The Morecambe DIY Project

[accykeef]

Picked the G cramp up at a car boot sale many years ago - I wish I had got another one too as they are very useful.

I am surprised that your worktop wasn't sealed during fitting. I was trying to remember what I sealed ours with originally, I think it was just wood glue but I am not sure. All I know is it gave good service and got wet regularly. One of our lot managed to chip part of the laminate off the surface and we were advised to fill the small hole with Araldite.

I was feeling a bit lazy today and my back is no better so I decided to do some jobs which didn't require much bending.

Fitting the doors was a bit of messing about but once I learnt how to adjust the hinges, the job became easier.


This is a prototype of a utensil storage thingy.


It involves 2 separate sliding out things which will eventually hold the spatulas, cooking spoons and as many of the other kitchen tools which will fit on. I need a stainless steel grid of some sort to hang the utensils from.
The right hand one is a bit twisted but that is one of the runners which has got bent. Not a problem as I have plenty of runners to go at.


I might have to do a few re-designs on this before I am happy with the result.


There will be a similar pull out thing at the end of the bottom cupboards but that on will hold trays and other flat things.

[trevnhil]

The wall cupboards are looking good now. And I can see the use of the utensil thingy. The most used utensils will be easily to hand.

Trev..

[accykeef]

Making progress but a combination of bad weather and running the gauntlet outside with debris being dropped by the roofers is making the job far from pleasant.

I have managed to make the seat for the communal, long drop toilet.


I don't like the gap but the panel has to be removeable. I think some trim may have to be added to that and fastened with silicone.


Slowly but surely, the job is coming together but there are unwanted distractions, like the day job.

[trevnhil]

I hope you have a separate long drop seat for visitors. And do they have to any of the clearing out at all.

The kitchen is looking good now, especially with all the doors fitted. And the space for the Microwave looks just fine.

I think you may well be on with the base units now and have the worktops on.
Don't let the day job interfere, tell customers they will have to wait.

Is the forum disruption to do with you or the suppliers And I assume it will not be a whole month??

Cheers. Trev..

[accykeef]

Ah the forum is being upgraded - that usually means that things which have worked for years will either stop working or will be hidden somewhere obscure. I hope the changes are not too dramatic as I do not have full access to the inner workings.

Been a frustrating few days here at Keefy Towers.

It was time to remove the sink and prep had to be made for the disruption.


A bit of sealing up had to be done with the magic foam


Sink installed into the work top


and tidy up the electrics. They had only been like they were for 5 yrears so no rush. They were safe enough, just looked a bit of a mess. All looking pretty now and will look even better when they are covered over.


The horrors under the sink are soon to be revealed and then removed.


Out with the old and in with the new service valves.


Time to assemble the corner unit which I made outside and then had to take apart to get it through the door. I knew this would be the case so it was designed to come apart


A test fit of the work top to make sure I can still opearate a tape measure.


Mrs Keef reckons the sink is better like this as the water stays in it - it was a joke which became poingnant later on in the day


This shows a wider view - looking good but this is where frustration set it - BIG STYLE!


After the relatively easy task of fitting the tap and connecting it to the cold water and boiler - it was the turn of the waste pipes to completely iritate me. First I had to remove this sticker which was stuck like a really stuck thing.



Then I tried to fathom out why the waste kit supplied with the sink would not go together. The sink position has changed but that should not be a problem but - all tese fittings are 40mm but the black ones are not compatible with the white ones and the grey ones.


After two trips to the suppliers - I gave up for today because the strainer supplied with the sink is compatibale with nothing - apart from the bin - it fitted in there no problem.

So - we have hot and cold water and a washing up bowl to catch it in - deep joy but I have had enough for today so the sink can stay like that.

[trevnhil]

Good morning Keith.
Hmm, your photographs are very interesting. I have had to open TWO Morecambe bay website pages, so I can easily refer back to them.

I have never used that magic fixing/filling foam. Maybe I will get through my life with out that pleasure.

Maybe I will have to agree with you that the electrics do seem a bit Hap-hazard. I see you have a fused spur for the boiler, which I believe is required. But fed from a 3 pin plug ;D

I see that you have used stop valve connectors on the plastic pipe. Plastic pipe is another thing I have never used. I have used Push on fittings but was very 'untrusting' of them.

I'm impressed with the fitting of the bowl into the worktop, if what I can see is correct. It looks like slotted holed for the drainer holding brackets.
I'm also impressed with the 3 butterfly slotted holes for joining the worktops together. Although the lined up slots in the base unit top has me puzzled. I can't see how you will get a spanner in to tighten up the Joint fixings.
Are my eyes working OK, ie are the two tops a different colour??

A shame about the sticky label on the sink, and also about the waste fitting not being suitable. Never mind, no one died and there is always another day, and then the washing up bowl will not be needed.

Good luck with the rest of it. It really is looking good now and will only improve with more doors and Tiling.

[accykeef]

You are very observant Trev - the worktops don't quite match

I have left the old blue worktop there for now as I need a bench to work on and it would be more than my life is worth to damage the new one in some way.
The frustration with the waste outlet carried on this morning as I still couldn't get the bits to fit together. To cap it all, the push down thing which is siupposed to seal up the sink bowl only works if you keep it pressed down. I have come to the conclusion that this particular sink waste should be refferred to using only the strongest plumbing terms.

The suppliers will be getting an irate phone call tomorrow but in the meanwhile - we need a working sink and waste outlet. Putting the old sink back was not an option but fitting the old waste trap was.


The new sink is to the left of where the old one was so a bit of extra pipe work was needed.


and the pipe has to pass through a double thickeness on chipboard. The cut edges have to be siliconed yet but I wanted to get the sink working


All plumbed in now and they the pipe is clear of the slidy out veg baskets. The bottom two will have to be lowered slightly as I didn't leave enough room for the door hinge. Actually, there was enough room with the top runner right at the top of the cabinet but - doh! - the basket would not go in.


The overflow pipe is far too long but cannot be shortened as it has end pieces fitted to both ends. The whole waste kit really is a 'waste of space'


I cut the slots in the under cabinet when I made them outside but I didn't know the exact position of the nuts at that point, so left routing the access bits until I was sure. Not sure if the holes I have cut will be big enough so more routing may be required. I was going to test fit the new work top today but decided to wait until later in the week. Might have a day off from DIY tomorrow although the roofers will be back early doors so no chance of a lie in.


The only down side to fitting the old waste outlet is that it is white and looks wrong in a stainless steel sink.

[trevnhil]

Ah, I understand now about the two colours of worktop. And I can see that you have cut the holes to enable you to tighten the worktop connecting bolts.... hopefully

What a nuisance about the sink waste. I went to check ours and the rubber seal works very well fortunately. We have no overflow in the kitchen sink, so you just remember not to leave the tap running.

At least you now have a sink that you can use. I like the idea of the wire racks in the cupboard, even though you just have to adjust them for the door hinge.

Talking about over flows reminds me that over here they don't have overflows for the WC cisterns. Yes they overflow, but the water runs into the bowl and the goes away down the 4" pipes.
The trouble with this is that you can be wasting water which is paid for on a meter. This happens quite regularly and we usually find out because the pressure pump cuts in when the pressure drops because of the leak.

Do let us know how you go on with your contact with the waste fittings supplier later today. Whatever the excuses they won't hold water, a bit like the sink.

Have a good day. Trev..

[accykeef]

Was planning to have a day off today but felt like working so dedided to do some electrical work - by the way my early morning walks have gone by the wayside during the kitchen project but will return once the job is further on.

Going back to the boiler -the fused spur is fed from a 13amp plug and that is not by accident, the boiler must be fully isolateable (is that a word) from the mains and although there is an isolation switch in the circuit, I prefer to be able to physically disconnect such appliances. The same feed is used for the extractor fan and cooker and these need isolationg too, from time to time.

Back to the plot ..........
First job was to remove the lighting fuse, I always forget which one it is..


Time to move the light switch as mentioned in a previous post. The job was made difficult as I had boarded this bit of the kitchen with MDF but a combination of sharp tools soon had the job done


I forgot to take intermediate pics but here is the after picture.


Finally boarded the corner, removed the metal plate from behind the oven, removed the tiles, lowered the window sill and plaster boarded the area.


This is the under cupboard flooring sorted but for some reason the under felt has come out. Must remember to put that back.


Still plenty to do but the hardest part is deciding what to do next.

[trevnhil]

Hello Keith.
I read your latest escapades yesterday, but thought I would let them 'sink in' before replying.

Re the electrics that you do.... You certainly seem to know what you are doing, and know more than me, that's for sure.
On the same topic (electrics) you are to be applauded for stating a collection of aged items for the Keefy electrics Museum.
I remember my Mum had some of those two pronged things in a cupboard in the hall.

Where you really seem to score is in your ability to tackle all sorts of jobs. The boarding on the walls and the associated plastering is a credit to you. I have tried plastering.... and failed the self assessment.

You have not updated us on the 'leaky' sink waste. Did you have to teach the suppliers some new words, or was all settled amicably.

You finished your last post with the words " Still plenty to do".
It will; be good when you get round to the tiling and we can see the tiles that Mrs Keefy allowed you to buy.

Take care, and leave time for the walking and the day job.

Trev..

[accykeef]

Ah the leaky sink waste

Contacted the suppliers asking for a replacement plug and strainer as that is all we need. Seems little point in replacing all of the pipe work just for the sake of it.
They replied with detailed instructions for how a sink plug works. My initial reaction was not one of peace and harmony but I resisted the temptation of having a rant. Instead I replied with a mixture of wit and sarcasm. I explained the problem and asked them to ensure that it seals up properly which they have promised to do.

Watch this space.
Did a test fit of the drawers and fitted all but one of the remaining cupboard doors.


The veg cupboard has no door on this is due to 2 reasons.
1. A re design - where we are going to order a larger door to cover both the veg cupboard and the compartment next to it.
2. The oven is in the way.
Still got the old work top to work on for now.


All the plaster boards are finally in place although there is still some finishing to be done.


I have built out the wall at the back of the sink with several layers of plaster board. It is actually straight but the camera lense has distorted it.


Time to tinker and mess now ..............
The test build of our new spice rack, Mrs Keef picked up 25 of these posh jars so of course they now need to be displayed somewhere.


Big Boys toys time as it is time to get down and dirty with some big tiles. At 800mm x 400mm they would be too wide so some cutting is required. The angle grinder was up to the job and despite being very hard were quite easy to cut. Even 70mm strips were possible - I thought they might just shatter.


and finally - the 2 big pieces in place. There was some debate whether to cut both pieces to make them the same size but I decided to have one big one and one small one so the cut pieces could be used above them, under the shelf. They are not fixed yet as I have nothing to stick them with.


I have been looking at various metallic tile trims and have come to the conclusion that they are hellish expensive. We are going to have a little wander today for more materials.

[accykeef]

A day of contrasting highs and lows today.
The high bit was up on the scaffolding looking at the new tiles on the roof, the low point was my mega angle grinder breaking. It still goes round but very slowly and with very little power. I suspect it is the speed controller but I do not have time to strip it down at the moment.

I am glad I managed to cut the large tiles for the back of the sink yesterday before the grinder packed in.

This picture shows the tiles around the oven. We had seen these in Homebase a while ago and really fancied them but when we went to get some - they were discontinued. Having had a trip to Tile Mart in Preston, we saw the same tiles in their factory outlet and snapped up a couple of boxes. The picture doesn't show the proper colours. They are a sort of silvery / bronze colour.


I will take some more photos when the kitchen is finally finished.
The ones facing are full tiles (600mm x 300mm), a bit of clever planning got us this far. The ones on the right had to be cut down to 440mm wide. The angle grinder packed up during the cutting of the second one.


The top part consist of 5 tiles, and there were some log cuts to be done. Not to be defeated I got my ceramic tile cutter out and set about cutting the big tiles with that. It complained a bit and was extremely slow but it got the job done. I timed it an it took over 10 minutes to do a 600mm cut but at least it did it.


I was debating whether to get another angle grinder but decided to wait until I have time to investigate the Wolf one. After today, I do have a lot of tiles to cut but they are all thin ceramic flavoured ones. Well, they will be when we eventually get them. They are coming from Italy and the time it is taking them to get here makes me think they are hitch hiking. This outside shot shows the colour a bit better but I will make a point of taking some better pics when I get a round tuit.


The day was made more interesting by a delivery from a very apologetic postman. "This doesn't sound too good". he said as he handed me this package. Looks like Post Office 1 - package nil, says I in a slightly sarcastic tone. I took it off him and passed it to Mrs Keef in the Goods Inward department but not before taking this photograph.


On opening, the far less than adequate packaging, the item meant to be a present for an up and coming family birthday was discovered to be little more then a yellow coloured version of what we have a skip full of outside. What is it with this people and their wing and a prayer attitude to packaging? The have agreed to replace it but what would have happened if we had ordered it 'just in time'?


OK - back to the kitchen and what I always think is the ugly phase of tiling - the tiles are stuck to the walls with chewing gum but not yet grouted.

Incidentally - went to Topps tiles today for a couple of really nice tiles - more of them in a later installment but what a transformation at Topps Tiles! First off, I hate hard selling and we were exposed to it as the salesman approached us in the deserted store.

In addition to the items I mentioned, I also need

• Grout
  
• Tile Adhesive
  
• Spacers
  
• Various tile trims
  

and I was trying to work out what trim I needed but was constantly interrupted by a yak yak salesman reminding me of things I may have forgotten. Had Mrs Keef not been stood next to me, this over zealous idiot would have been dispatched back to his counter with some well chosen Lancashire phrases. As it was, we purchased the tiles we really wanted and left them to it.

This is not the end of our dis-satisfaction with Tupps Tools but we are too busy to pursue this at the moment - again watch this space.

I have to say that this pic makes the kitchen look awful but it is already a nice space to work in. It doesn't help that the oven is in the middle of nowhere at the moment.


The blue bar is a piece of 3" x 2" which is buried into the wall at the height of the worktop and also the oven. Not sure if it will be painted black or tiled but it is behind the oven so will not be seen. Need to get a gas expert to come and move the gas feed now as that is going to hold the job up.


At least we can now see some progress and the tiles for the rest of the room should be in Preston Tommorrow after their long walk from Italy. If they arrive tomorrow - we might be having a trip South to collect them.

[trevnhil]

In a way I am glad that someone else has highs and lows as well as me.

I hope the roof tiling was to your satisfaction. You have said nothing really as to how it is progressing.

But we can certainly see that the kitchen is progressing well. It is a shame that you tile cutter is playing up. Maybe you will need to invest in a brand new one. However the tiles that you have cut and fixed look very well done. I only hope that the chewing gum lasts OK.
Goodness only knows what you are going to grout them with.

This will be interesting later on ..... "This is not the end of our dis-satisfaction with Tupps Tools but we are too busy to pursue this at the moment - again watch this space."

Is the cooker going with its back to the blue strip.

And what are you doing about the edge of the work top

It is looking good now..... it's all coming together.

Cheers Trev..

[accykeef]

I suppose the highs and lows make for a bit of variety and I consider myself fortunate that my life has more highs than lows.

The tiles will be grouted with a special mix of toothpaste, toilet cleaner and medicinal vapour rub. It is bright white, germ free and easily absorbed into the skin.

The edge of the worktop and the end panel will be faced with steel. I have the steel but need to gather my strenght to cut it.

The roof is going well although the boys were rained off this morning. The felt, battens and tiles are on, they did the lead work this morning and then left because they could do no more. They left before dinner which in a way ws good for us as our Espreso Grigio tiles ( no they are not made of coffee) had arrived so we had a trip South to Preston as planned. We picked up 7 sqm of another type of tile for around the fridge at a good price at the same time so we are now happy bunnies. I am almost ready to tile the rest of the kitchen now but I have a bit of a decision to make re alignment of one wall. I am not sure whether to leave it or straighten it up.
This is the problem wall but the photo doesn't really show the whole problem. The wall is not vertical but has a dog leg in it. I will decide tomorrow what to do wth it. I think I will have to make it straight.


Today's jobs were quite various.
Our manky gas oven got a fairly good clean. Grease and sawdust make for an unattractive finish so I attacked it with oven cleaning gel - what a product! Here is the shiny result, although it does need more of a clean. The burners are made of aluminium and tarnish quickly. They are no match for a wire brush and wire wool.


The oven will indeed end up with the back against the blue bar but there is a problem of moving the pipe to contend with. I needto arrange a plumber to sort that. I could do it but is it worth the risk for a few quid?


The gas oven needs a power source and I have buried a 13 amp socket at the back of the narrow compartment. This is under the draining board but shielded from any water.


This shows it better. The metal backing box is fine here and yes it is earthed.


The dining room is still a builder's store with new stock arriving daily.


It will be nice to walk into the dining room and not fall over something.


Tiling tomorrow - that should be a fun day.

[trevnhil]

Hi Keith.
Well little by little every day. I am really glad that you are keeping us up to date with the photographs.. They say a picture never lies, and they are probably true.

I see what you mean about the wall needing building out, ideally. It's good to hear that you have got the tiles you wanted from Preston as well.

I think you are right to leave the gas pipe fitting to someone who does it regularly and has the correct certification. 'Gas Safe' now I believe.
Have you got room for the width of the cooker and the gas pipe down the side. Or will the pipe need to 'vanish' somewhere'.

The electrics for the ignition on the cooker look fine to me, and out of the way in what I assume is a tray space. We too need to have electrics for the gas hob but we have to have it wired directly into the junction box in the wall. A plug is not allowed.

J bet Mrs Keefy will be glad to regain the use of the dining room and of course the full use of the kitchen as well. Even the cat will be happy to get his chair back.

I look forward to the next episode.

Trev..