Q1 2017…. (kitchen DIY!)

Well, thought it was time for a quick post as if you look here it looks like we’ve vanished.  Far from it!  Q1 was a fun and hard few months, many days away in the van including down on the Isle of Wight, and another big DIY project…..

After the success of our van build last year, our motto of “how hard can it be?!” seems a bit too close to the tips of our tongue.  So this years project “Lets replace the kitchen” started the same.  How hard can it be….!!?

Well, in a 1930s house, bodged for most of its life, the answer is “rather hard”.  Before we started we found a leaking lead waterpipe we didn’t know existed; a void behind the wall containing a dangling gas pipe and a wet hole where the water was leaking; lots of obsolete pipework and electrics; and electrics that clearly were bodged.  That’s in addition to walls 20-30mm off vertical, and floor 60mm off level from one corner to the other.  The old kitchen looked okay, but was shit.  Virtually no usable worktop, hob faulty, plumbing crap, and a bit cheap and showing it.

But, once started……

This project was more of a team effort, so Mel was learning to use power tools a bit more.  So quite a bit of time spent training and showing rather than cracking on.  All good though and no loss of limbs.  There are areas Mel did herself, and not *all* hidden behind things 🙂  As if.

As usual, we opted for a “buy anything you need” approach, so hence now have a range of Makita LXT tools (drill, impact driver, jigsaw, multitool, and hoover!), a new larger SDS drill with safety clutch (the old one blew up), and diamond blade wall chaser 🙂  That made a bit of a mess.  Along with diamond core drills and lots of other toys.

Of course, I got the electrics signed off, and the gas done by a gas-safe engineer, and also got help from Andy-the-mole who moled a new water pipe 29m from the meter to the kitchen for very little money (excellent worker) – and got a plasterer to do the ceilings.  Beyond that, we did the walls, floor, units, worktop, and lots of other bits you can and cannot see.

But as it took us around 2 months to get to a point where most people start – 10 weeks project doesn’t seem bad!

Worktops from worktops-express; units painted solid oak from diy-kitchens; engineered okak flooring from uk flooring direct, appliances from currys, Ao and Marks electrical, and the local guys Mark @ MLK Electrical, Nathan @ NK Plastering, and Andy-the-mole who is a secret – all superb value and workmanship.

We made the larder cupboard and shelving, and all the nice hidden lighting, and the flooring with toasty underfloor heating.

So finally……!

A good team effort 🙂 Just some minor finishing touches, but at least you can see why we’ve been busy so far this year!!