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24 Knott End, Langold

October 2017 - May 2024
An open-ended adventure by Lee Read more
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  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold

    28th October 2018

    October 28, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 8 °C

    So, today saw my last required visit. Since a couple of weeks ago, the fence plinths and posts have been dug out and put in, the panels have arrived and all bar one were dropped in. We went last week and fetched all the remaining tools and ladders home as Sharons Antara was swapped this weekend so we carted everything home in that. That car has served us very well, it’s been an extremely versatile and reliable work truck for the last year. Anyway, that left us a few jobs today which we have polished off and are happy with.

    The clocks went back last night so ideally means an extra hour in bed. Just meant I was up an hour earlier. I got a few little jobs done at home early on and then we went to Snackattack when Sharon got up for a nice big breakfast. It’s official, they do the bestest breakfast as they will do me chips with it 👍.

    We came back and loaded the car up, tried to run through all the jobs in my head as so not to forget any tools. My dad and I went up at 10.00am and were pleasantly surprised to see most of the fence panels dropped in, something we thought we would have to do. We did have one to put in which needed cutting down. We cut the plinth down with a brick cutter and then sawed the panel down. Took a bit of buggering about but we got it in and level and it looks great.

    Next we moved on to fitting the original temporary front door that JB fitted over a year ago to get access in to the house. Its been all over that door but it’s final resting place will be the coal house round the back. We removed the rotten wooden door and then marked up the wall with the new door. It was a couple of inches wider than the existing hole so again the brick cutter was put in to action. The cutter didn’t cut deep enough but was good enough to get us a start and we chisel’d the rest out. We managed to get a really nice fit, again a bit of messing about but we got it in. Screwed and plugged it up, put some wooden packers above and that was that. It could do with a bit of white plastic to cover the packers, but it’s fully functional and lockable which again is a good job done.

    Next we needed to extend an earth cable and put an earth bonding strip on the gas meter. A tiny job that I was going to do ages ago but never really got around to. No dramas there, done and fixed the crap job the gas company did fitting the meter box whilst we were at it. We removed that and refitted it correctly.

    Finally we connected up the pressure relief valve on the boiler. It was sort of connected but only in situ as we were worried about soldering that close to the circuit boards. After taking a bit of advice we were told to try a compression fitting. Unfortunately we weren’t able to fit it as we couldn’t get the grips in to tighten it. So we nipped off to B&Q and bought a push fit, fitted a treat. It’s one of those pipes on the boiler that will only ever get used if there is s fault, so hopefully never but will be fine if there is now.

    I dropped one ever so tiny goolie, I’d moved the condensate pipe out of the way to connect the valve, I forgot to reconnect it. Gemma had a bath and the boiler cupboard got a free wash !! 2 second job to fix so Sharon and I popped back up this afternoon to sort it.

    And that my friends is it. The garden at the back is going to be rotivated next weekend, Paul and his team will then level it and seed it which will transform it.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold

    30th September 2018

    September 30, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 13 °C

    A very busy but productive weekend this weekend. The twins (Kian & Ethan) our adopted nephews came along to help us on Saturday. The plan was to remove a small tree 🌲 at the bottom of the garden and make a start on digging the holes out for the fence posts. It was a beautiful day, so we went to Sharons work early, picked up the trailer and then the boys before calling at B&Q and loading up with 15 bags of postcrete. We then set off for Langold. Prior to our arrival, Uncle Spok snd Gemma has organised me some fence posts and plinths and had taken some time off work on Friday to collect them using Gemma’s work van. That was a massive help and not very easy work I wouldn’t have thought. Spok has also collected 5 railway sleepers if got for Gemma a few weeks ago ready for the front garden which she is tidying up.

    As we arrived on Saturday we decided that really the first job was to remove the tree from the bottom of the garden. Spok’s petrol chainsaw was fired up and off we went. The small tree was actually a lot bigger than we thought. Ethan took a big shine to the chainsaw but to be honest was actually quite responsible whilst using it. The challenge we had was that the tree was so out of control it leaned massively over 2 neighbours adjoining gardens and we couldn’t risk it falling in there. After much messing about to try and get a rope which we failed at, we enlisted the help of an old hose pipe. We doubled it up, wrapped it round the top side of the tree, the dots pulled towards them and I cut it. Bingo down she came. We then set about cutting all the branches up in to small pieces and building a bonfire.

    Spok came up in the afternoon to help. We tidied up and made a start getting the first hole dug out in the corner for the first 2 fence posts. I’d bought a petrol auger which is basically s drill with an engine on it to dig the holes. Man was that a beast. It was fab but definitely needed 2 people to operate it as if it hit s rock (of which there are hundreds) it jars and you basically know what it feels like to become s helicopter blade !! Spok snd I managed to get the first hole dug and first two post concreted in. It was cracking on by this time so we decided to get all the fence posts and plinths carried round the back. That was a killer, we had to enlist the help of Joe as the twins had had enough by that time. It was very physical, demanding work but a good job done.

    On Sunday, it was just Spok and me. Again very hard graft but we managed to dig all the holes out along the back snd concrete the posts and plinths in to place. We don’t have the panels as yet, but it will look so different once they are in place. I really couldn’t have done it without Spok this weekend, his help was invaluable. It’s fair to day, I ached a bit Sunday night, I dropped a dance plinth on my knee which has a massive bruise and my arms are black and blue, but a good start to a hard job.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold
    1

    19th August 2018

    August 19, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    It’s been a while as we have been on holiday, John has been on holiday and Gemma and Adam are in so the pressure has been off a little bit.

    When we returned from France, I spent a couple of weekends tiling and grouting the kitchen. That made a huge difference and the inside is now complete from my point of view. Gemma and Adam have put their mark on the inside and it all looks beautiful. A really nice cosy warm new feeling house.

    John and I went up the last couple of weekends although only for a few hours per visit. First time we built a step at the front door and a ramped step from the pavement to the path. John and Rich went up and laid the drive at the front in golden gravel after that. It certainly brightened the front up. It was left around the edges as Gemma was talking about ripping the front hedge out and having a fence put in which is what they are going to do.

    Last weekend we went and poisoned the back garden to dry all the weeds up.

    This weekend, John and I went yesterday with a micro JCB and did battle with the back garden. A very long day!! The poison hadn’t taken too well but we didn’t let that get in our way. We dug a large hole in the middle and chucked in as much rubbish as we could made up of weeds and remains from the various fires we have had over the last year. We then dug the whole garden over, ripping out tree roots, trunks, carpets, tools, bricks and a whole host of other bits and bobs that will either be burned or skipped. We then went off to Gamston to collect a monster of a rotivator from Johns mate Darren. His house was phenomenal, looked like something out of Grand Designs, a nice little break for us and a lovely bloke. We returned and rotivated the whole of the garden. As you can see from the picture, it was a massive transformation. The two pictures are before and after. Whilst we were doing all of that, Gemma Adam and their friend ripped out the front hedge and carted it off to the tip. That has also made a massive difference and has opened the front of the house right up. We had a couple of visits from Spok, he tried his best to start the rotivator but just didn’t quite have the touch. First pull for JB, Spok said he’d loosened it up for him.

    This morning, Sharon and we’re up bright and breezy and went off to Creswell to fetch our trailer so we could cart some rubbish off to the tip. Sharon loaded the trailer up and I raked the whole of the garden with a 5 pronged tool of JB’s which dragged even more weeds and large rocks out. John turned up and ripped out the last concrete washing line post with the digger before loading in to the trailer ready to go back. He also took a few of his bits still there. We piled up all the bricks and boulders as he will take them for his caravan park next weekend. We had a tidy up around the back and then took the trailer full of rubbish off to the tip. We really need some rain now to break the soil down but we are in a great position and the end is finally in site.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold
    1

    1st July 2018

    July 1, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Apologies for the lack of blog for the last couple of weeks. That’s not to say nothing has happened.

    Last week I had the Friday off to try and help push things along as I knew Gemma and Adam needed to be moving in. On the Friday the three of us were there and we cracked on. Richard was busy with lots of little woodworking jobs, John and I set about putting the new facia boards, soffits and guttering up. It was a great day and the outside started to turn a corner. As you look up to the roof of the house, it all looks neat and tidy and more importantly any rainwater will actually drain away in to the drains instead of just running down the walls.

    Saturday morning was spent finishing off inside so they could move in, however John and Rich didn’t come as they had some large machine on hire and needed to get a job of their own done. So Sharon and I did as many little jobs as we could. I connected the fan up for the bathroom and for the final time and vented it properly which allowed us to then re lay the insulation in the loft. We also got the boiler stat wired up and the condensate pipe sealed in to the main drain before starting a massive clean and sweep through the whole house. As we cleaned each room, we wrote a list of the little snagging jobs that needed doing and left a list in each room. By close of play on Sunday, all rooms were swept and all paintwork and walls were cleaned down. On the Sunday, John came for a couple of hours with his mini digger and removed the hedge out of the front and flattened it in readiness for a gravelled drive to be laid.

    The only movement during the week last week was on an evening when Sharon, me and my dad went up. Safe to say we had a couple of good nights and a couple of bad nights. We only really had a few jobs to do but at the beginning of the week we struggled. We had a towel rail to fit, we couldn’t get it seal and had numerous water leaks, and the outside tap needed repositioning, again we had a problem and couldn’t stop a small leak. However, the following evening we revisited it with fresh eyes and managed to get both jobs done even though it meant taking the downstairs toilet out and removing a wall. But all sorted and all put back together. We also cracked on with the cleaning of the window frames as well as cleaning out all the kitchen cupboards and a general good scrub.

    Yesterday we had a cracking day and really turned a corner. Again my Dad helped and John was there early as well as me and Sharon. John rendered the front and back tops, and he did a lovely job. He did the front all by hand using cement and a large nail. The rear was a different story, it was rendered with a tyrolean applicator. It’s like a watering can with no front and a handle on it. When the handle is turned, it throws the tyrolean render on to the wall. He’s done a lovely job but the heat and the reflection of the sun made it very hard work. The rest of us set about tidying the garden up. We borrowed Johns big trailer and loaded up everything we could on to it including loads of old rubber floor tiles, plasterboard, old cables ( you could still smell the charred smell that was in the house when we first went in), old windows, lots of glass and anything else we could get rid of. It was a brilliant effort by us all and it really tidied up, it took us 2 trips, would have been about 5 with our trailer. We also cut down the hedge to a manageable size. We lit a fire but the neighbours complained so we put it out but went back later in the evening to light it. It took a while to get going and I was a bit nervous as it has been so dry. Sharon was extremely nervous so we sent her home to get a shower and come back for us later. As it got going, we managed to get rid of most things, it took us about 3 hours but everything gone so bonus. A long old shift, 13 hours I reckon. The carpets were also fitted yesterday so it’s really turned around now.

    Today saw us there again, me, Sharon and my dad. We had 3 jobs on, plane the doors as they catch on the new carpets, connect up the pressure release valve on the boiler and sort the gate so it no longer catches on the gas supply pipe. Gate done, pressure release pipes up but needs John to connect to boiler but failed with the doors. A combination of lack of time due to me having to go to work tonight and they need massive adjustment so I’ll leave them for John. Sharon cleaned all the downstairs windows outside and removed all the plastic film from them.

    We now have the gas safety certificate and the energy performance-certificate ( grade C which is excellent). Gemma and Adam have now signed the tenancy agreement so it’s theirs from today. There’s a few snags to do inside which hopefully John and Rich are doing tomorrow, and outside at the front needs the render painting and the drive sorting. Again hopefully that will be done this week.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold

    17th June 2018

    June 17, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    So we had last weekend off to go to Sarah’s wedding and it was a fabulous day. But back to it this weekend, seems like we’ve not been there for ages. Sharon only did the morning on Saturday as she was out on Laura’s hen party in Lincoln in the afternoon. Although there’s been some movement in the last couple of weeks, it’s not been full tilt as obviously John has had a few other bits to attend to such as his daughter getting married.

    Saying that, the new glossy kitchen laminate floor is now in place and looks fabulous, all the window sill boards have been fitted, the bathroom suite has now had the waste connected and the false wall has been built in the downstairs loo. The kick boards have also been cut and put in place temporarily until the washer is in and the bathroom walls have been tiled, the loft hatch has also been built and is now in place.

    Saturday was a Hive of activity, John and Rich spent most of the day building a cupboard in the bathroom to hide the boiler. They have done an outstanding job, nothing like I imagined, it’s so well made and looks tremendous. They also boxed the pipes in and clipped up the side of the bath in readiness for the side panel. I put loads of extra screws in the 2 bedroom floors to stop any squeaking in the future. But my biggest task of the day was to rub down an old bannister that one belonged to Aunty Linda over 30 years ago and we found in the attic. I took it to bits and took JB’s belt sanded to it. It took me about 3 hours but I managed to strip it right back to the bare wood, removing 30 odd years of paint. I the filled it, rubbed it down, fitted new brackets and refitted it. As Sharon was out, I stayed late and cracked on and fitted the shaver point in the bathroom and fixed the room stat in place for the central heating.

    Sunday morning Sharon and I got there and tidied a few bits up. We’d decided to leave about 11 and just as we were getting in the car JB arrived. So I stayed whilst Sharon popped out to Tesco for some bits. I was the apprentice plasterer. I did the mixing and the transferring of plaster from bucket to hawk, John did all the clever stuff. That’s all the plastering in the house complete now. We’ve had one set back, the boiler will no longer fire up, so we need to get someone out to look at that, but I’m sure that will all get sorted. Aunty Linda snd Naomi called this morning, they were coming to clean but it would be a little pointless as yet as there are still quite a few bits of wood to saw up and the dust in the atmosphere will travel. All being well by the end of next weekend, we should be somewhere near inside.

    It’s no secret we’re getting tired now, it’s been a long journey and work commitments for both of us are very busy and stressful at the minute. But, the end is now in site.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold
    1

    3rd June 2018

    June 2, 2018 in England ⋅ 🌧 18 °C

    So we decided to go up Friday night this week as we are short of time. Next weekend is Sarah’s wedding (John’s Daughter) which we are attending and I am yet again away all week. We spent the evening mainly tidying up as it’s difficult to move and to find anything. It always looks better after a tidy and at least all the tools are in one place. I also wired up the hob so we now have a fully functioning oven and hob in the kitchen. Sharon’s Mum and Dad came for a visit as they are away this week so might not get a chance to see it inside again, they are very proud of our achievements and think we’ve done a fantastic job. John and Richard have been on with jobs in the week, all the floors are in completely down now, the pipes are boxed in in the kitchen, most of the skirtings are on in the kitchen, the kitchen ceiling has been plastered where the pipes were exposed as well as around the front door and a couple of other bits. The path has been cut round the back and the old clay drain pipe has been exposed ready for the new soil stack to be installed. They have also installed the shower screen in the bathroom and connected all the internal waste pipes, and fitted the door on the downstairs loo.

    On Saturday Sharon was having her hair cut in the morning, so I went up and John went too. The first job of the day was to glue and clamp the worktops together in the kitchen so the join is near enough invisible. It wasn’t without its challenges but we did it and it looks great. We then progressed to installing the sink which was a bitch of a job. The cupboard supplied by B&Q wasn’t a sink cupboard but just a std 800mm unit. This made getting all the sink clips which pull the sink down on to the worktop very difficult to get in place and use. We got most in and the ones we couldn’t get, we used wire to clamp it down. It looks a good job so I’m pleased with that. We connected the tap up, sorted all the waste out and cut the shelf out to accommodate the sink trap. I learned no end of little hints and tips. We also re-piped the washing machine supply, adding it in to the cupboard rather than behind the washer as to not to hinder pushing the washer back and to check it we chucked the washer in too. It’s semi connected at the moment. Had the inspection from Spok, he’s chuffed with it and loves it.

    Sharon came up in the afternoon and she was a big help as always. After John had left, we stayed on and did a few more jobs. I needed some supplies so Sharon went off to gather them for me whilst I got a few bits ready. I swapped the fused switch in the living room for a single socket as Gemma and Adam have a nice focal fire which is a plug in type. I then mounted that on the wall in the living room. I also installed a fused switch in the kitchen and added a socket in the chimney of the extractor fan, connected that up and tested it and finally put filler in the wall where I’d chased out for the cable. A long day, but a productive one.

    This morning (Sunday) I was awake early so decided to load the car up and get up there, letting Sharon have a lie in. I left a Note saying I’d be home about 9.30 and we’d go out for breakfast. JB gave me a small list of jobs as he couldn’t come today and I had some of my own. The first job I tackled was to put a couple of light in the loft and add in a switch. TGB makes a huge difference up there, I then did the job I hate - put the 2nd layer of insulation in. It was beautifully sunny outside and very warm which made the loft boiling. I put on a jacket, mask and gloves and sorted it. I was soaked when I finished but theres loads of insulation up there now. I went home dripping wet, had a shower and breakfast, collected Sharon and we went back.

    Once again Sharon did some tidying, it’s blooming relentless. I rubbed the wall down near the extractor where I have added the socket and painted it before refitting the fan and testing it. All perfect there, I then installed a ceiling fan in the bathroom, cored the hole and wired it up. That was s mucky job as I was in snd out of the loft, but again success, installed and working. It comes on when the bathroom light is switched on and runs for 1 minute when it’s been turned off. I also siliconed around the hole John cut in the under sink cupboard and edged the worktops. Again a very productive day / weekend. Baz & Linzi paid us a visit too see it, they loved it and think we’ve done a great job. Barry reminded me how the living room was like his mums and said that pigeons used to crash in to the windows as they could see straight through front to back. Never happened to us, then Sharon and I were having a cup of tea and low and behold a pigeon crashed in to the kitchen window, I nearly poo’d my pants. Gemma and her mini tribe turned up with a few tiles, nice chat, hopefully we’ll be done inside in the next couple of weeks and they can put their own mark on it.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold
    1

    28th May 2018

    May 28, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    I had Friday off this week giving us a long weekend as it’s bank holiday yet again.

    On Friday I had to agree a time with John as I was no longer able to get in. Reason? New front and back doors have now been installed. And they look absolutely fab. The back door makes a huge difference as we’ve gone for a half glazed one with clear glass. The kitchen is now flooded with light and once the garden is sorted it will be lovely to look out of. There is now a scaffold tower built around the back in readiness for the new guttering to be fitted and the vanity sink had been fitted to the wall in the downstairs loo. As Richard is now back from Florida, it was a good joint effort on Friday. Whilst John and Rich were out chasing around for supplies, I gave the kitchen a good tidy and rounded up all the tools. On Johns return, we made a start on installing the upstairs toilet. One of the first jobs was to get a 4” pipe through the wall. A piece of cake with the coring drill and bit but not without caution. Some careful measuring made us aware that we would only be about half an inch below the mains power cable running in to the house. As the scaffold was up, I popped up there, removed the clips and held the cables down just to be safe, I can’t lose him at this late stage 😂😂. When Richard returned attentions turned to getting the bath level and in situ, most definitely a two person job. We then left John in the bathroom and Richard and I went and did battle with the kitchen. I have to admit that was the bit I was looking forward to getting stuck in with as I knew it would dramatically change how it looked. We cut down the end cladding panels and fitted them, and made a start on installing the worktops. We’ve decided to try an invisible joint to join them rather than a bar. It’s a professionals job which you pay for but looks so much better. The idea is that you use a router and a jig to cut the worktop into two shapes, but the jig has numerous mountings and no instructions. Between the three of us, we worked it out and off we went. It’s turned out brilliant enemy though a little bit of fettling was required. John had got the sink attached in the bathroom and the waste pipes in position. It was a late finish but a great result.

    Saturday morning was just Sharon and I as the boys were golfing for Tom’s stag party, I was just going for the beer in the evening so decided we would go and do a few bits. There was a mass of dust in the kitchen where we had been cutting worktops etc and the place looked like a bomb site. Sharon spent the whole day cleaning and tidying and the place just looked so much better. I cut the second base end panel and fixed it in to position to create the space for the washer. I also fixed all the door and drawer handles on and fitted the extractor fan before slap embarking on s massive clear up in the kitchen. Sharon’s Mum paid a visit and fetched me a chocolate cake to keep me going and Gemma, Adam, Bobby Jo and Joseph landed dropping the washer, dryer and outside front door canopy off. It was a lovely visit. Gemma returned later with Naomi and Izzy to measure up and again we had a lovely chat. They really seem to like it and we’re glad they are having it as we know it will get looked after.

    Sunday was a day off as we had a visit from Bridget, Chris, Joseph and we got to meet the lovely Emeline, but we paid a visit as they wanted to see what we had achieved, they were suitably impressed.

    Today, Sharon and I went this morning and were joined by John mid morning. Sharon made a start on tidying the living room whilst John and I got the waste pipes in place in the bathroom. We were a tiny bit of pipe short but that’s a nothing, that will easily be sorted tomorrow. We then went downstairs and connected up the vanity sink in the downstairs loo. Apart from waste that is working fine and we now have got and cold running water in there. Spok came for a look and likes the kitchen, we’ve advised we may need his services again as we may need another fire to burn some more rubbish. I reckon another couple of weekends will see the inside done and I don’t think the outside will too far afterwards.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold

    20th May 2018

    May 20, 2018 in England ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    On Monday this week the smart electric and gas meters were fitted so we now have a gas supply that can be used.

    Poor old John has had a pig of a week this week, he never really gets frustrated but this week has just pushed him a tad too far. It started off with him finishing off the piping to the boiler that we’d started last week. That went well. However as soon as filled the boiler with water it pissed out everywhere. Even the non plumbers amongst you will know that’s not a good thing. Now if that had have been me, the boiler would have been knackered and I would have gone out and bought a new one, but good old JB’s not the sort of person to admit defeat. He stripped it down, found a perished washer, replaced it and rebuilt. Fair play to him, that cracked it and the boiler filled and held pressure. So his next job was to get a pipe from the gas meter at the front left of the house, to the boiler at the back right. The 2 couldn’t be further apart. Anyway, as I would have done, he went up in to the roof space, across and down in 22mm pipe and dropped it in nicely. His plumber mate made the connection to the boiler and meter and then tested it - queue issue number 2, not enough gas pressure. Cutting a long story short, the pipework had to be removed and the run shortened and pipe diameter increased. So he had no option to go around the front of the house, down the side and up in to the bathroom floor in 28mm pipe. That added another challenge, the gate now needs to be modified as it catches when opening. The dickhead next door had something to say when John was in there but he’s picked the wrong man if he thinks he can be cocky with John. Finally, he needed to get the hole for the flue drilled, he’s got a diamond core drill specifically for the job. And there sneaking in is challenge number three. The bricks are so hard, they burned the diamonds out on the drill and it got stuck in the wall. His only way out was to chisel it out. Despite all this, he never gave up and the good news is the boiler has fired up and is holding pressure which is great news.

    On Friday night we were all going to Eddie & Lynne’s so I took him a nice bottle of red wine as I really felt for him. He then told me the clown next door had been round as he had a water leak and decided it must have been something a John had done from our side, like drilling through a pipe or something, John checked snd it most definitely wasn’t anything he’d done, so he took the opportunity to advise him if there was any damage arising from so called water leak on our site, liability and recommence would be pursued!! Good old John 👍

    Saturday Sharon and I went up and it was another beautiful day. We had a bit of a tidy up and I set to fitting the fused supply to the boiler.. I also refitted all the upstairs door handles as Adam has been up there and finished painting them. He has also painted the front bedroom a nice blue/grey colour. It was royal wedding day and Sharon had a sore throat. I decided to take her home around lunchtime and I gathered a few materials and went back armed with a sandwich and some goodies. I chiselled the wall out and fitted the two post switch sockets and terminations for the hob and the oven. Filled them, refitted the cupboard and connected the oven up. I also realised that I had put a power supply in for the extractor. So again I chiselled out and added a spur ready for that. I didn’t seem to achieve very much yesterday but it took me all day and I didn’t stop. Having to pop home twice for bits of tools and wires slowed thing down. Finally I completed the consumer unit off, putting on its cover and labelling all the MCB’s up.

    Sunday, Sharon was on a day off as she was going shopping for a dress with her Mum and Lynne, I went up this morning as I sold the 2 fireplaces we took out on eBay and one of them was being picked up this morning. I was there early so being a Sunday i am aware of not making a lot of noise. I turned my attention to a bit of painting. I painted the wall in the back passage, all the walls in the downstairs toilet, cut the walls back in in the kitchen so they have a nice neat line and finally I undercoated the sides of the staircase. I had a little tidy and then came home just after lunch.

    I have took the liberty of asking a Uncle Spok if the gate is shared and it was purchased by Uncle Les, so I’ve advised JB of that and told him to fill his boots when telling the baffoon next for to “Do One”, I’m sure John will choose his words carefully 😂

    So there’s been a lot of work this week but no big visible changes, that’s what happens at this stage, but I’d sooner there be central heating and hot water than something big to look at. Away again all this week, but off on Friday so a long weekend at it next weekend.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold

    13th May 2018

    May 13, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Another great week whilst I’ve been away at work, John and Rich are flying. The big change this week is the fitting of the interior doors and handles. It makes a huge difference to the feel and sound of the place. There has also been lots of little woodwork jobs done, too many to list but all adding to the overall finish of the house. The large radiator has been hung in the dining room and the garden has been sprayed with poison to kill it off. On Thursday night we ordered the kitchen, after lots of ringing round, emailing, ebay comms, we finally got the whole lot for nearly half the quotes we were receiving from B&Q in Doncaster. That will be delivered a week on Friday. This Friday saw the electrics signed off which I’m am quite chuffed about as I did them from scratch pretty much unaided. A couple of lessons along the way which is definitely how you learn but on the whole no real issues, and only the one electric shock which was my own fault as I switched the wrong circuit off when installing the outside lights !! We have also rented it out to two of my cousins. It’s lovely to see them excited and they want to rent it for 5 years. I know they will look after it and that was a big worry, after all of the hard work we would have been gutted if it got wrecked, I know that it will be in safe hands.

    Saturday was a day off as I had to get my eyes tested and loads of other things and we were out Saturday evening. But Sunday saw us back there (although a little fragile). Sharon concentrated on a massive tidy up. We loaded the car up with all the electrical stuff as hopefully they won’t be needed any more. We threw the second layer of insulation up in to the loft ready for fitting sometime this week and generally had a good sweep and tidy. We followed the same practice downstairs in the living room.

    As Monday was a bank holiday, Sharon continued the tidy up and I turned my attention to filling and caulking all the woodwork which was all three bedrooms, landing, living room and hall. After they had dried I sanded them all down so they are ready for painting. I also started cutting in in the kitchen and painted behind the radiators in the kitchen and downstairs toilet. Gemma has been round and already painted the front bedroom, we have told her she can decorate it as she likes, after all it will be their home.

    We have both been off all week so instead of getting up for the day job on Tuesday, we got up for the weekend job. Rich is on holiday for the next couple of weeks so at least John has someone to talk to. The weather has been glorious and we are progressing nicely. Sharon has continued with the under coating throughout the bedrooms as well as keeping John and I supplied in tea and biscuits. John and I have been concentrating on getting the remaining pipe work connected up for the central heating, as well as finishing some door shuts upstairs. We have got the boiler mounted on the wall in the bathroom and undercoated the living room. On Tuesday Night Gemma, Adam, Aunty Linda, Bobby Jo and Joseph all came round for a look. They are excited and we now need to crack on and get it done so they can get in. Adam and Joseph came on Wednesday and did some painting, under instruction from Sharon - blind leading the blind !!

    Thursday saw Sharon and Adam push on with the gloss work and the upstairs doors. It’s such a fiddly job and very time consuming but they are doing a fab job. I started the day off by installing an outside tap, may as well at this stage, I’m sure it will come in useful. When JB arrived we set about temporarily piping the cold feed into the central heating system without the boiler connected and ensuring any exposed ends in the water side were capped off. We then turned on the mains water pressure and looked for leaks. “Mistakes, we made a few” but fortunately we didn’t face the final curtain. In fairness the mistakes were minor but enough to dampen a floor or two 😂, the upstairs radiators bleed screws were all loose so when the first rad pissed water all over the place, it was closely followed by all the others. There was also a plastic tee that hadn’t been tightened. To be honest if that’s the worse we’ll take it. The number of connections and tricky bends is quite high so one fail is not bad at all. After that we got the floor down in the downstairs loo, toilet reconnected and the floor put to the edge in the kitchen. We then drained the water system down and set to piping the boiler up. We took our time with it and tried to be quite methodical. We got a couple of the pipes in but had to stop as there were a couple of valves missing and we’ve had to order them. Whilst John went to order them I had a tidy up, sanded and undercoated the living room window sill. I also cleaned up the outside back windows. I sent Sharon home around 6 to get herself bathed and changed and then come back for me as I still had a bit of life in me. Whilst she was gone I cut in the kitchen, hall and downstairs toilet, put the first coat of paint on the kitchen ceiling and then finished cutting in the kitchen. A long old day but very productive.

    On Friday, the first job of the day for me was to put a 2nd coat of paint on the kitchen ceiling, Sharon moved the remaining bits to the back of the living room in readiness for the kitchen units being delivered. We were doing well until I realised I was out of paint, I thought there was more upstairs but nope - so a trip to B&Q to get another tub. I finished the ceiling when I got back and not so long after that, the kitchen units turned up. All flat packed and in need of assembly. My dad offered some help so I took him up on it snd he came across for a couple of hours. We managed to get all the units built in just a couple of hours which was great. Adam came and painted some more of the upstairs doors and had the window blind man around to measure up for some blinds. We decided to call it a day about 3.30 as we were going to Eddie & Lynne’s for tea, something we were both looking forward too. Lynnes food is delicious, and it’s always a pleasant evening.

    On Saturday it was just Sharon and I. First job of the day was to get the water pipes connected up behind where the cabinets are going in the kitchen to supply the sink and washing machine. Not a particularly difficult task but a good job done, we made sure they were clipped to the wall and were neat and tidy in-keeping with the jobs JB has been doing. We then progressed to fitting the kitchen units in place. We started with the corner base unit and took it from there trying our best to get everything nice and level and plumb. We didn’t do a bad old job to be fair and after the the corner and sink were in and levelled, the rest came along fairly quickly on the bottoms. I wish we could say the same for the wall cabinets, they were a pig, we took our time and marked everything up but unfortunately forgot to leave an 18mm gap from the wall to got an end panel on, so we needed to move the wall brackets by 18mm. The issue we ran in to was that there wasn’t a dab behind the bit of wall we had to drill, and it just caused us a massive headache, the top and bottom of it was the plugs weren’t really long enough and we made a right old mess of the wall. In the end we cut out a section about 4inches square, plugged a piece of wood in and started again. We finally got a nice tight secure set of brackets and the first wall cupboard was on nice and tight. The next couple were a bit mischievous but with a bit of patience (something I really lack) we got them up. I started to fit the doors and the first one was damaged and we were missing a drawer front. So Sharon went off to B&Q to get them changed and I put the the rest of the doors on, built the two drawers, installed the heat deflectors for the oven and sat the oven in place. Unfortunately i found another chip in one of the doors and I used an ever so slightly too long screw in the decorative panel under the oven. Whilst it’s not come through its ever so slightly raised. Not sure if it’s worth changing or not, I’ll take a view tomorrow. When Sharon returned we had a nice little sandwich, cup of tea and a biscuit an admired our efforts of the day. We put the replacement door and drawer front on and then called it a day.

    And now it’s Sunday morning. I left sleeping beauty to it this morning and left about 6.30. As it was so early, I was on quiet jobs. I finished cutting in the kitchen and put a coat of magnolia on the walls. Even if the colours get changed, it doesn’t matter, it’s just a base coat really. Spok text at 7.30 to see if er wanted to go out for breakfast so at 9 we went to Snackattack and fuelled up. We did go back and I just ambled along with the magnolia in the hall, cutting in the downstairs loo and bits and bobs really. Sharon put some gloss on the landing and when that’s finished, other than the bathroom upstairs will nearly be done. We left at 11.00 as I have to get the grass cut, car cleaned out and pack as I am away all this week for work. Gas and Electric meters are being fitted tomorrow and hopefully the electrician will connect in to them.

    A very busy week with quite a few very long days but it’s well on its way inside now.    Read more

  • Traveler24 Knott End, Langold

    29th April 2018

    April 29, 2018 in England ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    A couple of weeks have passed since the last update that’s just because I’ve been to work for the past 2 Sunday’s and simply have run out of time.

    That’s not to say things haven’t progressed. Most of the plastering has now been completed with just a few more bits to finish off but they are left exposed at the minute to allow access for gas and water pipes. The skirtings are fully fitted in the living room and the hall is fully plastered out. We have a loft access hatch which has now been tidied and the stairs are completed. All the architraves are complete upstairs an once the boiler and bathroom suite are in then upstairs will just about be complete. Outside a start has been made, all of the soil has been pulled back from the drive (Wally’s wife was happy to take delivery of that next door but 2 which has saved it being carted to the tip), the hedge has been pulled back and the wall knocked down far enough to allow for 2 cars to be parked on the drive.

    Sharon has moved an awful lot of rubbish out and tidied up quite a lot inside. She has also undercoated all the skirtings in the living room. Her final task this morning was to gather up all the wood from around the back and pile it up at the side of the bonfire ready for burning.

    A momentous day for me today, the electrics are now finally in place, new consumer installed and all circuits working correctly including linked smoke alarms and front and back outside lights. It’s really starting to come together now.

    And this evening, whilst I was travelling for Work, Spok and Paul have been up and lit the bonfire eradicating the wood from around the back.

    We’ve had lots of visitors, Spok and Denise keep coming along to gee us up, Sharon’s Mum and Dad have benn, snd Susan and Uncle Tony have been today. All are chuffed with how we are getting along.

    Until next week........    Read more

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