I believed it will be helpful to begin documenting our home renovation progress in a diary sequence. Whereas I’m hoping it’s going to present worth to anybody going via the identical course of, it’s additionally going to be considerably cathartic for me.
We’re a number of months into the renovation and progress feels… gradual. Plenty of ready for various trades and attempting to slot in DIY round an already hectic schedule.
There’s one other subject that has added to my DIY angst. My companion was clearly presupposed to be serving to me with the renovations – as was my dad as and when he may.
In the beginning of the 12 months, my poor dad fell and broke his leg. Two weeks later, my companion ruptured his ACL in a ski accident. Actually, these males will do something to get out of DIY!
So, it’s all right down to me. I’m a one-woman band. Lord is aware of how I’m going to construct IKEA pax and transfer furnishings solo!
Sanding and filling
One of many first duties I tackled (and am nonetheless tackling) was the tedious job of filling and sanding the skirtings, architraves, window sills and partitions within the upstairs rooms.
I really feel like I’ve been doing it eternally and but I’m nonetheless nowhere close to completed. I’ve been utilizing an electrical sander the place doable – however my goodness the mud!
I used to be planning to get my companion to do all of the handbook sanding for the awkward bits that the electrical sander received’t attain. However now I’m going to have to seek out some elbow grease of my very own!
New combi boiler
One large job that has been ticked off the record is upgrading to a combi boiler. We ended up going with British Gasoline due to the curiosity free month-to-month repayments and I can’t fault their service.
It took three days to put in the system and up to now so good. One of many essential causes we wished a combi system was in order that we may do away with the water tank within the visitor bed room.
Plus, it frees up some area for storage within the loft by eliminating the tanks up there too.
Eradicating coving and plastering
The subsequent large job that’s now finished is plastering. We wished to get the ceilings plastered within the upstairs rooms and lounge as a result of they at present have some pleasant textured wallpaper.
We opted for overboarding somewhat than skimming so we didn’t need to take away the wallpaper, and in order that the cracks within the ceiling wouldn’t present via over time.
The one draw back to this was that we needed to take away the coving, which I did myself to attempt to avoid wasting cash.
It was all going easily till I unwittingly uncovered a giant black mould downside within the visitor bed room.
I’ve now handled the mould and we’re simply letting it dry out, so we’ve determined to carry off plastering on this room for now.
Plus, the builders will likely be placing the steels in via the wall on this room for the extension, so we could as properly do all of the plastering in a single go.
We predict the mould was from a historic leak that wasn’t correctly dried out – we checked within the loft and might’t see any lively leaks, plus the ceiling doesn’t really feel damp.
We additionally obtained one of many partitions in the master suite plastered because the builder eliminated an previous electrical hearth from the wall.
Lastly, the plasterers patched up some holes within the wall the place we moved a number of electrical sockets.
It’s all drying out as I write now, and I bought a small dehumidifier to assist the method.
Subsequent steps in our renovation
Apart from persevering with to fill and sand (why is it unending), these are the following steps I’m going to sort out over the approaching weeks:
- Base paints for the ceiling and partitions.
- Set up built-in IKEA pax in the master suite.
- Set up built-in dwelling workplace – I could do that with kitchen models.
- Change coving – uncertain what type to go for.
- Work out tips on how to take away radiators so I can paint behind them.
- Determine on paint colors then paint the master suite and residential workplace.
We must always hear again on our permitted growth utility for the extension on twenty second January.
I’m preserving all my fingers crossed that it will get authorised, after which we’ll set up a begin date in February for our builders to begin the extension.
So, keep tuned for the following diaries!
Extra dwelling renovation articles:
