Flat in 1810 house

[woodbinehouse]

Hi all. I've been a frequent lurker in preperation in of starting work on a Flat i've just bought. It's the top half of a house built in 1810 and split into 2 sometime in the past. Needs a fair amount of work but i'm looking forward to getting stuck.

Some inital photos:

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• woodbinehouse
• 29 Apr 2009
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The back of the house and main entrance to the upper flat.

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• woodbinehouse
• 29 Apr 2009
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The Hallway

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• 29 Apr 2009
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The Kitchen. Sadly the original fireplace has been replaced.

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Bedroom 1

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Bedroom 2

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Bedroom 3. Window sill is bit lopsided.

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Living room

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• 29 Apr 2009
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Loftspace. Roomy.

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• 29 Apr 2009
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Skylight in the Hallway[code:1][/code:1]

Will post some more pics soon.

 

[blondini]

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• woodbinehouse
• 29 Apr 2009
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You guys alright?

 

[nashville]

For your flat project I have 3 tips for you

1) Sound insulation

2) Sound Insulation

3) Sound Insulation

Get the vey best you can afford. Have just sold our flat in Bristol to escape scumbag neighbours living above, who made our lives a living hell. You name it, water through ceiling, blocked the shared soil stack, dumped food scraps on our decking. Worst of all was the constant screaming and shouting and banging around at all hours of the day and night (washing machines and vacuming at 3am!!!!!).

Take my tip. Build in very effective sound insulation as you renovate. Hope you are lucky with your neighbours. Ours were out and out vermin.

Good luck with your project.

 

[woodbinehouse]

Part of the reason for moving is that we live in a flat with someone above us who never seems to sleep. We can hear him stopming about slamming his sliding wardrobe doors at all hours.

We are actualy in the top half of then new building with a couple in their 60's below us. I've already met them and they seem pleasant enough so hopefully there won't be too much noise from them.

I would however like to have to sand the orginal floorboards but I am consious that this may cause an issue for downstairs. Do you know of anything suitable for laying under floorboards to help with sound proofing?

a few more pics:

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• woodbinehouse
• 2 May 2009
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Lathe & Plaster

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• 2 May 2009
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The Electrics

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Behind the Hardwood panel lurks the original fireplace

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• woodbinehouse
• 2 May 2009
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And another one.

 

[rebuke]

Just a heads up that something looks very dodgy with the electrics - someone appears to have split the tails inside the meter (i.e. taken two feeds out from it) - most meters wouldn't have the terminal space to do that properly, so i'd be rather worried about that.

Also, the second set of tails feeding what looks like a switchfuse look far too small, in fact, is it actually a switchfuse, or just a switch?

 

[ColJack]

just looks like a switch to me, no way to access the fuse without removing the cover if it is a fused switch..

might be a shower addition?

the electrics might be worth looking at, and definitely do something about that bodged on addition..

New CU might be an idea if you're doing it all out anyway, now's the time..

good find with the fireplaces.. if you intend to keep them..

lots of fireplaces though.. seems like every room has one? including the kitchen?

roomy loft too.. time to start buying a train set or a scalextric?

or a loft conversion for extra space.. can you raise the roof ties up about a foot for more headroom? will need bigger floor joists too...

 

[woodbinehouse]

Just a heads up that something looks very dodgy with the electrics - someone appears to have split the tails inside the meter (i.e. taken two feeds out from it) - most meters wouldn't have the terminal space to do that properly, so i'd be rather worried about that.

Also, the second set of tails feeding what looks like a switchfuse look far too small, in fact, is it actually a switchfuse, or just a switch?

just looks like a switch to me, no way to access the fuse without removing the cover if it is a fused switch..

might be a shower addition?

I had a look at the switch yesterday and couldn't workout what it was for (I never thought to check the shower though) and have just switched it off for now. I'm going to need some new sockets put in for the kitchen anyway so will get it all checked out then.

good find with the fireplaces.. if you intend to keep them..

lots of fireplaces though.. seems like every room has one? including the kitchen?

roomy loft too.. time to start buying a train set or a scalextric?

or a loft conversion for extra space.. can you raise the roof ties up about a foot for more headroom? will need bigger floor joists too...

Unfotunately the 2 bedrooms are the only rooms which still have the original fires intact. The living room has been ripped out and concreted up. I'm thinking of putting a multifuel stove in there now and keeping the fires in the bedrooms for decoration.

The loft is pretty huge but we don't really need the extra space at the moment so will just insulate and board for now. The idea of Scalextric is appealing but not sure if the missus would go for it

 

[JohnD]

tell her the loft is very small, cramped, and full of spiders. Then you can do whatever you like up there.

 

[ColJack]

might be worth getting someone to look at the loft joists to see if they are big enough for any reasonable use or if they would need upgrading for a loft extension, before you insulate and board over them.. save some hassle later should you decide to do it..

it would add value to your flat, an extra bedroom with an en-suite, or maybe 2 bedrooms if large enough..