The Long Wait

[December 2021 – April 2022]

Or the “Tale of Three Plasterers” – a Shakespearean Epic.

The early part of the year had seen the majority of quality tradespeople booked out, with longer waiting times than the Fat Duck. First fix ground to a halt with “other” serious issues to contend with. The long plastering lead time meant the motivation to finish was also somewhat lacking.

A ‘couple’ of other jobs did get done – all of the glass for the new staircase arrived, most of it was fitted, and one piece, well, missed being fitted (we’re still finding the pieces of glass today).

The hand rail slot is cut deeper than the bottom, the glass lifts up, in and then down, bed of silicon to fix (not completely necessary).

The ‘culprit’, Phil, shall remain nameless.

The old Clearview 650 had a refurb – handy hint from Paul (top chimney sweep) was to get the parts direct from Clearview Stoves.

And it still works!

The old patio doors were replaced (same profile as the rest of the windows and doors on the rear elevation) and the old, old, back door turned into a window (not in some magical, Gandalf, kind of way .. you’ll see).

Out with the old.

In with the new.

And repeat the technique for the back door – remove the frame, seems a bit back to front, or bottom to top, but fix the new frame and build up the inner and outer walls to it. The sill is from the old fireplace, cut down significantly and a bit worse for wear, but will do the job.

This happened – a first for us, perhaps it’s common practise (there is a field on the other side of the fence and it isn’t an extreme outcome of a neighbour dispute).

The inner wall, below the new window, is built and correctly tied in.

“Pulled” a fibre between the two parts of the building for network connectivity (60m Pre Terminated 4 Core Loose Tube Corrugated Steel Tape Armoured 50/125 OM3 Multi Mode LSZH Fibre Cable, LC Connectors, includes protective pulling tube – from Universal Networks UK Ltd)

Remember the pipe re-rounding tool, or the lack of it, connecting the existing UFH pipes to the additional areas? The leak is now repaired (and pipes re-rounded before connecting!)

Security lights, sensors, network switches, heatmiser wiring finally commissioned and trees (thanks to my favourite Barrister) added to the build.

Repaired a leak over the new patio doors – not related to the door but to the lead lined stone gutter – almost invisible split in the lead allowed water in and down the wall. Had COVID. Spring arrived (not related). Something else arrived.

Pheasants appear to be territorial – these battles go on for some time and we often need to intervene (perhaps we shouldn’t, but they’re pretty brutal).

Insulated and laid the floor in the re-modelled bedroom.

Dropped in a row of setts to prevent the gravel escaping. Ran out of gravel (indirectly – we used all the local Buildbase had in stock).

And prepared (drum roll) to be plastered!