Is it just me or has it suddenly become ridiculously cold? We already told you about some of our efforts to improve the heat retention in our house. We've insulated under our living room floor and we've filled the gap between the floorboards and skirting boards and also undertaken some general insulation upgrades (read about it here). We considered having cavity wall insulation installed, but after having the house tested we discovered that our walls aren't suitable for cavity wall ... Read the Post
Caulk vs. Silicone
Recently we told you about filling the gaps around the picture rail in our bedroom with caulk and redoing the seal around our bath with silicone. There is a huge selection of different sealants available and choosing the right one can be difficult. Our quick guide will make choosing the right product easier. Basically, both acrylic caulk and silicone do the same job. Still, there are some significant differences to consider when choosing whether silicon or caulk is right for your ... Read the Post
Updating Our Garage – Again…
Recently we told you about the house survey we had carried out before buying our new home. Amongst a ridiculous almost not manageable challenging list of defects and areas in need of improvement is the garage. This is what the survey says: Garage & Outbuildings: The garage structure has been very poorly maintained and requires substantial repair and improvement. You should anticipate part rebuilding works however it may be more economic to consider taking the structure down and ... Read the Post
The Big Staircase Restoration Project
For months and months now, we have been restoring our staircase, bannisters and handrail. I have to confess - it's taking forever and starting to drive me slightly mad. Although we've spent countless hours stripping and sanding, it's still a long way off being completed. This is what the hallway and staircase looked like when we moved in. The whole room was painted in brown and green and the original balusters were boarded up. On the first floor landing, it looked like this. As ... Read the Post
The Two Towers – Part Two
Last week we told you about our garden posts being updated. They were in an awful state and probably wouldn't have survived another cold and frosty winter. The mortar between the joints was completely missing and the face of lots of the bricks had chipped off. This is what they looked like before starting work. Last week, our lovely builder took down the wall, cleaned the bricks and poured new foundations in preparation for the rebuilding of the gate posts this week (you can ... Read the Post
The Two Towers
Sorry for not keeping up with our regular posting schedule in the last two weeks. We are working on some big projects and are trying to get them all finished to share with you. It was also Jan's Birthday on Saturday and, as I had been planning a surprise party for him, I had been really busy getting things organised. Thanks again to everyone that helped with the surprise and to our lovely friends who made the evening special. Okay, enough of my feeble excuses for not posting as much as ... Read the Post