1980s bungalow renovation

FortySeven

Haven't done much recently due to court and then my fathers death. Life throwing combinations at the moment but court is over for now and I'm in the lead on points going into the final round.

Got off my ass tonight and have cleared out a few rooms ready for starting work again. Primed some holes in the bathroom with pva and all the stuff for doing the insulation is up in the loft ready to go.

Really trying hard to motivate myself at the moment. It's been a long, cold, lonely winter.

colm_mcm

Keep at it! This is one of my favourite threads despite all the obstacles you've faced. You just keep going

Very sorry to hear your father has passed away.


This is one of my favourite threads on boards....please keep it up.

I wanna see the finished article!!!

FortySeven

Thanks for the kind words guys.

The winter has been hard but I am now the proud owner of a piece of paper that allows me to see my children!

Still more to go but have been with them a few weekends, I have 8 hours Sundays and 2 hours Wednesdays for now. This has improved my mood no end.

I cut back the expanding foam and this seems to have cured the water ingress to the bathroom, I have the bath put together and ready for fitting. I spent money I don't really have on a bedroom set for my daughter. (I love IKEA!) and I have some paint ready to decorate.



I've removed all the work my father in law did. I also bought some hinges for a window in the small bedroom that are bent resulting in a draught.



Also got some mould killer for where the bedroom has gone mouldy due to some insulation malfunction.



Bigger work to come. I have booked off next week and will be getting as much done as I can.

Calahonda52

FortySeven wrote: »

Also got some mould killer for where the bedroom has gone mouldy due to some insulation malfunction.

The pics here might help with the above
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-QJ6TNP

RandomAccess

Subscribed!

I'm likely to end up buying a project house so this will be very useful.
I read everything you've posted, and you will prevail I'm certain.

marsbar1

Calahonda52 wrote: »

FortySeven wrote: »

Also got some mould killer for where the bedroom has gone mouldy due to some insulation malfunction.

The pics here might help with the above
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/n-QJ6TNP

Are those pics what was causing the mould? Roofing felt peeling back, vents blocked by fibre glass and general clutter?

kupus

marsbar1 wrote: »

Are those pics what was causing the mould? Roofing felt peeling back, vents blocked by fibre glass and general clutter?

yip thats what can cause mould. You need air circulation going thru the roof to freshen the air thats in it.

itd be no harm 47 if you stick a vent in the roof, and one the other side to let the air circulate.

Ush1

Where did you buy the window hinges and how did you know which ones to get?

FortySeven

Ush1 wrote: »

Where did you buy the window hinges and how did you know which ones to get?

Bought them on ebay. Cheap enough. You need to measure the length of them, (measure the bottom arm, the bit that is bent in the picture) and also measure the 'stack'. There are commonly 2 stack sizes, it is the height of the hinge and it will usually be 13mm (standard) or 17mm (high). Take the measurement from the bottom of the bottom arm where it meets the frame and measure up to the top of the top arm where it meets the window itself.

Hope this helps. I will PM you a link to the seller on ebay.

FortySeven

Just got yet another lesson of measure twice, cut once. In this case, measure twice, buy once.

These look different but after much measuring and beard scratching I decided they are fine, the window will open slightly differently but nothing of concern.



Got them on the window and all looked well.



Fitted the window but when I went to put the screws in there was a significant gap at the top. Turns out that the hinges are actually 17mm, i couldn't see this when measuring the hinges in place and bought the wrong ones.



Not the end of the world but a wasted hour. I have put the window back for now and will see if I can purchase some locally tomorrow. If not, back to ebay.

I'm stuck in today due to a stomach bug that has me tied to the toilet periodically. Woke up vomiting this morning. Typical, the first nice day I could have had the kids to the beach and I'm sick. Such is life. No kids today as I don't want to give it to them. So I am going to crack on around here as much as possible. Next job is to tackle the mold in the bedroom. Oh the joys of scrubbing ceilings.

FortySeven

Didn't get much done today due to other obligations but did manage to scrub all the black mold off the back bedroom. It was on all the walls too. The ceiling was bloody hard work, hate working above my head.



All done now though.



Couldn't find hinges locally so ordered correct ones from ebay. Forgot there were no hinges on the window and opened it this morning only for it to tumble off into the garden. Doh! Luckily didn't break it.

Sleepy

You're getting there!

amdublin

You are an inspiration!

Water John

Yes, and he is embarrassing a lot of us, lazy feckers.

5T3PH3N

Fortyseven, fair play to ya, been through a tough time and I hope things pick up for you now.
Do you know what caused the mould on the ceiling, and have you fixed it? It's no good painting over it unless you have addressed the problem at source.

When you're insulating the loft, make sure you do not block any air vents/inlets and if you're insulating between the rafters, make sure to leave 50mm air gap between the insulation and the roof felt.

FortySeven

5T3PH3N wrote: »

Fortyseven, fair play to ya, been through a tough time and I hope things pick up for you now.
Do you know what caused the mould on the ceiling, and have you fixed it? It's no good painting over it unless you have addressed the problem at source.

When you're insulating the loft, make sure you do not block any air vents/inlets and if you're insulating between the rafters, make sure to leave 50mm air gap between the insulation and the roof felt.

Problem sorted. It was just no insulation at all above that room. The in laws had kindly moved it from the room I was in to the room they were in when they were staying. They clearly wanted me to suffer for separating from their daughter. I have new insulation and am in the process of sorting all the other stuff that they pushed into the air gap at the eaves.

FortySeven

Nothing done today. Picked up a few laptop repairs so been doing those. Budget is tight so that's something towards wall tiles. I won my fantasy football cash league too so a bit more money in the pot. Now if I could only earn or win some motivation.

Ush1

FortySeven wrote: »

Problem sorted. It was just no insulation at all above that room. The in laws had kindly moved it from the room I was in to the room they were in when they were staying. They clearly wanted me to suffer for separating from their daughter. I have new insulation and am in the process of sorting all the other stuff that they pushed into the air gap at the eaves.

How would insulation prevent mold?

I always thought mold was moisture and lack of ventilation.

pippip

Ush1 wrote: »

How would insulation prevent mold?

I always thought mold was moisture and lack of ventilation.

I think a lot of mold is caused by hot air hitting cold surfaces and thus creating moisture. So I presume the insulation keeps the surface temp closer to the room temp preventing moisture.

Could be totally wrong though.

Ush1

pippip wrote: »

I think a lot of mold is caused by hot air hitting cold surfaces and thus creating moisture. So I presume the insulation keeps the surface temp closer to the room temp preventing moisture.

Could be totally wrong though.

Ah, that makes sense, so in effect eliminate the moisture forming rather than adding more ventilation.

FortySeven

Warm air full of moisture condensing on the cold ceiling. Moisture from breathing, kettle, cooking, drying clothes.

There was one length of insulation left in the middle of the room and the mold didn't grow on the ceiling below it. It was plain to see really. It's visible in this picture. The clean strip of the ceiling had insulation above.

Ush1

Did you find the hygrometer any good? Paranoid about mold in my house and wondering if it could be useful.

FortySeven

Ush1 wrote: »

Did you find the hygrometer any good? Paranoid about mold in my house and wondering if it could be useful.

I do. For about a fiver I have a handy idea of what causes the issues. I keep it next to my bed and it usually tracks relative humidity within 1-2% of the local humidity levels. I get these from the accuweather website. If I put washing on the clothes horse it can rise 5-7% fairly quickly. Running a bath will pop it up 10-15% as I have a small cylinder and have to heat the water hot to get a decent bath. A bigger cylinder will help here.

Combined with the cheap 4 prong damp meter I am very happy. The damp meter is not precise but more than able to identify problem areas.

FortySeven

Didn't get anywhere near my target for the week. Many reasons but a poor effort on my part. I am starting to feel a bit more motivated though and have set about putting in the bath finally. It was fun manhandling it through the house on my own. The bath is fully dressed, level and ready to plumb, waste in place and pipes trimmed and system drained ready. Then I realised I have no compression joint sealing grease. Will get some tomorrow.




I found a solution to the broken waste pipe for the handbasin. I have a collar that will allow me to connect the waste to the soil stack and I will rent a core drill to cut a passage for the new waste pipe outlet. €1.99 for the fitting.




Still unsure how to deal with the gap left at the end of of the bath. I think I will fix a 2 x 4 baton to the wall and use it to fix some ply which I can tile over. I will see.



Nothing much else done, did some plastering of holes around the bathroom, scraped off some raised nubs on the floor ready for tiling. I wanted to lay laminate but realised it is in my storage unit. Will try to recover it Monday.

TopTec

Don't use ply in that gap 47, any sign of moisture and it will pop the tiles off. Use aqua board, (waterproof plaster board) and tank around the rest of the bath. You won't regret the extra work.

TT

Sleepy

Would you not be better off to tile the floor and walls before fitting the bath?

Dtp1979

Sleepy wrote: »

Would you not be better off to tile the floor and walls before fitting the bath?

No never.

FortySeven

OK. Had a crack at the bath after getting some plumbers grease.

I chopped the plaster for the mounts and had to remeasure all the waste as it wasn't as level as it seemed and not as square to the wall. lots of kerfuffle with the grinder later and I had it all lined up correctly.





Got everything connected and then turned the water back on. Water pissing from the cold pipe connection. Took it all back out and found that the threads on the flexi were damaged. Some PTFE tape and back together.





Victory is mine!

FortySeven

TopTec wrote: »

Don't use ply in that gap 47, any sign of moisture and it will pop the tiles off. Use aqua board, (waterproof plaster board) and tank around the rest of the bath. You won't regret the extra work.

TT

Thanks tt. I've left it for now as unsure of measurements for thickness of tiles and board. Will make a square box frame later when I have decided on tiles.

I didn't tank due to there being no sump. Figured I would just be moving the issue south. I'll rely on a good silicon seal. Crosses fingers.

FortySeven

Bit disillusioned with it all today. I hired a mower to knock back the front garden in the hope the neighbours would stop with the dirty looks. The mower was never going to be up to the job but I gave it a shot.

Too bloody stressed at the moment from giving up the nicotine. 2 days in and I am sitting here shouting at the computer because it is taking too long to load photobucket.



:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I picked a bad year to stop smoking.

ted1

FortySeven wrote: »

Bit disillusioned with it all today. I hired a mower to knock back the front garden in the hope the neighbours would stop with the dirty looks. The mower was never going to be up to the job but I gave it a shot.

Too bloody stressed at the moment from giving up the nicotine. 2 days in and I am sitting here shouting at the computer because it is taking too long to load photobucket.



:mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

I picked a bad year to stop smoking.

A petrol strimmer is what you need then rake it, then use the lawn mower

hatchman

FortySeven wrote:

I picked a bad year to stop smoking.

Try to stay off the smokes u won't regret it in a few months plus you will have more money and more time to finish house. I quit 8 months ago and its best thing I could ever do for my children !

I feel your pain FortySeven

I quit last Tuesday week....having been a smoker for the past 25 years. Im finding that the cravings only last a few minutes and then go away. When they come I try distract myself with something.

Driving is a curse though....I keep those airwaves chewing gums in the car....when the craving starts I pop one in and suck it....allowing it to burn my tongue.....works for me.

Keep at it.....I know I am determined to stay off them.

FortySeven

OK, I gave up on giving up. Now back to normal, for now. Will have another go at a less stressful time.

The bath was leaking, after much filling and emptying I traced it to the overflow. I spent a bit extra on a pop up chrome plug setup and to be honest it is pretty nasty for the money. The seal at the overflow is dependent on a tightness that is largely impossible to achieve without damaging the inside (visible) rubber gasket. So, I resorted to some automotive silicon since I had it handy and it saved me opening a new tube of bathroom stuff for such a small job.



Got set to tile. Marked the line for the batten for the bath panel and started laying tiles out to see how square things are. Not too bad. I will be tiling back from the line of the bath. Spent ages trying to work out how to get a tile around the waste pipe for the toilet and ended up using my trusty grinder and nerves of steel.

Marked it all out.




Then sacrificed a tile to have a quick practice go. Not good.




Next one went better. Happy with this. I need a collar to hide the connection but it will work.



Wanted to try cutting a tile straight so got the second hand cutter I bought. Seized solid. :mad: Ended up taking it to bits to clean the sliding parts. Then greased it with lith moly grease. No joy, washing up liquid, no joy. I was about to give up when I remembered about the slipperiest stuff in the world. I have no use for it now I'm single. :P Thanks lovehoney. Worked a treat.



Cut my first tile as a practice. Seems easy enough. Will file the edges.



Didn't get a lot actually done, I was an hour messing with the tile cutter and lots of measuring twice. I offered up the wood floor to the tiles at the bathroom door as I was concerned about the height difference. There isn't one. That was the plan but I wasn't sure.

Positivity reigns supreme! Hope to move forward fairly rapidly from here. I can't tile until I put in the bath panel batten. I only have 2 x 4 which is too big. Will get something suitable tomorrow then tile, then toilet and sink can go in. Off now to remove the last two doors and frames my ex father in law put in. Then I can move on with the flooring.

Sleepy

Cracking job, love that you managed to find a DIY purpose for lube!

[*insert **** joke here]

FortySeven

Not a lot done yet magnitudes of a move forward.

I bought a bag of grey grout and a length of 2 x 2 for the bath batten on Monday. Got the bottom batten down on Tuesday and will build a frame in the coming days. It will at least allow me to tile now I have a line to work from.



The bath is still leaking from the overflow so I am going to have a go with more sealant, (a lot more this time) and if it continues I will have to go to my local plumbing/bearing shop and see if they have an oring/gasket to make it work. Was having a look at the sink as it will be going in soon and noticed the rubber seal from the popup plug is missing so it will not hold water. Have found a replacement on ebay for 15 quid.

Tonight I started the job I have been putting off all this time. I sorted through all the kids clothes and bagged up all the stuff that will now be too small or just no good. Now have 4 black bags in the back of the car to go to the clothes bin tomorrow. Tomorrow I will filter the toys and books for donation. Came across a few laptops I had sorted for people and forgotten about. Seems they had too as they've never come looking for them. :eek: Hopefully this will mean some much needed funds injection.

I have been using the living room as a bedroom all this time and it has been claustrophobic. I have cleared so much today I have loads of space and it has reminded me in a way that there will be an end to all this work at some point and I will be able to sit down and watch a movie or something.

Things seem to be moving slowly but the day to day life for me is improving leaps and bounds. Getting the bath in allowed me to get the freestanding bath out of the kitchen. This made space and now I am using the kitchen properly, clearing the living room today has given me a sense of space and even though my heart is breaking tonight from throwing out the kids clothes I am positive this is going to be well on the way to completion in the coming months.

The bank holiday weekend should allow me get on with some of the bigger jobs. Hope to rent the core drill this week so I can cut the bathroom basin waste.

FortySeven

'Is the target in view number 1?'

'Target acquired Captain, off the forward bow'







'Weapons armed number 1'

'Weapon is armed Captain'







'Fire warning shot'

'Warning shot deployed sir!'






'Weapons free!'

'Fire at will!'






All your base are belong to us!

FortySeven

Didn't think I had enough work down here so I went for a scoot about up on the roof since the weather is nice. Been meaning to have a look up there for a while. Not too bad but plenty work to be done.

Being a bungalow the roof is very visible. At one end it is white with lichen,






At the other end clumps of green and brown moss.






The lead flashing around the main chimney is cracked in two corners.







The chimney slab is cracked too. Need to cap the pots.






The small chimney seems to be holding water due to a build up of moss and detritus. Will see what has to be done there, maybe just a clean but maybe better flashing to make it drain to the sides.





Found one broken tile.





Also found a cracked crown piece, the tile below it must have been damaged too because someone has slathered some kind of repair over it.







I was planning to refelt and tile next year but now I am on my own I have no money to allow this so I will be spraying to kill the lichen, brushing the moss and pressure washing to clean, fixing the few bits and bobs and see what I can find to maybe paint them for now.

FortySeven

Got the bath uprights in.

wnolan1992

Love those tiles for the bathroom FortySeven! Are you planning to tile the walls?


(Also, just to say, loving this thread and wishing you all the best with the remainder of the project!)

oleras

Dude...what are you doing on my roof ? ?

FortySeven wrote: »

At the other end clumps of green and brown moss.

Fantastic work so far, i really enjoy the updates, keep up the great work !

FortySeven

wnolan1992 wrote: »

Love those tiles for the bathroom FortySeven! Are you planning to tile the walls?


(Also, just to say, loving this thread and wishing you all the best with the remainder of the project!)

Thanks. The tiles were only 16.99 a sqyd. I somehow bought twice as many as I need so to save some money I will be running them up the wall behind the sink and mirror. Rest of the walls will be white. Cheap as possible but might put some textured/patterned somewhere to break it up.

Water John

When are you going to post the selfie of yourself in the bath?

FortySeven

Water John wrote: »

When are you going to post the selfie of yourself in the bath?

Come on now! The lads are complaining I'm showing them up with my work. Imagine if the wives got a glimpse of my fine physique in a lather!

FortySeven

Rented a slightly better mower for the bank holiday weekend. Thought I would tackle the back. It made a mess of the lawn the first time over.





Granted, I may have let it get a tad too long really.






Might as well have not been self propelled. I am broken, ramming it forward until it almost stalled, pulling it back, repeat 3 times, restart after stall. Anyway. 3.5 hours in and I have cleared a bit.




I'll run over it again tomorrow with the grass box on and pick up the majority of the mess then bring it down a step and see how it looks then.

Odelay

Hi Fortyseven, i see from your pics you sprayed off the weeds on the drive. I have one similar to yours with fine stone chip. Weeds and the feckin moss was a pain in the hole. That was until I tried salt, it kills the weeds and also the moss/alge that built up over the winter. You will get it from an agricultural feed merchant, roughly €5 for a 25kg bag of salt. Phone them to see if they have it, most are very friendly, ask for fine/maize sale, do not use de-icing salt as it is not fine enough. Spread by hand, sit back and watch the weeds and feckin moss/alge die.

Shint0

You should have got someone in with a tractor and a mower for that or hired a ride on or even a brush cutter. I'd say your back is in bits after that. Epsom salts into the new bath is what you will need.

FortySeven

Shint0 wrote: »

You should have got someone in with a tractor and a mower for that or hired a ride on or even a brush cutter. I'd say your back is in bits after that. Epsom salts into the new bath is what you will need.

Money is tight. Have to keep the costs down. Persistence is free and the mower only cost me €20 until Tuesday. A ride on plus delivery would cost a lot more. I have used petrol strimmers in the past and I hate them. I will get one when I tackle the rest. For now I'm happy enough with the bit I have cleared for a kickabout with the kids on Sunday.

Luckily, I do have a bucket of epsom salts handy and that is exactly what I am going to do now. Forgot I had it till you mentioned it.

FortySeven

Epsom salts did wonders but I was dead on my feet at work today. Still, managed to pop up to my storage unit on my lunch break and load the car with some flooring. Got a fair stack now ready for the weekend.



Also grabbed the bathroom mirror to lay it out on the black tiles as I was not sure what it would look like. Think I'm going ahead with the floor tiles running up behind the sink. Most of it will be covered by the mirror and sink so it will not darken the room but will frame them better than white tiles.



The mower is working well as a hoover. I have to empty it every 2 minutes but I'm getting there. I will never let the grass get so long again!




I have the kids all day tomorrow so won't get much done but then off work until Wednesday. I hope to tile the bathroom floor, fit the sink and toilet and get as much laminate down as possible.