Welcome to our house - a DIY project log

platypus · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:14

Have seen some awesome DIY projects on here, so I thought it would be fun to stick a few pictures here, a full log will be going up on my blog.

The project? An almost complete overhaul of the house. For the next three weeks, the upstairs will be a building site. Myself and my girlfriends Father Andy, with a little help from my girlfriend (she'll be wall papering, but more importantly making the tea, coffee, food etc) we will be putting in a new bathroom, re-wiring the upstairs (Andy is a certified electrician), new plug sockets, re-wallpapering, re-carpeting, re-painting, everything you can imagine. The whole upstairs is being replaced

.

New windows and new central heating have just been fitted, and a new boiler.

And so, let us begin.

Doesn't look too untidy so far, does it?

Our bedroom

:

Hallway to the bathroom:

New suite, new tiling (the girlfriend has chosen..well I can only describe them as "I'll have to see what they look like when they go on the wall!"), new shower, new wooden floor.

Now we're going to do the electrics/plumbing under the spare room floor sorted before moving on with the bathroom, including running wiring into the loft for a possible conversion in the future, but for the present just for lighting and a few plug sockets (she doesn't know it yet but my server rack is going in the loft

).

muttclugg · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:17

Looks like a pretty big project. Good luck, Keeps us posted

.

platypus · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:22

Now for the spare room.

I drilled into the wall to bury some plug socket casings in, and typically the wall disintegrated.

So they've been re-mortared and cemented, and the actual wiring will go in tomorrow, then the wall re-plastered and repaired.

This is why we're re-wiring:

Not sure if you can see, but the wiring has been placed over the hot water pipes! Not the safest of decisions really..

TBC..

V4NT0M · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:43

I like those vertically opening windows, what does it say on the back of your t-shirt?

antijoke · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:44

Are you still coming to the theatre this weekend?

Tummy · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:45

Looking good

Keep us updated (Y)

would have been good to have some "before" and "after" shots of all the rooms

danny_mac · 17 Sep 2009 at 15:59

Wooden floor in the bathroom? That would be a mistake mate, tile it with stone or ceramic.

Will be keeping an eye on this thread, looks interesting.

waso_dude · 17 Sep 2009 at 16:02

Loving the markers on the wall

Mark A · 17 Sep 2009 at 16:14

danny_mac said:
Wooden floor in the bathroom? That would be a mistake mate, tile it with stone or ceramic.

Will be keeping an eye on this thread, looks interesting.

Would the tiles not crack if the subfloor is floorboards?

Nice project. I'll have to keep my eye on the thread for ideas as i am currently doing the same. Ive just finished the bathroom and just need to add a few finishing touches such as a wall mounted mirror and toilet seat (as the current one is red lol).

SeriousPigeon · 17 Sep 2009 at 16:25

Mark A said:
Would the tiles not crack if the subfloor is floorboards?

Nice project. I'll have to keep my eye on the thread for ideas as i am currently doing the same. Ive just finished the bathroom and just need to add a few finishing touches such as a wall mounted mirror and toilet seat (as the current one is red lol).

Normally you would line it with thick plywood and use a flexible adhesive to stop the tiles or adhesive cracking.

platypus · 17 Sep 2009 at 16:51

Skyfall said:
I like those vertically opening windows, what does it say on the back of your t-shirt?

"It's an oarfully long way!" - its a Boston Rowing Marathon t-shirt

.

anticonscience said:
Are you still coming to the theatre this weekend?

Yus, Saturday

.

Tummy said:
Looking good

Keep us updated (Y)

would have been good to have some "before" and "after" shots of all the rooms

I know, was silly of us not too.

waso_dude said:
Loving the markers on the wall

Everyone who comes round to dinner has a quote on that wall, as well as a hand print

.

danny_mac · 17 Sep 2009 at 16:52

Dont use plywood to line the floor, too much thermal movement. Use Cement particle board (CPB) and as SeriousPigeon advises use flexible adhesive and grout. The BAL stuff from Topps tiles aint bad for domestic use.

platypus · 17 Sep 2009 at 16:53

danny_mac said:
Wooden floor in the bathroom? That would be a mistake mate, tile it with stone or ceramic.

Will be keeping an eye on this thread, looks interesting.

Hmm really? Andy seems happy with it (We're having some wood shipped in from France, the girlfriends brother-in-law is a wood expert), and she has her heart set on it..

Stretch · 17 Sep 2009 at 17:00

Hmm, this looks familiar. My gf and I have just bought a house in a similar kind of condition. I'm sure it will look great once you've finished

Might start my own thread along the same lines.

Just noticed you're based in Cambridge too. Which area is the house?

danny_mac · 17 Sep 2009 at 17:07

platypus said:
Hmm really? Andy seems happy with it (We're having some wood shipped in from France, the girlfriends brother-in-law is a wood expert), and she has her heart set on it..

Well if your GF's brother in law knows his stuff im sure you will be ok.

Mark A · 17 Sep 2009 at 17:15

platypus said:
Hmm really? Andy seems happy with it (We're having some wood shipped in from France, the girlfriends brother-in-law is a wood expert), and she has her heart set on it..

Do you know what wood it is?

apeZ · 17 Sep 2009 at 17:56

platypus said:
Hmm really? Andy seems happy with it (We're having some wood shipped in from France, the girlfriends brother-in-law is a wood expert), and she has her heart set on it..

Wood + water?

platypus · 17 Sep 2009 at 19:25

Stretch said:
Just noticed you're based in Cambridge too. Which area is the house?

Stanley Road, just off Riverside.

Mark A said:
Do you know what wood it is?

Teak, I think.

apeZ said:
Wood + water?

It can be treated

! Andy seems to think we'll just stick down a click-together laminated wooden floor instead.

platypus · 17 Sep 2009 at 19:36

Yep, it's confirmed. She cancelled the wood to be shipped in, and click-laminate is going down. Nice to be kept in the loop!

danny_mac · 17 Sep 2009 at 19:57

Mate dont put laminate down. You will have nightmares with it and it will need replacing in a year. It seems to only be a small area, you could get travetine for not a lot more money than laminate and it will last forever if installed properly. If not just get a nice looking ceramic / porcelain tile down.