The architrave which I previously removed from the kitchen-dining room doorway was too badly damaged to re-use so I replaced it with new. Getting straight pieces was a challenge though... I've seen straighter bananas than the first lot I bought! Having got a couple of reasonably straight lengths, I just had to mitre them and cut a rebate on the lower section to fit the contour of the step. That's the last of the architraves for the kitchen, so just skirting boards to do now. I've cut these ready, but just need to patch some of the plaster where it finishes a bit too high before I fit them.
Out in the front entrance, where the old fusebox had been removed, the rendering was quite rought and a bit damaged so a bit of fresh mortar was mixed up and applied.
...then a rough skim of plaster which will be sanded smooth when dry.
...and whilst at it, a few other blemishes were patched up on the ceiling.
The dining room window has now been sanded, primed, undercoated and glossed on the outer surfaces.
...and bedroom 3 window has been glossed and now complete.
We only recently brought our TV up to the property and, despite the aerial and the two co-ax cables looking pretty new, we just couldn't get a signal from either.
Assuming it was just a weak signal area, I bought a simple plug-in aerial amplifier but, with a maximum gain of only 20dB, it proved to be completely useless so it went straight back to the shop for a refund. We called upon the services of Capell Bros (now in the hands of Robin Garfield). Turns out that there is already a masthead amplifier attached to the aerial itself but this needs a 12V DC supply to operate. We suspect that the previous owners may have taken the PSU with them, perhaps thinking it was an amplifier. Robin fitted a new Triax PSU which feeds the 12V supply up the co-ax cable to the masthead amplifier and also decouples the signal from the DC power feed. Works a treat... we now have access to about 174 channels, picking up not only the main signal from the Waltham transmitter but also some additional channels on the side of the aerial coming from the Sandy Heath transmitter!
The Triax 12V DC PSU
The co-ax cable on the front of the house extended down only as far as the main bedroom. I wanted it to supply the living room below so bought some foil screened co-ax cable and joined it using a pair of F-connectors and jointer. As the connection is outdoors, I weatherproofed it using a length of self amalgamating tape.
Whilst investigating the aerial problems, I noticed that there was a small lawn growing in the front gutter so spent a couple of hours at the top of the ladder cleaning it out.
The soil, moss and grass from just the front gutter half filled a bucket and weighed several kilos!
...so with the gutter now clear, the water flows freely.
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