The list of things to do grows longer by the day
Pretty sure I made a decision to retire! Though I've never been one to sit still for more than a minute before wanting to get on and do something (ok, I've sat through many a Bristol City match and lasted the full 90 minutes, but that was fun?).
I digress. This will be a place for adding some of the mundane mini projects. Will leave out putting the bins out twice a month, but will add others that were either satisfying doing or have added value to our lives, or the house.
Stairway to Heaven
The stairs face due south and are sun baked all summer. Whilst previous repairs were obviously failing, they all came home to roost when we had a heavy storm move in from the south, water cascading into the pantry below. A refurbishment before winter sets in required.
Bottom Step
The bottom step had parted company from the remaining stairs and the top plaster coating was no longer adhered to the concrete base material.
Removed most of the loose plaster back to the concrete, used various lotions and potions to fill the void and make it all waterproof.
Awaiting a few dry and warm days to sanddown the new plaster and apply a sealant and a new grey topcoat to all the steps. The finished work will appear on the right in due course.
Here's the halfway landing
This had the worst of the cracked "plaster", most was loose so took all back to the concrete base. Now, mostly flat and sealed ready for the final coat. It is December so unlikely to be finished this year!
And, finally
With Petya and Bobi away in Sofia, for Bobi's GCSEs, I had a 3 week window to complete the stairs. Sleeping in the downstairs bedroom meant no traffic!
First two weeks were April shower weather, but finally, done. (Well I might get to do a second coat before Wednesday when they're back).
Yes, ok
Banisters need a good filling and repainting, and then the walls of the house, but the stairs project is pretty much done. Let's see how the paint stands up to 40 degree sunshine over summer
Pretty pleased
It's easy to get carried away and try to make everything perfect, I just had to keep telling myself, they're just sodding stairs!
Wood you believe it?
Having plagiarised designs for a chicken coop, greenhouse planters and much more, we purchased a small forest, had it chopped and cut and is now wrapped up for the winter out the back. Oh, and there's about 15 sheets of OSB in the shed.
How it started.......
Rather than fix the stairs, the previous owners had made various attempts to stop the water getting in to the pantry. Obviously when water has gotten this far it's too late, so a lot of lifted plaster and eroded mortar.
...... 4 days later
Petya's Christmas Present! (though she can't reach the top two shelves, so they're mine).
The new shelves are the only things straight or parallel.
Seed Tray Stations
16th Jan 2024, have now completed 3 simple A frames for holding the seed trays.
They're a bit "chunky" but should survive a direct asteroid hit.
The south end
The third A Frame is at the other end.
Current plan is to have some early cropping tomatoes and cucumbers in the middle. But plans change on a daily basis - all about maximum utilisation of the space, whilst being able to access everything. Complete novice with greenhouses, so all experimental.
Bike Shed
Frame up and base laid with concrete, to match slope of shed base. Roof panels cut, need some propane to adhere the bitumen roof sheeting, Afix roof and panel two sides.
Bike Shed / Wood Store for this Year!
Put some steel metal roofing overtop of the existing shed roof - still need to put the ridge pieces on, way to high for me!
Finally finished the north end shed extension, will house the 10 cubic metres of oak logs this year, will start on the south end extension, which will be designed as a proper wood store.
Solar System
Now have 16 solar panels, generating sfa, as stored in the front room!
Have an inverter and 2 lithium batteries.
Bought 33 x 6 metre square (tube?) profiles to build 4 frames, set at differnt angles, facing East (1) South (2) and West (1) to sort of optimise the solar elevations over a year.
Have a welding man, just need to work out where I'm putting the support legs and dig some holes, then call him in.
Just need the cabling, breakers et al and a circuit design.
Going to use the van diesel engine as an extra back up power source (the van body will be the chicken coop!)
Chicken Coop
Can't even move the van now, to use it, I'd have to formally import it, with 20% VAT and 16% import duty is a kind of no.
I could put it on the back of a transporter all the way to UK to get it's MoT and drive it back to import it for nothing, but the costs are similar to the VAT/Duty...
So, it's a chicken coop and diesel generator ffs!
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