Reality bites

I probably ought to call this one "Reality bites 1" because I'm sure there will be more instances in the future when I need to adapt my plans to changing circumstances.

In essence, my plan to replace the kitchen has just gone out the window - quite literally. I had hoped that a bit of TLC would be enough to get the windows up to scratch, but on closer inspection I've realised that I will have to replace them all, including the front door.

It seems the house started life with fairly nice wooden, single-glazed windows. Then, when the craze for double glazing arrived in the late 70s and 80s, these were replaced with aluminium windows, but they were set into the old wooden frames. Unfortunately aluminium is a great heat conductor, so the frames are as cold as the outdoors and a magnet for condensation. Not only don't they keep the cold out, but they create a damp problem while reducing air circulation. As this photo of the kitchen window shows, water is just streaming down the window and dripping off the frame. Not surprisingly, there are signs of mould all around and some of the wooden frames have been affected. It's a testament to the quality of those old frames that the wood isn't in worse condition - modern equivalents would probably have crumbled by now.

There's nothing for it but to replace the lot with modern uPVC windows. That will set me back over £3000. I've got 3 quotes from reputable fitters, now I just need to schedule the work. That's taken a big chunk out of my kitchen budget, so no new units, just a clean-up and paint.

One stroke of good fortune is that the old wooden sills appear to be hardwood and can stay in place. I need to sand and seal them, of course, but I think they'll be a real feature. This one, on the bay window in the living room, has also been covered with an odd faux-wood effect paint that I'll have to strip off. What were they thinking! Luckily the others have been left natural or varnished.

As for the front door, sadly I shall be fulfilling the old cliche of a new owner putting their stamp on a place by immediately replacing the door. Mind you, when the door is as ugly as this one, that is forgiveable.

A right dust up

Yuck! This has got to be the worst job yet. I've been taking up the horrible dark blue carpet on the stairs and it's really getting up my nose. The problem isn't the carpet itself - that comes up easily enough. It's the underlay beneath it, which has a rubber underside which has perished. The result is a few large lumps of rubber and a lot of very fine black dust. Quite a lot has stuck to the wood and I have to scrape it off, creating yet another dust storm. One lesson I've learned from this is that it is worth investing in good underlay.

I must be quite a sight, with my hair stuck under an old hat and a dust mask over my nose and mouth to stop from choking on the stuff. But it's going to be worth it. As you can see, the wood underneath is basically sound. At some time in the past the edges seem to have been painted white and there was probably a carpet runner up the middle.

The next stage is to take off the carpet grippers using a couple of blunt chisels and a mallet - noisy but effective. I'm glad I've got good gloves on to protect me from all those nails. Then it's down to the tip with the whole lot. I find that hurling it all into the containers is very therapeutic.

Eventually I will strip off the paint, clean the treads and sand them down to bring up a clean wood surface. Then I'll put on several layers of clear, hard varnish and it's ready to walk on again. You can see from the skirting boards along the sides just how nice it could look once it's finished. Why anyone would want to hide such lovely old wood under a horrid carpet is beyond me.

Revealing the bare bones

Enough of the planning and measuring - it's time to start clearing out the old and getting ready for the new. I've spent a few days now pulling up old carpets in the living room and main bedroom and I'm happy to report that the floorboards are largely sound and healthy. Unfortunately they're not good enough to be sanded down and used as the actual floor.
The big bedroom carpet is rolled up, waiting for a friend to pick it up. She's going to put it on her allottment as a weed blanket. Recycling at it's best! Meanwhile I've got some carpet samples to help me decide on the best replacement.

Next there are the dado rails - in both main bedrooms and the living room. What were they thinking? A hangover from the Victorian era in a 1960s house? They'll have to go as well. The ones in the second bedroom came off easily, but the master bedroom is proving a lot trickier. What the neighbours must think of all that banging as I gradually pry the rail from the wall with the help of three blunt chisels, a mallet and a clawhammer (for when I can actually get at a nail).

The bathroom

Probably the biggest challenge in this house is the bathroom. It is tiny! Plus it's downstairs. I had toyed with the idea of putting a bathroom upstairs, but that would have meant sacrificing a bedroom. Or we could have built a new extension, but that would be too expensive and we'd lose money. So I shall have to get creative with the space I've got.

First I will replace the standard bathtub with a space-saver bath that will be narrower at the window end. This will give me an extra 20cm. It may not sound like much, but it's just enough to fit in a cabinet under the sink. The old stuff will be replaced with a new, minimalist toilet and sink and all the pipes, cistern, etc will be hidden away in fitted units to give a nice clean finish. Finally the radiator by the door will be replaced with a shiny new towel rail/radiator.

Well, that's the theory. Unfortunately special bathtubs aren't cheap, so I may try to save money by doing my own tiling. My Mom used to do it, so it's worth a try. Of course, I first have to get the old tiles off. And then there's the floor... but we'll worry about that another day.

This is my first posting on my first blog - ever. It all came about because hubbie and I bought a house that's barely habitable and are planning to renovate it. Of course all our friends and family want to know what's going on, so I decided that a blog was the easiest way to let you see what we're doing.

At this point I should probably apologise to anyone who has stumbled upon this blog and expected a fascinating Grand Designs-style makeover. You will get bored! This is an ordinary 3-bed semi, not some great mansion, and we have a rather limited budget.

So what does this project entail? Well, the house was built in 1960/61 and still has many of the original features - like the wiring. An extension with a new kitchen was added in 2002, but this was done on the cheap, as was almost every other "improvement" to the house. This means we need to:
- rewire the entire house,
- put in a new central heating boiler and update the whole system,
- replace the bathroom fittings,
- replace the kitchen units,
- put down new flooring in every room with the possible exception of the kitchen,
- redecorate everything.

We've given ourselves about five months to get it all done. Obviously I'll need to hire a plumber and electrician for the tricky work, but how much other help I can afford depends on the budget. I'm going to be very busy.
That's all for now. More details (and photos) to come.