A door opens…

David and the warped door: In my last blog I forgot to mention a small but significant piece of work that David did here. Using the upstairs bathroom, struggling with the warped sliding door and always curious, he took a closer look and spotted a slim packing piece just inside the pocket that seemed to be part of the problem. I chiselled and prised it off, immediately easing the door’s closing. The screw that held the packer remained, its head inaccessible within the pocket, but he attacked it creatively with a drill, from inside the bathroom, drilling away the wood round its shank until there was nothing to keep it there. The hole he made will be hidden by architrave. He then spotted a second packer a little further in and we removed that too.

So the door now closes! I don’t have to go backwards and take the door surround off for a second time to change the (somewhat) warped door. Onwards, thanks to David!

Heating: The hot water’s been on since we moved from the workshop but the heating hasn’t, until now. While we were away Steve noticed the temperature in the magic room dropping, little by little, day by day and the weather’s got colder since then. Tash and I struggled, trying to understand how the thermostats and the control panel for the heat pump affect each other, and why changes at the thermostat didn’t seem to make the heating come on. Internet and a small booklet were only so much help, then I finally realised that only the hot water was turned on at the heat pump controller. I changed that but, in the end, we resorted to asking Jasper, our neighbour, over to help – he and Fiona have the same thermostats and have been learning how to drive their house for two years. Between us (mostly Tash and Jasper) we worked it out, at least enough for now. Consequently the shower room’s slate floor is toasty warm and the magic room comfortable.

We’ve set the heat pump to supply hot water to the hot water tank (taps & showers) and the underfloor heating (header tank) continuously. For the under floor heating the thermostat in each room demands the hot water as and when it’s needed. We have six underfloor heating zones downstairs and no heating upstairs.

Ramp: I started the ramp by laying a strip of concrete at the top and bottom. Not quite sure how it’s going to work as the angle is so shallow – how much should I taper the supporting beams and how much should I dig them into the ground?

After a day of smaller, less important things, I returned to the ramp. The concrete strip at the bottom will be not much more than a useful guide to location and level – a reference. I cut notches in it with a scutch hammer (see below) and hacked and scraped trenches in the gravel and hardcore for the long support supports.

Working on the boot box/bench: For the lid/seat I glued together three pieces of the most strongly figured plank, with a chunky piece of plywood glued and screwed beneath to hold them as near flat as possible. Some planing and sanding smoothed the joins between boards as all three were slightly cupped. A piece of thin plywood was needed at the front corner so the nearly flat lid is evenly supported and won’t strain the hinges (when fitted).

Skirting: some milder and dry weather let me finish painting the skirting for the magic room and, while Tash was out swimming, I fitted it. Civilisation!

Since the first skirting went in, some pretty awful weather has interrupted and slowed the process – too wet and too windy to paint or rout boards out of doors – and as yet the still rather disordered workshop lacks space. Despite the weather, I’ve made and cut enough skirting for the shower room, most of the hall and a couple of pieces for the kitchen. Next week I’ll fix them.

More electric boxing: I made plywood covers to sit between shelves, protecting the wiring and backs of the kitchen and dining room light switches. We might disguise the covers with the spines of books. Upstairs a flat cover was needed for the back of power sockets situated in the narrow upright between cupboards. Scraps and offcuts are my raw material.

Storage: The bathroom cupboard needed more shelves – more indoor work away from the awful weather.

When we moved in and the lack of bathroom storage became apparent, a slimline wall cabinet seemed part of the answer. Tash found this one online and, while we were worried that its reflective metal surfaces and mirror front would look horribly glitzy, in context it’s unobtrusive; a practical and aesthetic success!

Patryk came round today to discuss materials for the wall of drawers he’s going to build for us – ply (what grade?), laminated (solid) pine, runners, adjustable legs. I was hoping that having him on board would let me forget about the process, but he’s presented me with options and choices – perhaps inevitable and sensible, to ensure we’re both happy with the results and the cost. At least the runners were easy to decide on; he’d brought three samples. The cheap ones at two pounds fifty a pair (they have their own simple charm) and the expensive, soft-close ones at eleven sixty four a pair (ouch!). The ones I chose are eight quid a pair, have a cushioned close and seem smooth and robust. We’re looking at sixteen drawers, the top row shorter as they have to fit under the slope of the ceiling. I’ll have to spend some hours checking sources and prices for the components, as well as delivery. I started this afternoon (Friday) and spoke to a very polite and helpful bot called Kerry. It sidestepped my direct question “Are you a machine?” but in the future I’ll be asking that at the start of all my ‘chats’. Nothing personal.

I think that’s about it on the housebuilding front. This coming week the front door ramp will be my priority, skirting second.

Tash took to the wilds this evening, having been busy all week and unable to swim these last two days. She returned with three fungi; one seems to be a piece of chicken of the woods, most exciting! In the woods the bracken has collapsed (hoorah) and the winds have brought down many branches and half a tree. For three days the birches have been thrashed by the wind and lost many leaves. Fieldfares and redwings were flung through the air, barely in control. Tall grasses laid flat. Despite being weighed down by three heavy pallets, the bike shed has been blown off its feet twice; another job for the future – foundation and plinth.