What you stairing at?

No I'm not spoiling for a fight, but writing about one of the most exciting bits of the our house build so far. I ached and was bruised, but on Saturday we managed to get the Oak stairs fitted. On Friday AM I popped into the Courtyard Designs Workshop to see the stairs (this time assembled) for one final time.

Our Oak stairs were designed and handmade by Sid at Courtyard Designs, and to say that we love them is a massive understatement. We were involved in the design process all the way through, from the initial on-site discussions about what we envisaged to checking with building control for heights etc and seeing how they might end up looking on a piece of shutter ply in the workshop. They really captured what we were looking for in the styling (and using their expertise and experience managed to interpret the bits we couldn't verbalise).

Installation took a whole day and it was hard and heavy work (especially for an office boy). I ached for a day or so afterwards and I didn't do most of the work, but I do have bruises all over my arms to say I did do some of it! They were a tight fit, with the straight rise taking a couple of hours to put into place (it took over an hour to move the final 50mm as they were eased into place). Once this was in we moved downwards until the turn took shape, routering the existing structural Oak Newel post to fit the treads.

 The straight rise in place

 A rough sketch prior to routering into the existing newell post

Routered, ready to use to form part of the stairs

A blurry pic of the winder

A finished stairs minus the naughty step

From this....

To this..

in just a day

We've left the 1st tread off for now whilst we debate whether it is best fitted before the tiles or after?

We had a day to admire them but it was almost a case of no sooner were they fitted, we had to cover them in plastic and cardboard to protect them whilst we continue with the finishing works...

I've learnt a lot about stairs over the last few weeks, how precise they need to be, the terminology of what is a rise, a tread etc.

Since the stairs went in, we've been busy painting, including the kids making there on screen appearance while mucking in and painting their rooms... obviously when the camera stopped rolling they disappeared or suddenly had arm ache - but I did manage to get a few hours out of them "practicing" how to paint before the camera filmed them. 

Behind the scenes... Boarded exciting times..

I haven't written a blog for over a month now, and this is a direct result of how busy we've been on the build. Without doubt the last month has been the toughest and most intense we've had during the build process and just to make it that little bit harder to identify with - most of the hard work has now been hidden behind the plasterboard!!!

Still on view however are window sills, door linings, cupboard door linings, bathroom shelves and that's about it - behind the scenes have been noggins, lots of noggins (to attach the plasterboard to)! Insulation finally finished, more stud walls/frames, sound deadening insulation between walls and floors. I dread to think how many hours we've put into the house over the last month. It's been really tough because this has been combined with our normal working lives.It's amazing how much work has to happen that is invisible after the plasterboard is up.

Stud wall built to hide bathroom soil pipe

Under Eves Cupboards upstairs frames out for plasterboard

Stud wall to create service gap between internal brick wall and hallway

Oak window boards, cut and fixed - and covered to protect them!

Knauf Earthwool Acoustic sound deadening insulation in stud walls between rooms

Knauf Acoustic sound deadening between ground and first floor

Vapour barrier between Kingspan K18 37.5mm insulated platerboard and frame

Upstairs Bedrooms enveloped in Kingspan 37.5 Thermal Plasterboard

The May day bank holiday, we set ourselves a target of what we needed to do by the end of the Monday (make the Eclisse pocket door frame and install it complete with plasterboard, make the cupboard door lining downstairs by the back door, cover the window sills to protect them, tape all the oak that beams and linings that have edges against the plasterboard, remove the kitchen temporarily from the house and have a really good clean up) - for the first time in ages we managed to complete everything we wanted to do and before 6 pm!

Moisture resistant plaster board in bathroom

Eclisse pocket door frame made & fitted

Pocket door boarded ready for drylining

 

Hallway looking into bathroom / Knauf Aqua Panels for tiled areas in shower room (and shower)

Under eves cupboards boarded out - the frame I made obviously did the job!

Throughout the house we've used as much sound deadening as possible to try to reduce the noise transfer. This has included using Gyproc 12.5mm sound deadening plasterboard on all stud walls between rooms and 15mm on the ground floor ceiling. On external walls and upstairs ceilings, we've used Kingspan K18 insulated plasterboard (25mm insulation mechanically fixed to 12.5mm plasterboard), in the upstairs bathroom we've used moisture resistant boards and in the downstairs shower room we've used moisture boards and in the shower/tiled areas we've used Knauf aqua panels. Herefordshire Drylining have done our boarding and are also doing the drylining. 

Drylining - taping & jointing 1st coat underway

Liv's bedroom (still don't understand why we haven't got the biggest bedroom!!!)

So there we are for now. This weekend will be really exciting because Saturday I am helping to fit the stairs (guess what the next blog will be about)!! Next week the tape and jointing will be finished and sanded ready for painting, the window opening/catching issue will be resolved and subject to that being OK, they will be re-decorated. 

It really feels like we are on the home straight now, still plenty to do but we have a house taking shape!