We have a room!

Well the brickies were here again today; another working Saturday! The downside to it was that we were scared half to death when they arrived at 8 and started banging around. Still, they cracked on, finished all of the brickwork and I'm happy to say that the props are now out. The house is now supported on the new steels. A few cracks have appeared in the plaster around the house, but it'd be mighty difficult to make the extent of changes to a building that we have, and get zero movement.


It's nice to see the new kitchen area in all it's glory without odd bits of wall or props obscuring the view. It's the first time I think I've been able to properly imagine what the finished product will look like.

The builders weren't the only people working today, we spent the afternoon emptying the second bedroom and put up new wardrobes. Ikea furniture shouldn't naturally take too long to fit, but as seems to be a recurring theme with or wardrobes, they needed some customising; namely in the shape of fitting around a roof beam. It took a lot of fettling, but we're pretty happy with the finished product!

Open plan

Well the back wall has now been removed and is currently supported by props and one of the two girders. Tonight is going to be a little nerve wracking until the second steel is in and the props have been removed. There are only a few minor cracks in the supported wall, fingers crossed they won't get any worse. It's really starting to take shape now!

Windows and doors

Another day and another outstanding amount of progress! We now have our sink window and the outline of where the French doors will be. I think the view of the garden will be amazing when we're sat at the dinner table. There were a few more holes in the house today, but still no props... I'll sleep easy again tonight knowing the house isn't going to collapse.

Walls

Today seems to have been a very productive day. We have new walls, holes where there used to be walls, holes in the walls which used to have other stuff in them and finally, new walls in new holes...

They say that you learn something new everyday... Well today I learnt that I need a new draught excluder. The rag we've been stuffing under the door just didn't cut it against todays onslaught of dust. People told us to expect dust in a renovation house, but this seems a touch more than expected...

Dedication

Well it's a Saturday and the builders have been! The concrete that was supposed to arrive yesterday afternoon couldn't get here until this morning and so they had to give up one of their days off! when the concrete did arrive, he hadn't brought the right amount and so there's still a hole under the house, but the majority of it went into laying or new floor.

Monday will be an eventful day, they're coming to prop the second floor so that demolition can start. Sleeps nights ahead I think...

Hole

We've got a hole under our house... I feel slightly concerned! Hopefully it'll be filled tomorrow and then it'll be on to demolition!

Floor

I'm no expert, but it looks like the makings of a floor to me!

Amazed

I'm truly amazed that any work got done today with the weather we've had! Horrific winds and torrential rain, yet we came home to the beginnings of a wall! It's so exciting!

Supplies

Supplies have arrived! If the weather holds up, we should have the beginnings of a wall tomorrow!

The rest of the underpinning was finished today, hopefully that'll be sufficient for the mammoth steel that's due to go in in the next few weeks.

Footings

Only three days into the build and already we've had concrete poured! It feels like the build is coming along amazingly quickly!

Only one small problem found so far: the corner of the existing building didn't really have proper foundations... a bit of digging and some extra concrete and problem solved!

The only other event really was the quick decision that needed to be made as to whether we wanted deeper foundations or a tree removing. We've removed 5 trees already, what's one more?

Theft!

Someone stole our conservatory and patio!

Extension day 1

Ok, so we've been living in the house for 3 months now and had just got settled into a relatively normal way of life again; which means it's time to turn or lives upside down again with an extension!

After weeks of torrential rain and fears that the extension would never get started, the day had finally arrived and it sends to be dry (for now...) Fingers crossed the weather will be kind to us!

The kitchen has been temporarily squashed into the study, albeit without any actual cooking methods. All the food is in there so It'll function as the preparation area to then be cooked outside on camping stoves and the BBQ. What fun!
Here's to another three months of disruption...

Paul