UTILITIES: demolition

The roof transformed the day to day logistics of the project. We were inside. Stuff could just be left out at the end of each day. It didn't matter if it rained. It didn't matter if it got dark. There was also a whole list of things that could now be done during the winter to keep us on track for our spring completion. First on that list was the hugely exciting prospect of demolishing the old outside loo and coal cupboard. We would finally get to see our new utility room.

August 2009: None of the walls around the coal cupboard and old outside loo were supporting anything.

Knocking things down is a lot easier than building them up. Nothing here was a supporting wall so it was just a case of tapping the bricks and dismantling them one by one. It left us some slightly weird bits of wiring and a gas meter hanging in the middle of the room. The new position for the gas meter was dependent on the design for the interior so once the wall was down we needed to make a couple of design decisions. The position of the new boiler would dictate how the room could work and that in turn would fix the best place for the gas meter.

August 2009: The demolition created a lot of dust and rubble but the walls didn't offer much resistance. It was just a case of dismantling them brick by brick.

August 2009: The light switch will need modifying but the gas meter will be the first priority. There will be a new semi-submerged meter on the wall in the front garden.

August 2009: The walls are demolished and a temporary shelf is installed for the gas meter. It will still be quite a task to remove the old concrete floor and complete the floor slab.