The Morecambe DIY Project

[trevnhil]

The Weekend starts HERE

Good digging to you. Trev..

[accykeef]

It's alright for you Trev, sat on your terrace supping wine like it is going out of fashion.

Mrs. Keef has worked really hard today digging them trees out but unfortunately the job took a bit longer than expected because she kept having to stop to make me brews and bacon butties.


The end post up against the house is in although she did have some problems with a copper pipe (she says it is a gas pipe) and earthing plate (more lead to weigh in!!!!). She had to leave a gap so that the house foundations stayed intact - oh well, she knows best.
She said she wanted to put that post in first to get a reference point for the level of the posts.


She was going to build a small wall under the panels but after much brainstorming she has decided to use these plastic wood effect base panels instead. I don't blame her, she has really struggled lifting those concrete posts. I almost felt sorry for her at one point - but it soon passed.



She still has to level everything up but she has done well getting the posts to line up. She did so well that I said she didn't have to make tea tonight, I am typing this up while she is at the Chinese.

[trevnhil]

Well dear Keith. What a relief to see that the work has commenced again, due to Mrs Keef taking over the reigns. I think from the pictures (glad you just struggled to take some) that the job is coming along fine..... well sort of.

You being ill, will not be able to truly see what she is doing. Maybe you didn't noticed that all the shrubs and filling / soil that she has dug out, is just piled up for you to move. Now surely she could have put it straight in the skip.

Don't let her fob you off with the tale that having a skip for a few weeks will be expensive... It could, and indeed should come out of the house keeping.

The pictures of the fencing are really good to see and I certainly agree with Mrs Keef about the Plastic board at the bottom.

However, don't let this praise go to her head. I think she is just wasting some of her time. Fancy stopping to make tea for you at regular intervals. Has she not heard of a flask !!!! And it made me laugh that she stopped early to go for a Chinese takeaway.
Phone the order in and get it delivered just as the sun goes down.

Just another couple of items to mention in this post praising Mrs Keef.

There seems to be something secret in the next door garden. Next time they are out get Mrs Keef to look under the upturned red box.

Oh and finally don't forget to tell her to re concrete the washing line pole in.......... And Plumb this time.

Having said all this don't be too hard on her.

Best wishes. Trev..

HILARY !!!!!! My wine glass is empty... Where is that woman

PS. Perhaps it would be better not to read this out to her, except for the plastic board a the bottom. ;D

[accykeef]

Mrs Keef tells me she put the red box over a tree root which disappears under the lawn, she did try to pull it up but it brought some of the lawn with it. She says she will peel part of the lawn back to get it out but will get permission from next door first. She was going to concret both washing line posts in with the post she had just put in but though it might be a problem if the post ever needed replacing.

She also forgot to mention that the gravel panels are longer than the fence panels. She says the fence panels are 1800mm and the gravel panels are a full 6ft. She cut the excess off with a saw while I held the spade for her.

[trevnhil]

Re "She cut the excess off with a saw while I held the spade for her. " Huh, And I thought women could Multitask.

Cheers. Trev.... Working in the Sun +30c

[accykeef]

I don't know about working in 30 degrees Trev, I felt hot watching Mrs Keef grafting today and it is only 21 degrees, in the mud, here.
She has really got on with the job today.

Another post between the houses and a ladder for the squirrels to climb up.


She managed to break out the deep concrete for the next post along the back so she has been able to fit that one in place too.
The tree in the corner has been cut back a bit more so she could get the panel out easier.


They all look out of line because - they are out of line. The plan is to align all the panel tops with the tops of the posts but that will involve a lot of cutting the plastic panels down to size.
The panel in the corner looks a different colour because it has had an extra coat of preservative.


She has even shifted 10 barrow loads of soil to level off.
She is having a rest now, before she makes tea.

[trevnhil]

Well Keith I have only just found you latest post (no pun intended) I see that you posted whilst I was typing on of my replies on my Cyprus topic.

Mrs Keefy has done really well and all the panels slotted into position look really well. I hope that you will be fit enough to help with the cutting down of the base Boards.

I do wonder how she will go on with the cut panel to go where the squirrel ladder is. Or will she get that 'Dalek' in the picture to help her.

It is all looking really good now.

I would be interested to know if Mrs Keefy reads the writings on this website, and what she thinks of them ;D. ;D

PS. I've just noticed that she has even got the patterns on the base boards symmetrical.

[accykeef]

Symmetrical panels.
I mentioned that to her when I told her that one of the wooden panels is the wrong way round, I now know where to stick the fence because she told me.

She reads the occasional post but not all of them.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Are you going to stain the panels to match those base boards?

Good to hear you had lovely weather in Scotland. It's been uncannily sunny down here in Accy for the last few days too. I've even had my washing pegged out which is very rare.

[trevnhil]

Jul 1, 2011 13:40:27 GMT accykeef said:

Symmetrical panels.
I mentioned that to her when I told her that one of the wooden panels is the wrong way round, I now know where to stick the fence because she told me.

She reads the occasional post but not all of them.

Well if you put the fence where she told you, it won't get faded by the sun. ;D ;D

[accykeef]

She will be putting more preservative on the panels but I doubt they will be anywhere near as dark as the base panels.

She has a lot of hammer and chisel work to do today, breaking out concrete for the last 2 posts.

The sun shines on the righteous as the next post is going where the brick is and there is a convenient crack in the concrete to get her started.


The concrete plinth is fairly thin and is not reinforced but she does have the concrete around the existing post to deal with. I am just glad I am not doing it.

[accykeef]

I'll say one thing for Mrs Keef - she doesn't half graft - here we are with all the posts in place and only the small panel up against the house to deal with. Now that most of the panels are in place we can start to think about levelling them up.

The original plan was to have the trellis part of the panel showing above the post but then this was changed to having the top of the panel level with the top of the post.

Now that they are in place we prefer the trellis above the post like the right hand panel in the photo below.


The next photo is a quiz.
What is that brown thing below the concrete?
I do know the answer but I wonder if you do.


We decided that the old posts were staying - mostly because they are on the neighbour's property and it was more work for Mrs Keef.


As Mrs. Keef says, "If you want any more of them %^&^£**& holes digging you can %$£**)% dig them yourself!!!
I understand the reason was that she found a few small pebbles as she was digging. Some people are always complaining.

These all came out of the last hole she dug - still, could have been worse, it could have been really warm.

I have just been corrected - it was!!!!!!!

[mpprh]

Jul 2, 2011 18:00:14 GMT accykeef said:

The next photo is a quiz.
What is that brown thing below the concrete?
I do know the answer but I wonder if you do.

Old railway sleepers ?

Peter

[accykeef]

Sorry Peter - that is a NO!
I would have put a smilie in there but they have mesed up, again.

[WillowTheWhisp]

Is that brown thing one of those old wooden groynes from the beach?

Will the trellis be stable enough without the posts supporting it?