Couple of Stalled Starts - and on with the Rewiring - 21 August, 2018
Struggled to drop off last night - despite the early start to the day - and so treated myself to a lie-in until around 9am. Then on the bike and off to the bank for some cash and the boulangerie for croissants. Once fed I headed to the farm shop and supermarket for a few provisions.
At the supermarket I asked about their loyalty card. I (think) I've signed up on line but have never received a physical card - so I though I'd try in-store. There was a form to fill in and then the card was provided there and then.
By the time I was home it was noon. I had a quick snooze and the got down to the real work.
First job was to run the earth cable from the ground-spike through the cellar, into the garage and up to the fuse box. Despite a light in the cellar, it is still dark down there, so I'd brought a halogen lamp with me. It had been in the shed for years so I wouldn't have been surprised if the bulb had gone - but I was in luck; it did a great job of illuminating the area.
I needed to drill a hole from the cellar into the garage at the top of the cellar steps. I went to get my tools (and a camera - to share a picture of the now nicely illuminated cellar with you). When I got back the halogen bulb had blown - not so lucky after all.
Despite the lack of light, as the required holes were at the top of the steps and near the cellar door, I was able to proceed with that part of the job. I got to use my new mammoth SDS-Plus drill for the first time - makes you feel like a real bloke, I can tell you.
The drill came with a great selection of bits including the diameter I needed. This drill-bit was a substantial 360 mm long - but this proved to be too short. Fortunately I's seen some 600 mm drill-bits in Aldi and had bought them on impulse, suspecting I'd never really need them. These did the job.
To progress the job I now need light and, more importantly, some conduit. Rather than waste more time shopping today, I decided to get them tomorrow and, instead, start emptying the 'flower-bed' on the garage wall - as a precursor to laying down roof-sealant across the entire roof. This was hot work. I filled the 7 available rubble-sacks with soil - but I reckon I'll need at least another ten - something else for tomorrow's shopping list.
So, on to the third DIY job of the day, the 2nd floor electrics. On the last visit Tim and I had lifted a floorboard on the landing and created the cavities for two sockets and a junction box.
We needed to glue the back-boxes and junction box in-place as there was nothing to screw into (the walls basically being the same thickness as the boxes). Tim had tried the French equivalent of 'No Nails' glue but it hadn't adhered to the dusty surface. My first job today was to seal the dusty surfaces with a primer of 1-part PVA glue and 5-parts water.
While that dried, I lifted another floorboard and core-drilled/chiselled another socket cavity - this time in one of the bedroom.
I'm using a Worx multi-tool to saw the floorboards.
This was recommended by Tim and is a great tool - so good that I bought a similar tool from Aldin for use at home in the UK. Have to say, the prices were somewhat different - the Worx kit was £124. The Aldi (cordless) tool was £30. OK, so the Worx is heavier duty and no doubt better quality - but 400% more?
That was it for the day. But soon I'll need to be drilling the rafters to pass the cable through, and some of these rafters are substantial - as my size 10 plates of meat illustrate:
Tomorrow I'm off to Leroy Merlin to get a few items (including, but not only, halogen bulbs, rubble sacks and conduit). Then back to continue the above jobs, with the earth-wire the priority.
At the supermarket I asked about their loyalty card. I (think) I've signed up on line but have never received a physical card - so I though I'd try in-store. There was a form to fill in and then the card was provided there and then.
By the time I was home it was noon. I had a quick snooze and the got down to the real work.
First job was to run the earth cable from the ground-spike through the cellar, into the garage and up to the fuse box. Despite a light in the cellar, it is still dark down there, so I'd brought a halogen lamp with me. It had been in the shed for years so I wouldn't have been surprised if the bulb had gone - but I was in luck; it did a great job of illuminating the area.
I needed to drill a hole from the cellar into the garage at the top of the cellar steps. I went to get my tools (and a camera - to share a picture of the now nicely illuminated cellar with you). When I got back the halogen bulb had blown - not so lucky after all.
Despite the lack of light, as the required holes were at the top of the steps and near the cellar door, I was able to proceed with that part of the job. I got to use my new mammoth SDS-Plus drill for the first time - makes you feel like a real bloke, I can tell you.
The drill came with a great selection of bits including the diameter I needed. This drill-bit was a substantial 360 mm long - but this proved to be too short. Fortunately I's seen some 600 mm drill-bits in Aldi and had bought them on impulse, suspecting I'd never really need them. These did the job.
To progress the job I now need light and, more importantly, some conduit. Rather than waste more time shopping today, I decided to get them tomorrow and, instead, start emptying the 'flower-bed' on the garage wall - as a precursor to laying down roof-sealant across the entire roof. This was hot work. I filled the 7 available rubble-sacks with soil - but I reckon I'll need at least another ten - something else for tomorrow's shopping list.
So, on to the third DIY job of the day, the 2nd floor electrics. On the last visit Tim and I had lifted a floorboard on the landing and created the cavities for two sockets and a junction box.
We needed to glue the back-boxes and junction box in-place as there was nothing to screw into (the walls basically being the same thickness as the boxes). Tim had tried the French equivalent of 'No Nails' glue but it hadn't adhered to the dusty surface. My first job today was to seal the dusty surfaces with a primer of 1-part PVA glue and 5-parts water.
While that dried, I lifted another floorboard and core-drilled/chiselled another socket cavity - this time in one of the bedroom.
I'm using a Worx multi-tool to saw the floorboards.
This was recommended by Tim and is a great tool - so good that I bought a similar tool from Aldin for use at home in the UK. Have to say, the prices were somewhat different - the Worx kit was £124. The Aldi (cordless) tool was £30. OK, so the Worx is heavier duty and no doubt better quality - but 400% more?
That was it for the day. But soon I'll need to be drilling the rafters to pass the cable through, and some of these rafters are substantial - as my size 10 plates of meat illustrate:
Tomorrow I'm off to Leroy Merlin to get a few items (including, but not only, halogen bulbs, rubble sacks and conduit). Then back to continue the above jobs, with the earth-wire the priority.
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