Progress - Ensuite 5

December 2013

Everything was stripped out of the room next to Bedroom 5 that was to become Ensuite 5. The entrance from this room into the Attic (above the two iron bars in the back-left corner of the room) became very obvious at this stage, but it was decided that this access would be discontinued since it was directly above the place where the new bath/shower would be installed. In addition, a new access to the Attic would be created from the Mezzanine.

March 2014

March saw considerable work taking place in EnSuite 5. The plumbing and electrical cabling was done under the floor and above the suspended ceiling (which now had the hangers installed).

Later in the month, the new flooring was laid, and the first of the new toilet systems were installed. These toilets will have bowls that are suspended off the wall and clear of the floor. This makes cleaning around them easier, and also avoids the possibility of the bowl rocking when sat upon. The bowl is connected securely to a steel frame which is bolted to the wall inside a cabinet that also houses the cistern and all the plumbing connections. When finished, the only things visible will be the suspended bowl and the button!

The VMC ductwork was also placed on the back wall, connecting the VMC unit above in the attic with the rooms on the floors below. The VMC ductwork and the toilet cistern will eventually be enclosed behind the newly plastered walls.

At the canal end of the EnSuite, the photo at right below shows that the new double-glazed windows have also been installed. Because of the heritage requirements of the OPAH scheme, the new windows had to look the same on the outside as the old windows that they were replacing - we think they do the job well. Before the windows were assembled and installed, the interior and exterior surfaces had to be painted in colours matching the internal walls and the external facade (even though the new facade will not be completed until all the internal renovations are completed).

June 2014

With (waterproof green) plasterwork being completed in Ensuite 5, it is now clear how everything is hidden behind the plasterwork, with only the waste pipes (which will be hidden by the toilet bowl), the push-button and the technical door visible in front of the plaster. The technical door opens to show the isolation valves that can be used to shut off the water to the cistern for emergency repair work. A small artwork will probably cover the technical door in the future.

The integration of the new windows into the doubled walls is well illustrated in the triptych below. The window recess in the doubled wall does not have rectangular sides; rather they are angled outwards to allow the windows to be opened beyond 90 degrees (up to about 120 degrees).

August 2014

Ensuite 5 is nearly finished, and is a great contrast to the old storage room that was there just a few months ago.