So, starting with the utility room (formerly a ground floor bathroom), there were several issues to resolve. Firstly, where the bath had been removed, there was no floor covering. Moreover, the rest of the floor was a few millimetres higher than where the bath had been. Secondly, the toilet was leaking from where the flush pipe entered the rear of the pan. Somebody had previously attempted a bodge repair using some kind of putty round the join so it was a horrible sticky mess. And thirdly, I would need to re-cover the floor with new vinyl, as the old covering only reached as far as where the bath had been and, in any case, it had several cuts and tears in it.
Removing the WC pan was reasonably straightforward... a couple of screws held it to the floor so these were extracted. Then the silicone bead which sealed it to the carcass was cut through with a sharp knife. It was then a case of gently easing it forward and disconnecting the flush and waste pipes. The waste pipe was stuffed with a bag of bubble-wrap to prevent nasty smells coming up from the drain.
The old vinyl covering was then lifted and the thin foam underlay scraped off the subfloor.
After priming the exposed concrete with a 1:4 mix of PVA and water, I mixed up a 20kg bag of rapid-set self levelling compound and poured this into the area of the old bath. Minimal trowelling was required to achieve a level, smooth surface. Although set within about 3 hours, this was given a full 24 hours to dry.
The new vinyl was trimmed roughly to shape and size, then strips of double sided adhesive tape were applied to the floor. The vinyl was gradually smoothed down onto the tape and trimmed to fit.
So, with the new vinyl in place, the washing machine was manoeuvred back into position and reconnected to the water supply, power socket and waste pipe.
The 600mm carcass with Shaker style door was then positioned beside the washing machine and secured to the wall using angle brackets.
The worktop, which I had previously cut to fit, was then installed onto the carcass and more angle plates used to secure it to the wall.
With the cupboard legs adjusted for level, the plinth was trimmed and fitted.
The flush pipe for the WC was cleaned of all the sticky putty and a new internal flushcone was fitted, using a spot of washing up liquid as a lubricant. The pan was then manoeuvred into position and the soil and flush pipes reconnected, again using a spot of washing up liquid. The screws were reinserted and the toilet tested for leaks.
Back home to the project... you may recall I mentioned that the sash weights on the bedroom window seemed somewhat inadequate. A chance conversation with a neighbour revealed that he had a whole load of old sash weights which had been removed from the windows of the house next door.
Both the upper and lower sashes are in excess of 20lbs, so I reckon a pair of 10lb sashes would be more appropriate than the 5 and 6lb weights currently installed. I've taken a couple of the 10lb weights to try. Firstly, they needed a good clean up to get the surface rust off.
I also took a pair of 8.5lb weights, but am guessing these may not be heavy enough.
The 10lb weights will only just fit the pockets and, even then, they will require a small amount of wood shaved off the back of the opening.
I also discovered that the nails that had been used to secure the architrave onto the window casing were too long as they were protruding into the cavity by about half an inch and fouling the weights as they went up and down. I didn't want to have to remove the architraves so managed to run a thin hacksaw blade down the inside of the casing and saw through each one.
Meanwhile, I have been busy filling and sanding the sash frames which should soon be ready for re-painting.
I have ordered new brass pulleys and 6mm waxed cotton sash cord from Mighton Products and am looking forward to getting these fitted as they should finish off the refurbished windows quite nicely.
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