General Works
October 2021 - April 2022 was the first cricket off-season of living back in Scotland. There were a number of things we needed to do to make our new home more comfortable for living in and less costly to run. Heating for the winter, stopping running water coming down the chimney in the lounge, resolving the damp under the kitchen floor, patching a hole in the exterior wall of the kitchen, clearing the driveway and garden to get off-street parking for all our vehicles, insulation under all the floors downstairs, painting the exterior white again and replacing three very old Velux windows were just some of these general works that were required. We also had the electricity meter changed away from Economy 10 to a smart meter so that we could use electricity during the day without it costing a fortune.
A panel heater in front of the patch on the wall where the storage heater had been
Old Velux window - really old broken double glazing and coming apart at the seams
They said the numbering would begin with a 'G'. Velux was astonished when I said 'F'.
New Velux window - nicely double glazed and with an internal blind
The hole in the kitchen wall
Carpet underlay to help retain warmth in some of the rooms
Hole in the foundation wall of the kitchen, with a leaking drain
The damp that was being caused by it
Chimney top coming off to stop the water draining down into the lounge. No open fire for us.
Our wooden eagle, with his hard hat on :-) to protect him whilst the chimney comes down
Eventually he had to go too as he was falling apart and birds using bits of him for nests
There he goes and a hole is left to patch up in the front lawn
House with chimney and the big iron gate which was removed. Also the off-white exterior
House without chimney and running water in the lounge!
Also the bright white exterior
Starting the painting at one end of the house with paint that helps retain heat in the house
Getting towards finishing the front wall of the house, just the back and both ends to go!
Rolls of underfloor insulation to be stapled up underneath the solid wood flooring, between the floor joists to retain warmth
Unrolled and cut into lengths, my job, ready to pass to the underfloor team, his job! Stapled by the blue side to the joists with the fluffy side between the joists
The hatch in the base of the coat cupboard in the hallway that leads down under the floor. Ray takes down a light with him
Ray emerging from under the floor after using an inspection trolley to roll around below, given to him by a neighbour