Here's a quick walk around the ground floor
Showing posts with label lights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lights. Show all posts
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Lights
Well, we had a sparky........ he arrived Saturday 18th at 7.45 and we said 'can you leave the lights and get the boiler onto it's own power please...'. So he connected the signal wire to the UH1 control box downstairs and found the other end in the loft. We left him at about 9.30 sat in the loft contemplating the spaghetti of cables.
When we got home at 1 he was gone! The job was too big for him, especially as he planned to work at weekends only...
Anyway, we called EPS back and they started on the Tuesday. And now we have lots of lights everywhere.
These are the island lights - once the breakfast bar is fitted (a 3.6m x 60cm lump of wood according to Sarah!) they will not be an HS&E hazard any more!
Another remarkably similar light above the dining table. Plus one of the wall lights - we have four around the walls, and four more on a dimmer on the pillar. And it turns out these alone are enough to light the room, but now we have the ability to 'set the mood'... I can't see us ever turning all the lights on - there's over 3kW in here!!!!!!
Anyway, Geoff is pressing on with the kitchen. We have doors on most of the cupboards and Blum TandemBox drawers with auto-close for our pots and pans. Both of the ovens, the extractor and the fridge are on proper power although we're waiting for a grid switch for the oven isolators.
We now have lights in our master bedroom (piccies when it's a bit tidier!) and FINALLY - lights in the en-suite. We've opted for ceiling fans with in-line fan units for both the ensuite and bathroom so the wall units will be going back. That said, we used the tube and outside grill for the tumble drier!
When we got home at 1 he was gone! The job was too big for him, especially as he planned to work at weekends only...
Anyway, we called EPS back and they started on the Tuesday. And now we have lots of lights everywhere.
These are the island lights - once the breakfast bar is fitted (a 3.6m x 60cm lump of wood according to Sarah!) they will not be an HS&E hazard any more!
Another remarkably similar light above the dining table. Plus one of the wall lights - we have four around the walls, and four more on a dimmer on the pillar. And it turns out these alone are enough to light the room, but now we have the ability to 'set the mood'... I can't see us ever turning all the lights on - there's over 3kW in here!!!!!!
Anyway, Geoff is pressing on with the kitchen. We have doors on most of the cupboards and Blum TandemBox drawers with auto-close for our pots and pans. Both of the ovens, the extractor and the fridge are on proper power although we're waiting for a grid switch for the oven isolators.
We now have lights in our master bedroom (piccies when it's a bit tidier!) and FINALLY - lights in the en-suite. We've opted for ceiling fans with in-line fan units for both the ensuite and bathroom so the wall units will be going back. That said, we used the tube and outside grill for the tumble drier!
Friday, 25 January 2008
Completely Plastered.....
The rear porch is the only major bit of build left to do. We're going for a flat roof to save some money, but the top half is conservatory style - just waiting for it to come from the window company and be fitted.
Here is the cupboard at the top of the stairs. It's a bit smaller than we hoped because the landing needed cutting down to give us clearance up the stairs for building regs, but the cupboard in the bathroom is pretty big which will make up for it.
The ensuite. It looks a bit cramped on the photo, but it isn't in the flesh - the gap into the cubicle is 800mm wide.
This is the secret door at the bottom of the stairs so we can get things up without going round corners.
The main room - not my best photo, but it's all plastered now.
The new front door - it's brown on the outside to match the windows.
All those wires..... New consumer unit is huge to accommodate them all.
The new drain outside. Inspected and passed yesterday so ready to be finished off.
All of this is (almost) just in time. The fridge comes tomorrow, the appliances Monday and the bath on Tuesday. Flooring is booked in for 16th feb - we've found a really good deal on Amtico at T J Flooring (via eBay)
Honey Oak - Ground floor (except snug):
Ceramic dark tiles - bathroom floor:
Here is the cupboard at the top of the stairs. It's a bit smaller than we hoped because the landing needed cutting down to give us clearance up the stairs for building regs, but the cupboard in the bathroom is pretty big which will make up for it.
The ensuite. It looks a bit cramped on the photo, but it isn't in the flesh - the gap into the cubicle is 800mm wide.
This is the secret door at the bottom of the stairs so we can get things up without going round corners.
The main room - not my best photo, but it's all plastered now.
The new front door - it's brown on the outside to match the windows.
All those wires..... New consumer unit is huge to accommodate them all.
The new drain outside. Inspected and passed yesterday so ready to be finished off.
All of this is (almost) just in time. The fridge comes tomorrow, the appliances Monday and the bath on Tuesday. Flooring is booked in for 16th feb - we've found a really good deal on Amtico at T J Flooring (via eBay)
Honey Oak - Ground floor (except snug):
Ceramic dark tiles - bathroom floor:
Friday, 4 January 2008
Update 4/1/08
Well, what has happened since december 6th.... A lot and not a lot.
The sparky installed the majority of the cables in the lounge, including runs to the rear hall and bedrooms for new sockets etc. He reckons he's installed about 1km of cable - a typical houses worth in one room. We have 7 lighting circuits in there, 3 TV points and 10 sockets, plus controls for some of the outside lights and the thermostat for the UFH.
The ceiling has been insulated and most of the room is plasterboarded, as is most of the kids play room and some of the front hall.
The oil ran out in the middle of december leaving us with no heating again.... bloody cold. So we arranged for a delivery but since it was only a day before we were going away we asked the guys to switch the heating on a few days before the new year to give it all time to warm up......
When we got back on new years day, we had no heating and no power. We fiddled with the fuses and got the lights on but no cooker. It turns out that the boiler had sprung a leak all over the electronics box that controls it... Geoff tried to get it going with no luck. The following day he tried to bypass the controls since we just want the boiler on all day, but it gave up completely so we have no heating at all now - just 3 fan heaters, and with no internal doors, they have no chance.
Yesterday we moved into a Travellodge.... and today Geoff found someone to get the new boiler going on weds so we'll stay in the hotel until then - fingers crossed all will come good.
The rear porch is now down ready for measuring by the window firm to put the door, windows and roof line together. Hopefully that won't take for ever as it's a gap in the outside of the building and in this weather it makes the heating seem to struggle. Oh, and the new drain for the cloakroom is coming so the back of the house can be tackled soon. Now the boiler is dead, we may as well get that and the little wooden stove behind it taken out so the utility is a bit clearer. Would be good to get a washing machine again...... and there are connection points already under the sink in there.
We have ordered the bath and taps (Thanks Dean!!!) Thats coming later in january, as is the new bed. Sarah has been painting the skirting boards in the bedroom and dressing room and the ensuite walls. Apart from the towel radiator, the ensuite is ready for the new boiler (the old tank had too little hot water pressure for the mixer taps). We have a loo in the bathroom (waiting a cold feed, but plumbed to the soil pipe).
Apart from the heating, we are over the worst of it, but the heating really put a dampner on things and I lost my rag with Geoff a bit....... Once the new heating and electrics are in place, things should start to improve rapidly. The landing has been trimmed to give us the clearance up the stairs for building regs and the door casings are going in downstairs.
The plasterboard makes a big difference - when it's not freezing it is actually starting to feel like a house..
I would strongly recommend getting a caravan if you are doing anything this big. Although Geoff has tried to keep the place habitable, keeping the services up has been a struggle, and unless you like roughing it (and have no kids) it's not worth the hassle - plus it slows the building down. Had I really known what was coming, I would have bought a cheap caravan, stuck it in the back garden and skipped it at the end of the job, but there we go - hindsight is great.
Photos when I can get new batteries in the camera and a computer to load them onto!
The sparky installed the majority of the cables in the lounge, including runs to the rear hall and bedrooms for new sockets etc. He reckons he's installed about 1km of cable - a typical houses worth in one room. We have 7 lighting circuits in there, 3 TV points and 10 sockets, plus controls for some of the outside lights and the thermostat for the UFH.
The ceiling has been insulated and most of the room is plasterboarded, as is most of the kids play room and some of the front hall.
The oil ran out in the middle of december leaving us with no heating again.... bloody cold. So we arranged for a delivery but since it was only a day before we were going away we asked the guys to switch the heating on a few days before the new year to give it all time to warm up......
When we got back on new years day, we had no heating and no power. We fiddled with the fuses and got the lights on but no cooker. It turns out that the boiler had sprung a leak all over the electronics box that controls it... Geoff tried to get it going with no luck. The following day he tried to bypass the controls since we just want the boiler on all day, but it gave up completely so we have no heating at all now - just 3 fan heaters, and with no internal doors, they have no chance.
Yesterday we moved into a Travellodge.... and today Geoff found someone to get the new boiler going on weds so we'll stay in the hotel until then - fingers crossed all will come good.
The rear porch is now down ready for measuring by the window firm to put the door, windows and roof line together. Hopefully that won't take for ever as it's a gap in the outside of the building and in this weather it makes the heating seem to struggle. Oh, and the new drain for the cloakroom is coming so the back of the house can be tackled soon. Now the boiler is dead, we may as well get that and the little wooden stove behind it taken out so the utility is a bit clearer. Would be good to get a washing machine again...... and there are connection points already under the sink in there.
We have ordered the bath and taps (Thanks Dean!!!) Thats coming later in january, as is the new bed. Sarah has been painting the skirting boards in the bedroom and dressing room and the ensuite walls. Apart from the towel radiator, the ensuite is ready for the new boiler (the old tank had too little hot water pressure for the mixer taps). We have a loo in the bathroom (waiting a cold feed, but plumbed to the soil pipe).
Apart from the heating, we are over the worst of it, but the heating really put a dampner on things and I lost my rag with Geoff a bit....... Once the new heating and electrics are in place, things should start to improve rapidly. The landing has been trimmed to give us the clearance up the stairs for building regs and the door casings are going in downstairs.
The plasterboard makes a big difference - when it's not freezing it is actually starting to feel like a house..
I would strongly recommend getting a caravan if you are doing anything this big. Although Geoff has tried to keep the place habitable, keeping the services up has been a struggle, and unless you like roughing it (and have no kids) it's not worth the hassle - plus it slows the building down. Had I really known what was coming, I would have bought a cheap caravan, stuck it in the back garden and skipped it at the end of the job, but there we go - hindsight is great.
Photos when I can get new batteries in the camera and a computer to load them onto!
Wednesday, 14 November 2007
Bit chilly...
Firstly we gained a new door into the bathroom! This will be a cupboard, but it looks like it was the old doorway.
Here is the boiler and the tank - not much to show for the money, but looking like the most important purchase given the cold!
All the lights......
But here it is - our new, eco-friendly flooring in the lounge......
But at least Pip has started on the tiling - should look nice when they're cleaned! the funny knot at the bottom of the picture is part of the electrical-spaghetti for the bathroom.
Here is our new open-plan landing... I'm sure we were getting shallower stairs, not steeper ones...
Even Holly finds them a challenge!
I don't think we'll keep this layout
Here is the boiler and the tank - not much to show for the money, but looking like the most important purchase given the cold!
All the lights......
But here it is - our new, eco-friendly flooring in the lounge......
But at least Pip has started on the tiling - should look nice when they're cleaned! the funny knot at the bottom of the picture is part of the electrical-spaghetti for the bathroom.
Here is our new open-plan landing... I'm sure we were getting shallower stairs, not steeper ones...
Even Holly finds them a challenge!
I don't think we'll keep this layout
Wednesday, 7 November 2007
Problems
Received the single wall lights for the lounge (plus the doubles for the ensuite). Also got the lounge lights from Peter Morgan. We decided we preferred the lights from Peter and contacted Shades and Shadows to return theirs. They said no as there was nothing wrong with them. We said we didn't want them and would return them in line with their returns policy. They said they would charge a 20% restocking fee which wasn't in their terms and conditions and accused us of abusing the policy as the lights were correct as described and undamaged. We said no, under Distance Selling Regs you have to accept them back since we bought sight unseen and we wouldn't pay the restocking fee as it wasn't in their Ts & Cs. They said 'so we should lose the money because we sent you what you asked for' and 'don't contact us again'.
Simply put, I called the OFT and they said DSR regs meant they had to accept them back and if they wouldn't give me an address to send the lights back to, then to tell them they were available for collection at their cost. We were also advised to ask Paypal to recover the money. We shall see....
Simply put, I called the OFT and they said DSR regs meant they had to accept them back and if they wouldn't give me an address to send the lights back to, then to tell them they were available for collection at their cost. We were also advised to ask Paypal to recover the money. We shall see....
Sunday, 28 October 2007
More Shopping, less walls and water and gas
This is the biggest bargain from eBay. When it arrived it took me 30 seconds to work out what was in the box.... it's huge, nearly 2 foot high. The spray on the end is 4" long alone... and it weighs a ton!
Well, a few more purchase.... This was the light we found at Morgans, but when I saw this ex-display on eBay for half price I had to get it....
These are for over the mirror in the ensuite - we may put it upside down
We've got 8 of these, initially for the wall in the main room, but we may only use 6 or 4 of them and put the remainder in the bathroom. Shades and Shadows dropped the postage when we ordered this lot!
Sarah found these on eBay for the ensuite.
Again, eBay for the ensuite.
The fancy electronic controller took an unplanned dive when the shop were inspecting it (they were good enough to admit it before sending it so all credit to them), so we had to find an alternative. These retail at £300 but Plumbworld eBay some of there stuff too so we got it for £100!
Been a busy week in the house as well.... The extension first floor is now almost fully plasterboarded - all the more annoying that there is a bad leak over the bow window. The electric UFH is going into the ensuite and Sarah has gone mad at the tile shop! Black slate for the floor and gloss black for the walls! All the wiring is in up there too.... However....
The wall between the bathroom/office and the extension developed a huge crack on Wednesday. When the steel went in Geoff decided it was unsafe (we had agreed before that if it moved when the beam went in we'd have it rebuilt) so the whole wall has gone and they'll be rebuilding it this week. So the bath is 'freestanding' at the moment - and the shower is hanging in thin air. We have to clean our teeth downstairs or in the bath as the sink in the bathroom empties over the electric meter.... ooer...
The new water main was laid on friday as was the gas pipe. We should be getting connected to both next week sometime - the gas is scheduled for thurs/fri, but the water needs organising.
Loft floor is going in next week, ready for the boiler and tank (coming Tuesday - eventually) and then getting connected to the water/gas.
We have decided to get out for 2 weeks during November to get the remaining structural stuff done - mainly the floors and heating. Straight after that the kitchen needs to go in
Well, a few more purchase.... This was the light we found at Morgans, but when I saw this ex-display on eBay for half price I had to get it....
These are for over the mirror in the ensuite - we may put it upside down
We've got 8 of these, initially for the wall in the main room, but we may only use 6 or 4 of them and put the remainder in the bathroom. Shades and Shadows dropped the postage when we ordered this lot!
Sarah found these on eBay for the ensuite.
Again, eBay for the ensuite.
The fancy electronic controller took an unplanned dive when the shop were inspecting it (they were good enough to admit it before sending it so all credit to them), so we had to find an alternative. These retail at £300 but Plumbworld eBay some of there stuff too so we got it for £100!
Been a busy week in the house as well.... The extension first floor is now almost fully plasterboarded - all the more annoying that there is a bad leak over the bow window. The electric UFH is going into the ensuite and Sarah has gone mad at the tile shop! Black slate for the floor and gloss black for the walls! All the wiring is in up there too.... However....
The wall between the bathroom/office and the extension developed a huge crack on Wednesday. When the steel went in Geoff decided it was unsafe (we had agreed before that if it moved when the beam went in we'd have it rebuilt) so the whole wall has gone and they'll be rebuilding it this week. So the bath is 'freestanding' at the moment - and the shower is hanging in thin air. We have to clean our teeth downstairs or in the bath as the sink in the bathroom empties over the electric meter.... ooer...
The new water main was laid on friday as was the gas pipe. We should be getting connected to both next week sometime - the gas is scheduled for thurs/fri, but the water needs organising.
Loft floor is going in next week, ready for the boiler and tank (coming Tuesday - eventually) and then getting connected to the water/gas.
We have decided to get out for 2 weeks during November to get the remaining structural stuff done - mainly the floors and heating. Straight after that the kitchen needs to go in
Tuesday, 16 October 2007
Shopping frenzy
An eBay-tastic couple of days. After the success with the basin (got - very nice) and sink unit (not received yet), I guess we got a bit carried away. We have received the tap for the bowl. It is really solid, and from what i can see we got a bargain at £26 delivered, RRP is more like £260! From "the Kitchen and Bathroom Outlet" on eBay. (All suppliers in the links list)
We have also ordered the shower and mixer for the ensuite. Apparently, the control should have been £600, but we got this for £150 - bargain! In theory it can control both a bath and a shower simultaneous with sufficient (1 bar per outlet) pressure. It has preset programs so I can set one temp and the wife can set another. We could even set it to turn on at a certain time. More practically, we can use the second outlet for body jets one day without needing to buy a divertor and shut off valve - they are expensive on their own. The controller came from "bathroomstuff4u" on eBay, the shower itself from HIE Plumbing Direct.
The shower is a neat design. The water comes in through the mounting bracket at the bottom of the rail. Above and below that you can just make out the In-line valves - these mean that you can have one or both of the heads operating at once - so we only really needed to add a thermostatic control as the flow control is built in. The digital controller is overkill, but at £150 it was on a par with any decent concealed thermostatic control.
Finally, we chose this light at Morgans months ago, but it's RRP is £200! So when we got the chance to nab one for £50 we had to take it. From "airmyncc" on eBay.
The single basin came from "i-bathrooms" and the vanity unit from "bathroombits4u".
We have also ordered the shower and mixer for the ensuite. Apparently, the control should have been £600, but we got this for £150 - bargain! In theory it can control both a bath and a shower simultaneous with sufficient (1 bar per outlet) pressure. It has preset programs so I can set one temp and the wife can set another. We could even set it to turn on at a certain time. More practically, we can use the second outlet for body jets one day without needing to buy a divertor and shut off valve - they are expensive on their own. The controller came from "bathroomstuff4u" on eBay, the shower itself from HIE Plumbing Direct.
The shower is a neat design. The water comes in through the mounting bracket at the bottom of the rail. Above and below that you can just make out the In-line valves - these mean that you can have one or both of the heads operating at once - so we only really needed to add a thermostatic control as the flow control is built in. The digital controller is overkill, but at £150 it was on a par with any decent concealed thermostatic control.
Finally, we chose this light at Morgans months ago, but it's RRP is £200! So when we got the chance to nab one for £50 we had to take it. From "airmyncc" on eBay.
The single basin came from "i-bathrooms" and the vanity unit from "bathroombits4u".
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