Extension thread 2021 - countdown to Christmas

[Callmejudith]

New thread for continued celebrating, moaning and commiserating

Oh and I swear there were cat footprints on the worktop this morning - or at least I hope they’re a cat. I’ve got some tarp so need to get busy with that and some duct tape today

That's a shitty start to Monday @Callmejudith. Could be a fox. They have no fear of humans round here!

It's kitchen floor tiling day 👏

Thank goodness the screed is finally dry enough. Goodness knows how much our gas and electricity will be, as they've been blasting it all weekend 🙈

@PoshWatchShitShoes I am Telling myself it’s definitely not a fox

I have three cats and they leave prints everywhere - esp fresh cement!

Just one guy here on site for a few days finishing off some bits of fiddly plasterboard.
Plasterer hopefully coming Thurs/Fri.

So can get on with arranging a visit to the kitchen place with DH so show him the plans for definite before ordering.
Can also order the ff I want for delivery in Dec.

Have latest bill from the builders, I was expecting a big number as they haven’t sent one in a while (the boss isn’t keen on paperwork lol), and it was/is big 😱
Have started conversations with my DBro about potentially borrowing some cash to make sure we get the work finished without having to stop because we’ve run out. We own a flat that we could sell which is our backstop but would prefer to hold onto it for as long as Poss.

Not sure exactly what’s left to pay for as the paperwork just says what’s finished. So I need to ask for the paperwork for what he thinks is left.
(Whilst accepting he can’t tell the future).

Maybe I should buy some lottery tickets!

@LivingInABuildingSite good idea to get a reconciliation of what's left to pay.

I had the plasterers in today walking around on their stilts. Wonder if there's a stilt walking school to learn that 😆

Kitchen tiles are half done. It's strange seeing the concrete floor take on a different finish. I think it looks ok, but it's 80sqm, so maybe it's just that there's a lot of tile to see. It needs softening with rugs and curtains and furniture etc.

I hate the colour of my new windows.

Fuck knows where my bath is!!! I was told it had arrived last week, but apparently that's not the case when I spoke to the bath company this afternoon 😭

Also, I'm hating the idea of Christmas. Total about turn, as it's usually my most favourite time of the year. I've officially turned into the grinch!!

Hope you guys had a better day 🍷

Oh no @PoshWatchShitShoes why don’t you like the colour??

I cooked my first meal in the new oven - absolutely thrilling

Exciting indeed!

Yes, what’s wrong with the window colour? I’m still nervous about my anthracite grey having had white forever. But I do like it. Just feels a little ‘grown up’ somehow.

I chose an off white colour that actually looks too cream. It will probably be fine. Well, actually it would cost thousands to repaint, so just needs to be fine for the next 5 years or so and then they can be repainted. Fuck, the windows themselves are lovely. I'd love them in an off white 😭😭😭

Yay to new oven. That's so exciting 🤩 What did you cook?

I did lemon and parsley chicken thighs with roast veg - it was the healthiest dinner we’ve had in months.

I need to clean the screed today it’s disgusting. Will cover in tarpaulin for the door and roof fix tomorrow then should be good for the flooring on Thursday

@Callmejudith sounds delicious.

Did you get your kitchen in before doing the flooring? My tiles should be finished today and then I'm hoping they'll start fitting the kitchen very soon!!

Yes unfortunately we didn't really have a choice. I really wanted to floor the whole thing but our floor guy didn't want to fit the floor until the room was completely watertight and because of the joyous door and rooflight fuck up we had to wait. If I delayed the kitchen there was a risk we wouldn't get it before christmas.

Our kitchen fitters left the kickboards off so he's going to floor up to the legs of the cupbards and then the kickboards click on.

Good news that our splashback is coming on Friday so I can get the kitchen installer back next week to fit the missing cupboard doors, splashback and finish the extractor.

I also found the velux remote YEY I completely forgot that the bin cupboard has a little hidden drawer and it was in there

Urgh DH is obsessed with putting decking in the garden. It's so expensive and I hate the idea of rats underneath it

@Callmejudith fabulous news on your backsplash. You'll be sorted for Christmas 👏

I've been finalising colours today!! I think this is it now for the kitchen...

LG Slaked Lime walls (light colour on far left), Neptune Silver Birch wall units and F&B Hague Blue island. With the Silestone Calacatta Gold worktop and Mandarin Stone Ramon Biff floor tiles. I've ordered Armac Martin Cotswold cup pulls and ball knobs in polished chrome. I've got 2 different styles of glass pendants to try over the island. Just waiting for antique mirror samples to arrive so I can confirm splash back (sadly won't be fitted till mid-January).

No idea on fabrics for the room yet. I've got a lovely Oka rug and the IKEA Farlov sofa for the kitchen snug. Need to decide on cover for sofa!

I need to pop to site tonight to look at the tiles!!

All sounds fabulous @PoshWatchShitShoes

I did a money update today and it’s all a bit tight. Hoping for a nice bonus in January which unfortunately will go straight on the credit card

@Callmejudith huge commiserations on your door issues. I too have no doors or windows. The door people say they are coming on Monday but I am so nervous it will be postponed yet again.

We had a massive disaster today when the utility sink taps exploded off the wall, destroying the new tiled splashback and making a horrid mess in the new sink. The poor fitter has really struggled with the fittings and we might need to change our chosen taps. We have bib taps from bristan but they don't seem to do suitable wall fixings for them and everything he has tried so far has been a disaster. This stupid utility sink has cost me so much. It's so demoralising. The only good thing about this is I have selected an alternative wall tile and I actually prefer this one.

One thing has lifted my spirits. A chap has bought all my old appliances. I really recommend Facebook marketplace. A lot of people seem to be using it at the moment as I have advertised on eBay, gumtree and FB and it's the latter where I have had lots of enquiries and a sale within a few days. No fees at the moment either.

Trying to stay positive.

@Hothammock I have everything crossed for you for Monday, it's awful isn't it! I have been promised that the door fitter will be here first thing and then the team doing the rooflight are also coming tomorrow morning. I will go absolutely apeshit if they don't.

@Hothammock sorry to hear about your tap, window and door issues. That's totally shit and so upsetting when you're seeing progress to see it ruined.

Just back from site. The carpenter is building the new fireplace in the living room. The new kitchen floor tiles look lovely (much nicer than the tiny sample).... but the fucking kitchen ceiling height is 2cm lower now we've got the new floor and ceiling in place. Fuck!!!! The shitting kitchen won't fit, as there's supposed to be a very small shadow gap above the units and now the fucking arsing shitting cornice doesn't even fit.

Site meeting tomorrow. I'm going to lose my fucking shit!!! 😭

They need to do some fucking crapping magic to get this to work!!!! I can't think of any other expletives 🤦🏼‍♀️

Commiserations for things going wrong, taps exploding sounds too dramatic for comfort.

The guys here have taken down the wooden ‘temp’ walls at the back that have been up since April 2019.
Replaced with a sort of plastic sheeting - anyone seen Dexter?!
One of the cats is determined to scratch through it, for no reason as no cat flap out there yet.

After spending ages looking at light switches, then deciding on the ones I already have in the house, I now have to look again as I need to find a suitable 8-gang switch for near the back door. Sigh.

Have a preliminary quote for the glass balustrade which is good to move forward.

Good luck for tomorrow @Callmejudith!!! 🤞🤞🤞

@Hothammock and @PoshWatchShitShoes what a nightmare for you both! I hope you are able to sort quickly.

Oh shit @PoshWatchShitShoes!! Could you lower the wall cabinets a bit? Shit!

@Hothammock sorry forgot to say argh for the tap! That must have been scary

@LivingInABuildingSite yey for removing the temp wall! I’m in the office tomorrow so if I’m bored I’ll look for a switch for you

@Callmejudith They aren't wall cabinets. They're full height 🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️🤦🏼‍♀️

I've just checked the plans. There's supposed to be a 10cm gap between the top of the unit and the ceiling. The cornice is 6cm high. Fuck knows. I'll be over again first thing measuring every part

Gah! Is that a pic of the actual cabinets??