Cables, Pipes and Low-loaders

We still haven't got our Welsh Slate, so the roof, and therefore most of the brickwork cannot be started yet.  The contractor has managed to shave a couple of weeks of the lead time for the slates which means that they should arrive early next month.  In the meantime, work has focused on 'first fix electrics' and the 'renewables'.

First fix electrics involves putting in all the cabling and 'back boxes' prior to the sealing up of the walls with plasterboard and then a plaster skim followed by paint.  Once the plasterboard is up, it is very difficult to neatly add any more cables, so it has been important to try and get this right.  This means that we have tried to work out where we are likely to put furniture and fixed appliances and position power sockets in the most appropriate locations.  It isn't just the power sockets either, we have had to consider phone sockets, sockets for PC networks, TV and satellite aerials, heating controls, and the burglar alarm.  Consequently, we have over a mile of mains cable and probably not much less for other wiring!

One of the many 'Cable Corners'

'Renewables' seems to be the phrase to describe the collective heating/solar panels/heat pump systems.  It appears that the days of having a boiler and a few radiators, perhaps even with individual thermostats is over.  These days heating systems are far more complicated.  Our central heating will be based on underfloor heating pipes so we don't have radiators but we do have 'zones' which are made up of one or more rooms.  We have 9 zones, with each being controlled by a separate thermostat and provides heating water through 'manifolds' and 'actuators'.  So much cabling is involved that the heating system has 2 'wiring centres': one upstairs and one downstairs.

Upstairs Manifold

We don't have a boiler either: our heat comes from an 'Air source heat pump'.  This clever bit of kit works like a refrigerator but in reverse.  It takes heat out of the outside air (whatever its temperature) and adds it to our heating water.  We have no gas supply in the village and most other energy sources are considerably more expensive.  The air source heat pump takes energy from the atmosphere (hence 'renewable'), and for every unit of electricity put into it, 4 units-worth of heat are generated, making it as cheap as, or cheaper than gas.
To complicate things further, the house has photo-voltaic panels (solar panels to you and I) which generate power when the sun is around.  This is used within the house and when there is an excess, it is fed back to the national grid for which we receive a small credit.
All of this sounds fairly complicated which is why we are using a specialist company to do it.  At the end of the installation we are given a certificate which entitles us to an energy rebate from the government for the next few years.  I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end!
This week, the 'Renewables' company fitted the upstairs underfloor heating pipes.  This is based on (very) long runs of coated aluminium pipe fixed underneath the first floor.  Clearly, this has to be done before the ground floor ceiling is put in!

Before

During

After

The timelapse video below was taken over a day and a bit and shows a view of the lounge-diner ceiling from the study.

The next stage is to put the pipes into the ground floor (together with another manifold etc).  This is scheduled for next week, but only after our contractor has put down the sub-floor insulation.  The pipes are stapled to this and then the whole ground floor is 'screed' to create our finished ground floor.

Our other project is the boat.  We have just come back from a visit to the boat-builder where we have finally settled on an achievable delivery date which we can all believe in!  This is set for 20th February.  Due to the large number of winter stoppages on the canals in this area for maintenance work, we are sadly not able to bring the boat by water to its new home.  We would need to wait until nearly April for all the closures to be lifted.  Therefore, it is coming by road on a low-loader!  Because the roads around our village are so narrow the transport company will not deliver it to Cropredy.  Instead it is being to a small village south of Banbury with slightly less narrow roads.  It will be 'dropped in' at Aynho Wharf, and we will sail it north through Banbury to Cropredy.
The boat is almost finished.  There are a few things left to finish off inside, but outside is just about done.

Final coat on the roof

Sign-writing Complete

One of the proud owners

...and a small advert

In order to prevent damage from the other construction activities, one of the last things to be included is the flooring.  This has been delivered and will be fitted this weekend.

Flooring ready to go!

Also, added very late on for the same reason are all the cupboard doors and cabin doors.  The carpenter has taken two days to create them, and he was just finishing them off whilst we were there.  We are very impressed with the quality of all the carpentry on the boat. 

Cupboard doors being sanded

So, we will return to the boat builder on Monday 19th just to check that everything is as it should be before they deliver it to Aynho on the 20th.  Expect more photos then!!!