The CAD drawing of our stairsThis has proved to be an interesting week, not least because unknown to us our Polish stairmaker has already started production of the stairs. Delivery in 2 to 3 weeks Chris (unpronounceable surname) advised. Wow - how good is that? We're really looking forward to the installation - it'll make such a difference to the living room. We've opted for the side stringers to be painted white, but with oak treads and handrails. There will be a glass infill between the handrails and the stringer, matched by an oak handrail and glass along the upper floor edge.
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With a gentle prod or two, Andy the electrician had sub-contracted the fitting of the downlighters to Dave Bacon - brother of Roy, our project manager. Dave is a sprightly 70 year old who scampers up and down ladders like a thirty year old. By Tuesday night, nearly all the downlighters were in place. Fortunately, the wall lights arrived this week too, and Andy returned yesterday to fit more sockets plus the wall lights (both internal and external). An unexpected arrival was Mick the alarm man who finished off the wiring and fitted movement sensors in the house and garage. He's just waiting for the power to be switched on before he can fit the control panel and test out the system.
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Our bathroom fitter and tiler visited Wednesday night to see how things were but advised that the house was still too damp to be able to consider tiling yet. They want to see some heating on for a couple of weeks before that start. As we'd had the same message from the kitchen fitter, it seemed like Darren the plumber would need to get his skates on.
Our bathroom fitter and tiler visited Wednesday night to see how things were but advised that the house was still too damp to be able to consider tiling yet. They want to see some heating on for a couple of weeks before that start. As we'd had the same message from the kitchen fitter, it seemed like Darren the plumber would need to get his skates on.
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So, on Thursday morning I called Darren. "Can't do it for 3 weeks" said Darren. "*$^*&^%£" said I! Darren agreed to see if he could "fit it in". Knowing that this "fitting in" would be unlikely (based on past experience) I decided to buy two convector heaters and use them instead. That would also need Andy the electrician to make sure we had power to the ring main. However, on my return after buying the two heaters, Darren phoned back to say that he had changed his schedule and that he would fit the boiler on Wednesday next week. Brilliant - anyone want two convector heaters? BUT, Darren went on to ask if we had the gas meter installed as this could take 6 weeks. Well, I didn't know as I had only just discovered that the key to the gas meter cupboard had been left locked in the gas meter cupboard. A lunchtime trip confirmed my fears - no meter. Pooh, pooh and Barney McGrew - the gas had been installed for over 4 months. My project manager should have been more on the ball about this. I'll check out the British Gas web site - that'll tell me what to do. The usual freephone and a couple of menu options later and Clive was asking me for my MPRN (?) number or he couldn't help. Apparently, Murphy, who installed the gas service to the house should have provided this unique reference number. A quick trip home to check the documents, but nothing like an MPRN number could be found. Phoning Murphys produced the number and I called British Gas back. After a 5 minute question and answer session Gladys Pugh told me that the meter would be installed next Friday. Great - I shall be at Wee House next week as I'm on leave, and Darren's rescheduling will not be wasted.
So, on Thursday morning I called Darren. "Can't do it for 3 weeks" said Darren. "*$^*&^%£" said I! Darren agreed to see if he could "fit it in". Knowing that this "fitting in" would be unlikely (based on past experience) I decided to buy two convector heaters and use them instead. That would also need Andy the electrician to make sure we had power to the ring main. However, on my return after buying the two heaters, Darren phoned back to say that he had changed his schedule and that he would fit the boiler on Wednesday next week. Brilliant - anyone want two convector heaters? BUT, Darren went on to ask if we had the gas meter installed as this could take 6 weeks. Well, I didn't know as I had only just discovered that the key to the gas meter cupboard had been left locked in the gas meter cupboard. A lunchtime trip confirmed my fears - no meter. Pooh, pooh and Barney McGrew - the gas had been installed for over 4 months. My project manager should have been more on the ball about this. I'll check out the British Gas web site - that'll tell me what to do. The usual freephone and a couple of menu options later and Clive was asking me for my MPRN (?) number or he couldn't help. Apparently, Murphy, who installed the gas service to the house should have provided this unique reference number. A quick trip home to check the documents, but nothing like an MPRN number could be found. Phoning Murphys produced the number and I called British Gas back. After a 5 minute question and answer session Gladys Pugh told me that the meter would be installed next Friday. Great - I shall be at Wee House next week as I'm on leave, and Darren's rescheduling will not be wasted.
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At 07.40 on Friday morning my mobile 'phone leapt into life - it was Adam - 20 minutes early - already at Brookvale and raring to go on the hedge planting. We rushed off to the house and set Adam off - only 150 items to plant. By 10.30, two cups of tea made, and an awful lot of chatter, we had all the shrubs planted and Jan could have written Adam's biography based on a rather one-sided conversation with him. Nevertheless, the shrubs look great with their canes and spirals. We just need some bark to cover up the border and keep the weeds down. We've bought a small supply from Homebase but Adam reckons we'll want 5 tons - sounds a lot but if we have to cover the border 3 inches deep with the stuff, we'll want an awful lot of 60 litre bags like the four we've bought.
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Jan got a bit carried away digging the area where we think we might plant vegetables. More rubble, weeds, and bramble roots have been unearthed and "skipped". Not content with the digging, Jan went on to finish the first coat of paint on the bedroom ceiling - bless her.
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I've been faffing about rather - taking down the temporary plywood covering on the mezzanine so that the Polish lads have an easier job fitting the stairs. However, I spent much of the day replacing rusted screws in the window fittings. Not quite sure how supposedly stainless screws rust, but I purchased some more from Ebay and went round checking the windows. I've also had to adjust many of the window stays and handles as some were ill-fitting. Does anyone do a good job?
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Tomorrow will see us put in a full day at Wee House - painting, gardening, filing holes in the screed (GRRRR) and so on. But with a week's leave I should be able to make some significant inroads into the painting, plus sanding and staining much of the skirting and architrave that Pete and Lee will use the following week.
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Jan & Rog
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