Solar Panels

 

Referring to the boiler and solar collector manufacturers literature it was discovered that the ballast installed beneath solar panels was inadequate.  The system used relies on the solar panel frames being securely bolted to concrete or similar materials of sufficient weight to prevent panels from being lifted and moved in strong winds.  Calculations showed that the roof structure would not cope with sufficient weight to prevent the panels being lifted and moved horizontally so a separate framework will be added to attach the  frames to the parapet.

Another problem encountered has been damage caused by seagulls pecking through the insulated sleeve to the pipes to the solar panels, exposing the stainless steel pipe
and control cables.  It is thought that seagulls that are used to scavenging food from black waste bags instinctively peck at anything black, plastic and shiny.

The slightly experimental solution has been to disguise the insulated sleeve by wrapping with insect and bird mesh.

GLASS!

As the days shortened and the sun go lower in the sky, while I admired the view through the windows imagine my horror when I spotted a scratch on a window and then another and another....

The sun was refracting on multiple external scratches that were evident when the sun was low and the background sky was dark.

It would appear that the glass was left unprotected when rendering and other trades were finishing and that windows were then 'cleaned' by rubbing the gritty material or using a metal scraper   eeekkk1

The odd scratch on a window might have been overlooked but so many scratches on the huge sliding door was a disaster and filled me with dread.  Getting the large sliding doors installed during the construction phase was difficult enough but now that planters, balcony and brise-soleil metalwork was in place this area was almost impossible to access.

After alerting the contractor, a miraculous process of polishing  was carried out over a few days and was successful even on heavily toughened glass.

 

The work by a specialist uses quite secretive abrasive pads and compounds.  The rule is that if a finger nail does not engage into the scratch then it can be polished out, otherwise the defect is too deep and polishing will distort the glass.

Oct/Nov 2014 SHOWER ROOM

A careful check of the shower room layout shower basin services (ie waste pipe, hot & cold) were not quite where they should have been, so a hole was cut into the bedroom studwork wall to access waste pipe and basin supplies.  Adjustments of a crucial 50mm was made to give slightly more elbow room and allow the basin to be fitted centrally.

The plaster finish to one wall was not flat so the lower section of the wall scabbled back to blockwork and the centre of the wall 'dubbed out'.  The finished surface although not vertical was sufficiently flat to fix the large format tiles reasonably accurately.

I obtained samples of various finishes and colours of a large format tile before settling on a pale grey gloss finish and ordered for both shower and bathroom.

Decided to incorporate a flush integrated cupboard to conceal the rather ugly shavers socket and also allow a shelf for an electric toothbrush.  For the moment this is just a hole in the plasterboard because the material for the cupboard lining is not currently available.  I should have thought of this earlier and I have decided to use the same board for kitchen doors, it is currently out of stock and will be imported around Christmas.

The ceiling light was located in the centre of the room but I felt it is was too close to the shower cubicle so it was moved slightly off-centre.

Rather than try to integrate a bespoke mirror with wall mounted lighting in the tiled wall I decided

to use a surface mounted mirror unit with integrated lights.  The selected unit also has a movement operated switch which is neat and a demist panel - not sure if this will be required in the shower room but a good precaution  and if the design is OK I will specify the same in the bathroom that may be steamier.

Apologies for the mutiple photos - I do not have a wide angle lens used by estate agents for making small rooms look impossibly large so use your imagination to join the images together.
The tile layout works out really well with tiles centred on the WC and wash hand basin but the integrated mirror lighting is not especially bright because of the glare of lighting in the space reflecting  off the rear wall.  The rear wall is planned to be painted and will accommodate several items; loo roll holder, bathroom cabinet, hooks and possibly a future towel radiator,  so this could be a slightly darker colour and I have the scope to experiment.

Underfloor heating works really well, through experimenting I have found that it needs to be switched on fairly early and takes time to cool down.

A dishwasher while the kitchen & sink are out of action