Full DIY House Renovation...

[Adam182]

I get this as my current house has sloping ceiling in the upstairs rooms but the loft is ridiculously small because of it.

I had to have a boiler replaced in a B2L flat Dec 2016, the plumber was horrified when I said I'd remove the redundant cylinder and a few bits of pipe which amounted to about 4metres, allegedly he had already allowed for £50 scrap in the quote. When I took some other stuff for scrap I asked about cylinders several months and they said around £50 depending on what it is. The value of iron and steel is almost nothing, £2 for a dishwasher but swapped it for a 1/2metre length of RSJ instead to make some brackets. Some places won't take storage heaters if they are the 'brick' type as the cost of losing the disintegrating concrete outweighs the scrap metal value. I have now learnt the importance of separating different metals, armoured cable is worth a lot more if the steel armour is presented pre stripped. I took 3cwt of cast iron soil pipe and fittings, the only reason they allowed me to leave it there was for the lead used to seal the joints.

I should have said something really or asked what they were going to give me before they actually started taking it so it's my own fault, I was even told there should be at least £40 in the cylinder beforehand.

Still I was glad to be rid of it all anyway. If only there was money in cast iron, the whole house currently has it for all the guttering/downpipe which I will be replacing eventually.

It's definitely useful to know that separating the metals beforehand is a good method, that said I won't be taking on another house renovation anytime soon to benefit haha.

 

[SUNRAY]

I should have said something really or asked what they were going to give me before they actually started taking it so it's my own fault, I was even told there should be at least £40 in the cylinder beforehand.

Still I was glad to be rid of it all anyway. If only there was money in cast iron, the whole house currently has it for all the guttering/downpipe which I will be replacing eventually..

It's definitely useful to know that separating the metals beforehand is a good method.

A lot depends on where you take it, I have 3 places that I can use, one of them is definitely better prices than the others and another is very selective in what it will take, across the 3 car batteries would typically be £5, £2 and not accepted. I know about getting rid, you just get bogged down with it waiting to make it worthwhile going to the scrappy, to the point where it goes in the wheeliebin.

that said I won't be taking on another house renovation anytime soon to benefit haha.

No?... Why not?

 

[kingandy2nd]

A lot of hard work going on in there - I’m impressed with how tidy you keep the place throughout

 

[Adam182]

A lot of hard work going on in there - I’m impressed with how tidy you keep the place throughout

I choose to take my photos when you can see through all the carnage, there have been biblical levels of dust and any amount of mess

Here is another update, this is bringing us upto early March 2018.

Most notable work is -

Conduit finished throughout house for fully serviceable Ethernet/Phoneline/HDMI/Speakers/Coaxial/Thermostats
Started taking up old groundfloor floorboards, Treating Timbers, Attaching Battens and fitting Celotex inbetween, Foamed and Taped.
Completed fitting Veka UPVC windows throughout + converting the Kitchen/Dining Room window into French Doors.
All upstairs stud walls and ceilings boarded with 12.5mm PlasterBoard
All upstairs eaves angles on ceilings boarded with 27mm Gyproc Thermaline Plus
All upstairs walls adjoining nextdoor Dot and Dabbed with Acoustic Plasterboard
All upstairs external brick walls Dot and Dabbed with 38mm Gyproc Thermaline PIR
All downstairs ceilings boarded apart from underneath bathroom.
Boiler plumbed in and piped up to all radiators

Hallway -

Living Room -

Kitchen/Dining Room -

Back Bedroom -

Side Bedroom -

Front Bedroom -

Landing -

Before/After French Doors -

You certainly know about it when it comes to having to drill one of these -

 

[Ian H]

Great!!! What are you planning for the stairs? Spindles or glass?

 

[jasonbz]

Thanks! no going back now haha.

I could earn some extra man points by saying I sleep in a sleeping bag in the back corner but that wouldn't be true. You are completely right it simply wouldn't be possible otherwise, many people have said this, I'm going to hold off as long as possible before moving in because I know it will make it alot harder and likely never get finished. Currently living at my parents close by which is ideal.

I have been along a similar, though much easier road then you, and trust me living in is not an option if your sanity (and cleanliness and health!) matter to you at all.

 

[Joff-Turbo-Nova]

You certainly know about it when it comes to having to drill one of these -

Grosmont Bricks - hard as nails - they were manufactured just up the road from me - production closed in 1957 but had been manufacturing since 1870 - used a lot in the local railway construction and in the local houses.

They have a reputation of being very very hard !

Jonathan

 

[pilsbury]

What fisheye lens are you using? Or are your walls all bowed?!

 

[aptsys]

What's going on with the wiring? The cables aren't in safe zones so not compliant with the wiring regulations.

 

[Adam182]

Great!!! What are you planning for the stairs? Spindles or glass?

My heart says Glass, My budget says spindles, so still undecided haha.

What fisheye lens are you using? Or are your walls all bowed?!

Its an 8mm Samyang fisheye

What's going on with the wiring? The cables aren't in safe zones so not compliant with the wiring regulations.

Which image/room are you referring to?

 

[aptsys]

Which image/room are you referring to?

The living room mainly. Safe zones are vertical or horizontally from accessories only.

 

[Adam182]

The living room mainly. Safe zones are vertical or horizontally from accessories only.

I wasn't actually aware of this, but due to them being set back into chases and now that the plasterboard has been added the wires will be in excess of 50mm behind the finished wall which from what I have read makes it meet regs.

 

[aptsys]

That's a big gap between the plasterboard and the wall! I'm surprised the electrician would install cables like this though as it is very unusual for the gap between the wall and the plasterboard to be so large.

 

[Adam182]

That's a big gap between the plasterboard and the wall! I'm surprised the electrician would install cables like this though as it is very unusual for the gap between the wall and the plasterboard to be so large.

The chase is a good 30mm deep, board is 12.5mm and there will be around 12.5mm dab, I think 25mm for dab and board is on par from my research atleast

 

[aptsys]

The chase is a good 30mm deep, board is 12.5mm and there will be around 12.5mm dab, I think 25mm for dab and board is on par from my research atleast

Ah, so still less than 50mm to the surface of the cables. I'd have a word with the electrician and find out what they intend to do given you have photos - I doubt their scheme provider would be impressed and they would not be able to provide you with an EIC.

It also looks like you have chases going floor to ceiling with no accessories