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A diversion to outside;- one thing the boys had spent money on wisely, was to replace two runs of fence to the right of the house, and opposite the garages:
Similar lengths to the rear however, were in a parlous state, allowing wildlife into the garden to eat the plants, and potentially our dog to escape, should a cat, squirrel, or some other tasty morsel grab his attention:
Tress, ivy, brambles etc had grown through the fences and they had disappeared entirely in places. There were several sick and dead trees, a neglected compost compund apparently made from salvaged old fencing, a chicken run, and a glory hole of rubble which needed moving.
Some months previously, out dog walking, I had spoken to a couple of bods, landscapers according to their signwritten pick up, who were making a first class job of a fence, and photographed their vehicle to get a phone number. They offered a much better price for all the necessary work, than the caravan dwellers who responded to a local trade advert. It took four of them four days, with chainsaws, chipper, and excavator to complete the job to a highly satisfactory standard.
Old fence and much of the mess gone:
Done, and all the mess cleared away:
Meanwile, Andi and I attacked the ivy and brambles threatening her car which lives in an otherwise sound brick garage adjacent to the house:
The plants had grown in between the rooftiles, it took us a whole weekend to clear, my phone battery died, so nothing of the now bare brickwork and roof.
A redundant greenhouse found a new home via eBay:
I moved the scummy but sound chicken shed a few metres, and turned it through 90 degrees, Andi scrubbed it inside and out.
Andi produced areas such as this, planting new things, and nursing old back to health:
I picked Sam's and Jon's brains to tackle the heating and HWS problems next.
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Last Edit: Nov 14, 2021 7:58:35 GMT by etypephil
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Nov 14, 2021 21:57:30 GMT
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By now (June 2021) well out of the heating season, and with more observations of boiler performance in the memory bank, I was faced with several features potentially causing, or exacerbating the lack of consistent hot water, and poor heating earlier in the year;- the boiler has an internal hot water resevoir of about 50 litres, which it should be able to replenish from empty in seven minutes, it couldn't, even in high ambient temperatures. When the hot watter was being run off, the radiator in Andi's office became warm, despite the heating being turned off. The heating flow pipe from the boiler was in contact with the cold water supply, ensuring that when the heating was running, stone cold water was never available at the taps. The "professionals" who had installed the boiler had fitted the magnetic filter horizontally instead of vertically. The boiler internal hoses had been choked with debris earlier in the year, and cleaned out, but now felt hard again, indicating more muck within.
The consensus was that the diverter valve was failing to isolate the heating circuit fully when the heating was switched off; replacing it, and cleaning out the hoses again effected some improvement, but the HWS still performed in a mediocre fashion, leading to the conclusion that the plate heat exchanger was choked, verified by removing and flushing it. Sam extracted a lot of black flakes, similar to those found in the hoses, but couldn't get a full flow through it, refitted, it was clear that we were winning, but not quite there. Within a few days, performance again fell off, and we found the exchanger blocked again I was happy to fork out for a new one, but not to have it instantly wrecked by the gunge clearly circulating through the system.
Time to bite the bullet;- I had to drain the system in any case to fit two additional radiators, and make provision for further additions to the shower room and bathroom to be. There was only one drain cock which meant that some areas had to be drained by cracking open joints to radiators, so I would rectify this at the same time. Earlier investigation had revealed dead legs and other redundant pipework under the floors in the original bathroom, and the first floor landing. Jon and Sam suggested flushing the system completely, power flushing would take 2 - 3 days; not viable for Jon as he lives more than 100 miles away, Sam was not available for such a time consuming job for about three months, but pointed out that if I was willing to get dirty, and spend time on the job, removing the radiators flushing through with a hose whilst tapping them with a mallet was a better solution; plumbers power flush for the sake of speed, not quality.
Off I went, first job being isolation of the heating circuit from the HWS.
There was quite a bit of rubble and other rubbish under the floors from previous works:
As well as redundant pipework:
Removed:
There were fourteen original radiators, some so heavy that I could not have carried them down the stairs and outside without Andi's assistance. a few weighed noticably less after flushing:
Part way though these, I had a bout of covid which delayed matters while I could barely get out of bed, and began to despair that we would have heating before Winter returned. After a week, my strength returned, so I returned to the matter in hand, refitted all the radiators, and moved on to fitting the additional radiator to the kitchen:
Fitting the radiator in the previously unheated ground floor WC, fed from a radiator in the adjacent parlour:
Additional drain cock to a ground floor radiator, fed from above:
One more clean, as far as possible, of the heat exchanger, and I was psyched up to tackle reorganising the boiler pipework:
At last, a careful fill with plain water to test for leaks, and bleeding; I was pleased to have just one weep, from a joint to the new kitchen radiator, quickly stopped by nipping it up a little, and amazed to have none from all the disturbed and remade joints. I turned up the thermostat to force the boiler to run, checked each area for temperature and balanced the system. The next step was to drain a little water, add flushing agent to remove any residue, run the heating for a few hours, drain and refill, including a couple of litres of corrosion inhibitor.
Finally, on 22nd September, the still slightly restricted plate heat exchanger was replaced with the new one.
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,100
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Nov 14, 2021 22:19:41 GMT
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Excellent. I quite enjoy a bit of plumbing.
If itโs any consolation, I have had almost exactly the same issues with my houseโs plumbing. Poorly laid out central heating pipes, many dead legs and redundant or doubled up pipework. I have pulled most of it out room by room as we have done them, and replaced all the underfloor pipes with plastic pipes additionally insulated. Ultimately, I need to move both the boiler and the hot water cylinder from where they currently are in the kitchen to a new airing cupboard in the downstairs bathroom. I need to finish the en-suite first though, so that we always have two working bathrooms.
I am in two minds whether to move our existing elderly (and a bit undersized) boiler, or to get a new one. Like you, I struggle to find trustworthy tradesmen that will work to my standards, so I often end up doing things myself that strictly speaking youโre not allowed to any more. I justify it by looking at the utterly shocking workmanship of those that have gone before me, that previous owners paid handsomely for.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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Nov 14, 2021 22:54:21 GMT
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I'm a farmer's son. Since there is no significant difference between water reticulation for livestock drinking purposes and household supply I also do most of my own work. I only employ tradesmen as an absolute last resort.
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Nov 14, 2021 22:54:33 GMT
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Excellent. I quite enjoy a bit of plumbing. If itโs any consolation, I have had almost exactly the same issues with my houseโs plumbing. Poorly laid out central heating pipes, many dead legs and redundant or doubled up pipework. I have pulled most of it out room by room as we have done them, and replaced all the underfloor pipes with plastic pipes additionally insulated. Ultimately, I need to move both the boiler and the hot water cylinder from where they currently are in the kitchen to a new airing cupboard in the downstairs bathroom. I need to finish the en-suite first though, so that we always have two working bathrooms. I am in two minds whether to move our existing elderly (and a bit undersized) boiler, or to get a new one. Like you, I struggle to find trustworthy tradesmen that will work to my standards, so I often end up doing things myself that strictly speaking youโre not allowed to any more. I justify it by looking at the utterly shocking workmanship of those that have gone before me, that previous owners paid handsomely for. I'm exactly the same, I always do as much as I can myself because not only are trades people expensive but also in my experience generally unreliable and its difficult to find a good one.
It always amuses me that you can work on the brakes on your car and do pretty much anything to it without interference (at the moment anyway) but taking the cover of a gas appliance is frowned upon.
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Dez
Club Retro Rides Member
And I won't sit down. And I won't shut up. And most of all I will not grow up.
Posts: 11,712
Club RR Member Number: 34
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Nov 14, 2021 23:43:14 GMT
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Another one for โtradesmen are awfulโ here. I had new central heating fitted earlier in the year, and Iโve already redone half of their pipework cos it looked sh1t/wasnโt evenly spaced, and cured the gas leak they left me with ๐
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Dez's gas leak is shocking. Gas fitting is about the only thing which I won't tackle. It's not about the law; any with which I disagree are studiously ignored , but a combination of the potential consequences if I should get it wrong, having a Gas safe registered son-in -law who thinks nothing of a 200 mile round trip to help out the old boy, and finding Sam who has been brilliant, both professionally, and now as a mate. Apart from Sam, I have also been fortunate here with the tree surgeon / landscaper / fencing contractor, and a dog walking acquaintance who is a plasterer with whom I initially struck a "I'll diagnose and fix your broken BMW, if you do some plastering for me." deal, and has also subsequently become a mate.
One experience which left a nasty taste, was with a local roofer who responded quickly and effectively when I called him about a leak into the bay area of our bedroom. Apparently caused by squirrels attacking the leadwork, he fixed it quickly and inexpensively, so I asked him to price for replacement of a number of rooftiles which had slipped / gone missing. He estimated xx number of tiles, and a day to do the job; ยฃ350, which seemed fair enough. On the appointed day he appeared with a scummy looking accomplice / labourer, who erected ladders, and passed tools and tiles to him. They carelessy placed ladders against our new gutters; no thought of stand-off brackets, messed around for an hour, disappeared entirely for two hours, messed around knocking tiles into the gutters for another hour, then "All done, we're off now." As far as I could see (ladders were down by now), all was in order, so I paid them. The following day, two of the newly "fitted" tiles slid into the gutter, so I borrowed a long ladder from a neighbour, and refixed them properly myself. The man is a fool, because had he made a decent job of that, he would have been offered the planned re roof of the single storey part of the house without having to compete with anyone else. Now he won;t get the chance to even price it, because I'll just sheet over it for the coming Winter, and do it myself in the Spring, unless I encounter a dog walking roofer with a dead car, that is.
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Nov 16, 2021 17:11:34 GMT
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Looking back at photos I took when we moved in and started work on the house is always good for the spirit as a reminder that no matter how slow progress seems, we have also come a long way. Some of the photos provide endless amusement.
The orientation of this night latch on the back door, for example:
I don't know whether the boys, or their "builders" fitted it; the latter I suspect, as I cannot imagine either of the former possessing the tools required for the job, much less knowing which end of the screwdriver to hold.
Back to the saga, after the relief of getting heat and hot water in abundance, I returned to the kitchen for the tiling etc above. Etc = painting, which is boring, so I won't describe that, or post photos which I didn't take for the same reason.
Simon, my dog walking, plasterer mate was short of work, so looking ahead, I asked him if he fancied demolishing the non structural wall between the first floor WC, and what had originally been an airing cupboard containing a hot water cylinder, long siince removed, to open it up for me to create a bathroom after I finish the shower room. It took him just 2 days to achieve this, including making good and ferrying all the rubble to my new, hidden glory hole at the bottom of the garden behind the relocated chicken shed:
I won't decide the bathroom door position until I have finalised the layout, so for the time being have left the original doors in position:
and am using the space as a tool store / emergency facility:
That's about where I am at the moment, just some finishing touches on the kitchen, and get Andi started on decorating the pantry, before I return to the shower room, so my contributions to the thread will be less frequent now. Thanks again for all the positive comments / moral support / and technical advice.
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Last Edit: Nov 16, 2021 17:43:51 GMT by etypephil
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village
Part of things
Always carries a toolbox. Because Volkswagen.......
Posts: 567
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Nov 17, 2021 21:55:41 GMT
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I had new boiler fitted by a chap who was -approximately for this thread - ex RAF. He was meticulous and mega OCD and did a great job. For his own wellbeing he couldn't do a bad job, as he is the Current Dr Village's best mates husband.
Even he said that "all tradesmen are cowboys, only the size of the stetson changes".
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"The White Van is strong with this one...."
Chris "Chesney" Allen 1976-2005 RIP
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Nov 18, 2021 11:54:47 GMT
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I've had a couple of plumbers I know to be good look over work I have done (never been a problem) and they have said they are horrified by some of the work from so called professionals (even the gas qualified ones).
The only work I have had done by someone was warranty replacement of a pressurised water tank, and it was terrible, ripped it all out and re-did it myself.
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Nov 18, 2021 17:09:30 GMT
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Somewhat later than planned, today I finally got the finishing touches done on the kitchen, except for the original doors to the pantry, appliance cupboard, French room, and hall, all of which have layers of paint over scum and dust. They are so rough in places that they could probably be used as giant sanding blocks. They are however, solid and essentially sound, so we planned to reuse them all, after appropriate stripping and refinishing. If the hall, parlour and dining room doors are left open, the hall feels more bright and airy, so we have ordered three glazed doors, similar to the existing inner entrance one:
to replace them.
In the hall, there is an aerial photo of the house, which the boys kindly left for us:
a neighbour who has been here for forty plus years told me that it was taken during the Colonel's time, in the early 1980s.
Andi has been busy in the garden each morning before heading for her desk:
The area under tarpaulins, and immediately to its left, is where I plan my garage / workshop.
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I look at the work you have done and just smile.
These massive jobs and projects are hard while you are doing them, then, when you complete and look back, it looks like it was always there.
Also, so many outsiders cannot feel the pain, blisters, weight of materials, or taste that tea, coffee or cold drink your carer, partner, wife or kid brings out to you while you work out there.
I can only imagine how rewarding this has been so far.
Well done.
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Nov 19, 2021 16:41:33 GMT
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What a great looking place. Love old houses and i like what you have done. Keep the updates coming
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'The reason i have pulled you over is to say how incredible and absolutely awesome that is'
Mercedes W109, Mercedes W140 S280 SWB & S320 LWB, W201 cosworth kitted, clk230 Kompressor, w109 300sel, Lincoln Continental 1964, BMW E30 Tech II tourer, MK1 Golf Clipper, BMW E31 840ci sport, JAGUAR XJ40 3.6, Kangoo van, Volvo 740GLE estate, Maserati Quattroporte GTS
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,886
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Nov 21, 2021 11:06:37 GMT
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Good work - great looking house too
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Nov 21, 2021 12:20:58 GMT
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This does look great, well done, superb job
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Nov 21, 2021 15:41:55 GMT
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I look at the work you have done and just smile. These massive jobs and projects are hard while you are doing them, then, when you complete and look back, it looks like it was always there. Also, so many outsiders cannot feel the pain, blisters, weight of materials, or taste that tea, coffee or cold drink your carer, partner, wife or kid brings out to you while you work out there. I can only imagine how rewarding this has been so far. Well done. Thanks. At the end of a day, I frequently feel that I have earned a beer, instead of tea / coffee / squash.๐ The rewards are manifold, Andi never ceases to be amazed, and delighted, by what can be done; always a good thing๐, the physical exertion has helped me to lose a few kgs, which has in turn improved the power / weight ratio of the cars, I have rebuilt some long lost muscle, it gives me something constructive to focus on, thus is extremely good for me mentally, especially given the restrictions which the government have attempted to impose since March 2020. I did wonder at the wisdom of taking on such a project at the age of 70, but it has turned the clock back by twenty years for me. Back to the shower room next week.
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Nov 22, 2021 18:14:54 GMT
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The plan for today was to help Andi get started on her pantry decorating / refitting project, her doing an hour or so before work each day, and more in the evenings after dinner, if she wasn't too tired after a day dealing with colleagues, mentees, and Pharma / CRO clients, firdt job being to transfer all the decorating materials and tools from said pantry to the adjacent, carefully protected kitchen island worktop: Everything which normally lives there having been stashed in the French room a week or so ago when she first hoped to get going: Another example of classy previous workmanship and longterm planning;- this woodworm eaten shelf which had clearly had a fresh coat of paint (over dirt, naturally), instead of being burned and replaced with new: My actual work should have been to continue from where I abandoned the shower room for more pressing matters months ago: Bedroom #3 is the current store for the basin, WC pan, cistern and sundries which are not littering the shower room, the shower being the only installed and working part so far:
The landing and recently created bathroom space will be used to store everything not immediately required while I finish the job. Unfortunately, this morning grizz reminded me that I have a half acre of this:
to convert to this:
20% done, leaving the remaining 80% for tomorrow; maybe I can attack the shower room on Wednesday. In my defence, I also had to grub shop for the week, dog walk three times, order new tyres for Andi's car, and visit Wilco for grease nipples for the Marlin, which happily they had in stock.
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bstardchild
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 14,886
Club RR Member Number: 71
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Nov 22, 2021 21:27:33 GMT
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Coming back to this picture I bloody hate it when "trades" put multiple joints in pipework - I know solder joints are fairly reliable but they just make my teeth itch - I try to make sure joints wherever possible are minimal - I have been known to waste a length of pipe bending a series of bends to achieve the desired result rather than make up the result with a series of joints and bends I also try to do waste runs in solvent weld pipe and pressure test them before install I guess when you've found a few dodgy solder joints and leaky wastes in houses it makes you overly cautious
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xfu990
Part of things
Posts: 78
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Nov 22, 2021 21:56:57 GMT
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Lovely house! Cracking job that you're doing there. With regards to the leaves, I set the petrol lawnmower on a slightly higher setting and this seem to "hoover" the lawn and it mulches the leaves, making them easier to gather, it may be a little dangerous on the drive though Easier on the back also, but then again my waistline is increasing and not decreasing as is yours keep up the good work, oh and the Jag looks at home there.
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glenanderson
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 4,100
Club RR Member Number: 64
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Nov 22, 2021 22:43:23 GMT
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I also use the mower on it's highest setting to collect the leaves. always seemed to work well enough, even on the driveway.
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My worst worry about dying is my wife selling my stuff for what I told her it cost...
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