Kitchen floor is down and all appliances installed

We got the kitchen floor laid today and it’s certainly gives the area more character after the previous insipid mock timber floor.

The pantry is now complete, although Jan is thinking about having glass splashbacks installed.

Some careful manoeuvring then took place as Jan and I carefully moved the fridge and freezer into their new locations.  The freezer was more technically challenging as it went into the pantry.  I also had to replace the original plug on the cord to get the freezer to fit.  It wasn’t a coincidence that the freezer fitted into the space.  I actually designed the pantry to make it happen.

The fridge was heavier, but Jan managed under my supervision.  All that paddle and gate work has been a boon!  It’s going to be fun watching her move the new settee.

Long Gap

Five days since the last post.  I’m getting lazy!  Actually I think I’ve been slightly depressed with the thought of doing all that plastering and painting.  Well it’s now completed (I hope) and I’m starting to feel better.  The kitchen and pantry are almost completed, just the glass splash backs and flooring to be done!  I would have attempted the former but it proved too difficult to find a DIY website.

Once the oven cabinet was completed the oven could be installed.  Doing this wiring also enabled me to get the lights working.

Plenty of light in the kitchen

Doorway through to the pantry

Jan’s now thinking of having glass splashbacks in the pantry.  Now there was a problem with the LED strip light in the pantry.  It wouldn’t work!  I started to think it might be my wiring….. but then I never make a mistake (I reluctantly overcame my modesty to make that last statement). 

Having almost immediately decided I hadn’t made a mistake it was obvious the new fitting was defective and I returned it to the shop.  The store owner was quite defensive telling me “We’ve never had one of these fail”.  I suggested he test it where he discovered it was defective.  No problem with the replacement unit and Jan has been happily stocking her new kitchen and pantry.  There were squeaks of surprise and pleasure as she unpacked five cardboard tea chests of kitchen items that have been in storage for the last 7 years <phew…. no requirement for Christmas presents this year>.

The oven proved to be a slight problem (it’s a German NEFF) and Jan couldn’t change the default language from German to English.  With that overcome she ran it for an hour to burn off the preservative and then baked a lemon cake using some of the fruit from our tree <burp>.  Well I had to be the guinea pig and test the oven was working satisfactorily.

The installers from the flooring company are supposed to arrive today and make a start on the new timber floor.  My guess is they will spend the first day preparing the concrete surface and do the actual installation tomorrow.

Meanwhile our thoughts have turned to the glass sliding door to the patio.  It’s a bit of a choke point and after some discussion Jan has decided she would like it replaced with colonial style French doors.  This will open the room up and also provide easier access into the house for larger objects (ie, appliances and furniture).  However there is an issue.  The installation of the reverse-cycle air conditioning unit was done on the cheap with the cable duct running externally on the wall.  In this location will prevent one of the French doors from fully opening.  I think we need to move the cable duct so it runs vertically from the external unit into the eve and then horizontally to the internal unit.  But if we are going to do that then it makes sense to also move the external unit.  Currently it’s on the ground where it collects dust, leaves and other debris.  I want to relocate it along the wall and up higher.

What happened to Blogger

The email problem with Blogger comments has returned.  Actually I hadn’t realised this had occurred until Andrew sent me an email asking if his comment had been received. That prompted me to go directly to the source (Blogger) where I discovered seven unpublished comments from our valued readers.

I’ve now published them and have also replied below

Pip & Mick.   Hi Tom I think it was the Rochdale Canal Company (Pre British Waterways) that sold off their reservoirs to the Manchester Corporation for drinking water supply in the 1950s once their canal had become derelict and disused. On restoration of the canal in 1990s/2000s the reservoirs weren’t available to supply the canal. The Leeds & Liverpool canal never did become derelict so they kept hold of their reservoirs, it’s just that the Leeds & Liverpool never built enough reservoir capacity in the first place! All three Pennine crossings are now due to be closed to all traffic from mid August unless it rains lots and lots. There is no sign of rain in any weather forecast. Good luck with the plastering.

Mick I hadn’t realised the L&L had kept all their reservoirs.  You learn something new every day!  We’re about to receive our third storm in three days.  Strong winds and heavy rain resulting in fallen trees and numerous vehicle accidents.  I’m staying tucked up inside plastering

Mike Griffin on Sterner Stuff _ I doubt it, British grit and Stiff Upper Lip; are now so watered down by immigration that we are turning into a nation of; Snowflakes and; struggling in the heat. Excellent blog, your toolkit is better than mine!  Scumbling some boat panels for me to-day.

Don’t undersell yourself Mike.  The nation hasn’t shown much sign of wilting under pressure.  Obviously the unusual heat is going to be an issue as everything is structured around a different climate.  I must confess to being somewhat pleased to have access to a wider range of tool.  If I was a skilled tradesman I could do more with less.  More tools results in a better finish (most of the time).  hope the scumbling has gone well.

Andrew Daykin. Are they Smart Meters like we have in the UK ?

If you mean they have the capability to measure electricity flowing from the grid to the house and from the solar panels back into the grid, then it’s a smart meter.  I suspect the meter can also send that information back to the electricity provider.  I learned something new last week.  Here in Western Australia it is illegal to disconnect from the Grid.  This means even if we become self-sufficient with solar power (panels and batteries) we must remain connected to the Grid and pay the daily service charge.  Moreover, if there is a Grid failure we are not allowed to use the electricity we generate.

Catherine. First time I have seen corner drawers. At least you can access some of the space.

Jan’s choice Catherine.  I don’t think they allow greater use of the available space as there is a triangular void either side of the drawer.

Debby - nb Chuffed. Panty layout Tom? Does Jan know your plans?? :)

Debby I’m never going to be brave enough to design Jan’s pantry.  I might timidly offer the odd minor suggestion!

Pip & Mick. I think you might need to invest in a few more mugs and glasses for your big cupboards Tom! ;)

Jan’s cupboards!  However there should be plenty of room for the beer.

Fran. Hi Tom, we have granite transformation worktops at home and on the boat. The home worktops were done about 10 years ago and still look good, we've got a couple of what I can only describe as impact marks rather than chips (due to items falling out of the cupboard) but you have to look for them. For the boat we used the product they have using glass, as it is lighter, people think it's granite. Hope you are both well.

Jan would have preferred granite transformation in Waiouru’s galley but we went with the granite not realising it wasn’t going to be as durable.  The granite was also heavier.  Jan seems happy with the combination of the dark bench top and the timber cupboards and drawers.  It was suggested to her that a timber kitchen is “dated” and most kitchens these days are primarily white laminate.  No doubt the white laminate will dated with time!

Have I Mentioned

Have I mentioned that in addition to painting I now hate plastering.  Three days I’ve been plastering the gap in the ceiling like a Danish pastry (layer upon layer upon layer).  Almost done. 

The timber floor has been lifted and taken to the tip.  That left another problem.  Whomever laid the timber floor glued the beading to the wall.  This beading ran around the edge of the floor where it butted against the wall.  The glue (of course) removed the wall plaster when I lifted the beading.  More plastering and sanding now required <grrrrrrrr>.  I’m having a non plastering day!

Looking around for something else to do, I decided to make a couple of timber boxes for the camper trailer.  The trailer hasn’t arrived, which means I can’t measure the tray dimensions and make all the boxes.  However I can make a start.  Today I made two 400mm cubes from 12mm plywood.  The sides are box jointed which should result in them being very strong.  This is important as the trailer and contents will be subject to very severe vibrations.

These two are likely to be food storage containers.  I’ll halve them internally with a lift out tray.  Well maybe one with have an internal tray at the halfway point and the other at ¾.   I’ve decided the lids will lift off rather than being hinged.  A removed lid placed upside down will make a reasonable tray.

There was a brief snip on the evening TV News about water shortages on the Leeds – Liverpool Canal.  We obviously already knew there was a problem from the various bloggers we follow.  No mention was made that a contribution to the lack of water was the historical sale of the upper canal reservoirs.  Not that many Australians would have been particularly interested. 

Occasionally Brexit gets mentioned.  Mostly around the politics of the Conservatives appearing to tear themselves apart.  I must confess to being slightly bemused by the likes of Tony Blair demanding a second referendum.  “You will keep voting until you deliver the right decision!”   If my memory is correct both the Irish and Danish voters had to keep voting until they got it right!    It will be interesting to see if the British are made of sterner stuff!

A knock at the door

This morning we (almost) didn’t hear the knock at the door.  It was a contractor from WesternPower, the government corporation responsible for electrical distribution in Western Australia.  He wanted to replace the consumption meter on our main switchboard in anticipation of us having the solar array fitted early next month.

We now have a nice new meter.

This meter records how much electricity we generate and export back to the grid.  WesternPower will pay us 7 cents for every kWh we export.  We pay them 39 cents for every kWh we import from them. 

The TV wall has now been painted and everything reinstated.

No sign of that channel now.  The shelving in the pantry has now been installed.  I must remember to take a photo.  There’s some outstanding minor cosmetic work to the cornices and the air conditioning vent needs to be reinstated.  

Jan has accepted a quote to replace the floating timber floor throughout the house. 

With some spare time I decided to fit the second set of rims and tyres to the 4x4.  The Kumho Road Venture MT265/75R16 tyres are for the outback trip but I want to give them a chance to settle before we leave.  It will also give me an opportunity to see if there are any issues.

With the larger diameter tyres the 4x4 is now 20mm higher off the ground and the speedo is 100% accurate.

I’m assuming fuel economy will get worse as the engine now needs to work harder to turn a larger and heavier set of tyres. 

Stretcher Tent and Wall Repairs

I (eventually) managed to get the new ethernet port in the lounge room working correctly.  The problem was my assumption the data cable installer had wired the other end to the latest standard. I’d therefore wired my new end to this standard only to find the ethernet socket didn’t work.  After pulling apart the other end located in the study I realised the installer had wired it using the old standard.  With that fixed and the connection successfully tested, the channel in the wall was plastered over.

Two further coats of plaster with sanding in between has resulted in the wall being ready for repainting.

Just waiting for the last of the plaster to set before it gets a coat of sealer.

On a more interesting note, a courier delivered the folding stretcher tent I’d ordered for the forthcoming outback trip.  The original plan was to purchase a rooftop tent to go on top of the camper trailer.  During the trip our oldest grandson will sleep in the tent with his girlfriend whilst I slept in the ‘annex’ underneath the tent.  The delivery of the camper trailer has been delayed and the local dealer is lending us their hire trailer for the trip.  Unfortunately it doesn’t have the annex.  This meant I needed a tent. 

Forty years ago I’d have just slept on the ground….. but I’m getting old and soft!  The solution was to buy a single person folding stretcher tent for me to use during the trip.  It also means we can defer any decision regarding a rooftop tent for our trailer. 

The stretcher tent was delivered today.  It’s made by ‘OzTrail’, which doesn’t mean much because all of this style of tent are probably made in the same Chinese factory.

There are two main parts to the tent.  An inner with insect screens and an outer waterproof fly.

If it’s no going to rain I can probably just use the inner.   My luck changed with the mattress.  The tent doesn’t come with a mattress but we happened to be in Aldi where I noticed they were selling self-inflating mattresses at a very reasonable price.  So the green mattress inside the tent is a 50mm thick Aldi mattress and it’s quite comfortable.

Rather snug with the fly on. 

The flooring salesperson arrived today and measured the floor in preparation for the replacement of the floating timber floor.  I really need to get on with the removal of the current floor but am currently waiting for my brother-in-law to return from interstate so I can borrow his trailer to take everything to the tip.  I don’t want to double handle the old floor if I can avoid it.

Meanwhile there is work to be done completing the pantry.

Another busy weekend

Jan is tired of living in a construction site and I’m becoming exhausted with the workload.  I just don’t appear to the energy that I had a decade ago! 

The channel has been cut out of the brick wall in the lounge room for the data and TV coaxial cables.  I used the angle grinder and it filled the house with dust.  Jan hid in the spare bedroom until all the dust had settled.

The square hole for the mounting box was made using a masonry drill bit and cold chisel.  There must be a cleaner way of completing this type of task but I don’t have the tools for it.  After clean all the rubble I vacuumed the timber floor and then left the vacuum cleaner running for 30 minutes to filter the air.  

The next task was to sand back the plaster on the ceiling patch.  Of course this resulted in the air once again being filled with dust.  More vacuuming!  This area will require a second coat of plaster and obviously more sanding.  In the meantime the lounge ceiling was cleaned and the various fittings masked before giving it two coats of flat white paint.

Then I returned to the cable channel and wired in the TV coaxial and ethernet cables. 

The latter proved to be a slight challenge as a “special tool” is required to insert the wires into the ethernet connector.  I don’t have the tool and I’m not buying one for a “once only” job.  In the end I used the back edge of a Stanley Knife blade to secure the wires. 

There was a knock at the door which Jan answered.  Postman Wee had a parcel delivery addressed to Jan.  It was the cast iron Dutch Oven she had found online and purchased for my planned outback trip.

I’ve been spending some of my evenings reading about Dutch Oven cooking.  Apparently the oven requires seasoning before it can be used.

Back to the kitchen project.  The gas hob has been installed.

Slightly larger than the hob on Waiouru .  There has also been a test fit with the sink.

It hasn’t been installed because the edges need polishing.

I need to get the coaxial and ethernet cabling completed so the channel can be filled.  Then the lounge room walls be painted.  Oh, I’ve also purchased three single gang wall light switches to replace the grubby old switches in the lounge.

Time is getting away on me!

It’s starting to look like a kitchen

The granite transformation bench tops were installed yesterday.  This isn’t a task I would attempt, however I carefully watched how it was done.  

The dishwasher cavity.  The machine won’t be installed until after the new floor has been laid.

Jan wanted corner drawers

And bi-folding top cupboard doors

The pantry is far from being completed.

The glass splashback company arrived this morning and spent an hour measuring the walls.  I installed the splashbacks on Waiouru but the sheets of glass going in the kitchen are too large for me to manage on my own.  The plan for the panty layout is cabinets without doors under the bench top and shelving above.  There will be a glass splashback between the bench and the underside of the shelving.  Jan should have plenty of room to leave the majority of her appliances permanently on the pantry bench top.

We need to set a date for a “dirty day”.  This will be the day I do the last of the grinding and sanding, plus rip up and remove the original timber flooring throughout the house.  The house will then be in a position to be thoroughly cleaned before I move on to the lovely painting task .

Inflexible

What I really needed today was a flexible and fit 26 year old grandson with good eyesight :-)

Only a small amount of kitchen painting today which meant there was some time to work on the 4x4.  I fitted the two-way radio.  I know this because my back constantly reminds me!  This radio was selected because the actual radio can be fitted in a remote location out of sight.  All the controls and the speaker are in the handset which can be unplugged from the radio when not required leaving a ‘clean’ dash.  After considering and exploring various locations for the radio I selected a very tight location behind the passenger foot well trim.

Looking up from floor level

This was the most physically challenging part of the entire job.  I’m simply no longer sufficiently flexible to contort my body into the right position.  The last part of the process took ages as it was mostly done by “feel”.

The aerial cable runs up behind the passenger pillar trim and then under the roof lining to the middle of the front windscreen where I've installed the aerial glass mounting block.

The stubby aerial is almost in the middle of the windscreen (couldn't quite get to the middle because of the rearview mirror mount) and leans back at an angle over the metal roof.  The roof will act as a ground plane amplifying the transmit and receive radio signals.

I'd already noticed a spare "blank" switch plate beside the cigarette lighter socket which looked like a good place to mount the ethernet port for the remote handset cord.  Then I realised the radio came with it's own blank plate; although it was designed to be surface mounted.  I did some modifications (drill and file) before fitting the ethernet socket into the front of the blank switch.  I used Sikaflex to secure it.

The ethernet blank will go into the opening at A.  Ethernet port at B.  Remote handset at C. 

The radio does power up and I have heard traffic.  I'll fit the ethernet port into the opening tomorrow after the Sikaflex has set.

I've also been forced to modify the mounting bracket for the Ultragauge.  The standard mounting bracket wasn’t providing a good enough viewing angle of the gauge.  After some cutting, filing and Sikaflex, the gauge is at the correct angle for viewing from the driver's position.  It's located in the bottom right corner of the front windscreen.   The mounting bracket hasn’t been attached to the windscreen.  I’ve just used duct tape to hold the gauge in the correct position whilst the Sikaflex sets.

I'll fit it permanently tomorrow and then run the cable down through the drivers side window pillar to the OBD2 port under the steering when.

I think that will only leave the fitting of the Kumho tyres and an oil change to be completed on the 4x4 prior to the trip.

I HATE Painting

In case you have forgotten an earlier post when the boat needed some paintwork repairs…. I HATE PAINTING!  That’s why the weekend wasn’t very pleasant.  We needed to paint the kitchen and pantry before the cabinet fitter arrived on Monday.

Sand back the walls and ceilings. One undercoat/sealer and two top coats.  Jan chose “Hogbristle” coloured paint which was supposed to look off-cream.  It looks more beige to me

By late Sunday afternoon the painting was completed and I could fit the ceiling lights. 

Beau the cabinet installer arrived early Monday and made a start.

 

Jan is having a glass splashback between the bench and upper cupboards.  Apparently I chose the colour (pale blue). 

By the end of Tuesday it looked like this.

The bench tops will be “Granite Transformation” which is a granite composite material.  It’s harder wearing than natural granite which means (hopefully) won’t chip.

The pressure is on for me to get all the demolition material to the local tip.  However before I do that the rest of the timber flooring has to be removed.  I also need to allocate a “dirty day” where the last of the sanding and brick cutting can be done.

The other project partially completed today was the installation of the two-way radio in the 4x4.  After much searching I finally selected a suitable location for the radio,  It has gone behind the wall in the passenger side foot well.  All the controls and speaker are in the remote microphone handset.  Fitting the handset is another outstanding task.  Oh, I also ran the aerial cable from the radio to a position at the top middle of the front windscreen beside the rear vision mirror.  The cable will connect to a small glass mounted aerial.

Kitchen renovations continue

The gaps and joints in the kitchen and pantry plasterboard wall and ceilings were sealed yesterday and then sanded back ready for painting today.

This morning Jan did all the fine detail work with a 2” paintbrush whilst I used the large roller to apply the plasterboard sealer.  The work was completed by 11am and after lunch I then applied the flat white topcoat to the ceiling and cornices.

Tomorrow the walls will be painted which will mean we are on track to achieve the original kitchen renovation completion date. 

After sleeping on it, we have decided to remove the second wall of the original linen cupboard.  It’s a load bearing wall, which means it can’t just be removed.  I’ve installed a second ‘jack stud’ (A in the photo below) to replace the original jack stud (B) which was directing the load from the roof down onto the wall we want to removed.

The original ceiling joist (C) was now too short which meant I had to extend it fitting another beam in behind (D).  All this had to be tied together.  Once I would have used nails, but after the boat fit out I’m doing this type of work using screws. 

There was a light switch on the wall to be removed which would need to be relocated.  The wall removal proved to be easier than I’d anticipated leaving me enough time to relocate the wiring and cut a new channel down the wall for the cables using my Aldi angle grinder.  Once the wiring was installed the channel was plastered up.

I’ve used a couple of small pieces of scrap plasterboard from the kitchen to repair the former cupboard ceiling.  There’s a considerable amount of plastering and sanding to be done before this area is complete.  Actually it will be delayed for at least two weeks as I need to remove the existing timber floor in preparation for a new mock timber formica floor.  We’re going to lay this new floor throughout the kitchen, pantry and lounge room. 

Another box

Perhaps you recall me mentioning in a post on 21 June <link here> that I was going to keep the  two solar panel retaining clips as I might find a future use for them.  Today I discovered what that use might be.

I’ve made a small wooden box from scrap plywood and those two solar panel clips were ideal for keeping the lid closed.

Why the box?  Well I needed a container in which I can consolidate all the 4x4 tyre repair components.

It should be sufficiently large to hold everything <I hope>.