Home improvements - time the house had some TLC!

[JhnBssll]

I've finished the filler panel between the sink and dishwasher now Pretty pleased with how it's come out!

The end panel by the wine cooler has been cut to length but needs cutting to height and fitting - I'll do this another day though 😊 Ready for plinths now! I'll contact the worktop place later and book a templating visit too Once the plinths are cut and fitted I can make the filler panel for the end of the wall units and box the pipework in the get the pelmet and cornice cut and fitted

I'm glad this tap is temporary, it is awful The flowrate is great but it shoots out in all directions Not ideal when there's no worktop, jolly glad I sealed the cut ends now

 

[MichaelW2]

I had some Gutex wood fibre insulation sheets left over from an under floor upgrade. I was storing them in the loft conversion bedroom but needed them out of the way. I had sawn an access panel to the closed off loft space earlier in the year and figured that I could squeeze them through. Why not store them as loft insulation. I just laid them over the rafters, not between, mostly 2 layers of 40mm fibre.

 

[JhnBssll]

The microwave/combi oven arrived yesterday so thats fitted now 😊 I need to fit the filler panel above it to close the gap but that's not a priority right now - the worktop company are coming to template on Monday so I need to finish everything that affects their measurements before I tart around leveling doors and filling holes 😊

 

[MontyVeda]

is it the camera angle or does the cooker hood not quite line up with the unit the hob's going on?

 

[JhnBssll]

is it the camera angle or does the cooker hood not quite line up with the unit the hob's going on?

It's not the camera angle, it's miles out Fortunately its the old one and when the chief cooker hood chooser has made a decision I'll take it down and replace it It didnt line up with the old hob either but thats another story

 

[JhnBssll]

I've got the worktop guys coming over to template on Monday and there's not much more to do in the kitchen until they're done. It'll then be another week or so before they can come back to install the worktop. This, plus news of my new cars imminent arrival, mean my attention has moved back to finishing the driveway. I've got a 4.5 day weekend this week so hope to make the most of it Ideally I want to get to the stage where all of the edge blocks are concreted in and I'm ready for the crushed stone to be delivered- this shouldn't be too taxing but depends largely on the weather Fingers crossed its as forecast and the rain stays away until Tuesday I've got until 2nd December to get it done, no pressure

 

[JhnBssll]

I've spent the day out the front doing driveway jobs 😊 Feels good to be making progress on it again!

First task, repair the broken and wonky footpath edging... Not technically mine to repair, but it was going to make my blocks wonky so I made a judgement call

With the new edging cut to length I mixed some concrete and started laying blocks...

This is where I got to when I finished for the day... I've laid the blocks all along the front and I'm over halfway up the fence line, I'll pick up where I left off tomorrow morning 😊

 

[JhnBssll]

More progress today with more block edging complete. I would have finished it but I ran out of aggregate for the concrete.

I've gone up the side of the house as far as I need to go now, under the charging point and meter cupboard with a couple of cuts needed to get around the incoming gas pipe...

I started extending my way up the fence line which is where I ran out of aggregate so cleaned the mixer up and put it away and popped out to get some more ready for tomorrow morning

Very little still to do as I'm only going as far as the fence post then across to where the edge blocks finish - about 5 meters total including a small section I'm yet to complete elsewhere.

Once the edging is all in the next step will be to get the crushed stone sub base delivered so I'll need everything out of the way - with this in mind and with some time left before it got dark I started shifting some of the remaining blocks round the back. Here's how we're looking now:

 

[JhnBssll]

I moved the last of the blocks round the back this morning then cracked on with the edging. I've got it all done now and have just arranged for 6.5 tons of crushed granite to be delivered on Wednesday morning Father in law has leant me a plate compactor so I won't need to hire one which is jolly handy

With the blocks gone and after a quick tidy up it's looking much neater out front now 😊 I've got to go collect a van door tomorrow but once thats done I'll be able to chuck the rubbish in the back and cart it off to the tip before the first lot of crushed stone arrives.

The sub base has to be laid in two phases, first a layer of graded 20-4mm crushed rock then a 50mm layer of graded 6-2mm crushed rock, all compacted down in stages to prevent it settling later. Normally blocks are laid on a sand bed but these are permeable so I don't need a drain between the drive and footpath - the crushed stone allows better drainage than sand would.

Pleased with my current progress, nice to see a visible improvement for once

 

[JhnBssll]

Oh, and I need to contact the dropped kerb guys about getting their sign removed - I had another chap stop and ask for a quote

 

[CXRAndy]

John, is that an aircon mini split on the side of the house?

 

[MontyVeda]

When are you gonna do the flashing, and shift that down pipe, and finish off edging the porch roof?

oh... and the van... when you gonna finish the van?

 

[Colin Grigson]

When are you gonna do the flashing, and shift that down pipe, and finish off edging the porch roof?

oh... and the van... when you gonna finish the van?

You’re going to make someone a wonderful wife

 

[jowwy]

When are you gonna do the flashing, and shift that down pipe, and finish off edging the porch roof?

oh... and the van... when you gonna finish the van?

and the kitchen, downstairs loo, the garage/man cave and yeh the van.........come in john

 

[Tom...]

John, is that an aircon mini split on the side of the house?

Yes it is