Support thread for House Renovators/DIYers

[LPlateFlyer]

Was wondering if anyone wanted to join me in a support thread for all of us doing lots of renovating, odd jobs, diy etc. This can be somewhere we can do some well deserved bragging on a job well done!

I have sooooo much DIY that needs to get done.

I almost finished the downstairs loo yesterday. All that needs to be done is a second coat of paint on the door and a towel rail and toilet roll holder to be put up.

Yesterday's Tada list:
Painted skirtings in loo 2x coats
Painted door frame in loo 2x coats
Painted door in loo 1 x coat
Put together and installed a small bathroom cabinet


I'm about to start putting together an Ikea book case so that I can get some of the books out of storage!

[mamapants]

So went to meet up to discuss kitchens today. And they are going to price up a few options for us. Including 2 larder units, american style fridge, dishwasher etc. And incorporating the rangecooker we have already.
He's also going to price up different worktops so laminate, maia, wood block and granite. Am hoping to get granite but not sure our budget will stretch.
Am after a mix of oak and cream units I think. We are going to have an exposed beamwork ceiling in the room so think it will be nice to have wood carried through.
What are others thinking of doing in their kitchen?
Or for those of you who's kitchens are done already what is great/ what would you change?

[mamapants]

Excellent news about bathroom Aethel. What are they like?

[Aethelfleda]

Well it's a bit crazy as due to the house layout we have three (!!) my old house was a 3 bed terrace with one loo but moving out of a city gives much more bang for your buck, which is why we hardly know where to start!! The family bathroom is bath plus loo plus sink and that's ok (well now I've actually sealed the bath and put up a towel rail it is . Who doesn't seal their bath, fer goodness' sakes?) the other bathrooms both have unusable (leaky) showers. I can't afford new ceilings, so we are replacing both showers totally. The overall theme is white click flooring and mid-height tiles, we are going for two Mira showers , one electric and one mixer, so that if the boiler packs up at least one shower will still work. We have a combi boiler, so it also means we can have a bath and someone else shower at the same time (in future this will be important as we have 2 DDs!) we're having Lakes corner entry enclosures as the plumber recommended them for longevity. I'm hoping that we can retain as much flooring and tiling as possible as we have spent the budget pot. Also rabidly hoping the joists are ok when the old showers are ripped out (eep...)

Oh and kitchens: don't have the fridge directly behind the kitchen door! We do and it's a right pain (but no cash to redo at the moment and rest if kitchen is in ok nick.) and fantasy shop for a range cooker: I had to leave my teknik range behind (sniff) but there are amaaazing french enamel ones out there....for a cool 4 grand....

[Aethelfleda]

Oops , mama, just seen you already have a range. Other thing I love is a "flow area" as in a natural part of the kitchen where you can cook/prepare without pushing past people/crossing kitchen repeatedly.
So a fridge then chopping/prepping area then cooking area all next to each other. Ooh and underlights that illuminate the worktop. They are SO on my list. Not that I have a list. No siree. Kitchen's just peachy. :(

[LPlateFlyer]

Hi everyone! Gosh, take off for a few days and it all happens!!!!

How about I do a bit of a round up? Figure if I do it weekly we can keep up with what everyone is doing.

Tizwozliz - had booked a week off to do finishing bits like under kitchen unit plinths, skirtings and some paint stripping and painting, and has made a start with putting up a hanging basket ? a perfect start in this nice weather!

Brugmansia - is in the middle of renovating and getting quotes, and has an almost completed loft extension, and is in the middle of the fun job of choosing tiles for the shower room

poocatcherchampion - will join in once she gets the keys to her new place

betterwhenthesunshines - wanting builders to finish properly, and has finished walls ready for painting. Is now planning on making curtains and blinds next.

Aethelfleda - has recently moved into her ?forever house? and is planning lots of work. Has managed to put up 5 bookcases, and done some outdoor bench repairing and other outdoor work (and a little short cut on fixing tiles!). Well done! (And we have bathroom envy of your 3 bathrooms!)

OptimisticOlive - is stripping her house and making it all hers and has an impressive tada list on a shoe string budget. Well done!

Papalazaru - is in the planning stages of a renovation

SadOldGit - Extension is almost completed, and has a healthy looking to do list.

MinimalistMommi - has a large to do list including relocating a staircase, and putting in a new kitchen.

Jidget - has bought herself a sander ? a great start (I love these gadgets!!!)

Mum2Fergus - in the process of doing a ?Fireman Sam? room for her DS, and has put in a bath in her bathroom.

PrettyPrudence - is making us all dizzy with the work she and her family are getting through.

NumTumDeDum - has an almost finished conservatory and a new heat pump installed ? sounds lovely!

MoreBeta - is being wonderfully optimistic.

Flow4 - is deciding whether to make an offer on a house. Gwan, you know you want to join us!

wonkylegs - has a great to do list planned for when they move into their house in summer.

mamapants - her DH has done an impressive amount of work in the 10 days since they got the keys to their new house, and is now having a few kitchen options priced up. Very exciting!

Fiddlestickler - is marking her place with a nice to do list for when if they get the keys to their new house.

I have spent more time outside in this lovely weather on the weekend. When cleaning the pond we managed to put a hole in the pond liner so we took the plunge and bought a new pond ? the solid sort ? and put it in where we actually WANT the pond to be. Spent Sunday gently transporting plants and newts into their new home. Waiting for some rain now as the pond isn?t quite full and our rainwater tanks are empty!

Our washing machine is still out of action, due to the part not arriving. But today is the only day I have at home and DH is travelling this week so not sure how we?re going to juggle that!

[Mum2Fergus]

Exhausted.com! Finished stripping wallpaper from DS room...prep of walls etc starts tomorrow. Wardrobe/cupboard interior built bar 4 drawers...really pleased with that.

[mamapants]

Wow 3 bathrooms Aethel! We aren't at the bathroom stage yet although we only have one to worry about. But the roof needs to come off the whole back section of the house first! So a little way to go yet. I do have the Lakes brochure somewhere though. Don't really have any opinions on bathrooms yet except going to get a plain toilet with no fiddly bits for easy cleaning!
Thanks for the recap LPlates!perfect weather for working on ponds. The garden at our new plais going to have to wait, house first priority and Ihave to wait for my little one to stop sticking everything straight in his mouth before I can get anhing done in garden!

[Jidget]

You've all been so busy!

I've opened the sander box to check all the bits are in there and to see how it works - progress! . It's to prepare my bedroom furniture for painting.

I get frustrated that I can't get on with jobs myself. The first is to decorate stairs and landing and because the ceiling is so high I'll have to call in the professionals.

Once that's done I can make a start on my bedroom (if I can ever decide on colours).

[MoreBeta]

Well I went to see the painter/carpenter and he said he could do everything.

Going to see John Lewis about bathrooms/kitchen tomorrow and they promised to coordinate the whole project for us.

I painted some small blobs of Farrow & Ball on a sheet of plain backing wall paper today and showed DW. They got her approval so thats the paint sorted.

You lot seem ever so busy. Makes me think I'm doing it wrong.

[pettyprudence]

spent the last 4 days working hard at the house, getting on to some decorating now and i have painted 4 ceilings today and had the plumber in to cap water and gas so i van rip more stuff out. skip is overflowing! more work is being added to the list - this house renovating salary is expensive and exhausting!

my mission between now and Saturday is to paint ds bedroom walls and floor, level kitchen floor, paint kitchen walls and install a couple of units, paint all floors throughout (which need a lot of scrubbing first). i think i have some late nights ahead

[Mum2Fergus]

Off to DS room with sander and filler...I may be some time! Have a great day everyone!!

[Mum2Fergus]

Just before I go lol thermal underlay...anyone used or considering?!

[Tizwozliz]

I've only managed a few odd bits in my time off but as Tesco says 'every little helps!' Also just having a good rest and catching up on other stuff means I'm more inclined to do things after work/at the weekend

Just realised the kitchen has been in over a year now and we've yet to actually screw in the oven or the dishwasher

I have updated my renovation photo timeline though
Kitchen renovation

[Aethelfleda]

Few Very small things yesterday (but I'm working on the Tesco motto too!): I removed a particularly greasy and old kitchen blind, scrubbed off all the grease/dust from the wall behind, and painted over the marks from the fixings (from a almost-matching test pot but it looks a lot better. Later on I will repaint the kitchen anyway, it's just way down the list)

And finally dug over my first raised bed. I know strictly speaking that's not DIY but we built the raised beds so I will pretend it counts! It's all contributing to making the house ours, so I think that's valid.

Bathroom stuff arrives tomorrow, though the workmen can't all come in together for another 2 weeks so patience is a virtue as I'll have to wait to get it all in!

Oh and I have ordered velux blinds for our top windows as they are bare and I think integral blinds are more child friendly than roller blinds with cords (plus they will look nicer). Oh the vanity

And mum2F I've never heard of thermal underlay!

[Aethelfleda]

PS : I have just bought a secondhand copy of this: Collins cOmplete DIY manual Am hoping it's going to help me along, it's been recommende on here and has tons of pictures....

[OptimisticOlive]

Wow loads has been going on here since I dragged myself away from my tools! Good work everyone

Since last week I have plastered the fireplace (was a gaping black, dusty mucky hole with a broken hearth, the corner of which was broken off leaving the bare soil underneath, which I discovered (can't believe I'm going to admit this in public) my cat had used as a toilet, grim is not the word! The more I am doing the more I am realising that my house was barely habitable before I started all this. I mean, it's not much to ask to not have cat poo lurking in my dining room is it?) I have never done plastering before but it's not as bad as people say (I don't think I would attempt a ceiling though), painted the dining room, had two sockets moved (chased them in myself , ripped out dodgy shelving from cupboard understairs (satisfyingly destructive) and had my brother use the wobbliest ladder in the universe to paint my stair well. Just went to visit my new kitchen which is real wood, lovely pine (not the orange cheap looking stuff though) which I am getting second hand and for the absolute bargain price of £500 inc appliances, thanks to a friend putting in a good word for me with her auntie who is ripping it out!!! Still have to pay for fitting but will have a gorgeous kitchen at the end of it, yay!

Jidget, just go for it, you never know until you try, and as long as you're not a massive perfectionist the satisfaction you get from doing things yourself is well worth the odd bit of wonkiness!

[pettyprudence]

olive any tips on plastering? im thinking i might (eventually) skim over the artex on my hallway walls as it will be a VERY long time before i can afford a plasterer! i have had a small go with polycell smooth over stuff and found that ok (but expensive) so might have a go with the real stuff.

[Tizwozliz]

I found working with pre-mix plaster much harder than working with plaster you mix yourself.

Get a decent plastering trowel
Don't be tempted to mix up too much plaster at once
It's far better if you can get one person to mix and one to plaster

[Mum2Fergus]

Evening all! Soooo, prep to DS room done (only took the whole day lol)...holes filled/sanded/filled and sanded again. Corners squared, plastered and sanded, ceiling taped, flushed and sanded, all woodwork primed. Guide lines for lining paper done. Carpet quoted for and due to be fitted Monday (cant beat a tight timeline to get your finger out lol). Well deserved night out with DP tonight (dinner and a gig) while DS escapes the dust with a sleepover with his Gran/Papa!

Tomorrow aim to line 3 walls and paint ceiling

[OptimisticOlive]

Pry - agree with everything tiswas said, also get the plaster on and as flat as you can then go back an hour or so later when its almost set and go over it again, pressing really hard with your float and cleaning the float after every sweep. if you're still unhappy with the finish you can get gyproc eazi fill (which pro pasterers hate) but its really really fine and makes a lovely finish which you can sand down easily. I went against all the rules of plastering as I did my fireplace, and wasn't quite happy so I did a skim eazi fill and it looked great, ended up doing a really thin skim over all the walls in that room! Probably totally wrong but its made my old sandy lathe walls look great!

[Mum2Fergus]

Lunchtime break! Will definitely finish lining walls today and may attempt coat of paint to ceiling! Couldnt sleep last night so ended up making flags/bunting for the room...all 20 odd metres of the stuff lol plumber due Sat to put radiator back in and move stopcock which is conveniently (not!) behind the integrated washing machine! Drawer unit moved from bedroom to hall for hats/gloves etc. Right, back to work!

[Aethelfleda]

I have a garage full of bits of bathroom :)

Today's list was very small due to DS not napping very long:

Changed the front door Yale lock (been on the list a while)
Ripped out a few stupidly coloured rawlplugs that have been annoying me ever since we moved in, and Pollyfilla'd the holes and a small settlement crack.
Started to bolt our bookcases to the wall (and then DS woke up, sigh).

Oh well...at least we are closer to the showers of our dreams!...

[Mum2Fergus]

Morning all my to do for today:

• another coat of paint to ceiling
• 2 coats to 3 walls
• paint woodwork
• possibly mural (will see what time I have as instructions recommend doing full wall at same time!)
• wash/iron new curtains and bedding

[MoreBeta]

Right - I need the wisdom of MN.

Which one of the following options do I choose:

a) pay £3,000 to refurbish and change the front and top of an AGA because I dont like the colour and the top is all scratched; or

b) rip it out and get a £500 credit towards a more sensible cooking machine?

[Mum2Fergus]

Did all my to do list except mural, keeping that wee chestnut for Sat! Used time wisely however...new light up, curtain rail up and built toy storage unit