Extension Thread 2022....plaster, panic and pics

[Callmejudith]

Slightly naff title but I haven't had enough coffee yet

@LivingInaBuildingSite

Sorry not on here so much with work and life getting busy.

Builders stuck working away in the old kitchen. Hoping to get my new downstairs loo in soon! Half term may be interesting with water & power going on and off at random times though.

Hoping I can attach a current photo from what will be the laundry into the kitchen showing the pantry so far:

Looks like it is all moving forward @livinginabuildingsite how exciting!

So Monday is our showroom visit day to DIY kitchens. Anyone know if they have WiFi you can connect to so I can tweak my kitchen design on an iPad as I walk round? Thanks! P.S. still not received the flipping building regs drawings from the architect grrr

@GardensandGrandDesigns - not sure about WiFi. There is a nice breakfast bar place half way round where you can sit and work it out with biscuits and drinks. You will need the rest if you have a 2 hour visit like we did. Toilets near the entrance! If you are on Facebook, join DIY kitchens Reviews. Someone on there will know and there are lots of useful conversations on it. Enjoy your visit.

[quote sluj]@GardensandGrandDesigns - not sure about WiFi. There is a nice breakfast bar place half way round where you can sit and work it out with biscuits and drinks. You will need the rest if you have a 2 hour visit like we did. Toilets near the entrance! If you are on Facebook, join DIY kitchens Reviews. Someone on there will know and there are lots of useful conversations on it. Enjoy your visit.[/quote]
Fab advice, thank you!

We have light! Smaller and flatter than first planned but actually really pleased with it. The room is already brighter by far and when the ply comes down and the French doors go in it will much better.

@LimpLettice
Looks really good. You must be excited! Which space is this and what roof lights did you go with? Also size too?
I need to order x 2 for dining area. Waiting for builder to take down existing ceiling next week to be sure about the size. Meant to get two 2m x 1m as dining area really dark.

@Ribb It's 2x1, no idea where from! That is the family area which is part of a 40sqm kitchen / dining / family room. It was supposed to be 3x2 in the original plans, but compromises and mistakes have been made. Our garden is south facing, and a complete sun trap. The previous galley kitchen had lots of windows and was unbearable in summer, so we chose not to keep it directly above the big table, and kept it smaller. It's a thing of beauty though and the view of the sky from my sofa will be fabulous.

@LimpLettice it honestly looks stunning and you've made me excited for mine now. And also determined to get 2m x 1m. Also seeing yours so expertly fitted is giving me a good feeling about going for the more competent experienced (pricier) builder!

The view from your sofa is going to everything!

Went back to the flat yesterday and thought I’d update with some pics. I have been very quiet on here because about 3 weeks ago I had an awful shock when the council ( who are freeholders) informed me there was asbestos in the tiles and they would have to be removed. This after the kitchen had been fitted with not a little difficulty including the worktop coming in via 1st floor window and the units being cut down to work with very low windows. Also after the floor had been re surfaced and covered in ply ready for vinyl. Anyway, a lot of googling, frantic phoning and not least extremely helpful advice from @wonkylegs for which I will always be grateful, council have now admitted they can’t make me pull the tiles up (which would have involved pulling the whole kitchen or at least the floor standing units, cooker, washing machine etc ) . To mitigate. I have to inform any future workmen, buyers etc.
So here are the before and after pics . Nothing like some of the big projects on here, but a big achievement for me. My thoughts are also with @PoshWatchShitShoes who I know is going through something similar with a leak under the new floorboards- sending all best wishes, I hope it is getting resolved and you are moving forward with the refurb.

I should clarify, the presumed ( but actually near certain and I think the council knows it all along ) asbestos is in floor tiles not wall tiles.

@whataboutbob, looks fantastic. What a difference from before.
Really glad you managed to get the asbestos issue resolved.
Would you mind saying where the worktop and floor is from? I really like them.

Certainly. The worktop is Duropal from www.solidsurfacekitchens.co.uk/. I would recommend them the service was good ( I had to amend order after I’d paid as kitchen fitter made a mistake with measurements) not a problem and they refunded the difference within 48 hours. The flooring is vinyl from www.solidsurfacekitchens.co.uk/ More expensive than standard flooring but a nice product.

It makes sense to do exactly as you have done @whataboutbob. There is a lot of fuss about asbestos but it varies so much depending on type and often it is best to cover up and leave it. Your kitchen is looking fab and it looks like you’re nearly done?

@LimpLettice I love your sky light! I am having similar so it’s great to see the impact.

Looks lovely, @whataboutbob. That work top is lush.

@NewHouseNewMe there were plans for a larger lantern, but despite some mucking about we are actually very pleased with this one.

Floor is being levelled today so we are bumming around SILs house, but things are definitely coming together really well. Just spent so much money on paint. Have planned Dulux Timeless for weeks, but switched to Rock Salt at the last minute. Bloody hope we like it 🙄

Thank you @whataboutbob.

Thanks @NewHouseNewMe the lady form the council admitted as much. I guess ideally they’d like the leaseholders to remove the tiles ( professionally) which I certainly would have considered doing, but before the kitchen was fitted. I am nearly done now thank goodness just a few more runs to the recycling centre ( amazing how much rubbish a refurb generates) and finishing off the paintwork . Also fitting a new kitchen door.

@LimpLettice I was gobsmacked at how much I spent on paint alone to repaint a small 2 bedroom flat. Ive used Dulux trade throughout, Almond White and PBW in kitchen, bathroom and hall.

Ah Almond white is lovely, @whataboutbob. We have a new 40sqm kitchen, en-suite, dressing room and utility to paint, plus the downstairs bedroom and lounge have new walls so will need repainting. Much is staying Egyptian Cotton but the kitchen needs a white. It is a lot of paint!

The PBW in the kitchen is a bit stark although very clean looking, I think Rock Salt should be a bit more mellow.

We are not very picky people. The kitchen units are this colour, with white quartz surfaces, but PBW feels very cold to me in such a massive space. B&Q doing 3 for 2 atm so we have LOT. Hope we like it.

Yes I think Rock Salt will mix nicely with those colours. I considered it for our living room.

Lovely to see everyone's progress. Skylights, kitchens and pantries all looking fab. In the early stages it's so hard to imagine ever getting to this point!

On my side, all 9 steels arrived early Friday morning. Within two minutes a huge lorry with a crane and two vans of builders all arrived to unload it, then disappeared again. It's a strange feeling to have such a hive of activity on your house and not really be part of it.

Hopefully the 2 big steels go in on Monday on the now finished ground floor brick work so they can start the second floor.

Question: I have a utility room of sorts. It's currently breeze blocks. There will be some plasterboard on top. The builders have built it spot on to the measurements of the plans. Is this good enough for me to order the units from DIY? I have it planned out but want to avoid the price rise in Feb if I can.

Also looking at column radiators for downstairs. Where did others get there's. We have some catalogues from our builder, but need to check if the prices listed are what we pay as they are quite a bit more expensive than others we have seen.

Can someone tell me what PBW is please?
@Sewfrickinamazeballs If you include a filler panel or two in your design, that would allow for potential differences in the width of the room.
We bought our radiators from Bestheating.com and we're pleased with the price, radiators and delivery.
We are getting the LVP flooring tomorrow having had all the appliances connected up on Friday. I had a moment of panic when I couldn't get one of the ovens out of German mode but all ok now. Im not sure I have ever had so many appliances to get to grips with all at once ! After the floor, we have to connect the water to the sink, finish the drainage and fit the dishwasher then we can move in 🙂 Next stop, toilet next to the new kitchen, new bedroom and ensuite in the old kitchen and finish the utility.

Ita amazing how many dreams I am having about what stuff to put in what cupboard 🤣 Last nights dream was all about where the cat food should be kept and where I was going to put their beds and bowls. Seemed very important last night 🤣

Pure Brilliant White, @sluj 😜

I believe that is where our builders sourced our rads, as well. Big, chunky Matt black vertical things. They are very pretty.

We had a small pantry in our previous house and I miss it so much. It is important! Where everything goes makes such a difference to how easy it is to use the kitchen. My DM spent very many years working for a prestigious kitchen co. Her advice is walk through a couple of average days in the kitchen and mentally (or post it note) the cupboards to give you an idea of what is best where for you. For example we don't use the kettle or drink tea, so keep that out of the way for when guests require it, but centre the coffee machine and supplies.

I am right at the start, actually probably more correctly not even got to start line, and it’s great to see progress of others. Planning permission approved last week, well first application anyway, a second one for garden rooms went in a month later, and I can already see has an objection . Did others experience objections and how did they work out, did you have to adjust plans? I think it has come from neighbors over the wall as the building is a few inches taller than the garage in its footprint is that we are demolishing.

@Sewfrickinamazeballs - we got the Milano Windsor radiators which are gorgeous but not cheap. Bestheating does them but also available on Amazon..
@Littlemissweepy - I don't have experience of any objections but it's worth looking unemotionally at it to see if there is any grounds. For instance, an obscure window versus a clear window if one overlooks them. But objections do not mean that the plans will be rejected.