Renovation Progress May 2018

I returned to Colondannes for 10 days in early May 2018 and continued to make good progress, ahead of another planned visit during early June, when the new Windows are due to be installed.  The following were the tasks completed:

• Plot Dimensions – In advance of submitting the Declaration Prelalble to the Marie covering the new Garden Room, the Architect requested I confirm the dimensions as below:

• Garden Room Lowest Height - In anticipation of the Garden Room construction I needed to confirm the lowest level of the current Utility Room, which in 2450mm from the current ground level and 3200 to the highest cross beam near the rear wall.  This confirms sufficient head room and that with a low 400mm wall it will allow rear windows of about 1500mm height.

• Garden Room Internals – Measurements suggests a Depth of 2800 and width of 4150.  This will allow 6 rear Glazed Panels of 1500x500, with vertical support of 100mm and supports of 200mm. with the Barn Wall or 1000mm forming a part of the east side the will be space for a Glazed Panel of 500mm and Door of 800mm

• Peg Out Garden Room – As a part of this exercise I dug down to the Fosse and confirmed that the Water/Toilet Waste Inlet was outside the Foundations Line, but the Concrete Shoulder of the Fosse would run under the line. Further investigate and a visit from Frappat confirmed that it would be possible to create Lintel Bridge and run the Toilet Waste under the Floor to this inlet.
• Remove Outside Loo Wall & Floor – The wall removal was very straight forward, but the Concrete Floor is another matter and challenge.  I have determined that a Hydraulic Hammer needs to be hired to take on this heavy duty task during my June visit.

This needs to be completed to allow a 100mm hole in the back wall into the new downstairs loo for the Toilet Waste

• Partition Wood Spray – Having completed all the partition structures I sprayed all the door and wooden frames to protect everything, in addition to the ceiling beams that were treated last year.

• Kitchen Utility Room Door Opening – As planned, Martin Sprague came to create the opening for a door through the 500mm rear wall and install the 3 Pre-stressed Lintels.  We removed an unbelievable amount of stone and a little rubble.  Martin made good the wall and I installed the new door. The stone removed was used to repair the external driveway wall that my neighbour Jacque did within 3 days of being told the stone was available.  Great Result!

•  Hang New Doors to Bedroom 3 and Loft – Having added to the door frames to enlarge for the new thicker doors, I hung both and adjusted the Bed3 door to fit and still need to finish the adjustment to the Loft Door and the frame that is slightly larger than the door width.

• Planned Tasks for June Visit

I.        Remove Utility Window

II.       Fill Landing Window Edge

III.      Check Fosse Vent Pipe

IV.      Dig Out Guttering Drain

V.       Remove Outside Loo Floor

VI.      Adams Fitting New Windows

VII.     Stairs-Loft Partitioning with Plasterboard

VIII.    Channel Walls for Electrics

IX.      Drill Pipe and Cable HOLES in Partition

X.       Adjust Loft Door

XI.      Kitchen Waste Water Pipe HOLE-100mm

XII.     Toilet Waste HOLE- 40mm

Renovation Progress Spring 2018

During the Spring 2018 and the cold weather I spent and very productive 9 weeks in Colondannes and on the house, getting more completed that originally planned and including:

• Velux Sun Tunnel Installed by Mick Elkins that proved easier him than it would of for me.  So we now have the Sun Tunnel Windowed installed in the rear of the roof, ready to shine daylight through into the new Bathroom ceiling, once all installed.  The amount of light into the loft suggests that this is going to be successful.  Having removed the ceiling subsequently, I have now made the tunnel hole in the loft floor in the right position to illuminate the central area of what will be the bathroom.
• Removed Ceiling Plaster and Lathe from Bedroom 3, Bathroom and all of Downstairs and finished what I started in November 2017 in Bedrooms 1 & 2
• Sprayed all of the Ceiling Beams and wooden floor boards now exposed by the removal of the ceilings
• Re-position the Kitchen Stove Flue before constructing the downstairs Partition Wall, as this Flue needed to be moved out 5cm to provide full clearance of the new wall and plasterboard.  This proved easier than expected and went well
  

• Remodel Landing Window to reduce the lower height and block up to match the exterior level of the small window in Bedroom 2.  This was Nick’s suggestion to enable the proposed new roof of the Garden Room to be the same height of the existing Boiler Room that will be the new Utility Room.
•  New Windows Measurement were taken by Francis of SAS Adams, as well as a new front door and an order was placed for the supply and fitting of all the windows. These will be supplied, double glazed and pre painted. It is be a while as they are very busy, but that is no problem and the new door will wait until the downstairs floor has been skimmed level all over.

Partition Framing in wood was completed as follows:

Bedroom 2 Door

Bedroom 2 Back

Bathroom Door to Bed 3

Bathroom Back Wall

Downstairs Loo Door

Bathroom Main Door

Bathroom from Stairs

Kitchen Exterior Side Wall

Bedroom 1 Front

Bedroom 3 Door to Bathroom

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  Downstairs Loo Floor

  
  

Downstairs Loo Floor

• Downstairs LOO Floor was installed and I used the same boards as in Bedroom 2 that proved to be excellent quality and produced a good result.This is also insulated underneath

Downstairs Loo Door

Bathroom Layout Plan

• Bathroom Layout Plan was determined with a view to maximise the space, and so the services are  restricted to the back and barn walls and the toilet waste is in the corner and drops to the downstairs loo and then out to the fosse in the back garden.

New Post Box

• New Post Box was created as a bit of distraction work when other work was completed each day.  This was created with Breeze Blocks and then rendered, initially with Cement and then to create a fine finish render cement, so I could have not used the cement render.  You learn as you go!  Not sure yet if I should paint it?

This will now be easier for the van to drive up and drop the post in and allow us to plan for a gate further up the drive in the future.

• Planned Tasks for May Visit

1.   Hang Bedroom 3 and Loft Doors

2.   Plastering estimate

3.   Utility door knock through

4.   Fit utility kitchen door

5.   Knock down Outside Loo Wall

6.   Remove Outside Loo Floor

7.   Remove Windows

8.   Stairs-Loft Partitioning

Renovation Underway- Summer 2017

Lounge now larger with wall removed

This is the front room looking out to the stair and current back door.  The area has been opened and walls removed.  The door you can see is new and will be an under stairs coat cupboard. On the back wall in line with the step will be a downstairs Loo as shown by the door and wooden plank.

In the Salon the fireplace surround has been removed and a gallows bracket installed to support the chimney as shown and a liner installed with a 7kW wood burning stove that I have tested here.

Removal of the walls have highlights the different floor and ceiling levels, so all the downstairs will have floor levelling compound spread before new flooring, like we have in the kitchen at Pinwood.

The discovery of differing ceiling levels has led to the decision to remove them all and have new ceilings installed and used for services.

This room will be the Family Bathroom, with "Jack & Jill" door entry from Chambre 3

Bathroom rotten flooring removed and marine plywood laid and removed wall

The bedroom floors There will be a Jack n Jill door into the bathroom in Bedroom 3, the main bedroom where the fireplace has been removed.

Where the new Chimney Stack is installed, is now between what will be Bedroom 1 and 2 and you can see the new floor in bed 2 and there will be a Partition between the two rooms here and the stack boxed in and hidden with built in wardrobe space.

Chambre 3 with door opening and chimney place removed

The Shower room with wall removed, rotten floor removed, levelled and new floor for Chambre 2

In the Bedroom 3 the fireplace has been removed and I repaired the floor with original floor boards from the bathroom where marine board has been laid.

I have laid a new pine floor in the smaller back bedroom where the boards were rotten and leveled the floor. 

Work in Progress

Since getting No 8, we have had the wall 'tied' to avoid any further cracks that resulted from the previous owner removing the end chimney and we have had all the old and broken radiators, piping, boiler and oil tank removed.

We have a new fosse septic installed, so that we could start our work on the rear garden, which is now taking shape and we plan to plant some soft fruits over the winter, as well as give the apple trees a prune.

The rear or the house has been refreshed and tidied with some shingle creating a patio area infront of the outbuilding.

Having secured No8 in 2013, we have proceeded to starting some small jobs to 'tidy up' the property and plan for the potential renovation work, when we can afford it.

We have removed the old Oil Tank from the rear outbuildings, the Boiler and the Central Heating System from the house.  The end wall has been secured with a metal cross support and the front elevation cracks were repaired, once a chimney stack lintel was installed by Aussourd Bros.

Shutters have been added to all the upstairs windows, for security and consistency and as shown here, we have painted the front to remove the old flaking red paint with something more neutral.  We used BEDEC Barn Paint, which is wonderful and we now plan to use BEDEC Masonry Paint this summer on the house.













We decided to install a new Fosse Septic and Reservoir in advance of any renovation work, so that we can use the garden and not have any plans subsequently disturbed. We have now tidied up the rear with a Gravel Patio Area, that eventually we will