Trip to Blazer at long last !

Tuesday 2nd of May 2018

Blazer was lifted out in mid December - the yard pressure washed it and chocked it.
She sat there unloved through a pretty cold period - NOT WINTERISED !!

I finally managed to get a week free to visit and drove down on Tuesday.
I had my poor little car loaded with the dinghy ( renovated ) and a short ladder.

I found Blazer to be Generally good condition - very - very dirty - the only frost damage found so far - a cracked filter on the fresh water pump - not bad at all.

I examined the engine without running it and it seems fine - we will see when she is back in the water.!

I stayed on board for 6 days - early starts and long days.
The list of work accomplished -

Returned the dinghy to the rack - not the spot that I had but a nearby one - wonderful.
Scraped the bottom of Blazer to get rid of anything not pressure washed off.
Washed the topsides of the hull and treated half of it with Oxalic acid to remove yellow stains.
Scraped and polished the prop and shaft.

Serviced the toilet sea cocks.
Removed and resealed the thermostat housing on the engine - it had been leaking.
Fitted a new engine temperature sender.
Fitted a new engine anode.
Drained and refilled the engine oil.
fitted a new engine oil filter.

Filled the dinghy dry storage box with - folding anchor + 2mtrs of heavy chain + 20 mtrs of light warp + baler and engine bits + tools.
Vac'd around Blazers engine.
Whipped the ends of the Genoa sail sheets ( ropes ).
Emptied the cockpit locker and cleaned it.
Tried to fix the cracked water pump filter - no good - since found a better replacement - £12.50.
Tightened the Jubilee clips on the prop shaft seal.
Cleaned and checked all the earth bonding cables and terminal block.
Remade one terminal connection to the P bracket.
Moved the two big batteries from the box in the cockpit locker to the empty box under the pilot berth - ( very heavy ).
Checked the batteries for water and gravity - all cells good - 1240.
Removed the empty battery box - to take it home.
Moved my folding bike - in its waterproof bag - into the car to go home.
Moved anything we don't need in the cockpit locker into the car.
Removed a leaking fishing rod holder from the cockpit and fibre glassed the hole - good job !
Gel coated the fibre glassed area.

Next day - gel coat not set !!
Removed second battery cables.
Topped up the leaky gearbox - 1/2 pint !!
Painted the engine exhaust manifold - 2 coats of red Hammerite.
Shopped for antifoul paint - anodes - masking tape.
Searched 4 chandlers for a replacement filter - no luck - found a better one on Ebay !!
Re filled cockpit locker - tidy.
A second attempt at the gel coat with more hardener - Still not setting !! = Very old Gel coat !!
More oxalic acid on the hull stains.
Tidied the cockpit.

Anti fouling day.
Decided to dispense with the red - hard racing boot top line - ( I never ever scrub it and it always looks a mess )
Taped up all round and applied one coat of Hemples - Tiger Xtra anti fouling paint.
Ran out of paint 3/4 done !!
Bought an old set of oars from Nigel at the sailing club boat jumble - £25 - great !!
Went to Burnham - bought another tin of Tiger xtra ( another £65 ! )
Finished the anti fouling - looks good.
New anodes fitted to - the hull - 2 on the prop shaft - 1 on each keel.

Creaky floor board - failed attempt at fixing it !
Applied lanolin Prop Guard to prop and P bracket + shaft.
Replaced broken gas locker hinges with new stainless hinges.
Replaced a broken quick release clip on the guard wires on deck.
Cleaned and lubricated the speed / Distance log.
Glued and cramped up a crack in the old oars that I bought yesterday.
Coffee with Nigel on Blazer - helped me move the outboard engine to the club store room.
3 hours - non stop - pressure washing the deck and cockpit - ( much better )
Heavy duty clean up below - ready to leave.
Vac'd all the water out of the bilges - ( lots - from the filter leak ! )

Left Fambridge at 17.00
Arrived home Derby 20.15 - not bad !

Very successful trip - very satisfied that Blazer is OK - and ready to be lifted back in.

Mike.

Nether Edge House - Refresh

Thursday 15th of March 2018

                                               My house in Nether Edge - Sheffield.

This house has been rented to an American family for the last two years and inevitably it needs a lot of TLC even though they left it in reasonable condition !!

I gave myself two weeks to do the work but was delayed starting - then the new tenants asked if they could move in two days early !

The work consisted of -

Jackie did a great job of refreshing the white emulsion in the lounge and stairs - plus touching up the kitchen and other rooms.

Lots of work in the kitchen -

Two floor tiles replaced and the rest re-grouted.
A new centre light fitted.
Cooker hood deep cleaned and a new filter fitted.
The oven deep cleaned.
All the appliances moved to clean underneath.
Back door re hung to fit better.
Cupboards cleaned out properly.
Under cupboard lights - new bulbs / tubes fitted.

The original tumble drier that we had for years was a gas one ( rare ) - it had its vent pipe on the right.
All electric ones seem to have the vent on the left which gave the previous tenants a problem.
I core drilled the wall - carefully missing the socket wires - and fitted a new vent kit on the left.

The new tenants asked if they can bring a cat - so - I fitted two new cat flaps to match the woodwork.

There was a bad stain on one of the main bedroom wardrobe doors - so I repainted a pair so that they match.

The biggest job was to remove the electric shower in the bathroom and fit a thermostatic shower valve.
The new boiler can easily power a shower - so it will be much more efficient with a new one.

I lifted the boards in the cupboard behind the shower to get access to the pipework and discovered a leak !!
It was only a drip but I am so glad I found it.
It was from the centre of a copper pipe ( not a joint ) that I re used when I put in the new boiler two years ago.
It had corroded through !!

I swapped the pipe and piped up the new valve.
I had to replace 5 white tiles where the electric shower was fitted and I removed the feed cable back to the pull switch - all tidy.

The new shower will be unaffected by the seasonal water temperatures and won't go hot if someone turns on a tap !!

In the event the new tenants didn't move in on Monday - they just signed up then - so I had a few extra days to finish off more little jobs -

Emptying the garage of all the rubbish that the previous tenants left ( 4 tip runs )
Repainting the outside of the porch and conservatory woodwork.

So - it is a lot of effort to turn around the house - lets hope the new tenants stay for a few years !!

Mike.

Fiona's Project.

Wednesday 14th of February 2018.

My daughter in law Fiona and family moved back to Derby from Cornwall late last year.
They bought a four bedroom detached house in Oakwood than needed some alterations and TLC.

I volunteered to help - there was the deadline of a month before they moved in !!

Floors upstairs first.

All four floors had the same laminate and all new Taurus skirting.

                                                              Main bedroom

                                                               Second bedroom

                                                                Guest Bedroom

                                                          Fourth / Walk in Wardrobe.

Additional work -

All upstairs doors off then made to fit properly.
Storage cupboard in main bedroom sagging shelves supported.
Radiator in fourth bedroom rehung and leak sorted.
Major leak in main bedroom en-suite shower found and sorted.

Built in wardrobe in the second bedroom - doors removed - casing remade properly - doors rehung - to a good fit this time and a door stay fitted to the left hand door.

Downstairs -

Integrated dishwasher fitted and wine cooler installed - plinth made up from redundant panels + a small infill piece made and fitted.
Water pipework and a double socket behind the dishwasher moved to fit the dishwasher in properly.

The conservatory was cold so we decided to fit two radiators in there - fed from the feed to the dining area radiator - micro bore !! - but we tried it any way - IT WORKS !!!

Plaster chopped out behind the skirting - just enough room to hide all the new pipework.

A big hole drilled through to the conservatory - skirting off - chopped out behind and all piped up - mainly in copper - just the bit through the wall in plastic.

Skirting back on - nice and neat.
A lot of work but worth it - nice and warm in there now.

The garage is now the utility room -

I installed the washer and drier on a 300mm  raised plinth to make it easy to load /unload.
installed all new pipework and waste pipes.

Removed lots of rickety / odd shelves and installed fifty feet of heavy duty plywood shelves with lots of brackets - a solid job.

Made up a Dog wash station from a small shower tray - thermostatic mixer and a shower head with a trigger.
All tiled back splash and sealed up properly with non setting mastic.
I devised a PVC foam board front splash guard - removable on magnets works great !!
A used cupboard and worktop from another part of the family - for dog grooming and dog stuff storage - remade and renovated it.
It even has a powerful dog hair drier !!
Fiona is very pleased with it all !!

There were numerous other little jobs -
Fitting new lights in the dining area.
Making the Bi-fold doors to the lounge work properly.
Fitting the American style fridge freezer and piping up the water supply.
New radiator in the downstairs loo.
New towel rail radiator in the main bedroom en-suite.
Re- fitting skirting in the lounge.
Making the lounge / hall door fit properly.
New lighting in the lounge.
Working with the decorator - taking lights down - banister off and back on etc.
Dodgy wiring in the main bedroom sorted.

Still oddments to do but they did move in on time as planned.

It was a busy run up to Christmas to say the least !!

Mike.

Almost Finished At Barry's House.

Friday 9th of February 2018.

                                                                   BEFORE

                                                                  AFTER


I am very pleased to say that after months of hard work the renovation of the front of Barry's house is complete.
I am very pleased with the result - it might just be the best looking house on the street ?

The list of work completed -

New gutter brackets and gutter sealed up properly.
New gutter on the porch roof.
All the window locks repaired.
New porch roof.
New timber cladding.
Porch roof flashing replaced and done properly.
New PVC cladding between the upstairs windows.
New PVC sills under the cladding.
Rendering repaired ( Barry )
Masonry repainted  ( Barry )
Fascia boards re-painted.

A lot of work - to say that I only signed up to fit a boiler !!

The last job for me on the outside is to replace the rotten sills between the upstairs windows at the back - ( next week ).

Other jobs completed here in the last 12 months -

                                                   Before                          After !

Replaced a back boiler heating system with a new combi boiler and smartened up the airing cupboard a bit !

All the heating system flushed out - a magnetic filter installed - new thermostatic valves on every radiator.

All the loft tanks removed and made good.

Heating loop refill valve + instructions made accessible.

New thermostatic shower in bathroom fitted / electric shower removed and made good.

New drain from boiler in heat proof solvent weld pipework + all new drain plumbing in the bathroom + new brass bath and basin wastes.

New toilet and basin - all new plumbing and waste - new towel rail radiator + vinyl flooring taken an inch up the wall all round ( as in Denmark ).

Bath re-sealed with CT1 ( good stuff ) and new seal to shower screen + reset hinge.

All the tiles with cracks or redundant fixing holes replaced.

A tiled box made to space the toilet from the wall to miss a floor joist with the waste pipe.

Boxing in done with PVC foam board and made removable.
Plus window reveal clad in PVC board - all silicone sealant scraped off  (everywhere ) - plaster filled.

All upstairs door frames repaired with inserted hardwood sections where the hinges were ( shot)
Four new doors fitted.

All the gas pipework in the house upgraded and replaced.

New gas hob in the kitchen with flame failure.

Reclaimed kitchen cleaned / made to fit and installed.

Shelves in the kitchen.
Missing and broken tiles sorted.

Disgusting kitchen plumbing and electrics sorted.

Horrible cooker wiring replaced / re-tiled + under cupboard LED lights made and fitted.

Cat flap through the wall removed / made good / tiled and new skirting + new radiator.

Air brick installed - water supply / power and vent installed for tumble drier.
Water to outside tap made good ( hose pipe originally ) !!!

Base units and washing machine installed with an extra small cupboard in the corner.

Cooker hood vent piped up under the bedroom floor and vented to the outside.

Laminate floor laid in lounge and fireplace installed ready for gas fire renovation.

Badly twisted lounge door renovated by adding hardwood stiffening to the top edge - re-glazed one panel and made to fit.

Original hall floor Laminate removed and re-laid in the porch - new laminate floor laid through from the lounge to the front door - new skirting.
Hall wall damp plaster under the radiator chopped out and replaced with sand and cement.
Hall radiator re-plumbed with pipes sleeved with PVC through the wall.

Plywood door made up for cloakroom under the stairs.

Existing Bi fold doors to kitchen renovated and rehung properly with a new kit.

Front door renovated ( joint opened up ) filled and painted.

Hall - stairs and landing walls stripped of paper - plastered where needed - filled and sanded multiple times until good enough to paint. ( took weeks ).

Completely re-decorated right through the house with Jackie's help.

Really nasty crack in the main bedroom chopped out - PVA glued - filled with sand and cement - plastered and sanded - Gone !!

Unsightly strip of wood removed from main bedroom window - plastered - filled and sanded.

Laminate floor laid to all three bedrooms and landing.

Aluminium trim fitted to the top stair tread.

There has also been lots of little jobs - light fittings - sockets sorting out - roller blinds plus hours and hours of cleaning / hoovering + 25 trips to the tip in my poor little car !!

I have really enjoyed the whole job and am quite proud of the result.

The jobs outstanding now are minor - should be wrapped up an about a week.

Its been a busy year !!

Mike.