Home extension 2019 the Third thread- Drowning in Dust

[WhereDoesThisToiletGo]

And we're off again

My wonky windows are fine.

It's far too complicated to explain but builder was trying to put it in 90° rotated.
4 of them staring at this "wrong" window and not one noticed the coincidence that what they thought was the "drop" of the not quite square window was exactly the same as the width of the recess that it was designed to fit.
Muppets.
We eventually had a good laugh about it.

Wheredoes, that made me laugh! Wonder if they are related to the apprentice. He put door on upside down today. Luckily we can use that one in the living room and he can have another go. New dad is endlessly patient with him.

To give him his due, it was neat work and the difference is subtle.

@Italianna we had similar with missing our expected start date.
Builder was obviously negotiating with several prospective clients and while we were spending the weekend mulling over the contract, we got bumped by another client.
We spent those extra weeks on doing pre build stuff like sorting out burglar alarm removing the sensors in the build area, getting the electrical distribution board upgraded. And I did a clear out of kitchen cupboards.
Without them, we would have been horribly rushed.

@soakedat3 Do you have a larder style cupboard? If so, it would look ace to have a worktop level internal shelf in your Minerva

Glad the windows are okay! Sorry about the bricks 😫
Worktops look fab Soaked!!

Don't worry @Italianna use the 5 weeks to plan every last detail so you don't have to make any quick decisions- floor, electrics, etc all the minor details.

I'm with you on the worry Soaked. I had a stern word earlier and now I'm worried I've pissed him off and he's going to run away!!

Oops!

Try again..
@soakdat3 that looks amazing!

Bit like this

@soakedat3 those worktops look fab! That's not good re the boiler though (was there something in your name that means you have other similar experiences?).

Thanks for supportive comments about start date. Am looking for the up-sides and you've pointed out some great ones! Unfortunately it means we are not starting until March (March?!) but hopefully no frost re bricks and as you say less mud! Maybe also some January sales bargains!

We decided beginning January to do this extension and we're fortunate that it came under Permitted Development which speeds the process.
If course we wanted to start ASAP but honestly if we had begun the build in April or May we would have made some very different - and I think wrong - decisions.

I agree, enjoy your delayed start! I'm amazed at the speed of things once they get going, expectations to make instant decisions etc - guess we wouldn't have had the wrong bricks fiasco if we'd done more preparation earlier! I foolishly thought the builder would know best but clearly we need to be on top of every detail How people go on holiday and don't come back to trouble I don't know! Our build seems to have been complicated from day one!
Can I ask what worktops people have chosen? Have you bought them from the same suppliers as the kitchen? Think we're getting a Howdens kitchen but haven't fallen in love with their cheaper laminates and everything else seems very pricy!
Glad the windows are going to be ok and the upside down door frame

I have a lot of minerva you can have @gleegeek lol!

We got it from kitchen supplier. I do love it though. If you go laminate, I like the egger ones. We got that for utility in bardolino oak. Tobbaco oak is also lovely. The egger ones seem head and shoulders over what I've seen elsewhere.

What a week everyone is having!

Thanks for the tips thread Wheredoes, and glad the Wonky Windows are now just a funny story!

The waterfall ends look great, Soaked - love that effect and good your builder has worked to get the best join.

Hello to everyone else who is still planning - we (hopefully, everything crossed...) have builders coming this week to start tendering. Really hope we're able to start this year, but it seems normal to have to wait a good few months for a slot. And we definitely haven't done all the prep recommended on here yet!

Oh @soakedat3 those waterfall ends are just gorgeous. I wish we’d been able to have them on ours but the cost couldn’t be justified. I have dreams of redoing it with waterfall ends at some point in the future.

Glad the windows sorted themselves out in the end @WhereDoesThisToiletGo!

Things coming to an end here. We have builders onsite doing final snagging bits, just waiting for the sliding doors which are being installed next Tuesday. The level of dust is abating - as in after I’ve wiped it doesn’t all resettle 😂

Thanks soaked will bear it in mind! And thank you for the Egger recommendation - will look into that.
worrisome so envious of you nearing the end, wish I could twitch my nose a la Tabitha and have it all done! Interior design is not my forte - just doubt myself at every turn and have a dh with very 'safe' taste...

The mood is subdued here today. I think DH has spoken to New Dad about the water damage but am yet to hear the result. I think we are all tired now and want space apart. I can only imagine what this might have been like if I had chosen builders I didn't actually like speaking to!

I didn't even tell DH about the waterfall edge on bbar. LOL! We can only justify it as no bifolds and Minerva not granite. Luckily DH likes them. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea.

@gleegeek, if I can get a nice photo of the utility worktop I will post it for you.

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo, That is a great idea and I might try something like that :D Thanks!

Fair play to the builders, by the time we got on site they not only had boarded up the window, he also had filled in the recess with insulation so that it wasn't going to allow the house (which we are not staying in) to get cold.
And today they'll have to take it all out and put the perfectly sized window in!

They have also reduced the size of bathroom window as new roof will cut across it.
They've done a lovely job with that, and managed to not break any internal tiles.
I have spares of one colour but not the other, and they've saved all of those.
(they put this window in the right way....)

Glad it's all sorted where does!

Which flooring do you prefer?? I'm leaning towards the oak, but the bamboo arrived today and I love it!

@WhereDoesThisToiletGo, that sounds like great progress! Making up for the wonky window scare :D

@avocuddl, I like the bamboo better. I just like the deepness of the colour. Remember to check waterproofness of wooden floor. As we've been using the hall as a kitchen area, I've noticed that some of the wooden flooring is swelling a bit from the extra water being dripped. I don't know exactly what it is that's on the floor as it was here when we moved in but it really doesn't like water.

I really like the bamboo, but again it's because of the colour rather than the material!

I think the "internal shelf made of worktop" inside a cupboard is a very high end look, and good use of worktop leftovers.

Yes I love that look @WhereDoesThisToiletGo ! I want it but don't know it we'll have any left/any budget to have it! Seen so many amazing Pinterest ideas!

It's really reassuring to hear about all the progress. And helped cheer me up, we had the results of our 3rd bat survey back and even though there are still no bats to get planning we need to comission a report to detail what to do should we come across the non existent bats when we start building. So this pushes total planning permission spend up over £3k and it's not even granted. I wouldn't mind if we had a single bat but we don't. Really fed up with it all and we haven't even got in builders for detailed quotes.

@slightlysurviving, that sounds like a monty python sketch or something! Maybe you should plan on bat houses somewhere on property for the imaginary bats. Crazy! Our school has bat housing but it actually has bat's!!

Feel bit drained as builders here until just after 8pm. He is doing his best to finish I know but sore head from noise.

Upside down door has been moved and new (correct way up!) door put in. Sink cut out and dishwasher in place. We might actually have a functioning kitchen tomorrow! Not completely finished but functioning is good!

@WorrisomeHeart how great to be nearing the end! Any dust tips?

@avocuddl I love herringbone! Trying to work out how we can afford it somewhere! The oak looks a lovely colour in the screenshots, how are they in situ? We have real wood already and I have noticed that they have turned more yellow over time (varnish?) and the gaps between them has grown.

@Slightlysurviving huge kudos to you for your patience. I'm feeling mighty annoyed at 18 months between first architect meeting and agreed builder slot so I can't imagine how you feel with the additional spend and lack of bats. How are you keeping your spirits up?