Major changes!! October 17th, 2009

October 17th, 2009

The newly renovated front door is finally put back in her original place!!

Our newwood floor is completed on the ground floor.

The 7 fireplaces have been swept, lined and the hearths have been cemented for new use.

LGL entrance lower-level front garden cleared of most hedges - finally!

below: Jamie (builder/carpenter)

Jamie & Antonio installing our original door back into her place.

Hearth of the dining room fireplace

below:

Charlie, our chippy/carpenter, is putting in the final touches on the floorboards in the entrance corridor. (left photo)

(right photo) finished photo of entrance corridor (to be plastered & skimmed Nov. 19th!)

below: Entrance corridor - finished wood floor with the door :)

below: dining room

below: LGL entrance - cut back hedges in the lower front garden area of the house. We are waiting for the electrician to put his lighting in the well area and then we'll render the area white and put ivy and various low-lying flowers

Two main rooms on ground floor get plastered & wood floor is laid...

We see progress, but still major dust - everywhere ...

Ground floor plastered! yay! We're taking shape...slowly, but surely...

Dining room was bonded and awaits the plasterer's magic touch...

Plaster is dry and new African Iroko wood floor is being laid!

(reception room)

Dining room - beautifully skimmed and now new floor is being laid

Lower Ground Level - September 28th, 2009

I know it's messy to look at and difficult to discern what is what. It will get clearer to you eventually, as we move along.

(top photo) the area to the left will be the open plan kitchen space for the lower ground level

the door frame to the right of the photo is the utility room

(bottom photo) pink area is the entrance to the utility room & the door on the left side leads into what will be the bathroom

new brick column to support large steel beam overhead, just for extra support

The blue plasterboard has been used because it is a special sound-proofing material that hopefully will create a sound buffer between the LGL and ground floor level.

Leading to the garden - the back of the lower ground floor

Ground floor taking shape - new plasterboard

September 28th, 2009

Waiting to be plastered, skimmed and/or bonded...

Reception room looking towards dining room (background)

Outside entrance: new security & intercom systems (hope they work well)

Entrance door & ground floor corridor - the plasterboard stage was so exciting for us!

below: looking into dining & reception room entrance

below: reception room

1st Floor Bathroom - tiling & removal of rads and doors...

Tiling the 1st floor bathroom.

I think this was the first day we REALLY REALLY REALLY missed Italy!!! Our tiler for this bathroom was French, but has been living in the UK for a while now. Anyway, we decided to go with him, and yes we'd checked out his previous work and it appeared "ok". Well, by the time he put the tiles up we knew something was wrong. When he grouted it all we had confirmation. The guy never once used a level. I shall say no more, except - Goodness Gracious we miss Italy and their wonderful tilers!!! Italians are THE BEST tilers in the world!!!!!!!!!!

below:

bathroom: black porcelain floor tiles and white ceramic wall tiles.

NOTE: new window :)

below: Master bedroom packed with our boxes and furniture...

below: ground floor

new stud walls on ground floor between entrance corridor and reception & dining rooms.

Beginning of October:

Our front door & 4 internal Victorian doors get taken away for 5-6 weeks for dipping, stripping, sanding, priming & possibly painted (may or may not have them paint them - yet to be decided).

Radiators (our pride & joy):

Ready to be shipped to the professional painters:

Our gigantic original Victorian cast iron radiator(s).

This radiator in the left photo weighs 138 kilos = 303.60 pounds. It's an original Victorian industrial cast iron radiator with 16 sections. This radiator will be located in the new extension where the kitchen and snug/den are located.

All 12 rads off to be powder painted or electro-statically painted (don't ask!)

Our lovely temporary internal door (left) that lead to the upstairs and separated us from the building works. (right) The plywood sheet which was our "door" for the period in which our original door was sent our for repair and stripping. It wasn't actually useable, but screwed in tight to keep burglars out.

Next:

Ground floor gets plaster boarded!!! WOOHOO!!