Tag: plumbing

A retraction

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Following yesterday’s post, in which I explained how I was sorry for not picking up the phone to the eBay woman, I would now like to take that back.

Exhibit A is the texted conversation from yesterday morning:

The kitchen is incompatible with the plumbing, so I need to sell it.  could you offer it to the next highest bidder for me please.  many thanks

I’m sorry, but you will have to relist it.  I can’t see the next highest bidder now it’s been sold, and it was possibly different bidders for all 3 items.  Sorry unable to help.

OK.  I might just change tops and sink, so not a total disaster.

I really didn’t want to get involved in either the fact that plumbing matches the kitchen, not the other way around, or selling the kitchen to another person who could turn out to be just the same, and still be embroiled in this madness.  I’m emailing her the photos of the kitchen so she can relist it (when her computer’s back up and running), but that is it!  My part is done!

We were at a 105th birthday party yesterday (happy birthday Jaye and Carole!), so didn’t get much done, but we did nip to B&Q in the morning to buy some lights and get the right cooker hood filters (thanks once again to Jason K, who was brilliant.  Bet he loved seeing us again!).  We decided on some lights from B&Q, like the other ones I wanted, but in a circle instead of on a rod, and £10 cheaper.  They have disappeared from B&Q’s website though, we’ve got a habit of choosing lights that are about to be discontinued!

Barry’s also bought a coffee machine that lights up, very exciting!  And he oiled the main bit of the worktop so it’s really glossy and smells nice!  We also took the protective plastic off the stainless steel splashback, which is always very satisfying.

Taking down walls, breaking down barriers

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As a non-DIY expert, I think taking down walls sounds like a really scary thing to do.  While I have full confidence in my husband’s ability to knock on walls and nod, much like Alan Carr in the Location, Location, Location mashup, it’s terrifying to think that one little mistake could mean a spare room coming down into the kitchen.  We could pretend we lived in a studio, I suppose.

Knocking on the living room ceiling and drilling holes into it to fit the spotlights revealed that the joists run a certain way – on the floor plan shown here (which is actually a mirror image of ours, but the only one I could find), they run left to right, and I’ve indicated the walls we’re planning on taking down.

The builder didn’t comment when he came round to quote, so I think that means he was in agreement that they’re not supporting walls.

There is a lot to consider.  These three walls contain quite a few items to move, including plug sockets, light switches, the house’s thermostat and two radiators.  A third radiator needs to be moved from beside the loo.  Everything then needs plastering.  It’s not a small undertaking.

I’ve been advised by Barry (I’ve been told I can now provide my husband’s name, which makes life easier!) that electricity wires are, in theory, put in in straight lines.  That should make moving the switches easier.  Radiators are completely beyond me, but I’ve been told that the pipes come from above, not below, if that means anything to anyone.  I’ll try and get some before shots shortly, but the loo’s currently a holding area for all of the stuff from the living room!  It’s like living in one of those puzzles at the minute where you can only move one bit at a time.

The first thing to tackle in this whole thing is blocking off the sink and toilet.  By removing them, it will give Barry more room to manoeuvre to get the walls surrounding them down.  I’m just thinking about the fluffy towels we’ll have when we can fit a tumble dryer in the kitchen rather than hanging them on chairs or radiators to dry.  Crispy!