Day 130 & 131 - Power in the garage and a workshop

There have been loads of folk working here over the last couple of days, as we move towards completion by the end of next week.
The sparky was here on Thursday and prepped up the two wetrooms for the shaver & light fittings. Still to complete though, and the extractor has yet to go in. The garage electrics were mostly completed too though, including the new workshop, so that has made a real difference. Sparky expected back early next week to complete things.

The joiners completed the garage workshop, which is looking really smart. The skirting & door is on (with a lock) and they've fitted a neat window to keep some light in the garage. The joiners have also been working up in the attic and have layed some more insulation - a good thing as the temperature has been dropping a bit of late.
The painter has mostly finished upstairs, though I'm still not impressed by a couple of the windows that were stained incorrectly previously. Looking like we'll need to sort this ourselves to get it right. Still more staining & varnishing to do downstairs, but upstairs should be ready for the emulsion coats early next week.
Unfortunately we're still waiting on the 2 final windows to arrive to finish the front entrance. They were meant to come on Monday - but which Monday !!

Day 129 - Outside tiles arrive

The Quartzite tiles were delivered today (half tonne pallet worth). Not sure when the tiler is due back to lay them, but Doug prepped the front door step ready for them. Hopefully the weather will hold out.
The tapers were back again today & made some great progress. Front vestibule, dining room, laundry, and hallway round by the stairs was done inside the house, and the garage workshop was also tidied up. Still a bit more to do then the painters can get at it.
Talking of painting, our painter returned today and varnished a couple of the internal doors, along with the 2nd coat for the staircase.
Doug and the lads did some further work on the floor at the rear vestibule, and also 'framed' the outside drains rodding points (tidies them a good bit). On top of that some of the driveway was levelled out a bit, and a start has been made to fitting the shower screens. WC pans were also fixed in place.
We also got the order in for the carpets - using local company Taylor's in Banchory. Looking at a couple of weeks before they arrive, which should give the lads enough time to finish the internal works. Almost there!

Day 128 - Garage workshop built

The garage workshop went in today as the joiners weren't able to work in the house some of the day due to the Ames taper being here. Nice & simple stud partition has been put up, with a wee window in the top so we don't lose all the light that the new garage window gives us. Looks great and has a plaster board roof on it too. Still to get a door and electrics etc, but good to see it up.
The joiners also layed the oak flooring on the stair landing, and put up the skirting boards there. Not much more to do now.
Taper was here and did around the staircase and also the laundry. Hopefully he'll be back tomorrow to crack on with the other outstanding areas.
The painter wasn't on site today for personal reasons, so hopefully all is ok with him & his family....

Day 127 - Ensuite cabinet in

The replacement ensuite cupboard was installed today, although the doors have yet to be fitted. Some more of the skirting boards were also put up, so not much left there to do. Apart from that there's not much sign of other work that was completed by the joiners today (although I'm sure there must be more). Still no sign of the replacement front vestibule windows, but hoping they'll arrive soon so that we can get that area finished off.
The painter also carried on, and has varnished some more of the window frames & sills. Unfortunately the ones that were to be reworked in the upstairs lounge don't look to be any better, but have been varnished anyway. Will need to find out more on this. Still no staining done in the main wet room and the study (though the study has a fair bit of oak boards in it yet).

Day 126 - Front steps are revealed.

Posting this update a bit late - the lads never worked over the weekend, but we had the joiners and the painter here on Friday.
Joinery has mainly concentrated on sorting out the doors and putting up the facings & skirting boards. The oak flooring is pretty thick, so the doors have had to be shaved a fair bit. Still more to do, but we can start to see the end in sight.
The painter progressed with the softwood staining - just the entrance halls, study and the main wet room to do from what I can see. He's also varnished some of the window frames and sills - eggshell (satin) finish. Takes a couple of days to settle out, but looks fine after that. The poorly stained windows have yet to be sorted out, but I think they're being kept till later (!).

Other work that we've got after over the weekend included clearing the attic again (needed to make more space for further work up there), sorting out the media trunking in the new attic, and installation of the last two media points in the guest bedroom and study.
This coming week should bring the final windows for the front entrance vestibule, the laundry tiles (replacements for the wrong ones that were delivered), and also the outside quartzite tiles for both the new entrances. That coupled with the painting work should mean a real busy week !

Day 125 - Ceiling painting - second coat

We has 3 painters here today thanks to the poor weather - 2 lads were rained off another job so came here & got on with some of the 2nd coat emulsion (concentrated on the workshop & roofs mainly). The 3rd painter was still here and progressed through the staining, and has also started the top coat varnish on some of the window frames. The guys that are here now are making a really good job - fine and tidy.
Joiners carried on with skirting & doorways today (no new bits of floor layed). The dining room glazed doors are back up, and the facings are part complete. what with the door facings & skirting boards going in, it's looking really finished !
Out & about today checking out carpets - the underfloor heating unfortunately adds a further headache to this as we need to be careful of floor coverings TOG value (otherwise the heat won't come through). Needing to do some further checks on this, as getting some conflicting information.

Day 124 - Flooring starts in front vestibule

Work continued with the oak flooring and associated doors & skirting today. The dining room is all but finished now, and work has now extended into the front vestibule. Still waiting on the 2 outstanding windows for the front vestibule, but we're expecting to see them early next week. That will allow the insulation to be completed there & the larch cladding to be done.
The painter was also here again & continued with the softwood staining & varnishing. Really looking good, and he's managed to get a good match to the oak flooring. The colour has warmed the rooms up a bit too.
Doug was here for a while, which was great as we got a chance to go through the build status & schedule what's coming up. We also made some decisions on the tiles required for the front entrance outside & the new rear door. Will get them ordered up tomorrow.

Day 123 - Dining room floored

Oak floor laying continues, and now the dining room is mostly complete. Makes it look massive, however does show up the poor kitchen floor unfortunately, so we'll need to consider what we're going to do there. There's also quite a height difference now, as the oak is pretty thick (a good thing).
The painter was also here and has continued with the staining & varnishing. The stair case & upper landing have also been varnished (we're using a clear coat here).
The concrete was also poured into the moulds for the front steps (which were put in place yesterday). Haven't seen what it looks like in daylight yet, but will get a chance tomorrow.

Day 122 - Work starts on front door steps

Wooden boards were put in place today to allow the concrete to be poured for the front door steps. I hadn't expected it to be done this way, but it'll be great. Fine solid base of the tiles. We still need to sort out the tiles for these, but we've a good idea what we want.
Joiners were also working away on the oak floor (now into the dining room), and have also been following up with the skirting boards & door facings going in. Looks so much better with the correct wood going in.
One of the painters was also here today, and carried on with the wood staining. He's still to rub back the windows that were made too dark, but the new wood he's done is a pretty good match for the oak flooring.

Day 121 - More plumbing work (and the finial in place)

Although this post is mainly about the plumbing work, I hadn't posted a finial photo, so here it is.
Graeme came round on Saturday morning to complete a few of the outstanding plumbing jobs in the ensuite. The sink is now fully fitted, as is the WC (though both pans have yet to be fixed properly in place). The new outside tap was also fitted just off the workshop, which is in a perfect place for the stables. There's still a gully drain to be fitted at this spot, but the pipework is all in.
I also took the opportunity this weekend to give the attic a good clear up - there was loads of sawdust, wood scraps & damaged insulation up there, so was great to get things looking a bit better. Still a bit of work to do up there, but at least the lads will see what they're doing.

Day 120 - New hall cupboard doors

The sliding doors have now been fitted to the hall cupboard. Same manufacturer as the bedroom ones, and they look really good I think. Match the flooring well.
Oak floor laying has continued a pace, and we've now reached the dining room. A number of the door thresholds have also been installed, as well as some stained door surounds. The wood stain on the soft wood looks good too, and matches the oak boards well.
Even though it's Saturday tomorrow, we're expecting the plumber on site. Still a few things for him to do - he can finish off the ensuite now that the worktops are properly in, and there's also the WC's to fit properly along with the lids. Be good to get a chance to see him as we need to go over how the underfloor heating works !

Day 119 - More oak down

The lads continued on with laying the oak flooring today, and a good part of the new hall at the bottom of the stairs is now complete. Door thresholds in place between the study & workroom, although the work room one had to be planed down a bit due to the height difference between the 2 floors.
Joiners were also working outside & got the North facing windows fitted in the front vestibule. Not sure what's happening with the West facing ones as we're awaiting delivery of a replacement triangular window unit (to replace the incorrectly spec'd one).

Day 118 - First oak flooring boards go in

Work started this afternoon on installing the oak flooring in the new hallway. The planks are really thick & solid, so think they're going to look & feel very good. The more robust underlay also arrived today, so that's going underneath it. Not sure how long it'll take the lads to lay all the floor, but don't think they'll be long !
Joiners also fitted the new wardrobe doors to both Jenny's & the guest bedrooms - look good, and are sliding doors that actually slide !
The draught excluder was also fitted to the garage hall door - may sound like a small detail, but the lads have done a brilliant job by countersinking the excluder into the door itself.
Other work done today was the fitting of the finishing batons on the upstairs windows & both the WC & sink vanity unit worktops were fitted. Some some bits of plumbing to do & that should be that. Fibre board was also layed in the laundry in preparation for the floor tiles (which will be in Aberdeen by next Tuesday).

Day 117 - Bannisters & spindles on first floor

The joiners made some great progress with the stairs today and have installed the spindles & bannisters up the staircase & on the first floor. Still some finishing work to do, but we're almost there with them.
Other joinery saw the airing cupboard door facings installed inside, and the loft hatch installed in the new garage hallway.
The lads also lifted the vinyl tiles in the laundry & prepped some hardboard ready for the tiling to be done in there shortly (heard that the tiles should be in by next Wednesday).
The underlay for the oak flooring is due to arrive tomorrow, so we should see a start being made to that, and I estimated that will be finished by the weekend ready for the painting & plastering squad arriving.

Day 116 - New garage door

The new door was fitted between the garage and the rest of the house today, which marks a moment ! We've used the oak foil door type here again, though a bit denser. Decent mortice lock fitted to this one too. It's got a bit of a gap underneath right now, but that's deliberate as there's a threshold to go in yet (this one will have a draft excluder of sorts on it).
Joiners were also busy today fitting the skirting boards to the work room (Wendy had already pre-stained them the night before), removed the door from the airing cupboard & also made a start to fitting the bannisters to the staircase.
Painter was here today and stained a batch of skirting boards (oak colour). No progress made on rubbing down the incorrect coloured windows though.
Slaters were also here and completed the gutters (except for one branch), and also fitted the finial - however it looks a bit high & squint, so some more work required on that one.
Tomorrow should be more of the same, then by Wednesday we should see the start of the oak flooring being laid (as long as the underlay gets here in time !).

Day 115 - Watchman !

Plumber was back today and fitted the watchman to the oil tank, so now we have a remote reading - ace ! He also had a fiddle with the underfloor heating, and all the zones are on - just got to fathom out how the controller works. Toilet has also been fitted into the ensuite & the waste pipe also replaced in the main wet room (so not leaking now).
Joiners completed the triangular window upstairs, and it's now all boarded in. They also got the finishing plaster board up around the stairs. The work bench/cupboard was also completed in Wendy's work room cupboard (looks very neat).
Nobody expected over the weekend, but on Monday at least one painter will be here to get after the windows & other wood work.

Day 114 - Staircase fitted

The staircase is now installed - not the finished article as yet, but look great ! A real pleasure being able to walk up to the first floor without fear of a ladder falling over ! Still a few bits to secure, then the spindles & bannister can go in.
The triangular window in the upstairs dormer was also fitted today, so we're almost 'air-tight' upstairs for the first time. Still some finishing to do on the window, but the view out of it has now got bigger !
Joiners were also working in the work room today & fitted the door facings (and put the glazed door back on). They also made a start to the work bench on the cupboard.
New door was fitted to Katy's room, and the one removed was put between the kitchen & laundry, so at long last we can shut the door in the kitchen to stop the draught when the back door's open. Sounds like a small thing, but it's been a pain from day 1 here.

Day 113 - Workroom laminate floor complete

The maple flooring is now complete in the workroom (including the large cupboard off). Looks great & brightens the room right up. The lads have also levelled out the door threshold to the garage hall so that the laminate can be completed under the door & terminate at the top of the internal stairs.
The joiners also started putting the main stairs together. The top flight is upstairs now and has been assembled. There are some glued joints involved, so has been left to set overnight. The lower flight has also been assembled & is sitting in the hall. Hopefully we'll see some of this in place tomorrow.
The remaining windows also arrived today from NorDan, which is great news. Doug has even painted the exterior of the dormer one ready for install tomorrow. This one together with the ones being fitted to the front entrance will finally make the house tight, so we can leave the heating on in the new areas without the problem of it al escaping though tarpaulins.
Other jobs done today were some floor screeding in the outside workshop, garage hall & the main hall where new meets existing building. Doug also completed the silicon sealing in both the wet rooms (very neat job).

Day 112 - The stairs arrive

Just as we hoped, the staircase arrived today along with the smaller steps for the garage hallway. A bit of planning is needed before the main oak staircase can be installed, but the wood looks really good & well finished. The smaller 3-step stairs have been installed from the garage hallway into the workroom. These are really neat. Both sets of stairs were made locally by Strachan's in Stonehaven.
Joiners have been busy today and have completed the wardrobe internals in the guest room and mostly completed the hallway cupboard. New plasterboard was also installed in the laundry and the back door surround fitted. As well as that a start was made to laying the maple flooring in Wendy's workroom. Once this is done the skirtings & door facings can be installed prior to painting.
There was also a fair bit of cementing completed today with render going on outside at the front & rear, along with some further cementing work in both the garage (round the windows) and in the garage hallway (down at floor level).
The architect was here today too, as planned, and we got some agreements for how the graded the area towards the new back door will look. Some additional work is required to the DPC at the back door area, but this was expected.

Day 111 - Underfloor heating commissioned

The day has finally arrived & we've got some heat in the new floor ! The sparky arrived as planned & fitted the room stats, main control box, zone valve actuators and separate control clock. We've got heat into the workroom & Jenny's room so far, and will no doubt run the system up in the other rooms over tomorrow. Don't want to warm things up too much though given that we're still missing a big window upstairs (plus we need to be careful with the concrete floor initially) !
The joiners carried on with the skirting boards, and also completed the internals to Jenny's wardrobe - looks good, and we'll replicate in the guest bedroom. The old damaged plasterboard was also removed from the laundry, and will be replaced in the next day or so (this will neaten things up somewhat).
As well as the detail work, the joiners also replaced the damaged chipboard flooring around where the old bathroom was. This has made a difference, and needed to happen before the wooden flooring is layed.
Outside the graded 'ramp' was tidied up a bit more, and round the outside of the extension was also cleaned up. Some cement works done outside round the drains & also in the workshop around the window. Same with one of the garage windows.
A lot of stuff ticked off through today, and you can really see things coming together. We've got the architect coming tomorrow lunchtime, so we'll get the whole graded piece sorted out.

Day 110 - Ground grading at the front

Doug was back with the digger this morning & graded the driveway towards the new rear entrance - this is to satisfy Planning Regs for wheelchair access, and is a real pain. We're still not convinced that this is going to look ok, so Andrew the architect is coming by on Tuesday so we can run through things.
Doug also cleared up a lot of the gear that's been lying around the drive for the past few weeks, so things looking a bit neater now.
One of the joiners was in this morning, and has completed the skirting in both Jenny's & the guest bedrooms.
The plumber also came by & finished the 1st floor radiators (all 3 working now) and installed the 2 toilet vents through the roof. His sparky will be here on Monday to get after the electric work required for the underfloor heating & the hot water loop pump.
Also today we got the WC cabinet worktop from Atlantis (the one we were missing) and await the replacement vanity unit worktop & a replacement mirror cupboard for the ensuite. Should get all that within the next 14 days, but it's not holding anything up.
I also completed all but 2 of the media points in the rooms (Jenny's, family room & hall cupboard), so only a couple more to do - just need to get the necessary faceplates, as the sparkies put the wrong ones in for some reason.

Day 109 - First skirtings go up

As the title says, the joiners started putting up the skirting boards today - only the rooms that will be carpeted are getting this done, as the wooden flooring needs to go down first in the other rooms. Start was also made to putting in the door surrounds, with the Guest & Jenny's room being the first to get this.
Plumber was also here today & installed the cistern in the ensuite, along with the shower. Unfortunately there's not much else that he can do in there until we get the vanity unit worktop (about a week away for that).
Some of the lads are back tomorrow, so I would think we'll see them progressing on with the skirtings. Had thought that the stairs would have arrived today, but no. Maybe early next week for them then.