22nd May 2013

The rear en-suite looks like the meeting place for every local hose and pipe at the moment. Eventually all these pipes from the underfloor heating will be connected to a central manifold and pump. Until then this room is still being used for access to upstairs rather than the main staircase.

The initial fit of the shower mixer tap, along with the feed for the toilet systems and the towel rail are also in place now.

The brick wall will be battened out with and have plasterboard installed soon. There are very few cabling routes left open and this is one of the last. Hopefully we have identified all the cable runs now so when this gets closed off it won't be needed. Famous last words... We will see.

In the back bedroom, we are planning on having built in wardrobes as in the original house we always struggled for storage. The frame is being installed by the builder to provide a structural point to mount sliding doors on at some point in the future. Behind the frame will be two supports, one across the floor and another across the ceiling. These will be used to install a pole based sectional wardrobe system from a well known Swedish company with large blue buildings. The idea being that we can install it later, and to a design that suites our needs.

The office, and probably the storage cupboards off the hall and the built in wardrobe will have carpet tiles fitted. I purchased these from a reclamation supplier, which I think is a fancy word for 2nd hand. Either way, for the office etc they should be hard wearing and durable. Currently I've just got them stacked up until we get to the point of bring ready to lay them.

With the exception of paint and floor covering, the first room is done. OK, so its the small cupboard on the landing that used to house the hot water tank, before becoming known as the Narnia cupboard. However we refer to it, we are pleased to see it complete as far as building is concerned.

19th May 2013

The door frame to the large cupboard on the landing is now in place, it is now possible to really get a feel for the layout upstairs.

The small cupboard has been plastered, although the back will be a removable board to allow access to the plumbing and future electrical work to fit the new electric shower in the family bathroom. The two en-suites will have the normal mains pressure showers using the heat exchange tank, but we wanted to have at least one electric shower just in case we ever have problems with the boiler. Not that I am cast doubt on the plumber's work, but better safe than sorry.

The architrave is now up on a number of doors, although there are still a number to do, primarily because other jobs are still outstanding. In the photo below for example, much of the room etc is done, but through the door to the 2nd en-suite, brickwork is still visible. 

This en-suite is being used for access from the garage and utility room below to reduce the traffic through the main house. It will soon have the underfloor heating installed, along with all the plasterboard etc, but when we get to that stage the only access will be by the main stairs. Therefore we are trying to get as much complete upstairs whilst this access is still available.

The black cable sticking out of the wall is a TV Ariel, in this picture it looks like there may be something on the camera lens.

The front room, or office has now had its first coat of paint just to seal the plaster.

Likewise the 1st en-suite has been painted with a rough coat to seal the plaster, the mirror has been mounted along with the heated tile rail. There is still the plumbing work to finish in this room yet though.

A view from the back garden of the house now that pretty much all of the external building work has been completed. In the top left hand corner we have chosen to have a camera installed, just for added peace of mind as the entry to the garden is now a reasonable way from the main living accommodation. The extension blends in well with the existing house, the roof tiles stand out a bit, but they should age and become less noticeable with time.

The front view shows how the rendering has bought the extension and the main house together. Unfortunately my garage is still out of action, but it won't be long before I can start using it again.

9th May 2013

In the master bedroom, the opening to the new en-suite is clearly visible, along with the new wall.

This new wall has a number of built in shelves for books and a TV, which are obscured by at the moment whilst work continues in the large cupboard off the hallway on the other side.

Pretty much throughout Steve the builder has managed to minimize the impact and disturbance to the existing living accommodation, which we very much appreciate.

28th Apr 2013

This bottom right two blocks on this wall had unfortunately dropped a little due whilst the opening down stairs was enlarged where the old back door was. The steel lintel is in place now, has all been bedded down and this wall has been made good. It isn't supporting anything significant above due to the lintels that are already in place above it. However it is good that it has been bricked up and sorted out now. One less thing to worry about.

The area above will eventually be a cupboard with a wall facing the master bedroom with built in shelves for books and a TV. Access to the cupboard will be from the landing with a single door, within the cupboard we are planning on having a small radiator with a thermostatic valve so that we still have a warm area of storage now that the hot water tank has gone.

The first fitment of the shower tray and toilet in the new en-suite has been started by the plumber. Only the toilet is operational at the moment, the rest to be completed later.

The LED down lights have been installed in the office and the bedroom, along with most of the sockets and data points.

The sockets on the wall are for a future planned TV mounting, again data points as most TV's these days have an Ethernet network port on them for streaming and on demand services.

20th Apr 2013

The next stage of work along the landing corridor is underway now, the insulation and plywood is going up on the walls.

The plasters have now done the en-suite, the office and the bedroom. It is still drying out in places so not ready for painting yet.

In the photo above, we have opted to make a feature and use the old window opening and use the space for some built in shelves next to the sink. It has always bugged me when there isn't a level surface somewhere near a shaver socket to put a toothbrush or shaver on whilst charging. We will have one next to the bottom shelf so we won't have to charge things whilst dangling in mid air.

Office is still a store room, but has now been plastered and is drying out well as it catches the sun through the large window.

The new bedroom has also been plastered. and the mains sockets have been installed.

14th Apr 2013

Back on the outside, now the weather has finally picked up, the rendering has been done. Technically this is just the base render coat, but it shows which bits will be rendered and where the brickwork will be left exposed.

8th Apr 2013

The new upstairs rooms are really taking shape now, the office has all the plasterboard installed. It really will be a nice bright room to work in.

Likewise, the back bedroom is really coming together now that the plasterboard is up. Obviously still very much a building site, but all heading in the right direction.

The new en-suite for the master bedroom is at a different phase, having just had the underfloor heating installed.

2nd Apr 2013

I received a phone call today whilst at work from my wife, apparently we have a gateway to Narnia at the top of our stairs.

Opening up the door that once used to hide the hot water cylinder, now reveals the new east wing of the house.

The view above is through what used to be the hot water tank, the old en-suite shower (the fittings are still there on the left). After that, its all the new extension. The photo below, is taken from the extension looking back at the same doorway. The taps that used to be for the en-suite sink are still in place and still dripping, hence the bucket.

In the new bedroom, the various data cables are being boxed in. These will eventually be hidden behind (or within) the wardrobe. We haven't decided exactly what to do yet, as it depends a lot on budgets etc.

The next bunch of 24 cables have been split out into pairs ready to be installed. Whilst we are having all this disruption to our lives, it seems to make sense to put in the structured cabling where possible. We will probably never use all 72 ports, but the flexibility it gives us is enough to justify it in my eyes. No doubt some of you reading this think I'm mad, well you are all entitled to your opinions, no matter how wrong they are. :)

23rd Mar 2013

So, its the 23rd March, spring time surely? Well no, its snowing again.

Fortunately the house is pretty much water tight, the only slight caveat being the ridge tiles are not finished yet. This time last year they were warning us of a water shortage, now when we want warm weather with a house with more holes than a Swiss cheese, look at it.

The comms cabinet has become a dumping ground for bits and bobs I've bought to terminate all the data cables. One day this will be the hub of the network and services for the whole house. There are satellite cables, data cables, phone cables, Internet connection, terrestrial TV cables. Will need to give it some thought how all this will be used in order to stop it becoming a rats nest of cables.

Pictures from within the garage, the additional installation below the heated floor now completely fills the void ready for the fire retardant plasterboard to be installed.

The first of the new house alarm cables have now started appearing, next to the growing number of power cables in the area that the new consumer unit board will be installed. This area will eventually become part of the enlarged kitchen.

Much of the original house wall is now being removed to allow internal access through to the extension. The picture above is taken from within the new loft space, back towards the original loft. As you should be expecting by now, another bundle of data cabling is coiled up ready to be rolled out.

Moving down from the loft to the new landing corridor the wall has started coming down there as well now. The plasterboard behind the grey block wall is the shower, therefore when using that shower now, there is a tile, some adhesive and the width of plasterboard between you and the unheated outside world. Just want you want in late March when it is snowing.

Not that I'm fed up feeling cold, but another picture of the plasterboard behind which the shower is located.

Roll on summer. Please...

17th Mar 2013

Work continues, the plasterboard has now been installed across all internal walls and the ceiling. It really feels like the rooms are taking shape. 

The photo below is taken from the new rear bedroom looking back towards the existing house. The grey block wall down the landing is the internal wall of the original house. Just beyond the wall is the existing shower in the en-suite.

The front room with its large window opening is ideal for deliveries of plasterboard etc.

The photo below is taken from where the new shower in the new en-suite will be. The window is in place to the left, where as the window on the right will soon be removed and bricked up.

The challenge of still managing to live in the house with all this work happening leads to Heath Robinson solutions such as the picture below, just to ensure a phone line still works. Not my best cabling or equipment installation but it will do for now.

Eventually the cabling will be tidied up and mounted properly on a Krone panel as used by big businesses in telephone exchanges etc. If you are going to do something, do it right is my approach (well at least in the long term).

2nd Mar 2013

The stud wall is now in place between the office and the back bedroom along with the first fix electrical and data cables. The plywood is showing some staining where it has got wet along with everything else on this project, it has been treated though to kill off any bugs or mold that may be lingering.

The Floor has also been installed now which should be nice and warm with the heating directly below it.

The wall from the other room shows the number of cables installed, the quantity of which is source of constant amusement to the builder, electrician and plumber.

23rd Feb 2013

The first fix for the underfloor heating is now underway in the two main rooms in the extension upstairs. The photo below is of the back bedroom above the garage, the insulation sheets have already been installed. With the trays arranged to slot between the joists.

Continuing into the front room, which will be the office eventually, the reflective panels are first installed, then the tubes to carry the hot water are laid out.

Another view showing the first fix heating installed in the extension. Also visible in the picture below are the first 24 runs of the Cat 5E data cable, Cat 6 is now readily available, but this cable was very reasonable from a cost perspective and should support Gigabit network speeds. The Electrician has agreed to install the cable runs, and I'll terminate them later.

The block work is still drying out, just shows how wet it all was last year. Roll on summer.

9th Feb 2013

Now that the snow has thawed and the weather has improved a little the roof is nearing completion. The first photo is of the back where we have chosen to use the new tiles.

On the end of the apex we have opted to use these plastic shields to help prevent water damage to the mortar that the tiles are bedded down on. Whilst up close they might not look to great, they do make the finished roof line look smarter in our opinion.

On the front of the property we chose to reuse the tiles from the old garage roof as this will be more obvious from the road hence the initial impressions of the property.

The front roof just needs some final tiles around the roof above the main window. Steve the builder believes we should have enough tiles, I trusted him about the bricks a while back and he was right, so I trust him again with the tiles.

It is getting to the point of needing to do something with the satellite dish again, we seem to be getting a poor signal these days, but we think that might be because someone has built an extension roof near by. Its currently sitting on top of the scaffolding and will be moved to the gable end wall with the cables being run inside the roof rather than externally on the wall.

We have been thinking about using some light tubes to allow natural light through to the landing which has no windows. Unfortunately these have proved to be significantly more expensive than we first thought so we have decided not to use them at present. We may in the future still use them, but it will not be part of this project for the time being.

Whilst the costs and therefore decision were unknown the ridge tiles have not been laid yet as we would have needed to take them up again to install the light units. This isn't that obvious in the photos but when taking a closer look at the roof line, there is a drop about half way where the old and new meet. This will eventually be a straight line all the way across.

I think the photo below is probably the best shot to illustrate the overall look of the extension so far. Overall we are happy with how it is coming together.