Dealing with Rainwater
A Renovation Journal
It’s been back to work this week and although I was kind of dreading it, it’s not been as hard as I thought. I think actually we’ve eased back in kind of gently. We did stay up late one night making a big list of all the things we need to do before we can move on to the next ‘stage.’ It became a staggeringly long list and neither of us slept very well that night! Part of me feels better for having more of a plan but it’s easier to sleep not knowing quite how long the to-do list is!
“It is not despair, for despair is only for those who see the end beyond all doubt. We do not.” - J.R.R Tolkein, The Lord of the Rings
Monday
New Year’s Day so it’s really still the holidays. James has been cracking on mending the holes in the floor of the Estate Office bedroom. Sadly, the floorboards up here were replaced with chipboard at some point and it hasn’t faired well. We’re patching some bits before we have a new wood floor laid over the top. I helped move some wood but to be honest, James did most of the work.
Tuesday
James finished the floor and we had a big clear-up. The bedroom is now ready for the floor fitters. We had to move a big old desk down the stairs. One day we will move furniture without arguing but is not this day!
Wednesday
Lots of ordering today. Trying to get organised after the long list of to-dos that we wrote. I spent a long time working out what building regs say you need for kitchen extractor fans and working out which one we needed. We also went to Wickes to pick up some moulding for the panelling in the new bedroom. I also bought some compost, ever hopeful that I will find some time to get out in the garden!
Thursday
With all this rain we’ve been having the damp patch on the chimney breast in the Estate Office bedroom has become much worse. I uncovered the air vent which had been filled with some now very soggy strips of insulation. Having the vent open should help it dry out once we get the roofers to sort out the cause of the problem. Fingers crossed!
We also hopped up the scaffolding today to work out what we need in the way of guttering. It all gets quite complicated when you have to remember all the ends and joins that you’ll need.
Friday
Today we cut out the soil pipe vent on the back of the Estate Office and fitted a Durgo valve. It’s an air admittance valve which negates the need for a huge tall soil stack that goes right up above the roof. In this case, the pipe was running along the edge of the extension roof and looked pretty ugly so it was good to cut it all out. It also makes the guttering at the top much easier as the soil stack isn’t in the way.
Saturday
Today we were on a guttering mission. It took us most of the day because we didn’t really know what we were doing but we have new guttering along the second floor of the annexe, a new downpipe and most importantly when you pour water into it, it works. We’re using cast-iron look uPVC guttering. Currently, we have a mix of cast iron and new plastic. The cast iron is so expensive and needs so much maintenance that it just didn’t seem worth it to replace it all. We thought about aluminium but in the end, the cast-iron look uPVC won on cost grounds and ease of fitting.
Sunday
It’s my daughter’s birthday! A day off and dinner at the pub :-)
So, how was your first week in January? I can’t believe it’s 2024. So confused. I haven’t really made any resolutions. More of a sort of gentle return to all the things. We are doing dry January which is fairly boring but doesn’t bother me too much. I’m back to tracking my food and getting in a few workouts with my trainer. But no really big changes which is nice for a change. They never stick anyway!
This week I’ve been enjoying…
A Battlestar Galactica rewatch
My super cosy lounge suit from Pretty You London
My daughter’s 19th birthday
The last of the Christmas cake that my sister made
Getting back to my fitness plan with Spalding Fitness
I’m going to try something new now and add some content for those of you who want a bit more and are willing to support me a little in writing this blog. For the price of a fancy coffee once a month you can get access to extra weekly content on house history, how-to tutorials, budgets and mood boards. Paid subscribers will also be the first to have access to our accommodation when it becomes available. Feel free to let me know what you think about this. Leave a comment or reply to this email if you have any thoughts on the matter.
This week I’ll be writing more about the history of the house. We’re now back to the age of the Ashdowns and some maps from 1881 and 1839.
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