The first alteration inside the house was the addition of a fire door, closing off the central heating room with the oil tanks from the staircase. In a new house that would be obligatory, but it's a good idea anyway.
The central heating had been modernised and so it meets the environmental requirements which are more demanding since the beginning of the year. It has a capacity of 40 kW and 250 liters of hot water which is plenty for the house at present.
During the building phase we need plenty of storage space. Shelves have gone up in the basement and since then in the garage.
This plan shows the existing garage and the layout of the living room and the entrance hall in the previous storeroom. The living room will have a modern fireplace (with a glass door in front of the fire) but underfloor heating and a spiral staircase to the room above.
The view from the east shows the new window that is planned under the eaves.
The garden furniture has been put to good use since the patio was redone in August. The latest addition is the light which Karl has just put up.
The heather garden is growing and the aviary has now been turned into a shed. The girls opposite asked if was going to be a doghouse...
The lawn mower isn't in there yet as the floor hasn't been paved yet. However there is a light and a power point already! The roots of the knotweed also still have to be dug up else it will come up through the floor.
During the summer we have bought material and equipment we need whenever it was on offer. The room is filling with Rockwool, bath tub, windows, solar panels, cement, etc.
In the garage the increasing quantity of tools and machinery has been stored in the new workbench and wall cupboard. Karl has fitted lights and sockets in the garage too. The new up-and-over door now opens at the press of a button.
The drive down to our garage was in a poor state, crumbly concrete and getting washed out further at each autumn downpour.
Karl has started redoing it and managed to improve the worst part before it started raining again. The tarps and plastic foil spread over the drive overnight were only half blown away but no concrete was washed out although it rained heavily and blew a gale.
The greenhouse has already arrived but is still a large packet in the garage. We hope to get it up well before the Spring, but it depends largely on the weather in the next few weeks.
26th October 2002
More to follow:
December 2002
