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Tuesday 5 April 2016

We have the builders in.

It appeared a simple idea, extend out the downstairs toilet to form a shower room in the space between the back of the garage on one side and back of utility room on the other. Sounded so simple, the official permissions were applied for and given, February 22nd was start day to change this tiny loo into a bathroom. 






Just to explain, the loo is behind the door, small radiator on right below towel rail. Both photos taken at same time so unsure why colours are so different. 

 
External view of infill, with matching Canterbury spar, pebbledash to you and me. 

The project has taken much longer than expected, immediately there were problems with the drains,
such difficulties meant rather than altering the plumbing, both 1934 and 1998 versions were replaced. Did I mention the washing machine in the utility room used the drain situated where the shower was to be and the tumbler dryer sent hot moist air through the wall? Extra plumbing and pipe work for the washing machine means there is not the space for a  tumble dryer so we will manage without one.  Pleased to say our old dryer went off to help another family, it hasn't had heavy use. 

I hadn't appreciated that we would need to clear out the utility room, the big cupboard housing 2015 and 2016 marmalade, the empty jars for the next preserves, all the shallow baskets housing items needed occasionally, like vases, plastic storage boxes because this window had to be bricked up, so eventually the shower will be on the other side of this wall. 


It is a mystery to me how dust spreads through closed doors, returns immediately after one has cleaned a surface and can be seen in the air; the skip doesn't just contain the rubbish from our project,  we never had carpet in the bathroom. 


Apparently the skip goes tomorrow at 7am, quite late as Ian has been up just after 6 a.m. each day to move the car elsewhere, put cones and a wheelbarrow outside to await the builder's van. Another aspect for which we were unprepared was the need for one or other of us to be here all the time, for security,  for tea and coffee making. Ian has assisted  with technical queries so I have escaped the chaos and dust to see Mrs Henderson Presents, yesterday I joined a walking group on a visit to Battersea Park, today managed my visit to organise photographs from 1969 editions of Richmond & Twickenham Times at Local Studies library. 

Well folks, I said I wouldn't be blogging so frequently but need to send these ramblings out into the ether as the battery on my iPad has plummeted to 7% so will return sometime when it is charged up. 

4 comments:

  1. It's the habit of such projects, isn't it, to turn out bigger, longer and more expensive than originally planned...
    But I am sure it will be all worth it in the end, and you'll be happy about your new shower room.
    Skips tend to fill up magically whenever they appear somewhere! I am glad I won't need one for my redecorating/room swapping project (starting in less than two weeks), but I am pretty sure that, as soon as my old settee sits on the roadside to be picked up as arranged by the dustbin people, out of thin air will appear more unwanted items from neighbours.
    Good to know your tumbler dryer was put to good use! I never had one myself; my washing dries so quickly when I put it on the clothes rack next to the south-facing windows in my bedroom.

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  2. Hope it's all finished soon. We are having a new kitchen put in in the summer -- when we are in France! Young son will project manage! I am dreading having to clear the kitchen before we go :-(

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  3. Us too, although at least our building work is outside (new garage, patio and driveway) so the builders are mostly not in the house! Good luck. It'll be worth it in the end.

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  4. I hope it's sorted out by now. I'm waiting for my plumber to finish in the annexe before we talk about installing a shower for me - nothing is simple in this house, though, as the floors and walls are all uneven.

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