Odd jobs today

It's a beautiful summer Sunday, but work today as usual.

I started with acid washing the bricks on the side of the house. I did most of the house while the scaffolding was still up, and I hoped that the terrible weather would scrub the bits that I couldn't reach. However, that wasn't happening and there was still some sections that needed doing. 

Up on the ladder for a couple of hours, but I can tell the difference.

 

Next job was painting uv protection oil on to the cladding that still needs to be attached to the house. We decided that it would be easier to get one coat on now, and the second on the house when it is finished. 

There was quite a lot, but that's another thing done. 

This afternoon I started a new job that I am not yet very good at, and that I already know that I don't like much, but it needs to be done. 

It's attaching armoured metal in front of the electric cables to avoid them accidentally being pierced when putting up pictures, etc in the future. 

Daz is working on this too and this is a photo of some of his work. 

I am not this advanced yet and have only covered a maximum of two wires at the same time. 

Water duct sorted

I have mentioned before that our water pipe ducting wasn't deep enough, and I proved this by manually digging it out all the way to the house. 

The contractors have now agreed with me and have kindly agreed to put it right. I was expecting a couple of men carrying spades, but they had other ideas. 

They turned up early this morning with two enormous machines and the first thing that they did was remove the big pile of clay that was in their way. 

I was so pleased because I was planning on hiring a skip and loading the clay into it by hand, but within ten minutes it was all loaded up and gone. 

They then dug a huge trench and our ducting is definitely now deep enough, so there is no chance that it will freeze in the winter. 

What a relief, and a big thank you to the lovely workers. 

Wagtail update - it has been a very noisy and busy week in the front garden, but they have ignored it all and spent all day every day bringing tasty treats to their babies. 

Slightly in the doghouse today

I did know that it was Darren's birthday on the 8th, but I lost track of the date so it caught me a bit unawares. We had cake on the roof terrace with S and P today, and it was my turn to buy the cake, but instead of buying a good chocolatey one with candles, I forgot and bought a basic lemon drizzle instead.

Actually it was very nice, and everyone was distracted from this oversight because Kevin McCloud and his team were back filming on our street. 

He stood right in front of our house and then walked along the street doing his piece to the camera. What was interesting was that he probably did about ten takes, and this shot shows him turning around and heading back to start the scene again. 

I have another interesting photo that I took from someone else's Facebook page. I don't think that's illegal, and not many people read this anyway.

Our house is in the red circle, but the photo shows the whole of Graven Hill wood behind us and the surrounding area. His post says that he was in an aeroplane, and we often see gliders above us, so maybe that is how he did it.

Today was a good day for me because I have almost finished putting the acoustic insulation around the whole house. It is amazing how much quieter the house feels, and somehow more solid and substantial. 

Finally, a little update on the plasterboard and plastering situation. I have found a very nice plasterer who is going to do most of the house for us, as I think that otherwise we had bitten off more than we could chew. 

However, we are going to do a few little rooms ourselves, but probably stop once we have used the 50 boards that we had delivered last week. 

Plumbers and baby wagtails

The two plumbers arrived today and got on with the first and a half fix. They are being paid on a day rate, and a cynical person might think that they would take it a bit easy. 

This is not the case at all, and they charged around at a million miles an hour and by about 1pm everything was done. Darren and I were both exhausted when we they left, from having to answer loads of questions about exactly where showers and toilets were to be situated, and putting up a surprise stud wall ready for the radiator pipes. 

The bath is now in the right place and looking very happy. 

Another very happy event took place in our garage today, as our baby wagtails hatched. 

I haven't mentioned the birds and their nest before in case anyone complained about the noise and dust that surrounded them. 

We only found out that the birds had decided to build a nest in our garage when I walked out of it and a very angry bird stood right in front of me. She was leaping up and down and screaching and as I stood to one side she flew right past me and up into the open joists. 

A couple of days later Darren took this photo of her nest and eggs. 

They have spent a week with the electricians who put a fuse board within a few feet of the nest, and today when the plumbers drilled holes in the floor just above their heads. 

However, just after they had left I heard a tiny chirping, and now both mum and dad are flying backwards and forwards with tasty treats.

I have checked online and the babies are due to fly away in about two weeks time, and the garage is due to be nice and quiet during that time. They should all be gone by the time the plumbers come back on the 24th.

Tape and jointing

About 15 years ago I went on a week long plastering course and by the end of it I had come to two conclusions. Firstly that plastering is a very skilful job, and secondly that I was quite rubbish at it. 

I also went on a one week bricklaying course, but that is another story. 

I did pick up some tips though, and over the years I have often repaired small pieces of damaged plaster. I also nearly always then covered my work over with either tiling or wallpaper, so it always looked okay. 

I don't think that this experience qualifies me to drywall, as I think they call it in America, or tape and joint the whole house, but I am thinking of giving it a go. 

I have watched a lot of you tube instructions, and bought a load of tools and I am trying out my skills in the en suite bathroom. I am on day two today, and am noticeably better than yesterday, but I am not sure yet if my work is going to be acceptable.

I do hope so because it will give us a lot more control over the build, and save a lot of money. 

Meanwhile, Darren has been trying out plasterboarding, and today he did the living room ceiling. I also helped a bit by hoisting the boards over my head and then holding them in place while Darren screwed them in. 

I have to admit that I was helped in this task by a dead man, as apparently it is called, which is a long stick of wood that you push up against the ceiling to help take the weight. He is there, right in the middle of the above photo.

Personally I am trying to stay gender neutral so they are now known as the dead person. 

Coffee and Henry

Another step in the electricity project today. Our electrician came and moved the temporary consumer unit in to the garage, and we now have extension cables running in to the house. 

Fantastic news, and the first thing that we did was have a coffee. 

What a lovely treat that set me up for the next task - 

hoovering with Henry. 

It is amazing how dusty and unpleasant the house has become, so I spent a happy hour or two smartening it up. 

Not quite so happily I am still on insulation duty, and I spent the afternoon packing it in to the ceiling on the top floor. 

Finally, I don't know how they found this blog, but the Graven Hill company got in touch with me a few days ago and said that they had been reading the blog and found it both useful and informative!

No one has ever said that before, but anyway, we are now featured on the Graven Hill website, and if you are really keen you can follow the link here.....  Graven Hill newsletter