Day 1 of approx 367
I finally got an inspector out for grant approval. Success 🎉. The house was approved and with the letter arriving in 3-4 weeks (the letter will tell me the breakdown in how I have to use the grant amount and more importantly, when exactly I have to be finished by), but works can start now. So today I finally finally got to start.
My first step is the baseline destruction, removal of flooring and ceilings. Then removing the concrete floor and all the lime render. Labour intensive but not a challenging job.
I decided to start on my dinning room, mainly because it had a ceiling that I have hated since I first viewed the house.
Just to jog the memory, this is what the room looked like before. Dated to say the least.
My first job was to remove the very first old and very smelly carpet. The back was yellow from old cigarettes and the underside was mouldy from old damp problems.
Not the most pleasant job, but when it was done musky smell that had clung to the room was gone, the room also felt brighter and the job got me my first look at the concrete flooring that I will be digging up.
The final job for today was tearing down the ceiling. Honestly one of the things I had most been looking forward to. I have seen panel ceilings done well, this was not that. The white lacker was badly painted and going mouldy. So I took great pleasure in pulling it all down, creating a little dust storm but giving me a good look at the timbers holding up the bowed floor upstairs.
To make the pattern (another thing I am happy to see go) in the ceiling panels, they had to use a number of weird cross pieces which are yet to come down. Those pieces were untreated and are a bit worse for wear, but the actual joists are in very good condition (mostly). I will have to replace the joist over the fire place but the rest will remain, which was a pleasant surprise.
Next step in this room is to remove lime render around the window, this will give the correct size for the window fitters to measure to.
All in all, a rather productive first proper day of this massive project.
Tomorrow will see me giving the same treatment to my living room, bring on the dust.
Comments