Day 53 - The hole is resolved - hooray!

Spoke to Shaun and the hole/waste pipe problem is now resolved.

The structural engineer that Fowles engaged came up with a much simplified solution which was approved by building control and the work's been completed!

They had to dig a little further down and then encased the pipe in some padding, put a steel over the top and then filled the hole in with hardcore and then concrete for the footing.

By the time we saw it the wall was already up on top of it!

Day 52 - Wembley Windows

Now the hole issue is fixed the decision on the windows becomes more pressing.

We've had a couple of quotes for UPVC windows but we're really not thrilled by the designs. They all have very wide and chunky frames - it seems that's just they way they are.

Peter (from Fowles) had mentioned a Polish company they'd worked with on a couple of jobs in London who offered quality aluminium windows at a lot less than other companies and got them to quote for our job. The quote wasn't too much more than the UPVC but we hadn't seen the windows - were they really very different to UPVC?

So this week we decided to go up to London to check out the windows in their factory/showroom.

The company are in Wembley and have the very English name of Henry & Sons but everyone we met was Polish.

They offer two types of aluminium windows (as well as UPVC) but one, Beaufort, is more suited to residential use.



We really liked them, the width and profile of the frames is much narrower and more elegant than the UPVC, if elegant is a word you can use about windows!



They offer bevelled or flat options and in a choice of colours - we'll probably go for white. The finish is powder coated so no maintenance required and the windows are guaranteed for 10 years.



We then had a look round the factory (where they make the windows) to see some finished windows


Flat profile in Black.


French doors

Day 52 - The Wall dividing East and West Lounge goes up

Part of the changes we're making is to steal some space from the lounge to make a study/den for the boys. Somewhere they can play computer games on the laptops, do homework, play on the wii and watch what they want on the TV - not all at the same time obviously!

It's not going to be a huge room but it should be big enough for some desks at one end and a small sofa and tv at the other.


Lounge side view - this will end up being a corridor with access to the storeroom, utility room and the new lounge


Study side view - The boarding is what used to be the patio doors in the lounge. At some point they'll be a window there

Day 52 - Openplan ensuite anyone?

The toilet door gets blocked up




and the wall between the toilet and lounge comes down


and a strange hole appears in the hall

Day 51 - I wanna be tall, tall, tall, as big as a wall, wall, wall

We have back walls



and a rather small looking back window





and full side walls. Which are obviously taller than me already ;-)

Day 50 - Another hole update - bored yet?!

We just got back from our excellent hols and popped round to 'the property' (as the builders call it) to check out the progress...

And the hole looks different - deeper, rounder, smoother we think...

Day 46 - Good news at last

Still on hols but spoke to Shaun this morning. Mark Fowles is back from holiday and agreed to get their structural engineer involved. The new guy visited the property last night and has already put together a plan for the drain. And even better it's a much simpler solution (which will hopefully take less time and cost less!)

And more good news the lads have been moving on with the downstairs work - building the boys den and starting on the store and utility so hopefully they'll be lots of new things to see when we're back next Monday