'Round Back

At the back of the house, the bedroom window was enlarged and the lovely iron balcony we lost from the 1st floor of the tower has found a new home here. The living room window's security bars were removed and it was elongated so you'll eventually be able to step out on the terrace. New glazed doors will be delivered soon. The little housing for the gas bottle was taken away leaving many snails and insects homeless. And that's me, checking out the wonderful view from the new window in the tower.

Inside Progress

There's been a lot of work on the interior. The plasterers are in. The torn-down ceilings have now been insulated, leaving the beams exposed. There's a big cement support in the living room we obviously had to keep, so we made a feature of it. There will be 5 downlighters in this soffit. You can gauge the ceiling height from the top of my head!

The kitchen is taking shape too. This is the new aluminium sliding door.

The house is being completely rewired. Check out the fuse box on the right. Where you see Francis the foreman standing, there will be two more rows of glass bricks to let some light into the bathroom.

Safer Stepping

The stairs in the pigeonnier weren't well done. They're reinforced concrete with uneven risers, all different widths, a real dog's dinner. I had to proceed with great caution, side-stepping to keep my big boats on the treads while gripping the insufficient handrail for dear life. Going downstairs was not a happy journey.

My first idea was to rip them out entirely and start again, trying to reduce the pitch by stealing a bit from an already meager landing. Mr Kelly did the maths. He showed me that we would gain very little and it would cost a fortune.

He suggested an alternative. They jack-hammered the treads to even out the risers as best they could, taking more off some, less off others. Then he custom-made wooden treads that gave a little more depth to each step. The wood is beautiful and they did a superb job. Add to this some new handrails and the stairs have become a much safer option. They're still covered in dust and not quite finished, but imagine when cleaned and decorated.

By my third time down, I'd gotten a bit cocky. Actually taking my eyes off my feet for a moment, I stood up straight in the stairwell for the first time. And promptly hit my head on a low-lying lintel. Well, you can't have everything.

New Wall

Someday I'll blog what's going on on other sides of the house, I promise. Right now, the front's where the action is. Here's the new wall. It may look a bit stark for a while, but hopefully that vine will be back in no time. That's Edith going in, our friend who is an estate agent. I tremble with fear that she's going to tell me I've way over spent, so I don't ask.

How it's Changed...

Before:

And After:

Yes, the glass bricks are in. Generally, I'm in two minds about them. They're not my favourite building material, but here we chose them for security and privacy. With the prior solutions, the neighbours, who are a terrace higher, could see straight into the windows. But what I hated most was that green security grille, now gone forever.

Last Minute Decision

There's a danger in putting on a new roof, but it's not what you might think. We'd gotten used to having no roof on the kitchen, gazing up at the clear blue sky, which has recently been particularly gorgeous. I wished the roof could be made entirely of glass. We decided then and there to put in a previously unbudgeted skylight. I'd always wanted one. Those of you who picked up on the gap in roof tiles in the previous entry will now understand. May I present our all-singing, all-dancing Velux window.

It even has a rain sensor and will apparently shut itself at the first hint of moisture. Once the electricity is again up and running, stay tuned for the day I plan to test this with a plant spritzer.

The Roof Goes On

My sincere apologies to those clamouring for news of Top-top. Work is progressing at such a pace, it's going almost faster than I can blog. This picture was taken when I was still there, 28 January. Four lorries lined up, all working at my gaff. I can hardly believe it. Nor can my bank manager.

The two big beams, reclaimed timber beauties, were going in to support the new kitchen roof. The first time I saw them, they were strapped to the lorry at Kelly Projets. The next time, two hale and hardy fellows were lifting them into place on scaffolding that was swaying like a skiff on a high sea. It seemed so precarious I couldn't watch. We went for lunch. When we came back, fait accompli. Mr Kelly laughed. For him these beams are just tiddlers.

The next step is the insulation panels which slot in very quickly. I include this picture to show the man himself driving the first nail.



The seams between the insulation panels are then waterproofed before the roof tiles are laid directly on top. I love the zinc detail where the new roof and the existing meet. Yes, I do love my metal.