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The Vinyl Adventure
16-11-2011, 20:40
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/2a5d64a9.jpg

Having a wall knocked out, rotten/woodwormy floor taken out, new bigger (less crumbly) joists going down, new floor boards, insulation under ther floor as well as more air bricks for better air circulation down there (so it doesn't rot again), more damp proofing, replastering of some walls and ceiling, new light fittings and of most interest to folk here, whilst I'm having plug sockets moved I thought I might as well get I dedicated couple of sockets for the old gram-o-phone ;)

Reid Malenfant
16-11-2011, 20:47
:lolsign: I bet the missus loves all that dust & mess - not :rolleyes:

Have fun Hamish, I'm sure things will be better once Bob the Builder has finished demolishing the place & rebuilding it :eyebrows:

Can he fix it? You wanna hope he can :lol:

Jonboy
16-11-2011, 20:47
nothing like doing it properly, you will be eating dust for months, hope all the hifi is packed away and more to the point has the family moved out to get away, looks like it will be a while before your straight again

The Vinyl Adventure
16-11-2011, 21:16
Hannah and Connie have moved to her parents place, me and the dogs and cats have moved into a well sealed off upstairs
The hifi is packed away :( but safe :)
There is dust everywhere ...

I've been taking loads of photos ... In fact so far I've taken over 1000
All from a camera bolted in place and fixed to the wall
I'm going to make a stop motion video of all the process ... :)

My camera, well sealed
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/4cffccdc.jpg

Jonboy
16-11-2011, 22:29
I've been taking loads of photos ... In fact so far I've taken over 1000
All from a camera bolted in place and fixed to the wall
I'm going to make a stop motion video of all the process ... :)





Cool, you can keep an eye on the builders as well, a little story for you, a freind of a freind who was having building work done and had given the builder the run of the house like you do came home early one day and caught the builder dressed up in her underwear in her bedroom, not sure who was more embaressed, he finished the job and she put it down to an exerience to laugh about later

Reid Malenfant
16-11-2011, 22:36
:lolsign: :lolsign:

Now you have put him on the defensive, or is that the offensive?

You have been reading too many freaky threads on here Jon :eyebrows: Why is it always the married ones or those with partners? Easily accessible undies I bet :eyebrows:

I'll have some wood dust & metal shavings :cool:

The Vinyl Adventure
16-11-2011, 23:50
Ha! Well it's my brother and a builder I've known since my brother started working for him when he was 15, 17 years ago ... And I have taken 2 weeks off work to help (move bricks and crap) so I think I'm safe :)

Thing Fish
16-11-2011, 23:57
Its messy work but worth it in the end Hamish...:)

aquapiranha
17-11-2011, 00:16
You should have given me a shout Hamish, I have just this evening picked up and sharpened my new axe.

Mark Grant
17-11-2011, 09:37
Looking good.:)


whilst I'm having plug sockets moved I thought I might as well get I dedicated couple of sockets for the old gram-o-phone ;)
Don't forget to put power sockets in for you active speakers and some signal cables under the floor and maybe some network cables if you need them for anything.
Network cables to TV and freesat/sky box is a good idea for the future and costs peanuts for the cable and is easy to do while the floors up.

The Vinyl Adventure
17-11-2011, 23:10
I wanted to put cables under signal cables for the speakers, but we still arent 100%set on where to put the speakers ... :/
Not sure of a sensible way around that one really ... ?

The Vinyl Adventure
17-11-2011, 23:12
check at this hole where my dining room was :)

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/4712f9f0.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/66745606.jpg

goraman
18-11-2011, 01:15
Hamish, I told you it is near impossible to get rid of the smell of cat urine.
Could have seen this one coming.

Now is a good time to plant a time capsule, maybe some pictures of you and the family.
Let me know if you find Jimmy Hoffa down there, we've been looking for him for some time now.

bobbasrah
18-11-2011, 07:03
Wow, remember jobs like that, devastation when it's ripped out, but soon sorted....also remember that type of old style skirting board, as had to make one up to match/patch.

Is it possible to reduce moisture levels with a small trench and gravel outside or is the locale flat with a high water table?.
Ventilation will reduce internal moisture, but will also draw away heat, so I guess you will be insulating. Easiest/fastest solution I found was nailing battens along the joists to support polystyrene slab between them before fixing down the deck. Made it quite cosy in the end, certainly compared with the original floors elsewhere. Ah, memories.....

Regarding cable runs Hamish, a few lengths of pipe with a string inside to potential connection points is a cheap and simple incorporation while the floor is up. Later, you can pull through anything you want, phone line, speaker cable, etc..

Bob

MartinT
18-11-2011, 07:08
Excellent, Hamish. You probably don't think so at the moment, but you'll love it when it's completed. I like the stop-motion idea, give us a link when it's done :)

Thing Fish
18-11-2011, 08:12
You could build in a very shallow 'Panic Room' in the floor...!

The Vinyl Adventure
18-11-2011, 08:34
Wow, remember jobs like that, devastation when it's ripped out, but soon sorted....also remember that type of old style skirting board, as had to make one up to match/patch.

Is it possible to reduce moisture levels with a small trench and gravel outside or is the locale flat with a high water table?.
Ventilation will reduce internal moisture, but will also draw away heat, so I guess you will be insulating. Easiest/fastest solution I found was nailing battens along the joists to support polystyrene slab between them before fixing down the deck. Made it quite cosy in the end, certainly compared with the original floors elsewhere. Ah, memories.....

Regarding cable runs Hamish, a few lengths of pipe with a string inside to potential connection points is a cheap and simple incorporation while the floor is up. Later, you can pull through anything you want, phone line, speaker cable, etc..

Bob

We are having 4 more air bricks put in up the side to get a bit more air under... There isn't much damp really, someone has had a good go at damp proofing at some point.
There is also insulation going in under the floor to stop the new air bricks making it colder inside

Pipes and string sounds like a very good idea!

The Grand Wazoo
18-11-2011, 08:41
Pipes & string are a good idea, but make sure you attach a new string to everything you pull through so that you will always have one there in case you want to pull something else through - even years later. Remembering this has saved me from much pissing about over the years.

Shame you haven't yet decided on the speaker & kit locations, as you could have made some little pillars of poured concrete like the one your hearth is on - always better than a 'wooden trampoline'!

Looks like fun, mate - it'll all be worth it though.

The Vinyl Adventure
18-11-2011, 08:57
I even thought about making a few concrete pillars ... The thing is though, I was happy with how it sounded before ... Knocking the wall down is a big enough risk to the sound without introducing more variables ... At least that was my feeling toward it!
The joists going down at 8" and are replacing 5" ones and the floor boards are new, so I'm thinking I will at least have a bit more strength in the floor for it not to create such a major wobble!

I'm sure it will be worth it, the room seems huge!

bobbasrah
18-11-2011, 09:10
Agreed Chris, but both are no insurmountable.
Have had to retrofit a string for buddies who "forgot" on occasions. Managed to blow through a fish in a pipe with compressed air a few times. Spare tyres are handy sometimes for the oddest of jobs.
The gear will be going to an outer wall anyway. Why not stiffen the outer 2 feet of floor with additional joist supports under those areas while you are below deck? A few judiciously placed blocks on the flat with timber shims under the joists in those locations will take the local spring out of it nicely.

Edit - Just noted you have bumped the joist size from 5 to 8 inch. 8 inch is good for a 12 foot span from memory

Covenant
18-11-2011, 09:16
Hope its all tanalised timber you are using for the joists and the ends are Sythaprufed. (Sorry-I am a surveyor!)

The Vinyl Adventure
18-11-2011, 11:54
Agreed Chris, but both are no insurmountable.
Have had to retrofit a string for buddies who "forgot" on occasions. Managed to blow through a fish in a pipe with compressed air a few times. Spare tyres are handy sometimes for the oddest of jobs.
The gear will be going to an outer wall anyway. Why not stiffen the outer 2 feet of floor with additional joist supports under those areas while you are below deck? A few judiciously placed blocks on the flat with timber shims under the joists in those locations will take the local spring out of it nicely.

Edit - Just noted you have bumped the joist size from 5 to 8 inch. 8 inch is good for a 12 foot span from memory

Yeah, it's only got to span a couple 'n' a bit meters at most between the brick supports in the middle of (what was) each room

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/d0bd28d8.jpg

The Vinyl Adventure
18-11-2011, 11:57
Hope its all tanalised timber you are using for the joists and the ends are Sythaprufed. (Sorry-I am a surveyor!)

So I'm told :)

Mark Grant
18-11-2011, 12:01
Looking good Hamish, only 5 weeks to Christmas :eek:

bobbasrah
18-11-2011, 16:51
Last of the hoovering might be done by christmas, maybe..... But which year ???? The floor is the easy bit, the details are the drawn out work... It will all come together fine and you will be well chuffed I'm sure Hamish...
Finishing the brick cut wall straight and flush will be fun... I guess there is an RSJ up there to disguise as well.... Aerosol foam (not the MP version) is your friend for gaps..


If you were fine with 5 inch joists, you will probably be more than happy enough with 8. A strip of bituminous felt under the joist ends. and paint the cut ends with cuprinol or similar, and your great-great-great grandson will approve.....
Amazes me with our modern knowledge that half the buildings did not disintegrate immediately following construction all those years ago...

The Vinyl Adventure
18-11-2011, 17:13
Well that's one week down, 2 more to forget think ...
1 more week and I'm back to work, which is a shame really as I would have liked to picked up some tips on the touching up bits from them really ... Ah well...

Yeah, I've heard the letters DPC mentioned a lot when it comes to sitting the joists so I'm guessing they will be kept well away from the damp!
3 more air bricks went in today, and one blocked up that was previously working quite nicely as a drain for the yard :/ so we have 4 now instead of 2 crap ones so that should get a bit more air round under thier which should help keep what little moisture there was at bay!

The RSJ is up yes, that was a fun job... You will see how we did it when the stop motion vid is complete :)
They are going to fill the sides with a couple of planks of wood it think(?) ... Load of holes everywhere to fill, but that's all factored in aparently ... They recon next week to put the floor down and get the first bits of plastering and the RSJ and pier boxed in then the following week to finish the plastering and make neat!

What do you do for a living then Robert, or is this just stuff picked up from DIY experience?

Had a chat about pipes for cabling under the floor today, they have basically said they will help me put pipes and what not where ever I like as well as access hatches etc... :)

bobbasrah
18-11-2011, 18:23
Sounds like you are having fun Hamish,
I'm an Engineer and water specialist, but I've spent a fair bit of time working on previous homes and those of Clients to have had my share of plaster dust. Fair idea what you did jacking the ceiling and putting the RSJ in place. Acroprops make it so easy these days.... Neatest job I ever did on a breakthrough such as yours was jack the beam up through the floor to leave a clean floor above and a flush ceiling below. Complicated but ultimately successfull.
As to your pipes, terminate them at the floor periphery coming up behind the skirting boards, fixed/glued so they don't drop down. Ready for anything thereafter.... Just mark where they are as you'll forget come the time...

goraman
20-11-2011, 12:54
What brought all this on,all kidding aside, It's a lot to deal with.

Marco
20-11-2011, 22:27
He's getting a big pair of Tannoys! ;)

Marco.

The Vinyl Adventure
20-11-2011, 23:51
hah... not likely after what this lot is costing me :/

goraman
21-11-2011, 01:14
hah... not likely after what this lot is costing me :/

So Hamish, what the heck happened,you needed so much renovation?

The Grand Wazoo
21-11-2011, 07:34
Houses in the UK generally have much smaller rooms than yours do in the States Jeff. It's quite a common thing to knock out a wall between the two main rooms downstairs to give yourself a bit of elbow room, y'know?

The Vinyl Adventure
21-11-2011, 20:05
Yeah that's about the gist of it, that and a bendy floor!
First fit leccy going in as I type... Including a circuit for the hifi and some strategically placed sockets :)

goraman
22-11-2011, 05:15
Tiny Rooms?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ajc0VDbxpdE
Our living room is pretty small too 20+ ft. by 14 ft.

The Grand Wazoo
22-11-2011, 07:33
Our living room is pretty small too 20+ ft. by 14 ft.

That's my point Jeff - 20 ft is pretty big in the UK - I'd guess Hamish had something like 12 ft x 12 ft before he went at the wall with his hammer.

Thing Fish
22-11-2011, 08:13
I remembered seeing these a while back.

Talk about nearfield listening...!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZSdrtEqcHU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJLSoUkh1Vs&feature=relmfu

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 08:57
Yep bang on Chris
Them Victorians were nothing if they wernt consistent ;)
By a lot of people's standards my house is actually pretty big too Jeff!
Most of my mates live in Victorian terrace houses that although the size of the reception rooms is the same the front room has a door to the street... I have te luxury of a hallway :)

Those videos are nuts, I can see the logic of the first one... Wanting to live in the centre of a big city without the corresponding prices... But that second guy... he just seems a bit odd!

goraman
22-11-2011, 12:50
Why are the rooms so small?
Is it the price of land? Like Japan or is it that most of Europe was constructed so long ago?
I live in a small condo by U.S. standards our home is very small. My mom's house is an average new home,new being near 20 years old,and it's 3,000 square feet with the sun room. Her master bath is the size of my living room.

Macca
22-11-2011, 12:55
Yes land is very expensive and building is not cheap either. My house is only about 800 sq foot :( most of which is one room.

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 18:06
As I understand it there was somewhat of a housing boom in the 19th century ... There at eloads of streets all over the uk that look like my road

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/6f9b9fc3.jpg

I think the problem was that there was not enough housing for the poor, or at least less well off so they tended to build lots of houses in small spaces to save money!
I guess most of the land would have been bought from the very rich land owners of the time. Either that or the houses were built by land owners a rented to folk... or built by surrounding industry for workers to live in? Worcester used to have a lot of industry, the was a vinegar works, Cadbury had a factory here and of course Worcester porcilain and Lea and Perrins are here with thier Worcester sauce (btw it's pronounced wor-ses-ter, or more accurately wus-ter ... not wor-chest-er as you yanks call it ;)). I can see Worcester porcilain (what's left of it) from my roof and lea and perrins are about 1/2 mile away... So that might explain all the tightly packed in houses? I'm also right next to the canal which used to connect a lot of intustrt together ... and the river Severn! All of the housing from this period is near by! ... I don't know a lot about it really I have to admit... Just speculation!

One way or another, my house was built in 1896, and I bought it, despite it's size because I like old houses! And of course, because of the above factors, its very close to the centre of town!

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 18:14
Oh and thank you Bob for your thoughts on cables and piping
Ive run some 40mm waste pipe about the place under the floor with string running through it ...

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/3ae15d2e.jpg

That glue for making connections has an interesting aroma to it!!

The Grand Wazoo
22-11-2011, 18:21
Hamish - do a trial run with your pipes before everything goes back together. Those 90 deg. bends might be a bit tight for cables with plugs on the end - especially if you've already got one cable in there already.

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 18:22
Big cable for sockets for my pre and majik ds next to smaller cables for normal plugs for tv etc
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/981ef7dd.jpg
I've also had the big cable go to 3 possible positions for the speakers giving me some options for positioning! :)
Basically im set for the hifi to be a lot less intrusive and sound better ... Can't be a bad thing!

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 18:23
Hamish - do a trial run with your pipes before everything goes back together. Those 90 deg. bends might be a bit tight for cables with plugs on the end - especially if you've already got one cable in there already.

I bought less severe bend just incase, but yeah, a trial run is a good idea... I'll do that now!

Mark Grant
22-11-2011, 18:33
Those bends look OK as they are the long pipe bends, these are the worst for cables:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/floplast-90-bend-white-40mm-pack-of-5/90596

Not sure how your finishing the top of the pipes off.
My method on installs is a really deep metal back box in the wall with the bottom cut off then a brush strip to cover the hole in the wall and feed the cables out.

double deep backbox: ( cut the bottom off)
http://www.screwfix.com/p/appleby-galvanised-steel-knockout-boxes-2g-47mm/29466

single deep backbox:
http://www.screwfix.com/p/appleby-galvanised-steel-knockout-box-1g-47mm/90698

brushstrips :)
http://markgrantcables.co.uk/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=49_50

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 19:04
They are a bit fiddly to get through in the one direction ... But it works
They are only for the speaker interconnects, the straight one might have a telephone cable down it, but otherwise they won't be used for anything else!

That's a good idea Mark!
So run a thinner pipe up behind the skirting to the bottom of the back box then?
I wouldn't need to drill a hole in the floor then ... Which is what I had planned :)

Mark Grant
22-11-2011, 19:10
The same pipe behind the skirting so you have full bore cable pulling capacity :)

I will take a picture and post it later tonight.

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 19:28
All good matey, spark is bringing some deep back boxes tomorrow night!
It might have to be slightly thinner pipe to fit behind the skirting but it shouldn't be an issue as I'm going to make access hatches in the floor in the relevant places anyway to make life a little easier!

bobbasrah
22-11-2011, 19:28
Oh boy have you been busy.
It was not PVC drainage pipe I was thinking of when I suggested it, but tubing such as low pressure water pipe - that way there are no joints and all the bends sweep in a long radius.... I should have been clearer, sorry.....
So long as it works though.....

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 19:44
Yep yep, coming on a treat!
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/a2388dc3.jpg

Thing Fish
22-11-2011, 19:54
Your dog looks like 'Santa's Little Helper'...:)

keiths
22-11-2011, 20:12
Your dog looks like 'Santa's Little Helper'...:) ,,,and I think he's spotted a rabbit...

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 20:34
Your dog looks like 'Santa's Little Helper'...:)

I know! We have a black cat too!
Actually, his son 'Stanley' looks exactly like Santas little helper - even closer in colour!

Mark Grant
22-11-2011, 20:48
All good matey, spark is bringing some deep back boxes tomorrow night!
It might have to be slightly thinner pipe to fit behind the skirting but it shouldn't be an issue as I'm going to make access hatches in the floor in the relevant places anyway to make life a little easier!

Some pictures:

A white brushstrip to hide the mess and allow cables to be fed out of the backbox to equipment:

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/server9/forum-pictures/brushstrip-IMG_0695.jpg

-

The backbox, waste pipe from under the floor behind the skirting board.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/server9/forum-pictures/backbox-IMG_0697.jpg
-

another closer photo:

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/server9/forum-pictures/backbox-IMG_0699.jpg

-


looking up into the backbox box there are a pair of 32mm waste pipes buried in the wall that go up to behind the wall mounted TV above.

http://i759.photobucket.com/albums/xx234/server9/forum-pictures/backbox-IMG_0702.jpg
-

Reid Malenfant
22-11-2011, 20:50
I spy G1080 HDMI cables :eyebrows:

The Vinyl Adventure
22-11-2011, 21:15
very nice Mark!
very neat!

I need a few things off you now i think!
Ill give you a buzz in the next few days ...

goraman
23-11-2011, 03:03
Hamish thanks,
I like your picture of all the brick houses, It should be a jigsaw puzzle.
The construction is fantastic,I love brick homes and we don't have alot on the West Coast.

I think you nailed it,we have homes like that built around older factorys too,so they where built for factory workers is most likely right.

England is so much older than the U.S. so it stands to reason that they would not be as large as houses here as our older homes where all small too.
Our Victorians have very small rooms.

I guess new construction is less common in the U.K. as like your house brick is forever so people never do massive remodels and additions.
I like old houses too very much so long as there are no ghosts or bad history's.

Keep taking photos this thread is a good one to watch.

Mark Grant
26-11-2011, 11:39
I spy G1080 HDMI cables :eyebrows:

Correct :)

The Vinyl Adventure
26-11-2011, 11:48
Getting there...

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/a35f1069.jpg

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/d1e54838.jpg

Macca
26-11-2011, 12:27
Looking good...

And to make the most of that big space you will need to get rid of those dinky little Adams and get a pair of these ;):

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/VINTAGE-LEAK-2075-SPEAKERS-/260901924956?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudio HiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item3cbef7705c#ht_821wt_1270&clk_rvr_id=288413915221&afsrc=1

goraman
26-11-2011, 17:19
Here is an idea.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/360382741407?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649#ht_2390wt_1344

I got these for our store and they work very well, it will give you space and protect them from the catz.

The speakers I used with them at the store are Mission 762i's they are fairly large and around 20lbs./10 kg. each. and they are rock solid in these mounts.
I attached a spec sheet for metric numbers.


another space saving option.
http://www.wayfair.com/OmniMount-Viking-Wall-Rack-System-in-Black-RSW-OM0366.html?refid=GPA49-OM0366&gclid=CO_Ly8zv1KwCFQZbhwodg0uJqQ

less expensive option.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&cp=15&gs_id=1m&xhr=t&q=audio+wall+rack&tok=gOZv_jg3BlL-2OP5jqwK2w&gs_upl=&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&biw=1054&bih=751&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=8658918680570430331&sa=X&ei=oy7RTumYNK7YiAKF0fDrCw&sqi=2&ved=0CKkBEPICMAY

The Vinyl Adventure
28-11-2011, 20:14
Looking good...

And to make the most of that big space you will need to get rid of those dinky little Adams and get a pair of these ;):



hahahahahahahahaha... no...

;)

Fingers crossed for me that it doesn't all make the adams sound shite though eh? that would be rubbish!

The Vinyl Adventure
28-11-2011, 20:16
Funny you say that jeff .... the speakers might yet get wall mounted ... although im not keen really!

this is where we are now ....floors all but down...

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/83813fa0.jpg

Just needs a stainin and a varnishin and should look quite lovely!

Reid Malenfant
28-11-2011, 20:19
Looks like your builders are cracking on with it nicely Hamish :) Interesting to see how quickly it's all coming together....

You can always buy a good subwoofer if the Adams lose bottom end in the bigger room ;) I'd suggest an Antimode 8033S to :eyebrows:

The Vinyl Adventure
28-11-2011, 20:33
I aint worried really! ive heard them in bigger rooms sounding just fine ...
if i was going to do anything it would be to upgrade to the Adam Tensor Gammas :eyebrows:

bobbasrah
28-11-2011, 20:37
Why stain the floor? Sanded natural wood looks good and retains the grain even if the clear varnish gets scratched. I guess you have colour in mind to suit decor.
Either way, once you get it sanded, hoovered up and dust free, wipe it down with turps along the grain-line, as it highlights the natural grain.
Getting there.....

The Vinyl Adventure
28-11-2011, 23:03
why does it need sanding if its new?
turps you say? do you have to wait for that to dry?? does the type of stain effect weather or not you can do this trick?

as you can see by that bit of furniture in the middle our tastes are not exactly light wood...
we are going for a diluted wenge colour stain

bobbasrah
29-11-2011, 09:44
why does it need sanding if its new?
turps you say? do you have to wait for that to dry?? does the type of stain effect weather or not you can do this trick?

as you can see by that bit of furniture in the middle our tastes are not exactly light wood...
we are going for a diluted wenge colour stain

Just because it is new wood does not make it flat, undamaged, or resistant to priming/colouring/absorption in patches. I presume that this is planed timber, and if you look carefully at the surface you will see than the planer leaves a glossy surface with little ripples on it in places across the grain.
A quick power sand will take any odd flakes of wood out and leave a more even matted surface (including where the hammer got dropped) which absorbs the primer or stain more easily and evenly. Always sand WITH the grain and work along the board.
Brush down and hoover, then use a rag with turps to clean off any remaining dust and highlight the grain more clearly (I think the term is lifting the grain).
It will be dry enough to coat in about 30 minutes, and you will be amazed that how the wood looks afterward.

Whether using dye direct to the wood or using impregnated varnish, keep the mixture stirred and work along the entire length of the board to avoid patches and overlaps that may show through later.
I have never used more than 2 coats of coloured varnish on a floor (1 thinned to prime, 1 full strength) before switching to clear varnish, as this avoids the clouding effect of the entrained dye in subsequent coats. The knots will dry fastest as they are the heavy drinkers......
:cool:

Mark Grant
07-12-2011, 21:31
Any pictures Hamish. :)

Almost time to get the tree out of the loft.

The Vinyl Adventure
07-12-2011, 22:37
Just a bit of painting and ordering of some cables and socket fronts to do now ... ;)

http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/4a68a25c.jpg

What do you think of my floor?
Stained wenge and clear varnished ... Bloody lovely it is!
I'll take some proper pix when I'm properly done!

MartinT
07-12-2011, 22:42
Nice floor indeed, Hamish, with just the right colour rug on it.

Mark Grant
07-12-2011, 22:45
http://i728.photobucket.com/albums/ww282/hamish_gill/4a68a25c.jpg


Looking great, the floor looks a lovely colour, not too dark and not too light as bare wood colour would look like a ski chalet/log cabin.

The floor finish looks like you listened to the sanding advice :)

The Vinyl Adventure
07-12-2011, 22:54
Nope, no sanding ... It was smooth as a baby's arse as was, no marks like Robert described...
Marc, my brother, said in his experience from the place he got the wood from it would be fine to just give it a good clean... So that's what we did!
Vacuumed, swept, mopped, repeated then scrubbed as we went! You will see on the stop motion vid when it's done :)

Thanks Martin! Yeah, the rug is a beauty, another extranvegant purchase by Hannah that one :/

The Vinyl Adventure
07-12-2011, 23:01
The hifi sounds like a different hifi too!
Going to take some getting used to I think ...
That said the speakers have been out of use for 3 weeks and they take a couple of days to get back on form from cold ...
Even so, it sounds .. Well ... I suppose it's a little obvious really ... Bigger!
Soundstage is a different ball game too...
Not sure it's all better or worse yet mind ... Just very different!

The Grand Wazoo
07-12-2011, 23:11
That looks great Hamish - you've plenty of room now, I'd say. Enough room to swing several cats.

..........and, oh my word.........you also happen to have several cats!

Thing Fish
08-12-2011, 01:05
Very nice Hamish.

bobbasrah
08-12-2011, 08:01
Looks good, and bet you and yours are glad it is all over and getting back to normality.... So are you still jumping hard on the floor to check the job???
You will just get everything trimmed up and audio compromises sorted when the christmas tree positioning question looms.....

The Vinyl Adventure
08-12-2011, 08:25
Yeah, that's about right, jumping on the floor in awe of the fact it's not like a trampoline anymore!
In awe of the bill too :/

Very happy with it though! It's already made a difference! We never used the dark dining room ... We have eaten from the table in the dining room both days since Hannah moved back in!

And yeah, the missis already has plans for an Xmas tree ... I haven't even thought about Christmas yet!

The Vinyl Adventure
08-12-2011, 08:28
Cat swinging Chris... That's a thing of the past! we could have Cat-put competitions in here!

Rare Bird
08-12-2011, 14:05
Um the floor!

It's like real horror show when i see wood stained :eek: nice to see you got sorted anyway.

The Vinyl Adventure
08-12-2011, 18:22
Erm Yeah, cheers I think... :)
I'd have like to have chosen wood boards in the colour of wood I wanted .. But when we were looking at £70 per sqm for the sort we wanted and £25 with a lot of compromise... with 32sqm it was looking at getting quite dear! This was a lot less than that, and is a lot closer to the colour we wanted ... And it looks ace! So I'm well happy!

Tim
08-12-2011, 18:32
I think it looks great Hamish - good job :)

Jonboy
08-12-2011, 19:59
Looking good Hamish, nice to have the family home again ;)

The Vinyl Adventure
08-12-2011, 20:26
Cheers Tim and Jon
Yeah, it is nice... I hadnt realised how much it was all stressing me out until Hannah and Connie moved back in ... Feel like a rational human being again now! :)

Spectral Morn
08-12-2011, 20:31
Looking good Hamish


Regards D S D L

goraman
09-12-2011, 04:47
Hamish, I am surprised how at how good a couple wall mounted monitors can sound if the mounts are solidly constructed. give it a try.
Hanna will love you for it.

bobbasrah
09-12-2011, 06:38
Hamish, I am surprised how at how good a couple wall mounted monitors can sound if the mounts are solidly constructed. give it a try.
Hanna will love you for it.


I would guess that the speaker positions will not be quite settled on after all the changes. And when the answer is NO, don't like the sound or the brackets, you have a repair and redoration job to do? Not a recipe for domestic harmony in the run up to christmas Jeff.:steam:
I would also bet that the floor will now be stronger and more acoustically predictable than the (lathe and plaster over stone/brick?) walls.... ;)

Ant
09-12-2011, 11:44
Looking good Hamish



[snip]
I've been taking loads of photos ... In fact so far I've taken over 1000
All from a camera bolted in place and fixed to the wall
I'm going to make a stop motion video of all the process ... :)


Can't wait for the stop motion video, is it ready for airing :)

Ant

goraman
09-12-2011, 12:49
I would guess that the speaker positions will not be quite settled on after all the changes. And when the answer is NO, don't like the sound or the brackets, you have a repair and redoration job to do? Not a recipe for domestic harmony in the run up to christmas Jeff.:steam:
I would also bet that the floor will now be stronger and more acoustically predictable than the (lathe and plaster over stone/brick?) walls.... ;)

Lath And plaster over stone or in his case I think brick.
I forgot about Brit. construction,Studs and dry wall are so much easier to mount things on and repairs are nothing to really to speak of.
I have rented places with lath and plaster over studs and it can be a mess to even hang a large mirror.
OK fair enough.

bobbasrah
10-12-2011, 11:57
More down to the age of construction Jeff. Most houses built in the last 40 years are timber frame construction or block.

FYI Hamish, I was looking for hardwood and managed to pick up 20mm oak T&G parquet for around 24 quid a square metre. Plank is less again, and Beech even cheaper. I guess there is more demand and adequate supply here compared to the UK.

goraman
11-12-2011, 18:01
I like the remodel it looks great, now Hamish would be a good time to address your infestation problem.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STZrgEJz_mI