Well, we've been living here in the bungalow we're renovating, for, oh, about
4 weeks now.
It's pretty spartan - we are basically living like internet enabled peasants,
but it's actually not bad. Much easier than a caravan.
The wife works, I do this and housekeeping and sprog management
(I'm a housewife, but with more tools).
After a few last minute panics (hot water, kitchen sink) and the general
hell of packing, storing and moving, we were pretty dead.
Anyway, having found places to keep everything, settled down with a cooking
routine that works with a combi microwave, rice cooker and slow cooker only
and finally got the computers reassembled, here are a few piccies.
I did say "peasants" - don;t expect much.
Work restarts in ernest next week, where the first order of business is to
connect up 3 ring main circuits. Then it's the bedroom floor - about 4 days
work there and we can decamp from the kitchen (did I say peasants?). Then
finish the bathroom.
After that, lay in proper lighting, then duaghter's room (window, floor and
paintjob) and we'll be fast on the way to civilisation.
Fit kitchen and do hall and that will be most of the ground floor done.
Kitchen floor has gone from this:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0001.jpg.html
to
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0049.jpg.html
That's not my tiling I confess - I did fix the subfloor though and got a commendation
from the tiler. The slate is a relatively inexpensive Indian Green, sealed with a
colour enhancer. We're very pleased with this.
Fire fitted:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0051.jpg.html
The fireplace internals were rendered by me in a rustic style (*cough*) and whitewashed.
Need another coat of two to clean it up post fire fitting. Not bothered to clean up the
opening totally. The main wall is mist coated (not a bad paintjob, honest). We might
leave it a little rough and paint the main wall, or we might do something with a few
tiles - we're undecided. Anyway, it works for now.
Quick bit of crude blacksmithing with a blowtorch and the neighbour's anvil to knock up some
hooks for the fireguard.
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0059.jpg.html
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0060.jpg.html
It was a quicky, so no effort made to clean up vice marks from the final bending. Finish is
oil-blackening - heat red hot, quench in a tin of oil, repeat a couple of times. Same for
the wall hooks which started out as zinc plated.
Ikea TV stand becomes kitchen cupboard:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0064.jpg.html
Temporary[1] hot water:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0066.jpg.html
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0067.jpg.html
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0068.jpg.html
[1] Temporary means about a year.
Computer "racks" now installed in hall:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0072.jpg.html
If you check the photos, you are being web served by the little black Shuttle lower down the
left hand shelf. The actual photos live on the black RAIDed fileserver at the bottom.
yes it's all running Linux (debian, ubuntu and OpenWRT on the WIFI doobrey up top).
I'm very pleased with these:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0074.jpg.html
Pity no one will ever see them again.
Isolation and flow restrictor valves for bath and bathroom basin:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0079.jpg.html
Bath supports and framing:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0083.jpg.html
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0084.jpg.html
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0085.jpg.html
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0086.jpg.html
And lighting (5 x 20W SELV)
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0088.jpg.html
Very pleased with that too - good even lighting, no shadows and fully IEE approved
for being over a shower/bath.
Funky plumbing for dishwasher/washing machine:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu..._0069.jpg.html
It was a deliberate design decision to not have the u-traps behind the machines as
the under-stair space was available. After some thought, it became clear that I might
as well have a single custom u-trap in 50mm rather than two - if one appliance space
isn't used, the risk of the associated u trap drying out and becoming smelly is
removed.
In fact that assembly works extremely well. It's quiet and can (under test conditions)
cope with at least 50l/min of flow (rather more than needed).
The U trap has both clearing points on top - I did consider on cap on the base for easy
draining, but feared that could become a gunk trap - so went for keeping the main U smooth
in the end.
Well, until a couple of weeks, that's all...
--
Tim Watts
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