Done on the cheap...
- Second-hand slabs from eBay for the base
- Free old second-hand shed for most of the walls (thanks to Brian)
- Free reclaimed chipboard for the roof, inside and out (thanks to Paul)
- Free reclaimed MDF for lining the walls (thanks to Marc)
- Free reclaimed 8" x 1" T&G planks for the floor (thanks to Geoff)
- Free second-hand carpets (thanks to Mum and Dad)
- Free cadged off-cut of kitchen worktop for the work-desk (thanks to Graham)
- Even the creosote was bartered from my neighbour, in exchange for some unwanted roofing-felt (thanks again to Paul)
- Oh, and free quality-control, tea-making and labour (thanks to Graham, Geoff and Ella)
Had to shell out for felt/primer/adhesive, some four-by-twos for the floor frame, a few bits of ship-lap cladding from the timber-merchant, dirt-cheap loft-insulation for inside the walls and ceiling, some cheap lighting from Ikea and some other sundry electrical bits.
It's usable now but there are a few things still on the to-do list:
- Fit the cadged-for-free reclaimed guttering/downpipes to direct the run-off into water-butts
- Paint the inside, using up old paint that I have in the attic
- Get the old kettle from the attic and install it
- Get shot of the set of encyclopaedias that we didn't have the heart to burn on bonfire night
Maybe soon the weather will be suitable for using the place for sky-watching rather than book-storage.
THE SMALL(ish) PRINT... (updated 23/07/2016)
By submitting a comment to this blog you grant me permission to reproduce its content and to reproduce the submitted name/URL in attribution. I will leave your content in its intended place and in its unedited form unless one or more of the following apply:
If you ask me to modify, move or delete your content, I’ll consider making the requested change(s) so long as there’s no significant alteration of the context of the content or of any debate associated with it;
If you change your email address or URL, I’ll update these details in older comments so that I'm not displaying dead links;
If I decide to change the theme or layout of this blog, thus affecting the placement and/or visibility of comments, I’ll make whatever changes I see fit for the smooth running of this blog;
If any comment contains insulting profanity or other content which I deem to be causing or likely to cause trouble, I’ll edit or delete as I see fit for the smooth running of this blog. I’ll try to remember to display the reason(s) for whatever editing I do, so that folk aren’t left hanging wondering what happened and why. If you can at least try to "disguise" your swearing, it would be much appreciated.
Other things to consider:
Comments must contain at least 3 characters;
You can use some code in comments, feel free to give it a shot and see what works;
If adding pics, the recommended maximum dimension is 600px.;
Comments containing many links will be held for moderation;
I reserve the right to amend this policy in line with proven applicable current legislation;
Free Speech: you may well have the right to it, but you've no right to compel me to a) listen to it, or b) publish it!
You just *cannot* burn encyclopaedias! That's just plain wrong!
Mind you, they are probably useless as a reference these days... They will soon be a historical oddity. hang on to them (along with thirty million other households in Britain...)
Very, very, smart warm room Stef. Just need a bed and a telly and you're all set!
This set was a double-edged sword, Alan. Great for stimulating interest in all sorts of things, but they awoke and inflamed my Inner Stickler way back in the 1960s. The text is "American English" so many of the spellings are wrong and the sentence-construction is, well, rather odd in parts. If they'd been printed in Proper English I'd have kept them. FWIW, it's a Collier's set - 24 volumes (including the Bibliography/Index volume) plus the 2-volume Dictionary.
That's a cracker of a new extension Stef. When do you move in permanently? 😉
I hope you didn't pinch your raw materials from the previous post. 😯
Despite being only about 6f x 6ft in area, it seems quite roomy now that those festrous books have gone. Nice and comfy, no more sitting in the roofless bit freezing me nuts off during the wee hours. The heater's more-or-less redundant - the insulation is so effective that the heat from me, the lights, the kettle and the laptop is enough to keep it tolerably warm even when it's frosty outside.
The last few days saw the finishing touches being applied: shelving and storage, final draught-proofing, data-cabling and a leccy upgrade... previously I was running it on a 13A RCD-protected plug-in spur from the kitchen ring-main, now it has a dedicated full-on 32A supply direct from a new RCBO in the consumer unit.
It's the best dog-house in town!