Wednesday, November 07, 2007
Progress update
I was on holiday last week so not much has changed recently. The roofers finished the roof whilst I was away, and everything looks great. I'm really pleased with the result. The downside are the piles and piles of old slate. The original quote included a price for the disposal of the rubbish, but in order to save a few bob I decided to do it myself.
That has turned out to be a bit of a false economy. So far this afternoon we have shifted 4 large trailer loads of slate to the dechetterie (rubbish tip) and we are only a quarter of the way through. I useful technique is to stomp about on the slate to break it up into smaller pieces making it easier to shovel. Fortunately the dechetterie is only 2 minutes down the road so it's just costing me time, and a little backache.
I've finished the doorway through the cob wall trimming the edges of the doorway to the correct width and squaring everything off. More rubbish to dispose off, but this time it's getting spread on the garden. It's just mud and heather mixed up.
The good news is that a man from EDF (the french electric company) came to look at my electric meter with a view to having it moved. Currently the equipment looks like it's from the 1930's, and is placed high up on the wall right next to the fireplace. This is the wall I want to keep as exposed stone, so the EDF guy came to survey the place and give me a quote for moving the meter into the proposed laundry room. I can't put the meter under the stairs because it has to be about 1.5m off the ground. I thought I would have to run cables in trenches or under the floor, but he said they could just extend the supply outside the building running a cable under the guttering at the back and drill through the outside wall. Fairly simple and inexpensive job. Whilst they are there all the Bake-A-Lite kit will be replaced and a remote meter box placed outside. He took a few photos, a couple of measurements and 'the quotes in the post'.
It looks like the rest of the week is going to be dedicated to clearing up the mess from the last month or so before I hire the mini-digger to rip up the floors ready to lay new concrete floors.
| 9:32:58 PM
Progress update
