Stairs

John R has started on the stairs! Can't wait to use them instead of the rickety ladder..

Tiling kitchen 3

Scrubbed, rubbed and mopped floor.

Floor needs to dry now before we can apply a protective coat of linseed oil prior to grouting.

Tiling kitchen 2

Spent the 2nd weekend cutting the borders and the remaining tiles under the washing machine, fridge freezer and tall cupboard on the south side

Wet and messy business! Had to hire cutting machine an extra day. Then returned on Wednesday to stick all the tiles. Too tired even to take photos...thought we did pretty well for first timers! 

Longstone cottage, Mottistone

Went for our 2 days holiday in remote cottage, 20 min drive away from boat..no electricity, but a bath and a wood stove

John dragged me out of bed at dawn to run around the Longstone, then for a short walk in the rising sun followed by bacon and eggs and coffee

Walked along Tennyson Trail to Freshwater Bay and back. A glorious day!

And back to the tiles!

Tiling kitchen

Started laying terracotta tiles in the kitchen. First week end, cut tiles with wet saw machine and layed centre bit of kitchen 

Water

High tides still very high, water has been coming up over pontoon for more than a week now, plants washed away, we live in wellies..

Roads flooded, cycle path flooded, our garage flooded: the iroko lab tops are getting mouldy, the dishwasher has its feet in water and I daren't think about the laminate flooring packs (all wrapped up in polythene so I hope it's all right)

The gas man came at last today (we have been waiting more than two months since contacting the coop) to connect meter. Ha no, it would have been too easy... Said couldn't connect because we are an "alteration" and we need an isolating valve (?)

We also enjoy life!

Cycling between Newport (mostly every day for John)

Contemplating spider webs

...sunsets

And enjoying walks

Open day 28th December

More than fifty people came to celebrate with us the first anniversary of Beach cottage (timber frame was delivered beginning of January 2013) with mulled wine and mince pies. We still have mince pies..

Climbing out

John wanted to test his mountaineering skills before scaffolding was taken down. The idea is to dangle out (held by harness attached to 2 eye bolts on the side) and clean bedroom windows...

It worked!

Round window

Fitting round porthole in south wall

Ceilings and walls

Kitchen cathedral roof and west walls finished. Horizontal matchboard with rafters for the ceiling

And diagonal boards for the walls

We decided to carry on the diagonal theme upstairs

Stairs

Kitchen stairs are now complete as well as two newel posts

Base for stairs is ready for making stairs. American Ash will be delivered by Lallows at the end of this month and John R will be making them on site. Going up and down ladder is getting a bit tiresome

Mechanical heat recovery ventilation

MHRV (outgoing warm air warming incoming cool air) has been a project in itself! In October we were still waiting for the main unit (even though we paid Allergy Plus in full at the end of June). John threaded the pipes with Alec in September

And connected the supply and extract ductwork to the plenums with Patrick. It was like a jigsaw puzzle where all the bits had to fit exactly as well as avoid the posi floor joists

External grilles and the internal ductwork still need to be connected to the unit in service void in the cloakroom (we have now the unit!)