OUCH!
[Mulling alternatives...]
Friday, 31 October 2014
Monday, 27 October 2014
Flying visit
We went to the house to meet with Adam, and managed a quick chat with Steve before he arrived. Steve has fitted a lot of sockets and some lights switches - it's really looking closer to habitable than it has since we bought the place.
Adam came with Colin [who I imagine is going to be a whole bundle of trouble; he's got a hint of Bob Hoskins about him, so I'm hoping he will be fun!]. They both agreed the work is straightforward, added more branches overhanging the road to the quote Adam is off to prepare this evening [so it's not going to get any cheaper, but I would hate to think anyone could be hurt if we don't do our best to keep the boundary trees safe]. Hopefully, they will be back in three to four weeks (although it sounds more like four), and that will radically change the aspect of the garden; can't wait!
I carried on chopping down brambles: making a side access from where I'm working to the bonfire site, to save me carrying trees north to head south again, and David had a small bonfire so that when I break through I'm not met with a wall of brambles I've previously dealt with.
A successful couple of hours.
Adam came with Colin [who I imagine is going to be a whole bundle of trouble; he's got a hint of Bob Hoskins about him, so I'm hoping he will be fun!]. They both agreed the work is straightforward, added more branches overhanging the road to the quote Adam is off to prepare this evening [so it's not going to get any cheaper, but I would hate to think anyone could be hurt if we don't do our best to keep the boundary trees safe]. Hopefully, they will be back in three to four weeks (although it sounds more like four), and that will radically change the aspect of the garden; can't wait!
I carried on chopping down brambles: making a side access from where I'm working to the bonfire site, to save me carrying trees north to head south again, and David had a small bonfire so that when I break through I'm not met with a wall of brambles I've previously dealt with.
A successful couple of hours.
Sunday, 26 October 2014
Keeping on keeping on
David finished removing all the radiators, and has decided to leave the ground floor piping until Richard has cut into the floor where he needs to; we're hoping he has the right tools/knows what he's doing, and will leave much less damage than if we try to pry up the tongue-and-groove boards ourselves.
We had a surprise visit [well, it was a surprise to me! I suspect my husband and his mother had arranged in advance that she come along, bearing lunch yumminesses...] from my mother-in-law. She really likes the project, and the woodland took her "back" to a childhood home [same for me; growing up around trees seems to leave a magical, lasting impression].
Fingers crossed that the next time she visits it will be a warmer, more comfortable experience!
We had a surprise visit [well, it was a surprise to me! I suspect my husband and his mother had arranged in advance that she come along, bearing lunch yumminesses...] from my mother-in-law. She really likes the project, and the woodland took her "back" to a childhood home [same for me; growing up around trees seems to leave a magical, lasting impression].
Fingers crossed that the next time she visits it will be a warmer, more comfortable experience!
Saturday, 25 October 2014
Latest...
We went to B&Q again on the way to the house - Steve is at the point where he's going to need outside lights, and we hadn't made any decisions; still haven't, but I think we're getting closer...
As for the stoves, we really like the Dovre 250, and called at the Staplehurst stove shop again to check about the finish on their display model: it was "matt" black [in reality a graphite or stove "black" colour, and totally unlike the matt and the black finish of another stove we've seen (that we didn't like; too matt, too black - I love burnished cast iron, and stove black is a close second)]. We pushed the guy to put us into the diary for a site visit, and they're booked for November 7th. We're hoping they will come up with a quote fairly quickly after that...
One more tiny step forward, but every step counts.
As for the stoves, we really like the Dovre 250, and called at the Staplehurst stove shop again to check about the finish on their display model: it was "matt" black [in reality a graphite or stove "black" colour, and totally unlike the matt and the black finish of another stove we've seen (that we didn't like; too matt, too black - I love burnished cast iron, and stove black is a close second)]. We pushed the guy to put us into the diary for a site visit, and they're booked for November 7th. We're hoping they will come up with a quote fairly quickly after that...
One more tiny step forward, but every step counts.
Monday, 20 October 2014
Results!
And some not-results...
We went to the house via B&Q, looking for lights, a steam cleaner that we hoped could have a wallpaper stripper attachment, and an angle grinder.
I'm a bit ambivalent about the lights, so took a load of photos and will have a look in the Screwfix catalogue and the one Steve gave us... I'm not sure what I want, but I've seen a lot I don't!
We went to the house via B&Q, looking for lights, a steam cleaner that we hoped could have a wallpaper stripper attachment, and an angle grinder.
I'm a bit ambivalent about the lights, so took a load of photos and will have a look in the Screwfix catalogue and the one Steve gave us... I'm not sure what I want, but I've seen a lot I don't!
Sunday, 19 October 2014
More progress
We got to the house, and Steve was there already - brilliant surprise!
He's getting on well, and had another really helpful suggestion: a few days ago he suggested having a spot light as well as the outside lights, and today he said we could have a spot with PIR sensor inbuilt, rather than a separate sensor (as we had been planning when it was just going to supply the existing outside lights). It will give us a better response when someone comes up the drive, and we will separately turn on the lights that are already there.
We finally got around to discussing exactly how we want the kitchen layout [and so the electrics], and I think we'll be OK with that?
The 'proof of the pudding' will be in how it works for us in practice; it's difficult knowing how to arrange things without ever having lived in the house, so fingers crossed we've got it there or thereabouts.
He's getting on well, and had another really helpful suggestion: a few days ago he suggested having a spot light as well as the outside lights, and today he said we could have a spot with PIR sensor inbuilt, rather than a separate sensor (as we had been planning when it was just going to supply the existing outside lights). It will give us a better response when someone comes up the drive, and we will separately turn on the lights that are already there.
We finally got around to discussing exactly how we want the kitchen layout [and so the electrics], and I think we'll be OK with that?
The 'proof of the pudding' will be in how it works for us in practice; it's difficult knowing how to arrange things without ever having lived in the house, so fingers crossed we've got it there or thereabouts.
Saturday, 18 October 2014
Stoves...
We went to Staplehurst and met a very helpful chap in our quest for a stove we like the look of; we seem to be veering back towards a Dovre - he said they are much more efficient that the Franco-Belge, and the 5kW one was bigger, which we want. If we have a large hearth, as we are inclined to, it will look more balanced, we think.
Then we headed off to Sandgate to see a Newman Stoven - the shop didn't have one, but had a similar model, and the chap there was very keen about the Charnwood range. Not so sure about a steel body? We know from experience that the cast iron ones heat up beautifully, and retain the heat overnight (whereas we have steel radiators and that start to cool down the moment the heating is turned off). But his suggestion to look on YouTube to see demonstrations of the Stoven's cooking drawer appeals greatly; who knows, that could be "the one"?
Hm, more pondering...
The we had half an afternoon at the house: David was strimming behind the row of conifers nearest the gate, as we are hoping Adam/his assistant will take down a couple of those first, and then do all the shredding into the woods behind where the conifers currently are. We're hoping to create an area of "hard"-standing that would add another place to turn cars/park vans, and if there were chippings left over I would like to make pathways between the trees.
I was back on my hands and knees chopping into brambles.
Every time we spend an hour or two hacking at the undergrowth, the garden starts to look more like a garden and appears larger, so even half an afternoon where the light is failing is a help!
Then we headed off to Sandgate to see a Newman Stoven - the shop didn't have one, but had a similar model, and the chap there was very keen about the Charnwood range. Not so sure about a steel body? We know from experience that the cast iron ones heat up beautifully, and retain the heat overnight (whereas we have steel radiators and that start to cool down the moment the heating is turned off). But his suggestion to look on YouTube to see demonstrations of the Stoven's cooking drawer appeals greatly; who knows, that could be "the one"?
Hm, more pondering...
The we had half an afternoon at the house: David was strimming behind the row of conifers nearest the gate, as we are hoping Adam/his assistant will take down a couple of those first, and then do all the shredding into the woods behind where the conifers currently are. We're hoping to create an area of "hard"-standing that would add another place to turn cars/park vans, and if there were chippings left over I would like to make pathways between the trees.
I was back on my hands and knees chopping into brambles.
Every time we spend an hour or two hacking at the undergrowth, the garden starts to look more like a garden and appears larger, so even half an afternoon where the light is failing is a help!
Friday, 17 October 2014
Wednesday, 15 October
We celebrated ten years of owning our house in France [and so driving-to-garden], by...
Driving-to-garden!
Just in a different country than usually, natch.
Driving-to-garden!
Just in a different country than usually, natch.
Thursday, 9 October
We crammed in a visit to the house before heading off to France for a weekend.
David finally managed to nail down the arboriculturist to a visit, so Tim Laddiman came along about 11.30, giving us time to answer some of Steve's questions first. I'm becoming increasingly confident with Steve as time goes by, and seeing his work-in-progress is bolstering that sense of all-being-ok with each visit; I am delighted - I've hated having to post about shoddy workmanship, so it makes me really happy that I'm not having to do that again.
Tim was really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and full of advice. Because we already knew we wanted to remove the conifers, he asked how we would like to be advised - we wanted a letter for the insurance, should there be any problems, and to know whether to take them down all in one go or in stages. He also did a walk-around to look at the trees nearest the boundaries.
David finally managed to nail down the arboriculturist to a visit, so Tim Laddiman came along about 11.30, giving us time to answer some of Steve's questions first. I'm becoming increasingly confident with Steve as time goes by, and seeing his work-in-progress is bolstering that sense of all-being-ok with each visit; I am delighted - I've hated having to post about shoddy workmanship, so it makes me really happy that I'm not having to do that again.
Tim was really helpful, friendly, knowledgeable, and full of advice. Because we already knew we wanted to remove the conifers, he asked how we would like to be advised - we wanted a letter for the insurance, should there be any problems, and to know whether to take them down all in one go or in stages. He also did a walk-around to look at the trees nearest the boundaries.
Monday, 6 October 2014
Flying visit
We went to meet Norma for another stove quote - the weather was so yucky that we just went there, met with her and came home. She seemed to have a very good grasp of what was needed, so I'm hopeful she will recommend something suitable, and hoping her prices will be reasonable.
Sadly, the A229 was pants from the Wheatsheaf onwards, so it took longer than it would have done, but we've been out less than two and a half hours; much better than our 36 hour round trips to France for a meeting, so it's all good!
Sadly, the A229 was pants from the Wheatsheaf onwards, so it took longer than it would have done, but we've been out less than two and a half hours; much better than our 36 hour round trips to France for a meeting, so it's all good!
Sunday, 5 October 2014
Kittens stop play!
After an abortive wait for the roofer [why no courtesy call to tell us he wasn't coming? If we weren't going to be there, he'd have been miffed, I suspect, if we couldn't be bothered to tell him, no? Well, we travelled 20 miles to meet him. NOT a good first impression.], we gave up and went to the garden centre in Bethersden to see if we could find a longer-handled pair of shears - success: their choice was the best we have seen so far, so we got some.
But not until I'd hacked into a nest of kittens [thankfully, I didn't hack into any kittens; I dread to think what would have happened if David had been clearing that part with the strimmer...] when I was clearing the brambles behind the other garage; I am trying to make it easier on Adam to fell our conifers, and creating access to the trunks seems like a good start.
But not until I'd hacked into a nest of kittens [thankfully, I didn't hack into any kittens; I dread to think what would have happened if David had been clearing that part with the strimmer...] when I was clearing the brambles behind the other garage; I am trying to make it easier on Adam to fell our conifers, and creating access to the trunks seems like a good start.
 |
| Bucketful of kitties; before I put them back |
Saturday, 4 October 2014
Friday, 3 October 2014
Wiring diagram done
Phew, that feels better!
It really wasn't difficult at all, transferring the markings to a bigger, clean, sheet because we'd spent so much time on site working it out. I was glad I'd left it a few days, given it time to coalesce in my subconscious (or wherever it is that things work themselves out whilst we are sleeping); it meant I was ready to concentrate with a 'clean slate' mind, rather than feeling like a frantic little hamster on a wheel, running to catch up.
It really wasn't difficult at all, transferring the markings to a bigger, clean, sheet because we'd spent so much time on site working it out. I was glad I'd left it a few days, given it time to coalesce in my subconscious (or wherever it is that things work themselves out whilst we are sleeping); it meant I was ready to concentrate with a 'clean slate' mind, rather than feeling like a frantic little hamster on a wheel, running to catch up.
Plan for today
- Sort out the wiring diagram
- Clean up the electrical fittings that can be re-used
- Upload my photos to Flickr, so that the weekend's batch won't overwhelm me
- Sort through my BTMail inbox, now that BT has finally seen fit to make it available [assuming, of course, that it stays "up" for longer than the ten minutes it allowed me on Monday], and reply to people's kind responses to our "we have bought a new home" emails; they must think me so rude
- Go for a walk to clear my head!
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Wednesday, 1 October
We got to the house about quarter-to-eight yesterday morning to meet Richard, the plumber, at 8am.
Sadly, it's another "ouch" to the pocket; the leak upstairs wasn't a faulty joint, but a dodgy section of piping [apparently there was a problem with supplies, once we started importing them, of batches not being cleaned (internally) and they developed pinholes at frequent points along the length], and all the other bits of exposed tubing show signs of corrosion, too...
Sadly, it's another "ouch" to the pocket; the leak upstairs wasn't a faulty joint, but a dodgy section of piping [apparently there was a problem with supplies, once we started importing them, of batches not being cleaned (internally) and they developed pinholes at frequent points along the length], and all the other bits of exposed tubing show signs of corrosion, too...
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