Week 16, day 4: The penultimate day.
21st August 2014
Everyone did a very long day today, as they tried to finish everything so that in the morning the only jobs would be checking everything was finished. I got home from work early at about half past four, expecting to see them just before they left, but it was eight o'clock before they finally went!
Photo 1: The sofas were moved out of the lounge today, so that the ceiling could at last be plastered. I think the plasterers were putting it off as long as possible! With the sofas piled in the study, it meant for an uncomfortable 3 hours hanging around waiting for the builders to leave, with nothing to sit on.
The builder hung the last of the doors today, to the lobby. I admit, I didn't think it would actually get done, but it has - and we are really pleased with it. It is not a full with door, but it is certainly wide enough. We have a back gate and wide patio doors at the back to bring in anything really huge in the future. The inner wall in the lobby was cut down, and the electricity meter moved by the electrician so that it is flat on the outside wall, a move that has really opened the lobby up. The gas meter will stay where it is, but there is still a lot we can do with the lobby - when we get chance! The electrician also installed our new fuse box today, which seems massive compared to our old one.
Photo 2: The newly plastered lounge ceiling and the lobby door! Around the door still needs to be plastered.
Photo 3: Inside the opened out lobby. The little wall in the middle has the gas meter on the other side of it, but there should be space here to put a little seat/bench and some storage solutions, which is all you need for a lobby. The ceiling still has to be plastered. The main reason for doing this is that the floor is not insulated, and neither is the pitched roof. A lot of heat gets lost from this little area, so by shutting it off, we should make the house a bit more efficient.
Photo 4: The new fuse box and moved electricity meter.
Photos 5-7: More photos of the beautifully plastered ceiling downstairs!
Photo 8: Finally, the skip company came and removed the last skip leaving the driveway "clear". There is still a lot of stuff, but it will have to be taken to the tip.
Photo 9: The utility room ceiling was plastered and the tops of the wall made good, but the walls will have to be plastered tomorrow.
Photos 10-13: Upstairs, the electrician finished installing the sockets, switches and lights. This includes the switches in the main bedroom that will be next to the bed. We will both be able to control each other's wall lights, and on my side there is a switch for the main lights in the room - like being in a hotel. I like being able to do that in a hotel, so why not have it in my own house?
The electrician almost finished today, but will be back to finish off tomorrow. The plasterers still look like they've got loads to do, so they will definitely be back tomorrow! After they had left, we went round the house with a pen and some paper and noted down all the bits we didn't think were quite finished and emailed to the builder so that he could ensure he brings the right tools with him tomorrow after emptying our house of his tools tonight. It was quite a long list, of little things - hopefully they will get them all done.
Photo 1: The sofas were moved out of the lounge today, so that the ceiling could at last be plastered. I think the plasterers were putting it off as long as possible! With the sofas piled in the study, it meant for an uncomfortable 3 hours hanging around waiting for the builders to leave, with nothing to sit on.
The builder hung the last of the doors today, to the lobby. I admit, I didn't think it would actually get done, but it has - and we are really pleased with it. It is not a full with door, but it is certainly wide enough. We have a back gate and wide patio doors at the back to bring in anything really huge in the future. The inner wall in the lobby was cut down, and the electricity meter moved by the electrician so that it is flat on the outside wall, a move that has really opened the lobby up. The gas meter will stay where it is, but there is still a lot we can do with the lobby - when we get chance! The electrician also installed our new fuse box today, which seems massive compared to our old one.
Photo 2: The newly plastered lounge ceiling and the lobby door! Around the door still needs to be plastered.
Photo 3: Inside the opened out lobby. The little wall in the middle has the gas meter on the other side of it, but there should be space here to put a little seat/bench and some storage solutions, which is all you need for a lobby. The ceiling still has to be plastered. The main reason for doing this is that the floor is not insulated, and neither is the pitched roof. A lot of heat gets lost from this little area, so by shutting it off, we should make the house a bit more efficient.
Photo 4: The new fuse box and moved electricity meter.
Photos 5-7: More photos of the beautifully plastered ceiling downstairs!
Photo 8: Finally, the skip company came and removed the last skip leaving the driveway "clear". There is still a lot of stuff, but it will have to be taken to the tip.
Photo 9: The utility room ceiling was plastered and the tops of the wall made good, but the walls will have to be plastered tomorrow.
Photos 10-13: Upstairs, the electrician finished installing the sockets, switches and lights. This includes the switches in the main bedroom that will be next to the bed. We will both be able to control each other's wall lights, and on my side there is a switch for the main lights in the room - like being in a hotel. I like being able to do that in a hotel, so why not have it in my own house?
The electrician almost finished today, but will be back to finish off tomorrow. The plasterers still look like they've got loads to do, so they will definitely be back tomorrow! After they had left, we went round the house with a pen and some paper and noted down all the bits we didn't think were quite finished and emailed to the builder so that he could ensure he brings the right tools with him tomorrow after emptying our house of his tools tonight. It was quite a long list, of little things - hopefully they will get them all done.