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

This space intentionally left blank...

Tim W wrote:
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).

How big and how wide ;-)

Sorry, couldn't resist

Dave

Dave
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 01:28

Tim W wrote:
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).

How big and how wide ;-)

Me or the tools?

Sorry, couldn't resist

If you saw me, you'd definately be able to resist :-o


--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

Tim W wrote:
Dave
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 01:28

Tim W wrote:
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).
How big and how wide ;-)

Me or the tools?

Sorry, couldn't resist

If you saw me, you'd definately be able to resist :-o

Nice reply.

Dave

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:36:39 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Well, we've been living here in the bungalow we're renovating, for, oh, about
4 weeks now.

And yet the picture dates begin from Sunday 11 January 2009...

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:36:39 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Well, we've been living here in the bungalow we're renovating, for, oh, about
4 weeks now.

Ignore my post, still dizzy from last night.

Harry
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 09:02

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:36:39 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Well, we've been living here in the bungalow we're renovating, for, oh,
about 4 weeks now.

Ignore my post, still dizzy from last night.

Have a wee bevvy did we?

;-

--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

In message , Tim W
writes
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).

Housewife with angle grinder?

Excellent pics.

After my recent problems with a leaking pressure relief valve, you might
want to re-consider the *out of sight* discharge.

regards

--
Tim Lamb

Tim Lamb
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 09:32

In message , Tim W
writes
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).

Housewife with angle grinder?

Certainly sorts out the JWs

Excellent pics.

After my recent problems with a leaking pressure relief valve, you might
want to re-consider the *out of sight* discharge.

regards


Good point. It is only temporary (I sell the heater on ebay later) - there's
a bloody big tank to the left of that pic waiting for some central heating
to connect to it. Hopefully the valve will last that long.

One thing I learnt is that those valves are painful with crappy taps. I
recycled an old kitchen sink complete with taps for the kitchen (temp). The
hot tap tends to turn off when it gets hot (expansion I guess) - and of
course that makes the water hotter.

It then gets to the point that the valve operates and sets up massive pipe
vibration. Need a valve with some hysteresis in. Or 1/4 turn ceramic taps
that can hold a stable flow (never had a problem with the bath).

--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

Tim W wrote:
Tim Lamb
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 09:32

In message , Tim W
writes
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).
Housewife with angle grinder?

Certainly sorts out the JWs

Excellent pics.

After my recent problems with a leaking pressure relief valve, you might
want to re-consider the *out of sight* discharge.

regards


Good point. It is only temporary (I sell the heater on ebay later) - there's
a bloody big tank to the left of that pic waiting for some central heating
to connect to it. Hopefully the valve will last that long.

One thing I learnt is that those valves are painful with crappy taps. I
recycled an old kitchen sink complete with taps for the kitchen (temp). The
hot tap tends to turn off when it gets hot (expansion I guess) - and of
course that makes the water hotter.

It then gets to the point that the valve operates and sets up massive pipe
vibration. Need a valve with some hysteresis in. Or 1/4 turn ceramic taps
that can hold a stable flow (never had a problem with the bath).


As an aside, what's a clever bloke like you doing at home looking after
the kids? You'll never really be any good at it you know :-) I can only
assume the wife's even cleverer

Stuart Noble
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 11:39


As an aside, what's a clever bloke like you doing at home looking after
the kids? You'll never really be any good at it you know :-) I can only
assume the wife's even cleverer

Hehe

Well, it's weird. I can cook a wider range than the missus, though she has
some good chinese numbers (being Chinese). Oddly enough I don't mind
housework either. She hates it.

I have a BSc (Physics, 3rd class - too much computer wibbling on the VAX).

She has a 1st class BSc (equiv, Nanjing Uni) and a PhD in CompSci...

I used to work as a senior Linux sysadmin for a well known college in
London. They had a reorganisation. 4 colleagues got the boot, I got a
"promotion" to Systems Manager (the extra hassle, no extra pay) so that was
a signal to move. Next company were a dead loss - so I did a special
development project with a mate's company which went very well. It was near
the end of the first phase that this house came available, so having
concluded that builders were an expensive hassle who couldn't be trusted, we
decided I'll do the house up, with a small call on the odd trade (plastering
and large room tiling in this case) and I'll do the rest and fix the kids.
Gave teh company 3 months notice to ease the handover and remained on good
terms.

The kids had been suffering from being bounced around random nurseries
anyway and we weren't happy having to effectively give most of one salary to
nurseries and have no flexibility (have to get kids at 6pm on the dot, still
have to cook for them etc) so that cemented the argument.

The youngest still goes to nursery, but only to the extent of using the free
time alloted by the government - so he gets the benefit of a couple of hours
playing with other kids.

SWMBO is more ambitious than me. I was happy being a Linux Sysadmin - I have
no aspirations to "management" (I hate people managing). So right now, I'm
helping her with a security course she's doing - we're building firewalls
together on our Linksys (how romantic).

I expect to attempt to return to work in perhaps a year when the house is
done, and both kids are at the same school all day. Not sure what as.
Possibly unix sysadmin somewhere. Or do something completely different.
Ideally something based from home, so I don't have to keep stretching
employer's goodwill when the sprogs are up the creek.

That's about it really.

--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

Tim W wrote:
Stuart Noble
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 11:39

As an aside, what's a clever bloke like you doing at home looking after
the kids? You'll never really be any good at it you know :-) I can only
assume the wife's even cleverer

Hehe

Well, it's weird. I can cook a wider range than the missus, though she has
some good chinese numbers (being Chinese). Oddly enough I don't mind
housework either. She hates it.

I have a BSc (Physics, 3rd class - too much computer wibbling on the VAX).

She has a 1st class BSc (equiv, Nanjing Uni) and a PhD in CompSci...

I used to work as a senior Linux sysadmin for a well known college in
London. They had a reorganisation. 4 colleagues got the boot, I got a
"promotion" to Systems Manager (the extra hassle, no extra pay) so that was
a signal to move. Next company were a dead loss - so I did a special
development project with a mate's company which went very well. It was near
the end of the first phase that this house came available, so having
concluded that builders were an expensive hassle who couldn't be trusted, we
decided I'll do the house up, with a small call on the odd trade (plastering
and large room tiling in this case) and I'll do the rest and fix the kids.
Gave teh company 3 months notice to ease the handover and remained on good
terms.

The kids had been suffering from being bounced around random nurseries
anyway and we weren't happy having to effectively give most of one salary to
nurseries and have no flexibility (have to get kids at 6pm on the dot, still
have to cook for them etc) so that cemented the argument.

The youngest still goes to nursery, but only to the extent of using the free
time alloted by the government - so he gets the benefit of a couple of hours
playing with other kids.

SWMBO is more ambitious than me. I was happy being a Linux Sysadmin - I have
no aspirations to "management" (I hate people managing). So right now, I'm
helping her with a security course she's doing - we're building firewalls
together on our Linksys (how romantic).

I expect to attempt to return to work in perhaps a year when the house is
done, and both kids are at the same school all day. Not sure what as.
Possibly unix sysadmin somewhere. Or do something completely different.
Ideally something based from home, so I don't have to keep stretching
employer's goodwill when the sprogs are up the creek.

That's about it really.


A fascinating glimpse into modern family life! It all sounds bloody
stressful to me, but then I'm at the age where everything does.

My grandkids (7 & 4) are in a similar situation re being bounced about
to child minders etc. It all kind of works until e.g. somebody comes
home with norovirus and all the complicated arrangements fall apart. Two
weeks of wondering who's going to throw up next, and who you're going to
infect. Bloody clever virus though, because the family as a whole is
either suffering from it or contagious with it for a couple of weeks,
but at least it has the decency not to infect everyone at the same time.

Good luck with it all. Rather you than me. In my day family life was
rather more straightforward

"Tim W" wrote in message
...
So right now, I'm
helping her with a security course she's doing - we're building firewalls
together on our Linksys (how romantic).


What happens if you hack your way past SWMBO's firewall?

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:26:30 +0000, Tim W wrote:
I have a BSc (Physics, 3rd class - too much computer wibbling on the VAX).

She has a 1st class BSc (equiv, Nanjing Uni) and a PhD in CompSci...
...
[snip]

Hmm, that's all rather familiar (except that my missus is an accountant,
and I happened to move countries!) - I got really sick of the computing
industry; seemed like everyone (customers included) were getting screwed
all the time, apart from a few folk up top who got rich.

These days I fix up our old house and look after the kids when they're
not at school. One day I'll get a new roof on the barn and then I (or
we) have plans to open up some sort of home business there, which means I
can still be nearby for the kids (our eldest is 11 - couple more years and
he'll be legally able to babysit, and I'd only be 100' away anyway).

SWMBO is more ambitious than me. I was happy being a Linux Sysadmin - I
have no aspirations to "management" (I hate people managing).

Yes, BTDT, too. I'm not a manager, never will be. Lots of people say I
should teach, but I don't know why - it'd drive me insane! :-) Missus
sounds the same as mine - lots of career aspirations and whatnot.

So right
now, I'm helping her with a security course she's doing - we're building
firewalls together on our Linksys (how romantic).

Heh :-) I still get support calls from the SO every so often when
she's at work and has some kind of technical problem.

Possibly unix sysadmin somewhere.

Yes, if I were to go back into IT that's what I'd do - but I keep an eye
on the paper and haven't seen any unix work up where I am; it's all
Windows and nowt else.

cheers

Jules

"Stuart Noble" wrote in message
m...
Tim W wrote:
Tim Lamb
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 09:32

In message , Tim W
writes
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).
Housewife with angle grinder?

Certainly sorts out the JWs

Excellent pics.

After my recent problems with a leaking pressure relief valve, you might
want to re-consider the *out of sight* discharge.

regards


Good point. It is only temporary (I sell the heater on ebay later) -
there's a bloody big tank to the left of that pic waiting for some
central heating to connect to it. Hopefully the valve will last that
long.

One thing I learnt is that those valves are painful with crappy taps. I
recycled an old kitchen sink complete with taps for the kitchen (temp).
The hot tap tends to turn off when it gets hot (expansion I guess) - and
of course that makes the water hotter.

It then gets to the point that the valve operates and sets up massive
pipe vibration. Need a valve with some hysteresis in. Or 1/4 turn ceramic
taps that can hold a stable flow (never had a problem with the bath).


As an aside, what's a clever bloke like you doing at home looking after
the kids? You'll never really be any good at it you know :-) I can only
assume the wife's even cleverer


Tim allows her to believe that she is smarter than him.

She gets up and goes to work to at 6am to prove her point:-)

Adam

ARWadsworth
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 17:08


Tim allows her to believe that she is smarter than him.

She gets up and goes to work to at 6am to prove her point:-)

Adam

He. I'm not really that clever. I just get intermittently lucky and unlucky.

I found that out working at various universities. I'm a plodder with
interest who hates being beaten[1]. I can get to the bottom of most things,
given time and I would say I was good at most of the jobs I did[2]. But it's
really annoying (in a nice way if you're being generous) to have some 2nd
year student whack out code that's better than yours in half the time

[1] That may be evident here. I ask a lot of questions, mull on it for ages,
then do something. Mostly it works out OK. Worst case is "adequate but could
have been better". Occasionally something comes out really well and I marvel
at it. Some people here seem to be able to produce marvels frequently - I am
jealous. But I've not had any real disasters yet, so I should be happy
enough with that.

[2] But I have a very low tolerance for management stupidity. Some people
can deal with this - unfortunately I'm not one.



--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:36:39 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Fire fitted:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu...009-12-12-img_
0051.jpg.html

Doesn't look like enough clearance around the stove to pass Building
Regs... Has the BCO seen and approved it? Solid fuel heating is
notifiable...

I could well be wrong but I'm fairly sure that the regs state that
there needs to be at least 150mm clearance between the stove and
anything near by. From the practical aspect that stove will heat the
chiminey breast very well, not so well te room...

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 10:40

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:36:39 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Fire fitted:
http://photos.dionic.net/v/public/bu...009-12-12-img_
0051.jpg.html

Doesn't look like enough clearance around the stove to pass Building
Regs... Has the BCO seen and approved it? Solid fuel heating is
notifiable...

Not my work - that was done by a Hetas bloke and I have the cert to prove it
, a copy of which will go to the BCO. Hetas chap approved the choice of
stove for that location and that was backed by the fireplace shop who came
and had a look before suggesting that model.

I could well be wrong but I'm fairly sure that the regs state that
there needs to be at least 150mm clearance between the stove and
anything near by.

The instructions *recommend* 100mm for performance reasons. It's got about
80mm. Remember the fireplace is a thoroughly non combustible surface (it
used to have an open fire in it after all). The clearance to combustible
surfaces is of course more onerous (thought that was 300mm) which is fully
satisfied here.

From the practical aspect that stove will heat the
chiminey breast very well, not so well te room...


I agree - this stove would radiate better if it were out in the open so to
speak. However, that's not practical. It does in practise actually work
pretty well. Because there is quite a lot of clearance above the stove and a
plate across the chimney opening, there's a lot of hot air that convects up
into the room.

Yes, the breast does run warm, on the right side where this flueway runs. In
my house that's OK - the front adds heat to this room, the back leaks heat
into the bathroom and the top leaks into the upstairs dormer.

IME of similar fireplaces with open fires, an open fire would produce more
heat with a similar radiation pattern, but I am happier with having an
enclosed stove - safer with respect to embers jumping out and slightly safer
with the kids running about.

Cheers

Tim

--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:52:31 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Doesn't look like enough clearance around the stove to pass
Building
Regs... Has the BCO seen and approved it? Solid fuel heating is
notifiable...

Not my work - that was done by a Hetas bloke and I have the cert to
prove it , a copy of which will go to the BCO. Hetas chap approved
the choice of stove for that location and that was backed by the
fireplace shop who came and had a look before suggesting that model.

Fairy Nuff. Just doesn't "look right". B-)

OK "looking right" might not mean compliance but if something does
then quite often you are.

--
Cheers
Dave.

Dave Liquorice
wibbled on Sunday 13 December 2009 15:50

On Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:52:31 +0000, Tim W wrote:

Doesn't look like enough clearance around the stove to pass
Building
Regs... Has the BCO seen and approved it? Solid fuel heating is
notifiable...

Not my work - that was done by a Hetas bloke and I have the cert to
prove it , a copy of which will go to the BCO. Hetas chap approved
the choice of stove for that location and that was backed by the
fireplace shop who came and had a look before suggesting that model.

Fairy Nuff. Just doesn't "look right". B-)

OK "looking right" might not mean compliance but if something does
then quite often you are.


Totally appreciate your thoughts Dave.

I'm not sure at all that the chimney is internally in good enough condition
to support a return to an open fire (maybe, maybe not - but I'd want a an
internal survey - it's been shedding render). Stove + liner bypassed that
problem.

It was also a stipulation of mine that I have one source of heat that wasn't
dependant on the utilities (we do get power cuts round here).

OK - a gas fire was also an option...

But all in, it works for us. The dining area will be in front of that fire
eventually, so it will be a nice centre piece, and it seems to be operating
adequately into the functional zone rather than just the decorative zone.

I dare say, when the CH is running next winter, we will probably only use it
for weekends and special occasions like so many people, in which case, being
recessed it won't be wasting valuable floor space. But it's nice to
excercise it this winter and know that we have some backup when the leccy
goes out.

The aesthetics will get addressed when we decide how to present the
fireplace - it is just an untidy hole in the wall at the moment which
doesn't really help the impression.

My assessment, based on designing the room from scratch, vs working with
what's there is that it is clearly perfectly safe, but it is sub optimal
compared to what you could do with a clean slate.

One could take out the lower part of the stack and have a stove feeding up
into the remaining stack above. That would look good IMO, but it would
require expense and structural work I'm not prepared to get involved with.

We made use of the shielding effect of the stack but shoving a fridge to the
right and a sink to the left.



--
Tim Watts

This space intentionally left blank...