1 down, 1 to go...

[bardel]

Hi all,

been reading (and contributing where I can) for some time... so it's about time that I made my own DIY thread..

The first round of DIY is already complete, this consisted of decorating the dining room, lounge, hallway, landing and new baby nursery... Too much in one go you think??? Me too!

Anyway, the plan was to take out 32" LCD from the lounge and put it on the wall in the dining room. Also, I had a set of Bose Acoustimass 10 speakers which I'd fitted into the bedroom when I decorated in there, but as yet had never connected them up! So they were earmarked for moving into the dining room also.

Problem is with my decorating is that I don't do "decorating" unless it involves a big hammer and usually some extreme work to some degree (for decorating anyway).

I won't bother you with the rooms, and just stick to the dining room for this thread (as I couldnt justify an AV requirements in the other rooms!).

The next stage is to move into the lounge, you'll see from the pictures that the need to redecorate the lounge is a "necessary" progression from the dining room works!

I'm just about to start some shopping with regards to the lounge and will be asking for some of you good people's advice, so all input will be received with thanks.

Cheers

Barry

Pics to follow...

[enablerbro1]

Pulls up chair.

[bardel]

Ok, unfortunately, I don't appear to have much in the way of a "before" picture of the dining room, so the pics will have to start at the stage where we started tearing down....

The "wooden" thing in the corner, is a boxed in section carrying all the plumbing between the ground and 1st floors.

[bardel]

Then there's the awful arch and artexed surrounding... that has to go...

[bardel]

Here is the edge of the chimney stack which runs through the middle of the house... It's been blocked off ever since we've been here and I took the stack off the roof, loft and first floor last year...

A sneaky little look through the hole and having already taken the landing floor up, revealed that there would be no reason why the chimney stack can't come out.

So... out with the ceiling then (it had quite a few drops in it and I figured since there'd be holes at either corner, I'd just replace the lot...

[bardel]

Next up, out with the bay window, to be replaced by a french door...

Quite pleased with the effect this has on the room, the lounge had french doors at the back, but we never use them, and we envisaged the dining room being used as a day room once the baby arrived and my wife would be at home.

[abs_2006]

Ain't you missing something?

Pics?

[bardel]

So then, out with the chimney stack...

Here you'll see start to see why the lounge "has" to be done...

Acro's in the lounge next and out with the fireplace...

Say hello to the lounge... Oh you can see that I decided to replace all the flooring too The floor joists are at 24" centres and the chipboard was way too bouncy on it, especially as I am laying solid oak wood flooring on it!

[bardel]

New wall going back in... As you can see, the void from the chimney flue has been carefully chosen as the new location for my AV equipment. With our first baby on it's way, I knew I needed to get this stuff locked away!!!

[enablerbro1]

Originally Posted by abs_2006

Ain't you missing something?

Pics?

Not just me then, good, I thought I was going picture blind.

[bardel]

Originally Posted by enablerbro1

Not just me then, good, I thought I was going picture blind.

Originally Posted by abs_2006

Ain't you missing something?

Pics?

Sorry guys, being a bit numpty with the picture posting, first time I've uploaded pics to a forum, you wouldn't believe computer programming is my trade would you?!!

Hopefully you can see them now?

[rupees_al]

i can only see 4... but loving the destruction...

i might have to lift my floor now, as ours is bouncy and i know it has chipboard flooring... wonder if its 24"on centers too.

[bardel]

Back to the dining room, we wanted to put the TV in one of two places, being the indecisive type (well the other half is), I decided to cable both locations...

I dont appear to have taken a picture of the other location, but I can prove it's there, coz that's where we decided to put the TV in the end, as the final pictures will demonstrate!

[bardel]

New sub flooring with freshly suspended insulation. New flooring was laid in 18mm MDF which is amazingly more flex resistant than the chipboard that was down before.

[bardel]

Chimney void all boxed in and finished off. We made a feature alcove in the upper part which I've put a spotlight in.