DIY report

Work is still at the depressing “undoing” stage. The sitting room, kitchen and utility rooms are now all emptied apart from the base units currently being dismantled by Mr L and the kitchen table, which is staying in place until tomorrow morning. The chest freezer was re-homed yesterday and strangely, most of the house does not look too untoward. Everything seems to be stacked relatively neatly and not endangering every day activities too much. We are still cooking in the kitchen but will decamp into Brunhilde tomorrow.  There is one Poang chair in the bedroom, the other is in the office along with its footstool, the microwave, toaster and kettle. The little room formerly known as Mr L’s office is stacked with boxes of kitchen stuff and a couple of base units. The washer and dishwasher are in the garage with some more kitchen units. The fridge/freezer is stood in front of the treadmill, exercise being temporarily out of commission in favour of fodder. The multi fuel stove is now in the front porch.

The glass computer desk is making a good mini kitchen facility in the office, where we can brew up, make toast and nuke a few things. The bean to cup coffee machine is packed away so brewing up will be an instant coffee and kettle-boiling activity. Boo hoo. I shall at least be able to boil up Espresso in the van for essential starter fuel at breakfast time.

The removal of the kitchen base units is proving to be challenging and the sink base cupboard is being carved into little pieces in order to  get it out without undertaking major electrical and plumbing works. I have been hiding in my craft caravan and trying to put that into some kind of order as it is currently storing more stuff than I might wish. Once the kitchen is unpacked from the former office, my fleeces and large equipments etc. can be moved back indoors. I do now at least have room to sit and spin and space on the table to wind skeins etc. All that I need is the time – that and the necessary get up and go. Get up and go is largely lacking today. I am tired and my back hurts.

We have had neither blood nor tears yet and only minimal cussing. That being so, we might claim that everything is going well so far!

Tomorrow Mr L will start to lay the foam insulation boards. Then things become interesting as Teddy will be ousted from the kitchen until the tiles have been laid. He’ll probably come and sleep down the bed with us. He’s a little heat generation machine, I shall most probably be unable to sleep for the heat. Mr L won’t appreciate being woken at silly o’clock with feline demands for salmon satisfaction.

I am hoping that floor-laying won’t take too long. I need the washing machine plumbing in again before we run out of underwear… He can have a week, then I shall start cracking the whip. I might have to do a Matalan order for knickers and socks though.

We just had a quick run through to get an idea of time-scale, though to be honest neither of us has any real idea of what it will take.

• Monday – lay and fix insulation boards, wait for adhesive to cure
• Tuesday – paint boards with thermal paint, leave to dry
• Wednesday – lay the underfloor heating
• Thursday/Friday/Saturday – lay the whole tiles
• Sunday – fill in the edges – process may be on-going
• Monday – wash and seal utility room
• Tuesday – grout UR
• Wednesday – wash and seal grouted tiles in UR
• Thursday – plumb in the washer

There are other possible approaches.

I shall now go and count Mr L’s sock drawer.