Villa Ines Isabel in Javea

Remove part of lawn and pave beside pool, beside garage, paths and steps

The project at Ines Isabel is to remove part of the lawn, build up the area where the lawn has gone from and pave with Tarragona stone (matching the pool surround). This will give a larger area for sun loungers, table and chairs around the swimming pool.

At the same time, pave an area at the side of the villa below pine trees where nothing will actually grow. This will give a pleasant area for al fresco meals, or relaxing in the shade. A flower border will be left on two sides.

In addition, pave all the pathways around the villa to make it easier and safer to walk all around the property, and also throw residual water off the back of the villa and so reduce damp in the rear bedroom. Re-clad the steps to the back gate, to match the new pathways. Level and pave the area near the barbecue.

In all this was estimated to be about 97SqM of paving.

Work started in February and was completed in March.

In fact there was well over the 97 sq m of paving originally estimated as the area around the barbecue was extended, the lawn area was extended by about 50cms all along the outer area, at the back of the villa a much larger area was paved at the bottom of the steps and between the kitchen steps and gas cupboard, and more steps were created to the gas cupboard level. All the steps to the back gate were clad (top and face). The final count was 140 sq m.

At the back of the villa the area at the bottom of the kitchen access steps was raised and levelled with the bottom of the steps to the back gate. This created a large level area between the two sets of steps. There are now 3 less steps to the kitchen. In this area another flowerbed was created with the dual purpose of providing more planting area and also to prevent the run-off from the back garden all running down the back and beside the villa. A lot of the moisture will now be absorbed in this new garden area created out of an area that was just waste.

A lot of plumbing work was required to:

• Create a cover for the mains inlet pipe and pressure valve, and for the electro-valves for the watering system (see cover above)


• Tidy up the incoming mains water pipe and electro-valves for the watering system (below)


• Replace old galvanized mains incoming water pipes. New pipe runs through the large plastic pipe under the paving, for easy access if it ever needs replacing

Replace the old asbestos waste pipe from the villa to the septic tank with a plastic pipe

At the side of the garage a new paved area was created utilising a space where previously nothing had grown because of the overhanging pine trees. The level of this area was raised at the boundary by about 50cms to create a level area. The level had to be raised above that of the driveway to facilitate drainage. Flower troughs were created along the boundary wall and behind the gas bottle cupboard. The area bordering the garage was tidied up and more garden area created using small bolders to retain more soil. This garden area now runs along the side of the garage from the steps to the gate.

The steps from the "garage terrace" have been clad with Tarragona paving. These steps lead to a new path that now goes right around the villa. A flat area was created at the bottom of the steps from the back gate, raising the level of this area. 3 steps were "lost" from the flight of steps up to the kitchen. The hand rail was adjusted accordingly. (see photos above). Under the kitchen steps the floor level was raised to prevent water running in, and the base paved. This is now a good area to store logs for the fire. The steps down from the gate were extended to meet the new level area, with wide steps at the bottom (the steep slope has now gone). A new garden area was created along side the bottom steps, above the cover for the mains inlet and watering system valves.
The path continues down the side of the villa towards the barbecue. The area between the barbecue and the gas bottle cupboard is levelled, and this level continues at the bottom of the steps to the villa, to join the existing paved terrace. The bottom step of the flight to the naya was "lost".









At the front of the villa the main project was to remove the grass at the far side of the swimming pool and create a level, paved terrace with space for sun loungers, possibly a small table, and a parasol. This area sloped steeply towards the cypress hedge and so had to be levelled before the paving could commence. The grass was removed together with about 30cms of topsoil (the soil was used around the villa in various flower beds). Alongside the cypress hedge the ground was cut back and boulders used as foundations for this part of the terrace. An outer wall of blocks was also built to make the terrace bigger.

The railing at the side of the old lawned area had to be adapted to bring it level with the new terrace (it was sloping down the lawn before). And the dry stone wall was built up to the level of the new terrace.
Finally, the pumphouse door was replaced.

Roof repairs in Javea

25th February 2009

Work has started on the north roof


Many cracks like these below were found on the roof. Some were probably left deliberately for ventilation. These will all now be sealed. Ventilation bricks can be built in to the sides of the building. There doesn't seem to be any system of where, or why, these cracks were left. They are just randomly scattered over the roof.



This was the biggest hole! A tube that presumably goes to the kitchen extractor fan - but no chimney was ever put over it. Just tiles covering the gaping hole, so gradually over the years, as the tiles have moved, more and more water has seeped in.

North facing roof area to be relaid

South facing roof - about the same size as the north facing roof

There are a lot of broken gulley tiles and top tiles in the South section of the roof. Also a lot of broken tiles on the ridge.

Kitchen finished at Villa Ines Isabel in Javea, Spain

The revamp of the kitchen at Villa Ines Isabel in Javea, Spain, is now finished.
New doors have been fitted to all the existing cupboards, with self-closing hinges.
New drawers fitted with auto-closures.

New wall cupboards have been fitted to provide more storage space.

Top cupboards are fitted with a lock so that private stuff can be locked away easily.

A space is created for the fridge. This has been made deliberately larger than the current fridge, to accommodate a full-size, two door, fridge/freezer in the future.
A temporary shelf will be fitted above the fridge for the microwave.

Central Heating Installation at Ines Isabel, Javea, Spain

The cental heating installation at Villa Ines Isabel in Javea is now nearly finished. All the pipework is in, the boiler is fitted, and the gas cupboard nearly finished. The whole system has been pressure tested.

The feed comes from the boiler via the back bedroom wardrobe. From there pipes feed up to the passage, along and under the lounge floor and then back down to the end bedroom wardrobe for that bedroom and the bathroom. All the pipes in the wardrobes will be covered by the wardrobe cladding.

Hot water for the upstairs shower room also comes from the boiler in the garage, and the new gas bottles supply the water heater for the back bathroom.

All the central heating and hot water pipes are clad with insulation

Driveway at Villa Renata, Spain

15/04/08
A quick update on the driveway at Villa Renata in Javea.
We had a mini-bobcat driven by Ivan working on the gravel for a couple of hours last week. He shifted some of the gravel that was a bit deep, and levelled off the whole area. It is now a lot easier to drive on.
Here he is at work:









06/04/08

The driveway at Villa Renata has been greatly improved by removing the rocky outcrops that were sticking up. Then the whole area has been covered with 5cms of gravel. The result, it all looks much, much bigger and a lot neater.

Here you can see the natural sweep in from the entrance

This is roughly what that same drive would look like paved - colours and size of paving stones are not actual

A paved drive from the entrance to the car-port would break up the huge expanse of gravel, and give a firm surface for cars entering and leaving. This would be a continuation of the present entrance, using natural stone.

This is another view of the drive going towards the car port
The paved drive would sweep up from the entrance and then curve round to the right, go in front of the planter, and then sweep left in to the car port.