Day 182 - Stairs and tiles

I've done a few bits and bobs this weekend.

I am still struggling on with the sockets and switches, filling in the gaps around them before I can make good and do the electrics. I have laid some more limestone flooring in the lobby and utility room and complted the carpentry work to finish the firt floor deck around the stairwell.

The bathrooms are almost done now barring the sinks and furniture (which have been delayed by a week) and a bit of grout (which we have run out of - more on its way for Tuesday). Jamie has also run the drain for the washing machine and tumble drier from the utility to the drain in the kitchen.

Next week is a busy one. The kitchen deliveries will start this week with all of the kit arriving ahead of next week's install, as should the bathroom sinks and furniture. EOn will be installing the electric meter on Tuesday and the electricians will be back to start hooking up all the tech in the utility room.

    

Day 180 - 2,500kg of Wood

Lots of work this week. I've finished all of the down lights now thanks to a fix to the sunroom roof leak, and I've also done all the outside lights too. The kitchen installer and surveyor have been down and done the final checks ahead of the kitchen install in just over a week, and Jamie has been cracking on with the boxing and tiling in all three bathrooms.

The sockets and switches are going on slowly. The plasterboard holes aren't the right size so I'm having to trim, plaster, sand and paint them before I can fit the electricals. A pain, but the ones I have fitted are looking great.

The wood floor arrived today as well and looks fabulous. I feel really sorry for the poor chap that had to carry all 2,500kg of it in from the drive to the sunroom.

Especially as that poor chap was me...

Oh, and we've achieved some council house chic - on Thursday we got our Sky dish. Classy!

        

Day 176 - We have water!

Anglia Water were onsite this afternoon and after digging up most of Wicken Hight Street we finally have water!

I finished all the down lights today together with the outside lights, and Jamie the plumber installed two of the toilets and built the boxing for the concealed cisterns.

    

Day 175 - Lighting Underway

Good news: I've made a good start on the down lights this weekend. I've done the whole ground floor minus the sun room and three bedrooms and the landing up stairs. I've also fitted six out of the twelve outside lights and a few other bits and pieces. Martha took her brush to the exterior door frames and woodwork - next step, gloss and a difficult decision over front door colour!

Bad news: we have had some damp spots on the sunroom ceiling, and it turns out to be a leak in the felt, hence no lights yet. I've spoken to the roofers and will be getting them back on site first thing this week.

But back to good news: EDF came on Friday and connected up the mains, so we're half-way to getting some power. Next step is EOn who will be coming on the 19th to install the meter. Anglia Water will be coming tomorrow to connect up the water supply, and all being well we should be getting the wood floor delivered this week too. Bathroom furniture arrives tomorrow.

It's coming along!

    

How do you solve a problem like lighting?

Right, its simple enough. You think, why not use the same light fitting throughout the house? That way, there is only one bulb to have in stock, and one fitting to choose, and with 73 needed, bulk discounts to make the most of.

Then you find out that building regs requires you to have 25% of your fixed lights as energy saving lights. So, you think, why not make them all energy saving? That will keep the electricity costs down, please the building inspector and be a great way to placate your environmentalist friends and distract them slightly from the amount of concrete in the foundations...

Well, it sounds simple, but its now a year later, and I've only just cracked it.

Here's the problem. You can't just use any only lights that claim to be energy saving. Crucially, they have to produce more than 40 lumens/watt. That is, kick out a minimum amount of light for a given amount of electricity. Now that rules out almost everything except two things:

1. Compact Fluorescent (but only the very latest ones)
2. LEDs

Now (2) is basically out immediately because they cost an absolute fortune, plus they also suffer from the problem that plagues (1) - colour temperature. That is, the colour of the light that comes out of them.

Both (1) and (2) want to kick out quite blue light which, whilst perfect for an operating theatre or late night off-licence, isn't really what you want in your living room.

And therein lies the challenge. Find a compact fluorescent down light that kicks out more that 40 lumens/watt and gives off a nice, warm light.

Luckily, I found one made by a company called Aurora (don't worry, I didn't pay that price...). They're very new (in fact, I was originally after dimmable versions, but they have been delayed as they aren't even in production yet!), but just what I'm after.

They kick out more light that a 50W halogen GU10 bulb but only consume 11W, and I've just unboxed 73 of them and mounted them into the fittings - it took me 2.5 hours...

And who says that building you're own home isn't glamorous?

  

Day 168 - Month of Power!

Right, we're on the home straight!

After a few weeks of putting everything into place, here's just a small sample of what's ahead in May:

- Electricity connection this Friday, meter installation on the 14th
- Water connection in the next seven days
- Electrical sockets and switches arriving in the next few days and going in over the next fortnight
- Wood flooring delivered next week with installtion w/c 18th
- Bathroom furniture and sinks arriving on Monday, with all bathrooms and plumbing complete by w/c 25th
- Kitchen installation w/c 25th

But back to what's happening right now.

The painting is almost finished as Paul has done an absolutely wonderful job - and fast! I've never seem someone paint so quickly! Final gloss work is going on this Friday.

Jamie the plumber is plodding along at his usual unhurried pace, but his tiling is looking good - plus I've given him the deadlines now so he knows what he has to do!

I've spent the past few weekends working on the limestone floor in the kitchen, utility and sunroom. As you can see, I've done the sealant and grouting now, and its looking very good. Once the heat pump is in place I can finish the utility and then finally the lobby. Quick tip though - don't be a tiler for a living. I'm still trying to regain the use of my wrists...

    

Day 163 - Slow Progress

I haven't updated the blog for a while as there has been a bit of slow progress.

I have been working on the ground floor applestone tiles, which are now complete and awaiting grouting this Thursday, but I've had a bit of a problem with the plumber and decorator both of whom were on haitus last week.

Work is back underway now, and the painting is coming along nicely, with the tiles starting to go on in the en suite.

We're getting there. Water and electricity should be online within the week and I've ordered all the sockets and switches ready to go on once the decorating is complete.

    

Day 158 - Kitchen Floor Underway

I made a start on the applestone floor this weekend. Its an enormous area so its taking me a while but its definitely looking good so far!

  

Day 156 - Stone Delivery

The natural stone tiles arrived this Thursday. A wonderful limestone from Turkey called Applestone for the kitchen, sunroom, utility and lobby, and a variety of slates from China and Brazil for the bathroom floors and walls.

With a full pallet of adhesive, grout and sealant the whole delivery weighed in at around 3,700Kg, all of which I had to move into the house.

That's my workout for the week!

    

Day 154 - We have stairs!

After the carpenter cried off from tackling the stair case, I dragged Andy down for the weekend and together we took on the challenge.

Armed with school boy carpentry and the vague memory of an engineering degree we made a start. Three hours in and we were confident enough to start cutting, glueing and screwing, and by the end of the day we had it pretty much done. I popped down on Sunday morning to finish off the details and voila: one staircase!

Next up: natural stone flooring. How hard can that be?