Builders are back…

Our builders have been able to come back on-site, socially distanced of course, as we’re living in the other half of the cottage.

You might remember when lockdown started we’d just started digging out the floors in the second half of the cottage but luckily hadn’t ripped out the bathroom… well we’re now full steam ahead finishing the digging out, before pouring new floors and installing underfloor heating.

We found a major field drain running under the floor of the ‘red room’ so we’ve been protecting that for dear life so we don’t have any future flooding problems. We also found two smaller field drains that were under what will be the two guest rooms – but randomly they weren’t laid very well – not connected at one end and running uphill where it connected into the big clay field drain… so they had to be relaid.

More bits of stone from the original floors were dug out so they’re being made into steps and paths in the garden.  Walls are coming down too… partly brick, partly stud but thankfully all non weight bearing. Tonights job is to pull all the black painted tiles off the utility room wall and the old bathroom tiles off!

And now the bathroom has been ripped out we have a temporary toilet and the kitchen sink for washing!  Our original plan was to join the local gym so we could get fit and shower at the same time but that is not to be with lockdown so we’ll make do with what we have… but a mental note – keep the front door locked at all times because the toilet is right in front of the door!

After whacking (yes that’s what they call it), sand and the waterproof membrane, the first concrete pour has been poured and underfloor heating will start to go down this week – I’m really not keen on the hours builders keep – I’m definitely not a morning person!.

The last bit to be dug out is the bathroom, which will be hand poured.