Re: house prices
So on to house number 2 our first step up the housing ladder.
This was a 1930's 3 bed semi with garage attached to next door one.
getting into this DIY lark now, but first we had the pavement curb dropped so we didn't break any laws. First job was to sort out the garden then build a side flank extn behind and attached to the garage.
So the project started. we removed the kitchen chimney stack on that side put in a support (RSJ) not that it really needed one, and then moved the back door to the side. This then stopped any draught going straight from front to back doors, which actually made the house a bit warmer.
Then the project really got under way. Submitted plans and got them passed . Next was to support the tall wall I was going to dig 3 ft down beside, so got some long timbers, won't say where or how but all legit, and braced the wall so it didn't collapse.
So dug a trench 18ft by 8ftand 2ft wide (regs at the time) with a return trench to the house and under by 1.5ft as the house was built on the float system.
Now getting rid if the clay, I had help with as the other neighbour worked for the council and got us a huge skip up our drive for nothing. Taking it away full if clay cause problems as the lorry front lifted due to the weight but eventually with supports shifted the skip out the way
Next was to move he earthenware drain pipes and in the trench to allow the new foundations.
ERm problem ,how do you cut earthernware pipes to size??
My solution was to go onto a building site with the pipe to be cut marked up and saw the site foreman. i explained the problem and he got one of the men working there to cut it for me and wished me all the best on the project.
OK pipe cut and joined with hep sleeves to existing pipe problem solved. And then the building inspected came to do a check before I could carry on. He was so helpful with advice i don't think i could have completed otherwise.
Ok trench dug -waste pipes connected now bridge over a small section of pipe to protect and pea shingle the whole of the pipes.
Next readymix concrete but not shoot it out as normal but into a wheelbarrow to wheel through the garage . nearly killed me.
OK foundations in next to build the extn walls. Here I used 18x18" breeze blocks and cemented the small space between the wall next door and the wall i was building as it went up and also stoned it at the same time
got up to window height and inspector passed so to carry on.
Next was to change the existing rear garage door to a fire protection one and put in window and stable door out to the back.
Final bit was the roof and caused a problem. normally one removes the house brick cement course and insert joist hangers but this cement was so weak a mix it was decide to remove half a brick and cement the joist hangers in instead.
with joists in place then the furlings 11 ft long 2" high one ends to nothing at the other to give the roof a slope
then 8x4 chipboard sheets over the top and had experts in to tarmac the roof.
ok room built but what about the inside? so we had a small radiator installed and next door was a tiler so he tiled out the floor. the wall another neighbour was a plasterer so he did that for us. Room complete at last
on to next project
the front bedroom upstairs showed damp in the plaster underneath so remove to find a support was rotten so cut it out ans splice in a new section which then gave proper support the the window ledge, and replasted job done
several other little jobs like building a front dwarf wall and crazy paving the front wa also some of he other work I undertook
Stayed there for a few years then moved again