All we need now are some logs

The new wood burner

Brookvale Harbour?
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I waited a few days for the sprinkler company to advise when they might try the uprated pump, but in the end I had to 'phone (no real surprise there then). After much background muttering I was advised "Wednesday 4th August". So that's D Day then - not sure what we'll do if it doesn't work (don't really want to think about that!)

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Our vinyl flooring and sisal carpet man arrived on cue on Tuesday, and following an emailed quotation that arrived on Wednesday, we've agreed to Karndean flooring in the kitchen, bathroom and utility room, and a rather fetching sisal carpet for the hall. Whilst I knew that the vinyl floor would be glued down, I hadn't expected that the same would apply to the sisal carpet. Apparently the underlay is glued to the screed and then the sisal carpet glued to the underlay. Fitting is due 20th to 24th August.

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Wednesday was stove day and I made certain I was at Brookvale well before the stated 08.30 arrival time. By 09.30, and no sign of the fitter, I was getting bored, but I knew the stove shop didn't open until 10.00 so couldn't call them. At 09.45 the fitter arrived, unaware that he was due at 08.30. By 11.45 he had finished and was gone. Only then did I realise that the stove fitted was not the one we ordered! We had ordered one with side glass panels, but as the stove fits nicely within the fire opening, the glass panels would have been rather lost so for once it looks like we have accidentally got a better option as we both prefer the model fitted. It does look good in the opening and its oval shape fits well with the shape of the fire opening and hearth.
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Andy the electrician eventually arrived last weekend and has completed all but one job - connecting the telephone point. It appears that he laid all the telephone cables in from ground floor to the mezzanine when the house was just a shell. However, the cable that arrives at the mezzanine does not appear to be connected to the cable downstairs. Andy is very puzzled and I can shed no light on the problem so it looks like Andy will have to crawl into the roof opening and try to find out what's gone wrong. Quite funny really as he sub-contracted much of the completion work to another sparks, partly because he didn't want to crawl into the roof space...
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I've spent the early part of the week making good gaps and cracks - applying sealer to the gaps under the skirting boards, and cutting and fitting quadrant shaped moulding around windows and doors. The only problem with the sealer is that it makes the house stink. Hopefully it will wear off.
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Rather bored with the aforementioned jobs, or possibly high on the fumes of the sealer, I decided that I would sort out the garage as it had become the repository of things useful, things not immediately useful but possibly of some value, and downright rubbish. After a couple of hours the skip was becoming full and the floor of the garage was nearly clear. I had fitted plywood onto the roof timbers to create a second floor and then was able to store away those "valuable things that we'll never use".
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Friday saw me laying a brick edge for a pathway that will run from the house to the garage. As the area had been covered in a hardcore called MOT and compacted with a roller, it wasn't easy digging out a small trench for the brick edging. In the end I found a small bricklayer's trowel to be the ideal implement to clear away the hardcore but couldn't help feeling like Phil from the Time Team as I did so. (apart from the fact that my hair isn't as long as his, my waist line is definitely smaller, and I don't have a west country accent).
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John Lewis telephoned me on Thursday as they had received our acceptance of their carpet quotation. I was surprised and somewhat irritated when asked how I would pay the advance payment, when they said that cheques were not acceptable, despite the fact that this payment has to be received by John Lewis 7 days before fitting (plenty of time to clear a cheque). What happened to the John Lewis service we hear so much about? Only debit and credit cards are acceptable it appears. I've a good mind to go to their Welwyn Garden City branch with a bucket of £1 coins. I wonder if they would refuse to accept it?
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Got a bill for £220 from Central Beds Council today for the building control inspector's visit to check the Velux window installation. Given that he was there for about 10 minutes it looks like the inspector's earning potential is over £1300 an hour. Not bad eh?
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Roast chicken looms nearer as "the boys" (our neighbours two cockerels) are becoming a real pest. They seem to have taken a liking to the flower bed in front of the house and spend part of each day scratching away at the soil or pecking the plants. Even when I chase them away they return as soon as my back's turned. Cheeky monkeys!
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I went to a local joiner today and chatted through our rough design for the fitted wardrobe. He's going to email us a price early next week. Trouble (for us) is he's quoting 13 weeks delivery. Lucky man obviously has loads of work. We've asked a couple of other people to respond on fitted wardrobes but they're too busy - where's this recession then?
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Jan & Rog

Dab doesn't deliver

After Derek Dixey's visit last week I've been chasing his technical man at Dab and finally spoke to him on Tuesday. Bad news - they don't have a suitable pump so its back to the drawing board with our sprinkler supplier and the usual 3 day wait for responses to emails/telephone calls. Our other potential supplier has simply vanished - no word from them at all. Obviously business is so good they don't need any more.
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Stove man (well actually, stove woman) called on Monday to say that they couldn't make this Wednesday to fit the woodburner, so its now Wednesday next week. Its not a particular problem but is does seem that few tradespeople can give a date and stick to it. Talking of which, Andy, our electrician, failed once again to turn up last week to finish off the few remaining jobs and has now promised to complete the work on Saturday. I've got the weekend off as I'm going to a big classic car event at Silverstone in "The Gnat" as my three wheeler has been dubbed by our neighbour, so Jan will be keeping an eye on Andy.
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Jan and I have continued to make good progress and I'm delighted to say that we have finished the decorating, and started to clean up. Next job - mastic all those nasty little gaps (and big gaps thanks to the screeders) to make sure that we pass the air pressure test.
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On Monday we witnessed something you don't see every day - a 26 foot sailing boat being lifted over our house by a mobile crane. Clive, who lives at number 4 Brookvale, decided to have his boat trailered to his garden so he could renovate it. Despite much planning, measurement and deliberation, the articulated lorry couldn't even negotiate the drive entrance, let alone get as close to Clive's garden as needed. After 20 minutes of huffing and puffing it was obvious the lorry couldn't get into the drive unaided so the crane had to be deployed to lift the trailer. This was much to the relief of a number of cars, lorries and the bi-weekly bus that had waited patiently as the lorry jiggled this way and that, blocking the road as it did so.
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In the end, with the lorry and boat as near as it could get, the crane parked on our parking area and lifted the boat over the house and garage. Not too sure what Clive thinks will happen when he's finished refurbishing the boat but I'm not going to be too keen on a ruddy great crane parked on our newly surfaced hard standing.
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John Lewis did turn up on Wednesday as promised and duly measured up for carpets. We've now got 4 or so weeks to wait before these will be laid. Next visit - vinyl flooring and sisal man - Tuesday next week. We must now get down to the serious business of sorting out fitted wardrobes as this will doubtless take a few weeks.
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Stop press - the sprinkler company have found what they believe is a suitable pump and will order one and fit it. If it doesn't do the job they won't charge us. Service at last!

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Jan & Rog

Dab's Derek Dixey drives down from Dereham

The infamous bathroom wall

Dab is the manufacturer of the pump that lives in our rainwater harvesting tank - the pump that isn't up to the task of delivery the flow and pressure that the sprinkler system needs. Derek Dixey is Dab's area rep who came to see me on Tuesday to check what was what, and see if a more powerful pump would solve the problem. From his very comprehensive catalogue it seems that there are a number of more powerful pumps that have the right characteristics. However, one of Dab's technicians needs to check that the flow and pressure can be achieved with the pipework we have in place. So I wait...... as I've waited to hear from the alternative sprinkler company who sounded so good last week, but who now seem to have given up as I've heard no more from them. Likewise my existing supplier who hasn't stirred this week. Ho hum, lots of rude words.
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Having been told by my sprinkler company that we had to have the smoke detectors connected to the sprinkler system I decided to check if this was the case. Step forward the National Association of Fire Suppression Systems, and their affable expert - who promptly advised that there is no requirement to connect the smoke detectors to the sprinkler system. So that's £150 saved then. Don't you just love suppliers you can depend on?
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Moving on - the week has seen Jan and me painting and varnishing furiously - well, enthusiastically perhaps. The bedroom is now painted, as is the lounge, and the first coat of varnish applied to the woodwork in the study, lounge, bedroom and kitchen. The hall is complete - one room done at last!
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I had painted one wall in our bathroom in a deep red vinyl silk paint that matched the tiles and cupboard front. Because of the pigment being so strong I had masked off the woodwork. Due to the poor coverage I had to apply about five coats of paint, but when I removed the masking tape it lifted the paint - all five coats - in one piece from a large part of the wall. For some reason it had failed to adhere to the plaster and in no time at all, the wall was entirely devoid of paint as I easily pulled it all off. The only answer was to apply a sealing coat of Unibond and try again. This I did this week and we how have a much better finish which doesn't look like peeling off. Five coats of matt paint later and all seems OK this time.
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Stove man is coming on Wednesday next week to fit the wood burner, and Mr John Lewis is also due to measure up for carpets. The following week our local floor covering specialists are due to measure up for the floor tiles and sisal carpet in the hall.
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We've hummed and harred about fitted wardrobes and looked endlessly at web sites to see if we can find something that we like, and that fits in with the fabric of the bedroom. Not much joy so far so may have to try a bespoke wardrobe firm.
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Sunday afternoon update - lounge and kitchen now finished (decorating), and most of the bathroom and shower room done

Jan & Rog

Is the Great Wall of China long enough...

The newly laid hearth

The room in the roof now finished

What a frustrating week.

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Angela from the sprinkler company did not have the opportunity to find out if I was a crabby old git because she didn't turn up on Monday. Despite being told that she would be on site at 10.30, there was no sign of her by 11.45 so I telephoned her office where they displayed a remarkable lack of knowledge of Angela's actual, or even intended, movements. They promised to phone back and let me know what was what. By 14.30 I hadn't heard so called again. This time it was a different person, but the same lack of knowledge. I waited on hold for ages to be eventually told that Angela had experienced a family emergency and that was why she hadn't appeared, but no-one at the sprinkler company had been informed of this. No apology and no suggestion about rescheduling a visit. You won't be surprised to hear that I then engaged "extreme crabby old git" guise. Eventually, when I had run out of things to moan about I was told that the MD would phone me back. This doubtless would be on the same basis that I had been told he would "phone me back" at least 12 times in the last 4 weeks only to receive an email, usually three days later. Sure enough, no call but a rather more prompt email. My response to his email elicited another email from him with the line "don't take your frustrations out on me". Unbelievable!

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In the ensuing email exchange some other facts emerged - two of which relate to our erstwhile building surveyor's lack of attention to detail. Firstly, the flow and pressure requirements of the sprinkler system were clearly identified to him but he chose to only regard the pressure as being important. Secondly, he ignored the fact that Fire and Rescue now insist that smoke alarms are linked to the sprinkler system so that they sound the alarm when the sprinkler system activates. You'll forgive me for being a little cynical here, but I think we'd know that the sprinkler system was activated without the need for an audible alarm because we'd be bloody soaked! Anyway, its a mandatory requirement that should have been factored into the design and wasn't. It will now cost us more money to replace the existing alarms with wireless ones as that's now the only way of linking to the sprinkler system. To add insult to injury, the MD of the sprinkler company told me that a site visit wasn't now necessary anyway because it would only confirm what he'd already told me - that the best solution was an upgraded pump. He now realised that a booster pump wouldn't work - something both I and my plumber had said as soon as it was suggested. There was still the question of the pipe diameter that fed the sprinkler system which the engineer had said was too small. The MD said that it wasn't ideal but would probably be OK. Now that really inspired me with confidence. His final shot was that I should contact the pump supplier who would send out a man to site. The telephone number he gave me was a fax, and when I did find the right number and contacted them they knew nothing about it and referred me to their area rep. Guess what - he's on holiday until the end of July according to his voice mail.

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Apart from the foregoing, two other issues convinced me that I should look elsewhere for a company to provide the commissioning of the sprinkler system - the appalling lack of communication internally within the existing supplier's organisation, and their reluctance to respond to telephone messages which usually results in a three day turnaround to questions. Time to look elsewhere I thought. A quick Google and I found a national company that seemed very keen to help and promised an engineer at site the following day to check it all out. The engineer would call me on my mobile one hour before arriving at site. That sounds a bit more like it. But by 16.00 on the allotted day - no engineer. I phoned the head office to be eventually told that the engineer had over-run on a previous job and wouldn't get to me. It would be rescheduled. Brilliant - lots of gloss and no action. The trouble with this situation is that I cannot get the air pressure test done until the sprinkler system is commissioned as the main control elements are in the roof space which can only be accessed through the cupboard and then a rather difficult crawl in the limited gap left as the roof meets the walls. This opening needs to be sealed if the air pressure test is to get anywhere near the target.

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Tile cutting man did his usual as well - got confused over instructions and didn't telephone me when he had cut the tiles for the hearth. I called on Monday afternoon to enquire about progress, to be informed that they were finished on Saturday and were waiting for me. Whatever happened to customer service?

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We now have at least three more candidates for the Great Wall of China shooting gallery!

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Talking of people to shoot, I spent an hour applying silicone sealer to the gaps beneath the skirting in the living room and have used up three tubes so far, but not finished. This is due to the uneven surface that our useless screeders have left us with. It seems that wherever there is a radiator, the screeders couldn't be bothered to level the screed off and it dips noticeably. In one place there is a gap of 15mm - not evident after the screed was finished, but highlighted by the straight edge of the underside of the skirting.

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Despite the foregoing saga of sprinkler systems, I have managed to get the hearth tiles laid and grouted so that the stove can be installed. The main problem we're now running into is the holiday season as not only is Pump man away, but so too is Stove man (until next week). I guess we'll experience more holiday delays over the next two months.

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I spent Friday cutting and fixing the architrave and skirting in the attic room (now to be called the study we've decided), and followed this with two coats of varnish so this room is finished apart from a couple of electrical fittings that Andy has to install.

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Jan and I spent the weekend painting the bedroom - the ceiling is now finished at long last, and most of the walls have two coats of "Whisper of Dramatic". Where do these paint manufacturers get these pretentious names from? Its actually a rather pleasant and subtle pale grey, but I reckon the marketing person responsible for that name had been at the wacky baccy the day they came up with it.

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We've finally managed to find time to think about flooring and after only a couple of days have surprised ourselves with decisions on the flooring for the all the rooms. The kitchen, bathroom and utility room will have Karndean tiles, sisal for the hall - all from a local supplier in Shefford. We've chosen John Lewis loop pile wool carpets for the living room, study and bedroom.

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Ever the optimist I'm hoping that we will hear from one of the sprinkler people this week and get things moving. We should also hear when the stove is to be fitted too. Time for a beer I think....

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Jan & Rog

We may be making some headway...

The newly painted attic room

By Friday this week I was ready to hang "Sprinkler man" from his own pipework. Despite numerous telephone calls and emails from me, and promises of responses by various of his employees, "the man" remained obstinately silent. So, Friday was my D Day. I telephoned asking for the man. I received the now familiar response of "I'll see if he is available" (which translated means I know he doesn't want to speak to you, but I have to check for today's excuse). After some considerable time on hold I was asked if I was telephoning to arrange a planner to visit site. My response that it was the latest in a long line of requests was lost on the receptionist, or ignored, and I was told that a planner could come next week. "Monday it is then" I said, and this was agreed. So, in theory, Angela is due with me at Brookvale at 10.30 on Monday to survey what we have and then propose the complete solution. Why such a simple response couldn't have been put in place three weeks ago is a mystery. Presumably Angela will be expecting to meet some crabby old git called Roger. Probably not far wrong there as my patience with this outfit is exhausted!
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Yet more rubbish service from the water cutting specialist. Having promised me that the tiles would be cut and ready last Monday, I was told when I telephoned that they hadn't been done but would be ready on Wednesday. So, on phoning on Thursday morning and told by the second in command that they hadn't even been started and wouldn't be until Friday, had me twitching. Having insisted that they be started immediately, and been promised that they would be, I received a call from the main man. "We're very busy; machine loaded for another job; can't take it off; been working for 48 hours without sleep; have a current wife, two ex-wives, and eighteen children, to feed". (actually, the last one's fiction, but you get the point). Translated, this equates to "I'm rubbish at estimating; I take no notice of what people say when asking for completion dates; I would prefer to be doing anything else but talking to you at the moment".
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As I hadn't heard from the stove company that our wood burner had arrived from Denmark I agreed to a slip of the delivery date for the tiles to Monday next. Hardly had I put the phone down to the tile cutter when the stove company phoned to say that the wood burner was now in stock and ready to be fitted. I sincerely hope that the tile cutter meets his latest deadline otherwise he'll join the sprinkler man on the pipework. Jan has a different approach to me - she would line up along the Great wall of China the various people who have given us grief. There they would be unceremoniously shot. Not overly subtle, but I can see her point!
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With the cancellation of our trip to France we have managed to complete a number of jobs "on the list". The attic room is now all but finished as Jan and I gave it a couple of coats of white emulsion, and so too is the bedroom ceiling - a daunting task for one, but we worked side by side and managed to cover the whole ceiling in two hours this afternoon. Jan then busied herself cleaning up whilst I filled in a number of holes where the plaster had popped, and touched up the paint here and there. We've noticed something rather odd about white emulsion paint - the standard white Dulux paint we used in the attic room is actually far whiter than Homebase's Brilliant white. The difference between the living room ceiling and the attic room is quite pronounced. Am I going to do anything about it? - NO!
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Andy the electrician appeared on Saturday and has nearly finished the attic room, but we appear to have over ordered some items and not ordered enough of others, so we are short a telephone master socket and a 2 gang electrical socket which I need to order from Screwfix tomorrow. Once I receive these items Andy has promised to come back and finish off, as well as providing the all-important certificate for the building inspector.
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And so tomorrow should see our sprinkler lady appear - a situation I'll believe when I see it. I should also hear from Tile man too - I wonder if I will?

Jan & Rog