Contractor goes bust

You couldn't really make it up but we've just learned the contractor has folded...

It throws everything back up in the air, just as we thought we were on the final lap. Only yesterday the contractor confirmed details of the remaining programme, probably at the same time as the receivers rolled into his car park. How honest is that?!

It is rapidly becoming clear that the last few months have been a based on an elaborate strategy of smoke and mirrors, interspersed with outright lies. Now we're left to untangle the mess.

WEEK 52 - When will it all end? (Delay = 36 weeks)

The house is again covered in dust sheets. However, this time, it's our own painters and decorators who have started finishing off walls and ceilings. They should be finished within the next four or five days. In the meantime, snagging and completion has pretty much ground to a halt. We still have a very long list of issues to resolve, despite the fact the electricians turned up this morning to finish most of their outstanding items. There is another meeting between the contractor and architect tomorrow. In the meantime, payment of Valuation #9 is due and we've been forced to withhold payment in order to pay a sub-contractor direct. With the threat of the supplier repossessing the garage door, we had little option but to take direct action. We can't hang around waiting for the contractor to sort themselves out.

Huey becomes Pisth

It's pretty obvious "Huey" lives on a different planet. So his cartoon-character name no longer fits the brief.

Now, there are a couple of different ways to address the naming challenge. Announce a competition to come up with the most ridiculous name, or just pick a name at random.

The new one is a tribute to one of the characters in Aristophanes' play, The Birds.

Pisthetairos, or Pisth to friends, helped create Cloudcuckooland. "Pisth" may not have been born in Cloudcuckooland but I'm pretty sure the Romans would have embraced him as an extraordinary citizen. The fact the name rhymes with several other appropriate terms is an added bonus.

Snagging on track?

"Huey” still believes the snagging is on track. They’ve fixed one item, sort of, since last Wednesday. They have one more week on site, which leaves another 145 items to go. “We’ll definitely be finished next week, he said”.

Another one bites the dust

So we’ve lost another “joiner”. After a short “snagging of the snagging” meeting this morning, “Huey” tripped on some cardboard in the lounge. Looking indignantly at the torn card, it wasn’t immediately obvious to either of us what had happened. A few days before, the card was perfect, offering sensible protection to the new ash flooring.

Later, it became clear this wasn’t “just” an ordinary tear. It was a cut. A cut by a Stanley knife. Through the cardboard and into the flooring.

Turned out the apprentice joiner had decided to cut some polythene on the floor. Clever boy. The end results is that he’s been declared persona non grata and the contractor is having to tear out a large section of flooring and reinstall new, pristine, planks. Fantastic! Oh, and we’re now down to one joiner…

WEEK 50 - It's a year! (Delay = 34 weeks) (*)

Never in our wildest dreams did we believe the project would be into its second year before being wrapped-up. When we originally set out on this venture, back in March 2006, we genuinely believed the professional consensus. Contractually, the entire project should take 16 weeks, which would take us to mid-July. However, when the architect and quantity surveyor suggested it was an “ambitious” timescale, we assumed August/September 2006 would be pretty realistic. There was little else we could do but to take the learned advice of the contractor and the professionals.

How wrong we all were.

Today is exactly one year since the demolition of the old garages started. We still have a number of issues to resolve. There is light at the end of the tunnel but we’re still a few weeks away from the end target. It’s been the toughest year for a long time and not one we would like to repeat.

(*) To most people, one year is 52 weeks. But this project hasn't been "normal", so the minor matter of a couple of weeks isn't really a big deal. When trade holidays and the new year absence is taken into account, the effective number of contractor weeks is nearer 45. The important bit is the original start date and the number of week's we've had to endure living on a building site. It's a year, irrespective of how you count!

Fantastic value

We've learned the hard way with this contractor. Whatever their promises, there is no way they will take the time to protect the timber floors. So when "Huey" dropped off a binbag with his mum's old curtains and bedlinen for us to protect the floors, it was clear that, once again, we had to turn to our local packaging supplier for some help.

Despite a raft of over-priced products on the market, the best solution is a monster roll of corrugated cardboard. It's an unconventional way to approach this challenge but enables wall-to-wall protection of the floors in much the same way as a carpet. At the equivalent of SHSL 11.48 (the new global currency also known as Starbucks half-shot lattes) for a 75 metres roll of 90 square metres, that's pretty phenomenal value.

Attic stair

Since the mad dash to complete before Christmas, I've had lengthy discussions with the contractor about the ability of the original joinery team to achieve top-notch finishes. The message finally appears to have been taken on board as a completely new crew arrived on site this morning. The chief operator is a seasoned stair builder, which is exactly what's required to tackle the refurbishment of the 1970s attic stair. The previous thumbs-only crew spent an entire week replacing two vertical rods. The latest swat team did a record-breaking four stainless steel rods during their first day and it's looking pretty good. May it long last!

WEEK 49 - The final lap? (Delay = 33 weeks)

After a lot of head scratching, the crew is back on site. We've really taken a punt on their ability and commitment to finish the outstanding issues in two weeks. It's a gamble as there is still no confirmation from the local Hudevad supplier on the availability of the new vertical radiators. However, we can't continue in this state of suspended animation for much longer. The decision was, therefore, to crack on with the final stages. It's sink or swim time for the contractor. If they screw up, all hell will break loose.

WEEK 47 - It's uphill from here (Delay = 31 weeks)

Whether it's global warming or something in the water, the silly season has arrived early.

As part of the concluding stages of the project, we've presented the contractor with a list of issues to resolve, or snagging, which should enable the crew to complete the project in a reasonable manner and standard. The starting point for this process was the most recent site meeting.

Having waited patiently for the last week and a half, it was time again to prod the contract in the hope they may come up with the much promised "programme of works". The programme is proving elusive and as we've ever only had one during the whole project - still showing 16 weeks as the target completion. It is little wonder the next update remains outstanding.

In the meantime, they've found a series of issues which require further AIs (architect's instructions), which more often than not means additional costs. Now, if we ask someone to do something over and above what was originally billed, asking for an AI is perfectly legit. However, if we're asking the guys to finish what they've already started, why do they need an AI for items such as manholes for drains (no manhole=no legal drain), filling holes from old pipes, reinstating load-bearing cills wrongly removed, fitting suitable locks suitable for doorhandles etc etc?

While eagerly awaiting the avalanche of AIs, the contractor has made it clear they're unable to programme the works and, therefore, return to site. It's nuts and the project could be heading for Phase 2 very shortly!

WEEK 46 - Old driveway sealed forever (Delay = 30 weeks)

The old driveway is no more! After removing more than a tonne of stone, bricks and old tarmac, we've finally managed to make room for the new beech hedge, which is set to fill the gap of the old driveway. Two tonnes of topsoil, a selection of fence posts and eight metres of brushwood screening later, the gap is closed and the order for the mature beech hedge will be placed next week. With a bit of TLC, we should have a half-decent hedge within 2-3 years.

A surreal moment

The first site meeting for two months took place this week. A surreal exercise, with the most comprehensive turn-out for a long time. More than ever, it’s impossible to judge the real commitment of the contractor to complete the project. It’s only another week or two of work still to be done but there is a real sense of “we’ve been through this all before”. Unless we can see some real action, in the guise of programme of works for the outstanding issues, it’s hard to let the crew back on site. We also need to ensure the long list of “snagging” items is resolved without any further delays. No snagging – no release of the retention, which represents an immediate 2.5% of the total contract value on completion and a further 2.5% in 12 months’ time – assuming we won’t have to make any warranty claims in the meantime.

A beauty!

It's hard to describe the Torcia as anything but a design statement. The chrome bracketing, copper wire and satin white glass diffuser is a masterpiece by Italian designer Cappelli and the fitting complements the subtle glass diffuser Pathos wall lights, also from Egoluce.

The revamped hall has seen the most significant investment in new lighting, compared to any other room. To connoisseurs of contemporary lighting it shows. To others, the Torcia may come in handy for London 2012.

Lack of action = complacency?

Our "friends" from Hansgrohe have been sitting on their hands for a week. Granted, they may be "investigating" the issue. However, they've taken zero initiative in reassuring anyone they're attempting to get a grip on the situation. As a result, I've briefed Trading Standards this afternoon. Let's see if this kicks the issue into action.

WEEK 45 - Landscaping complete (Delay = 29 weeks)

They said it would take three weeks and they delivered! The driveway and path/patio to the rear of the extension have been completed to schedule, which must be the first time something has worked out according to plan for a long time. And the stuff is looking great. Having also rebuilt and resurfaced the pavement outside the old driveway, which is no longer in use, the big challenge is to fill in the big hole in the beech hedge. Getting mature hedge plants is easy. Removing an old concrete plinth for the old driveway pillar is a job for a pneumatic breaking hammer as the pickaxe was clearly not up to the job. On top of this, there is a two-course layer of cemented bricks under the old driveway - they liked doing it properly back in 1956, which needs removed before we can start thinking about taking delivery of the beech.

It's unforgivable!

The following is an extract from an email to the managing director of Hansgrohe UK and the chief executive of Hansgrohe AG.

"I am writing to you regarding the Hansgrohe Axor Starck Mirror with Lamp (product #40141000), following an earlier conversation with [name removed] of your technical team and [name removed] of [bathroom shop], one of your main resellers.

"The mirror/light was ordered earlier this month and collected last week. Having been through an extensive redevelopment project during the last 12 months, including a complete refurb of the family bathroom, the mirror was to be positioned above a Starck Duravit pearwood vanity unit. As you’ll be aware, this combination is extensively featured in your own and Duravit’s sales literature.

"Prior to taking delivery of the unit, we had provisioned the electrical cabling and RCD, to enable our electrical contractor to fit and commission the unit.

"However, the unit was immediately deemed unsuitable for fitting in a bathroom due to its complete absence of water ingress protection and a legally required IP rating of IP44. In short, our electricians refused to fit the mirror/light.

"To cut a long story short, I understand Hansgrohe has been aware of this issue for a considerable period of time and have, indeed, shipped “several thousand units” of this mirror/light into the UK market. Furthermore, I understand your organisation has deemed it legally admissible to sell this unit in the UK. However, Hansgrohe UK is also well aware of the fact this unit cannot be installed in he UK while remaining compliant with current legislation for electrical installations. In other words, it’s legal to sell it, but not “legal” for customers to install this unit in their own bathrooms.

"The fact this unit appears to be sold exclusively through bathroom retailers, positioned as a co-ordinated item with third-party bathroom furniture manufacturers, such as Duravit, makes it difficult not to reach a conclusion of a clear corporate disregard for the safety of customers and a fundamental lack of commitment to complying with UK legislation.

"On no occasion have I been made aware of the unsuitability of this unit for a bathroom environment. The fact [bathroom retailer], who I understand have sold “hundreds” of these units, has been caught completely unaware, is a major concern. Furthermore, Hansgrohe’s failure to address this issue on its website/s, sales literature, installation instructions or product packaging is hard to understand.

"Indeed, to confuse the matter, there are two separate installation instructions available from your website. The 1999 version does not refer to the recommended minimum distance between the mirror/light and any sanitaryware, while the 2005 version suggest a minimum of 60cm between a bath and the mirror. This does not address the fact this unit will normally be fitted above a sink, as per above sales literature, nor the issue that this would still not make the unit compliant with UK legislation.

"The fact Hansgrohe UK appears to have knowingly sold a non-compliant product in the UK - without warning resellers or customers – is, at best, careless. I do not need to explain the potential consequences of a customer inadvertently being electrocuted due to Hansgrohe’s failure to address this issue. Therefore, I do not believe anything less than the immediate withdrawal of this product from the UK market, a public recall and proactive, direct, communication with owners of product #40141000 would suffice."

While we await their response, let's hope no unwitting customer decides to electrocute himself, courtesy of Hansgrohe...

Top tips for boosting your most valuable investment - apparently...

They're as regular as government sleaze allegations but the headline-grabbing articles punted by the property sections of newspapers and magazines, offering the Top 10 tips of boosting the value of your property, are devoured indiscriminately by most readers.

So here's the list from one recent offering, with details of what we've done in the last 11 months:

1. Build an extension - DONE IT!
2. Knock the living and dining room into one - DONE IT!
3. Convert the loft - DONE IT!
4. Add central heating - DONE IT!
5. Create off-road parking - DONE IT!
6. Fit a new kitchen - DONE IT!
7. Lay new flooring - DONE IT!
8. Install a new bathroom - DONE IT!
9. Smarten up the front - DONE IT!
10. Improve the garden - DONE IT!

So, that's it then!

Driveway moving forward

We're making real progress with the landscaping. The sandstone slabbing to the rear is nearing completion and the driveway blocking has already started. With a sprinkle of luck and dash of dry weather, we should be done within the next few days.

WEEK 44 - A blog milestone (Delay = 28 weeks)

While the completion of the project itself is up in the air, we've hit a significant milestone with the blog. Some eleven months after kicking it all off, having reached 26,000 words across 174 posts, the number of users checking out the blog has reached 1,000. It's developed a solid following and, while a large number of hits can be tracked down to the sunny shores of Costa Blanca, the blog has attracted readers from pretty much every corner of the world. What it's doing to the aspirations of individuals looking to develop their own homes it hard to gauge. However, it's certainly offering a reality-check for "would-be" developers.

WEEK 43 - We have our very own stone circle (Delay = 27 weeks)

It's been getting colder but we're finally making some progress on the landscaping project.

The sandstone is on site and the stone circle has already been laid. Tomorrow, they're planning to lay more of slabs for the path and patio areas and finish the kerb for the driveway.

Let's hope the weather stays dry.

We're cold!

It’s one of the coldest night for months and our boiler and heating system has shut down. Having discussed the issue with the contractor and plumber, they have no practical solution or explanation – other than “you’ll have to wait ‘till the morning”. Clearly, the shut-down has nothing to do with their workmanship…

With the issue back on our plate, a bit of lateral thinking isolated the problem to the ground floor. Shutting off the radiator feed, the boiler could be re-pressurised and, at least, we could get hot water and heating on the top floor back in action. Venturing back under the ground floor and through the 50x50cm hatch in the foundations – Houdini would be proud, it was pretty clear the problem was man-made. The under-floor connection to the radiator fitted yesterday in the Link had come apart. As a result, every single drop of water for the ground floor heating system was pumped into the solum space, rather than recirculated within the radiators. Clever! Plumbers back on site tomorrow…

Up and over

And we have a functional garage door! Despite the tight squeeze between the door and the finished ceiling, the door installer has managed to fit the electric motor and track. More importantly, it works! While there is still a bit of tweaking to be done and a photocell still to be fitted, the movement is ultra-smooth thanks to the latest Hormann Supramatic drive. It’s a decent piece of kit with exceptional design and innovative features.

WEEK 42 - Weather slows us down (Delay = 26 weeks)

We’re making s...l...o...w progress with the landscaping project. The weather has been wet, cold and very windy, so it’s been difficult to pour concrete and make real headway. However, the new foundations for the driveway pillars have been laid, the pillars have been built to a reasonable height and the 80cm deep concrete plinth for the sliding gate is in place. In the meantime, the front garden looks like a stone quarry, with the old driveway pillars having been knocked down and the individual stones been broken apart with pneumatic drills. In the end we’ll end up with brand new pillars of a more reasonable size - and wider driveway opening - using reclaimed stones from the old posts. The sandstone slabs are already on site, so all we need is dry weather. Now, that’s wishful thinking…

WEEK 41 - Landscaping starts (Delay = 25 weeks)

The guys were due to start yesterday. However, as the project can't be considered complete until the Hudevad radiators have been fitted, we are another 6-7 weeks away from the illusive completion date. And as the thoughts of draping the inside in dustsheets became a thought too tough to consider, we've asked for the internal building work to be reviewed and properly scheduled. We need a proper grip on what's outstanding and there is no point having the guys hanging around for the next couple of months, if all the outstanding work can be crammed into a couple of weeks.

However, the project is not standing still. External landscaping is due to start this week - Thursday - and assuming the rain disappears, should be finished in three weeks. So that's us into May, then...! The good news is that this part of the contract has been re-tendered and handed to an external landscaping contractor. We should, therefore, have a fair chance of getting to work done to a sensible timescale - weather permitting.

A break...

After a couple of manic weeks, the guys have left for a two weeks trade holiday. And at the end of 40 weeks, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. With a strong incentive to finish the works before the holiday – otherwise we’ll start removing elements from the contract and off-set any additional costs against the final valuation – we had an average of 12-15 men on the job in the last week. All the major areas have now been completed and, while there are still a large number of smaller items to complete – and a rapidly growing snagging list, we appear to have succeeded in moving the project on to its final stages. The big question is when we can officially declare it all complete. At this stage, we’re looking at late February, early March, as the Hudevad radiators are unlikely to make an appearance before then. In the meantime, the painters and plasterer have been in this week and the new driveway and landscaping is due start Monday 8 January.

They're piling it on

They’re chucking everything at it, including the utility sink, in order to finish by Friday. With five plumbers, one plasterer, two joiners, two painters and one labourer in site, the feeling is more akin to a busy airport with the air traffic control crew having gone home, but with countless aircraft looking to land. The guys need close management, cajoling and follow-up and there is a real danger the quality drops as “Huey” keeps piling on the items to address before Friday’s deadline.

WEEK 40 - The final lap (Delay = 24 weeks)

With five days to go before the Christmas break, whatever the end of this week brings, it heralds the beginning of the end for this project - in some shape or form. The contractor has been served seven-days notice, which, effectively takes us to Friday. Next week, unfinished work may be completed by a third-part contractor, with any excess costs being deducted from the final bill. Clearly, the whole idea was to complete this project as an all-inclusive package. However, as the contractor has singularly failed to deliver, we have no option but to start removing chunks of outstanding work from the original contract.

Utility floor takes shape

Overheard conversation between "Huey" and the tiler while discussing the quality of the concrete floor screed in the utility:

Tiler: "Who did this f****** floor? Stevie Wonder?!"
"Huey", the colour fading quickly from his face: "Aaam, hmmm - we'll get it sorted and you can start tiling tomorrow."

The duff screed was removed overnight and the tiler is now hard at work completing it for this afternoon. Tomorrow, the utility units will be fitted. Well, that's the plan anyway.

Rads in time for spring

The Danes have let us down. With ongoing production problems at Hudevad, we're now looking at delivery to site during the second half of February. We've had direct talks with the chief executive as well as the technical director of Ribe Jernindustri, Hudevad's parent company, and while the will to help may be there, we have seen little improvement in the delivery schedule. By the time the vertical radiators have been fitted, we'll be well into spring. If we knew the depth of the manufacturing problems, we would have opted for radiators from another manufacturer. But it's now too late to do anything about it. At least we'll have the heating system up and running in time for next winter...

"I want you to enjoy Christmas as much as I will!"

Fat chance! It's the statement of the year, concocted by "Huey", the most inept project manager this side of the Urals. He's clearly suffered a knock to his head as it is obvious there is no chance this will be finished in time for Christmas - this year. The tiler is back and the plumber also, grudgingly, made an appearance. But with the best will in the world - which you won't get from our project management team, there is no chance we'll have anything more than wet plaster in the new rooms.

"They don't like getting wet!"

The tiler has clearly got something more exciting on the go as he's still off the job. Apparently, he'll be back tomorrow, with another two men... It was a bit wet this morning, so the painter and plumbers have also called off. The painter's explanation I can understand. The plumber's is a cop-out.

WEEK 39 - Disaster (Delay = 23 weeks)

We've had our fair share of issues, mishaps and disasters during the last few months. However, the news earlier today that my brother's house has pretty much been gutted by fire - including all contents and a significant amount of family heirlooms - has put it all into perspective. While the cause of the fire is being investigated, it is likely to have been caused by an electrical fault. The end result is a total write-off and signals the start of a lengthy rebuilding project. Let's hope they'll have more luck with their building team.

A great end to a great week

We’re at the end of another week, 38 to be precise, and it is difficult to look at this in any other way: it’s going pear-shaped. Rapidly.

“Huey” has lost the plot and after the tiler had decided to ease back after a day’s worth of tough graft on Monday, failed to ensure the guy had enough tiles on site. So when returning this morning, he stuck a handful tiles on the wall and then ran out. The weekend was clearly on the horizon and it wasn’t a great loss to him.

After this morning’s failure to procure the right heat-probe for the underfloor heating, this was just another manifestation of the inept project management we’ve had to endure for nearly one year. But to run out of tiles after having waited for 14 weeks is unforgivable.

Link wrapped-up

The Link floor has been sanded - on time - to budget - to spec. Another item successfully kept out of the contract and completed without any faffing about. It looks fantastic but without proper protection the cack-handed crew would wreck the good work within hours. Last night, therefore, saw the return of the 50m roll of corrugated card. Fantastic value at £15 for nearly 45 square metres of card. And with three layers taped to the floor with gaffer tape, plus tarpaulin, we should be OK for the next few weeks. The only drawback is the horrendous smell of the acid-catalysed varnish. A health hazard par excellence.

Living on site

Unless you've been in the middle of it, it is hard to imagine what it is like living on a building site. Thankfully, it is something most people won't have to endure, especially not over a prolonged period of time. But the constant dust, the hotchpotch of discarded nails, bits of wood and metal sticking out from the most unexpected places - looking for an innocent foot to attack, is just an "industrial" hazard you've come to accept. The good news is that we've finally managed to reclaim the main bedroom and cloakroom. The main challenge, though, is to keep the thick layers of concrete dust out of the way. It's an impossible task and the dust masks are always to hand when doing the weekly clean-out. Exciting stuff!

2006 becomes 2007

When kicking off this project, back in March 2006, the original plan was to finish it by late Summer. As the trials and tribulations have escalated, it has become clear that we'll have to go through all four seasons before completion.

So it is with trepidation we'll have to reconsider renaming these musings to "1956 meets 2007". It doesn't really have the same ring to it. It's a shame we couldn't get it all wrapped-up within the 50th anniversary, but only a miracle - or Santa Claus - can now make this happen.

WEEK 38 - We finally have a tiler (Delay = 22 weeks)

It has taken a long time but we now have a tiler on site. And the good news is that his work over the last couple of days has been pretty good. In fact, it has been better than we ever imagined, with no ledges and even spacing between each tile. But as with everything so far, nothing is ever straightforward. Today, he decided there were more pressing issues to attend to. So, he decided not to turn up. We've come to expect this kind of commitment over the last few months... In the meantime, 90% of the walls have been completed; the additional plywood flooring has been installed after the contractor got the spec wrong; and the new bathroom door has been hung. The electricians are due tomorrow to install the underfloor heating, which will enable the tiler to do the utility floor and the bathroom floor on Friday. That’s the plan – for the time being.

WEEK 37 - Stair goes back (Delay = 21 weeks)

So the utility floor has been screeded and the new stair was ready to be fitted. But, hey, nothing is ever straightforward! The stair is too short and has been returned to the workshop to be taken apart. They've said the new stair will be back this week. As with everything else, we'll take it with a pinch of salt.

The tiling farce continues

It’s ten weeks since the bathroom strip-out started and we’re still no further forward with completing this room. The bath and shower tray have both been installed but there is no sign of a tiler. In a game more akin to Monopoly, where every single card you draw is “Return to Start”, the two tilers lined-up in the last week to review the job, have both failed to pick up the challenge. Today’s candidate decided to stay in bed because of a sore back.

Now, there isn’t much you can do with someone who claims to be off sick. However, relying on just one unknown tiler to turn up and dig the contractor out of an almighty hole, is unforgivable.

The time had come, again, to share some select thoughts with the contractor on the shambolic handling of this project. The bottom-line is that they’ve singularly failed to get contractors to site in a timely manner. A long list of “subbies”, including electricians, plumbers, stainless steel roofers, roughcasters, tilers and plasterers, have all decided to turn up at their own leisure, or earn their money elsewhere. The end result is that our project is rapidly grinding to a halt, with few signs of any improvement.

In the meantime, we’ve removed all plastering from the contract, with the remaining work now handled by our own specialist plasterer.

WEEK 36 - Arch gone (Delay = 20 weeks)

We've achieved some half-decent improvements internally over the last few months and the hall is the room which has seen some of the greatest benefits. As the temporary plywood wall - which protected the rest of the house while the arch was being demolished - was removed, it became apparent that the original objective of creating a brighter, spacious, hall has been achieved. Next comes repairs and plastering to the walls and corners; redecoration of ceilings, walls and staircase,;plus electrical fittings. But this time we'll hold back on the painterwork so we don’t have to redo the whole lot before the building crew moves off site.

Still no sign of a tiler

The project management strategy is nothing less than a farce and, as a result, we remain without a tiler. Despite some decent effort by he architectural team, we have made no progress in the bathroom for several weeks. One tiler came around yesterday but he was not keen to pick up somebody's work. The knock-on effect is well documented elsewehere and it's putting the whole project in jeopardy. Nobody seems to have a solution, which is the exceptionally frustrating aspect of this sorry saga.

En-suite completed

It's taken the best part of five months but the glass doors for the en-suite and wardrobe have finally been fitted. The good news is that we can move back into the main bedroom. The downside is that we need to redecorate the whole room after it has been exposed to the grubby hands of workmen for the last few months. There is also some snagging outstanding but we'll have to deal with this later. The priority is now reclaim this room as quickly as we can.

Rab to the rescue

Rab, the plasterer, has come to the rescue. An old friend of the family, he's accepted the challenge of doing the remaining plastering. It's fantastic news as his reputation is second to none ("the best plasterer in town") and it will certainly dig us out of a hole. Now, all we need is a good tiler and a decent project manager...

Link flooring

The reclaimed mahogany for the Link has been on site for months. It's been around the block a couple of times, including featuring in a church hall and someone's dining room, but the match is as close as we'll ever get to the existing hall floor. So far so good. Even the direction of the floorboards had been agreed, with the details confirmed by the architect months ago and discussed with the joiners late last week to ensure everything was clear.

Imagine my surprise when I did a spot-check late this morning and found the direction of the flooring had been changed as that's what the joiners thought had been agreed! Equally unbelievable, they denied any recollection of our discussion last week and looked at me like three year olds in denial when confronted with the issue... While the flooring looks good, it's another example of the total absence of any leadership and direction from "Huey".

WEEK 35 - Construction planning by the cast of Walt Disney (Delay = 19 weeks)

We've seen them all. Mickey Mouse, Goofey, Uncle Scrooge and the Beagle Boys. But the last few days would easily rank among the top Oscar howling moments for the sheer madness and lack of direction. The crew has lost all control over the plasterers and tilers. Their inability to pull themselves together is nothing short of spectacular. According to site agent, let's call him Huey, he's tried every single tiler in the phonebook within a radius of 50 miles and they're all booked up until March. Now there is no surprise good tilers are committed months in advance, but why did the contractor fail to book a tiler well in advance? We all know the project is running late, but there is absolutely no excuse for making a mess of this. The end result is that we can’t make any real progress in the Link - or anywhere else, as the ceiling can’t be plastered until the bathroom has been tiles and the toilet has been securely been fitted to the floor. Never before has one small part of the project put such a complete stop to our ability to get this finished.

And to cap it all, Huey and the contract manager - "Dewey" - are now failing to return phonecalls. We’re heading towards a crunch-point.

"We'll be finished for Christmas. I promise you."

Another VERY frank exchange with the builder this afternoon. The long and short of this is that they will finish by Christmas. Looking at the current state of the site and the absence of key trades, including plasterers and tilers, it ain't going to happen. Let's hope they'll prove me wrong.

New balustrade arrives

The glass balustrade has finally been delivered. True to form, the guys have installed the new glass, however, it will have to be removed soon as the screws for the brackets are incorrect. Without bigger screws, the stuff is likely to pop out and crash down the stair, onto the hall floor. Total weight of each sheet of glass is just under 100kg. So it's a good idea to have it done properly. The screws have been on order for three weeks and if previous performance is anything to go by, it may take another couple. Alternatively, I could pop down to the local DIY shed to pick up a few packs.

Now, that's professionalism for you

If it wasn't for our own trials and tribulations, this small off-topic story from a trade magazine would have passed me by. But imagine being paid to botch a job in such a way. The first time I read the piece, it sounded pretty much like our own project. And the more I think about it, it's pretty clear that you either need to be a great construction outfit to achieve such results or, alternatively, a complete nutcase who's professional abilities have just passed you by. Clearly, I wouldn't make any judgement on which camp our partners would fit into...

WEEK 34 - Rads further delayed (Delay = 18 weeks)

The Hudevad radiators have again been delayed and are now unlikely to be here until January, at the earliest. The factory is , apparently, being rebuilt. At the same time, it looks as though they're in the process of laying off a large number of workers. In short, it means that we'll be without much heating in the new living room (apart from the gas fire) and hall. The good thing is that by the time we get them fitted, we probably won't need them for another few months anyway...!

Plasterers returned to site yesterday, skimming the remaining wall in the lounge and bathroom ceiling. They're due to start tiling the bathroom today. Let's wait and see whether they turn up. Weekly site meeting today a @ 11am.

UPDATE: One plasterer turned up but I can't understand why they're now plastering the utility and not the bathroom. It's apparently to do with the "flow of the project"! Since when did the site manager think about project flow? If they haven't understood the critical item is the bathroom - after dozens of reminders - there is little hope for any of us.

Progress update

One digger driver on site. And that's it...

No further forward...

OK, so we’re 17 weeks late and should be focusing on tidying up and finishing the project well in time for Christmas. That’s the theory. Today’s site meeting was yet another act of smoke and mirrors, interspersed with empty promises. At the time of writing, we’re still waiting for clarification on plasterers (should have been on site last Monday, with work for two weeks); tilers (same as plasterers); plumbers (needed to hook up the various pipes concealed in the bathroom floor/link ceiling); electricians (to fit external lights); joiners (required to fit out the link); glaziers (to supply the glass for the en-suite and sliding doors); various trades to finish start and finish the utility room; and the list goes on and on. When will it all finish? Who knows?

WEEK 33 - Lucky escape (Delay = 17 weeks)

He had a lucky escape, the frog which narrowly escaped being buried alive during the ground levelling. Spotted by one of the labourers, the frog was rescued at the last minute and released back into a safer part of the garden.

"Where's the tap?!"

It’s been the cause of a fair amount of head-scratching over the last couple of days. The Kohler Laminar faucet fills the new bath with a solid stream of water, ejecting straight out of the wall. With not a single conventional bath tap in sight, the plumber, architect and builder were all visibly perplexed as to how this would integrate with the bath. And with only basic fitting instructions available, it’s down to the plumber to make this piece of pure design work in practice.

Fireplace in place

The installation of the fireplace started today and the first trial-burn has already been completed. There are a few more soapstone panels still to be fitted and another to receive a quick polish to remove a small scratch, but the kit already looks great in the lounge. For the first time, it feels as though this new room finally has a “soul”.

WEEK 32 - It's a milestone! (Delay = 16 weeks)

...or is that a millstone...!?

A surreal week

It's been a roller-coaster week. After the hustle and bustle of Week 30, there was little doubt this would be a hard week to follow. Having managed to secure an extra joiner, the main bathroom is making some progress but this room is being held up by the tweaking required to the plumbing. So when the plumber walked off the job, everything fell apart, at least for the contractor. In my mind, it's the client's prerogative to feel the emotional pressure of a long drawn-out project. When the main contractor finds the whole thing hard going, it doesn't become any easier. The good news is that the issues with the plumber have been resolved - whatever they were - and he's back on site tomorrow. In the meantime, the digger is back and they've already managed to make significant inroads with ground levels. The old beech and leylandii hedges are all gone, a move which has opened up the garden beyond our wildest dreams. We always knew it was a good size, however, after removing these hedges, it's pretty clear we have a lot of space to play with - and a lot of landscaping to do!

Sheer muscle

He's like Popeye in battle fatigues! The main labourer, who has been involved in the project since Day 1, was the poor guy who had to keep digging the 8 feet deep trenches in pouring rain, while the mud was sliding back in as quickly as it was being shovelled out. And what a worker! Whenever something needs fixed, "Fred" is back on site and today, as we saw the last of the scaffolding, he single-handedly filled a complete lorry in minutes. Five (!) scaffolding planks at a time - on his shoulders - appeared to be just for warming up. Mere mortals would struggle with just one. Must be eating Weetabix for breakfast...

Ash flooring complete

The new ash flooring in the lounge is pretty much done and it's looking great. Without doubt, it was worth the wait as we scoured the country for appropriate 22mm floorboards. Great quality timber and the guys have also done pretty well in matching and staggering the various length to make it all a pretty stunning, contemporary-looking floor.

A near-disaster

It could have ended in disaster. Last Saturday, while the guys were fitting the flooring in the extension, we kept noticing a strange burning smell. Initially, we put it down to the sanding of the staircase, which had happened earlier that morning. However, an hour later, the smell of burning wood was still hanging in the air and it was time to investigate. It turned out one of the joiners had switched on a transformer, used for one of the big saws. What nobody had noticed were the halogen worklights attached to the transformer. It wouldn't normally have been a problem - if the lights weren't propped up against the wall! The end result: a scorched plasterboard. If the wall had been made of anything else, we would have had a very large pile of ash to play with...

WEEK 31 - Hot stuff (Delay = 15 weeks)

The original architectural brief was to create a design-driven 21st century project based on sound architectural and engineering principles, using modern materials and commercial construction methods. At the same time, the challenge has always been to provide a positive, calm/homely ambiance, coupled with a bright, aspirational and highly energy efficient modern-day family living space.

With a super-efficient condensing boiler system, low energy and low voltage lighting, plus zoned heating controls, we’ve gone some way towards keeping our energy footprint under control.

And the insulation currently being installed in the bathroom is of a similar spec, with no sign of traditional mineral wool anywhere in sight. The Actis Triso-Super 10 is a complex arrangement of 19 individual insulating layers, originally used in industry and space research. More akin to a roll of kitchen tinfoil, the 30mm thermo-reflective insulation mat has the same insulation properties as 210mm of mineral wool. Even better, it stops the winter cold in its track and reflect the heat of rooms back inside. In the summer, the mat reflects solar radiation back outside, preventing overheating.

Are we winning?

I think we are. If the last few days are anything to go by, the project is picking up speed. We’ve seen some real progress this week, with one of the new stairs fitted; the new bathroom framed out; external walls being rendered and, today, the frame of the new garage door being installed. Even though they did have to remove the new stair for a few hours - after having used a sledge hammer to “ease” it in between two walls - we now have a beautiful ash stair, which is a great piece of craftsmanship in its own right.

Today, the crew has also started laying the ash floor in the new lounge and with both the rendering team and joiners returning to site tomorrow (Saturday) to continue the work, Week 30 could turn out to be the week when we made the most significant progress.

We can always live in hope!

Now the big DIY weekend challenge is whether to paint the new gable end wall, which was finished last weekend, or sand and varnish the rebuilt staircase in the existing house. Decisions, decisions…

Drains - reprise

Now, physics wasn't my favourite topic at school, however, I have enough common sense to know that water doesn't drain upwards. So when the intricate soil pipe for the new bathroom toilet was installed, with a bend which would have allowed the stuff from the toilet to accumulate at the end of the pipe, it was time to call in some expert opinion. No action would mean a prompt build-up of toilet waste and mega-grief to resolve the new ceiling in the link had been fitted. As a result, the pipe layout will now be changed by the plumbers and everything should be OK when the kit is ultimately commissioned. However, if it wasn't for an eagle-eyed client – again – checking the work on a daily basis, you sometimes wonder what you end up with inside walls, floors and ceilings. Yes, in an ideal world, you don't really want to live on a building site. The upside is that you can pick up such issues before they become a real problem.

Bathroom

We're making some progress with the main bathroom and the walls are currently being strapped. This will enable the new pipe work and electrical cabling to be fitted inside the new voids. However, the brief of keeping this strapping to the absolute minimum – to maximise the floor space - was subtly ignored by the construction crew. Hard hatter’s once-daily unannounced site visit put a prompt stop to this and the new strapping is now being redesigned and cut down to a more sensible size. The good news is that things are moving forward. Disappointingly, everything is taking sooooo long and it's unlikely we'll have a bathroom within the next four weeks.

And they sparkled like little crystals

While the inside of the house is again covered in fine concrete dust - akin to a couple of bags of cement having been detonated on each floor - the external walls of the extension are finally taking place.

The long-awaited specialist renderers appeared yesterday and two walls have already been covered in the high-tech render. Like sparkling snow crystals, the powder is mixed with water and applied like ordinary plaster. The real difference only becomes clear the next day, when the new surface is "scratched" and sanded with a custom-tool, to bring out the super-smooth finish. Unless we decide to repaint the walls in glorious day-glo orange after a few weeks, the only maintenance required may be the odd pressure wash, to remove any airborn dirt.

WEEK 30 - Walls harled (Delay = 14 weeks)

So the rough-casters decided to make an appearance. Over the weekend, the gable end wall of the existing house and the patches on he rear cloakroom were completed, in glorious harling, a messy concoction of cement slurry and stone chips. The end result is a fairly well blended-in east-facing wall, which once housed three cupboards and a utility room.

However, if it wasn’t for our timely intervention on Saturday morning and a couple of subsequent calls to the site manager, we would have ended up with more harling than what we had envisaged. The brief for the extension is a crisp, linear finish, with pre-coloured smooth render to be applied to the main surfaces. The rough-casters, oblivious to this specification, were ready to start chucking the harling onto these new walls. Stopping the guys in their tracks, we averted a major restoration exercise, which would have seen the crew having to chisel off the harling, chip by chip. Not that it would have made a difference to the overall timescales. We’re two weeks away from a 100% overrun. It’s time to put the champagne on ice.

Stair brackets finally arrive

We’re making progress with the main staircase. After a couple of months, waiting for the “off the shelf” stainless steel brackets to arrive, they’re finally in place. The first set of plywood templates have also been cut and while they may look a bit “woodish”, in the words of a battle-hardened eight-year old observer, they’re the precursors to the 12mm bullet-proof glass, which will form the new stair balustrade. Before fitting the glass, which could take another month, we’ll need to spend a few hours sanding and varnishing the new mahogany post to create a seamless blend with the existing stair features. The end result should be a much improved outlook from the hall, with plenty of natural light.

WEEK 29 - Holiday (Delay = 13 weeks)

Now, in my book, holiday is something you get after putting in a bit of effort, whether that's at work or on the home front. That principle, clearly, doesn't apply to the construction sector, as they get their "trades", whether they deserve it, or not.

Last Thursday, the crew went off on their October break. They’ll be back tomorrow and we’ve been promised there will be some real progress made from now on. We’ve heard this before but, with a long list of outstanding issues, it’s time to make it happen.

A mess

Having spent the best part of a week restoring the original front entrance by stripping, sanding and repainting the doors, we were keen to protect our “masterpieces”. So when the guys starting stripping the underside of the front door canopy, we stressed the importance of using a suitable gel-type paint stripper. Anything else would run off like water and end up firmly embedded in the sandstone front steps. Imagine the surprise when they proceeded to strip the old layers of paint, without any protection - and using conventional, runny, paint stripper. Under normal circumstances, this could have had a happy ending, but with strong winds and a token gesture of a polythene sheet, which was put down after we had to tell them – again – to protect the steps, it was downhill from there.

The concoction of old paint and chemical paint stripper has now been splattered over the newly restored doors and original brickwork. And with the usual helplessness we’ve seen over the last few months, we had to take charge and demand the guys use our own white spirit, wire brush and high-pressure washer. Not surprisingly, the paint has not been properly removed and next week will start withh a restoration exercise of the front door area. A complete waste of time and another example of a badly executed piece of work.

WEEK 28 - Time's marching on (Delay = 12 weeks)

In another four weeks, we'll hit a magic milestone. 16 weeks of delay, which equates to a total overrun of, yes, 16 weeks. Where this will end is the big question everybody, apart from the contractor, keep asking. The answers are not forthcoming, so we don't really know what's in store.

In the meantime, the rendering crew is due back on site this week, to start applying the white pre-coloured concrete to the external wall panels. Apart from that, the work with the new bathroom continues which, hopefully, means we can resume work in the Link. Plastering and fitting-out of this room has been held up considerably, as we couldn't install a new ceiling until the drains for the bathroom had been installed. Hopefully, with this bottleneck now removed, we can start seeing some real progress.

Bathroom stripped

All that's left of the main bathroom is a dusty pile of old breeze blocks, bricks and tiles. The strip-out started last Tuesday and by Friday, four layers of ceramic tiles and a wall had been demolished. Rather than carting bags of rubble through the house, the guys decided to cut a hole in the floor and drop the stuff into the link. A bit of clever, lateral, thinking - for a change. There is still some old pipe and wiring to be removed, but most of the demolition has been completed. Next, they'll have to start rebuilding the room and move the door along, to ensure the various bits of sanitaryware can be accommodated. It should take a couple weeks, but with the track-record to date, it's anybody's guess as to how long this process will take.

WEEK 27 - And it drags on ... (Delay = 11 weeks)

We’re back to knocking our heads against the brick wall. Apart from the new ash stairs arriving – destined for the extension – little has happened. Here are some extracts from the email updates provided to our architect over the last couple of days.

Monday: “Spent the entire weekend regrouting gaps in the tiling, removing unwanted silicone and painting the wall outside the en-suite, which has already been painted. Soilstack leaks and shower doesn't work. Briefed [contractor] by text on Saturday and Sunday, but he decided to call off the plumber for today's rip-out of the main bathroom. Not sure why he couldn't have asked the plumber to fix the stuff which was installed by him in the first place... Ceiling in en-suite needs repainted and filled, after the electricians left marks and chips. The light fitting is not flush with ceiling.

“Have read [contractor] the riot act on how they handle finished products. There are marks on the new sanitaryware and the electricians' track-record is poor (fingerprints in every single ceiling and holes in the wrong places)... Not convinced he understands my concerns.

“Can we please restate our/my expectations as to the commitment to achieving crisp and professional finishes, without causing any collateral damage?

“[Contractor] has now decided the new stairs should be varnished before installation. Fine, but we should have been told about this last week. I'll now have to do this work myself.

“No sign of roughcasters. K-rend bags arrived today - they clearly had no intention to start last week. They're apparently returning "this week".

“No sign of glass doors for en-suite. Should have arrived on Friday, with delivery to site scheduled for today. [Contractor] doesn't know what's happened. Didn't chase on Friday...

“One labourer still working on removing paint from gable wall. Two joiners twiddling their thumbs.

“Going nowhere fast... A vicious circle of empty promises and little substance, alleviated by peaks around site meetings - little action in between...”

Wednesday (today): After the shortest site meeting in history – 10 minutes – where the architect had to call off at short notice and the contract manager decided not to turn up, it was hard not to completely lose the plot:

“Meeting with [contractor] was a complete waste of time. No sign of [contracts manager]. No progress on render; still no sign of en-suite doors; nothing being done in the bathroom today.

”They don't appear to have a grip on their own resources let alone any sway with suppliers.

”Coupled with the total lack of initiative and drive to get this finished, it's becoming harder and harder to take them seriously.

“They're just replaying information they've been telling us for weeks. The only difference is the constant slippage, which makes a mockery of the weekly commitments they make at each site meeting. The stuff we're asking them to procure shouldn't be particularly hard to come by, but as I said to [contractor] earlier, it feels as though somebody is having a laugh.

”On the resourcing front, there is one joiner and one labourer on site. I asked [contractor] for another labourer yesterday and they may put an extra person in to strip the bathroom tiles tomorrow. As I reminded [contractor] this morning, they've already lost one day by not doing anything in the bathroom today. So two days into the bathroom refurbish, they're already a day behind.

”Tiring and trying...”

The story of the arch

It’s been one of the most investigated aspects of the project and the element which has had more stops, starts and u-turns than an average politician. The arch, the main structure between the main hall, link and extension, today bit the dust, covering the inside of the entire house in thick layer of building dust.

From the outset, there was general agreement this 1950s feature had to go, purely for the sake of creating a greater degree of flow and openness between the old and new. However, from being a pretty simple demolition exercise, the arch was declared a fundamental structural component, which could not be removed without major supporting works and, more importantly, the removal of large parts of the original mahogany floor. There was little option but to delete this item from the project. That was until the builder, several months later, decided to investigate further, only to find it was a fairly simple structure with no structural significance. Yes, we have been "at this" for several months! However, it’s the first time we’ve seen some real initiative and innovative thinking…


And with the structural engineer’s blessing, most of the arch has now been removed, brick by brick, from floor to ceiling. It will all be gone by the weekend and we can start focusing on reinstating the plasterwork and original Art Deco-style cornices. Interestingly, the arch itself was a piece of real craftsmanship. Once the original plaster had been chiselled away, the "real" arch revealed itself as a finely constructed piece of curved brickwork, built around a temporary wood frame. It's another testament to the dedication of the original construction team and integrity of the main building.

Walls ready for render

It looks like a vast steel blanket, made of galvanized mesh, interwoven with cardboard and plastic. The "Rendalath" - clearly a brainwave of some building material company's newly-appointed marketing executive - is now ready to take the K-Rend pre-coloured silicone-based concrete. It's been ready for the last few days, however, the architect, builder and render team have been in deep discussion, thrashing out the final details before smearing the stuff in glorious white paste. They're taking no chances, as they realise the client will accept no shortcuts or badly integrated design features.

Crooked traders

It's vaguely "off topic", but after a week of two break-ins and continued grief with the plumbing installation in the en-suite, the last thing I needed was a fraudulent transaction on my credit card. After spotting a charge of nearly a grand last Saturday, from a company I had never heard of, I called the company and card issuer today to find somebody had used my credit card information to have goods delivered to an address several hundred miles away. And what did the crooks buy? Several taps, mixers and a shower!

Flying start

Against all the odds, we've had a pretty impressive start to the week. This morning saw the return of the stainless steel team to start cladding the front door canopy and cloakroom roof. And after weeks of waiting, the outdoor rendering team also appeared. They've started installing a galvanized steel mesh, which will take the pre-coloured concrete to the outside walls. With the electricians, who finally decided to install the TV SCART cable, and our own painter who's done a couple of coats in the new living room, the contracted joiner and labourer completed the line-up of ten tradesmen. Oh, and the alarm engineer decided to pop around to do the six-monthly service.

If we continue at this pace, we’ll make serious progress over the next few days and weeks. The likelihood of this happening, though, may be slim if previous performance is anything to go by.

WEEK 26 - Windows are in (Delay = 10 weeks)

It’s the first full week with new windows. Apart from the side door and the sliding terrace door, all glass has now been fitted. While it has taken a while, at least we now ha a semi-watertight structure. The big disappointment is the delay to the running gear for the large sliding door. The hardware is manufactured in Italy and the contractors didn’t really give much thought to the fact that they would need to order this well in advance. Now, that's a surprise! So we’ll have another 5-6 weeks to wait for the kit; then another couple of weeks to manufacture the iroko hardwood door, plus another week or two to get the glass. It’s a crazy situation as we can’t move forward with the final decorative finishes until this door arrives. All of a sudden, Christmas doesn’t feel that far away.

The flaming hole has been cut

The fireplace is scheduled to be fitted on 17 October and the sleeve for the flue has already been installed. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a short period of time when you’re running a small part of the project yourself. Now all we need is the gas fitter to turn up on the 17th to connect the fire. I’m confident the fireplace guys will turn up as agreed and do a good job but the big question is how many times we need to chase the main contractor to ensure he doesn’t let us down on the day.

En-suite - update

The toilet wobbles and the shower screen has been fitted the wrong way around, but the en-suite is nearly ready. Another few days and the toilet pan should be re-fitted and we can declare this rooms as sort-of-finished. There is a set of glass sliding doors yet to come and some snagging to address, however, it’s time to start the main bathroom. The main bedroom/en-suite has taken the best part of three months and with the main bathroom four times the size, they should be finished by Autumn 2008…

They've lost the plot ... and a few earlier instructions

And talking of broken promises... The electricians seem to have lost track of what's happening next. A classic example is the installation of the en-suite extractor fan which, when discussed three months ago, was specified as a combined ceiling light and fan. When making a rare appearance earlier this week, they were adamant they thought we would buy the kit. "We can't get chrome fittings", was the lame answer. A quick check proved there were dozens of chrome shower fan/lights available and they've been sent off to get the appropriate fittings without any more messing about.

WEEK 25 - Communication (Delay = 9 weeks)

When your builder has become a speeddial on your mobile, you know the project has been going on for too long.

Under normal circumstances, there shouldn't have to be much day-to-day communications beyond the weekly site meetings. But when promises metamorphose into broken promises, we're entitled to know why things are not happening. Surprisingly, they'll never pick up the phone with an update. It's the client that has to do the running, in addition to the architect, who talks to the guys regularly. You sometimes wonder whether it really makes a difference.

Lighting never strikes twice...

So the b******s returned. At the stroke of 12pm, I heard a small thud and immediately sensed something was wrong. Looking out of the window, I spotted the leader from yesterday’s “visit”, legging it down the road. Ran downstairs, grabbing the mobile as I struggled to get a pair of shoes. Strange how everything is so much more difficult when you’re in a rush!

Punched 999 into the phone before entering the site, just in case I ended up finding someone on site, two days in a row. There, as a clear testament to their desperation, the reinforced panel which had been installed last night, was gently prised to the side, allowing free entry into the Link. Dialled 999 and went through the same motions as yesterday. However, today, we had two police cars within 3-4 minutes and to cut a long story, two suspects arrested within 30 minutes.

Whether there were anyone else “helping out” – yesterday there were four – we’ll probably never know. But between them, this crew managed to steal a very large electric saw, weighing 20-30 kilos, plus two boxes of power tools, altogether worth somewhere near £1,000. The saw was recovered from the guys, neatly wrapped in plastic they had stolen from a roll of mineral wool insulation in the garage – so two pieces of evidence linking these to our site. Later, the policed returned to retrace the steps of the soon-to-be-convicts, to find the other tools.

Having secured the site, but this time using greater more reinforcement, we’re now exploring whether we can pick up some slightly used landmines from eBay. If not, we may position some buckets of red gloss paint in strategic places. At least we can then follow their footprints…

A bit of action on a Saturday morning

It’s been 24 weeks of action, but not the kind of action we had this morning. Having spent a couple of hours restoring the main front door to its former glory, in the new garage, it was time for a quick break.

The window glazier had left a few minutes earlier and the site was pretty much closed down for the weekend, apart from the front door cooking under layers of paint stripper. It’s a beautiful oak door, but hasn’t had much TLC over the last 50 years.

So the sound of something crashing to the ground from the extension area was totally unexpected. My initial thought was that the builders had decided to return for some out-of-hours action – to catch up on a slipping programme. Wishful thinking, perhaps, but it turned out to be some uninvited visitors.

Heading outside, all sorts of things ran through my mind. I don’t have a black belt in karate, nor do I have a spare supply of pepper spray, so the options were limited. Shouting out, four 16-18 year old boys emerged from the utility area in the extension, looking pretty spaced-out and bewildered. Now, the language was more colourful, but my question was along the lines of: “what are you guys doing here?” The answer was: “we’re lost and on our way home…”.

Plausible explanation... You come off the street, onto a building site, through a garage, up a ladder, and try entering a house through a boarded-up plywood wall…

Eying-up the long pieces of timber on the garage floor, thinking I could offer them a bit of a lesson in one-to-four-man combat, I took the split-second decision I would have no chance fighting off four guys with a long stick. I suggested they leave – very quickly.

I’d grabbed the mobile telephone before rushing outside, so called 999 while following the guys down the road. The police responded quickly but it still took the best part of ten minutes before they had two patrol cars looking for the guys. Not surprisingly, the guys had done a vanishing act before the boys in blue turned up. Returning back to site, it turned out these guys had tried to break into the “Link”, which is now used as a storage area. Kicking down a temporary doorframe, boarded up with ply, they had gained access to the room. And it was pretty obvious they weren’t on the way home. Outside, on the landing, they had hurriedly abandoned a toolbox with a pneumatic screwdriver. Given a few extra minutes, and without my intervention, these criminals would have legged it with tools and anything else which took fancy.

And this all took place during broad daylight, just after midday on a Saturday…

I think we’ve had enough action for some time.

Footnote: the builders turned out to be pretty responsive, arriving promptly to put in place additional security measures.

It must have been the fairies

With the en-suite nearing completion, it was inevitable we would have another mishap before we could kick this room into action. Spotting a flat and tidy surface at the end of the covered bed, the tilers took the view that it would make an excellent workbench. The fact this is a mothballed bedroom, with furniture covered in tarpaulin while the botched tiling in the en-suite was being addressed, didn’t really click and out came the hacksaw to cut the metal tile-trim. Underneath was a highly polished mahogany chest of drawers and bedside cabinet…

So tying in neatly with the “one step forward, two steps back” strategy, the guys will now have to call in a furniture restorer to repair the damage.

When confronted with the damaged furniture, the tilers denied they had ever been using the surface for cutting: “We cut the stuff on the flair [read: floor]”. With metal shavings covering the tarpaulin, alongside bits of tile trim, it was hardly worth arguing about the course of events. Impressive.

Containers move on

After twenty weeks, the storage containers have been chopped. The original street occupation license had expired and, not surprisingly, some "do gooder" have had a whinge to the council. The project may be late and the containers may have outstayed their welcome, however, I wonder if the construction team behind the Parliament also had to work out of their own garage when their project was running late...

I think not.

WEEK 24 - Moving forward? (Delay = 8 weeks)

Having spent the weekend stripping the front door of 50 years' worth of varnish, the new week has started in a slightly more upbeat manner. Yes, the plumber is late and will now arrive on Wednesday/Thursday to install the en-suite, but the room itself is now pretty much done. The ceiling has already received three coats of paint and with a couple of more to go, should be fit for a few years of active use.

The builders have even started to give some thought to how we can move things forward. The demolition of the hall archway is now back on the cards and, as long as the structural engineer is happy, we can start taking this down. The internal door issue has also been resolved - we won't do anything with the existing doors for the time being. This will save 6-8 weeks and we can easily replace these doors once the main project is out of the way.

The burning question

We've checked-out every fireplace designer and manufacturer this side of the Urals, and have finally managed to pin down a piece of kit which will provide decent output, heat retention and look the part. The original intention was to install a wood burning stove, however, with a minimum chimney height of 4.5 metres, we would have ended up with a massive pipe on top of the new roof and accusations of construction a factory-style smokestack in a residential area.

So off we went down the natural gas path. Yes, the stuff may be running out in a few decades, but someone else will have to deal with that. All we can do is to ensure we build something that's energy efficient and works - today. Unfortunately, the location of the fireplace - straight under one of the main roof beams - meant we would have had to redesign and rebuild the roof.

Why did nobody do a sense-check on the drawings before agreeing to this?! Or, even better, why can't the blooming CAD software automatically detect that this is nuts?

As a result, the fireplace has had to be relocated - to a straight wall. The balanced flue can then be installed straight through the wall and, hey presto, we have a working fireplace.

With the incredible track-record of the cast iron smelters at Jøtul in Fredrikstad, Norway (famous for its football team and the best "pilsner" beer on earth), their excellent design expertise, and some 4000 million year old soapstone from Otta in Gudbrandsdalen, Norway, we've come up with a very contemporary solution, fused with traditional firebox design. It's love it or loathe it time!

WEEK 23 - Resourcing issues (Delay = 7 weeks)

Things are hotting up, but I'm not sure if this is constructive, creative, tension or the sign of things falling apart. While the tilers have finally turned up to do the en-suite, we're still down to only one labourer on site. This has been the case for the last few days and, in my view, not in the spirit of driving the project forward to a speedy and painless conclusion.

It's all pretty tense, but after two looooong telephone conversations with the contract manager and site agent this morning, they are in no doubt that we've moved well beyond the "let's enjoy this project" stage. Nobody seems to have a magic wand, unless we can pick one up from eBay...

The Link

The Link is the umbilical chord between the old, existing house, and the new extension. In pre-construction days, this badly designed piece of room was called "kitchen". In reality, it was a narrow piece of work with worktops on either side.

Now the Formica-style kitchen units have been ripped out and we're left with a sizeable room which will provide storage on one side and wide-open space on the other. Hopefully, this will provide free flow between the old and new. The old floorboards have also been stripped out and reclaimed mahogany flooring - matching the hall - will be installed. That’s once the guys have managed to get themselves organised.

The life of a "subbie" - Part 2

The subbie is, perhaps, the most squeezed piece in this construction jigsaw. Stuffed between the main contractor and client, they're at the end of a long chain, without any real insight into the project or direct access to client funds.

That's why it is important to develop a good, down-to-earth, relationship and straight communication with these guys. And sometimes they'll even share bits of "information" which, pieced together, may start to provide a better picture of the overall state of affairs.

Whatever the reasons, rightly or wrongly, you could easily jump to the conclusion that this is an issue of more serious ramifications. The question is, therefore, when do you pull in the oars and call it a day? It's a tricky question and not one I particularly want to have to address.

(Pictures above: new living room)

Site meetings

Every week, for the last five months, we've had site meetings to review progress and resolve any construction and design queries. Managed by the architect and attended by the construction team and, occasionally, the structural engineer and quantity surveyor, these meetings have enabled us stay on top of the programme for the next few weeks. It's pretty important as living in the middle of a building site is not easy.

Normally, such meetings are no-go areas for clients but after some gentle persuasion, I was allowed to attend on the understanding I wouldn’t put any spanners in the works. From my perspective, this wasn’t really up for negotiation as we’re paying the bills…

However, during recent meetings, it has become clear there is a real detachment between what's being agreed and the reality on site. For example, last Friday it was confirmed re-tiling of the en-suite would start on Monday. The plumber would be lined up for fitting the sanitaryware on Thursday and we could move into the bedroom at the end of the week. At the time of writing (Wednesday), there is no sign of the tilers. While they have now been promised for tomorrow, I won't put any money on this before they've physically turner up.

This reality detachment is the most frustrating element of this project. Unless we can start using the same 24 hour clock and Gregorian calendar, we're stuffed and it will be Christmas before we know.

Blogging into the hundreds

While we've pretty much missed every significant milestone on the project, the blog itself has been going from strength to strength. When creating “1956 meets 2006” back in February, the intention was never to achieve any particular number of visitors or number of posts. However, its single purpose was to offer an insight into the trials and tribulations of a redevelopment project.

Today, we've reached 100 individual posts. We need an excuse for a bit of celebration, so let's pop the champagne!

It's pretty good going and, with the project running so desperately late, who knows, perhaps we'll rack up another 100 before it's all finished? I hope not...

WEEK 22 - En-suite (Delay = 6 weeks)

After the work in the en-suite had been roundly condemned, the labourers moved in last week to strip out all the tiles and chrome trim. Everything went pretty smoothly, until they managed to pull a radiator pipe off the wall. Accidents happen, apparently, but why is it happening to these guys all the time, I wonder? Clearly, this was not the fault of the labourers, nor could the plumber be blamed. Must have been an Act of God...

The fact nobody thought of shutting down the heating system and, thereby, reducing the risk of flooding our only completed room - the kitchen - didn't feature very highly on their list of priorities. Only after observing a lot of hand-wringing and the general helplessness of a five year old, did I had to take control of this little adventure. And I'm learning quickly: no politeness or niceties – just straight talking in a language they understand.

Luckily, only the new wall insulation had been damaged, but we only found out after having stripped an entire wall of plywood and two layers of plasterboard... Well, we're becoming pretty good at this "one step forward, three steps back" motion by now, and the room has now been put back together again.

So we embarked on Week 22 with a spring in our steps. The shower tray, which had been scratched beyond recognition, despite us urging the guys for weeks to protect this in a suitable manner, had been ripped out and the four walls were free of the botched tiles.

Now we could only stand back and wait for the professional tiles/plasterer to turn up. He was due this morning but at the time of writing, he still hasn't turned up. He must have got stuck in traffic...

Tomorrow is another day. Whether it will take us any further forward is a different matter.

The life of a "subbie"

We've been pretty lucky with the plumbing and electrical sub-contractors. Excellent work and professionals who communicate and share their own ideas as to how we can develop the original brief.

The only problem is when you expect some work to be completed and they disappear for days on end. Clearly, another more important project beckons...

Perhaps not. It's when the subbies start talking about their own invoices - due to be paid by the main contractor - alarm bells start to ring. We need to ensure there is sufficient stability and thrust behind this project, without any distractions on the financial front.

What's in a deadline?

Deadline /'ded.lain/ noun [C]: "a time or day by which something must be done" is the official Cambridge definition.

Pass it through the neuron filter of an average builder and you'll end up with something along the lines of: "a time or day which is pie in the sky but which can/may/could [delete as appropriate] appease the client to such an extent to get him off their back.

“See also Multiple broken promises, White lies or Phoney deadlines.”

It's a joke and we're now well beyond the stage where we can take any commitment of delivering within a specific timescale at face value. We've had the original commitment of 16 weeks; we've seen the delays to the roofers; we've had the story about cast iron drain pipes and, of course, the long-running saga about a replacement for the tiler who had to walk the plank. The replacement was promised w/c 31 July; which become Monday 8 August; which became Tuesday; which has finally been promised for tomorrow - but not *just* tomorrow. 8 o'clock tomorrow morning!

Is that a pig flying past the window?

We've hit 500!

We've reached a significant milestone, with the blog receiving more than 500 individual visits since launch, adding up to a total 1061 page views. From all corners of the world, visitors have checked-out our on-going trials and tribulations, which, at the time of writing, are showing few signs of fading away.

WEEK 21 - Another week (Delay = 5 weeks)

I've said since the beginning that, taking all the various complex elements of the project into account, we'll probably be finished by Christmas. Not that this has ever been mentioned to the contractors, as they would take this as a carte blanche for dragging it out even further. But unless we can get some half-decent resourcing, i.e. more than a couple of joiners on the job every day, it could be well into the autumn before we can wrap this up. An unbearable thought and one I sincerely hope we can avoid. At the moment, though, it's not looking particularly great.

Door dilemmas

The original plan was to replace all aging internal doors with plain ash veneer doors. That was pretty straight forward, until it became clear there is no such thing as a "standard" door size in a house built 50 years ago. So there is little option but to custom manufacture these doors, unless every single door frame is to be adjusted to accommodate standard doors. It's not much of an option as this will require further plastering and redecoration. So, having decided to get the doors tailored to the openings, we thought everything was in the box...

That was until we spotted a pretty spectacular door design.

Manufactured by a large German door company, it would be a major "lift" to our internal upgrades. However, the Germans only make doors one way. The German way. If you're looking a solid core door, with hardwood edges (rather than veneer), forget it!

So the hunt is on for a specialist veneer and door manufacturing company which can deliver to our brief and at a cost which won't make the entire project budget and schedule implode. It's a pretty tough challenge.