Kitchen Refurb

[Stanley]

I think I've paid that at some time or other. Do you remember the old tradition that if you gave someone a knife as a present they were supposed to give you a penny? If not the friendship was severed.

[PanBiker]

I have been tapped for phase two of Jacks house refurb. A new ring and sockets in the main living room. This will involve cutting the back boxes into the masonry (all in the skirtings at the moment) and chasing cable runs down behind the skirtings and under the floor. We will have to loose the big radiator off the back wall and then repaper all four walls after plastering up runs, the back wall has some 1970's garish patterned vinyl on which needs to come off. I will install the new sockets as a completely new ring independent of the existing which can then be disconnected and the sockets capped off at phase three when upstairs is rewired. He has a a multi-way consumer unit now in the pantry and he is going to consolidate a lot of his IT infrastructure into a small 19" rack cabinet in there with a switch and re-cable all the current surface cabling run up to his attic workbench properly. No peace for the wicked or a handy dad, it's at my own time though, will start sometime in the New Year.

[Big Kev]

Good stuff, it'll keep you out of mischief

[Stanley]

Fibre internal cabling for the data circuits? One of these days it's going to be fibre into the house.....

[Big Kev]

One of these days it's going to be fibre into the house.....

It'll be a while before that's on offer in Barlick

[PanBiker]

CAT5 and 6 are perfectly capable of handling all current domestic VDSL speeds. I'm with Kev on fibre to home, it will be an expensive hop to the Croft from my VDSL cabinet on Skipton Road.

[Big Kev]

What did you do on , probably, the hottest August bank holiday weekend for a while?

Fitting a new kitchen for youngest offspring, when I say kitchen... new ceiling, make good various bits of plaster including the window reveal, new lights, new sockets, bannister, radiators and some dry lining to some of the walls

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There's still some work to do, tiling to the walls and floor but someone else will have that job and offspring is going back to the kitchen supplier to find out where the missing drawer fronts and door are.

[Stanley]

Looks like masochism to me Kev. I am glad I am beyond that stage now, it isn't expected of me! I was chief jobbing builder at 34 Water Street for many years but am retired now.

[Big Kev]

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Latest job was to extend the bottom step (the image is the right way up if you open it) as is the case with most old houses nothing is square...

...and move some light switches while I was there

[Stanley]

Tidy job......

[plaques]

Yes, but it would make a stair lift more expensive because of the extra return. Good god showing my age here.

[Stanley]

Join the club! I have assessed my stairs for one and it would be relatively simple.

[PanBiker]

We have a stair lift round at Bosom Friends Centre. We have a 90 degree turn in the stair a third of the way up. The Acorn Stairs lift engineer had no problem at all with the rising turn.

[Big Kev]

A coat of latex floor leveller ready for tiles...

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[Stanley]

Kev, that's something I neglected when I did this kitchen. The wonder of it is that after twenty years the vinyl is just as good as the day it was laid, I asked for the best and must have got it!
I note you have a low level letter box..... Oh Dear...

[Big Kev]

I note you have a low level letter box..... Oh Dear...

I found it a bit strange that it actually has a letterbox as it's the back door...

[Stanley]

Oh good! Postman Pete will not have to cope with it.
We all have front and back letterboxes in East Hill Street on my side with the garden front as everyone, including the postman uses the back street. That is except for the leaflet deliverers many of whom give me a visit front and back!

[Cathy]

I see it becoming a cat or small dog flap

[Stanley]

A Chihuahua?
That reminds me, I once saw a Chihuahua/Jack Russell cross up on Letcliffe Park. It was to die for!

[Cathy]

I don't think even a Chihuahua would fit thru it as it is, but it could be made bigger and become a cat/small dog flap.

[plaques]

On our walk round Towneley park we bumped into to chap with two Newfoundland dogs. They were enormous. Mrs P adored them and stopped him for a quick chat, Quarter of an hour later after stroking, petting and nearly going for a ride on one we parted company. They would have just about got through the lower door section of the kitchen door.

[Stanley]

They're big aren't they P. I love big dogs but a bit too big for a normal house! I knew a man in Rochdale that had and old English Bull Mastiff. Even though it was only a pup it was so big he had to buy a two seater sofa for it for a bed. Luckily he lived on a small farm. He was a bit of a character, his trade was gunsmith and bookbinder. He slept with a loaded .45 Magnum revolver under his pillow.
As if that wasn't enough he was a mate of the local vicar who was an expert on Orchids and they went out hunting together. Did you know that 80% of British Orchids can be found around Rochdale?
(I think this is off piste!)

[Big Kev]

A bit more work at youngest offspring's today involved the rebuild of the missing bits of cornice in the front room. Fortunately I was able to fabricate most of it from standard timber mouldings, a bit of Gyproc Easifill finished it off. Once he's given it a bit of a sanding and some white emulsion it should blend in nicely.
Things were made slightly more difficult as someone thought it a good idea to hang some wallpaper a couple of weeks ago...

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[Marilyn]

That’s a tiny corner.
I do like the lamp! ( not sure it goes with the wallpaper...)

[Big Kev]

That’s a tiny corner.
I do like the lamp! ( not sure it goes with the wallpaper...)

There's a different colour Tiffany style shade hanging in the centre of the room, that probably doesn't either