The Morecambe DIY Project

[trevnhil]

So, now you are a fully qualified Ceiling installer. I certainly agree that plasterboards are easy to cut. You can also cut or file bits off the edge if they are a bit of a tight fit.
If I remember rightly plasterboards already have a 'finished' side. So you will have cut out the need to decorate.

I assume that the flexible hose that you got goes from the new cooker hood to the old outlet vent.

It will be brilliant when it is all finished and something to be proud of.

Trev..

[accykeef]

I have intalled suspended ceilings before but this stuff is the real deal. The metalwork easily supports itself and doesn't really need any support wires. I put the support wires in and it is as solid as a solid thing. I reckon it would take my weight but I will not be risking that just in case.

We went out yesterday to find a suitable light fitting for the centre but failed miserably. Mrs Keef found one online so we await it's arrival with baited legs.

I hope to have the ceiling fully installed (apart from the light) today although the plaster boards need painting. Problem is, we are not sure what colour to paint them. I fancy a light grey but I am not in charge of colours and finishes. I would really like to put a large photograph on there of a view looking directly up at Blackpool Tower but I reckon that would be a bit too expensive.

[trevnhil]

Ha ha, the Blackpool tower picture would look good and be an interesting picture.
Maybe you could do a similar idea on the floor. A bit like those 'pavement artists' that make it look like a hole down to hell.




It will also be interesting to see this light with Baited legs. Can you shorten them if the are too long and catch your head as you walk underneath.

Trev..

[accykeef]

I would love to do that on the floor but I am not that good as an artist for that. I have been known to put oil on canvas but only as a minor hobby.


The ceiling looks better with the boards in place


makes a neat job


Round the extractor hood is a bit awkward. The extractor pipe is now in place but I have no idea where the pictures of it being installed are.


I need to make a piece to finish this corner off.


and this needs filling to hide the fact that the walls are as bent as a cow's wotsit.


and there is was - done


This is my solution to the stop tap cover. This board is to be filled with pictures and I am hoping to do something clever with the picture on this flap.

[accykeef]

After much design and redesign, the end of the cupboard was finally to be finished. The toaster is going here and the bin underneath it but several other things had been earmarked to go in this area but there would not be enough room.
It was soon clear that the corner unit would have to be made here and not as a free standing unit becuse it would be impossible to get a fitted unit in.


The dowels will allow the shelf to be supported after the back is fixed to the wall. One consideration was moving the radiator but it was easier to cut the panel to fit round it.


The shelf fits onto the dowels although it is not yet fixed in place.


The back panel is fixed to the wall and holes drilled through the side panel.


The shelf is pushed onto the dowels with plenty of wood glue on both the dowels and the shelf edge. The shelf is finally secured using two screws from inside the side of the cupboard. It looks a bit out on a limb at the moment but when the toaster is on to and the bin is underneath, all looks well with the world. A metal edge strip needs to be added yet and will be when I get one.

[trevnhil]

I can see from the more recent pictures how uneven the walls are in your kitchen. I like the idea of the back board to the shelf, and the cutting of it around the radiator fixings.
The shelf looks a good idea and even better being the same material as the worktop.
Has the boss decided on the ceiling colour yet. And has she painted the panels yet.
And has the light arrived with legs.
Time marches on, and the bedroom alterations are beckoning.

Trev..

[accykeef]

Job is dragging on a bit but having to fit it around other work is the problem.
Still bits of finishing to do like this corner.


a bit of filler sorted that out


and a bit of filler over the arch


and installation of a colour changing lamp in the corner over our glass feature thing. It took me a while to work out how the spring clips work as they are not mentioned on the instructions (yes I did read them all).


I think I got it secure and it looks great cycling through various colours.
I will take some proper pictures in darkness at some point.
Meanwhile here are a few taken in daylight.






the light with the baited legs arrived and was quite easy to fit. It is the same size as the centre ceiling grid after all.


Here it is hanging with it's baited legs showing


and closed up


and lit - aint electric brilliant!


The panels were then removed revealing the naked ceiling and the extractor hose.


Boards all painted and leant vertically


The arch taped up ready for painting


and a coat of paint on the pipe board makes it look a lot better.


More painting today and a video to edit - no rest for the wicked.

[trevnhil]

I like it, I really do. But I thought the light with legs was the ones with the wire clips.

Even in the daylight the changing colours look good.

The square ceiling light is good being just the right size.

So apart from the floor !!!! You only have a bit of painting to do and then you can put the jigsaw back into place.

Talking of painting.... That is a good one of your wife in the dining room.

Cheers. Trev..

[accykeef]

Painting?
Do you mean the cat?
The one higher up is of me in my modelling days.

[trevnhil]

I must go to specsavers.



Although if this is the cat.... or you ..... whoever seem to have a strappy top or dress on!! ??

Cheers. Trev..

[accykeef]

Calm down Trev - that will be a picture of me during my noteable acting career when I was known as Clarissa de Nakkasquasheur- Queen of the Navvies.

[trevnhil]

I don't thinks it's illegal..... you just wear what you are comfortable in.

Trev..

[WillowTheWhisp]

I love the coloured glass panels thingy. Our DIY has ground to a halt lately and we still have an unfinished kitchen. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs in wedding preparations though and don't seem to have time for anything else. I am working myself up to a mural though - eventually.

[accykeef]

Working up to a muriel (as Hilda would say)
Most Mothers complain about wedding prep but seem to love it really.

[accykeef]

Been combining DIY, the day job and the TT for the last few days so not had much time for updating the thread.

A bit of painting - this time black


just to finish off the trim


thought grey might look OK but turned out to look like it had only been undercoated. The metal panel needs to be black


no sooner said than done



and now the moment you have all been waiting for - time to fit thr floor.
staple the underfelt first


test fit


and from another angle, this click stuff is not as easy to use as the T&G stuff. It cannot always be lifted up as required


should have removed the skirting instead of trying to be clever


I don't think that piece will go in with the skirting in place.


It is very easily chipped, fortunately it is on an unused piece.


That is test fitted but not joint sealed yet


3 pieces had to be joined together and then slid forward into place


I was realy up against it now as I had to get it down and into position before the glue set


no mean task when the skirting had to be removed before the rest would go into place.


It looks good with a piece of the old skirting board left off but there is a hole in the floor. Time for a bit of invisible mending - Mother - pass the sewing kit. Well it will have to wait till later.


Meanwhile - the extra cupboard doors have arrived - that is the good news, unfortunately one of the doors has a scratch on it. It came wrapped in a lot of cling film so it must have been damaged when it left the factory.


it is quite a deep gouge and the suppliers are happy to replace it.


The service from Homestyle at Wigan has been fantastic.

As an aside, I have encountered some of the worst service imaginable from a combination of Maplin Electronics and Fedex Parcels.

Let me set the scene, we are going to print a load of pictures and make several collages for the kitchen and hallway. Now - for this we need laminating wallets and managed to track some down at what appeared to be the right price. I added a ream of copier paper to the order to save paying postage on the order.
They were ordered on Saturday 25th May on a next day delivery. OK, I know they don't deliver Sunday or the Bank Holiday Monday so expecetd them Tuesday. Tuesday came and went and I pretty much forgot about them as I was busy doing other stuff. It got to Thursday night and I checked with the tracking service to see what had happened to the parcel.

Apparently, they had attempted to deliver it on Tuesday 28th and left a note. That is all very well but I didn't go out that day as I was working around the house and there was no post at all and certainly no card. Contacted Maplin, they said they would check with the carrier and would get back to me, they emailed me back on Friday saying that for some reason, the carrier had not been sent our full address. I expected that the carrier would have contacted Maplin and got the address and delivered the parcel on Wednesday 29th but no.

Several emails were sent to Maplin, each with an increasing level of humour and disbelief on my part that such a simple act of delivering a small parcel could be so monumentally cocked up. I giot an email on the Saturday telling me that the order would be delivered on Monday. Monday came and went so I contacted Maplin, cancelled the order and asked for a refund. Tuesday came and Fedex turned up at the door with the parcel. I asked the driver if he had attempted to deliver it the previous week and he was very evasive. Our full postal address appears on the label, not once but twice so someone was pulling our plonkers over this.
I emailed Maplin to say we had recieved the order and would keep it to save the additional hassle of trying to return the parcel. The package had remained unopened up until now but I was clearing some paper to the bin and thought I would get rid of the padded envelope at the same time.
Imagine my surprise when I opened the pacakage and the paper just fell out like this.


My rather terse email to Maplin resulted in a free ream of paper, I would rather they just operated like they did 30 years ago. I used to deal with them a lot back then for electronic bits and pieces. I will not be dealing with them again any time soon.