing rapidly due to supply problems, so even more reason to shop around. You can use any thickness of ply, from 3mm upwards, just be aware that if you use 3mm, it would probably be a good idea to lay a cheaper board underneath it for strength. It's probably still very cheap compared to most floor coverings.
Next draw up a pattern that you like to fit the floor. The real parquet I was copying was made of 2.5in. by 5in. blocks, which I think was standard. It doesn't have to be parquet, it's just that that fits the aesthetic well and straight lines are easiest to scale up and cut).
The internet has a wealth of samples of parquet designs, but you could also look up inlay patterns or marquetry designs. It is a rather enjoyable rabbit hole, I found.
So once you have your design, scale it up. You can do it from measurements, printing out a jigsaw of rectangular sections or however you think best. Mark up the board in pencil then, using a Stanley knife or similar (with a sharp blade - and change the blade often, this blunts them quite fast), cut along the lines. You only need to cut through the top layer of ply and into the glue between it and the next in the board. But you need to do this for every line and for there to be no gaps, even at the corners.
For further authenticity, you can go over the lines with something slightly thicker like a pen knife or a sharp-edged trowel, to thicken the grooves and make the pieces look more separate.
When that's all done and your arm and shoulder have healed, dye the different pieces in a set of slightly different coloured stains. Five or so should give a good random effect.
When all the stains are done and dried, it's time for varnish or floor wax. It is important to use a different medium for the stains and the varnish/wax or the pieces will bleed into each other. In other words, if you want to wax it or use yacht or other solvent-based varnish then use water-based stains. Conversely, if you want to use polyurethane varnish (water-based) then use solvent-based stains.
I hope that made sense. Any questions, ask away.
(https://www.parquetfloorfitters.co.uk/img/20/articles/339/hardwood-flooring-patterns.jpg)
Quote from: Sir Henry on June 22, 2022, 06:45:24 AM
I hope that made sense. Any questions, ask away.
It sorta makes sense. So what you end up with is simulating the contrasting wood
tones without the contrasting wood
grains?
Quote from: von Corax on June 22, 2022, 07:07:17 AM
Quote from: Sir Henry on June 22, 2022, 06:45:24 AM
I hope that made sense. Any questions, ask away.
It sorta makes sense. So what you end up with is simulating the contrasting wood tones without the contrasting wood grains?
Yes, but the stronger the contrast between the pieces, the less obvious it is that it's all one piece of wood.
99% of the time people don't look that closely at the floor, just seeing the pretty pattern. When I put the first one I made down in a rental property, a building inspector friend told me I was an idiot as it would take a lot of money and time to restore the floor when we left. When I picked it up and walked out of the room with it he was 'a bit upset'.
I like the idea, I'll bare it in mind when I get around to the summer house I have in mind for the garden...
Stencilling is now- finally- finished. It's funny how the closer a long tedious bit of work gets to the end, the more laborious the thing seems to get.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52169239337_6322795f3a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52170504214_d78c7f9548_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52170258556_a7b98ec93a_c.jpg)
Now I imagine installation of the new window isn't a million years away, and as my vague idea is to book a week off work just so soon as I have an installation date, I guess I need to start looking at ordering the new radiator, so I can get two jobs done in one holiday.
Very nice. Not quite to my own taste but very attractive nonetheless
And onto the next little bit. I think you might like this....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52173993884_cfb7d859a1_c.jpg)
Tolkienesque style?
Watching with interest...
Quote from: Mercury Wells on June 26, 2022, 08:03:01 PM
Tolkienesque style?
That's not quite what I'm aiming at, but we shall see.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52180354581_514f4362ac_c.jpg)
Well, as of yesterday evening this is what I'd got....
Quote from: James Harrison on June 29, 2022, 05:00:11 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52180354581_514f4362ac_c.jpg)
Well, as of yesterday evening this is what I'd got....
Looking good. :)
Are you making it up as you go along or following a picture?
So far as I practically can, I'm copying this:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51709069304_c692f63d77.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52190189808_057da0dd27_c.jpg)
And at that point I think I'm going to call it.
Progress also on other fronts;
- New window, paid for in full, awaiting installation date.
- New radiator, ordered, due for delivery Tuesday, then I've got to book installation.
- New flooring, ordered, due for delivery Friday.
Rough idea is to book my usual Summer week's holiday to coincide with the window installation and see if the plumber can come in the same week. New flooring, being solid timber, will need a week or so to acclimatise before I can lay it which means it will go down in mid-late July at the earliest.
Now, those three will between them get me to somewhere around the 85 - 90% completion point, the remainder of the work being the smaller finishing-off bits that aren't really critical;
- New hallway door;
- Shelf for telephone and internet router;
- Box out to cover telephone/ internet wiring;
- Beading to cover join between flooring and skirting boards
As it turns out, solid wood flooring is surprisingly heavy... especially when you're trying to bring it into the house so it can acclimitise.
Ditto a radiator, which likewise is now sitting in the room waiting to be fitted.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 08, 2022, 05:34:15 PM
As it turns out, solid wood flooring is surprisingly heavy... especially when you're trying to bring it into the house so it can acclimitise.
Ply is lighter ;)
That is very true, however solid wood is somehow more 'authentic' so that's what I've gone for.
Whilst waiting for the new window to turn up (and noting that installation of the new radiator and new floor will only take place after the new window is in), other, smaller jobs come to the fore. For instance, I need to fit a doorstop now that the hallway door can slam into the dining room wall...
Starting something of a roundtoit job; getting the plastic pain off the stonework around the bay window.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52212191244_9305fa7628_c.jpg)
Firstly, this stuff doesn't look pretty.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52211938468_1ee82fe15c_c.jpg)
It's already peeling in some places.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52210912332_692c97c6c9_c.jpg)
And that's after I cleared most of it off of one side.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52211916326_7de94f1b96_c.jpg)
The resulting mess in a dustpan.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 12, 2022, 05:58:26 PM
Starting something of a roundtoit job; getting the plastic pain off the stonework around the bay window.
Sounds like an agonizing job.
It is. You have to bend over or kneel down. I've got a bad back and my knees crack... this is not something that can be done in one go.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 12, 2022, 05:58:26 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52211938468_1ee82fe15c_c.jpg)
Is that a crack on the right hand side of that ledge?
There's another in the same place on the other side. My neighbour has them in those locations too. I'm minded to think that they are weathered joints in the stonework.
Back to the dining room.... we have a date for the window! Early August I'll be able to scratch this out as mission accomplished.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 12, 2022, 07:13:07 PM
It is. You have to bend over or kneel down. I've got a bad back and my knees crack... this is not something that can be done in one go.
Must be extra difficult in the current hot weather... You've got us matched in the temperature department, from what I hear.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on July 19, 2022, 02:46:14 AM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 12, 2022, 07:13:07 PM
It is. You have to bend over or kneel down. I've got a bad back and my knees crack... this is not something that can be done in one go.
Must be extra difficult in the current hot weather... You've got us matched in the temperature department, from what I hear.
I didn't even try to work out there last night. 8pm and the mercury still worrying away around the 30 centigrade mark.
Quote from: Mercury Wells on July 12, 2022, 09:32:38 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 12, 2022, 05:58:26 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52211938468_1ee82fe15c_c.jpg)
Is that a crack on the right hand side of that ledge?
Update on this. Now that all of the paint is off I can see what I have. That vertical break is the joint between two pieces of stone. The gap between the two is wide enough to slide your fingers into- I guess this is a relic of the stone having been placed by hand- and that has been filled with mortar. I've actually managed to break it free trying to get the paint off, so now I have loose lumps of old cement wedged back in just to keep the worst of the weather out.
So now how to fix this. You can buy lime mortars to fill in cracks and chips, and I'm going to use one to repair the edges and corners of the individual cills. I'll probably use the same stuff, actually, to replace the cement with.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 19, 2022, 05:49:42 PM
Quote from: Mercury Wells on July 12, 2022, 09:32:38 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on July 12, 2022, 05:58:26 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52211938468_1ee82fe15c_c.jpg)
Is that a crack on the right hand side of that ledge?
Update on this. Now that all of the paint is off I can see what I have. That vertical break is the joint between two pieces of stone. The gap between the two is wide enough to slide your fingers into- I guess this is a relic of the stone having been placed by hand- and that has been filled with mortar. I've actually managed to break it free trying to get the paint off, so now I have loose lumps of old cement wedged back in just to keep the worst of the weather out.
So now how to fix this. You can buy lime mortars to fill in cracks and chips, and I'm going to use one to repair the edges and corners of the individual cills. I'll probably use the same stuff, actually, to replace the cement with.
Presumably it will then need painting with a waterproof paint similar to the stuff you removed to stop the lime mortar slowly washing away?
Not necessarily as lime mortar is pretty weather-proof. The cills would originally have been coated with mineral paint anyway and I'm planning to reinstate that, so once finished it will be weathertight.
With the week off I can get a few bits and pieces doen around the house.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52255158672_117bdaf145_c.jpg)
The last few square metres of the horrible plastic faux-wooden dining room floor and its foam backing material were taekn up.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52256613150_a00ee23334_c.jpg)
Then a new damp proof membrane was placed (blue plastic) and this was covered with a compressible fibreboard matting.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52255152097_37d6ee196a_c.jpg)
In preparation for a solid wood floor.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52256116321_dd89f8278e_c.jpg)
This is by no means complete yet as there are a number of boards need cutting to size and placing and the whole lot needs to be tamped together, and that will happen in a few weeks time, but the lion's share of the work has been done and right now I have something that looks like this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52256140573_47c18863f6_c.jpg)
Another day, another thing ticked off the list.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52258614181_bf51587942_c.jpg)
You would not believe the fight the house put up trying to get this fitted. It's almost as though it resents somebody spending money on it.
Firstly trying to fit the supports, everytime the plumber drilled into the wall the brickwork crumbled to dust.
Once we got around that problem, trying to get the piping in and- I don't know what the problem was exactly (I tend not to hover around tradespeople but rather let them get on with the job) but the upshot was that all of the piping back to the main feeds (on the other side of the wall,in the cupboard below the stairs) had to be taken out and replaced.
You'd think with the thing bolted to the wall and plumbed in that the house would give up the thing as a bad job, but rather in a final " >:( - you" move it decided to spall off a good chunk of the plaster skim that had been applied three or four months ago. So I've had to patch that back in.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 01, 2022, 03:37:05 PM
With the week off I can get a few bits and pieces doen around the house.
The last few square metres of the horrible plastic faux-wooden dining room floor and its foam backing material were taekn up.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52256613150_a00ee23334_c.jpg)
Then a new damp proof membrane was placed (blue plastic) and this was covered with a compressible fibreboard matting.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52255152097_37d6ee196a_c.jpg)
I saw the green "mat things" and thought of Tatami (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tatami). Maybe you could do a Japanese style bedroom?
Something like a nod to the Anglo-Japanese style, you mean?
Now that would be an interesting starting point for a design.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 02, 2022, 06:30:05 PM
Something like a nod to the Anglo-Japanese style, you mean?
Now that would be an interesting starting point for a design.
Anglo-Japanese style (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Japanese_style) (for those who aren't familiar with the style).
Images of the Anglo-Japanese furnishings. (https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Anglo-Japanese+style&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images)
The above might give you some ideas, James
Quote from: Mercury Wells on August 03, 2022, 05:14:12 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 02, 2022, 06:30:05 PM
Something like a nod to the Anglo-Japanese style, you mean?
Now that would be an interesting starting point for a design.
Anglo-Japanese style (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Japanese_style) (for those who don't know about the style).
Images of the Anglo-Japanese furnishings. (https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Anglo-Japanese+style&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images)
The above might give you some ideas, James
Thanks; something to look over for the next few months whilst compiling the 2023 build programme.
Today's little task: continuing to break out the concrete slab around the house in the front garden. I started this last night and the reason why I'm doing it is because there is a tree that has planted itself quite close to the house that I'm trying to get out. Removing the concrete gives me a bit more chance of getting the tree out.
It also gives me a bit of a leg-up on a job planned for next year which is to remove the concrete path and lay brick pavers.
This morning saw another big part of the dining room project come together; the fitting of the new window.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52264606158_e2b215ecf0_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52264606168_2a905f0d50_c.jpg)
The room is now within spitting distance of completion.
Well, that's now all of the concrete around the front bay window removed. I still have a concrete path down to the road and the plan at the moment is that that will stay until next year. I'm intending the 2023 programme to be concentrating on finishing off bits and the garden path is definitely unfinished business.
So, what next? Still in the front garden I'm afraid. Having taken the concrete out, the next bit is to take out the soil so that where the concrete was I end up with a hole probably somewhere around 150 - 180mm (6 - 7") deep. Then, Friday next week, I have an 800kg bag of MOT Type 1 arriving. MOT Type 1 is clean quarried stone and gravel ranging in size from dust up to about 60mm across, and it's used most commonly as a subbase material for roads and pavements. I use it in a professional capacity as a material to build piling platforms and the like from. When properly placed and compacted it's very effective at spreading load into soil. So I'm planning on needing to place a 100mm / 4" thickness of this down as a precursor to laying paving bricks. Now that is a job for next year, but if I can get the subgrade down then it will have several months of being trafficked over to compact it before then.
And next Sunday- unless my new neice and nephew arrive in the meantime- my brother and Father will be coming over to help finish off the dining room floor. You'll remember there are a number of boards that haven't been placed yet because they need to be cut, and of the three of us my brother is the only person who has a saw that might manage the job.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 05, 2022, 10:09:15 AM
This morning saw another big part of the dining room project come together; the fitting of the new window.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52264606158_e2b215ecf0_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52264606168_2a905f0d50_c.jpg)
The room is now within spitting distance of completion.
Personally not liking the configeration of the window, far too busy and blocking light with the mullion and the half single top opener, what's that all about?...... Apart from that looking really good, the room is coming along just grand!
Put that down to personal choice, as I quite like mullioned windows.
The single opener is an acknowledgement of how close the doorway and window are, if I'd had two opening toplights I would, at some point, end up headbutting an open window whilst going out to the garden.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 07, 2022, 10:27:48 AM
Put that down to personal choice, as I quite like mullioned windows.
The single opener is an acknowledgement of how close the doorway and window are, if I'd had two opening toplights I would, at some point, end up headbutting an open window whilst going out to the garden.
I thought that might be the reason, I like symmetry, maybe a dummy sash could have been involved.
I see a trickle vent, forced or optional? The new regs' are rediculous, even FENSA appealled and lost.....thermally efficient as possible then cut a gurt great slit in every window to allow that effiency to be lost........ ::)
The vent was forced on me I'm afraid. The sash windows on the front don't have them, oddly enough. But then again the sash windows in Winter are somewhat fierce for draughts.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 07, 2022, 11:31:42 AM
The vent was forced on me I'm afraid. The sash windows on the front don't have them, oddly enough. But then again the sash windows in Winter are somewhat fierce for draughts.
Yeah, the regs' have only been introduced recently,
every new window must have a trickle vent from now on. Are you talking about the new box sash sliders being draughty? If so something aint right. :-\
Well, I'm not quite sure what to make of them. If they were draughty, there would be a draught coming in all the time. That's not what I'm getting though. In the Summer, with the windows closed the air is perfectly still. In the Winter, with the windows closed, there is a definite cold spot- and I don't mean right up against the glass but rather a few feet into the room.
I'm not convinced it's the windows at fault as I couldn't feel anything coming through the window seals, which leaves a couple other possibilities:
1) cold air coming through the airbricks and then up under the floor (it was very cold after all last Winter);
2) cold air wicking around the trim (unlikely though because again that current would be year-round);
3) it might even just be an air current in the room what with the radiator being behind the sofa and the fireplace in front of it.
And here, newly completed this evening, is the new trench in the front garden. I've wetted it down a bit so you can better see the bits that would have Time Team excited.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52272654554_8eba8682b0_c.jpg)
That line of brick down the right hand side was buried under the lip of the concrete, judging by the way it's been laid ( it slopes from front to back and there's no attempt at a bond) I think it was placed just so as to be able to form a neat edge to the concrete.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52272392531_e8ca69d3f5_c.jpg)
And an old friend from 2020- a substantial root from one of the trees I dragged out. This one actually goes under the garden path back to where I would have cut it off from the rootball, and then coming the other way back along it it makes to go under the house. I've cut a bit of it out so the tendril going under the foundations is now isolated, attempts to drag the rest of it out were curtailed when I realised it dives deep under the paving. I need to get at least the bit under the house out though before the gravel goes down.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 03, 2022, 06:10:32 PM
Quote from: Mercury Wells on August 03, 2022, 05:14:12 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 02, 2022, 06:30:05 PM
Something like a nod to the Anglo-Japanese style, you mean?
Now that would be an interesting starting point for a design.
Anglo-Japanese style (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Japanese_style) (for those who don't know about the style).
Images of the Anglo-Japanese furnishings. (https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Anglo-Japanese+style&t=ffab&iar=images&iax=images&ia=images)
The above might give you some ideas, James
Thanks; something to look over for the next few months whilst compiling the 2023 build programme.
I did have a couple of silly/mad ideas of you adding Shoji: All You Need to Know About Japanese Paper Screens (https://japanobjects.com/features/shoji) along a wall or two*. A Scroll hanging in an alcove with a nice vase with a seasonal plant/branch of the season. And a paper mache Anglo-Japanese armour in the other.
*I'll elaborate futher at sometime, if you don't mind?.
By all means, I'd be interested.
A little bit of progress today, an 800kg bag of road subbase turned up and I can start filling the trench preparatory to laying a brick path (which will probably be next year).
The bag's been placed on the back garden, the trench is in the front garden, I'm having to wheelbarrow the stone around, it's a warm day and I'm just barely over a bout of the plague. So the rate of progress is not exactly swift.
This is incredibly slow going, even considering that I've been knocked about a bit by the plague.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52318084322_d7fa615724_c.jpg)
So what we have here is that trench that I dug out, after being half filled with subbase. The stuff weighs a tonne, it has to be wheelbarrowed from the back garden to the front (and just filling the barrow and then moving it where it's actually needed takes just as long as actually placing and compacting the stone) and once I've moved two barrow loads or so I'm worn out and bored of the whole thing.
So it's a case of doing a little, when I feel like it. And I'm probably just barely over halfway there now, despite having moved and placed I reckon somewhere in the region of 200kg - 250kg (say about a quarter-tonne) of the stuff. I need to get it to a depth where it's level with the top of the stepped brickwork, and then next year I'll be building a brick path over it.
The elephant in the room of course is how this stuff is being compacted. In my professional life I'd be specifying that it has to be given a certain number of passes with a vibrating roller of a certain size and weight, but that's in the context of then using it to support large and heavy items of construction plant. So I think that's overdoing the thing for a garden path. At the same time I'm not convinced that my method of walking over it a couple of times is going to do the job. And I'm not keen on spending money to hire a small roller/ compactor. So I'm going to place it, tread it down, then leave it for six months. That should give it opportunity to find its natural level, aided of course if I walk over it a couple of times a week, and then when I'm ready to actually build the path all I'll need to do is make good any ruts or hollows.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 29, 2022, 10:18:06 AM
This is incredibly slow going, even considering that I've been knocked about a bit by the plague.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52318084322_d7fa615724_c.jpg)
So what we have here is that trench that I dug out, after being half filled with subbase. The stuff weighs a tonne, it has to be wheelbarrowed from the back garden to the front (and just filling the barrow and then moving it where it's actually needed takes just as long as actually placing and compacting the stone) and once I've moved two barrow loads or so I'm worn out and bored of the whole thing.
So it's a case of doing a little, when I feel like it. And I'm probably just barely over halfway there now, despite having moved and placed I reckon somewhere in the region of 200kg - 250kg (say about a quarter-tonne) of the stuff. I need to get it to a depth where it's level with the top of the stepped brickwork, and then next year I'll be building a brick path over it.
The elephant in the room of course is how this stuff is being compacted. In my professional life I'd be specifying that it has to be given a certain number of passes with a vibrating roller of a certain size and weight, but that's in the context of then using it to support large and heavy items of construction plant. So I think that's overdoing the thing for a garden path. At the same time I'm not convinced that my method of walking over it a couple of times is going to do the job. And I'm not keen on spending money to hire a small roller/ compactor. So I'm going to place it, tread it down, then leave it for six months. That should give it opportunity to find its natural level, aided of course if I walk over it a couple of times a week, and then when I'm ready to actually build the path all I'll need to do is make good any ruts or hollows.
Maybe roll the full wheelbarrow over it a few times before emptying it? That should compact it a bit, even if it won't quite reach the wall.
Yes, a full wheelbarrow over it might be a good move- good idea!
Before the days of vibrating rollers and power tampers, a manual tamper consisted of a length of steel pipe with a square plate attached to the end. Do you know anyone who can weld?
I might be able to do even better than that. My brother has a couple of demonstration Acrow props that could duty.
a group of 5 year old Morris dancers?
Quote from: Sir Henry on August 29, 2022, 12:44:09 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 29, 2022, 10:18:06 AM
This is incredibly slow going, even considering that I've been knocked about a bit by the plague.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52318084322_d7fa615724_c.jpg)
So what we have here is that trench that I dug out, after being half filled with subbase. The stuff weighs a tonne, it has to be wheelbarrowed from the back garden to the front (and just filling the barrow and then moving it where it's actually needed takes just as long as actually placing and compacting the stone) and once I've moved two barrow loads or so I'm worn out and bored of the whole thing.
So it's a case of doing a little, when I feel like it. And I'm probably just barely over halfway there now, despite having moved and placed I reckon somewhere in the region of 200kg - 250kg (say about a quarter-tonne) of the stuff. I need to get it to a depth where it's level with the top of the stepped brickwork, and then next year I'll be building a brick path over it.
The elephant in the room of course is how this stuff is being compacted. In my professional life I'd be specifying that it has to be given a certain number of passes with a vibrating roller of a certain size and weight, but that's in the context of then using it to support large and heavy items of construction plant. So I think that's overdoing the thing for a garden path. At the same time I'm not convinced that my method of walking over it a couple of times is going to do the job. And I'm not keen on spending money to hire a small roller/ compactor. So I'm going to place it, tread it down, then leave it for six months. That should give it opportunity to find its natural level, aided of course if I walk over it a couple of times a week, and then when I'm ready to actually build the path all I'll need to do is make good any ruts or hollows.
Maybe roll the full wheelbarrow over it a few times before emptying it? That should compact it a bit, even if it won't quite reach the wall.
I'm going to go against the grain here, lay all the scalpings to the required height and bite the bullet and hire a whacker plate for a day, it will be worth it, when I did my patio I was amazed how one of those compacted. Do it right first time round and no future problems, I realise not alot of footfall or heavy traffic but you will kick yourself if in the future things start to subside a little. Just my 2 bobs worth.
Do your neighbours (or anyone else you happen to know) have a lawn roller you could borrow for the weekend?
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 30, 2022, 02:15:49 PM
Quote from: Sir Henry on August 29, 2022, 12:44:09 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on August 29, 2022, 10:18:06 AM
This is incredibly slow going, even considering that I've been knocked about a bit by the plague.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52318084322_d7fa615724_c.jpg)
So what we have here is that trench that I dug out, after being half filled with subbase. The stuff weighs a tonne, it has to be wheelbarrowed from the back garden to the front (and just filling the barrow and then moving it where it's actually needed takes just as long as actually placing and compacting the stone) and once I've moved two barrow loads or so I'm worn out and bored of the whole thing.
So it's a case of doing a little, when I feel like it. And I'm probably just barely over halfway there now, despite having moved and placed I reckon somewhere in the region of 200kg - 250kg (say about a quarter-tonne) of the stuff. I need to get it to a depth where it's level with the top of the stepped brickwork, and then next year I'll be building a brick path over it.
The elephant in the room of course is how this stuff is being compacted. In my professional life I'd be specifying that it has to be given a certain number of passes with a vibrating roller of a certain size and weight, but that's in the context of then using it to support large and heavy items of construction plant. So I think that's overdoing the thing for a garden path. At the same time I'm not convinced that my method of walking over it a couple of times is going to do the job. And I'm not keen on spending money to hire a small roller/ compactor. So I'm going to place it, tread it down, then leave it for six months. That should give it opportunity to find its natural level, aided of course if I walk over it a couple of times a week, and then when I'm ready to actually build the path all I'll need to do is make good any ruts or hollows.
Maybe roll the full wheelbarrow over it a few times before emptying it? That should compact it a bit, even if it won't quite reach the wall.
I'm going to go against the grain here, lay all the scalpings to the required height and bite the bullet and hire a whacker plate for a day, it will be worth it, when I did my patio I was amazed how one of those compacted. Do it right first time round and no future problems, I realise not alot of footfall or heavy traffic but you will kick yourself if in the future things start to subside a little. Just my 2 bobs worth.
It is a concern that if left to its own devices it will look great for 6 months and then start to sag into the soil. In that context £50 or so to hire a whacker plate for a weekend isn't too grand an outlay.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on August 30, 2022, 03:45:26 PM
Do your neighbours (or anyone else you happen to know) have a lawn roller you could borrow for the weekend?
I'm not sure, it's worth asking the question though.
Under your windows needs a little attention, too, James!
Yes, the window sills are on the to-do list. Probably next year now.
3 weeks delayed by the plague, but the dining room is, finally, down with a certain degree of permanence. My Father and brother came over on the weekend and we laid the thing down permanently, complete with all the bits that had to be cut to size and edged in under the doorframes. It took all day...
And even now it isn't completely finished because it was too tall to go under the skirting boards, so I've had to stop it 6-7mm shy instead (to allow for expansion), so now item 1 on the to-do list is to buy some hardwood quadrant just to finish it off.
And then, I think, I'm going to call a halt to things for the year.
Quote from: James Harrison on August 09, 2022, 05:54:27 AM
By all means, I'd be interested.
After further thinking/pondering:-
Pull down screens behind the Shoji, a movable ceiling over head projector (45 degrees only) to show the following:-
No.1 screen) Partake in a tea ceremony, every morning?.
No. 2 screen) Meditating on/in a Zen garden.
Ideas for out the back of the house...
Starting a small scale Bonsai (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonsai) farm (using native trees)?
Maybe build a Zen garden in "The Paddock"?
I missed this somehow a few days ago...
I've got a zen garden of sorts in the front, the golden gravel I put down last year needs regular raking out. I do like the other ideas.
Not much to report this weekend beyond spending an inordinate amount on materials. The cost of wood at the moment leaves me wondering if it really does grow on trees.
Small update- today my Father and I managed to place the beading around the edge of the dining room floor (this is the stuff that led to my 'I question whether wood grows on trees' comment last week in view of how much it cost)... there is a little bit more that still needs doing but the floor itself is, I think, there or thereabouts finished.
So, that still leaves
-Two doors to be rehung (in fact one needs to be bought)
-One sprung skirting board to be refitted
-Curtain pole to be reinstated
-New light switch and plug sockets to be bought and fitted
I'm tired now it has to be said.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52367265024_0a92c18538_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52366955141_423b55220c_c.jpg)
Two photos, taken from about the same vantage point, about a year apart.
Well, the transformation makes all the effort, time and expense worthwhile.
Todays little job, as you might have noticed, was the reinstatement of the curtain rail. Complete with rather a nice Arts and Crafts/ Aesthetic Movement-inspired pair of curtains.
I think the biggest job(s) left now, and what I really do want to get done before the weather turns, are to get the doors rehung.
Definitely worthwhile. It's looking gorgeous! Congratulations!
Once the doors are rehung, it will be wonderfully cosy, just in time for winter.
And if you get bored, once you have finished the house, I have quite a few rooms that would appreciate your skills. ;)
Quote from: Sir Henry on September 18, 2022, 06:52:13 PM
Definitely worthwhile. It's looking gorgeous! Congratulations!
Once the doors are rehung, it will be wonderfully cosy, just in time for winter.
And if you get bored, once you have finished the house, I have quite a few rooms that would appreciate your skills. ;)
Thanks- hopefully it's showing people what can be done, even with 'modern' materials and off-the-shelf products, to create a Vicwardian home.
I can see a few problems arising from this, in that I'm now looking at bits I've already finished*, and thinking about going back to rework them.
I think just this one house is quite enough on my plate without going so far as to market my abilities ;D
*for a given value of
As with any creative endeavour, you need to find the 'Goodenough' point; the point at which you can stop working on it because it does what you wanted well enough, even though you can still see problems with it. You can always solve those problems the next time...
Quote from: James Harrison on September 18, 2022, 06:45:41 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52367265024_0a92c18538_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52366955141_423b55220c_c.jpg)
Two photos, taken from about the same vantage point, about a year apart.
Well, the transformation makes all the effort, time and expense worthwhile.
Todays little job, as you might have noticed, was the reinstatement of the curtain rail. Complete with rather a nice Arts and Crafts/ Aesthetic Movement-inspired pair of curtains.
I think the biggest job(s) left now, and what I really do want to get done before the weather turns, are to get the doors rehung.
You know me, not afraid to speak my mind ::), I
love what you have done with the room, but that dining table and chairs look like they belong outside a street Café or in a pub car park, any plans on changing them or buying new more traditional/ period looking? car boots and antique fairs are a good source.
Great work sir!
Thanks!
The table and chairs in their current condition are very definitely temporary items, you know how it is when you have to furnish a house quickly and cheaply...
My thought is that I might be able to strip them down and stain or paint them ebony, to match the sideboard. That might be a weekend job early next year. We'll see how that goes or if I find something I prefer in the meantime.
I know that feeling all too well, when I started my place on a very limited budget, I did so many things "on the cheap", most of which I am now changing as and when I can afford it.
I think the overall situation somewhat overwhelmed me, get the whole house finished as quick as pos' as i bought it as a complete wreck and I admit I did cut corners on design and decoration, saying to myself "that will do" although it wasn't really what I wanted.
Guilty of not sticking to my philosophy of "do it once, do it right"
You are doing a grand job and I look forward to any and all updates.
That chair model is actually old, i remember my grandparents had similar, but old ones made from bent natural carved wood and handpainted in light blue or white.
In old England they where often made on spot in the forest by traveling craftsmen as i heard.
They're known as Windsor chairs and you're right, they are an old/ traditional design.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 03, 2022, 09:40:29 AM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52190189808_057da0dd27_c.jpg)
And at that point I think I'm going to call it.
I think this is the greatest detail. It makes the room. I don't know how I missed this (actually I do. I was having a hard time at work). Did you ever give this work a title?
"View of Mount Doom from the Shire? ;)
I didn't even think about giving it a title. But I am now...
Quote from: Sir Henry on September 18, 2022, 07:43:07 PM
As with any creative endeavour, you need to find the 'Goodenough' point; the point at which you can stop working on it because it does what you wanted well enough, even though you can still see problems with it. You can always solve those problems the next time...
I know that as the 80% rule. Get it 80% of the way toward how you want it, then move on to the next room. Otherwise it has the potential to stall.
The dining room, for instance, I think that's been more of a 95% endeavour (or it will be by the time I finish for the year). I'm not entirely convinced that was the right thing to do, for all that it's good for morale that there are now two rooms well on the way to what I have in mind.
It's ages since I have posted on this thread but I've been watching the transformation with delight. Your talents know no bounds.
Thank you. Things are probably going to quieten down for a while now, but should start perking up again next year.
One final push, and then I'm calling it for the year.
At the moment, both doors to the dining room have been taken down. Somebody is coming to rehang them next week.
One door, the kitchen door, just needs to be rehung, albeit with probably 3/4" shaved off to account for the thickness of the new floor.
It's hinges look a bit careworn though, so today I unscrewed them and gave them a bath in white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda and hot water, then finished up with some wirewool and Brasso.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52415859108_4dce722d44_c.jpg)
Then I stained the door itself.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52415348416_714784db18_c.jpg)
Then the hallway door- the new door (I had to buy a new door as the old one was quite badle warped)- that was unpacked:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52415628724_ef8f034bbf_c.jpg)
And now I'm staining that.
Quote from: James Harrison on October 09, 2022, 04:30:31 PM
One final push, and then I'm calling it for the year.
At the moment, both doors to the dining room have been taken down. Somebody is coming to rehang them next week.
One door, the kitchen door, just needs to be rehung, albeit with probably 3/4" shaved off to account for the thickness of the new floor.
It's hinges look a bit careworn though, so today I unscrewed them and gave them a bath in white vinegar and bicarbonate of soda and hot water, then finished up with some wirewool and Brasso.
SNIP
Then I stained the door itself.
SNIP
And now I'm staining that.
That new door looks superb. It'll look fantastic with that stain.
Well, the carpenter is supposed to be coming tomorrow to fit the doors. Big reveal when it's all done...
One old door re-hung, one new door fettled and installed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52422932666_c3e500ce11_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52423451638_e762cdeb94_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52423220689_74c486131b_c.jpg)
Just in time too, as with the nights starting to draw in the weather is on the turn.
So, that's the last of the large jobs done in the dining room and the room generally something well over 80% done. Time to move on. I think now is a good time to stop a little while, draw my breathe, replenish the bank balance and draw up the givens and druthers list for the 2023 Programme.
Looking wonderfully cosy! As you say, just in time for winter.
Do you know which room(s) you will be working on next, or is that part of the 'stop and plan'?
I have a few rough ideas for things I want to get done next year, but it's doubtful at the moment that I'll be taking another of my blank canvasses.
I wouldn't be surprised if next year is more a period of getting things finished off, rather than starting new projects.
I've found more bits of cream footpath tile in the spoil I took out the front garden. Enough, this time, to discern the size of the main tiles (4" x 4"). Whilst I don't know the exact pattern of course I think a reasonable guess can be made, on the basis of fragments dug up since 2020, that the original path was a mix of cream and red tiles with 1" borders.
You can, actually, still buy these tiles new. This might get expensive.
I would just like to thank you for broadening my tastes. The dark green in that room is such a winner that I am now planning on using a very similar shade on our bookcase wall (12' x 12' of books!) and the one opposite (with a few additions ;) )
I've got a very similar arrangement in the sitting room, which I've kind of managed to turn into a library (not that that's a bad thing). I've basically covered the walls with shelving. Except that room is a very nice deep blue colour rather than green.
Many years ago we were renovating a tired Art Deco house which was beige - beige carpets, beige curtains, beige walls, beige ceilings - you get the beige picture... Anyhoo, our daughter chose a colour for her room which was a mid to dark blue, and we were really worried about painting a room that colour because it would make the room look too dark. We shouldn't have been worried, as what it did was highlight the lovely Art Deco features of the room. Finished room looked amazing, and not the least bit dark and gloomy.
That cured our fear of putting intense colour on the walls. Beige, magnolia, cream, all-white are horrible 'colours'... Fabulous houses have fabulous colours.
Right, so, three build seasons down. Time flies when you're having fun, doesn't it? It's taken me about this long to really nail down just exactly what I'm trying to achieve here and how best to describe it.
My notebooks from University, many years ago now, have disappeared but one thing I distinctly remember was a seminar early in my Masters degree where we were asked to think about and define terms, specifically those 'interchangeable' words that get bandied about in projects like this. I'm talking about 'conservation', 'preservation', 'reconstruction', 'renovation', 'repair' and 'restoration'.
As far as I recall, the outcome of that little exercise was about as follows.
Conservation = maintaining something in the state in which you found it. So you might undertake 'repair' work, but only to the point that you 'restore' the item back to how it was when it came into your hands.
Preservation = the act of saving something from destruction. This does not, necessarily, then equate to 'repair' or 'restoration' work. You might choose, for instance, to save something but then keep it in scrapyard or semi-demolished condition (eg for educational purposes- see for instance sectioned steam locomotives in museums).
Reconstruction = you find something in a demolished/ semi-demolished state and rebuild it. This term does not necessarily mean to rebuild something exactly as it originally was. Nor does it automatically mean that the reconstruction will use the same methods/ materials that the original had.
Renovation = replacement of life-expired or outdated components to renew or update something. Although the term implicitly means the removal and destruction of original material, it doesn't necessarily mean the character of the original is lost. An example would be Japanese timber-built shrines, which claim to be hundreds of years old for all that their main structure may have been replaced on a like-for-like basis just last week.
Repair = the act of maintaining or fixing something to allow it to continue to fulfil its function. For example replacing some cracked roof tiles so as to maintain watertight integrity.
Restoration = the act of returning something to an as-new (or better than new) state from a derelict condition, by means of 'repair', 'renovation' and 'reconstruction' as required.
~~~
I've been thinking a lot recently about where, exactly, my efforts fall and which term best describes what I'm doing. I think the conclusion I'm drawing is that there's no one term that it neatly fits into, I mean consider
- It absolutely hasn't been kept in the condition that I found it in, so I don't think conservation is a good word to describe it;
- It wasn't at risk of demolition, so I can't claim to have preserved it;
(This is where it starts to get more difficult)
- It's not really reconstruction, not in the sense of having to rebuild major structural elements. The decorative work I'd argue isn't reconstruction either, it's certainly not an attempt at returning to a lower middle class/ upper working class Edwardian interior.
- There's certainly more than a hint of renovation, but I'm not in the habit of tearing out original features. Old, worn out, cheap or just downright shoddy work and materials are being flung out on an almost weekly basis and replaced with items I deem more period-appropriate and higher quality. I think I'm correct in arguing that the only 1905-original work that has been skipped has been a few square metres of wall plaster, which had to come down for safety reasons.
- I've not really had much opportunity to genuinely repair anything yet, the majority of the original work and fittings had gone long before I took custodianship and therefore I'm left with just the remnants (which mostly consist of the staircase, three fire surrounds and the quarry tile floor in the hallway).
- There's a lot of work that I suppose you could call restoration, but it's of a very specific sort. The decorative work for instance is very heavily based on the Arts and Crafts/ Art Nouveau/ Modern styles circa 1890 - 1910, but fundamentally a house of this type would never have been decorated like that back in 1905. I'm reminded once again of Viollet-le-Duc's approach of 'restoration to a state of completeness the original never possessed'.
So you might be reading this and wondering where it's all leading and probably forming opinions of your own about whether I'm really taking this back to an authentic Edwardian state, or just applying pastiche and make-believe. On that front I'm not entirely certain myself exactly where I am (and I suspect I won't be able to give a definitive answer on that until the house is finished- if ever). I'd ask though if anybody has ever taken on such a project with the set goal in mind of putting something back exactly as it originally appeared, and succeeded- in fact I'm not convinced that such a thing is even possible as there will always be at least one small detail for which the information is now lost.
What I think I can say though is that the work done to date is showing that if you're trying to recreate a period look, by which I mean not necessarily taking something back to exactly how it looked in the 1900s but rather just trying to create something that could plausibly have come out of an early copy of Country Life or an architectural magazine of the era, it is possible (by applying a bit of pragmatism, research and thought) to achieve an end result that's authentic despite being 'wrong' in the specific details. In my opinion, the authenticity of a mere 'period-inspired' design comes just as much from understanding and applying the thought processes of the original designers from that era, as it does from rigid adherence to period-appropriate materials and working methods.
The term which springs to mind is "thematic renovation."
Quote from: von Corax on December 01, 2022, 07:49:20 PM
The term which springs to mind is "thematic renovation."
I was having a conversation along these lines with a friend a few days ago and they suggested "sympathetic renovation" which I suppose is along the same lines.
It's a curious one really because what I'm creating seems to be something that a time-travelling Edwardian would recognise as being of their own era, but transposed to a house several rungs lower down the social pecking order and fitted out with a number of things that could only be described as science fiction. A bit like the alien's interpretation of an interior that appears in the final 10 minutes or so of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
I think it is certainly a renovation, but in the same aspects as steampunk. Steampunk has common elements but doesn't have structure in how those elements have to be combined. You have periods and styles, but you have applied a certain creativity to how they can be combined and utilised. This may not match historical examples, iconic evidence or prototypical designs, but it is thematic in a way. I don't know much about Arts-and-Crafts style (not something I see in Australia), but I am wondering if your use of themes is actually part of A&C in itself.
This also reminds me of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway. The buildings there have been burnt, bombed, and damaged many times. They have been restored many times, such that there is unlikely to be any original wood in the buildings. Various modern elements, like electricity (and probably fire and security systems) have been added. Yet, it is regarded as a historical heritage site.
Sorontar
Quote from: Sorontar on December 03, 2022, 04:13:15 AM
I think it is certainly a renovation, but in the same aspects as steampunk. Steampunk has common elements but doesn't have structure in how those elements have to be combined. You have periods and styles, but you have applied a certain creativity to how they can be combined and utilised. This may not match historical examples, iconic evidence or prototypical designs, but it is thematic in a way. I don't know much about Arts-and-Crafts style (not something I see in Australia), but I am wondering if your use of themes is actually part of A&C in itself.
This also reminds me of Bryggen in Bergen, Norway. The buildings there have been burnt, bombed, and damaged many times. They have been restored many times, such that there is unlikely to be any original wood in the buildings. Various modern elements, like electricity (and probably fire and security systems) have been added. Yet, it is regarded as a historical heritage site.
Sorontar
I quite like that idea that authenticity comes as much from original application of the thinking behind a style, as it does from slavishly copying a prototype. Anybody can look at a photograph of an old room and
copy it; it takes a bit more effort though to look at same photograph and understand the mindset and thinking of the designer. And then if you apply that understanding to produce an original piece rather than a replica, that I think is the crossover point from conservation or restoration to applied art in its own right.
Which would explain why the project doesn't fit neatly into any particular one of the pigeonholes I identified a few days ago, but rather shifts depending upon the bit that I'm working on. My approach to structural issues is more firmly rooted and pays more consideration to accepted conservation practice, whilst the decoration is less a perfect recreation of what this specific house looked like in 1905 and more in the nature of a response to the aesthetic tastes of the era.
Or, put another way, it's a 2020s interpretation of 1890s-1910s style.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 18, 2021, 06:41:11 PM
The 2022 givens and druthers list.
Givens:
Strip out and completely redecorate the dining room (you knew that was on the cards already).
Install a firewall in the roofspace (again, you knew that was part of the plan earlier this year).
Druthers:
New television aerial in the loft, and removal of the Jodrell Bank arrangement on the roof/ front wall/ side wall.
New footpath in the front garden, and new patio in the paddock.
New timber floor in the sitting room.
In order, done, done, done, started and... wait and see.
So overall I think 2022's gone pretty well.
Now, what's on the cards for next year?
I've mostly applied an 80% rule so far, get something mostly finished and then move on, but I've gone well beyond that with the dining room, and- it has to be said- having a number of bits nearly but not quite finished isn't as great as I thought it would be. It just feels like living in and around a work in progress.
So rather than start something new next year I've decided I'm going to try and get some works in progress ticked off the list.
There are three areas that obviously fall into this category.
There's the front garden, which needs new paving. I did actually start this this Summer just gone but had to stop because I ran out of room to store the spoil. That's now been disposed of but it took so long to get rid of it that the weather has turned. I can think of more pleasant ways to spend freezing cold, wet days than breaking up inch-thick mass concrete. So that's a job for the Spring through Autumn.
Then there's the hallway and staircase. You're probably thinking there can't possibly be anything left to do here- it's been replastered, repainted, I've sanded the staircase down, taken up the new tiles to expose the original floor.... and you'd be right, but also wrong. So working from the top down there's some plastering and repainting needed on the ceiling, then it really needs a coving fitting for the joint between wall and ceiling. Then the floorboards need replacing. The railings around the staircase I might repaint (they're stained at the moment) just to lighten upstairs a bit. I think there's an argument to be made for cleaning up the stairtreads a bit more, and then I want to fit a stair runner and stair rods. Then there are some cracked and broken quarry tiles that need replacing, and if that isn't enough to be getting on with I also want to replace the radiator.
The project that I'm really looking forward to though is completing the sitting room. This is the room that I fitted out with bookshelves in the few weeks between moving in and shutting down for plague, and then painted the first Summer I was here. So the room really is already a couple of years old and although I still think the dark blue is just right for it... it has got a little tired. It attracts fingermarks, it's got covered in brickdust in places which just hasn't washed away, there's a small white salt (?) patch in one corner that just keeps on coming through... it just needs I think cleaning down and maybe another coat. I've also decided that the picture moulding in the dining room worked really well, so I'm going to do something similar in this room. Not all the way around though. It's going to be at the same level as the top of the architrave (which coincidentally is also the top of the bookshelves) and it's going to run from the bay window to the fireplace. It's going to avoid the fireplace and it's going to start up again in the opposite inglenook before running into more bookshelves. Then it's just going to run straight along the back wall and back to the window. I'm going to paint the walls above this in a pale cream, so the room's going to have a dark blue/ pale cream paint scheme. The fireplce wall is going to stay dark blue from floor to ceiling, but I've found a nice William Morris wallpaper pattern that I'm going to recreate with paint. I might have a go at actually block printing this rather than stencilling. All of the skirting boards are going to be taken down and stripped back to wood, then stained. Whilst they're down I'm going to take the vinyl floor up and replace it with real wood flooring- the same as I did in the dining room. This might uncover a couple of areas of the floor that are structurally suspect....
So if I can get all this done, by
next December I should have the main downstairs living rooms and the hallway finished, and at that point I think it would be fair to say the project's probably about half finished.
I am curious. We haven't heard (or seen) much about your bedroom or the kitchen. Do you have plans for them too?
Sorontar
I tend to try and concentrate on getting one or two bits advanced before moving on to other bits. The bedrooms and kitchen are on the list but not for this coming year.
You might have heard it's a bit nippy over here at the moment.
So nippy, in fact, that this greeted me this morning.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52554103832_e42382615b_c.jpg)
No, this isn't the set of a live-action remake of the Tom and Jerry short 'Mice Follies' of 1954, it is in fact the condensate pipe for my central heating. Because this was frozen solid the boiler shut down. I managed to get it clear again with the aid of a kettle's worth of hot water, and then I had to chisel masses of ice out of the guttering to reduce the risk of it happening again.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52554574461_1f75ca4363_c.jpg)
And this is one of the chunks of ice that came out of the gutters.
So that was a fun half hour or so today.
Meh - I have more ice than that in my living room... Of course it's in the form of icicle-type Christmas decorations but it's still ice!
No doubt the freezing happened when you needed the heater (boiler) the most and thankfully you were able to fix the problem yourself and didn't have to pay for a tradesperson on Sunday evening (if you could even have found one!).
(And before I get a lecture on using inappropriate ice decorations to decorate for a hot summer Australian Christmas; At Christmas I like somewhere cool to sit and drink my Prosecco (with ice) and since I do all the Christmas cooking/decorating etc, I ensure there will be no manky gum leaves or kookaburras wearing Santa hats at my place!)
I suppose Easter is the closest that the antipodes come to having a mid-Winter holiday.
We have 'Christmas in July' which was created so that if we want, we can enjoy the heavy, hot Christmas food of the northern hemisphere.
I love that. Can we have it too? Like Christmas, you get presents and a few weeks off work but you get the nice weather at the same time.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 10, 2022, 04:21:46 PM
You might have heard it's a bit nippy over here at the moment.
So nippy, in fact, that this greeted me this morning.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52554103832_e42382615b_c.jpg)
No, this isn't the set of a live-action remake of the Tom and Jerry short 'Mice Follies' of 1954, it is in fact the condensate pipe for my central heating. Because this was frozen solid the boiler shut down. I managed to get it clear again with the aid of a kettle's worth of hot water, and then I had to chisel masses of ice out of the guttering to reduce the risk of it happening again.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52554574461_1f75ca4363_c.jpg)
And this is one of the chunks of ice that came out of the gutters.
So that was a fun half hour or so today.
That should not happen, I would seriously look into an alternative route and set up for the condensate overflow. I hate new boilers as the condensate pipe often looks unsightly, a necessary evil that must run to a drain because of the slightly acidic content, I've seen some horrors, a waste pipe running half around a building and just looks hideous.
They shouldn't freeze.
Check the run level on the gutter and for downpipe blockage, that looks
far to much water sitting and freezing.
I have thought before about the gutter, as it never seems to drain. As best I can tell it does have a fall on it, however I can't see that a 90-degree bend immediately before the downpipe helps matters much either (I did check the downpipe, it's clear. And the ice got deeper further back from the downpipe, but that seemed more to be the result of water running over ice more than anything else- it built up in discernable layers rather than a smooth gradient).
Quite what can be done about the condensate pipe I'm not sure, it has quite a long run outside down the roof so if it's cold enough (and it was -3 on Saturday morning, so it must have been somewhere around -5 overnight) any drips that remain inside the pipe could freeze and then build up to a blockage.
Well, the boiler hasn't shut down again, however... the ice was backing up again. I think I have an idea what's going on with this. There isn't much opportunity to actually get a fall on that side of the guttering... it needs to be at a certain level to pick up the underside of the roof (rather than having water pouring down the wall, which is Not A Good Thing), and for it to be able to do that it needs to be pretty much level.
So then you might be thinking, well how does it drain then, and as best as I can tell (from pouring warm water into it this morning whilst the ambient temperature was somewhere around -6) it's a combination of a very shallow fall and the fact that the downpipe from the upper roof drains into it. So the idea is that -the only time it will fill with water is when it is raining, -when it is raining the upper roof gutter is also catching rain, -that rain goes down the upper roof downpipe, -and then it relies upon the momentum from that I guess (?) to keep the lower guttering clear.
In normal conditions it works tolerably well (although of course almost as soon as the rain leaves off then the water stops flowing and you end up with a residual puddle in the lower guttering), but of course long periods of fairly dry but intensely cold weather aren't normal (not here anyway) and then when you consider that whatever condenses out of the heating system ends up in the gutter and therefore pools... in weather like this you can end up with a pool of ice that builds up (and builds up to the point of risking blocking the pipe in less than a week).
It's not great but unless Winters like this are a thing now I'm not convinced it's a major issue that desperately needs fixing. We'll put it in the 'would be nice to sort out one day' file for now.
Can you post a few piccies of both the gutter and condensate set up if possible. Not close up.
I'll take some this afternoon. It's been a long night. The pipe froze up at 2 this morning and I got up and cleared it. At 3 the boiler once again made noises like a motorbike on a cold start and shut itself off. I've just cleared as much of it again as I could reach and I think that just barely worked. No- it's just locked out again. Plumber time I think.
At a guess I would say the problem is the gutter and needs to be re-run, a quick google suggests maybe insulating the condensate pipe if you can't rerun internally, and apparently this can be common problem.
The photos will help.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on December 15, 2022, 07:46:47 AM
... maybe insulating the condensate pipe if you can't rerun internally, and apparently this can be common problem.
This was my first thought too, and is why almost all condensate pipes you see are just an inch or two, poking out of the wall. Rerouting it under the slates and insulating it should, hopefully, not be too big a job. Though if it can wait until it's not actually freezing it may be a lot easier.
Best of luck.
Events overtook us. Plumber said that all he could do would be more of what I was doing (pouring warm water on the pipe). I've ended up (or rather my Father and I have) using a hairdryer taped to a big stick (!) to warm up the whole length if the pipe and thaw it out completely. It took the better part of am hour... heating's now on again but I'm told that these pipes basically last 4 days before freezing. So that puts me up to midday Monday, unless the weather breaks.
A couple of members of my hackspace are having the same problem. Their solution is to replace the pipe with a shorter one and a bucket next to the boiler. It needs emptying daily, but it keeps the heating on.
Best of luck.
That was a question I asked the plumber. I was told 'well you shouldn't, but you can'. Unfortunately the pipe run from the inside face of the wall back to the boiler is basically a series of 90-degree bends and joints, so I couldn't get the pipe off. I was sorely tempted to just break out a hacksaw and cut through it...
Photos...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52565902078_d82fc9c1de_c.jpg)
The near-as-makes-no-difference horizontal gutter into which both the upstairs gutters and the boiler pipe drain. This gutter is the one that has twice now almost brimmed with ice.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52565374981_2b3af20c4c_c.jpg)
Then looking up toward the bathroom, so you can see the loooong thin little pipe that the boiler drains through, and the downpipe from the upstairs guttering. The insulation on the boiler pipe is what myself and my Father fitted this lunchtime. At the moment, we can't get further up the roof because my ladder isn't long enough.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52565902058_ac9db5bc6a_c.jpg)
And then a general view looking back towards the house so you can see the downpipe from the lower gutter, the 90-degree bend in the gutter, then the upstairs downpipe and the boiler drain pipe right at the very far end of the damn-near horizontal gutter.
It's not the best of setups in this sort of weather.
Iv'e tralled through the whole post looking at piccies, mainly for availble drains.
First of all I would re-run that gutter with more of a fall, it's holding far too much water and from the photos, could be an optical illusion but looks like it runs the wrong way at the condensate pipe end, a piece of string and a couple of drills will sort that.
The next question is can you access the loft space on the extention above the kitchen? If so get that pipe run internally from the bathroom into the loft and exit through the wall above the downpipe next to the kitchen window, upping the pipe diameter to 32mm or 40mm wouldn't hurt any, it's quite a long run.
All a bit of a faff but when do you need a heating boiler to work well? when it's cold.
Pointless having central heating if it will break down in cold weather, the time you need it most.
If beyond your capabilities get the plumber and the firm who did the guttering back.
More than once I've thought it was lower at the condensate end too, glad to know it's not just me who sees that. There's definitely something not right because in 24 hours the pipe end of the guttering almost brimmed with ice again. The downpipe end? - clear. The fact that it's only really discernable by its effect rather than appearance suggests that a fix could be something as simple as a very thin sliver of plastic slipped between the bracket and the underside of the guttering.
Loft space above the kitchen isn't a loft space- the kitchen ceiling follows the roof line. To get the pipe in the house, the only real option that I think I have is to take it close to the inside face of the wall, bring it out of the airing cupboard at a low level- say top of skirting board height-, run it across the width of the bathroom and then turn and go through the wall in the bathroom corner at floor level. And then that still ends up draining into the gutter about as far away from the downpipe as it is possible to get.
Well, ground has been broken on the 2023 programme.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52579361474_7ccc2aaaf6_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52579091746_186390e43d_c.jpg)
I'm starting (continuing?) with the sitting room. At the moment, the most arduous/ tedious task in here looks like it will be cleaning down and staining the skirting boards and architraves, so I've commenced that part. Actually the skirting boards look pretty new and there's probably only a few coats of paint on them, so they shouldn't be too difficult (he says) just with paint stripper and a scraper. The door reveal through is more like 7 or 8 coats and below the white we have
- cream (decayed white?)
- light blue/green
- chocolate brown
Of which the paint stripper only attacks the white. So I've turned to a heat gun and that's done a pretty good job of getting the lion's share of the paint off. Just to clean up now with emery paper or wire wool.
Ah, Mission Brown... late 1970s to early 1980s. What were we thinking?
Quote from: Synistor 303 on December 22, 2022, 11:55:54 AM
Ah, Mission Brown... late 1970s to early 1980s. What were we thinking?
Is it that recent? I thought it was an original finish. Unless the doorframes are none-original.
Mission brown may have been popular earlier than that, then made a reappearance. It was used to cover that horrible timber finish... ::) Who needs 100 year old oak when you can have mud.
Mission brown, that does indeed bring back a few memories ☺️. The only thing I can say in my dear Mama's defence is that at least she teamed it with bright orange net curtains to liven the place up 8).
The various decors she tried are probably why I feel happiest with pale walls - and magnolia paint is cheaper than therapy :) :) :)
The brown paint was only on the doorway reveal. Now that that is cleaned back to bare wood, I've moved on to start the skirting boards. There are only about three layers of paint on these- at least on the one I've started- and one of those coats is the one I put down when finishing my first fix go at it back in 2020.
Of course, that's the only coat that the paint stripper will get off... so I don't think this will quite be the quick activity I initially thought.
Well, the options here are
1. Keep at it with paint stripper. A second go at it might achieve something more I guess?
2. Dremel sanding brush. This will work I know, but it reduces the paint to dust which gets everywhere. Not keen on that being honest.
3. Emery paper. Again this works but again reduces the paint to dust...
4. Heat gun. This worked quite well on the doorframe but has tends to set the smoke alarm off.
Of those I think options 1 and 4 are the ones I prefer.
Current thoughts with the sitting room generally; I'll get the skirting boards cleaned down, then I'll take the book shelves down and then whilst the walls are clear I'll clean the walls down. So at least the first few weeks (possibly as long as the first few months, depending how long this takes) it's going to be a case of taking things apart and cleaning them down. That done, I'll first stain the skirting boards and door frame, then I'll pencil in line of the proposed picture rail moulding. Above that line I'll repaint the walls light cream, and then I'll move on to give the walls another coat of the nice dark blue before I put the picture rail up/ reinstate the bookshelves (I learnt my lesson last time trying to paint around those).
Realistically I can't think about staining and installing the picture rail before the Spring (because I try to stain wood outside rather than make a mess actually in the house), so if I can get to the point of being ready for that by Easter (mid April) I'll be doing well.
Only when all the walls are done will I start looking at taking the awful faux wooden flooring out. I want to replace it with more of the nice dark oak flooring I used in the dining room. I learnt a lot from laying that, and then three months so far of living with it. Mostly that even tapping all the joints as firmly shut as we could, three months later they're opening back up again. I'm keeping an eye on that, though there's not really much room for the floor to move. So if I use it again in the sitting room I might consider gluing at least some of the pieces around the edge down, or- as the sitting room is on floorboards rather than concrete- screwing it down.
I'm not planning on the sitting room taking all year. There were a number of reasons why the dining room took so long (in fact still needs finishing off), mostly centring around trying to get the work done around having to use the room as a home office at the same time. I've not got that situation here.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52585584964_6d6cf33a22_c.jpg)
Santa brought some more solid brass fingerplates overnight. These will most likely go onto the door between the hallway and the dining room.
Ah! James! I was going though my Pinterest pages and I spotted this. Made me think about your house...
It reminded me of your radiator cover!
Combination radiator cover and Bluetooth or stereo speaker??
(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Fk181LxWIAEY7Po?format=jpg&name=large)
Oh! I like that! Very mid-Century style.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 25, 2022, 06:25:17 PM
Oh! I like that! Very mid-Century style.
I haven't found the source. I don't know how they pulled it off (it'd have to be well insulated), but it's interesting, for sure.
Another little job, but another bit done nonetheless. The door from the hallway into the dining room gained fingerplates.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52589722916_a190b8d075_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52590153425_50a587071b_c.jpg)
A few small jobs today, I've spent the last two or three days unable to do much thanks to my back playing up...
1. I had a bit of the ceiling paper in the sitting room which had come loose and was hanging down, after checking that the plaster wasn't about to follow it I've pasted that back into place;
2. The sprung skirting board in the dining room, my Father and I had actually screwed that back up to the wall a few weeks ago. I've now gotten arpund to filling the screwholes and caulking the gap behind the board.
3. Sanding down the skirting boards in the sitting room has carried on (very slow work, this).
4. I've actually found that the fireplace surround in the sitting room is slate... so now I'm stripping the paint off that as well. Methylated spirit on tissue paper seems to do the trick, this might get done sooner than the skirting boards....
5. I've ordered the shelf and the shelf brackets that will allow me to get the telephone and the internet router into a neater order in the dining room. I've also had a thought how to hide away the wires for same. You'll have to wait for that one...
Yep, the fireplace has jumped the list and become the top thing to be done.
The paint is actually coming off surprisingly easily; a drop of methylated spirits and some vigourous rubbing with paper towels is pretty much enough to clean it up. Some areas are a bit more cantankerous though and then the sandpaper has to come out. I think when it's all cleaned down I'll give it a going over with mineral oil, then a coat of suitable lacquer.
Considering how expensive/ sought after these things are, it's beyond me why anybody would even think about painting over it.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 31, 2022, 09:22:29 PM
Considering how expensive/ sought after these things are, it's beyond me why anybody would even think about painting over it.
Like the tiles in the hallway, and other things like Belfast sinks, fashion. What's desirable now was considered outdated 30-40 years ago so everyone tried to get rid of them, or covered them up.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on January 01, 2023, 05:01:16 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on December 31, 2022, 09:22:29 PM
Considering how expensive/ sought after these things are, it's beyond me why anybody would even think about painting over it.
Like the tiles in the hallway, and other things like Belfast sinks, fashion. What's desirable now was considered outdated 30-40 years ago so everyone tried to get rid of them, or covered them up.
I might have to make an embarrassing admission here; slowly stripping the paint off the mantlepiece I'm finding that below the black paint there are splodges of blue. And then
it looks like underneath those blue splodges we have bare slate. So if I want to blame someone for painting it, I might well have to have a rant at the fellow in the mirror.
Anyhow, having rubbed my fingers to nubbins what I've basically cleared amounts to just the top of the mantle. Bit of work ahead I think.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 01, 2023, 06:08:50 PM
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on January 01, 2023, 05:01:16 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on December 31, 2022, 09:22:29 PM
Considering how expensive/ sought after these things are, it's beyond me why anybody would even think about painting over it.
Like the tiles in the hallway, and other things like Belfast sinks, fashion. What's desirable now was considered outdated 30-40 years ago so everyone tried to get rid of them, or covered them up.
I might have to make an embarrassing admission here; slowly stripping the paint off the mantlepiece I'm finding that below the black paint there are splodges of blue. And then it looks like underneath those blue splodges we have bare slate. So if I want to blame someone for painting it, I might well have to have a rant at the fellow in the mirror.
Anyhow, having rubbed my fingers to nubbins what I've basically cleared amounts to just the top of the mantle. Bit of work ahead I think.
You need to record and post that discussion in front of the mirror
"What were you thinking? Now I have to strip it all off!
;D
Regarding the painting over of antiques and older architecture, I think it's a crime. Like refurbishing a 1930s Art Deco county hospital 10 years ago with pink concrete slabs, and turning a limestone Art Deco post office building into a blank plastered Office Depot, our Victorian Era brick warehouses and shops, entire buildings didn't escape, and have been painted black here in Austin recently. I just don't understand who would trade a practically new brick wall for black paint! And who keeps up with the maintenance of said paint? The same is happening to modern 1980/90s Era buildings with *immaculate* red brick facades... All painted charcoal grey/black (the new Pandemic Era fashion). It's insanity.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 01, 2023, 10:42:14 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on January 01, 2023, 06:08:50 PM
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on January 01, 2023, 05:01:16 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on December 31, 2022, 09:22:29 PM
Considering how expensive/ sought after these things are, it's beyond me why anybody would even think about painting over it.
Like the tiles in the hallway, and other things like Belfast sinks, fashion. What's desirable now was considered outdated 30-40 years ago so everyone tried to get rid of them, or covered them up.
I might have to make an embarrassing admission here; slowly stripping the paint off the mantlepiece I'm finding that below the black paint there are splodges of blue. And then it looks like underneath those blue splodges we have bare slate. So if I want to blame someone for painting it, I might well have to have a rant at the fellow in the mirror.
Anyhow, having rubbed my fingers to nubbins what I've basically cleared amounts to just the top of the mantle. Bit of work ahead I think.
You need to record and post that discussion in front of the mirror
"What were you thinking? Now I have to strip it all off!
;D
Regarding the painting over of antiques and older architecture, I think it's a crime. Like refurbishing a 1930s Art Deco county hospital 10 years ago with pink concrete slabs, and turning a limestone Art Deco post office building into a blank plastered Office Depot, our Victorian Era brick warehouses and shops, entire buildings didn't escape, and have been painted black here in Austin recently. I just don't understand who would trade a practically new brick wall for black paint! And who keeps up with the maintenance of said paint? The same is happening to modern 1980/90s Era buildings with *immaculate* red brick facades... All painted charcoal grey/black (the new Pandemic Era fashion). It's insanity.
We bought a lovely Art Deco house in Perth, WA, many years ago. One day I was moving a floor lamp from one room to another and I lightly bumped a wall in the entry and knocked off a large chip of beige paint. It looked a bit odd underneath, and as the paint was really loose in that spot, I flaked off a bit more so I could see what was underneath. It was marble! Some dolt had painted beige paint over marble. Who would do that??? It took me about 6 months to completely strip it, but when it was done it looked amazing.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 01, 2023, 10:42:14 PM
Regarding the painting over of antiques and older architecture, I think it's a crime. Like refurbishing a 1930s Art Deco county hospital 10 years ago with pink concrete slabs, and turning a limestone Art Deco post office building into a blank plastered Office Depot, our Victorian Era brick warehouses and shops, entire buildings didn't escape, and have been painted black here in Austin recently. I just don't understand who would trade a practically new brick wall for black paint! And who keeps up with the maintenance of said paint? The same is happening to modern 1980/90s Era buildings with *immaculate* red brick facades... All painted charcoal grey/black (the new Pandemic Era fashion). It's insanity.
Ummm... They're painting buildings in Austin black? I don't know the area at all, but aren't these buildings warm enough in the summer already? Or are they planning on adding loads more air conditioning to them in order to raise the financial and environmental cost for some reason? Or is there a weird area of microclimate in Austin where the temperature never gets above 50 degrees F so adding another 20 degrees will make them bearable?
Very odd.
Quote from: Sir Henry on January 02, 2023, 09:37:24 AM
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on January 01, 2023, 10:42:14 PM
Regarding the painting over of antiques and older architecture, I think it's a crime. Like refurbishing a 1930s Art Deco county hospital 10 years ago with pink concrete slabs, and turning a limestone Art Deco post office building into a blank plastered Office Depot, our Victorian Era brick warehouses and shops, entire buildings didn't escape, and have been painted black here in Austin recently. I just don't understand who would trade a practically new brick wall for black paint! And who keeps up with the maintenance of said paint? The same is happening to modern 1980/90s Era buildings with *immaculate* red brick facades... All painted charcoal grey/black (the new Pandemic Era fashion). It's insanity.
Ummm... They're painting buildings in Austin black? I don't know the area at all, but aren't these buildings warm enough in the summer already? Or are they planning on adding loads more air conditioning to them in order to raise the financial and environmental cost for some reason? Or is there a weird area of microclimate in Austin where the temperature never gets above 50 degrees F so adding another 20 degrees will make them bearable?
Very odd.
Well, their slogan
is "Help Keep Austin Weird."
The other thing is, masonry has to be able to breathe, unless you specifically want problems such as
1. High moisture levels inside the buiding
2. Water trapped in walls
3. Spalling brickwork
Painting external brickwork is just something that will lead to problems in a few years time.
I know I've got a couple of painted/ rendered walls (and I can see the thinking behind why it was done- trying to lighten up a dark north-facing courtyard), but they do give me anxiety whether they're going to lead to big problems.
Things have moved on a little with the fireplace.
There's paint on the underside of the mantle. Now, being lazy, I didn't paint that... that, then, is question number 1.
Scraping that paint away, along the back edge where the mantle meets the fire surround I encountered a plaster-based filler. I've removed that, and that reveals that the mantle sits just above the fire surround. Polyfilla is not, to my knowledge, an Edwardian material. So on the basis of this discovery question number 2 is, is the mantlepiece and fire surround original? If the answer to that is 'no', then what basis do I have to assume that the cast iron fireplace itself is original?
Considering how the cast iron fireplace just seems to be roughly sat in the flue, it seems to me (right now at least) that it's something that's been introduced afterward. Considering it's cracked and needs repair, the question I then have to ask is, if it isn't original to the house, would I sooner
1. Have it taken away and repaired or
2. Skip it and buy a new reproduction cast iron fireplace
I'd anticipate that there's not a lot in the costs between the two, so the depth of my wallet probably isn't going to be the deciding factor. I'd err toward option 1 as it genuinely looks like an antique, but I now that cast iron is notoriously difficult to repair. It doesn't take welds well and because of how it's manufactured it's likely to break up more in the attempt to rebuild it...
Quote from: James Harrison on January 02, 2023, 12:52:06 PM
Considering how the cast iron fireplace just seems to be roughly sat in the flue, it seems to me (right now at least) that it's something that's been introduced afterward. Considering it's cracked and needs repair, the question I then have to ask is, if it isn't original to the house, would I sooner
1. Have it taken away and repaired or
2. Skip it and buy a new reproduction cast iron fireplace
I'd anticipate that there's not a lot in the costs between the two, so the depth of my wallet probably isn't going to be the deciding factor. I'd err toward option 1 as it genuinely looks like an antique, but I now that cast iron is notoriously difficult to repair. It doesn't take welds well and because of how it's manufactured it's likely to break up more in the attempt to rebuild it...
All other factors being equal, as a matter of safety I'd lean toward option 2.
It's not so much safety I'm worried about- I don't have open fires- it's more a question of if it's an antique am I comfortable with being responsible for its loss?
Now I mean realistically there are thousands of these things still around, so my skipping one of them isn't in the same league as discarding something completely unique, but it still gives me pause for thought.
There's a corner of the dining room that I don't talk about.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52611635585_a9f54d1d64_c.jpg)
It's where the 21st Century makes its vulgar presence known; where the internet router and telephone live. The cables snake all over the floor and it just looks a mess.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52610710692_2f5978a7ef_c.jpg)
So to get the router off the floor, and the telephone off the mantelpiece, I bought a shelf. Naturally I couldn't find one exactly 107cm long, so I had to buy a larger one and cut it down. And paint the ends.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52610710697_34758d754f_c.jpg)
Brackets are the black iron ones sold by Ikea, that I've standardised on in the sitting room. They're cheap but they do look suitably like the sort of workmanlike design you'd expect from one of the Edwardian Arts and Crafts guilds.
The problem you might think is that I've traded wires trailing all over the floor for wires trailing up the wall, but wait - there's more....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52610710747_b7f37fdce4_c.jpg)
I got hold of some copper pipe, and I cut it down to the length required. Then I bought some munsen rings.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52611478604_e5d36fb746_c.jpg)
You might be able to see where this is going now.
There are two problems remaining at the moment but those are issues to solve tomorrow.
One is that I've only been able to drill a 10mm hole through the shelf, which is too narrow. I need a larger drill bit, as I'm not in the mood for drilling a multitude of holes through it.
The other is that of the three cables that need to be fed through it, two of them I can feed from top down- they're not a problem. Naturally though, the third cable needs to be fed from the bottom up. I don't have any string or twine that I can tie that cable to and then haul back up.
So tonight I've spent two hours building a shelf and cable trunking that I can't use yet.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 06, 2023, 08:47:24 PM
There are two problems remaining at the moment but those are issues to solve tomorrow.
[...]
The other is that of the three cables that need to be fed through it, two of them I can feed from top down- they're not a problem. Naturally though, the third cable needs to be fed from the bottom up. I don't have any string or twine that I can tie that cable to and then haul back up.
So tonight I've spent two hours building a shelf and cable trunking that I can't use yet.
Feed one of the top-down cables through the pipe, then attach it to the end of the bottom-up cable and pull it back through.
That would be one way doing it (that, or a bootlace). I need to enlarge the hole in the shelf first.
Or you could have bought a Victorian style corner cupboard and put the router in that...
I did consider that, but what put me off was that it would have had to sit in front of the electrical plug. I have a 'thing' about electrical sockets and plugs being smothered and overheating.
What held me up last night was want of £5 worth of drill bits and string.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52612634609_9237f9fa65_c.jpg)
Which shortcoming I rectified this morning and it's now finished. Except for cleaning up the dust of course.
Meanwhile things have been progressing elsewhere;
- Two new windows ordered for the kitchen;
- Still plugging away at slowly stripping paint off the fireplace and skirting boards in the sitting room.
Love the telephone!
Thanks! It's not an original 1900s piece- the candle stick type were obsolete/ out of fashion long before the rotary dial was introduced- it's a 'modern' reproduction (by modern I mean circa 1990s/ 2000s).
The '5-minute job' that was anything but.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52615287530_38bc11858d_c.jpg)
The sitting room fireplace, taken back down to slate.
The mantletop and edges weren't too bad at all; some methylated spirit and kitchen tissues were enough to take that off.
Everything else though was an exercise in stoicism.
I ended up using
- paint stripper
- cement remover (think brick acid)
- more methylated spirit
- about two rolls of kitchen tissues
- emery cloth
- around 30 dremel sanding/ polishing abrasive pads
Truth be told there are still some little patches of paint on it in odd corners but I'm at the point of diminshing returns, it doesn't seem worthwhile spending hours removing every speck of what remains when it's invisible unless you get right up close to it.
So now this just needs
- polishing to remove any remaining dust
- coat of mineral oil to fill scuffs and scratches
- coat of slate and stone preserver
Oh, and the joint between mantle and uprights was polyfilla, so I need to use some grey tile grout to put that joint back in.
You spend hours and days taking all the black paint off the slate fireplace, return it to the natural material, and then you polish it up....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52626966614_e21c697f6a_c.jpg)
... and at the end of it you have a nice black slate fireplace.
Not quite entirely finished, but finished so far as I'm going to take it at the moment whilst work carries on around the rest of the room.
So; one month into the paint stripping exercise.
On the credit side;
- The doorframe is cleared
- The fireplace is cleared
- Five of the skirting boards are completely cleared
On the tipping point;
- Three skirting boards are close to completely cleared
- Four skirting boards are at least partly stripped
On the debit side;
- Four skirting boards still to even start
If you're wondering why there's so many skirting boards, this is the room with a bay window and two inglenooks.
It's slow going and not helped by having to try and work at it on my hands and knees in tight corners. I was hoping to have this bit done by the end of January and then being in a position to clear up all the dust, stain the woodwork and at least start thinking about cleaning down the paint and buying the picture rail moulding, but I think that's a bit optimistic.
Ice redux.... well, maybe not as severely as back in December (Decembrrrrr?) but still...
On the plus side, although it is cold at night, at the moment the daytime actually warms enough to clear enough ice that the following night's freeze doesn't lead to a complete shutdown.
Having cleared the gutter of ice yesterday, I woke up this morning to find more ice in it. This time I've seen what the mechanism is.
1) Condensate from the boiler runs down the gutter, doesn't quite reach the downpipe, and then freezes.
2) The boiler dribbles again. The water runs on top of the ice, cools rapidly, doesn't quite reach the end of the ice before freezing.
3) This carries on and you end up with a long sliver of ice that builds up in successively shorter layers until it reaches the top of the gutter.
4) Meanwhile not all of the water makes it out of the condensate pipe and this gradually builds up a layer of ice that eventually blocks the pipe.
So this morning I tapped the underside of the gutter with a hammer to break the ice up and then scooped it out, and set up a hairdryer to blow warm air up the pipe. This thawed out the end of the not-quite-plug and when that fell out I got a 3' length of thin wood and pushed that up there to dislodge anything behind it. Then bounced the pipe up and down a few times (being long and not fixed down it's quite flexible) and whacked it with the wooden stick, and that brought down a fair amount of icy slush. Whilst I've not been able to access the whole length of the pipe, the fact that dislodging the ice wasn't followed by a gusher of water suggests that there wasn't a complete blockage in the bit I was able to clear. If there were a blockage further up the boiler would start making motorbike noises again.
I'm adding 'rerouting the boiler pipe' to my to-do list for the year.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 22, 2023, 09:15:27 AM
Ice redux.... well, maybe not as severely as back in December (Decembrrrrr?) but still...
On the plus side, although it is cold at night, at the moment the daytime actually warms enough to clear enough ice that the following night's freeze doesn't lead to a complete shutdown.
Having cleared the gutter of ice yesterday, I woke up this morning to find more ice in it. This time I've seen what the mechanism is.
1) Condensate from the boiler runs down the gutter, doesn't quite reach the downpipe, and then freezes.
2) The boiler dribbles again. The water runs on top of the ice, cools rapidly, doesn't quite reach the end of the ice before freezing.
3) This carries on and you end up with a long sliver of ice that builds up in successively shorter layers until it reaches the top of the gutter.
4) Meanwhile not all of the water makes it out of the condensate pipe and this gradually builds up a layer of ice that eventually blocks the pipe.
So this morning I tapped the underside of the gutter with a hammer to break the ice up and then scooped it out, and set up a hairdryer to blow warm air up the pipe. This thawed out the end of the not-quite-plug and when that fell out I got a 3' length of thin wood and pushed that up there to dislodge anything behind it. Then bounced the pipe up and down a few times (being long and not fixed down it's quite flexible) and whacked it with the wooden stick, and that brought down a fair amount of icy slush. Whilst I've not been able to access the whole length of the pipe, the fact that dislodging the ice wasn't followed by a gusher of water suggests that there wasn't a complete blockage in the bit I was able to clear. If there were a blockage further up the boiler would start making motorbike noises again.
I'm adding 'rerouting the boiler pipe' to my to-do list for the year.
If you were in Canada I'd suggest you install heating cables, but you guys probably can't even get them over there. ???
Quote from: James Harrison on January 22, 2023, 09:15:27 AM
Ice redux.... well, maybe not as severely as back in December (Decembrrrrr?) but still...
On the plus side, although it is cold at night, at the moment the daytime actually warms enough to clear enough ice that the following night's freeze doesn't lead to a complete shutdown.
Having cleared the gutter of ice yesterday, I woke up this morning to find more ice in it. This time I've seen what the mechanism is.
1) Condensate from the boiler runs down the gutter, doesn't quite reach the downpipe, and then freezes.
2) The boiler dribbles again. The water runs on top of the ice, cools rapidly, doesn't quite reach the end of the ice before freezing.
3) This carries on and you end up with a long sliver of ice that builds up in successively shorter layers until it reaches the top of the gutter.
4) Meanwhile not all of the water makes it out of the condensate pipe and this gradually builds up a layer of ice that eventually blocks the pipe.
So this morning I tapped the underside of the gutter with a hammer to break the ice up and then scooped it out, and set up a hairdryer to blow warm air up the pipe. This thawed out the end of the not-quite-plug and when that fell out I got a 3' length of thin wood and pushed that up there to dislodge anything behind it. Then bounced the pipe up and down a few times (being long and not fixed down it's quite flexible) and whacked it with the wooden stick, and that brought down a fair amount of icy slush. Whilst I've not been able to access the whole length of the pipe, the fact that dislodging the ice wasn't followed by a gusher of water suggests that there wasn't a complete blockage in the bit I was able to clear. If there were a blockage further up the boiler would start making motorbike noises again.
I'm adding 'rerouting the boiler pipe' to my to-do list for the year.
If you are still having problems, I would be tempted to clamber up the roof and chop that pipe slightly lower than the ridge tiles to allow any water to dissipate across the roof. still end up in the gutter but over a larger area.
I would say you still have to re-run the gutter and overflow eventually. If you do decide to cut the pipe try and aviod contact of the boiler water with the lead flashing, I've seen corrosuon caused by the acid content befote, everything else will be fine.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52565374981_2b3af20c4c_c.jpg)
Be careful peg tiles can be somewhat brittle.
Me + heights = a very bad combination. My thought is, once we're through the Winter, I'll have the pipe moved inside and I'll just have a small outflow in the corner of the bathroom just above the guttering.
Noted re: the flashing, that was something I hadn't thought of. Corrosion there is not a good thing.
The guttering itself, not brilliant of course that water pools in it. I have it in mind to try to lever the gutter up at the closed end with some plastic slivers to get more of a fall on it but I'm keeping that back as a job for the Summer.
[quote author=von Corax link=topic=50805.msg1018267#msg1018267
If you were in Canada I'd suggest you install heating cables, but you guys probably can't even get them over there. ???
[/quote]
I think we can actually get something like a heating element that slips inside them. Whether I can get one long enough, and how you wire it up, I don't know.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 22, 2023, 12:20:28 PM
Quote from: von Corax on January 22, 2023, 10:48:42 AM
If you were in Canada I'd suggest you install heating cables, but you guys probably can't even get them over there. ???
I think we can actually get something like a heating element that slips inside them. Whether I can get one long enough, and how you wire it up, I don't know.
Home Despot has 'em up to 200 feet, and they plug into a standard outlet.
Well I can get them- for a price- but it needs to secured to the pipe somehow (like I say, me + heights = bad, very bad) and you need to insulate the pipe. Quite how I'm to do that when the thing is at least 10' long and has a 90-degree bend at the one end of it, and is on a roof, I don't know.
It seems to me that it would be a complete pain in the proverbial to fit it, and expensive considering the length I would need. I think it would make more sense to re-route the pipe inside the house and then fit the heater. It'd be easier to access to fit, I'd probably need a shorter length and the insulation becomes less of an issue.
What diameter is the pipe?
Get back to the plumber who initially installed it, tell him you have a problem with his installation and therefore expect him to sort out under guarantee, free of charge, be forcefull in tone expressing general unhappiness etc etc.
if I fitted a conservatory 2-3 years ago and a leak appears I go round and sort it free, same should apply here, as with the guttering, they both did a job which have proved problematic, it happens, doesn't mean they crap tradesmen. Give it a go.
Quote from: von Corax on January 22, 2023, 04:02:58 PM
What diameter is the pipe?
It's 15mm or so (about 5/8")
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on January 22, 2023, 04:17:06 PM
Get back to the plumber who initially installed it, tell him you have a problem with his installation and therefore expect him to sort out under guarantee, free of charge, be forcefull in tone expressing general unhappiness etc etc.
if I fitted a conservatory 2-3 years ago and a leak appears I go round and sort it free, same should apply here, as with the guttering, they both did a job which have proved problematic, it happens, doesn't mean they crap tradesmen. Give it a go.
The condensate pipe is something I've inherited - it was put in by the previous owner - when I had the boiler replaced (about five months after moving in) we just reused the existing pipe run. So it's not really something I could have a whinge at my plumber about to fix it.
The guttering though, that one is something I could play my face up about. Maybe if my thoughts on a simple fix don't work that would be something to try.
~Edit~
I've tried my simple fix - I had some little metal washers sitting idle - the gutter is clipped down to its brackets and I can't inveigle a spacer in. I can't see either how the gutter can be rehung without needing to replace the bargeboard that it's secured to.
It's on my list to have the roof and gutter people check my roof in a few months for broken/ slipped tiles (I've got at least one slipped one that I can see on my bay window) so we can have a chat about it then.
Right. 15mm is too small to snake a heating cable up, so my solution (for what it's worth) would be to wrap the condensate pipe in the sort of heating tape made for water lines, wrap that in insulation, and lay a roof cable along the gutter and down the drainpipe. Put them on a common switch and only turn them on when it starts to freeze.
Right, so. I usually have the boiler serviced in the Summer, I think this year when I have that done I'll also have the condensate pipe rerouted inside the house (so that's at least day of my Summer holiday already spoken for then).
Meanwhile work's been progressing in the sitting room. Six weeks in and I've finally sanded the skirting boards to the point of diminishing returns (read: there's still paint on them in places, but honestly?- it's more effort getting it off than it's worth).
So now I've got the lovely little job of getting all the sanding pad and paint dust up. It's got everywhere... and I suspect that all that will happen with any attempt to remove it will be more a case of moving it around rather than getting it out.
Once I've done that, I've got to wash down every wall. I think I did mention I've got somewhere around 800 books, DVDs and CDs on shelves and in cabinets in here?... but it needs cleaning down because over the last few years as shelves have gone up and other bits have been replastered, the dust has worked its way into the paintwork.
That then neatly segues into the repaint... at least one more coat of dark blue, mostly. And the cream around the top before the picture rail goes in. And a coat of sealant and brilliant white on the ceiling. Oh, and I want to strip the existing paint off the coving moulding and repaint that.
The challenge with the dining room was that I could only work on it at weekend and in holidays. The challenge with the sitting room I think is trying to work around all the stuff I've got in there.
Some photos. You wouldn't have thanked me for an illustrated blow-by-blow account of stripping the skirting boards, but these two you may regard as being representative of the whole thing. All five weeks of it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52670230194_ce6295d907_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52670443528_14eabc85a0_c.jpg)
That done, I thought to clean the walls down before staining the skirting. One wall has some rather impressive cracks in the plaster. From the ceiling coving, around the bookshelves and then down behind the radiator. To make sure it wasn't a symptom of something more insidious, I intended to break out a couple of holes just large enough and deep enough that I could check the brickwork behind.
One of the holes sort of... grew.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52669941181_d291a43f62_c.jpg)
The outcome of this exercise was the conclusion that the brickwork is OK but the plaster is not quite life expired. It still sticks to the wall... but there are hollow spots. It's nowhere near as bad as the hallway (plaster was supported by wallpaper) or the dining room (cutting through the skim produced a waterfall [plasterfall?] of crumbly dust and a big void) but at some point- not yet- I think it will have to come down. Alternatively I'm aware there are stabilisers available- you drill a small hole and pump in a water-based compound that sets the degraded plaster in an adhesive matrix.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52669941166_8bca14a2f9_c.jpg)
After four or five days work (most of that spent sitting around waiting for the latest depth of applied filler to set), the holes are filled and I've chased out the majority of the crack and filled with ready-mix filler.
So at this point I actually feel I can make a start on the decorating.
Onto the next bit. I've spent the afternoon sugar-soaping the cracked wall and staining the skirting boards, from the doorway around to the fireplace.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52671046883_469d84c19f_c.jpg)
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52671046863_687d3b6482_c.jpg)
The photographs hint at the problem I'm now encountering; trying to decorate in a furnished and inhabited room. I can't take the furniture out, there isn't anywhere to put it. I can take shelves down but then end up with hundreds of books, CDs and DVDs either perched precariously on other shelves or sitting on the floor. I can move furniture around up to a point but I don't have the space to move it all to the centre of the room and still have working space.
To my mind, the only way of working from this point on is to concentrate on one wall, or one corner, and only move on when that part is completed.
So I think the next thing I'll do will be to mark in the proposed centre line of the moulding around the room (I can do that because it sits at top bookshelf level) and then concentrate on painting just the walls between the doorway and the bay window. When those are done I can put my DVD shelves back up, I can move my DVDs back to where they belong and I can use that freed up bit of floor area to move the television and a few bookshelves to, so I can paint the alcove where the television currently resides.
And then I do rather have a problem because my main bookshelves (and the 5 - 600 books sitting on them? need to come down.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52673009951_4553c74982_c.jpg)
Between the doorway and the bay window is at least started. We'll see how we get on.
Progress!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52686929706_70d009d042_c.jpg)
Because of the ad-hoc nature of the development of the sitting room, this is the first time in three years that at least part of it actually looks like what I had in mind (and even then a bit more refined because the cream upper wall and picture rail moulding [not fitted yet] didn't feature in the original plan).
Quote from: James Harrison on February 06, 2023, 06:08:40 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52673009951_4553c74982_c.jpg)
Between the doorway and the bay window is at least started. We'll see how we get on.
Just to let you know i'm still watching with interest. Any chance of a closer picture of the coving meeting the ceiling please? I have an idea for home using dado/picture rail to add some detailing. Thanks.
btb not my sort of colour but I must say looks good and like the idea of the one piece being cream.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52694992915_7f3659b79a_c.jpg)
A photo of the corner is probably most useful because the shadows help out a bit in showing what's there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52694846164_0b26651970_c.jpg)
The cream (and another coat of the blue) is slowly making its way around the room.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52694846144_cfd4ffcd5a_c.jpg)
And a decent chunk of the floor (RRP £2.99 a hectare, trade name "I Can't Believe It's Not Vinyl") bit the dust.
I've finished staining my skirting board, so the last of the horrible vinyl stuff could be taken up (I was keeping it down just so that I didn't get any stain on the floorboards).
This revealed... the floorboards, and by the door they've been replaced with some small sheets of chipboard. I unscrewed these and took them out. A few years ago I managed to lose a tool down the gap between the hallway tiles and the sitting room floorboards, and I was hopeful of recovering it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52697964994_d927418aa8_c.jpg)
So the chipboard came up, and I went on my hands and knees with my cameraphone and a torch. Oddly the little file I'd lost was nowhere to be found. There was a debris field under the floor, at some point I think at least one of the joists has been replaced as there was a lot of dry, lightweight, crumbly wood sitting on the ground.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52697188262_298bf51b03_c.jpg)
I wasn't expecting to find one anyway, but this bit of investigative work finally completely rules out the existance of a basement.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52698196868_641339fa7b_c.jpg)
With part of the floor opened up I took advantage of the opportunity to have a look, so this is rom the doorway alongside the sitting room/ dining room dividing wall and looking toward the end wall of the terrace.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52697964964_f4f7c8ddd1_c.jpg)
And this is the same location turned 90 degrees counter-clockwise, so I'm looking toward the front wall and bay window. There's a dwarf wall halfway along the length of the sitting room, I suspect this is probably to support the joists as a 12 or 13' (approximately 4 metres) span is getting on for the limit of what you can reasonably expect out of a piece of 2" x 6" timber.
In the debris field, amongst the rotted wood and old screws, I found this scrap of anaglypta.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52697188232_c9b6ed6bcf_c.jpg)
So at some point the sitting room was decorated in the same fashion (though with a different pattern) to the hallway- which you'll remember was likewise covered in embossed wallpaper when I moved in. How depressingly boring.
On the back of the anaglypta though....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52697964954_eb2f61966a_c.jpg)
Traces of blue paint.
That's a lovely shade of blue! I wouldn't mind a blouse in that colour - with matching shoes. ;D
One goal for the year achieved;
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52708527086_c812dfbdbd_c.jpg)
I had a bit of an issue here, these are new window openings and as such the proportions are completely at odds with those elsewhere in the house.
So I had to make a choice whether I wanted the window styles to match throughout, or do something different.
Well, I got what I asked for- "Can you do me the same style window as previous but for these dimensions?"- but I can't say that it's a happy result. The larger windows suit smaller lights and a fussier design. These smaller windows, less so. Particularly that thick horizontal bar right across the middle is... not ideal. The fact that the lights are wider than they are tall is also not exactly to my liking. On reflection, 8 lights per window would have been a better solution than 16, but really with these - it's trying to make the best of the situation.
In an ideal world I'd have been completely rebuilding the two openings to improve the proportions, but in reality there are small vulgar matters such as the cost and the realms of possibility to consider which precluded that.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on February 20, 2023, 03:29:29 AM
That's a lovely shade of blue! I wouldn't mind a blouse in that colour - with matching shoes. ;D
Do you mean the blue on the walls, or the blue on the back of the wallpaper?
The former I agree with you is lovely, the latter though is sickly and insipid. It reminds me of the pale blue bedroom I grew up with which was perpetually freezing cold. I associate that particular colour with thermal discomfort now.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 24, 2023, 05:37:13 PM
One goal for the year achieved;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52708527086_c812dfbdbd_c.jpg)
I had a bit of an issue here, these are new window openings and as such the proportions are completely at odds with those elsewhere in the house.
So I had to make a choice whether I wanted the window styles to match throughout, or do something different.
Well, I got what I asked for- "Can you do me the same style window as previous but for these dimensions?"- but I can't say that it's a happy result. The larger windows suit smaller lights and a fussier design. These smaller windows, less so. Particularly that thick horizontal bar right across the middle is... not ideal. The fact that the lights are wider than they are tall is also not exactly to my liking. On reflection, 8 lights per window would have been a better solution than 16, but really with these - it's trying to make the best of the situation.
In an ideal world I'd have been completely rebuilding the two openings to improve the proportions, but in reality there are small vulgar matters such as the cost and the realms of possibility to consider which precluded that.
We have a similar problem: the kitchen (upvc double-glazed) window is about 5 foot square with a central vertical bar that is 6 inches wide and a horizontal one to match. Which means we're losing about 5 square foot of glass that could be letting much-needed light in. I've never seen window bars so wide; I can only assume that there are structural reasons and that when they were installed (1980's) they didn't have the steel reinforcement bars that they do today.
So they're being replaced when we do up the kitchen.
After the kitchen window interlude, work has proceeded in the sitting room.
Last weekend I had an exploratory poke at the plaster cornice moulding, which was looking a bit drab and sorry for itself. So I scraped some of the paint off and then started to smooth back to the plaster beneath.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52727792486_ed90fdc851_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52728205185_a0cdc7be60_c.jpg)
The problems around this were several;
1. It's in the air so you've got to get up on ladders or suitably robust furniture to actually do the job;
2. Removing white paint from white plaster whilst relying on natural daylight is a fraught process;
3. The dust. Oh, the dust;
4. Some of the finer moulding is so gummed up with paint that the only way to remove it is to use monstrous force on the plaster, which then crumbles.
Once I'd got a short length of it cleared out it was fairly obvious that there was unacceptable risk of damage to the cornice, and in any case the removal of the paint didn't sharpen the moulding up all that much. Taken in the round, it seemed like it would be an awful lot of work and worry and mess and potental damage to the plaster for a very small return. So I stopped that and instead I just repainted the moulding. Wouldn't you know it but one length has taken a violent dislike to brilliant white eggshell paint... it keeps splitting and flaking as it dries, and then it falls away as a misture of dust and little shreds. A primer coat of plain emulsion seems to help matters but it's not 100% effective.
And then this weekend...
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52727792471_46a71d27ba_c.jpg)
My parents paid a visit and my Father helped me put the new picture rail up around the sitting room. Well actually he did it and I helped him. This is the same moulding as I used previously in the dining room and it's been fitted at about the same height, the difference is it doesn't go all around the room. Instead I have a run from the door to the window, then from the window to the alcove bookshelves, then from the other side of the bookshelves just up to the chimneybreast. Then after a gap across the chimnerybreast there's another very short run to the start of the main bookshelves, and then from the end of those shelves back to the door. So it was the work of maybe an hour and a half to fit it- a nice short quick job that ran to plan for once.
Next stages now are (in no particular order)
1. New coat of white eggshell paint around the window reveal;
2. Touching in cut and sanded moulding edges and corners with stain;
3. Clean up of the blue paint either side of the window;
4. New coat of blue paint on the chimneybreast;
5. Pattern on the chimneybreast
6. Clean up the curtain rail and curtain rail fixings;
7. Refit the curtains (replace with new?);
8. New wood flooring (later this year - this will almost be a little project in its own right....)
Now that we're headed into March and the promise of Spring just around the corner, the front garden and the bay window external works beckon too.
Well, it is starting to look really crisp and complete. It was always my job to do the edges and corners paint-wise - Mr Synistor said I didn't do a proper job on painting the walls, and I said he didn't do a proper job of corners and edges, so we are well matched paint-wise...
The picture rail makes an incredible difference aesthetically - never understood the removal of it in houses of elegant proportions.
I'm surprised how much of a difference fitting a rail and painting the top of the walls cream has made. The whole space just seems t have a bit more about it now.
Tonight's job, I think, will be repainting blue around the bay window after the cornice calamity and then (if I have time) repainting the front of the chimneybreast. Oh, and the remnants of paint stripper still need to be gotten off the fire insert.
You remember the anaglypta I discovered under the floor...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52757303935_8f29d445cb_c.jpg)
It was too busy and intricate to copy exactly, and I don't think I'd got the whole width of the pattern in the narrow strips that were recovered. But I had got enough to draw up something inspired by it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52756896216_3839a672d9_c.jpg)
And I had to simplify my sketch a little more but I was able to make a fair cardboard copy.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52757379313_25184b3bef_c.jpg)
And that started to make its way onto the wall.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52757142319_54ea719acd_c.jpg)
When I reached this stage I took a step back and reassessed. I think I'm going to call it there.
There are a couple of factors why I've stopped here. Firstly the template is proving more fragile than I thought it would and I don't think it would survive much longer. Secondly it's a very busy pattern and I don't think the chimney breast could carry it off well (comments about dazzle camouflage, WWI troopships and discouraging submarine attack could be made).
James, it looks lovely! Any more and it would look very busy indeed, unless you planned to do the whole wall in that pattern!
Yes, I think you're quite right. It looks suitably subtle and understated for having done just to the underside of the mantle. If I'd gone any further it would probably induce migranes...
That's gorgeous.
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on March 29, 2023, 07:08:23 PM
That's gorgeous.
Thank you! I'm hoping I can keep it that way whilst cleaning coats of paint and gunk off the fireplace insert. Which is proving more of a challenge than I first thought...
Its all coming together fabulously. Thank you for sharing your your moments with us . The progress is uplifting to watch
It's interesting to share (plus it encourages me being able to read back and see how far I've come).
So this is what I'm up to at the moment.... lots of methylated spirit, paper tissues and elbow grease.
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And whan it's finished I'm then going to have a look into having it taken away and restored. But maybe not this year.
It's great all that vintage detail wasn't taken out. That it's been left in place in all it's glory
I wonder what the original occupants would think of all the restoration work. Would they think it was foolish, because newer "better" stuff is now available, or would they be proud that their original decor was so admired that it was restored.
You have more patience than I. I would have got out a cordless drill and wire brush set, not too harsh for cast iron.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/IMAGERENDERING_521856-T2/images/I/91788FbDNJL._SL1500_.jpg)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 06, 2023, 12:52:13 PM
You have more patience than I. I would have got out a cordless drill and wire brush set, not too harsh for cast iron.
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I think you're right. It would have been quicker using one of those.
So far I've tried
- sandpaper
- methylated spirit
- wire brushes
- wire wool
- palm sander
- paint stripper
Well, the thing's probably closer to the finish to the start (the paint is noticeably thinner, where it still clings on) but the effort involved in getting it off is numbing. So I might well try one of those before we're through.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 06, 2023, 05:10:54 PM[snip] So I might well try one of those before we're through.
I would if I were you. On a fireplace that was remarkably similar, if not exactly the same design.
One aspect that I particularly liked was that, using an electric drill/driver, you can reverse the direction of the spinning brush and reach parts without having to attack it from awkward angles. Some of the metal from the brush wore off onto the cast iron, but was much easier to remove than the decades of gloss paint it had easily removed.
If you can limit how far the stripped paint dust goes (by hanging a paint sheet from the mantelpiece or similar) it also makes life easier as some of it is extremely fine and really irritating.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 06, 2023, 12:52:13 PM
You have more patience than I. I would have got out a cordless drill and wire brush set, not too harsh for cast iron.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/W/IMAGERENDERING_521856-T2/images/I/91788FbDNJL._SL1500_.jpg)
Good call on this. I bought some, and got more paint off in three minutes than I had in the previous four days.
I'm going to leave off on taking more paint off for the moment because the thickest, gungiest stuff has been taken off and I think if I were to take it down to bare metal it would rust between now and when I do eventually manage to get it taken away for full restoration. So now onto the next few jobs.
Well obviously the biggest thing left to do in the sitting room is a new floor, I'll end up ordering that next month with a view to laying it in July or August (with timber floors the advice is that you leave the boards to acclimitise in the room for a month or so before actually laying the floor).
Other than that there is
- Repairing the bay window sills;
- Breaking out the concrete path in the front garden (I've actually started discussing that with the local council because the garden path carries on past my gate and into the public footpath beyond, so I want to be sure exactly where my property boundary actually is there);
- New floorboards for the upstairs hallway (which would I think be a fairly quick and easy win if I can get one up to confirm the board thickness I need);
- New brass light switches and plug sockets (I have some of these ready and waiting to be fitted, I need to get a couple more to make it worthwhile having the electrican in to swap them over)
If the fireplace is coming out to be restored why not think about getting it sand/ bead blasted?
would save a lot of time and faffing about.
The only concern would be the tiles, they would have to come out or ask the blaster if they can be masked off.
Just a thought.
I had a column radiator blasted a while ago and it cost £20, so not too outrageous on price.
That's a thought I had too, once I'd spent a couple of nights moving softened paint around.
At the time I started cleaning it up, what I had in mind was to accept that it was partly broken (with the fireguard in place you can't see the damage) and just clean the paint off of it. As I've done that, thoughts have gone more toward getting it fully restored.
So now with the majority of the paint having been removed, I'm going to leave it there and move on to something else whilst researching whether there's anywhere local to me that could do that work.
Some floorboards have arrived, impressive turnaround that I ordered them this morning and they were delivered at lunchtime.
So this afternoon I have a choice of carrying on with breaking up the front garden path, or relaying floorboards in the upstairs hallway.
~Later~
Well that went well. I've made a start taking up the floorboards and I've quite quickly found that I don't have the right tools to get them out in one piece, that there are pipes and cables right underneath them, and that they are in large part fixed down using iron wedge nails. I got about 5 boards up (tolerably in one piece but with edges and corners ruined) and concluded that I was heading straight into appalling catastrophe territory, so I put them back down again.
This is a bit of a larger task than I anticipated and I'm not sure it can be done in an afternoon.
We had the floorboard dilemma, but ours were a cheap, rough pine designed to have carpet or tiles laid on them. They were also a bit drunk...
We opted to lay a 12mm solid board over the top - nailed and glued. They look and feel exactly like a solid floor - unlike that really thin, cheap stuff which goes 'clack-clack' when you walk on it. The 12mm can be sanded and stained just like a normal wood floor. In our house the 12mm abuts the normal wooden floor and you can't tell the difference.
I'd consider something like that, but for the issue that I've got pipes and cables running under it. The nightmare I have is needing to get to those in a hurry and having to rip the whole floor up to do so. The flip side of that argument of course is 'how likely is that to happen?' and considering it's probably going to be fine unless I mess with it (and I more than learnt my lesson about that nearly three years ago), yeah I probably could get away with something like you suggest.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 12, 2023, 07:43:49 AM
'how likely is that to happen?'
I'd say it's not a chance it's a certainty! And it will happen as soon as you've put the last fastening in, tidied up and stepped back to admire your work!
Because life is just like that!
(Oh yes it is ...)
At some point I will need to get access to those pipes (whether because of emergency or just for maintenance or renewal) so absolutely I 100% need to keep a way of getting to them. What that is though I'm not sure. Whether I try to come up with some way of being able to lift the boards without damaging them....
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on April 13, 2023, 02:50:54 PM
Quote from: James Harrison on April 12, 2023, 07:43:49 AM
'how likely is that to happen?'
I'd say it's not a chance it's a certainty! And it will happen as soon as you've put the last fastening in, tidied up and stepped back to admire your work!
Because life is just like that!
(Oh yes it is ...)
I'm with Cora on this one.
In the next hour I should get a delivery of floorboards (not real ones, 1' x 3' chipboard ones) for the attic. Not looking forward to it because they cover 70m
2, so weigh 1500kg in all. :o
They're all tongue and grooved along the long edges, so I'm planning on removing the lower half of the groove to allow easy access for the boards that go over the light fittings of the rooms below. They will also be screwed down (with visible screws, sadly) to make them easier still to remove.
Things will become a lot trickier once I've laid the inlaid plywood floor on top, but that won't be for months and we should have sorted out the lighting below by then (fingers crossed).
Removing the bottom half of the groove is the same idea that I'm toying with. I'm thinking of removing half the groove on the board that needs to come up and on its neighbour, so it can be pivoted up and then slid out.
So both of you gentlemen are going to be in the groove....
I'm already well into it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52836871406_326511b38d_c.jpg)
Several new floorboards in the upstairs hallway laid.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52837059064_d44e9291f8_c.jpg)
Much better than what was there before.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52836874821_e2451d5dff_c.jpg)
And on the garden path, the first lump of concrete is broken up and taken out. Then I've started to dig down in readiness to place a layer of hardstanding, preparatory to laying a new brick path. There are some quite impressive large tree roots under this, which are probably the reason why the path broke its back in the first place.
The brick path should hold up better to tree roots growing underneath. They make it easier for any adjustment later on.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on April 23, 2023, 12:45:51 AM
The brick path should hold up better to tree roots growing underneath. They make it easier for any adjustment later on.
I'm hoping that it shouldn't be too much of an issue, the root system for the hedge that I've planted shouldn't run quite so rampant.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52838213957_d0cd393c4f_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52839229293_70952ec315_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52838782826_954e8085f8_c.jpg)
These are the roots that I've dug out so far, the most substantial of them is over 5' long (and that's just the bit I got out - some of it is still in the ground as it makes to dive under the house
and it still carries on back the other way further under the path). They are at least putting up less of a fight than when I was first taking the trees out- they've gone quite brittle and snap easily, which I'm interpreting as a sign that they're dead and rotting.
First part of the pit infilled.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52851550558_1b6e697ab1_c.jpg)
Since this photograph was taken I've actually poured some clean crushed stone into it as to help bind it all together. Break the next bit out now...
All looking very promising, James! This is an interesting to watch. I think you are doing very well!
Best I can do with my front path (at the moment) is paint the edges bright yellow!
Thanks; it remains to be seen just how far I get with this, this year. Ultimately what I want is a path of brick pavers, whether or not I achieve that this year... we shall see. I'm still waiting a response from the.... third, I think... council agency that I've approached for a definitive answer as to where my boundary actually is (as the path carries on straight out into the public pavement whilst my garden wall curves away). If it comes to it I'll just cut a line through that tallies with the outer line of the wall and leave a small, roughly triangular, patch of concrete in the footpath as 'the council's problem to sort out'.
Looking at other bits;
1) The floorboards we laid last weekend are OK, except for the one that was left loose as emergency pipe access (which has decided to warp and twist so it's proud of the rest of the floor). I don't think that can be put right so I've brought in some more boards (luckily I've got some decent length off cuts and a spare board), they're now acclimitising in the hallway and we'll swap it out in a few weeks. I'm hoping the issue is as simple as overlooking that the board needed to acclimitise before being laid.
2) I need to buy the looring for the sitting room, I'll probably do this either this month (May) or next.
3) I've bought the mortar needed to repair the bay window cills, I'm just waiting on Summer and good weather (good joke) to get that done.
Lump #2 of the concrete path has been broken up, dug out and reinstated as back fill.
Work now proceeds on Lump #3, the Final Boss of the Path.
The solution to the hallway floorboard warping has been to remove the floorboard, cut it into shorter pieces (which helps getting it out in an emergency) and then actually screw it down. We'll see how that goes over the next few months, if it keeps on trying to warp (which I think would actually result in it splitting, now that it's screwed in), I have some spare board I can swap it out for.
That footpath has changed a bit...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52897742854_50ec19c4ba_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52897004272_fe370958ea_c.jpg)
The council having been deafening in their silence on the matter, I'm making the decision for them as to exactly where my responsibiltiy for the path ends. It's being broken out to the gate, and no further.
I would say the edge of your boundry would be the external face of the bricks that touch the pavement.
So I would pave to that point as long as you don't encroach onto to the public, councils property you should be fine.
The bit onto the footpath.......... fill it the best you can report a trip hazard pothole and potential lawsuit for them for damages etc, I'm sure they will respond, even if just chuck in some tarmac. Might get them rolling.
That's going to be the problem, the most effective tool I have for breaking the concrete up isn't capable of that sort of finesse. If I try to cut a line under the gate (which would be the centre line of the wall), than I'll probably end up with a line just about level with the outer line of the bricks. If I were to try to cut to the outer line of bricks I'd probably end up in the middle of the road.
Helpfully, the concrete gets thicker - a lot thicker - as I get nearer the gate, just to make the job go that bit more quickly and easily.
Success, all concrete removed...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52905573268_b00645de51_c.jpg)
.... though it may not look like it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52905573273_8149bdd464_c.jpg)
I was able to get a better line using my hammer drill than I thought I would. My reasoning behind stopping at this point - just inside of the gate - is that the only way someone can trip and roll their ankle is if they're actually coming into my garden. So if they stay outside the gate - they can't break their leg and I don't get taken to court.
Next stage then is to dig out that last bit of soil and replace it with crushed concrete and Type 1. Then the big pile of soil taken out (sitting in the paddock at the moment) can be sifted through and put into a spoil sack ready for when I start work on the back garden. Then - time to buy some sand and paving bricks....
Pit dug out and infilled....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52909421172_969d971e36_c.jpg)
That's the last of my Type 1 used up, and about 75 - 80% of the original concrete dumped back in there too. I might reasonably get another two or three buckets of small lumps, dust and fines worked into it but it's basically finished and ready for the sand and brick pavers.
And I have a nice new empty cubic-metre aggregate bag to sift the removed soil into, if I can find somewhere to keep it under cover.
So what I need to do now - and naturally it being the weekend, it's raining - is to measure up the length and width of the path and try to draw up something that will work in way of a brick pattern. And order the bricks, and order the sand, and also look at finally buying that length of clay half-pipe I keep meaning to look for so the guttering down pipe drains into the garden rather than right next to the house...
As you are digging holes anyway have you thought of a soakaway forthe downpipe?
When I dug out the concrete around the bay window last Summer I found the (I presume original) soakaway for the downpipe, but I've absolutely no idea where it goes or if it's still functional. That said, it's basically a shaft full of stones so how do you stop something like that from working? So, that is an option.
The other option I have is the soakaway I installed myself in the front garden a few years ago. To reach that soakaway though means guiding the guttering about 1.5 metres across what's going to be my new paving and then down into the gravel. I would really like to do that with something like a clay channel or halfpipe, but it seems the longest length available is 1 metre. They do of course have a big chunky lip at one end so you can join them, but I'd prefer to have just one length. I suppose alternatives would be to use a length of plastic guttering (urgh) or cast something in concrete (which seems an awful lot of effort to go to).
At the moment though I can find clay channel. I can find local builders merchants. I can't find a local builders merchant who stocks clay channel. So there's that hurdle to get past first.
I would say if you don't have any surface water problems atm from the guttering and downpipe.
Not planning to increase the surface area of hardscaping much more than whats there (like slab the whole front garden) I wouldn't be too bothered. A cheaper way would be extend the downpipe with a few fittings, a length of pipe and some clips, run along the garden wall further into the garden away from the house.
An 'ole full of stones is a soakaway (rather than a dedicated pipe for rainwater)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on May 21, 2023, 11:40:43 AM
I would say if you don't have any surface water problems atm from the guttering and downpipe.
Not planning to increase the surface area of hardscaping much more than whats there (like slab the whole front garden) I wouldn't be too bothered. A cheaper way would be extend the downpipe with a few fittings, a length of pipe and some clips, run along the garden wall further into the garden away from the house.
An 'ole full of stones is a soakaway (rather than a dedicated pipe for rainwater)
One of the neighbours has dealt with it by getting a length of guttering, propping it up at end near the house and leading it into their garden. Another neighbour has done exactly what you've described with the additional pipes and clips/ fittings. I want to do something similar but with a bit more finesse, as it's functional but not exactly aesthetic (hence my looking at clay channels). To be honest, the downpipe had been dribbling onto the concrete paving for years without issue and it's been dripping onto my Type 1 for the last year or so, again without problems, so if I can't source my channel I don't think it will be the end of the world.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934610876_209b824430_c.jpg)
A nice sunny bank holiday, the view from the sitting room window. What you can't see, of course...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934012562_713fd2104d_c.jpg)
... is that work has started on paver-laying to finish the path off. There was a bit of a miscalculation with the infill, it's at the correct level- by the house. Unfortunately the path is on a very gentle gradient down to the road, whilst the fill... isn't. So before laying any of these, the fill had to be raked out and re-levelled. I've then got to fair the remaining fill into a smooth gradient up toward the front door, which will be fun...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52946332833_22fb6a2d69_c.jpg)
It's oddly satisfying spending a quiet hour or so on cool late Spring/ early Summer evenings laying bricks in the garden. It's about a third of the way up to the house now. And I've had a rethink about the gradient, actually I think what I'm going to do is keep it at the same level up to where it meets the bit that goes across the front of the bay window. And then I'll just put a step in there.
Looking really good so far!
May i ask if you are using a whacker/ vibrating plate? If not the only fear could be sinking over time.
I'm impressed I've never attempted block paving before, it's all about preperation of the ground before laying the blocks apparently.......... Anyway I ramble as usual, as I said looks good and please do update with photos of progress as when it happens.
I haven't run over it with a whacker, my reasoning being that I've already dug out below and backfilled with crushed concrete and stone (which of course I'm now having to scrape the top off of because I laid it to too high a level). So you've got, - crushed concrete, - crushed limestone, - sharp sand; - block pavers. The sharp sand might settle a bit and find ways to get down into the crushed stone, but I don't think it will settle too much. Well, I hope not anyway...
Most of the effort and time at the moment goes into getting a level (or nearly level) layer of sand to bed the blocks down into, the blocks themselves are just a simple case of placing them in the right location and tapping them down a bit. It's slower going than I thought it would be (taken about 8 hours so far to get a third or so of it done), but I should (weather depending) have broken the back of it by the end of the month. Provided I don't run out of bricks or sand.
I found this............ A whacker may be a good idea, only footfall not a driveway but I'm all for belt and braces.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lp7N5GXqtk
:-\ :-\
That's a useful video. I had seen it before but it makes a lot more sense now that I've made my own mistakes :D
We'll see how it goes, if it all has to come up again next year and get relaid then I'll compact the subgrade and the sand bed down.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52958467228_8ddb7ae161_c.jpg)
As of last night, this is how far I'd got. I've got about 1.3 metres (4') to go, and then I need to introduce a step. I should be able to each that point by the end of this coming weekend.
Then, as I say, there is a step and then it turns through 90 degrees and goes across the front of the house. It is doubtful I have enough bricks to do all of that in one go, but we shall see.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 07, 2023, 06:37:51 PM
As of last night, this is how far I'd got. I've got about 1.3 metres (4') to go, and then I need to introduce a step. I should be able to each that point by the end of this coming weekend.
Have you seen the forecast for this weekend? Heatwave, the first rain in weeks and thunderstorms.
Possibly not the best path-laying weather.
Best of luck.
(I'm really hoping that the reroofing of our house is complete by then; it's looking possible...)
I've beaten the weather. I've made it to the location of the step.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52962584911_68400fd510_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52963040493_2ed6f53d6b_c.jpg)
I've now got to turn through 90 degrees and continue on across the width of the house. I might just barely have enough pavers to do that.
It's been altogether far too warm to press on in any meaningful way with the path project this weekend. It's been hovering around the low 30s (mid to high 80s for those working in Farenheit), with humidity in the 70s to 80s. Basically, going outside has felt like opening an oven door.
So this has been an opportunity to consider what I need to do next to finish it off.
Firstly, the bit that I've laid needs edging to stop the side sliding into the hedge. So, I've ordered the edging strip to do that. That should be coming in the next week or so and then I'll have the delightful job of trying to dig a narrow trench in the border to place it, without damaging the roots of stems of the hedge.
Secondly, I've had to make a decision about where the rainwater goes when it emerges from the downpipe. I wanted to use a half-round clay channel, but I said a few weeks ago I can't buy this locally and the places which do stock it, want me to buy a couple hundred pounds' worth of it to make it worth their time. So I've had to look for an alternative.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52966268867_ab2c4f113a_c.jpg)
What I've done is to buy a length of guttering (cost: much, much less than £200) and I've buried this down into the gravel above the soakaway that I installed a few years ago. At the other end I've rested it on a few lumps of stone to get it approximately at the level of the finished footpath. Then I've poured a couple of jugs of water down it to make sure it actually drains the right way. What I'm going to do next is to carry on building the path up to this, and when I reach it I'm going to properly bed it down into the subgrade. At the moment it's buried at one end, balanced on stones at the other and sort of spans inbetween. Once it's bedded in and I'm certain it's tolerably stable, I'm going to fill the channel up with crushed granite. So it should just look like a gravel channel that the water soaks into.
So to finish the front garden off, the to-do list looks like
1) Finish laying the pavers
2) Cement in the edging
3) You remember those two rows of bricks I uncovered last year when digging out under the bay window? I want to build a very low (maybe 3 to 4 bricks high) wall on top of them...
And that channel was installed just in the nick of time, because an hour later the heavens absolutely opened.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpC-N0nMvSI
What with Youtube needing half an hour to process a 1-minute video, I won't be making any more moving pictures anytime soon.
Just to finish off the first part of the path;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979451690_6e4ee80a21_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52979535163_f059a5ba3c_c.jpg)
Of course, it's not quite finished yet... there's a bag of kiln sand yet to buy and brush into all the gaps, but it's nearly there. Tomorrow, assuming the weather has quite finished its high summer in Arrakeen antic, I'm planning to make a start on the next section.
Well, I've now got a finished path all the way from my front door to the road. It's only taken two months to get this far...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52981134970_7ccfb976f9_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52981217653_c82c7ee3a4_c.jpg)
There was of course more raking out and dropping the level down to get this in, but fortunately it wasn't nearly so awful as I'd had to do for the that first stretch of paving.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52981134965_a813754692_c.jpg)
Once that bit was done, there was a final line of pavers that had to be mortared in place. Those are now setting in the warm afternoon sun.
So the next bit now is turn the whole operation through 90 degrees and work from the door, across the front of the house, to the garden wall. So the first bit of the path to have been broken out - roughly this time last year - becomes the last part of the new path to be laid. To do that, I've got about 105 brick pavers to hand, of a pack of 488. They look impressive on a pallet but when it comes to it, they really don't go very far. The path gets much narrower of course because of the bay window but still, I have my doubts that I've got enough material to finish the job.
You know they would look much better if you laid them in a herringbone pattern...
(OK, I've been waiting until you finished to say that, because someone once said it to us after we had finished laying a huge amount of paving around our house...)
(I'm so funny!)
Looks great, by the way!
Quote from: Synistor 303 on June 18, 2023, 12:10:53 AM
You know they would look much better if you laid them in a herringbone pattern...
(OK, I've been waiting until you finished to say that, because someone once said it to us after we had finished laying a huge amount of paving around our house...)
(I'm so funny!)
Looks great, by the way!
;D
I did think about a herringbone pattern initially, but discounted that when I found
1) It was difficult enough to set out when drawing up, so setting out for actually laying it would have been a right royal pain in the....
2) The number of pavers that would have needed to be cut would have added massively to the effort and the cost.
I totally agree with James all those cuts would not only triple the time but add hassle.
I think you are doing a wonderful job and I am impressed (although not my personal cup of tea) Looks really good so far!
Quote from: Synistor 303 on June 18, 2023, 12:10:53 AM
You know they would look much better if you laid them in a herringbone pattern...
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D
It looks splendid sir.
Thank you :)
Well, I don't think I'll get any further with it this weekend as I've just been trated to another decent thunderstorm (I do like thunderstorms. Three of them in the space of a week is, to me, adequate payment for days on end of a 'high summer in Arrakeen' antic that the weather has been indulging in).
So I'll have to be content with the 100 or so that I managed to lay yesterday. Which ultimately got me this far across the front;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52983472554_ba5cba362a_c.jpg)
Just about to the point where I can make a dash across the bay window (which would take up about 30 - 35 of my remaining stock), and then it needs to step back out to the full 5-brick width. But no sooner as it reaches that width than it stops anyway... this is going to be a very tight finish. I could well have done without the (so far) 8 broken bricks and the two that I've rejected for being noticeably chipped.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
If I do run out it's not the end of the world, just an annoyance (that, and the sheepishness in having to go to the DIY store to pick up a handful more- if you have to buy a whole extra pack you can say 'I'm building it piecemeal', if you go in to buy maybe 5 or 10 blocks you might as well be carrying a sign reading 'I miscounted'). At 45p each it's not going to break the bank buying enough to finish the job, or mean I have to delay buying other bits.
In an ideal world - that thing we don't live in - if I do run out, it will at least be at the point when I've completed the paving as far as the gutter channel.
Quote from: James Harrison on June 18, 2023, 03:06:25 PM
Thank you :)
Well, I don't think I'll get any further with it this weekend as I've just been trated to another decent thunderstorm (I do like thunderstorms. Three of them in the space of a week is, to me, adequate payment for days on end of a 'high summer in Arrakeen' antic that the weather has been indulging in).
So I'll have to be content with the 100 or so that I managed to lay yesterday. Which ultimately got me this far across the front;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52983472554_ba5cba362a_c.jpg)
Just about to the point where I can make a dash across the bay window (which would take up about 30 - 35 of my remaining stock), and then it needs to step back out to the full 5-brick width. But no sooner as it reaches that width than it stops anyway... this is going to be a very tight finish. I could well have done without the (so far) 8 broken bricks and the two that I've rejected for being noticeably chipped.
Are you planning to do cuts on the bay angle returns? One possibilty would be hide it with planting. The fist thing that springs to mind is campanula but can be a little invasive. But good low ground cover.
My intention is to leave it stepped, whether I keep the crushed granite or replace it with finer gravel is an unknown at the moment. I'd sooner not put plants in there because it's right up against the footing of the house (which itself is shallow) and I don't want plant roots plaing havoc with the structure.
Bricklaying, finished.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52989434174_4b4b494a6d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52989661110_b04517ba55_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52988696822_88df2ca34d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52989755158_df6b63934a_c.jpg)
So, is this the path done, time to move on to the next job? No, not quite.
Looking good!
Still to put the rope edging along the front?
And I'd suggest much smaller gravel between the bricks and the bay. Not sure why, but the stuff you have in there now just doesn't look... finished?
I have other plans for along the front. I want to try my hand at building a wall. That might become a next year project. And I quite agree, the current gravel needs to be swapped out (or at least some smaller stuff introduced) because it doesn't quite look right. Or - I need to put more gravel in it. At least I've got a fair amount of it on a heap in the back garden I can cart back through (for the third time).
I was hoping this evening to be able to report that the path has been filled up with kiln sand and therefore can be viewed as, largely, finshed. Unfortunately of course the weather has other ideas and I'm writing this to a background track of rainfall.
No matter, it's a job that will be waiting for me when the rain has stopped and the path has dried.
~Edit~ An hour later, the rain had stopped, the sun was out and everything was dry as a bone. The path has now been sanded.
And with that ticked off the list, I think the only thing really left to do so far as the path is concerned is to mortar in the drainage channel. So that's another of my big goals for the year more or less ticked off the list.
So the next project I'll be picking up is the sitting room floor.
When being led down the garden path is a wonderful experience. The effort will be its own reward. { Not that I'm prone to extensive landscape gardening or anything }
The garden path, work left to do;
1. Mortar up the joints in the step;
2. Mortar the gutter channel into the path;
3. Finish off the sand antic.
In other news; the new sitting room floor has been ordered...
Lovely job well done, James!
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53016140662_345399ba9c_c.jpg)
So that's the mortaring done, going by my 80% rule (which sometimes modify to the 95% rule), I think I can about say that the front garden is finished and joins the dining room on the 'completed' list. Not that they're ever fully completed of course, there are still one or two little jobs needed in the dining room (which are in hand).
Except. The front edge of the path where it runs across the front of the house looks a bit... lacking something, somehow. A low brick wall maybe two or three courses in height should finish it off, I imagine.
So I think the next task will be to re-point the stonework on the bay window, finish off cleaning the paint off of it, and then look to repaint it with something more appropriate.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 02, 2023, 10:48:57 AM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53016140662_345399ba9c_c.jpg)
So that's the mortaring done, going by my 80% rule (which sometimes modify to the 95% rule), I think I can about say that the front garden is finished and joins the dining room on the 'completed' list. Not that they're ever fully completed of course, there are still one or two little jobs needed in the dining room (which are in hand).
Except. The front edge of the path where it runs across the front of the house looks a bit... lacking something, somehow. A low brick wall maybe two or three courses in height should finish it off, I imagine.
So I think the next task will be to re-point the stonework on the bay window, finish off cleaning the paint off of it, and then look to repaint it with something more appropriate.
Gardens are never completely completed . Would plants complete a picture out front ?
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934610876_209b824430_c.jpg)
You mean like this? I've got some quite nice bushes and hedges out there.
Quote from: James Harrison on July 06, 2023, 06:48:38 PM
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52934610876_209b824430_c.jpg)
You mean like this? I've got some quite nice bushes and hedges out there.
Yes ! Just like that . They will grow into a fabulous front courtyard. Absolutely in keeping with the era .
I'm quite pleased with how the front has turned out and I think it's only going to improve with maturity.
Next project then, is the sitting room floor. I've already got the new flooring ready and waiting to be laid, once it's acclimitised, but with one thing and another it's going to be at least a few weeks even after that before it actually goes down.
Before I can lay it though I've got to decide what I'm doing with the tiles in the hearth.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52694846144_cfd4ffcd5a_c.jpg)
This is one of the better photos I've got of them.
As best as I can tell, they are at the very least reproductions of an Edwardian type. However, some of them are cracked, others are completely broken and they aren't quite level.
I'm not proposing to take them all up and relay them because I'm not at all confident I could get a better result so far as the levels are concerned. Also I think if I were to try that I'd just end up with a collection of broken tiles and after a fairly extensive trawl, I haven't seen this type available. So I'd be looking at replacing them entirely and if they are original 1900s tiles I don't want to do that.
The issue isn't so much the cracked ones, it's the broken ones for which pieces are missing and as noted above I can't source replacements.
The conclusion I've come to is that this is one of those items which I'm going to treat more as an exercise in conservation and curation rather than repair or replacement. So I'm going to be looking at infilling the cracks and gaps with grout and just keep that as an honest repair rather than try to restore it to full Edwardian splendour. As I've said a number of times, I have no wish to live in a museum and I'm not aiming for that level of restoration.
The next little bit ticked off the list...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53033896110_0d2668348a_c.jpg)
The hearth tiles. I can't buy new tiles- I can't match the patterns. So unless I want to replace the whole lot (which I don't), my only real option is to make best use of what's already there.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53032922047_2f81965eec_c.jpg)
Some of them are cracked, however they're firmly set in place and I don't have any spares to replace them with. So let's keep them in-situ as a reminder that the house is a care-worn 120 years old.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53033500831_effbf7411c_c.jpg)
In one corner they've mostly come loose.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53033896130_586c7a2bd6_c.jpg)
And these are the ones which had come loose. One of the edging tiles came up in pieces but luckily there was one spare tile left that I could swap it with. The corner tile has been broken in five (two pieces missing) since before I moved in.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53033980928_0f8756cd08_c.jpg)
Cleaning the back of the tiles to give the adhesive / grout the best possible chance of working.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53033500866_1c5be09b03_c.jpg)
Grouted back into place.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53032922037_f71a5c7ed5_c.jpg)
And the missing bits of the corner tile roughly replaced with grout.
Something of an unplanned working party today...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53050855163_1b10c471a4_c.jpg)
About half of the new sitting room floor was laid after my brother came to help out for the afternoon.
Better photos, I hope, tomorrow after the other half has been laid.
Another little job now ticked off the list; all of the awful white plastic plug sockets, aerial sockets and light switiches have been swapped out for brass versions in both the sitting room and the dining room.
Unfortunately some small areas of plaster were damaged, this has been put right but I've got to wait three or four days for the plaster to cure before I can sand back and touch the paint in.
But once that's done;
- The dining room is then finished;
- The sitting room would just need some beading around the edge of the new floor, plus new curtains or shutters;
- Essentially the reception rooms would be as good as complete.
Taken with the fact that the front garden is also essentially complete (I know I've mentioned putting in a new wall, but that's not something that's obviously missing), I think that puts me at somewhere around the 1/3 finished mark.
I did say this would be a big project that would take years...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53053175224_539a594f8c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53053175239_ff78f20c6d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53053468583_4c71873f1d_c.jpg)
Sitting room floor's done. Well, not quite. There's a couple of small finishing-off jobs need doing.
But regardless this is now another part of the project that can be ticked off as >95% complete.
Wow, those floorboards look amazing! What are they? You can see the grain of the wood - just looks really good.
Quote from: Synistor 303 on July 17, 2023, 11:43:59 PM
Wow, those floorboards look amazing! What are they? You can see the grain of the wood - just looks really good.
They're solid hardwood oak floorboards.
Today I did a couple of little jobs that finished off the sitting room floor (so that's actually a big bit ticked off the list);
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53066108636_7c5ae85e8d_c.jpg)
Firstly there was a narrow plank and a bit of moulding that needed to be put down in the doorway itself.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53066603588_953f718a7d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53066294114_fde1abb3a8_c.jpg)
And then there was a timber beading that had to be laid around the perimeter of the room to tidy up the joint between flooring and skirting boards.
So now, once the door has been cut down to size and rehung, and once I've replaced the curtains (neither of these jobs are going to get done immediately), that's this room as close to finished as I can get it.
As much as I don't wish to offer any inducements to anyone to bankrupt themselves, I felt I must share this company as a source of potential Vicwardian style wallpapers....
https://www.littlegreene.com/wallpaper
I'll confess to ordering a number of samples for "inspiration" in the event I ever manage to embark on a similar project, but I doubt anyone's bank balance would stretch to covering a wall, let alone an entire room in the stuff.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on August 02, 2023, 05:09:34 PM
As much as I don't wish to offer any inducements to anyone to bankrupt themselves, I felt I must share this company as a source of potential Vicwardian style wallpapers....
https://www.littlegreene.com/wallpaper
I'll confess to ordering a number of samples for "inspiration" in the event I ever manage to embark on a similar project, but I doubt anyone's bank balance would stretch to covering a wall, let alone an entire room in the stuff.
"Oh there's one I lik- HOW MUCH A ROLL?!?"
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on August 02, 2023, 05:09:34 PM
As much as I don't wish to offer any inducements to anyone to bankrupt themselves, I felt I must share this company as a source of potential Vicwardian style wallpapers....
https://www.littlegreene.com/wallpaper
I'll confess to ordering a number of samples for "inspiration" in the event I ever manage to embark on a similar project, but I doubt anyone's bank balance would stretch to covering a wall, let alone an entire room in the stuff.
Yeah, thanks for that! 1 1/2 hours later I have selected and bookmarked a dozen different wallpapers that I have nowhere to hang... But I HAD to save it, just in case I win the lottery and can build my own Victorian masterpiece... (Note to self - buy ticket.)
Quote from: James Harrison on August 02, 2023, 06:19:22 PM
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on August 02, 2023, 05:09:34 PM
As much as I don't wish to offer any inducements to anyone to bankrupt themselves, I felt I must share this company as a source of potential Vicwardian style wallpapers....
https://www.littlegreene.com/wallpaper
I'll confess to ordering a number of samples for "inspiration" in the event I ever manage to embark on a similar project, but I doubt anyone's bank balance would stretch to covering a wall, let alone an entire room in the stuff.
"Oh there's one I lik- HOW MUCH A ROLL?!?"
Yeah, my thoughts exactly. I suspect the closest I'll ever come to having it is using a sample to create a stencil and then painting it onto some cheap lining paper.
Having had a go at that before, I can attest that that approach is very, very time and labour intensive.
With the two big projects this year now winding down, I've turned my attention again to the upstairs hallway. Last seen, about four months ago, with half of the floorboards replaced.
Nothing really looks worse than mismatched timber staining, so I've spent the last week or so sanding down the remaining original (?) floorboards preparatory to completely refinishing the floor.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097510680_3344a17814_c.jpg)
The old boards have sanded down remarkably well, it's a terrible shame that whoever put the central heating in did such a number on the boards in the middle that they had to be replaced at all. Still, more fuel for the November festivities...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097510700_c63aa05f43_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53097293374_0b2cd9c9d0_c.jpg)
Next step with the hallway is to repaint the bannister rails around the staircase. This is a surprisingly slow process, as each rail needs three coats of apint, and what with having to try and reach around the sides and the front it's quite awkward to get it done.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53125323599_2f2fef7855_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53125519140_c85e9370cd_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53125323614_a3e03ef3e2_c.jpg)
Those risers and spindles definately look better painted. Good job.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on August 19, 2023, 05:23:58 AM
Those risers and spindles definately look better painted. Good job.
I'm finding that having painted them (or at least some of them) it's making a profound difference in how bright the hallway is.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53141465655_69577425ab_c.jpg)
Well, that was a tedious exercise and I'm glad it's finished. Each of these needed three coats of paint. That's 3 coats of paint, 17 spindles, 4 sides to each spindle....
Time, I think, to start re-staining that floor.
Back to the sitting room; when I laid my new floor I had to take the door off its hinges. Well, high time I think to put it back. Slight complication; the floor is now 18mm higher than it was. So about 20mm of the door bottom had to be cut off.
But once that was done;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53143443623_8afcabb29c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53142374102_ff84c873c9_c.jpg)
This was an awful job from start to finish - firstly cutting the bottom off, then trying to re-hang it single handed without wrecking the room. You might also see that I've found time to stain the door.
I think, that I can now tick the sitting room off as finished, or practically finished. I do want to replace the curtains, but I haven't decided exactly what to do with them yet - the main problem is actually the rail, so whether I take the whole thing down and replace it with venetian blinds, or individual curtains, or something else entirely is a debate at the moment.
Nice Rug! William Morrison? I know there is a business over there that makes them from William Morris original designs.
It's a Morris rug, but I don't think it's a Morris design, if that makes sense- the company survived him by a considerable margin. If I remember rightly from the sales blurb, this is a reproduction of a 1920s Morris Company item.
Right, I think time to reflect and decide what still needs doing.
Back in December I set my goals for this year as being;
1) Lay a new path in the front garden - done
2) Complete the hallway - err
3) Complete the sitting room - more or less done
So, what's left on that list?
Front garden - I've decided I also want a low brick wall. Also, there's the small matter of repairing various cracks and gaps in the sitting room window sills.
Sitting room - just the curtains to sort out really. They're a >:( to close though, being in a bay window, so the debate is whether I instead go for shutters or blinds.
Hallway - I said I wanted a new radiator (hasn't happened), I said there was plasterwork on the ceiling to be repaired (hasn't happened), I said I wanted to replace some of the floorboards (I have actually done that).
The problem is that if I were to push on with the hallway, it would just get wrecked whilst work continues on the three upstairs rooms. So I'm not convinced there isn't an argument to be made to leave it as-is at the moment and come back to it when everything else is finished.
Not to announce the 2024 programme prematurely but I am desperately aware that there are two rooms that do need to be looked at, that they will be expensive and that after next year I have no idea what my mortgage payments will look like. So at least one of them needs doing next year if it is to be done at all. The issue there is that to achieve that, means starting to save up for it now.
So, I think viewed all round it's probably best if I call the 2023 programme at this point, so far as heavy expenditure is concerned.
Sitting room is finished.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53161562513_12aa7857bd_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53161498365_a43a09701c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53161282449_f6fbc66d2c_c.jpg)
This week;
- I ordered some new venetian blinds;
- Took delivery of a new sofa;
- Took delivery of said new blinds and installed them;
- Took down the old curtains.
So that's the end of the 2023 Programme...
Need some 'before' pictures to compare, but looks really good!
I might struggle to find some general, room-wide shots...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941486_8511ec160b_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49506159577_ca360d897e_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49505941961_845e87ce4e_c.jpg)
This was when I first moved in (February/ March 2020).
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917236891_fe103b533a_c.jpg)
This was when I finished my first go at the room (May 2020). So this was when the bookshelves were fitted just to the one wall, the timberwork was still gloss white, the light fitting was still just a bare bulb, and the vinyl flooring was still in place. I think this was a few weeks before the day I got bored and drilled through the radiator, as you do.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50323192463_f97cd5e65c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50494009992_8beea71ff7_c.jpg)
Then moving on to the September/ October of 2020 and the new light fitting and radiator were installed.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51179705802_1baba4d57d_c.jpg)
May 2021 saw some more bookshelves added.
And then from December 2022 to September 2023 I've stripped down and stained the woodwork, added a picture rail, repainted the whole room, changed the flooring, cleaned up the fireplace and replaced the curtains.
I've had an interesting little issue develop over the last month or so.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294499769_1bd518b4bd_c.jpg)
My new wooden flooring has settled slightly by the doorway. I'd expect it to warp and move a little as it fully acclimitises to the room, so I'm not at concerned about that.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294126426_8c35b2c78c_c.jpg)
But in doing that, it's wedged right up hard against the door architrave.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294499819_fc6530ee2d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294593905_1c555bfe30_c.jpg)
And in response to this pressure, the architrave has sprung itself off the wall, about halfway up. The gap's wide enough that you can look through it.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53293250177_cc9e80e734_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294499824_34bc0164c4_c.jpg)
The only way I can see to actually fix the issue, rather than just cover it up, is to cut through the architrave as close to the floor as I reasonably can, and remove the bit acutally in the depth of the floor itself.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294126381_9f0a95ba8c_c.jpg)
At which point the gaps spring back shut.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53294499774_43e90fd23f_c.jpg)
And the bits which came out, actually have a dent in them where the floor was pushing in.
The plans for 2023...
Quote from: James Harrison on December 05, 2022, 06:59:41 PMThere's the front garden, which needs new paving. I did actually start this this Summer just gone but had to stop because I ran out of room to store the spoil. That's now been disposed of but it took so long to get rid of it that the weather has turned. I can think of more pleasant ways to spend freezing cold, wet days than breaking up inch-thick mass concrete. So that's a job for the Spring through Autumn.
Well.... that got done.
Before:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51314177500_e3a482b694_c.jpg)
And after:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52989755158_df6b63934a_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52989434174_4b4b494a6d_c.jpg)
Quote from: James Harrison on December 05, 2022, 06:59:41 PMThen there's the hallway and staircase. You're probably thinking there can't possibly be anything left to do here- it's been replastered, repainted, I've sanded the staircase down, taken up the new tiles to expose the original floor.... and you'd be right, but also wrong. So working from the top down there's some plastering and repainting needed on the ceiling, then it really needs a coving fitting for the joint between wall and ceiling. Then the floorboards need replacing. The railings around the staircase I might repaint (they're stained at the moment) just to lighten upstairs a bit. I think there's an argument to be made for cleaning up the stairtreads a bit more, and then I want to fit a stair runner and stair rods. Then there are some cracked and broken quarry tiles that need replacing, and if that isn't enough to be getting on with I also want to replace the radiator.
This got progressed, somewhat. It's still not finished but as it's the main throughfare through the house it's probably best left as the last job to do.
Some work got done there this year though;
Before:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51036938772_03b608bf34_c.jpg)
And after:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53141465655_69577425ab_c.jpg)
And in fact actually the new boards have been stained now too.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 05, 2022, 06:59:41 PMThe project that I'm really looking forward to though is completing the sitting room. This is the room that I fitted out with bookshelves in the few weeks between moving in and shutting down for plague, and then painted the first Summer I was here. So the room really is already a couple of years old and although I still think the dark blue is just right for it... it has got a little tired. It attracts fingermarks, it's got covered in brickdust in places which just hasn't washed away, there's a small white salt (?) patch in one corner that just keeps on coming through... it just needs I think cleaning down and maybe another coat. I've also decided that the picture moulding in the dining room worked really well, so I'm going to do something similar in this room. Not all the way around though. It's going to be at the same level as the top of the architrave (which coincidentally is also the top of the bookshelves) and it's going to run from the bay window to the fireplace. It's going to avoid the fireplace and it's going to start up again in the opposite inglenook before running into more bookshelves. Then it's just going to run straight along the back wall and back to the window. I'm going to paint the walls above this in a pale cream, so the room's going to have a dark blue/ pale cream paint scheme. The fireplce wall is going to stay dark blue from floor to ceiling, but I've found a nice William Morris wallpaper pattern that I'm going to recreate with paint. I might have a go at actually block printing this rather than stencilling. All of the skirting boards are going to be taken down and stripped back to wood, then stained. Whilst they're down I'm going to take the vinyl floor up and replace it with real wood flooring- the same as I did in the dining room. This might uncover a couple of areas of the floor that are structurally suspect....
This got done, happily not revealing any structural problems.
Before:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49917236891_fe103b533a_c.jpg)
And after:
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53161498365_a43a09701c_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/52793365531_22cfe952ff_c.jpg)
Quote from: James Harrison on December 05, 2022, 06:59:41 PMSo if I can get all this done, by next December I should have the main downstairs living rooms and the hallway finished, and at that point I think it would be fair to say the project's probably about half finished.
Hahaha, not by a long shot. I've got two rooms that are going to need completely gutting and refitting, two rooms that 'just' need redecorating, the paddock, the main facade, the back and side walls....
And onto the 2024 programme.
The thing in the back of my mind now is that in early 2025 my fixed rate mortgage switches over to a tracker type. Which means that it's going to become more expensive and - crucially - I don't know how much more a month I'm going to have to pay. This means that if I want to do expensive things, they're going to have to be done next year or else put off to a later date.
The first thing on the list is to finish off the window renewal programme. There are two windows still to be replaced - in the back bedroom, and the bathroom.
Ah, yes, the bathroom. I really, really don't like the existing bathroom suite, or bathroom layout. It's perfectly serviceable, but it's really not compatible with the rest of the house. The problem is that bathroom suites weren't really a thing in the Edwardian era. And the Victorian/ Edwardian 'style' ones available just strike me as variously still too modern, too twee, or just plain unconvincing.
This obviously is a part of the project that is not DIY-friendly. I don't have a timeframe for when this bit will get underway.
I'm also going to have to have part of the sitting room replastered. The radiator has started to pull away from the wall, and whilst I've shored it up with some pieces of wood, clearly that's not a long term solution. No, what is needed is for the radiator to be taken down and the crushed and crumbling plaster behind to be replaced. Perhaps that's a Summer job.
Then I want the flashing around the chimneys to be renewed, and I also want flashing to be installed around the bay window roof.
Now you might be looking at this list and thinking 'well James, what are you personally planning to be doing this year to get this done?' I should have thought the answer is obvious. I'm the one going out to work to pay for it all...
First component of the new bathroom has arrived...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53379020527_d79bb74385_c.jpg)
Ooh, shiny!
I've done myself a mischief here. Ideally I want matching taps.
I can get chrome taps. I can get (for a bit more money) gold-plated taps. But can I get copper taps? More to the point, can I get Vicwardian copper taps? That I can actually, you know, afford without beggaring myself?
....
I'll get back to you on that. Just going to see someone about selling a kidney.
To alleviate at least a bit of the boredom between Christmas and New Year, I'm thinking of doing a Q&A video. So if you've got any questions (relevant ones - I don't know where Lord Lucan is, or what happened to Flight 19), fire away.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 11, 2023, 05:02:28 PMSo if you've got any questions (relevant ones - I don't know where Lord Lucan is, or what happened to Flight 19), fire away.
What about Shergar, or Glen Miller?
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on December 18, 2023, 12:15:07 PMQuote from: James Harrison on December 11, 2023, 05:02:28 PMSo if you've got any questions (relevant ones - I don't know where Lord Lucan is, or what happened to Flight 19), fire away.
What about Shergar, or Glen Miller?
Add two more to the list....
Are you considering calling the house Area 51 .....
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on December 22, 2023, 08:11:24 PMAre you considering calling the house Area 51 .....
Add another to the list ;D
What pitfalls should someone starting on a project like this, try an avoid?
Quote from: montysaurus on December 23, 2023, 09:34:17 PMWhat pitfalls should someone starting on a project like this, try an avoid?
Ooh, that's a good one.
I won't ask about Amelia Earhart because I know Charles Lindbergh killed her to cover up that tragic toilet training accident.
Having just laid fake wood flooring on our stairs and hallways I'm curious - have you managed to find any right angles that are actually 90 degrees in your house? And how do you deal with the variations?
I have yet to find one here.
Where did that 10BA nut go?
It rolled off the bench and disappeared even before hitting the floor.
At some point, this should be available to view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqUzKDFr7S0&feature=youtu.be
As no one else can be bothered.
Thanks for taking the time to post that.
8)
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...
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...
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);
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53446735513_2a3aba7570_c.jpg)
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.
Quote from: James Harrison on January 06, 2024, 05:59:33 PM[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 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
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.
Quote from: Sir Henry on January 07, 2024, 09:16:01 AMQuote from: James Harrison on January 06, 2024, 05:59:33 PM[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.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on January 07, 2024, 10:33:49 AMCould 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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53448322028_936d7967bf_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53448609735_650b8ac35f_c.jpg)
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;
(https://www.sanctuary-bathrooms.co.uk/storage/app/uploads/public/9f2/865/89b/1005_1005_0_0_crop/roxburgh%20bath.webp)
But I can't for the life of me see how that works without getting water
everywhere,wven with a shower curtain.
whats the size of that thread on the taps, could be the photo but they look like bath taps. Ceramic disc?
The internal diameter of the thread is 21mm.
Perhaps you need a bateau/boat bath - https://www.ukaa.com/guides/reclaimed-cast-iron-bath-styles-276
(https://www.ukaa.com/stockimages/5426_0.jpg)
Quote from: Sorontar on January 07, 2024, 11:58:04 AMPerhaps you need a bateau/boat bath - https://www.ukaa.com/guides/reclaimed-cast-iron-bath-styles-276
(https://www.ukaa.com/stockimages/5426_0.jpg)
Ooh! Now there's a thought.
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.
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;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53448734115_0ed0646622_c.jpg)
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...
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.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on January 07, 2024, 12:57:02 PMFrom 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.
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.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on January 07, 2024, 01:19:18 PMI 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...
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.
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.
(https://i.postimg.cc/9F0WFH6z/Upstairs-hall-floorboards2.jpg)
(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.
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53468336201_daa53da104_c.jpg)
You might gain an idea of the scale of the task from this.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53468472043_87d425b116_c.jpg)
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53467429737_c7116cb960_c.jpg)
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.
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53478427679_9b31f5560b_c.jpg)
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53478523435_bdcc4cbde5_c.jpg)
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).
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
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.
Not much got done on The Dig last weekend, but yesterday and this morning I finished off breaking the lawn out.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53508364596_dd9e87746b_c.jpg)
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53508681229_930a627f9f_c.jpg)
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53508528668_c3ffb530c0_c.jpg)
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53507479057_5930c583fe_c.jpg)
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.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53508682679_f105b15cd1.jpg)
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.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 04, 2024, 04:29:58 PM(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53508681229_930a627f9f_c.jpg)
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.
Interesting; in the UK at least we tend to just rely on some plastic with the phrase 'live cable below' or similar. The only power cable I'm aware of in the garden is the lead to the garage, and that runs next to the fence on the other side of the lawn, a good 3 or 4 metres away or so.
The whole path and the patio seem to be bedded in the stuff, so I'm minded to conclude it's a high-sand/low-cement mix rather than denoting there's high voltage cabling down there,
down south some scalpings have a definite pinky red colouring, could be a reult of the concrete being mixed with something like that.
(https://down-to-earth-driveways.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/gravel-1.jpg)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on February 06, 2024, 11:46:20 AMdown south some scalpings have a definite pinky red colouring, could be a reult of the concrete being mixed with something like that.
(https://down-to-earth-driveways.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/gravel-1.jpg)
I suppose crushed red granite could do that.
This is all looking very good, James
(yes, I'm back!)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520239113_6bffe7b805_c.jpg)
So... this happened. Will happen. Is happening...
I've tried so far to shy away from filling the house with period furniture because, well fundamentally I don't want to live in a museum. Nor do I want visiting friends and family to spend their time afraid to touch anything.
But I've made an exception here because my options for the bathroom if I stay with modern fittings are
1. An identikit snotbox bathroom
2. All. The. Twee.
Neither of which appeal.
So the plan is that- at least for the sink, will see what's what with the cistern and the bathtub/ shower- that I have something more of a signature period-appropriate piece. This is an actual Edwardian antique and, as such, it's hurt my budget. I think we're up to easily around the £500 at the moment just on the sink - I'm beginning to understand exactly how people can get through thousands with a bathroom refit.
There's more to come as well because that is a marble top, the seller believes it's original to the piece and I'm damned if I'm cutting holes through it for the sink and tap(s). So I need to visit the local stone mason and get a new top for it (the original I'll be keeping in storage in case I ever sell the thing on).
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2024, 09:15:22 AM(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520239113_6bffe7b805_c.jpg)
very nice!
You will possibly have to drill holes in the carcass anyway to allow for plumbing, speaking of which have you found out if the joists run in the right direction yet? I would strongly advise to do so soon as you appear to be throwing money at this. Just saying.
Not so much throwing money at it, more trying to spread the cost out (and also sourcing the bits on an 'as and when' basis).
I've not done any more investigating with the joists yet; if, as I suspect, the plywood completely covers the floor, I'll have to take up a lot more tiles to get even one sheet of it up. I'm trying to work out the best way of doing that without reducing the bathroom to an unusable mess.
Take up a few tiles, zip out a small chunk of ply and see what way them there boards and joists are running. Eggs and omelettes.
All this planning and buying could be for nowt if the house construction goes against you, some little discomfort will benefit in the long run, trust me on this.......or not......
Ask yourself why the existing layout is as it is? Joists, RSJ, lazyness or cheapness and convenience. To achieve your final goal some sacrifice may have to be made.
Your only other option would be run surface, out and around the exterior of the building (wher the condensate is) to the soil....ugly and not pleasant on the eye.
I think the only place I can reasonably take some tile up- without running risk of exposing ply boarding to water damage - is in the airing cupboard. There's still a few tiles down in the bottom of that, that can be broken out. When that's done I'll be able to cut the ply board itself out and that should then show which way the floorboards run. Which should in turn suggest which way the joists run.
I'm open to having small notches/ openings cut into the joists if necessary - this is exactly what has been done in the upstairs hallway to get radiator pipes into the bedrooms - that it hasn't resulted in the hallway floor collapsing suggests that I could do the same in the bathroom without issue, depending of course where the notches are made. There's some crossover between this and the sort of thing I get up to with my professional life so I can run the numbers on it.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2024, 09:15:22 AM(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520239113_6bffe7b805_c.jpg)
There's more to come as well because that is a marble top, the seller believes it's original to the piece and I'm damned if I'm cutting holes through it for the sink and tap(s). So I need to visit the local stone mason and get a new top for it (the original I'll be keeping in storage in case I ever sell the thing on).
Very nice to the point where I find myself turning an interesting shade of viridian.
Are you planning on keeping the marble, or opting for something different?
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on February 11, 2024, 11:04:30 AMQuote from: James Harrison on February 10, 2024, 09:15:22 AM(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520239113_6bffe7b805_c.jpg)
There's more to come as well because that is a marble top, the seller believes it's original to the piece and I'm damned if I'm cutting holes through it for the sink and tap(s). So I need to visit the local stone mason and get a new top for it (the original I'll be keeping in storage in case I ever sell the thing on).
Very nice to the point where I find myself turning an interesting shade of viridian.
Are you planning on keeping the marble, or opting for something different?
I'm keeping the marble. I'm just not drilling through this top. I want, basically, a like-for-like replacement. Drilling through the bottom for the pipes isn't ideal either, but it's 'only' a bit of sheet timber and it'll be hidden so I'll accept that bit of damage.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on February 11, 2024, 08:50:04 AMTake up a few tiles, zip out a small chunk of ply and see what way them there boards and joists are running. Eggs and omelettes.
All this planning and buying could be for nowt if the house construction goes against you, some little discomfort will benefit in the long run, trust me on this.......or not......
Ask yourself why the existing layout is as it is? Joists, RSJ, lazyness or cheapness and convenience. To achieve your final goal some sacrifice may have to be made.
Your only other option would be run surface, out and around the exterior of the building (wher the condensate is) to the soil....ugly and not pleasant on the eye.
I need to run those calcs I mentioned. Taking up a few more tiles exposed plywood (well, we knew that was there from my previous Sunday afternoon messing) and when I started cutting through that I found a sheet of 18mm chipboard beneath. No way I'm cutting through that with the tools to hand that can fit in the bottom of the airing cupboard. Luckily I've got some pipes that come through it, so there are some small holes just large enough to get my hand through. And- behind those pipes- there's a joist I should be able to reach to measure. Running the wrong way for what I want to do...
~ A bit later~
Hmm, more investigation required. I've measured the joist (50mm across by 150mm deep) and assuming typically 450mm centres, I can't prove at the moment that they're OK for the existing situation (calcs suggest the joists are overloaded if I fill the bathtub up....) This is of course assuming use of C16 or C24 softwood, they might I grant you be something a bit more robust but that just feels like too great an assumption to make.
Well, after some initial figures suggested that by rights I should have already had a 'The Money Pit bathtub scene' situation, I think I have an answer.
Let's say the weight of the floorboards, plywood and tiling over is in the region of about 30kg/m^2 (0.3kN/m^2) and as that's a permanent load we'll uprate that by 1.35 giving about 0.41kN/m^2.
Then we'll say that the room sees an access load in the region of 100kg/m^2; that's basically one and a quarter of me, or thereabouts. As that's a temporary load we'll uprate that by 1.5 for 1.5kN/m^2.
So 1.5kN/m^2 temporary + 0.41kN/m^2 permanent gives 1.91kN/m^2. Joists are at 0.45m centres so a line load on each joist of 1.91 * 0.45 = 0.86kN/m.
Span of the joist is 2.75 metres so if we say that the joist is simply supported that gives us
Moment = 0.86 * 2.75^2/8 = 0.81kNm
Shear = 0.86 * 2.75/2 = 1.18kN
Let's assume that the joist is C24 timber and from Table 8, BS5268 the basic tensile strength is 7.3N/mm^2 and the shear strength is 0.71N/mm^2. It's for internal use so we don't need to refer to Table 16, and I think for robustness we'll assume that the loading (Table 17) is long term. This is correct for the dead load but for the live load it's assuming that people go in there, and never come out.
There are a number of joists in the floor and because of that we can assume some degree of load sharing; so tensile strength is 7.3 * 1.1 = 8.03N/mm^2 and shear strength = 0.71 * 1.1 = 0.78N/mm^2.
The joist we know to be 150mm deep by 50mm wide, let's say that the proposed notches are 50mm deep, so the actual area of the joist that can be utilised for loading is 100mm deep by 50mm wide.
Section modulus therefore is (50 * 100^2)/6 = 83333mm^3, 8.03 * 83333*10^-6 = 0.67kNm capacity. So obviously we have an isue if the notch is placed at midspan. However as the beam is simply supported, the applied moment tails off as we approach the points of support. So if the notches are close to the walls, it will be OK.
Shear capacity is 0.78 * 100 * 50 *10^-3 = 3.90kN versus an applied 1.8kN, so no issues there.
Deflection might be an issue; the second moment of area is (50*100^3)/12 = 4166667mm^4 and the mean modulus of elasticity is 10,800N/mm^2.
5 * 0.86 * 2.75^4 / 384 * 10800 * 4166667 *10^9 = 0.014m or 14mm. Although actually, for deflection I need to be looking at my un-factored figures.
So 0.3kN/M^2 dead + 1kN/m^2 live = 1.3kN/m^2 and multiply that by 0.45m joist centres = 0.59kN/m run on each joist.
So now 5 * 0.59 * 2.75^4 / 384 * 10800 * 4166667 * 10^9 = 0.010m or 10mm. For serviceability we say deflection is acceptable provided it is less than span / 270. 2750mm / 270 = 10.19mm. We're on the knuckle for deflection but again similar to moment it's going to tail off toward the supports.
So I think provided I give the plumbers instructions to keep their notches less than 50mm deep and make sure they're as close to the wall as they can get, the existing floor joists should be OK.
Still not enough over the width of the room methinks.
Diameter of waste pipe Maximum length between trap and stack pipe Fall per metre run.....
50mm 4m 18 to 90mm
32mm 1.7m 18 to 22mm
40mm 3m 18 to 44mm
I will let you do the maths but after 1.7m (get away with 2 ) it should be upped from 32 to 40 especially if you plan to tee the condensate, I would use an anti vac trap for such a long run to prevent self siphanage too and avoid nuckle bends, I would use 2 x 45's.
You might get away with drilling holes rather than notching, you can go bigger and lower with less stress on the jiost gonna have to be precise though, again you have to do the calcs.
I can pretty much garuantee if you can run the whole lenth in 32 it will eventually block and self siphon the trap, not trying to poo poo the party here, just be of some help if possible
Oh, no no- advice on practicalities is welcomed. Your point about the diameter of the pipe and the fall required is quite sound and I'll have to see what the plumber says about it.
Drilling through the beams would be better but I have my doubts about how the pipe is then actually installed, unless it's more in the nature of a flexible hose?
If it is, as I've assumed so far, a rigid metal tube then I can't see how it can be manoeuvred through a series of drill holes.
There are other options to look at of course- I could raise the floor entirely, I could cut a groove through the plywood/ chipboard/ floorboards and limit the notch depth that way, I could I suppose even take the basin drain down into the kitchen and plumb it into the kitchen sink drainage.
The pipe would be plastic waste standard.
All the holes would have to be drilled first including the brick wall, then the pipe can be passed through from outside smallest first.
A very tricky operation to get exactly right but I think it could be done if your plumber is game for a challenge.
It all depends on whether you can get a minimum run (a little more might be better) at least over the width of the room.
I wouldn't consider dropping to kitchen waste, a whole different potential of problems with that one.........
Quote from: James Harrison on December 03, 2023, 03:29:34 PMAnd onto the 2024 programme.
The thing in the back of my mind now is that in early 2025 my fixed rate mortgage switches over to a tracker type. Which means that it's going to become more expensive and - crucially - I don't know how much more a month I'm going to have to pay. This means that if I want to do expensive things, they're going to have to be done next year or else put off to a later date.
The first thing on the list is to finish off the window renewal programme. There are two windows still to be replaced - in the back bedroom, and the bathroom.
Done.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53526980349_e5309ab66d_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53526980364_e4252ab2a5_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53526980344_9fc548b025_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53525766897_9c2e791bb7_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53526980329_8c73976b1d_c.jpg)
So, that's
all of the windows changed now.
I can push forward with the next big part of the 2024 programme now.
So that bit done and out the way I've now had a chat with the plumber as to how exactly to get the bathroom remodelling sorted out. They've suggested that I buy the fixtures and fittings myself, and they'll come and fit it.
That's one thing I was a bit unsure about, when you strip out a bathroom who actually orders the replacement bits, the client or the contractor... so now at least I know I've got a green light to go out and start stockpiling the more run-of-the-mill bits without putting anybody's nose out of joint.
Then they've advised that they run on a 3-week lead time for booking in planned work, so it will probably be late Spring/ early Summer when we're good to go.
I have to admit when the first windows were installed I wasn't too keen but now they are all in I must say looks fabulous.
I take it the plumbers had no issue with the waste.....great news and looking forward to seeing progress piccies in a few months.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on February 14, 2024, 08:32:54 AMI have to admit when the first windows were installed I wasn't too keen but now they are all in I must say looks fabulous.
I take it the plumbers had no issue with the waste.....great news and looking forward to seeing progress piccies in a few months.
Yeah, I'm really quite pleased with how the windows turned out. Not exactly how I had in mind - the kitchen windows are to different proportions than the others, so they look a bit odd - but overall the effect is.... compelling. If you just compare it with what I originally had (there's a photo right back on page 1 - just about exactly 4 years ago), the difference is really something.
As for the notching of the joists, I don't think that's going to be possible.
https://www.labc.co.uk/news/how-get-it-right-notches-holes-solid-timber-joists
Just 'cause the numbers seem to work doesn't mean it will be up to code... so I need an alternative. One option could be to drop through the kitchen ceiling, run the pipe across the kitchen ceiling (I've got a good 8' or so headroom in there, if you say the pipe is dropping 18mm to the metre that's 18*2.75 + the 40mm pipe itself, calling it 100mm total / 4") and then out the kitchen wall and across to the main bathroom outflow. Means I lose 4" in ceiling height- or maybe not.
If you cast your mind back to the house tour video you'll remember there's a big boxed-out beam that spans across the kitchen. Its a good 330mm deep or so. As best as I can tell, that is where the wall used to be that split the kitchen into three (scullery, coal bunker and WC). It's also supporting the bathroom's back wall. If I can get my outflow pipe to that wall, we can drop it into the kitchen, it would cross the kitchen within the depth of that beam and then out. Then I simply have to box that pipe in with studwork and plasterboard or similar. Means the box out becomes a bit wider but avoids notching joists, avoids lowering the ceiling, just seems to avoid so many issues.
Of course I could also avoid them entirely just by keeping the bathroom layout exactly as it is....
Sitrep. The wash stand has arrived.
The marble base is physically fixed to the back; I cannot see a way of separating the two without causing damage.
It also sits quite happily, and looking very much at home, in my dining room.
Also, a dining room chair offered up to it is of a complementary height.
I think what I've done here is, I've bought myself a new desk.
Damn - I have the perfect sideboard that would suite your place - inherited it recently and no one here wants it and I am not interested in selling it if I could give it away to someone who would get some enjoyment out of it! (There was lots of other furniture, so it wasn't as if the family were turning their noses up at any of it - just that we all ran out of space, after LOTS of measuring and gnashing of teeth...)
Quote from: Synistor 303 on February 17, 2024, 06:25:38 AMDamn - I have the perfect sideboard that would suite your place - inherited it recently and no one here wants it and I am not interested in selling it if I could give it away to someone who would get some enjoyment out of it! (There was lots of other furniture, so it wasn't as if the family were turning their noses up at any of it - just that we all ran out of space, after LOTS of measuring and gnashing of teeth...)
Oh no, that's a shame - I suspect the shipping costs would be crippling :(
It's a very kind thought though, thank you.
It's the weekend; time to have a look at exactly what I've taken on with this washstand.
It breaks down into two parts - the marble top and the tiled back just lift off - and the timber lower part, being relatively light, I've been able to get upstairs without too much risk of injury to myself or damage to the antique. As such, it's now sitting in my bathroom, in approximately the location I had in mind for it, and I'm going to leave it there for the next week or so to see how I live with it. If I run onto it in the dark or on early mornings, we know we've got an issue and things will need a rethink.
The marble and tile component is still in my dining room - now sitting on the table - and I've laid it on its back to see exactly how it's been assembled. There are three screwholes through the marble and into the timber surround, one of which is empty. So it's only held together by a pair of screws. Unfortunately they look like they have rusted solid and seized. It looks like somebody else had a previous go at dismantling the thing - the screw heads are stripped out - and they refuse to budge when encouraged with a screwdriver.
So - and I say this with the deepest misgivings - I think if I want to change the marble, I'm going to have to drill those screws out. Or, at the very least, drill the screwheads out so that the marble can come off the bottom. So that looks like this afternoon's task set, then.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 18, 2024, 11:46:08 AMrusted solid and seized.
Try a few drops of Ballistol, wait overnight and try again. Of not successful, repeat.
Quote from: The Bullet on February 18, 2024, 01:11:30 PMQuote from: James Harrison on February 18, 2024, 11:46:08 AMrusted solid and seized.
Try a few drops of Ballistol, wait overnight and try again. Of not successful, repeat.
I don't think any amount of lubrication would have gotten these out....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53536616441_47d0dfc75a_c.jpg)
Absolutely rusted solid.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53535738347_f46504f7f2_c.jpg)
Well, I moved the bottom half upstairs and that seems to live quite happily where I had in mind for it. My only concern is that I'm in the habit of using that space when I walk into the bathroom - because of how the door is hung, it blocks the room - so I've put it here and I'm going to see how I can live with it for a little while.
You might also see that the remaining tiles from when I did the dining room fireplace have also migrated up here, and I'm seeing whether they would be a good fit for the bathroom floor. I'm erring toward 'no' at the moment. They just look too busy.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53536616456_6e31ac6aa4_c.jpg)
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The marble and the tiling, separated at last. I really didn't like this job. I started out with a screwdriver, and by the time I'd done thing we had three screwdrivers, some pliers, a hammer, a hammer drill and a chisel in play.
It's also scuffed the dining room table quite badly - one reason why I've only got a cheap one at the moment is because I was expecting it to be subjected to this sort of rough treatment. I'm glad I've resisted the urge so far to think 'dining room is finished, get a nice new table and chairs'.
Right- next step, live with it for a week or two and then if I don't tear my thighs open on it in the small hours, head off to the stone mason and get a new sheet of marble that can set the sink into.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 18, 2024, 02:08:02 PM(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53536616456_6e31ac6aa4_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53536804173_19f047c3e1_c.jpg)
That marble top is almost exactly the same as I'm planning to mount my bath heater on (when I get enough money to carry on with it)
(https://i.ibb.co/W6hc2g1/20230407-160132.jpg)
I now know what it might have looked like originally, could help me out there
Cheers James.
Ahh! - yours has also got the same weird band of brown/ black/ grey gunky mess that mine had/ has. I found it comes off - or at least, most of it does - with some damp cloth followed up by furniture polish, and elbow grease.
Quote from: James Harrison on February 18, 2024, 06:05:47 PMAhh! - yours has also got the same weird band of brown/ black/ grey gunky mess that mine had/ has. I found it comes off - or at least, most of it does - with some damp cloth followed up by furniture polish, and elbow grease.
A possible alternative would be wiping it with a small amount of ph neutral detergent (the *well known Nottingham High Street chemists* own brand 'sensitive' type fer instance) added to a 50/50 mix of de-ionised water and white spirit, and then rinsed with a damp cloth.
That's always been the way I've known to get rid of deposits/stains on polished/waxed stone and wood. And a layer of microcrystalline wax can help protect it too.
Quote from: Madasasteamfish on February 20, 2024, 05:08:51 PMA possible alternative would be wiping it with a small amount of ph neutral detergent (the *well known Nottingham High Street chemists* own brand 'sensitive' type fer instance) added to a 50/50 mix of de-ionised water and white spirit, and then rinsed with a damp cloth.
That's always been the way I've known to get rid of deposits/stains on polished/waxed stone and wood. And a layer of microcrystalline wax can help protect it too.
I will have to give that a go. A little bit more done this week - I ordered the copper mixer tap that matches the sink. When I get around to the new bit of marble, that's the washbasin element more or less sourced.
What would be really nice, of course, would be a copper bath and shower mixer... yes, you can get them... for a price... that might be a purchase in a few months. I didn't think, when I set out on this caper, that the bathtub and WC would actually turn out to be the cheaper items.
It seems you are happy with the location of the cabinet and havent stubbed toes or bruised shins, so I would say use the original marble top you are most likely going to have to drill holes in the unit anyway for plumbing and securing, its going to be there for ever so why be precious about the top? and will save money.
By all means pay to get the holes cut, that I understand may not be a DIY job but I don't see why you want to preserve the marble........
There you go, just a few random thoughts (yet again :D )
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on February 24, 2024, 07:29:23 AMIt seems you are happy with the location of the cabinet and havent stubbed toes or bruised shins, so I would say use the original marble top you are most likely going to have to drill holes in the unit anyway for plumbing and securing, its going to be there for ever so why be precious about the top? and will save money.
By all means pay to get the holes cut, that I understand may not be a DIY job but I don't see why you want to preserve the marble........
There you go, just a few random thoughts (yet again :D )
Yeah, it would be a lot cheaper to do that, but I'm the sentimental sort who sees something that's survived 120-some-odd years and thinks it would be a shame for me to damage it now. I know the same argument applies to the timber carcasing but the difference there is that the holes in that will be comparatively small, hidden and (if it comes to it) reversible.
so may it remain in the garage wrapped for the next 70 years only to be thrown in a skip when you die.......
I know I have a house full of such treasures I just cant ditch but I know if I dont use them somehow will end up on the local tip. ::)
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on February 24, 2024, 01:55:03 PMso may it remain in the garage wrapped for the next 70 years only to be thrown in a skip when you die.......
I know I have a house full of such treasures I just cant ditch but I know if I dont use them somehow will end up on the local tip. ::)
Just finished clearing a (deceased) cousin's place of not only their own precious 'treasures', but the treasures they had inherited from their parents and grandparents... I am now looking at our stuff and thinking; if the kids don't want it, I'm getting rid of it... (Not necessarily to the tip, but charity shop or giving to anyone who might want it and use it.)
Well, things are still slowly moving forward;
1. I bought the copper mixer tap that matches the washbasin. It's yet to arrive and I'm not entirely convinced that it hasn't gone missing in the mail, but we'll see.
2. I've found I can buy a copper bathtub/ shower mixer tap - we knew that anyway - but I've found somewhere that will sell me the exact same item for about half of what the first place I saw wants.
3. Pointless buying the mixer tap without knowing what sort of bathtub I'm planning to use. I want a roll top type but the only place it can go is where the current tub is - in a corner. So that dictates a roll top type specifically designed for a corner, which narrows down the hand-wringing somewhat. Of course, it's useless buying the tub until I'm actually ready to use it. But I have a fair idea which one I'm going to go for.
I think point 3) taken in combination with the washstand (now happily ensconced in the bathroom) gives me the kernel of a concept for the space.
At the moment that concept is built around the washstand, a corner bath, Edwardian-style floor tiles and flat metro wall tiles.
The tap has arrived;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53567866434_651bf08f34_z.jpg)
And taken in the round with the washbasin it's wider than the washstand. Not much wider, but wide enough. That settles the issue of getting a new top, then. Because it won't fit otherwise.
Next component to source will be either the new washstand top, or the copper shower mixer.
Quote from: James Harrison on March 04, 2024, 05:41:06 PMThe tap has arrived;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53567866434_651bf08f34_z.jpg)
And taken in the round with the washbasin it's wider than the washstand. Not much wider, but wide enough. That settles the issue of getting a new top, then. Because it won't fit otherwise.
Next component to source will be either the new washstand top, or the copper shower mixer.
From the photo (https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53520239113_6bffe7b805_c.jpg) the top already over hangs the carcass front and sides, so to me you should see if the combination of basin and taps will fit inside the
base dimentions, if not you will have to do some chopping of wood.
Not trying to state the obvious but minor things do get overlooked sometimes which can often escalate into major problems.
If it were me doing this project I would loosely assemble the whole thing, mark the position of the basin from the uderside, centre, get the hole cut in the top and then work out where and what style of taps suit making sure stuff will fit. taps may have to be mixer offset to one sise or 2 seperate taps either side of the basin, your previosly purchased bath taps just might be suitable (?). Use the the mixer in the kitchen or something.
Less bull at the gate, purchasing things that look good in theory, potentially wasting money and more planning with maybe the odd compremise.
It will all fit together, with the mixer tap offset, within the dimensions of the base unit.
Initially I wanted the mixer tap to be set central to the washbasin, but the more I think about it actually the less practical that seems. With my current set up I find the tap always gets turned to the side to give me more room over and in the basin. I can see a situation with the tap permanently set central over the basin might become a nuisance....
That photograph by the way is a bit deceptive. Whilst the top does overhang the base, it's by a much smaller margin than it might look. An inch, probably a bit less than that in fact, all around.
The problem is less one of 'it won't all fit on' and more one of 'once it's all on there's no room for my fingers', which is a bit of an issue when you're trying to turn the tap on.
Well, it's not like I'm fit and ready to start work on the bathroom in earnest yet, so there's still time to really go through this in detail and suss out what I want, what works for me and how it's all going to come together.
Not much to do in a provincial town on a weeknight :-\
So....
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53571961033_2582466bd4_z.jpg)
More accurate photo of the overhang to front and rear on the washstand. It's a finger's width, or thereabouts.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53572199680_022344c5e3_z.jpg)
Not much room to play with at all when placing the top on.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53572199665_d07c19bd78_z.jpg)
At the moment there's a radiator where I want the washstand. This will be moved as part of the remodel and then the washstand can go back to the wall. Or it might stay where it is and I just have a deeper top fitted. It's about a four-inch gap or so.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53571961003_469b9fbe8c_z.jpg)
Here I've placed the washbasin on top of the stand. You'll have to imagine, for the moment, that the basin is set into a hole and actually close to flush with the top of the marble.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53571960988_8994ebb5e3_z.jpg)
From above you can see it fits quite nicely, there's a decent margin of marble all around.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53572199585_cfb2d3f1c1_z.jpg)
But then you can also see that with the mixer tap placed central, there's a bit of an issue.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53572199570_18af5d3d89_z.jpg)
'It's a bit tight round here'
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53570900802_67a89edb42_z.jpg)
But if I set it like this... (still within the confines of the carcass underneath)...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53572199535_ff9635230d_z.jpg)
... that problem looks like it goes away. I can not only reach the tap handles here, but actually turn them.
Like I say, and I know it's a bit of a faff but I would get the hole for the bowl cut first as close as you dare to the front leaving room for adequate marble to the confines of the base. Get it back and then decide where the taps should go and then take it back to the stonemason to drill the tap hole.
Next mission of sourcing would be the waste/ plug fitting. A brass/copper 1/14" "clicker" should do the job nicely ( i think brass would be a nice contrast). if there is an overflow on the basin you will need a "slotted" waste.
Approach the company you purchased the basin from and make sure it's brass and not plated pot metal, I've had past nightmares with those, one in fact shearing and snapping after a years use and they just leak. Cheap chinese rubbish.
Please don't think I'm telling you what to do. Only offering advice after over 40 years of dealing with kitchens and bathrooms, personal cock ups and bitter experience of expensive mistakes. Only trying to help me old mate.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on March 08, 2024, 10:16:17 AMPlease don't think I'm telling you what to do. Only offering advice after over 40 years of dealing with kitchens and bathrooms, personal cock ups and bitter experience of expensive mistakes. Only trying to help me old mate.
I don't think that at all; it's useful advice. (I'm only expecting to have to do this once, after all).
I have got the plug that matches the washbasin - that was I think the second bit I bought back in December (or maybe early January?).
I think I've about got all the bits for the washstand (the new top excepted). That leaves
- bathtub (not going to buy that yet, I have nowhere to store it)
- WC (not going to buy that yet, again nowhere to store it)
- Bathtub and shower mixer tap (I could order this now, I suppose)
- Radiator/ towel warmer (don't know which one I want/ can fit in yet, nowhere to store it)
- Floor tiles (no idea which ones I want, yet)
- Wall tiles (I know which ones I want. I just don't know how many, or how much wall I want tiled).
The problem is of course that the functional fittings go in
after the floor and wall finishes. Whilst I've been applying a 'buy bits when I see them' approach so far, that can only achieve so much. Especially when the bits I now need to buy have to harmonise with everything else.
I think I want a much clearer idea of exactly what I'm aiming for before spending more money on this. There's not really the freedom to evolve the design over time the same way there was for the sitting and dining rooms. It needs to be right- or very close to it- first time.
I think the activity this weekend will be buying a sheet of plywood and trying to make a template for the washstand top. That will at least give me an idea of how far back the washbasin needs to be seated and where the tap can be placed.
The remainder of the sheet I could then use as a new backing piece to the splashback, the original of which is warped (I knew about that when I bought it). At the moment I'm a little wary/ concerned that tiles might start dropping out of it.
I don't think I want tiles all around the room. I need them on the floor of course, and around the bath is a prerequisite, but the washstand has a tiled splashback anyway so it's debatable how necessary more tiling on that wall is. I can also imagine that doing the whole room in dark green tiles (to match the washstand) would result in a very dark room - in comparison with those same dark green tiles on only the two walls.
The one thing that I just don't know at the moment - and it is quite daunting - is how the strip out and replacement works are best phased and how long they would take. What I want to avoid if possible is having the bathroom reduced to a state of complete non-functionality for a prolonged period of time. A day (two at the outside) I could probably work around, longer than that and it would start to become an issue.
Not going to give my opinions on design this time ( although I do have a few ideas).
Ply template is an excellent idea. (make sure you buy marine ply and seal any edges for the backsplsh)
2 days of disruption is more than a little optimistic considering what you want to achieve and the amount of work involved, unless you have a 2 week holiday planned, i would say at least 5 days plus of having to rough it.
See if your plumber can connect the existing wc to a flexible pan connector and cold water it will be a bit wobbly for a while but usable most important movable the rest of your ablutions might have to be done at the kitchen sink, good old fasioned strip washing or arrange to go to family for a shower.
Some sacrifices will have to be made for the final finish.
Do you want to change the light fitting any additional accent lighting/ wall lights for atmosphere, if so the cables have to be run before the fit out.
A few jobs you can do yourself to hasten progress is strip tiles and flooring, remembering any walls currently tiled and not in the final plan will probably have to be skimmed and PVA applied, again discomfort but cheaper and quiker in the long haul.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53590398722_3cfce24400_z.jpg)
Well that's a bit of an embuggerance isn't it? The damp patches on the dining room chimneybreast have returned. Whats happened here is that moisture has come to the surface of the plaster and then found an impassable barrier in the form of the emulsion paint. So what it has done then, is to blow the paint off the wall.
I'm fairly sure I know the source of it - it's only at the bottom of the wall, there's no sign of it anywhere else in the room, I'm quite confident in asserting that it's wicking up through the house footings.
I can't recall if this is one of the walls that was tanked when I had the room replastered a few years ago. I suspect not, the walls that I absolutely know were tanked are completely dry. I also recall that when the plaster was drying out this particular wall never quite got down to 'dry as a bone' levels of aridness.
The completely wrong way to fix this is to clean the wall down and just re-paint it, all that achieves is a repeat of the problem in maybe a year or two. Then there are people who will call this situation 'rising damp' and sell you something that you paint onto or pump into your wall as a damp-proofing course, but that's completely ignorant of how masonry acts when it gets saturated and there's nowhere for the water to go.
What I'm going to do is firstly to remove what's left of the emulsion paint on that wall. Then I'm going to give it a coat of fungicidal wash to hopefully stop mould and other nasties growing on it. And then I'm going to get some old-fashioned permeable paint. This will allow the moisture in the wall to escape to atmosphere, so at least it can't do any damage to the masonry.
Fundamentally the house is built such that the walls need to be able to breathe to control moisture. If I were redecorating the sitting room and dining room again that is one major thing I would change - I wouldn't be painting the walls with vinyl emulsion.
So this is what I got up to this morning. Sanding. Lots and lots and lots of sanding.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53593451795_fc94b75097_z.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53593005956_e6022b6888_z.jpg)
Now, why is it just on the chimneybreast? If it were coming up through the foundations as I suspect, surely it would be happening on most of the internal walls too?
The alternative hypothesis is that I've got relatively cold, humid air from outside that comes down the chimney flue. I know it's a powerful draught because when I had the chimney replastered a few years ago (when I found that large fireplace opening that people wanted me to keep) it was bl**dy cold in there until I had the fireplace reinstated. So cold air sinking down the flue, reaches the bottom, and can't go anywhere. The moisture from that air gets into the brick and then starts working its way through. If this were an external wall there'd be air movement that would encourage evaporation and the water would come back out, but this is an enclosed space so it just stays there. Water then wicks through the masonry and into the plaster, and through the plaster. And then blows the paint off the wall.
One easy way of reducing this would be to open the little door in the top rear of the fireplace and at least give the air somewhere to escape to. I just think I might have created a pocket of dead air in the chimneybreast which is a potential cause of the problem.
The fact that I've exposed the plaster two years after painting the room and there's no sign of a salt bloom on its face is at least encouraging and suggests that I could repaint the wall with an appropriate medium and reasonably expect not to get that horrible white efflorescence.
Just a quick thought.... do you ever intend to use the fireplace for a fire?
If not get the flue capped on the chimney pot, no more cold air from that source then see what happens..........
I had a bit of damp on one of my chimneys turned out to be old builders rubbish from previous owners and earth banked up under the floor, dug it all out to level, nothing since.
Another thought..... the flue should have an upward pull, that's what they do. to see shut all windows and doors to the room remove the restrictor plate from the top of the cast iron and chuck in a smoke pellet or two it should go up with a mighty whoosh if it comes into the room you got problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTMhi0B8gT4
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on March 19, 2024, 06:18:32 AMJust a quick thought.... do you ever intend to use the fireplace for a fire?
If not get the flue capped on the chimney pot, no more cold air from that source then see what happens..........
I had a bit of damp on one of my chimneys turned out to be old builders rubbish from previous owners and earth banked up under the floor, dug it all out to level, nothing since.
Another thought..... the flue should have an upward pull, that's what they do. to see shut all windows and doors to the room remove the restrictor plate from the top of the cast iron and chuck in a smoke pellet or two it should go up with a mighty whoosh if it comes into the room you got problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTMhi0B8gT4
That's a great point. Though built at the expense of a historically congruent restoration, an electric fireplace would be a great excuse to have something really steampunk in the house.
Probably not legal in your neck of the woods, IDK, but there is also natural gas or other petroleum based combustibles that could replace wood or coal burning.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on March 19, 2024, 06:18:32 AMJust a quick thought.... do you ever intend to use the fireplace for a fire?
If not get the flue capped on the chimney pot, no more cold air from that source then see what happens..........
I had a bit of damp on one of my chimneys turned out to be old builders rubbish from previous owners and earth banked up under the floor, dug it all out to level, nothing since.
Another thought..... the flue should have an upward pull, that's what they do. to see shut all windows and doors to the room remove the restrictor plate from the top of the cast iron and chuck in a smoke pellet or two it should go up with a mighty whoosh if it comes into the room you got problems.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTMhi0B8gT4
That's a good question and it segues quite nicely into my occasional lecture series, "Not Much To Do In A Provincial Town".
So when I got home tonight I made the people in the Care In The Community Home next door wonder if I should be one of their patients, coming outside, crossing the road, looking at my chimney and going back inside. Three or four times. In the space of maybe three minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/S--w4IaDAUM
Being too stingey to actually, you know,
spend money on a smoke pellet I chose instead to burn some paper. And I think the conclusion is that the smoke does actually get drawn up the chimney. So, no issues there.
Funny you should mention builders rubbish in the back of the fireplace. If you recall, when I moved in this was actually a gas fire. I had the gas fire removed, took the fireplace down and cleaned out the back of the stack.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51967187249_330aaf1f4b_c.jpg)
And that is what greeted me when I did that.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51966909971_79316f5226_c.jpg)
And that's the stuff that came out in lumps.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51965899362_636787a706_c.jpg)
And that's the stuff that came out as dust, and grit, and ash. And it was all sopping wet.
As to whether I'm going to reinstate it as a live fireplace, the jury is out on that. I've been here 4 years and that tonight is the closest I've had to a fire in there in that time.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 19, 2024, 06:44:13 PMThat's a great point. Though built at the expense of a historically congruent restoration, an electric fireplace would be a great excuse to have something really steampunk in the house.
Probably not legal in your neck of the woods, IDK, but there is also natural gas or other petroleum based combustibles that could replace wood or coal burning.
We're not allowed to burn green timber but, at the moment, smokeless coal, dry wood etc are still legal (to my knowledge this part of town is not in a clean air zone).
Quote from: James Harrison on March 19, 2024, 07:01:55 PMQuote from: J. Wilhelm on March 19, 2024, 06:44:13 PMThat's a great point. Though built at the expense of a historically congruent restoration, an electric fireplace would be a great excuse to have something really steampunk in the house.
Probably not legal in your neck of the woods, IDK, but there is also natural gas or other petroleum based combustibles that could replace wood or coal burning.
We're not allowed to burn green timber but, at the moment, smokeless coal, dry wood etc are still legal (to my knowledge this part of town is not in a clean air zone).
FWIW you shouldn't be burning green timber anyway; it'll fill up your chimney with creosote and you'll have a chimney fire. (Unless you mean the green
pressure-treated stuff, which is instead chock full of copper arsenate.)
Quote from: von Corax on March 19, 2024, 07:11:37 PMQuote from: James Harrison on March 19, 2024, 07:01:55 PMQuote from: J. Wilhelm on March 19, 2024, 06:44:13 PMThat's a great point. Though built at the expense of a historically congruent restoration, an electric fireplace would be a great excuse to have something really steampunk in the house.
Probably not legal in your neck of the woods, IDK, but there is also natural gas or other petroleum based combustibles that could replace wood or coal burning.
We're not allowed to burn green timber but, at the moment, smokeless coal, dry wood etc are still legal (to my knowledge this part of town is not in a clean air zone).
FWIW you shouldn't be burning green timber anyway; it'll fill up your chimney with creosote and you'll have a chimney fire. (Unless you mean the green pressure-treated stuff, which is instead chock full of copper arsenate.)
It's precisely that reason why I don't have open fires at the moment. Until I've had the chimneys swept I'm taking the view that the flues are a tinderbox.
well it appears the flue has a draw as it should, maybe leave the restrictor plate out now the wheather is slightly warmer and see if the natural flow of air from inside to out is enough to dry out the damp problem before being forced to explore the underfloor situation.
I think we can discard the green wood and the copper arsenate pressure treated lumber...
Is copper arsenate pressure treated lumber even legal outside of North America? I see it all the time at my workplace, but it always has warning signs posted on them.
Quote from: J. Wilhelm on March 20, 2024, 02:20:34 PMI think we can discard the green wood and the copper arsenate pressure treated lumber...
Is copper arsenate pressure treated lumber even legal outside of North America? I see it all the time at my workplace, but it always has warning signs posted on them.
It's outright banned in the UK.
You remember a few weeks ago I said I would make a template for the washstand? Well, here it is.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53607810726_eaac24b269_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53606937812_1b658785ce_c.jpg)
Just a sheet of 3.6mm ply, cut to the appropriate size and then punctured as appropriate for the basin, tap and splashback screws. Now to get that down to the stonemason.
I say, that looks absolutely spiffing!
Yep I think that will work. My only other suggestion would be as you intend to get a fresh top made, maybe an ogee edge front and sides stopping 25mm from the splashback for a little extra added feature.
(https://brassgoggles.net/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Felginmarbleinc.com%2Fgallery%2F179073%2FAn_ogee_bullnose_edge_on_calacatta_marble_.png&hash=78a3a4519af74e3d5fc381994fc5741d8baaf795)
Now there's a thought... although I was starting to come around to the idea of cutting the original top.
The chimney breast side; a week since I removed the vinyl paint a week since I opened the restriction plate. And the moisture level in the wall is coming down. I think this is something that can be controlled and managed.
I would say still doable using the original top just maybe slightly smaller router bit used, have a ponder, then chat with the stonemason.
I only suggest that ogee because that is what I intend to do my own, bought the stone router bits just gotta get off my arse and do it.
As for the chimney leave an open airflow for as long as you can except when cold in winter, all your central heating warmth will be sucked out of the house costing money.
Now you said in earlier post you were worried about the dark green tiles, again only suggestions, but if you use smaller tiles and a slightly larger spacer with white grout it dramatically reduces the block of colour not forgetting a white bog and bath will be in front.
Of course you could go herringbone (your tiler will hate you) ;D
(https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/E0kAAOSwN89i4qno/s-l960.jpg)
Do full height arond the bath and shower, then reduce to half wall or less above the wc and towel rail, that will allow for a wall cabinet, lights or mirror etc.
Rather than a ladder towel rail maybe something like this...
(https://traditionals.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/column-towel-radiators.jpg)
Again only thoughts.
Bathroom tiles ordered; some nice bottle green metro tiles that will compliment the green tiles in the washstand splashback.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53618352851_8460b5561e_c.jpg)
From the supplier's website, which I'm not going to be fool enough to publicise....
The plan is that I'll tile only half of the room; just the two walls that the bathtub and WC are fixed to. That will be up to, just about, ceiling level. The other walls I'm going to paint a cream colour, again to pick up on the washstand splashback.
Good choice, did you remember to order extra boxes for "cuts and cockups" and you usually get quite a few that have blemishes in the glaze.
I usually like to use a local supplier who has loads in stock so in an emergency I can just pop off site and buy some more.
May I throw another suggestion to wall colour, a lighter pastel green will contrast the darker tiles, looks good against most other colours and make the window stand out more.
https://www.sleek-chic.co.uk/2023/03/dulux-green-paints.html
Any thoughts on floor tile colour and design?
And you just have to have an antique leaded glass panel somewhere that has the greens and other colours from the splashback........may take some sourcing but a great period addition.
I ordered 10 square metres of the stuff, for 8 and a half square metres of wall.
The colour for the painted walls isn't set in stone yet but I painted it a deep green a few years ago as an interim thing and I'm not too keen on the result (not so much the colour itself but more the tone of it). That's kind of why I'm thinking of a more neutral finish on the un-tiled walls.
For the floor tiles I do have one or two ideas - I've already decided that I don't want something too busy - but I haven't seen anything yet that jumps out as me as The One. That's kind of how my designs develop, either there's a defined concept that I start from (eg 'blue room with lots of bookshelves' which was the starting point for the sitting room), or else I find one element that I just have to include and then everything develops organically from that (eg the washstand in the bathroom).
https://assets.wfcdn.com/im/71557938/resize-h445%5Ecompr-r85/3028/30287198/Oxford+11%22+x+11%22+Porcelain+Honeycomb+Mosaic+Wall+%26+Floor+Tile.jpg
how about this for the floor?
Oohh... now that would like nice.
All in all, it's been an eye-wateringly expensive weekend.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53623528023_24e667853c_c.jpg)
Yes; I've ordered a new shower...
It had to be copper (naturally) to match the basin and tap that I've already bought. You would not believe how much this constraint narrowed down the field.
My first thought, a few months ago, was to buy one of those combined bath tap and shower mixers - the sort that looks like an old telephone that someone has jury-rigged up to the water supply. The problem is I cannot for the life of me see how this is something that could work in real life (as opposed to looking very pretty in a showroom). The showerhead sits on a cradle that's practically at top of bathtub level, I can't see that the hose is long enough to use it whilst standing up, and you never see anything used to enclose the thing. I can only conclude that the idea is that you use it whilst actually sitting down in the tub. But then where does the water go? How do you prevent the bathroom being turned into a set from Titanic or The Poseidon Adventure every time you shower? What do you do with the showerhead, whilst you're lathering up? On reflection, it just looks the sort of thing that is more suited to set-dressing than everyday life.
So that then left the option of going for something wall mounted, like what I already have. The problems I generally ran into were;
- copper shower but was far too modern/ contemporary;
- copper shower that was just I wanted but actually finished in brass, or chrome;
- copper shower that was far too rustic;
- something that was exactly what I wanted but about five times more than I'm prepared to pay;
- something that looks like exactly what I want but is suspiciously cheap and shipped from China.
This one - I'm not going to be so fool as to provide a link to the seller or do anything else that could be interpreted as an advertisement or endorsement - this one is made in Morocco. You might be thinking 'well then what makes you happy to buy it' but the thing is the copper basin and tap I already have, also came from that source. And shower handles in the photograph are exactly the same as the handles on my copper tap. So I'm reasonably confident it will look like the photos when it arrives, turn up on time without unexpected shipping or customs charges, and be of decent quality.
If you have a B&Q nearby it might be an idea to pop in and have a look at their discount paints. They are discontinuing the Craig and Rose paints, including the copper one, so are selling it off cheap.
They're also selling the copper patina effect paint that reacts with it. I bought a bottle for a quid (having bought some of the paint months ago when it was on offer) but looking at the website it doesn't appear to be the verdigris I was looking for. https://craigandrose.com/products/artisan-copper-patina (https://craigandrose.com/products/artisan-copper-patina)
Interesting; I'll have a look into that thanks.
With the rest of the week off work, I'm going to (try to) make a start in earnest.
Full list of bathroom bits either already bought or on order;
- Washstand
- Hand basin
- Hand basin tap
- Hand basin plug
- Shower
- Wall tiles
Bits yet to buy;
- Bath tub
- Shower screen
- WC
- Radiator
- Floor tiles
Plumber has been booked in (for Friday this week) to disconnect the existing radiator. When that's done I can, at least, repaint half of the room. That's also a good opportunity to get an idea of how long they think it will take to change the pipe runs, whether there's anything they can see as an issue that we haven't discussed here, and how much they think it will cost.
I've had a discussion also with a stonemason about getting the washstand top sorted out, naturally cutting the existing top is entirely at my risk but they're prepared to give it a go. It might mean that the basin has to sit a bit further back into the top and the tap has to sit a bit further round, obviously if you start cutting too near the edge (and apparently where I'm currently thinking of placing the basin is in that territory) you run the risk of the stone fracturing when you try to pick the slab up. So that's probably going to the mason this Thursday. I did ask for a quote both for cutting the existing top, and for making up a new top, and the latter was somewhat more than double the former, which put another complexion on the matter.
Quote from: montysaurus on March 30, 2024, 10:02:21 PMhttps://assets.wfcdn.com/im/71557938/resize-h445%5Ecompr-r85/3028/30287198/Oxford+11%22+x+11%22+Porcelain+Honeycomb+Mosaic+Wall+%26+Floor+Tile.jpg
how about this for the floor?
I looked into this and
it looks like it's a product in the US. I couldn't find an exact match in the UK but I did find something very similar. It's a mosaic product sold by one of the various period house reproduction companies, which somehow translates to £££. The price stated on their website was I think £17 per square foot, which is just far, far too expensive for me. So the search continues there.
How about good old fashioned re-claimed quarry tiles? maybe a little utilitarian but period. Or something to echo the tiles you restored in the hallway...... a continuation of theme......dunno.
(https://ruabonsales.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Products2-540x540_1.jpg)
I would be a little concerned about the weight of them, and also that (if the ones in my hall are anything to go by) they'd be too deep.
Does make me wonder though, if I could get some floor tiles of a similar size. Particularly if I could get some in a buff or cream colour and pick up on the bits I was digging out of the front garden a few years ago.
So;
- I've ordered a second copper mixer tap (this one for the bathtub);
- The washstand top has been taken off to the stonemason so the holes can be cut into it;
- Plumber is coming tomorrow to disconnect the bathroom radiator;
- Wall tiles are apparently coming tomorrow or Monday.
Suddenly it feels like the project is going to take a big leap forward.
Progress in a few directions;
Firstly - the sitting room radiator has been rehung and is no longer hanging off the wall and making to rest on the floor.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53633434499_5bf34db366_c.jpg)
And - bonus - I didn't have to have the wall replastered.
Secondly - the bathroom radiator has gone.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53633092946_7a1090d197_c.jpg)
Also took the opportunity to have a chat with the plumber about phasing the bathroom works, broadly
1) I take down the wall tiles and patch up the wall as required
2) plumber comes in and takes out the bathtub and cistern
3) I fit the new wall tiles
4) floor has to come up entirely for the new plumbing
5) plumber comes back and fits the new bathtub and cistern
Hmm, I can work around not having a bathtub for a little while but the cistern is obviously another matter. I wonder if it could be loosened off so I can get behind it to put the tiles on whilst not actually disconnecting it. That might have to be the way we go with this.
It also means there are a couple of bits I can be doing now for myself;
1. Clean up the woodwork and varnish same
2. Repaint the back wall
3. Start breaking out the floor tiles
1. and 2. I'm quite happy to make a start on but let's leave 3. for a little while yet, shall we?
Oh, and other news;
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53633536265_0004ddf28f_c.jpg)
With the splashback having been separated from the washstand it seemed a perfect opportunity to try to sort out the warped backboard.
Well, the warped bit of timber came off easily enough and I quickly found that the main reason for the warping is that a splinter of it had fallen off and gone down the gap between the tiles and the backing.
You can see that the tiles are in any case grouted to a piece of board that's secured into the frame, so my nightmare - that I take the backing piece and the whole thing breaks apart - isn't going to happen.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53633306043_b076bc02d3_c.jpg)
The backboard, with the splintered bit at the top now reinstated. The board has split and parted around all of the tack pins that were holding it in place and there's some residual warping and twisting, I'm not sure yet how I'm going to be deal with that. There are basically now a number of natural weakspots, cracks and breaks around the tack locations. My concern is that if I loose tack it, it will fall free, whilst if I tighten the thing up those cracks will worsen and who knows it might destroy the whole thing. As it's going to be close in to the wall anyway I'm even considering just leaving the backboard off entirely.
Well, what I've done is to refit the backboard, but only using 5 or 6 of the tacks (originally there were 8). I've just loosely tacked it in place so if it does carry on doing its thing, it's just going to pop off the splashback. Which would be annoying, but not a complete disaster.
Otherwise;
- The wall tiles have arrived; they're exactly the same colour as the washstand splashback (success!);
- I've lightly sanded the splashback and the washstand carcass preparatory to a few coats of yacht varnish;
- Rawlplugs etc have been pulled out of the wall before I grout up and sand down the surface;
- The caulking around the airing cupboard has been removed (beyond me why this was applied in the first place).
So hopefully at some point this weekend I'll be starting to varnish the washstand, stain the timberwork and paint the walls.
First coat of yacht varnish applied to the washstand. It says after 16 to 24 hours it's ready for smoothing down and recoating. Well, 21 (ish) hours after putting on the first coat and it's still quite tacky. Getting this protected against errant water is going to be a long-winded affair, I think.
Speaking of errant water, the latest named storm blew through last night and seems to have left some of itself behind on and in the roof over the bay window... so that's a call to my roofing guy tomorrow. Best case scenario is that the joint detail where the tiles change direction has failed. I've been wary of the cement joints for the last few years (even though they appear to be original to the house) and you may recall that getting the bay roof looked at - and probably leaded - was/is on the list for this year.
Hmm, odd. I could have sworn I updated earlier this week but the post appears to have disappeared.
Anyway, to recap/ catchup.
1. The bathtaps have arrived, they're brushed copper rather than polished/shiny. Not a massive issue, the difference between the two finishes isn't profound.
2. The shower is still in transit, having been hostage for a few days by Chas' licenced highwaymen.
3. My roofing guy came out today to look at the bay window roof so he can price up for the work. It's not as simple as just putting some lead strip over the tile joints, it's probably more in the way of taking the roof off and replacing it.
4. The washstand has had a couple of coats of yacht varnish now and I think is about as waterproof as it can be. It looks like the tiles in the splashback are losing their grout, so it would benefit from being re-grouted when the splashback doesn't have to be moved around any more.
5. The bathroom radiator which I had taken down (and no plans to reinstate it) has been carried away by the scrap metal man this morning.
6. I've started filling in various holes in the bathroom walls preparatory to the repaint.
7. Once that filling work is finished I'll be sanding down the skirting boards and staining those.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 13, 2024, 04:00:06 PMHmm, odd. I could have sworn I updated earlier this week but the post appears to have disappeared.
There have been "issues" in the last few days........
https://brassgoggles.net/forum/index.php/topic,54351.msg1020772.html#msg1020772
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 13, 2024, 04:12:28 PMQuote from: James Harrison on April 13, 2024, 04:00:06 PMHmm, odd. I could have sworn I updated earlier this week but the post appears to have disappeared.
There have been "issues" in the last few days........
https://brassgoggles.net/forum/index.php/topic,54351.msg1020772.html#msg1020772
Not just me then going mad then!
Quote from: James Harrison on April 13, 2024, 04:00:06 PMHmm, odd. I could have sworn I updated earlier this week but the post appears to have disappeared.
You did. We lost several days' posts to a catastrophic server hardware failure.
Quote from: von Corax on April 13, 2024, 05:17:35 PMQuote from: James Harrison on April 13, 2024, 04:00:06 PMHmm, odd. I could have sworn I updated earlier this week but the post appears to have disappeared.
You did. We lost several days' posts to a catastrophic server hardware failure.
That's a shame.
Right, things have progressed beyond the theoretical / buying stuff stages...
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53653457529_3b4616a0d6_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53652236337_3bb67130cf_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53653327873_02f943da64_c.jpg)
It might not look much yet, but I've patched up two of the walls and smoothed those back, then I've stained the timberwork that I'm keeping. The wooden door with the stained glass panels is definitely staying, I just didn't have enough stain to do it right now (also that door is going to have to come off its hinges so that stuff can be moved in and out of the room, and surely that is a better time to stain it).
When that stain has dried out I'll be repainting the walls, and then after that I'll be breaking out at least some of the floor tiles so that we can get into the floor to plumb the washstand in.
Do I spy a cheeky teaser of the new floor tiles in that 2nd photo?
Whats the plan for the gaping hole above the bioler cupboard door?
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 15, 2024, 05:59:35 AMDo I spy a cheeky teaser of the new floor tiles in that 2nd photo?
Whats the plan for the gaping hole above the bioler cupboard door?
Those are the tiles that I tried out a month or so ago and decided were too busy.
There's a wooden panel above the door that I've taken down for the moment. It will be going back up once I've finished staining and painting it.
Great, we're back!
Well, the new shower arrived eventually (after the local courier tried to return it to the international shipper, making me hit the roof at people until thd courier did their job...)
The wooden panel has been reinstated in the bathroom so I no longer have a hole over a door.
Roofer has been in touch and next weekend I'll be having a new roof over the bay window.
so does it match.... brushed or unbrushed?
Ah! I hadn't uploaded the pictures, had I?
It matches the washbasin and the first copper tap that I bought.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53669639280_abcfa2b922_c.jpg)
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53669396853_8523e43313_c.jpg)
Or it will, when it's been assembled.
Other news; after all the mythering and thinking about it, I allowed my inner Clarkson to take to the floor. Literally.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53669639305_c37cec522a_c.jpg)
Once some of the tiles came up I started finding gaps and screws in the floor.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53669538689_cb52d9a114_c.jpg)
After a bit of a struggle a sheet of plywood came up.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53669184431_96bbfcd749_c.jpg)
And below that....
I think I've got a chipboard floor in there, throughout.
I'm going to take out as many of the tiles as I can (I need to leave some in place unless I want the current washbasin and the WC to fall over) and then when I've done that I'm going to paint the two walls, and then have my new basin plumbed in, the existing basin taken out, and the bathtub and WC at least taken down from the wall so that we can get the tiling done.
Phew! the taps match, there was some doubts.
Just throwing another thought into the ring, if you haven't already decided on floor tiles you could continue the floorboards you replaced in the hallway and leave it as a wooden floor, alot of that chipboard will be destroyed when lifted.
The only slight issue could be a shortfall in the door height as in a gap at the bottoom.
Coming along and moving forward, great job so far.
Does make you wonder what's lurking under the chipboard. (Portal to the Dungeon Dimensions maybe?)
Quote from: Cora Courcelle on April 22, 2024, 10:02:41 AMDoes make you wonder what's lurking under the chipboard. (Portal to the Dungeon Dimensions maybe?)
Some members who don't reply maybe? watch out James they have tracked you down........RUNAWAY!!!!! ;D
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 22, 2024, 04:23:05 AMJust throwing another thought into the ring, if you haven't already decided on floor tiles you could continue the floorboards you replaced in the hallway and leave it as a wooden floor, alot of that chipboard will be destroyed when lifted.
The only slight issue could be a shortfall in the door height as in a gap at the bottoom.
Coming along and moving forward, great job so far.
That's an idea I do really like, but there would not only be an 18 - 20mm gap at the bottom of the door but also all around the room (the skirting boards being seated on top of the tiles). Not an insurmountable difficulty but I know that skirting boards can be a right ... to put on (been there, done that in the sitting room. And the dining room. And the hallway.) Also the airing cupboard was... you guessed it... built on top of the tiles, so I'd have a gap at the bottom of that too.
I think unless I want to cause myself a lot more work, the only way really is to make sure that the new floor is at the same level as the existing.
I think there's a way forward. Put 18mm ply packers on top of my floor joists, then put floorboards over those.
The problem then becomes one of stopping the boards warping in heat and/or humidity (I don't want a repeat of the hallway, where the new boards looked great until the central heating kicked in).
I must admit the qaulity of timber these days is shocking, alot b&q stuff warps in the van before you get a chance to get it out.
Were the boards tongue and groove and did you nail/screw them?
Quality of timber gets lower and lower, but the prices continue to climb.
For my last project I had to sand down every surface of the beams.
They were classified as "smooth" by the way.
Quote from: James Harrison on April 23, 2024, 06:15:32 AMI think there's a way forward. Put 18mm ply packers on top of my floor joists, then put floorboards over those.
The problem then becomes one of stopping the boards warping in heat and/or humidity (I don't want a repeat of the hallway, where the new boards looked great until the central heating kicked in).
If, instead of ply, you use a composite like chipboard then there isn't the issue of warping. You would need to seal them to prevent any swelling from water getting to them but that shouldn't be too onerous.
You can get 'moisture-resistant' boards such as these: https://www.loftzone.co.uk/shop-loft-boards/supreme-moisture-resistant-loft-boards/ (https://www.loftzone.co.uk/shop-loft-boards/supreme-moisture-resistant-loft-boards/). I got some 'slightly stained' ones from these people as they're going to have a layer on top and they were the same price as their basic boards.
Quote from: SeVeNeVeS on April 23, 2024, 07:44:48 AMI must admit the qaulity of timber these days is shocking, alot b&q stuff warps in the van before you get a chance to get it out.
Were the boards tongue and groove and did you nail/screw them?
Tongue and groove, and initially the one that warped wasn't screwed down (because it was over pipes and I had a bee in my bonnet about access in an emergency).
Quote from: Sir Henry on April 23, 2024, 09:46:34 AMQuote from: James Harrison on April 23, 2024, 06:15:32 AMI think there's a way forward. Put 18mm ply packers on top of my floor joists, then put floorboards over those.
The problem then becomes one of stopping the boards warping in heat and/or humidity (I don't want a repeat of the hallway, where the new boards looked great until the central heating kicked in).
If, instead of ply, you use a composite like chipboard then there isn't the issue of warping. You would need to seal them to prevent any swelling from water getting to them but that shouldn't be too onerous.
You can get 'moisture-resistant' boards such as these: https://www.loftzone.co.uk/shop-loft-boards/supreme-moisture-resistant-loft-boards/ (https://www.loftzone.co.uk/shop-loft-boards/supreme-moisture-resistant-loft-boards/). I got some 'slightly stained' ones from these people as they're going to have a layer on top and they were the same price as their basic boards.
Good idea, I'll have a look into this.
Quote from: James Harrison on December 03, 2023, 03:29:34 PMAnd onto the 2024 programme.
The first thing on the list is to finish off the window renewal programme. There are two windows still to be replaced - in the back bedroom, and the bathroom.
Ah, yes, the bathroom. I really, really don't like the existing bathroom suite, or bathroom layout. It's perfectly serviceable, but it's really not compatible with the rest of the house. The problem is that bathroom suites weren't really a thing in the Edwardian era. And the Victorian/ Edwardian 'style' ones available just strike me as variously still too modern, too twee, or just plain unconvincing.
This obviously is a part of the project that is not DIY-friendly. I don't have a timeframe for when this bit will get underway.
I'm also going to have to have part of the sitting room replastered. (Wasn't needed) The radiator has started to pull away from the wall, and whilst I've shored it up with some pieces of wood, clearly that's not a long term solution. No, what is needed is for the radiator to be taken down and the crushed and crumbling plaster behind to be replaced. Perhaps that's a Summer job. Fixed without ripping the whole thing down and out.
Then I want the flashing around the chimneys to be renewed, and I also want flashing to be installed around the bay window roof.
Well, the bay window turned out needing a bit more than just some lead flashing.
The concrete/ cement joint detail around all of the roof edges - where it met the wall, where the roof hips met, under the bedroom window - all of that proved to be completely life expired. To the point in some places it had fallen away completely and the wonder wasn't that it was leaking, but that it wasn't leaking worse.
I wanted to keep the original tiles but lost that argument, for the sake of longevity that was probably for the best.
So this morning two guys turned up and I think we were all expecting it would be the work of a few hours to take the old tiles down and put the new battens/ tiles/ flashing on. Good joke, it was an all-day event with a lot of hammering, cussing and talk of 'I don't know how we're to get this bit in'. Nothing was square. Nothing was symmetrical. One side of the roof had a completely different geometry to the other. It took about eight hours to finish the thing.
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That's how it was.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53682810605_0ed26baa53_c.jpg)
Much better.
Now you have me interested in your neighbour's place across the road (not sure why I didn't notice it before). That seems to be fake Tudor above and Art Deco-ish below. How would you describe it?
Sorontar
It's Edwardian / immediate pre-WWI. Pretty standard British Stockbroker's Tudor / Arts and Crafts style really.
I've always loved the shape of the doorways like your neighbour's. Not very practical, but distinctive and eye-catching.
It used to be a pub, so I guess it was designed with a view to being a bit of a local landmark.
Update on the bathroom; I've taken up as much of the floor tiling as is possible without needing to rip out the WC or the bath.
The floor buildup over the joists is 18mm chipboard, 9mm plywood, 2 to 3mm grout and then 7mm tiles. The tiles come up with a bit of a fight, the plywood tends to prise up quite nicely (once a few screws have been removed) without too much damage to the chipboard.
If I've got 18 or 19mm above the top of the chipboard to my floor level, this opens up the possibility of keeping the chipboard in place (it can be locally unscrewed to change the piping as required) and laying a floorboard floor over it. Naturally the floorboards would need to be stained and varnished to prevent them taking on moisture and doing something I'd prefer them not to.
Let's try to set a timeframe to all of this. I'm coming to the conclusion I'm going to be without a bathroom for at least a few days and quite possibly longer, considering I want to take out the suite, rearrange the plumbing, replace the wall tiles and install a new suite. That means really it needs to be done whilst I'm on holiday from work. I usually say that I work for three months then take a week off, and my last holiday was about three and half weeks ago. So say I work twelve or thirteen weeks, that means that in about nine and a half weeks I need to have sourced the remaining components, that the proposed floorboard flooring needs to be prepped for installation, and of course that I have to have the plumber and the tiler booked in for that specific week. And I know the plumber needs three weeks notice. So six and a half weeks at most, to book the plumber. So I'm saying, tentatively, early to mid July. Therefore plumber to be booked early to mid June.
Well, what still needs buying?
- Radiator
- Bathtub (no point buying that until I'm ready to swap it)
- WC (no point buying that until I'm ready to swap it)
- Floorboards (need to be bought in time to be able to prep, but where to store them...)
It's going to be a bit of a miserable week off - it might mean I move back to my parents for a few nights whilst it's being done, and travel over to the house in the morning and back at night - but hopefully it'll be worth it.
Remember that marble washstand top?
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I call that a success. Naturally the washbasin and taps are only loose-placed at the moment, but it's a step in the right direction.
The quandry now is what to do next;
1) The breathable emulsion has arrived for the dining room chimneybreast, so I could repaint that one wall.
2) The washstand splashback needs re-grouting before I can screw it back to the marble, so that could be done.
3) I've broken out enough bathroom floor to make painting the first two walls worthwhile.
So that's two fairly small things and one big one I've got to get going on. I'm hopeless at deciding 'what next?' when my to-do list starts getting too long.
Last night's dilemma saw me progress two items.
Firstly, the dining room wall took on a coat of breathable paint, followed by a second this morning.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53700185130_edb9786895_c.jpg)
It's not an exact match of course, but I can live with that. The dark patch at the bottom is where the paint is drying more slowly thanks to the moisture in the wall that kicked the whole thing off to begin with.
Then I re-grouted the washstand splashback.
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(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53700184245_4b408a86d7_c.jpg)
Which I think was a worthwhile exercise.
With the bathroom, I think I'm going to try and break out what's left of the tiling (and possibly more of the plywood) and just leave the bits that are physically stuck under the toilet, bathtub and sink.
It might not look like much, but progress is being made, with the painting.
(https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/53713967301_c8999b6692_c.jpg)
Over the last week the shorter wall has had three coats of cream paint and is about at the density of colour/ lack of streaks that I generally aim for. The longer wall to the side has had two coats and still has some way to go.
Then the green wall across the back needs painting, probably the three coats treatment again. Once that is done I will, most likely, carry the colour on around the other two walls (even though those will mostly be tiled) and then we'll be back to the 'buy bits, store them and await the aligning of heavenly bodies' phase of things.
Some more progress achieved.
Painting continues its merry way around the room (I hate painting, I really do).
A few more bits have been struck off the to-buy list, leaving really just the bathtub and the toilet to get hold of (probably going to hold off ordering these until a week or so before they're actually needed).
Some of the flooring has arrived. I'm not best pleased, because I ordered all of it. So where the missing third of it is, is a mystery. There are two major DIY chains in the UK - I'm not going to give them the dignity of free advertising, but I'm sure pretty much all of our UK members are aware of them - and both of them have let me down in the last twelve months, in the same manner. If you see something you need from them and you can actually pick it up in person in one of their stores, you're probably OK but if it's something described as 'delivery only' then run a mile in the other direction, frankly.
I beg to differ with the notions that 'you can do it if you ----- it' or that the other chain will 'cure your housebarrassment'.
Quote from: James Harrison on May 16, 2024, 05:54:28 PM[snip] but if it's something described as 'delivery only' then run a mile in the other direction, frankly.
If it's described as 'delivery only' or 'from one of our partners' they tell you, at some point before the actual sale, who that is. If you then go to that company's website you can get it direct, usually cheaper, and with far, far better customer service. I've been doing this for about a year (since B&Q upped their prices by 30% almost across the board over a weekend) and haven't had any problems like that since.
Quote from: Sir Henry on Yesterday at 07:29:39 AMQuote from: James Harrison on May 16, 2024, 05:54:28 PM[snip] but if it's something described as 'delivery only' then run a mile in the other direction, frankly.
If it's described as 'delivery only' or 'from one of our partners' they tell you, at some point before the actual sale, who that is. If you then go to that company's website you can get it direct, usually cheaper, and with far, far better customer service. I've been doing this for about a year (since B&Q upped their prices by 30% almost across the board over a weekend) and haven't had any problems like that since.
That's a good tip, if they tell you who the manufacturer / supplier is.
Are you protected by consumer law?
Sorontar
I tend to go to a prpoer builders merchant rather than DIY stores now.
Better quality of timber and better delivery if needed.
DIY are good for certain things but only if I'm desperate and also depends on the project.
Can be slightly more expensive, but you get what you pay for as they say.
Well, the missing third of the delivery did turn up today (that still doesn't answer why it didn't arrive yesterday though)...
Lesson learnt; don't trust the big DIY chains.
Looks like the next few weekends are going to be mostly spent either painting or staining wood, if I'm to get the room ready for the plumber and tiler to come in in early July.