Not sure why there was a piece of copper pipe sticking out of the wall above the bathroom door, but it had to go.
Step 1 - battle with the huge amount of silicon that has been packed around the pipe, in order to get it out of the wall.
Step 2 - Find something to fill the now quite large hole. We unbelievably find a scrap of dowel that fits perfectly.
Step 3 - Fill the rest of the hole with some fluffy filler.
Step 4 - Sand and paint.
Now you see it, now you don't!
We keep finding interesting solutions that have historically been used to solve problems around the Secret Space, but this one really was puzzling.
Rather than plane a bit off the bottom of the window, so it could close properly with the existing window catch, the best solution appears to have been...
When the plywood sheets were pulled up in the bedroom, some very annoying horseshoe staples were left behind ALL OVER THE FLOOR! We think someone had been a little too enthusiastic with the staple gun.
A few injuries occurred while trying to pull them out by hand, so we thought we might need a bit of leverage...
It worked a treat, although there was a breakage along the way. More about that later...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Hlt_QipUpTxzlL9Zl7TL8kC4lFpvR0W9/view?usp=sharing
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The front bedroom has its fair share of issues but one that really needed looking into was a skirting board that was bowed out in the middle.
It seems that, over the years, quite a lot of interesting things have either fallen, or been stuffed down the gap.
This newspaper is dated 1954, the corset stay we found was much earlier. We also found scissors, buttons and a needle threader, so perhaps this was a sewing room at some point in its history.
We currently have a bit of a hole in the living room floor where the fireplace should be, so today's job is to seal the concrete so we can fill it with self-leveller.
Instead of using an expensive branded sealer, we are giving PVA a go - and it's working a treat!
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One of the best things about renovating the Secret Space is those moments when a little piece of treasure is found.
While prepping the windows, a slip of the chisel made a bit of paint chip away from the catch.
Low and behold - beautiful brass underneath!
We have had weeks of sending the final contract back and forth, but it's always worth reading, re-reading, fine tuning and reading again to make sure that everyone and everything is covered - from access to the property to who is responsible for what if anything goes wrong.
Finally, all parties are happy and we can enjoy a socially distanced toast to celebrate!
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The wiring in the Secret Space has to be seen to be believed!
With its multiple uses over the years, various bits of wiring have been put into the property for alarms, telephones, extra sockets and so on.
It has been a bit of a challenge to work out which wires need to stay and which can be ripped out.
The stairs have had a bit of a 'no man's land' feel during Lockdown - a safety distance between us while we were working.
However, there is one thing that's been bugging us from the start - a strange piece of banister that had been put onto the wall in a past life of the house.
It's a struggle but, with a bit of brute strength, the banister is gone!
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We tried paint stripper on the fireplace in the front bedroom, but it isn't really touching the layers and layers of paint that had been covering the metal for the last hundred years.
So, slowly chipping away with our trusty scraper is the only option - but it is creating some lovely shavings-art!
A few more bits to battle with, but it is staring to look really good.
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The kitchen is pretty institutional and, with the twenty year old boiler dominating the back wall, it's a challenge to visualise anything other than that. We know the boiler will be removed, but Lockdown has delayed that, so the back wall sadly needs to be ignored for now.
First job?
To get rid of that blue!
Whoever invented extendable paint rollers deserves a medal - they have certainly made painting the walls and ceilings in the Secret Space easier!
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We can't really call the bathroom a bathroom yet, as it only contains a super small sink and a slightly sad looking toilet. The walls aren't in the best condition either so, while the plasterer is in, some of the cracks and holes have been skimmed. The plaster makes the room look a bit dark, so time to break out the white paint...
It was always going to happen.
It was only a matter of time.
Thankfully, our kitchen floor is easy to clean!
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Getting some ballet practice in while painting.
And to think, just a few weeks ago the first two steps of this ladder were too scary!
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We may regret our decision to paint all those pipes black - there's miles of them!
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Radiators can be an ugly necessity in an otherwise well decorated room. We are making ours a feature - black to tie-in with the industrial look.
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There is so much work to do at the Secret Space - like the tired woodwork, shiny walls and worn brown carpet in the entrance hallway.
But, just like the hallway, we can also see the light at the end...!
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Rather than fighting against all the exposed pipework in the Secret Space, we are working with it - painting the pipes black to give a quirky, industrial feel against the white walls.
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Well, that's the end of our first tub of trade paint. We are guessing it won't be the last!
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A year on from going into Lockdown and we are finally getting excited to see what the future holds for the Secret Space. We thought we woul...
