hello again

Tuesday pm and 1 phone call later - the men will start tomorrow on the brickwork - however, it includes the internal brickwork as well, which I wasn't expecting.

Again three very nice men arrived at 8.30ish Wednesday, and having warned school I would be in slightly later as I needed to show the men some new cracks that I had discovered in the lounge, after deciding to rip the paper off the wall above the door! The project company is coming to see the new cracks today as well.

After showing them around I left with a heavy heart, I have to say, as I didn't really know what to expect. But I went back at lunch time to discover exterior brickwork mortar having been scraped away and these long drill-like metal bars put in. I have asked them to replace the top bedroom lintel as well while the scaffolding is up. So far, so good.

Wednesday evening and more pictures went to friend Chris's house along with a cup of tea and putting the world to rights!

Thursday morning - 7.40 and the vans arrived! I left them to it and went back after finishing at school. The stairs were covered with this sticky backed non-slip plastic stuff and wall paper was ripped off here and there and plaster was being replaced. Unfortunately a problem with the lintel - the brickwork above needs replacing and the mortar between that and the eaves needs repointing - all under MY costing unfortunately as the insurance insists it's wear and tear! I do still wonder if the subsidence has made it worse? Oh well!!

Again the men are very nice and seem to know exactly what they are doing. There is brick dust and plaster dust in the air and your mouth feels horrible as it settles on it. They think they might be finished tomorrow depending on how the lintel work goes.

Spent two hours looking at wallpaper books to no avail - everything seems to be huge florals and I'm not keen on huge florals!! Oh dear!

Then I had a phone call from a close friend - she had been involved in a car accident and could I fetch her from Stafford Hospital and stay with her over night.
She is ok, especially concerning what had happened; bruised and shocked. So Friday I got up BEFORE 7am - that is unheard of for me! But I had to get back home in time for men and to feed the cats and to make certain decisions concerning the lintel and brickwork and pointing under eaves. I have said yes. Also I had to empty under the stairs in order for the men to do the work in there - it's only very small in there but a lot gets packed in!

Work and then at lunchtime - popped in to see friend to discover that she and another friend were going to see the car - so I invited myself after going home to sort cats out and speak to men (Kevin is lead man). They will be back Monday to finish lintel work - it had needed 2 lintels rather than the one they had originally thought - I feel the cost going up and up! They will also have to replace the plaster board inside and then I have to decide about whether to leave that plain or have it artexed. I will think on as there is a small part elsewhere that needs artexing; I will talk about it then. If it costs too much it may be fine to leave in painted as curtains will be there - we'll see. Too much to think of at the moment.

Saw car and friend is very fortunate that no-one else was involved and other things but we will not dwell on that - she is ok and her daughter is spending the weekend with her, so that's good.

Weekend and I'm off to London to help Dawn move - will continue next week.

bye for now.

hi
It's 2009.

I have been dreading this to be quite honest but I have some very good friends who have helped me tremendously. It was difficult at first though, when they insisted that we start clearing my house in time for the building work to be done.

However, I have now sorted out the top bedroom and ALL my fabric and art materials are all stored there in a better order than ever before, so far so good.... after cutting the shelving units in HALF in order for them to fit under the eaves!

Wednesday and I was convinced by a friend that we had to clear some of my stuff ready for the builders, so after humming and harring we started.....

Then as we were getting boxes ready, I had a phone call. Earlier in the week I had been told that due to the icy weather, other jobs had been put on hold and the work would probably start next week. sigh of relief. BUT then they phoned back on Thursday, they were waiting for a window for another job, could they come tomorrow and do the piling. er er er......

OK. So having been convinced by my two friends that all my glassware and ornaments and pictures would end up on the floor smashed - we had to put them away in boxes until after all the work is done.

It was upsetting, I can tell you. In fact, don't tell them but I have sneakedly put the photos and some pictures back! However, most are away in boxes in other people's houses, so I can't get to them. Charity shops have also done quite well out of me, with my one friend's car boot being filled with assorted items to be given away. In actual fact, it's quite nice to have got rid of stuff.

So now the first stage of the work on the house has been completed! It was very quick and very efficient. The three men who came were very thoughtful and nothing was too much trouble.
The actual work was done in a morning, which was amazing: first they drilled in the metal pegs into the ground, then the metal supports were fixed and attached to the foundations. After being checked by building regs, they were then concreted over and now you would not know that anyone had done anything!Except that now my house shouldn't fall down.

Attached are photos of holes in ground with metal piles before being covered for ever, I HOPE!

It now has to set for a few days, before they come back next week to do all the outside brickwork.Here hoping.

I will continue next week... all being well.