Wednesday 19 April 2017

Dry Rot–Work Continuing, and WOYWW 411

Nothing on my desk for WOYWW again, I’m afraid, but I thought you might like an update on the dry rot problem in our kitchen. Please see previous posts for more details.

Another day spent in the bathroom for two disgruntled kitties! Hopefully only one more day, though, because further good progress has been made on the work in the kitchen today.

First thing this morning, after Kevin had removed the floor boards covering the hole and before he started work, I took a photo of the new joists. You can see that he has wrapped the ends in damp proof membrane, and you can also see the new wall plates underneath.

14 New Joists 19-4-17

The first job was to spray into the hole and as far as he could reach under the floor with a chemical to prevent any more dry rot. This was a lot less smelly than I’d anticipated. He also drilled into the outside wall and injected a damp proof course.

He then fixed the new joists permanently into their correct position and nailed down the new floor boards. So nice to know that everything underneath is now treated and dry and safe. The rest of the work is repairing, tidying up and making good, in readiness for the fun part – the fitting of my new walk-in pantry, as soon as we can get hold of the kitchen fitter.

By lunch time he had made good progress hacking off the render from the walls. He needed to do this to make sure the rot had not extended up into the wall.

15 Hacking Render off Wall

More good news – there is no sign of any damp or rot in the wall. He said the plaster was bone dry, and all the blockwork is sound. He was able to go ahead and render the walls with fresh sand and cement in preparation for plastering.

After the work this morning, the room is very dusty and smells of old masonry dust. I am glad I removed everything from the tops in the kitchen. The contents of the cupboards are fine. Once the work is finished I intend giving the whole room a good spring clean.

In the afternoon he re-rendered the walls with sand and cement.

16 New Rendering on Walls

17 Detail of New Rendering

Down the left hand exposed edge he has incorporated a metal bead.

The new floor boards – unfortunately I couldn’t photograph these until Kevin had gone, and he’d tidied his kit into the corner, covering them up a bit!

18 New Floor Boards

Tomorrow, once this is all dried off, he will skim the lot with plaster, clean up, and his job will be done. Ready for Phase Two – the walk-in pantry!

7 comments:

  1. It 's all looking very neat and organised, how lucky that the dry rot hasn't spread any further. I bet you can't wait for your new larder, although I can see why your originally kept the old cupboard as it's such a lovely feature of the original house (I've just been catching up on your previous post too).
    I hope the work is finished soon, and the kitties haven't been too disturbed by all the goings on!
    Diana x

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  2. Looking good Shoshi. There is always so much mess and upheaval having something like this done, but the walk in pantry will be wonderful. My Mom had one in the house when we were growing up, and it is such a godsend for storage! Hope you are keeping well, all fine here, just waiting for my next MRI. Hugs to you both, Shaz XxX

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  3. |oh heck! What a mess. That certainly is bad luck by the bucket full. Glad things seem to be ok now and once you get it all cleared away you will be able to enjoy your new pantry.
    Hope you manage to have a teeny craft desk, even if just a lap tray - you do such lovely zentangling.
    Hugs, Neet 22 xx

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  4. Glad you got that nasty dry-rot cleaned up! Looking forward to seeing your new pantry! Thanks for sharing, Lindart #35

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  5. I was looking for your desk then I realised it wasn't there :)
    Good luck with all the kitchen repair business. Been through something like this not long ago. Totally annoying, albeit fixed 100% in the end.
    Thanks for your lovely comment re my journal page. You've no idea how much I appreciate it. (I usually have little feedback, except for WOYWW, on anything I do).
    Hope you have a good week in spite of the kitchen stuff.

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  6. Hi Shoshi, what a major job this is proving to be. I've now read your most recent post too and only hope that the carpenter and the kitchen fitter contact you very soon and you will be able to get back into your kitchen before you need to go into hospital. Funny the places a cat will settle - I wouldn't have thought that bathroom scales were the most comfortable of places to snooze but then what do I, a mere human being, know of such things. Hope you have a good week. Elizabeth x #23

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  7. Thank goodness things weren't as bad as you first feared and that the work is moving on. Even if you have to wait for the kitchen fitter, at least it looks as if work can be completed by the carpenter in the mean time. The kitties must be relieved, but much better than one of them getting trapped under the floor. Happy belated WOYWW Sarah #11

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