The last of the snow?

No picture this week as the only room that has changed significantly is the lounge / diner, but as that is full of scaffold towers, ladders, and trestles it doesn't make a very good photo.



Anyway, during the week Bob the chippy has made dummy door shuts so that the plasterer has an edge to work to, boxed in the soil pipe in the en-suite bathroom, and built the airing cupboard. Latterly, he has been finishing off the bay by covering the steel supports with specially cut oak. Bob has also put panelling across the mezzanine and a small door so that we can't be accused of making a room there - its a loft m'lud! Once the planners have signed of the house we'll rip this panelling and studwork off and convert it into our guest room/ study. Stupid, isn't it, but that's the world of planners - we have to observe the letter of the planning permission, but once the house is signed off we can build extensions, add loft rooms, et al.



Steve, our Dot and Dabber, finished off the plasterboard today and what a difference that has made to the lounge / diner and kitchen - so much lighter now. Its surprising how the grey block work walls really absorbed the light. The great thing about Steve is that he is TIDY! No mess when he's gone - rooms have been swept and he puts all his rubbish in the skip. I wonder if I can get him to speak to Bob the chippy - his idea of tidy is to spread all his chippings, sawdust, and offcuts, evenly round all the rooms. Never mind - I cleared up Bob's mess today so Wee House is tidy for the moment.



Next week will see the end of Bob's work, and preparation for Tony Holland (us proper nouns have to stick together) our plasterer. Tony is a near neighbour and good friend and we know he will do an excellent job for us. He starts at the end of the week after next and will be doing two long weekend stints - Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for two successive weekends, so by mid February we should be well and truly plastered!



The coming week will also see a visit from Clive to discuss and quote for the floor screeding which will follow some of the plumbing work - getting the water and waste pipes in place before being covered by the screed. I've also got a meeting with Roy, our project manager come builder, to review the remaining groundwork jobs - widening the driveway entrance, digging the BT trench, and levelling the garden off prior to getting lorry loads of new topsoil.



One little irritating moment during the week was a meeting with Andy the electrician. When I said that we wanted flat plate light switches and sockets, he said that we couldn't because the wall boxes he had fitted were not deep enough. He gave me a trade catalogue and virtually every style of fittings required deeper wall boxes than had been fitted. Now why don't these tradespeople give you the choice before they start, rather than telling you how limited your selection is after the event? Anyway, after a surfing session with good old Google, I managed to find a range of good quality fittings that can use the shallower wall boxes fitted - so much for experts!

Jan & Rog