Home Improvements: Can You Hear That?

Home Improvements: Shhhhhh … can you hear that?

Nope, I can’t either. No more traffic noise. Wow. You can’t even hear a motorcycle with a dodgy exhaust roaring down the hill. And all thanks to the thermal windows that were installed yesterday. Only the upper floor have them so far, but on Monday the main floor will have new thermals also. Not only is noise reduced to the sound of silence but it’s also noticeably warmer in the bedrooms upstairs. We should have replaced the old wooden framed windows years ago. But better late than never!

Old kitchen tiles removed and wiring pulled through for appliances.

As with all things involving renovation, a few things didn’t go to plan. The windows for our ensuite bathroom arrived as clear glass panes, so everyone in the neighbourhood can see us step out of the shower and parade around buck-naked. Peder hung up sheet until the replacement glass panes arrive on Tuesday, which should be “obscured” and etched glass. It was also freezing cold and raining on the day that they removed the old frames and fitted to new replacements with thermal (thick!) double panes. BRRRR! The front door was open all day as the workmen trudged in and out with equipment and windows, and a gale blew through the house every time an old frame and set of windows were removed. That aside, these guys are really excellent at what they do, and they cleaned up after themselves better than I do on a normal tidy-up day. Brilliant!

Old kitchen tiles removed and wiring pulled through for appliances.

The soft-toned LED downlighters in the kitchen, dining room, hall and living room are done. I hope to persuade the electrician to put the kitchen lights on a dimmer, which initially I didn’t think I wanted. I was wrong; I want that now. He returns on Monday and Tuesday, so we’ll chat about it.

Downlighters should be on a dimmer switch

The self-levelled latex will be spread on the floor Monday afternoon, and it needs several hours to cure. I believe ‘cure’ is the correct word – like curing pickles, I guess. We’ll pop Molly into the conservatory, and then we’ll go out for a drive and dinner somewhere. Yeah for latex! After the latex is cured, the under-floor heating goes down. Then the wooden floor boards.

One of the window installers asked us yesterday, “Are you guys really living here while all this remodelling is going on?” With a hint of we-shall-overcome, we smiled and said “Yes!” We felt a tiny bit proud, until our teeth started chattering from the cold.

And now we’re off to meet up with John and Gabi for dinner at Café Rouge in Brighton. “Happy birthday to you; happy birthday to you; happy birthday dear …… “