A Devil of a Job

At last the paper-work for the water damage at Dukes Court is properly done.

I decided rather to have two teams work on one day.  I thought it would be better than one team on one day and the other on another day - disturbing our tenants more days.
Good in one way, and a bother in another.
Anyway it all worked out well enough yesterday.
As it happens we still need to be there today and tomorrow too.

Glenn and Sylvester worked at replacing the lifted wooden blocks in part of the passage.

Ishmael was stripping the loosened paint on the one bathroom ceiling.
The ceiling and walls of the other bathroom have previously been done by Doug and his team.

Sylvester and Ishmael work for Douglas.  He is the contractor responsible for the restoring of the wall and floor damage - results of a serious leak from the flat above.

Glenn and I were there to add a precise eye and an aesthetic eye.
And also... I really wanted to see how the mend-a-bath application was done.

The one bath "before" - both of them really needed doing!

The bath "during..."  a powerful paint stripper was generously applied.

Jonas from mend-a-bath was working on this.

 

The other bath "during..."

The pink bathroom basin "during"

Then, because Jonas was working on the baths, Ishmael joined Sylvester with the wooden blocks.

This is Jonas working away.  He works excellently.  He was a pleasure to watch.  I love watching someone who is good at their work and does it well!
After the bubbled paint is removed, the whole surface is thoroughly cleaned, chips are repaired with epoxy, dried, and then acid wash is applied to prepare for the paint application.  This is then dried.

The bath looks so good... but the surface was now compromised in preparation for the re-enamelling.

From the main bedroom into the one bathroom.  A lot of little parquet flooring blocks had to be re-stuck down.  Because of the water the last of the wet and dried blocks needed to be shaved a little or a lot to fit in.

Jonas masked off the baths, the one basin and one toilet.  The other basin and toilet will be done on Friday.

We each paused for lunch and a break along the way...

The spraying on of the enamel coat was potently fumey.  I felt sorry for our lungs.  Jonas had a sophisticated mask on.  I was glad.  He has been doing this for 19 years. 

Douglas came to inspect the progress and took Sylvester for another job, I then became Ishmael's assistant on the floor. 

When Jonas started spraying it was "let's leave the floor and find a place where there is some fresher air!"

I found a fan and positioned it to direct some air out into the passage towards the open front door.

Glenn and one or two of Doug's workers go again this morning to work on the floor, and I go again on Friday when Jonas will come and do the other basin and toilet.

A devil of a job!    Two of them.  The sort that when it needs to be done you hunker down and press forward and onward, and when it is done you cheer!

I took along three books and read from one and then the other throughout the day before I got to helping Ishmael in the afternoon.  It was a nuisance to Sylvester and Ishmael on the floor to get past them in the passage.

I took some time during the day too to be still and reminisce.  This is where our Dad lived for about seven years (Glenn and I worked it out last night - maybe we are a little or a lot off.  Probably five years at least.)

I remember visiting Dad and Sister Anna there.  I am glad to have had the time to be there and do some more finishing off of any business that might be unfinished somewhere inside the depths of me.

One day down... probably the worst... two more to go.
The one bathroom still needs the floor replaced at a future date.  A new cupboard arrangement also has to be placed in that bathroom.   I am not sure when Doug has that in his schedule of work.
I will post pictures of the "after" in due time.