Colouring the walls and tiling the floor... we've finally completely agreed on something!

We've had quite a bit of activity on site in the last couple of weeks- at one point we had tilers, electricians, a plumber and us working (note to self whilst it sounds a good idea, with a house our size we were nearly tripping over each other). We've painted all of the house with a least a coat of watered down paint for the plasterboard, with most of it having a least 2 coats already. The main living space walls and ceilings fully painted, the bathroom and shower room also fully painted - just touching up to do one most of the works has been finished. We have also oxalic acid cleaned the internal oak beams and given them a coat of wax oil.

Oak beams cleaned and wax oiled

We've dug the water main into the house and the electrics to the boundary and laid a pipe to pull the BT cable through once we are out of the Caravan.

Whilst we've been doing all of that, the main living space has been tiled with our 600x600 limestone tiles they have been laid, sealed, grouted, cleaned and as I'm typing this the final coat sealer is drying - we've had a slight problem with the half of the tiles still not arrived (luckily enough have arrived for most of the living space to be done, which means we will able to make a start on moving the kitchen back into the house later in the week, we're still waiting for the remaining shipment to arrive in the UK from Germany).

STOP PRESS: It's now I need to drop the bombshell that the floor tiles was the first thing we jointly chose and completely agreed on throughout pretty much the whole build! Even better is that now they are down, we are still delighted with our choice - both of us! Obviously as things have progressed we haven't disagreed on everything, but in terms of picking a finishing product we both loved them almost as soon as we saw them. We chose Jura Grey Limestone 15mm Floor tiles and did quite a bit of hunting around to get them.

We ordered them from a local supplier to find out that they weren't available quick enough so I reverted to trawling the net and found enough to get us to the point that we could start on the kitchen. We've also been very pleased with the tiling and have been lucky to find a tiler http://stanstones.co.uk/ who comes highly recommended locally - and so far, so good!

Cut around the naughty step

1st coat of sealer ready for grouting

The kitchen area is tiled

The pipework on the shower has been carcassed prior to the tiling. The shower room has been partially tiled and should be finished tomorrow.

We've been trying to organise a supplier for the glass balustrade on the landing, but this is proving more expensive than anticipated. We really hope we can afford to do it, but we still need to do some work on this.

It really does feel like we are on the home straight now, still plenty to do but getting closer every day.

TTFN, Tim

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!

Preparing for plasterboard

Well it's been nearly 5 weeks since the last blog and this has been a result of slower progress on the build as things are being are being tidied up prior to plasterboarding and also being very busy coming towards the end of financial year in work (www.oldfieldsgarage.co.uk). I've also been back to the 90's on a friends Stag do. We also visited the Homebuilding & renovating show at the NEC last weekend, but I will write about that in another blog - some interesting ideas gained (some we wish we thought about earlier) and we've also found a few finishing products.

The slower progress I've just mentioned however, might not be as slow as I thought because I've just scanned through the last blog photos and actually we have done quite a bit (it has just felt slow).

We are very pleased with how level the screed finish is - which is exactly what we were hoping to achieve! It still won't be completely dry, but you wouldn't know from the how it feels on the top.

The external weatherboarding is completely finished - and we love it.I did underestimate the number of board slightly and we were 3 boards short. Fortunately because we used a local supplier (Powell & Co, Kingsland) we got it delivered as we needed it so it didn't hold us up. The only downside is that it isn't painted so we'll need to do this when we touch up the rest of the boards.

 Weatherboarding finished!

Oops a few boards short

We've also had the handles fitted on the windows and doors - again we are very happy with the look of them. The only drawback is that fitting the handles has uncovered a problem with some of the handles catching the frames (but this is going to be resolved middle of next month and then they'll be re-finished to rectify the paint finish issues straight after).

 Pewter door handles

Matching window furniture

In the last few weeks we've started and completed the insulation downstairs (a lot easier than the roof, which still isn't quite done) and it's now ready for the vapour barrier to be fitted. We've again used 100mm Kingspan Kooltherm, with the exception of a few areas where wiring made that difficult to get a good coverage and we've used Knauf frame insulation. Wherever possible we've topped the Knauf with  40mm Kingspan Kooltherm - it might be a bit over the top but as I've said before we aren't planning on ever moving so don't want to skimp on insulation.

If me doing any work makes it on't telly those 4 panels were what I was doing when it was filmed - anyone would think I saved some easy ones for filming purposes??!

My workshop by night

We've also taken delivery of the kitchen, not ideal timing - it either means we're a little bit behind where I thought we would be now or I was a little over enthusiastic on timescales! We'll need to work around it until the plasterboard is done, which isn't perfect (but at least a delay isn't going to hold us up when we need it I suppose?!). The kitchen delivery man told me "our house looks sick" which is a positive!

Kitchen in the bedroom

We've got the plasterboarding and drylining scheduled for the fortnight from 28th April, so just need to finish the insulation upstairs (I've left the worst bits until last), make sure all the noggins are in place ready for plasterboard and anything we need a good fixing for on the walls (like wall mounted TVs). We've also got to fit the sound deadening between the floors and in the stud walls. The stairs are due to be fitted on the 10th May - which is really exciting as well.

In the next week though the internal brick wall will be built, we've loaded the bricks out ready to go and we'll also have the plumber doing the final bits of first fix. We are also starting to organise the external waste/drainage and a bit more moving soil around in the garden. 

Progress - in and out

Another very productive two weeks inside and outside, which has seen Neil Smillie on-site doing more external weather boarding, NRL Plumbing & Heating with the underfloor heating and Acorn Construction installing the flowing screed. We've also paid a deposit on the stairs and seen a ply drawing on how they will work.

The external weatherboarding is really taking shape now, with good progress being made. Starting with the gable ends and then the front and finally around the back, it's been really good to see this transformation to the look of the building. We are both delighted with how it looks.

From this...

To this...

Then this...

We decided to pre-paint the boards with 2 coats of paint, which meant that all we would have to do is touch up as and where required, however after shuffling 85 boards backwards and forwards inside the house it appears that the paint is thin on a few boards, they have only had one coat... well Fliss was in charge of painting so it's obviously her fault! We also however found that there were 5 boards with the back painted (again I will blame Fliss, even if I was sorting the boards so they were right side up for painting ;)).

Whilst this has all been happening outside loads of work has gone on inside. On the ground floor we've built the level to floor level. We've put 50mm of polystyrene insulation in and then 100mm of Kingspan Kooltherm K3 floor insulation on top and then finished the top by taping a membrane to separate the insulation and the screed.

50mm polystyrene and 100mm Kingspan Kooltherm on top.

Floor insulation installed and inspected by building control

Separation membrane taped on joints and edges to stop screed penetrating to the insulation.

Underfloor heating pipe circuits clipped in place

Underfloor heating manifold - located under the stairs

 Flowing screed delivery arrived

 Flowing screed being poured

 Screed encapsulating the pipes as it fills

 Getting closer to the front door...

 Dappling the screed to level and remove air

Finished job, looks like glass before it dries

We decided to go with a flowing screed after speaking the Shaun at Acorn Construction. The aim was to give us a smoother finish as we harbour for our screed/polished concrete/polished concrete effect floor finish. It was amazingly quick, they arrived onsite at just after 7am to carry out the final checks on the surface prior to the pour, the screed arrived just before 9 and they were pretty much wrapped up by 10:30. We've poured 50mm screed which meant that we needed to increase polystyrene insulation  from 25mm to 50mm to bring it to finished floor level. Within 48 hours it is dry enough for foot traffic but we've tried to stay off it for as long as possible to allow it to dry/cure. 

24 hours on, our bedroom (if Fliss gets her way)

And with that, I'll leave it for now, Tim