So, as is traditional, having had a bit of a whinge about the world I went down to the garage yesterday morning and managed to locate the second tube. I also fixed the long-missing-a-washer roofrack bar, tightened up a loose retaining screw and popped the roofrack on the car.
Then, considering the weight of the hefty objects that’d be going on top of poor old Rebecca I broke out a pair of scrap socks to cushion and protect the roof… then nipped off to the garden centre and bought some tomato food. Plan was, on the way back, to check out a few potential pallet sources, then stop at the place I’d agreed to nab pallets from before. Unfortunately, on arriving there I found that some other bugger’s been in and thieved ’em. In the end I found some disposed of pallets in a public area which I grabbed, and some more that I’m going to go and ask about later today, maybe.
Having got my little selection pack home I set to in the garden clearing the bricks, disintegrated mortar, panes of glass, all sorts of random stuff that was left over from the building work. The bricks are meant to be turned into path edging (which is another of the pre-winter tasks, since both Kathryn and I will be trailing up and down the garden, having a path to wander down is wise. Last year it turned into a mud track fairly quickly with just me doing it). Having cleared the concrete deck, I grabbed the pallets I’d retrieved and lugged them up the garden.
Handily, the pallets fit nicely into the space left over, meaning that there’s a neat gap around the house walls, big enough to prevent damp sitting against the house, small enough to not look ridiculous. I need more though… Lots more. I need about 5-6 more to complete the structural layer, then ‘lots’ more to strip down for surfacing. At least the ‘strip down to surface it’ ones don’t have to come back complete, I can strip them in situ. Anyhow, having got them in to position I plonked my chair down, made a cup of tea, and enjoyed the view.
Lush.
This morning the new radiator arrived..so I can get on with fitting that. The only slight crimp in that plan is that I’ve not yet heard back from the insulation company – and until that arrives I don’t really want to do the under-house grovelling. I’m hoping (against hope) that I can get the under house grovelling over and done with in one day. Although I suspect not since the jobs are:
– Plumb in new radiator
– Fix joint in floor where tiles have cracked so that it doesn’t move
– Insulate under kitchen and hallway
– Poke wire up for network point that could, theoretically, sit by the front door
Which is all potentially doable in a day. Just a long day. In the filth. Ah well, we’ll see how it goes.
