It's only just beginning

As with all good stories there is a beginning, a middle and an end.  Before the beginning of our extension came the leaks and the rotten wood of the old conservatory.  It has to go, so we need a plan - or in fact lots of plans.

The whole process started in July 2014 with an initial visit from the architects and some debate about what we wanted and what would work.  Ultimately we came to some sort of agreement and put the plans forward for approval.  Structural Engineers came and checked the foundations and pages of calculations followed.  Approval was granted and with another cheque sent off, Building Regs were passed.

So fast forward to the Easter 2015 holiday and the work could start.

1. Empty the Conservatory
1. Before that I had to build a Summer House to take the cane furniture and give us a sanctuary from the impending mess
2. And I had to build a new potting shed/garden store to take all the garden tools from the conservatory and garage
3. And we had to have the leaky washing machine repaired so when it was moved from the conservatory to the kitchen it didn't leak all over the floor
4. And I had to disconnect the dishwasher and replace it with the washing machine - now repaired - from the conservatory
2. Then I have to move the exiting soil pipe from the bathroom toilet.  Well, as it is attached to the back wall of the house, which will be in the middle of the new kitchen, it needs to find a different route.  Easy enough really - instead of the toilet pan connector taking the pipe straight through the wall, a right-angled connector would take the 110mm soil pipe along the inside wall of the bathroom, behind the wash-basin, below the radiator and out under the bath. Trouble is the radiator pipes are too far out from the wall to allow the pipe to pass in front of them and behind the basin pedestal - so a new, 300mm high radiator needs installing.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. The drains were prepared directly below where the hole would be drilled in the wall.  So now all there is left to do is:
1. drain the central heating
2. remove the radiator
3. remove the drain from the basin
4. hang the new radiator
5. connect the pipes to the new radiator
6. bore a 117mm hole in the wall under the bath
7. feed the soil pipe into the hole from outside
8. cut off the old pan-connector and block the hole in the wall with filler foam
9. fit the new pan connector
10. mark where the basin waste will enter the soil pipe
11. bore a 38mm hole and fit the band and boss
12. connect waste pipe to soil pipe, soil pipe to pan connector and support at regular points to ensure an even fall
13. cut and connect the soil pipe outside to the existing drains
14. Refil the central heating
15. hope for the best - no leaks
16. box in all the new pipework
17. decide how to use the now-redundant drain pipe run into the main gulley
18. remove the old cast-iron soil pipe from the back of the house
    
    New radiator, soil pipe and overflow pipe all installed - box work is in the garage awaiting painting before being fitted.