Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jan 4, 2011, 8:25 am
There was little rest for me over the festive season, I had a ton of work to do so I came back to London on the 27th (much to my Mam’s misery – sorry Mam) and got right back to it. I finished laying the floor in the living room, have fitted all the skirting boards, painted the second coat of pa...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Dec 23, 2010, 9:15 am
As per the previous post, you may have seen I have gone for a solid oak floor. Genuinely think that flooring is one of the major things money should be spent on during a renovation project. One of the last thing anyone wants to do when they move into a new house is have to rip up a floor and start a...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Dec 10, 2010, 8:24 am
Last night, decided to tackle the floor in the living room, but got through half a bottle of wine and no food. Ever noticed that you never seem to catch on how drunk you are when you drink alone? Well, after an hour and a half of measuring, drilling precision holes in every single plank and screwing...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Dec 7, 2010, 12:42 pm
Before I can/could get on with the floor in the living room I had to lay the hearths in both fireplaces so that I’d be able to butt the oak floor up properly to the edge so this has slowed me down a bit as I didn’t know if I needed special tiles, special adhesive, special grout etc. and B&Q were...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Dec 7, 2010, 11:06 am
It is hard working into the night now it’s winter. It gets dark at 3.30, is damn cold and the radiator in my bedroom doesn’t work. Plumbing not being something I have yet turned my hand to, I have been sleeping under 2 duvets and having VERY quick showers in the morning. Here is what was outsid...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Nov 12, 2010, 8:34 am
The last picture you had of them were of two smashed holes in the wall and the floorboards were ripped up to make way for the hearth. Well, not finished just yet but you can see from the pictures below that the concrete hearth has now been poured, it has set, and the outline has been levelled using ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Nov 12, 2010, 6:56 am
Mario has continued his work and when I got home last night (very late and pretty drunk I must add), I noticed that after 5 months, my ceiling no longer has any holes in it, I can no longer see the wooden joists and the whole room seems tat little bit more ‘complete’ and warm. I know it still l...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Nov 12, 2010, 6:41 am
Well, have finally got myself something comfy to sit on. Managed to bag myself a bargain: 2 Italian designer sofas for a price that the seller on ebay was not too happy about. Which basically means I got me a hell of a bargain! At the moment they are covered in plastic sheets in the corner of the r...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Nov 2, 2010, 7:55 am
I was holding out for as long as I could but I needed a proper builder come in to plasterboard out the RSJ, smash out and make safe my fireplaces and then to plaster the whole room (including ceilings). Well, Mario is in! Has been here 3 days (including today) and he is brilliant. He has sorted ou...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Oct 22, 2010, 10:23 am
Finally got off my backside to attack a part of the kitchen I was REALLY dreading. I didn’t want a ‘normal’ edging to my worktops and then a fascia board on the side. I wanted something that looked a bit more bespoke and wanted it to look like the worktop continued over the edge and down to t...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Oct 22, 2010, 7:30 am
Continuing on my bargain spree, I have managed to get my hands on some really nice (in my opinion) light fixtures at a stupidly low price. It is always quite dangerous for me to take a trip to a DIY store or a decoration shop with nothing in particular to buy but 2 weeks ago it proved to be a stroke...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Oct 22, 2010, 6:48 am
Well, after quite a while off due to work commitments, I have finally had a spurt of being productive in the house. The first thing to report on is a little project that is NOT in the kitchen! I don’t think I wrote about it here but my brother came down with his girlfriend a month or so back to sp...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 30, 2010, 7:02 am
Well, the worktops have been cut to size (most of them) and had chunks cut out of them for the sink and the hob. This does mean I have quite a few off-cuts of solid oak worktop that I am VERY loathed to get rid of as they cost a fortune so have set myself the challenge of using as much of the left...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 30, 2010, 6:11 am
When I’ve been working on the house alone, it has helped to have the cat around, is quite comforting to have some movement in the house and is a nice break to feed her etc. Saw her in the kitchen the other day as she was hiding under the cupboards (haven’t got all the plinths on yet) and general...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 22, 2010, 4:25 am
All in a days work… Told you I had fun on the weekend!
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 21, 2010, 1:24 pm
Talk about getting proper manly, I don’t think I have ever used so many power tools, made so much noise and created so much sawdust…uh, EVER! Had a cool idea of using 2 of the doors that are now redundant since I knocked down all the walls that held them up, and create a funky new headboard tha...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 20, 2010, 6:04 am
Well, I have had a number of bargains off ebay recently, picked myself up a solid oak extendable table for £23 and a set of 4 chairs for £13.50. They needed a fair bit of work but sanded the table-top down completely and then sealed with bees wax, much as I did for the sideboard I re-did. The legs...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 6, 2010, 9:10 am
As described in the heading, I’m not quite at an end in the kitchen but have been playing around and working hard and am ALMOST there! The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed (although you would have to be clinically blind not to) that the wall cupboards have gone up, all bar one. I had to get t...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 24, 2010, 8:38 am
Result, I have running water in my kitchen again! It has been about 5 weeks since I was last able to fill the kettle in the kitchen and am happy to say, last night saw the reconnection of the water and of course of the waste water pipes (although in the picture below, the waste water isn’t c...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 18, 2010, 6:15 am
And just to give you an idea of how I am and have been living for the past 3 months, here is a picture of my ’living’ room: If anyone wonders why they have not had an invite round for a drink, a coffee or dinner, or for anything really, the simple answer is that my house is not a nice...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 18, 2010, 5:50 am
Well, the kitchen is coming along nicely. I had a ‘cack my pants’ moment on Sunday as it was time to cut a huge sink-size hole out of my beautiful solid oak worktop. Was not looking forward to it and in a last minute change of plan, I chose the older of my 2 sink options (both of which ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 17, 2010, 4:22 am
After being bullied by the girlfriend, family and friends about the colour I painted the cupboard, I spent last night trying a new colour – everyone happy?
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 16, 2010, 8:52 am
When going into this renovation job I really didn’t want the finished house to be full of all new stuff and look to much like a show home. I wanted it to look lived in, with bits of old furniture and pre-damaged things to help make it look like I had been there a while. With this in mind, pick...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 12, 2010, 5:50 am
Well, I got my first worktop in last weekend and it looks amazing. Not screwed in or have a sink in it yet but it is a worktop nonetheless! Is an Oak top that is actually the EXACT size as the width of my kitchen so only had to cut out around a block of pipes under my boiler. Had no help so almost k...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 6, 2010, 5:12 am
Got a call out of the blue from the lady that sold me the kitchen at a rock bottom price saying that she had planned to recycle her ‘old’ oven into her new kitchen but had decided to splash out and get a new one. She asked if I wanted her ‘old’ one for a nominal fee….of...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 4, 2010, 5:44 am
Am finally in the position to fit cupboards to my kitchen (which I am ridiculously happy and relieved about by the way), and as I slid the fridge into it’s pre-ordained place I realised it would block out too much light from the room and make the space look too small – bollocky shit! ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 2, 2010, 10:52 am
Have been a bit quiet these past couple of weeks but mainly because I have been cracking on with the things that need doing. Have (more or less) finished the kitchen floor and have even got some cupboards built and in place but will have to post pictures of them later when more bits are done. Howev...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jul 13, 2010, 8:25 am
With so much that has being going on with me in the past weeks or so outside the house (I am clinging onto a life outside the house), I haven’t really had time to do much work or update the blog at all really. I have started on the kitchen floor though and that was really scary! I have my con...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jul 6, 2010, 6:59 am
Decided to take a couple of days off from the hard slog on the house. Have been really tired and not really been eating as well as I should because I can’t actually get to any of the appliances in my kitchen! Did put in a few hours on the kitchen floor on Saturday though and managed to lay ab...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 24, 2010, 4:49 am
Had another little accident last night – carried on taking the kitchen out and managed to remove the sink cupboard and attached work-top. As I did, I duly turned all water off to the house, opened the sink taps and drained the system. Did the work, smashed off all the crappy tiles with new B...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 24, 2010, 4:41 am
Check this out – my living room is going to be massive! Builder is putting in a small pillar between the 2 chimney breasts for the RSJ to rest on and will then be cut-in on both ends. Is quite mad but I actually needed permission from both neighbours as I would be ‘encroaching on a sh...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 23, 2010, 7:18 am
Forgot to mention – when knocking the walls down, I found a timely reminder of when the plaster boards went up. Page 3  of the Sun from June 2006, World-Cup edition, was stuffed into the insulation cavity, very timely 4 years on and the Sun star of the moment Keeley Hazell emblazoned on pa...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 23, 2010, 6:13 am
The eagle-eyed of you will have noticed a conspicuous blue bath in the corner of my living room (affectionately known as the ‘building site’ at the moment). Managed to pick up this cast iron beauty for £40 via the aforementioned local forum from a couple renovating their house. I have ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 23, 2010, 5:58 am
Hadn’t planned to do it this way around but someone made me an offer I couldn’t refuse so am now tackling the kitchen before any bedroom or the living room is finished. Basically meaning I am living on a building site, no real refuge to take me away from it all – not yet anyway. I...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 23, 2010, 5:44 am
Work is now finally progressing nicely. I know I promised photos of the front door but after realising that builders will be back and fore and the door will risk scrapes and bumps, I have decided to leave the final coat and touch-ups for later – kind of makes sense. The living room has moved ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 8, 2010, 1:09 pm
Builder coming around tonight to get first quote on sticking in an RSJ following that mess I made knocking walls down. Also, had my delivery from Screwfix with all my ‘front door paraphernalia’ (that means new chrome door numbers and chrome letterbox) so will be fitting that tonight. ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jun 7, 2010, 12:06 pm
So, keys in one hand, hammer in the other and a whole house just waiting for a make-over, I set off to break something. The adjoining wall between the two living rooms was first to bite the dust (and there was a lot of that!). With help from a lanky French friend the wall was down in no time. Turns ...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - May 25, 2010, 6:46 am
Saw this absolutely fantastic idea for creating interesting clothes hooks from light bulbs and concrete. I’ll definitely be having a go at this! I think that by using different size and shaped bulbs that I’ll be able to make some pretty funky door knobs too! I wonder if I could add some...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - May 23, 2010, 11:28 am
Happening this week…can barely believe it. I may even get pictures of the project up by the end of next weekend – full steam ahead people!!
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Apr 29, 2010, 8:39 am
Could this be it? Could I really be homing in on the project start date? Am I actually going to make it to completion this time? Close, soooo close…..
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Apr 21, 2010, 11:12 am
I am back and ready to go!! After the saga that was the old house, I have now decided to go ahead and invest near London and I am pleased to announce (a tad prematurely) that I have bought a new house project A terraced Victorian house that doesn’t really need much major renovation (he say...
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Nov 10, 2009, 6:59 am
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Sep 21, 2009, 12:19 pm
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 18, 2009, 5:18 am
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Aug 6, 2009, 9:44 am
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jul 30, 2009, 7:39 am
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jul 22, 2009, 12:57 pm
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jul 22, 2009, 9:06 am
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Elliot Adams posted an article on Go Renovate - Jul 17, 2009, 11:33 am
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