April 09
05 April 2009A bit to catch up on now that we have a shiny new PC...don't worry I kept taking photos! Floor at front door is coated with PVA in prep for tiling..Thanks to you all who have moaned about the lack of updates- I notice none of you chipped in to buy me my new PC :o)
Limestone tiles go down at the front door...white tiles...muddy feet...nobody is getting in!
Tiles laid ready for grouting...
Master ensuite gets travertine..
'As does.... guest ensuite...many lay claim to this room in particular Caroline, who continually harps on about getting her name on the door...Its a well known fact that she shares the same birthday as me but is much less famous ( and older! )
Plumber Steven is here to start the installation of the buffer tank...more copper pipes to insulate!
The plumber is here until 10pm getting it going...Jimmy insulates it all and the job is done...a fully operational 600 litre buffer tank feeding the heating system....
With a nice spell forecast its time to get outside and get the balcony built before my Austrian friends arrive in May..... Pack the beam with timber to get a meaty fixing
It takes 9 hours to cut , paint and fit the cladding over the beam but job done...bye bye steel hidden forever...
A distant shot of said beam...
From the inside looking out an artistic shot of the same beam...how many more???
Its too late in the day to start another job so another coat of stain is added to the garage...its final colour..
Decking boards all lifted up ahead of fitting tomorrow ( as long as it doesn't rain)
Just had a wee look to see where all you watchers of Jimmy's website are and I have visitors from the following places... these are in order of most visits!
uk - UK
pl - Poland (Republic of)
ca - Canada
bg - Bulgaria (Republic of)
edu - 4-year, degree granting colleges/universities
fr - France
nl - Netherlands (Kingdom of the)
us - United States of America
at - Austria
au - Australia
de - Germany (Federal Republic of)
in - India (Republic of)
no - Norway
ie - Ireland
my - Malaysia
se - Sweden
cn - China (People's Republic of)
ee - Estonia (Republic of)
gr - Greece
il - Israel (State of)
it - Italy
jo - Jordan (Hashemite Kingdom of)
jp - Japan
mil - US military
nz - New Zealand
org - miscellaneous, usually non-profit, organizations
th - Thailand
yu - Yugoslavia (Federal Republic of)
za - South Africa (Republic of)
zm - Zambia (Republic of)
06 April 2009
Started work on making my own balcony posts/handrail... so off to the local sawmill to buy ordinary, everyday larch fence posts...
A bit rough and very green...
But Jimmy gets to work with a chop saw, an electric plane and a sander...
So that they match the staircase inside... they get the same treatment..as the desire is to have a glass and timber banister to match the internals..although they are still plywood!! So it will be one big order of glass....
Meanwhile the girls are playing guitar hero on the projector in the living room...
14 April 09
Been away on holiday so its catch up time...whilst I was away Stevie the Joiner fitted the wetwall and connected the showers up so we now have all showers operational...a nice surprise for our return...
So guestroom is done and now operational..
as is our ensuite...
Our ensuite gets it new shiny mirror fitted to the recess made during the plasterboarding exploits....made to measure mirro by Spectraglass in Perth.
Jimmy feels he should get the finger out and do some work so...after all the plasterboarding, time to cut holes in it to move electrics for lighting in the girls bathroom..
Job done plasterboard repaired and cables in new position to create room for another big mirror from Spectraglass
Mirror goes up...
Lighting goes up...look..... scary...... two identical Jimmy's! Both have starnge hairdo's ...whats going on there????
Job done! All lamps are low enegry of course.....its almost midnight so time for bed!
The dog likes it!
15 April 2009
Time to router out the posts for the balcony....
They need three coats of stain to match everything else...so coat one goes on...all Jimmy's own work! Lets hope it goes as planned when fitted!!!
Now the real exciting news....... Green Day release their first single from their forthcoming album tomorrow...16th April which is also by coincidence.......my birthday! Billie Joe knows you know! First real album in 5 years is out next month.....there's a story behind this for those that don't know! The answer can be found on Green Day's live DVD Bullet In A Bible!!! Watch it closely just after Wake Me Up When September Ends....
Right back to work...
Joiner has been in again and fitted skirtings and facings to the dressing room and we have a locking door on our ensuite!!!! Only self builders get excited by things like that !
16 April 2009
They're Back ! Green Day Live! coming to a town near you soon!!!!
Last time they toured I was this close to Billie Joe!!!! T in The Park 10 hours waiting in the mosh pit !
Stevie the joiner has been working away during the day fitting plasterboard to front door and skirtings and facings so progress is good..
Fish Tank area is finished off... so you can see all the way through the house from the front door!
Its like summer this Sunday not a cloud in the sky! Tewst fit of the posts is done to get balanced spacing and play around until I am happy with alignment. I am doing it using the same method as the internal stairs to tie in the main elements and because I like it...
First post goes up and is bolted all the way through front to back...its hard going drilling through the timber and steel but it makes for a good fixing...don't want some drunk person falling off the edge!
So posts are on after painting and Sunday is the day to get the decking boards down...
First lunch on the new deck... not finished but the helpers couldn't wait to eat outside...look not a cloud in the sky!
Drilling holes through the steel is hard going...
Look at them trying to prove their taller than my tree and none of them are... the ttree is only three feet tall!!!! :o)
Ian's on hand cutting the boards and feeding me with the materials...
A temporary handrail added for safety measures short term until I make the real one...as per the internal stairs the posts will be linked with glass..when the templates are made all glass will be ordered at the same time...
Does Wendy approve??? Lets hope so...
The weekend's work is done! View from the inside looking out...obviously!
25 April 2009
Right now we are having a great spell of weather...yet another sunny day. So hot that I had sun cream on to protect my white skin...whilst outside framing the gable end...work starts under the side door.
Then onto the large section which will be clad vertically..more wedgesand packers...
So the first four boards are on...and some big chunks of timber are added just below the door and extended along...this is to give big coach bolts something meaty to get a hold of when I fit the deck later on....it will link the front driveway to the side door.
Joiner has been in again and fitted skirtings and facings to the dressing room and we have a locking door on our ensuite!!!! Only self builders get excited by things like that !
16 April 2009
They're Back ! Green Day Live! coming to a town near you soon!!!!
Last time they toured I was this close to Billie Joe!!!! T in The Park 10 hours waiting in the mosh pit !
19 April 2009
All weekend spent working on the balcony trying to get the thing built before my visitors arrive... so first of all I go backwards...I made the posts to the wrong size...100mm short so bin them and start again! De javu!!!!
Stevie the joiner has been working away during the day fitting plasterboard to front door and skirtings and facings so progress is good..
Fish Tank area is finished off... so you can see all the way through the house from the front door!
Its like summer this Sunday not a cloud in the sky! Tewst fit of the posts is done to get balanced spacing and play around until I am happy with alignment. I am doing it using the same method as the internal stairs to tie in the main elements and because I like it...
First post goes up and is bolted all the way through front to back...its hard going drilling through the timber and steel but it makes for a good fixing...don't want some drunk person falling off the edge!
So posts are on after painting and Sunday is the day to get the decking boards down...
First lunch on the new deck... not finished but the helpers couldn't wait to eat outside...look not a cloud in the sky!
Drilling holes through the steel is hard going...
Look at them trying to prove their taller than my tree and none of them are... the ttree is only three feet tall!!!! :o)
Ian's on hand cutting the boards and feeding me with the materials...
A temporary handrail added for safety measures short term until I make the real one...as per the internal stairs the posts will be linked with glass..when the templates are made all glass will be ordered at the same time...
Does Wendy approve??? Lets hope so...
The weekend's work is done! View from the inside looking out...obviously!
25 April 2009
Right now we are having a great spell of weather...yet another sunny day. So hot that I had sun cream on to protect my white skin...whilst outside framing the gable end...work starts under the side door.
Then onto the large section which will be clad vertically..more wedgesand packers...
So the first four boards are on...and some big chunks of timber are added just below the door and extended along...this is to give big coach bolts something meaty to get a hold of when I fit the deck later on....it will link the front driveway to the side door.
Preparations are almost complete for the visitors from Austria starting this weekend. I am not posting pictures for them to see this week so they will not know if I have working toilets for them until they arrive! Some have never been to Scotland before.... let the drinking begin! A trip that has been in planning for almost one year now is at long last about to happen..... Those from Constantia know what to expect...the rest of you...do not watch alone!