It’s all go here this week as we crack the whip to get our pounds of flesh out of all the different trades before they disappear for Christmas. What is it with this winding down palaver, anyone would think the holidays are upon us 😉
For the final time, my soon-to-be kitchen which has actually been a year long workshop was filled with windows and timber to be painted. Our contribution to festivities consist of these fab but somewhat lonely festoon lights strung across the metal ceiling. It’s a bit sad right, but next year will be different. I know. I said that last year!!
The first bay arrived too late to be fully painted before it went in which was a huge boo-boo on my part. It’s been about 100 times easier to get this lot undercoated then double top coated whilst all at warm ground level and not out in the December wind leaning off a scaffold. Painting timber windows before they get fitted is highly recommended by yours truly.
Another ace step forward has been the completion of all the intricate boarding and skimming on the first floor landing in the original part of the house. Once a low, dark space, we’ve opened it up to follow the angles of the roof and also framed the exposed brickwork. Not easy plastering work and it gave the boys a bit of a headache but it’s staring to look fabulous. This week will see the newly cast coving be re-instated at the wall to ceiling joint to add decorative detail.
As we were working on the painting of this landing space, we kind of got a bit carried away and started on the stairs. Totally not progressing the actual renovation in the sense of getting us a bathroom or another liveable room but very much representative of this renovation – one job leads to another ten.
I was wondering out loud what the side of the stairs would look like stripped of the old white paint and like a flash Mr M had his heat gun out. When a man gets his heat gun out that fast, you know he must really love you.
How beautiful are they?! Somehow whenever you strip paint from carved timbers, the decorative edges seem to sing out so much louder.
Singing happily in the shower next and I find myself a little obsessed with a product which I’ve seen used on OPPs (Other People’s Projects) but I was yet to use on one of mine – Kerakoll’s Nanodefense.
I wrote about them the other week as we’ll be using their timber grout here, but they have a whole host of other exciting building stuff available. This water based but rubberised finish is simply rolled or painted on, with special tape to seal gaps and corners. I’ll blog it properly for you in the NY but let me tell you, it’s a complete doddle to use and has sealed my first bathroom shower area like a dream, with all it’s mini walls (not yet built below) and potentially troublesome areas for water escape. Water is the bane of my life as a landlord and I’m determined we’ll have no leaks to floors below here at Moregeous Mansions. Cool tray as well huh, that’s the first Cono-Flat we’ve bought, a sexy, edge free little number with a ceramic white waste to keep us chrome free.
In the main bathroom, everything is now skimmed and ready for paint, with first fix done ready for tiling. I’m working out how best to frame the bath in the way I want it to featured and the detail for all the boxing off for pipework and heating tubes. But really, I just want a BATH AT MY OWN HOUSE!!
Nothing is straightforward though, and we’re concentrating on the extension shower area first because this bathroom will take a concerted design effort. The tilers are itching to get on with their side of things but realistically, it’s going to be post-Xmas for this room. I’d hoped for before but we’re already juggling work, family and life. This bathroom will have to wait!
Outside is literally a muddy mess. The final double height bay is going in which has meant new brickwork, foundation digging, hole making, wood cutting and roof forming.
The wind is still whistling through the temporary walls but you know what, we might just be all sealed up by Christmas Eve, for the first time since starting this mammoth reno in Autumn 2014. It’s been hard, at time hellish, but I’m pretty proud of what me n he have achieved. The inside is the easy bit and that’s what we’ll now be able to start focusing on with a passion. Will we have a living room and a shower by Christmas Day?
Maybe.
Will we have a great Christmas knowing we’ve now broken this reno’s back?
Yes!!
Congrats on almost being fully sealed and snug! It is coming along amazingly. Wish I’d known about he neoprene sealant before we did the bathroom – we were pretty hot on sealing everywhere with tape and used aquaboard, but this stuff just looks so easy – I’d have been slapping it on everywhere! 🙂
Have a great Christmas! x