“If I had all the money in the world I would buy everything - except courgette’s”
India Gibbon, aged 4, 20th October 2007.
Whereas if I had just some of the money in the world I would buy a large team of tradesmento finish number four. We have been going for almost six months now and although the end is in sight I would like these last bits to hurry along so that we could unpack our belongings and live a bit in this place.
The lovely shell is now rewired and rendered and is now being plasterboarded so that we can get the underfloor heating down and the screed laid. This needs to be done ASAP as it has to dry out for a minimum of four weeks before the underfloor heating can be turned on. Although I like the idea of underfloor heating and it was toasty on a winters morning in Upland Road, it is proving less straight forward for this house. Because we have two different areas, on one level, with two different sub floors we need two different circuits each fitted differently - apparently. One company says it is straight forward and another say's it is tricky because our joist centres are not 400mm and therefore we would need a biscuit screed blah blah blah. Cannot bear the thought of complications so that area shall have a radiator instead and jolly well like it as I believe the only biscuit in this house should be of the edible kind. This would also mean that we would have some form of heating in this while the screed dries elsewhere. I have visions of us all wearing woollen combinations before long to stave off the cold. I seem to remember Charles Ingles in The Little House on the Prairie looking strangely alluring in his so maybe this will be a positive thing.
The flooring for such a large area is also proving troublesome. We had identified a fine Basalt tile, 60cm square, but have since learnt that the lead time is in excess of eight weeks but sooner if we want to ship them, at our expense, from a satellite warehouse in Antwerp. Sadly this would double the price and as we need 100m2 for the kitchen and terrace areas is too darn expensive. The solution we have found is a porcelain tile that can be used inside and out and comes in a variety of greys. Although the Basalt would be the King of floors I am content with a lesser royal for a saving of about 4k. But if I had all the money in the world I would have the Basalt and a shed load of courgette's to boot.