Extension thread 2021 - countdown to Christmas

[Callmejudith]

New thread for continued celebrating, moaning and commiserating

Our house is Edwardian and I'm having a traditional black radiator in our new dining room but I'm going for a "Gentleman's Club" look in there. Most of the new extension will have under floor heating so no radiator and a very modern vertical one in our bedroom. The plumber has replaced all the existing radiators with "ordinary" ones as they are mostly hidden or in the bedrooms.

@PoshWatchShitShoes thank goodness you caught him at it!

I also need a radiator - it's in quite a prominent place though so not sure what to get. I really need to go to a radiator showroom.

Had a really stressful conversation with our flooring guy. We were originally going to do the entire room with the engineered wood floor and then put the kitchen units on top. But because we don't have any sliding doors we can't [put the floor down. Therefore we are doing kitchen units first, and then floor. He was suggesting we put down ply under the units so there isn't a "void" there but he doesn't have capacity to do it for us. I was getting so stressed but then he said as our floor is 15mm we don't actually have to do the ply.

Sounds like you were confusing each other!

Lots of electrics have gone in today. I really hope the sockets are in the right places - for living with. It’s easy to moan about ‘some idiot’ that put things in silly places until it was your decision 😂

Discussing Ethernet cables, ds (15) wanted them to put in high end cabling that probably is more than well ever need. Their guy says the 5e cable should be more than enough. And 6 will cost me a lot more. So sticking with it for now and hoping ds and his Xbox stay happy! He still hasn’t been able to get the new Xbox x, still out of stock everywhere.

On builders advice, I called a pest control guy as there were loads of wasps in the garden, only for him to point out they are harmless ground bees 😳 paid him £20 for petrol.

Alarm company due tomorrow to disconnect from the alarm as were changing company, it’s bad timing really as I need to know what the new company will use but they won’t talk to me yet as not a customer. Does anyone have anthracite alarm sensors??

Also, some investigation work around the old kitchen chimney due tomorrow, most of it fake built around the oven, I want as much gone as Poss to allow for walkway next to the island. Hoping tomorrow will give the answers.

Another question, how long do I need to leave plaster to dry before painting.

@Indecisivelurcher until it dries from dark pink to light pink, it normally takes 3-5 days. We started our plastering last Thursday and started mist coating on Tuesday on the areas that were just skimmed, some areas that had bonding applied need a few more days to dry out but they're not in the section we're fitting our main kitchen area this weekend so we're happy to leave a bit longer. We've got dehumidifier running 24/7 to help dry out too.

We hired a huge heater to aid the plaster but it keeps killing extension leads.

Today we have delivery of the kitchen, oven and fridge. I’m mega excited.

I’m worried about ceiling height still but need to forget it as there is absolutely nothing I can do. It will be fine once there is stuff in the room.

Trying to persuade DH to put our kitchen table up in there for the weekend

I’ve always found dehumidifiers are best for drying out freshly plastered houses/ rooms. You can hire them if you don’t have one.

Whoop!

I know how you feel , I’m waiting for a tin of fence stain from dpd 🤣

Living the dream @Chumleymouse

Oven and fridge coming this afternoon, really hoping to be able to actually plug the fridge in

Yey my guys here too.

Loving all the deliveries!

Great to see the deliveries @Callmejudith @Chumleymouse 👏

My site is somehow looking worse. We don't seem the have ceilings or floors 😂 The builder wanted me to enter the kids' bathroom yesterday... I politely declined and explained that "no, I really can't just balance on the joists" per his suggestion 😆

😱😱😱😱

Oven and fridge of dreams currently being delivered.

There are SO many kitchen units I am a bit terrified. There's one huge parcel which is the back of the breakfast bar it's flipping massive.

@PoshWatchShitShoes eek those pics are scary. I wouldn't be walking on joists for anyone

So jealous of the new kitchens arriving!! How exciting for you.

Hope it all fits Callmejudith!

DH's friend who is a bit of a jack of all trades just came over and made an excellent point that we might as well wait until everything is done now before we decorate rather than panic doing it. Also gives me a lot more time to get used to the space and work out what we want to do.

Happy deliveries!

We had a builders 'panic rush diffuse' cycle over the past few days. Yesterday they were in a panic to seal the floor and wanted grout asap, recommending one they have used before. To avoid holding them up DH and I went to get the product, driving several miles in work hours to sort it out and have things in place for them in time. Big fuss. They need it now, all urgent urgent. Big relief we got it, all good everything ready.
This morning they turn up at 7am and declare they made a mistake and it's the wrong stuff. No rush anymore. Take it all back. Identify alternative. Next week is fine...
The emotional rollercoaster of all this is exhausting. So glad it's Friday!!

@Hothammock we had a few of those too. Told to get the sanitaryware ASAP, paid for next day delivery, 3 weeks later it's still not installed.

Desperately waiting for the plasterers to go home so I can go and stroke the new fridge and chill some vino

Omfg the DUST!!!

Our builders updated DH on what they plan to do next week. Despite the fact the roof isn’t finished and the roof windows are still not in they are apparently going to screed the floor and plaster next week then install the kitchen. I already know this won’t happen. I wish they wouldn’t BS me. I wasn’t there either and DH didn’t push back.
I think I’m going to need to ask DIY kitchens for another extension to their deadline for checking it all. I really don’t want the builders unwrapping it all to “check” it as it will surely get damaged in the process of putting it all back into storage unwrapped.

@Terracedtardis oh dear, I feel your pain with the unrealistic deadlines and workplan. Ours were definitely going to be finished by end August. Everything they do takes twice as long as they say it will. I do wonder how they make a living poor blokes!

@PoshWatchShitShoes 😱

@Callmejudith lol at fridge of dreams!

We have some plans finally! Dp still trying to shoehorn in a sodding plant room for mythical other type of heating!

Can I ask you something else about your planned heating systems?

In old house (small, 3 bed terrace with loft done) we had a new boiler plus a megaflo when we did the work to make sure the water pressure was fine for top floor bathroom

In new house, we are on 3 floors, high ceilings, house really tall. Currently they have one boiler (ground floor) doing the heating and 2 boilers (one not working) doing the hot water on 1st floor (1 boiler) and 2nd floor (1 boiler).

I cannot believe, whatever system we use, that we won't need something like a megaflo to get the hot water up to the top floor, with reasonable pressure for a shower, probably around 9m up. Everyone is staring at me blankly while mentioning this fgs. Just wanted to see what you were all doing!

Just look at the beauty

@Callmejudith oooooo renovation porn right that 👏 It's beautiful 🤩

@StrongArm we've got 2 boilers and a big megaflo to get water across our house as it's long. They're in the garage. Making a plant room in there, as the underfloor heating manifold is going there too.