Day 32 - Woodwork

Marcus and Simon spent today finishing off the skirting boards and making the cupboards in the study area and other bits and pieces, most notable of which were the handrail and spindles for the upper part of the new staircase. That part is still not finished though as more decorative bits of wood need to be added. We are now at the point where all the woodwork to be done is fiddly and time-consuming, especially all the fire doors that need to be fitted throughout the house.

We also had a visit from the plumber who has been away in New Zealand for a few weeks. As a result of this, he can't get to us till next Monday to fit our bathroom and the radiators in the study and bedroom. But for the radiators and the bedroom door, the loft area is no longer a loft but a study and bedroom ready for decorating.

T.V. Aerial Revisited

Having spent a lot of time and money erecting a new telly aerial back in December, I've been rather disappointed by the results. My plan was to be able to receive transmissions from Crystal Palace rather than via the Bishop's Stortford relay. This has worked to some extent, but even with a big masthead amplifier the analogue signal is not really acceptable. I can get some of the digital channels with enough signal quality to watch, but until the switchover in three years I would like a better quality picture. With the scaffolding coming down in a week or so I've had to decide what to do - live with the set-up I've got now, or change it. I decided to keep what I've done so far - and add to it. The other transmitter I can use is Sudbury, so I bought a wideband aerial and pointed it over in that direction. This produces a half decent analogue picture, but due to the lower power on the digital side it doesn't give me enough signal to get a reliable picture on Freeview. I've diplexed the two aerials together so that I get channels 21-37 from Crystal Palace and 39-69 from Sudbury, put them through a variable masthead amplifier turned up full and then through a 4-way distributer to feed the loft, lounge, kitchen and the stereo. This gives the main four channels reasonably well from Sudbury, plus a variable channel 5 from Croydon (just behind Crystal Palace) and some of the digital from Crystal Palace. That should be OK up until the digital switchover - then I'll just have to hope that the increased power digital transissions will give me a useable signal from one side or the other. The fly in the ointment is the diplexer, which is not screened (apparantly no one makes a screened UHF+UHF diplexer). I noticed some interferance on the analogue channels, so I hope that won't lead to fatal crashes on the digital.

Day 31 - Plastering, Electrics, Woodwork

As promised, Jim (and assistant) were back this morning at 7.30 followed a short time later by Marcus and Simon.  Jim got stuck in with the last of the plastering and Marcus and Simon worked on the electrics - smoke alarm, sockets, lights, switches.  Jim was gone by 11am and Marcus and Simon left at 2pm after testing all the aforementioned and having started on the skirting boards and the bedroom door frame.  We then moved up some of the bathroom bits and pieces and put together the carcasses for the fitted units ready for the plumber next week.  It's really feeling like a proper room now and we are so close, but of course so far, as there will be lots of decorating to do. 

Day 30 - Let's Get Plastered!

Bright and early this morning (7.15am), Jim (the plasterer) and his team of 3 turned up and within minutes were busy working on their designated section of the loft and landings.  It was a long day for them and most of the areas they were working on were awkward.  However, they did a fantastic job.  A little bit still to do but Jim says he will come again tomorrow (Saturday) for a couple of hours and finish off.

Marcus and Simon drew the short straw with both of them having to be out of the way and therefore outside in the freezing wind and sleet.  They finished off the cladding and guttering etc. to the outside of the dormer, tidied up various bits and then headed off early as there was nothing more they could do with the plasterers in the way inside.  They will also come back tomorrow to finish off the electrics.

Day 29 - Cladding

Last night Marcus and Simon cleared out the bedroom and office areas so that the plasterers would have easy access to the walls and ceilings (fortunately as the bathroom has been completely done, they put everything in there) but in the end the plasterers didn't come today. However, they will be back tomorrow (3 of them! plus assistant) and if necessary will come on Saturday morning to finish off. Simon started work on the electrics and the smoke alarms (which need to be run off the mains and connected to each other on each floor) while Marcus went to buy the cladding for the outside of the dormer. A little later, Marcus was out on the scaffolding in the rain/sleet putting it up. A very cold and wet job today for Marcus but a nice warm and dry one for Simon!

Day 28 - Last of the plasterboarding

Marcus has already cut a channel in the wall of one of the bedrooms (for mains to go down to the fuse board in the outside cupboard) on the first floor which was plastered over yesterday, and today they finished the other plasterboarding that needed to be done. This included some on the wall by the stairs, part of the bedroom wall and also the whole of the first floor landing ceiling (covering over the loft hatch). Holes for the lights and sockets and switches were cut where the plaster has been done and ordering of other bits and pieces that are required for the project.

Day 27 - Plasterboarding and Plastering

The doorbell went at 7.45am this morning and I thought that'll be Marcus, but in fact it was Jim the plasterer with his assistant Darren. They were unable to get to their Tuesday job because of the weather so had checked with Marcus that they could come and get started on our job. Nice surprise. We now have a fully plastered bathroom, bedroom ceiling and landing area. They'll be back on Thursday.

Marcus and Simon turned up just after the plasterers. They carried on with more plasterboarding and various other bits. The last bits of plasterboarding will be done tomorrow - including the first floor landing where the loft hatch is.