Small building projects in Javea

Villa Ines Isabel in Javea

2009-04-24T16:01:00.030+02:00

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

2009-02-23T17:07:00.007+01:00

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

2008-05-08T14:14:00.006+02:00

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

2008-05-06T16:56:00.021+02:00

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

2008-04-06T20:19:00.015+02:00

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.

Driveway walls at Ines Isabel

2008-04-01T17:41:00.025+02:00

The driveway walls at Villa Ines Isabel in Javea have now been clad with natural stone. The makes the walls virtually maintenance free, and it fits in well with the cladding around the pumphouse.
Higher gates will be fitted to the new pillars, as soon as we can get the design to allow for the slope of the driveway.

The driveway "before"

The driveway now

New kitchen cupboards for Ines Isabel

2008-03-17T16:05:00.011+01:00

Here are three possible cupboard doors for the kitchen at Ines Isabel. All three go very well with the wall tiles, granite and floor tiles.

Comments: The very light one is just that, very light, and does nothing for the kitchen.
The woodgrain one is light, bright and has the added interest of the wood grain.
The cream-coloured one is at once warm and bright, picks out the cream in the wall tiles and the floor tiles, and goes well with the granite.

Roof nearly finished at Trencal

2008-02-20T21:14:00.005+01:00

20th February 2008
The two end sections are now completed.

Work is continuing very fast on the roof at Trencal. With four men working they hope to be finished by the end of the weekend.

Continuing the tiling at Renata

2008-02-20T20:35:00.005+01:00

The gardener needs to trim the plants in front of the naya, to the yellow line, so that the builders can make good the edge of the naya. The stone facing below will also need attention soon.

The frames are in for the door and shutter from the lounge to the new outer terrace. Fortunately there are two spare tiles to replace the ones that had to be taken out. These were damaged by the removal of the stone that went deep down the wall.

The tiles are now down in the passage and covered naya areas. The whole area looks MUCH bigger with the lighter coloured tiles.

Continuing work on the roof at Trencal

2008-02-15T14:37:00.016+01:00

18th February 2008
Monday morning and more materials delivered

16th February 2008
The "supervisor" is up on the roof today

But she wasn't too happy getting up there!

15th February 2008
The whole new roof surface is completely covered with asphalt. This is "welded" down all around the edges and where each strip joins the next.

The original tiles are then re-laid on top of the asphalt.

12th February 2008
This first part of the roof is easier to work on because there are two "big bags" of sand on the roof, and the builders can mix the mortar up there. The next sections will be more difficult as all the mortar will have to be lifted up by bucket.

With the roof completely clear of tiles a 3 - 4cm skim of mortar was laid over the whole roof.

New lead flashing, wider this time to give greater protection, was laid in the gully where the two roof falls meet. Before the plumbers laid the lead (it is traditionally a plumber's job) the builders created a smooth mortar base to prevent future cracking.

11th February 2008
The first job is to completely clear the tiles off the roof. This exposed the roof surface which is a simple construction of "bardos" (flat bricks) laid on (probably) narrow brick walls and pointed up with "yeso" (lime). There is no asphalt or any other weather protection.

In fact the roof has stood up very well over the years, but there are clear signs of small holes in the bricks and cracks in the yeso. This is almost certainly where the water has been getting in.

Lead flashing was used in the original construction to line the gully where the two roof slopes meet by the chimney. There was no mortar under this and over the years it has moved and cracked. Under the lead it was still quite damp and this is where a lot of the water had also been getting in.

Re-roof Villa Trencal in Javea

2008-02-15T11:15:00.019+01:00

Work started on 9th February. The problem here is that the roof leaks, and with the excessive rains of October 2007 the problem just got worse.
The solution: To take off all the roof tiles, clean off the roof surface, lay a skim of about 3 - 4cms of cement mortar, cover this with asphalt and re-lay the tiles.
All sounds very easy, but the roof is about 15m above road level, so getting the materials up there is not quite so easy!

The truck arrived on 9th February with the first load of materials.

Then it was a question of where to put everything. So two sacks of sand went up on to the roof

The roof could only support two bags, the rest of the sand, the cement, the asphalt rolls and the tiles all had to go on the pool terrace.

Under strict supervision ...

So now all the materials are delivered it's time to get on with the actual work of re-tiling the whole roof.

First a walk-way to access the roof via a ladder at the back of the villa.

Then scaffolding at the front to use for getting materials up on to the roof.

Building the new steps at Villa Renata

2008-02-09T19:08:00.000+01:00

December 2007
This is what it all looked like at the start.

The job here is to raise the level of the upper terrace, and create new steps down to the naya and to the lower terrace. The treads of the steps are to be surfaced with the same stone paving as the naya, and faced with the same stone as the facing of the rest of the naya.

9th February 2008
and this is what it looks like now.

Scroll down to the bottom to see the work in order.

7th February 2008

The steps are finished, the wall rendered, the back wall made good... but, is this really right? (Click on the image to see more clearly)

5th February 2008

Now we can start on the top steps. The large square paving stone on the bottom step is neatly hiding the inspection chimney for the 1st chamber of the septic tank.

At last, the lower steps are all completed, and they look really good!

2nd February 2008

Back at work, but what happened to that tidy terrace?

We can see the shape of the lower steps

24th January 2008

At last, the shape of things to come. But sadly no more work for a week due to a family bereavement.

23rd January 2008

A lot of thought goes into all this.

and a lot of reinforcing goes into all the concrete

22nd January 2008
Out of all this apparent chaos the form of the steps begins to show through.
We built a wall at the side of the steps on the naya. This hides the drain pipe and could be a good site for a barbecue in the future.

The foundation was reinforced with mesh.

19th January 2008

A good solid ramp was laid as a foundation for the steps. It was also a good place for a lot of the rubble from digging up the rest of the old naya.

18th January 2008

After raising the upper terrace and sorting out the drains and access to the septic tank (under the garden to the right of the photo) work starts on building the base of the steps.

Continuing work at Villa Renata in Javea

2008-02-07T22:31:00.000+01:00

16th January 2008

Our two builders are back at work after an extended stay in Morocco. Their first job is to lay the reinforcing and surface the new terrace. The level has been raised with concrete beams and flat bricks. This is then covered with a mortar mix, reinforced with mesh. The surface is flat for tiles to be laid directly to it.

Access to the water tank under the terrace will be through a trap laid in the tiling. Railings matching those on the naya will be fitted around the terrace.

6th January 2008
During the uncovering of the waste pipe we discovered an electric box hidden in the depths of the space where the cypress bush was growing. As the box was full of live wires we decided to move this box and its associated wiring inside. The box is now housed in the pump room where it is easily accessible. During this process all the outside lights and sockets were tested, renewed where necessary and isolated if no longer required. An open socket found in the earth by the septic tank was isolated.

4th January 2008

After the discovery of the septic tank the next step was to install new pipework to the tank. This was done by joining on to the pipe as it comes out of the villa, and taking the new plastic pipe under the steps to the septic tank.

An inspection cap was fitted to the pipe so that in the extremely unlikely event of a blockage (!) the pipes can be rodded easily without any building work necessary.

Chimneys have also been built up from the septic tank chambers to ground level and inspection covers fitted, so that the septic tanks can be easily emptied and cleaned.

The outlet of the main pipe into the tank was found to be completely blocked with roots - amazing that anything was getting through!

Septic tank at Villa Renata

2007-12-09T10:45:00.000+01:00

9th December 2007
Eureka! All is now revealed. We have found both tanks for the septic tank. This photo is taken from the steps. The bottom hole is the 1st chamber and the top hole is the second chamber. Very briefly, everything goes into the first chamber, solids gradually sink and decompose. As the tank fills liquid and some solid will overspill into the second chamber. There the process is the same. Solids sink and decompose and liquid will then overspill into a third chamber - the soakaway - through the pipe you can see at the top of the top opening.
So far so good. Both chambers are about 1/2 full of fairly dry solids. Now would be a good time to empty and clean them while they are both open, although this is not absolutely essential.

But ..... the pipe that takes all the waste from the villa to the 1st chamber is absolutely solid with roots (just like the ones inside the villa last year).
Have a look at these photos:

So, what to do?
Install a new pipe from the outer wall of the villa to the 1st chamber. This pipe will run under the new steps and will be accessible from the villa end of the pipe and through the inspection cover over the 1st chamber. (Click on the photos to enlarge and read the text).

Steps and terrace at Renata

2007-12-08T17:58:00.000+01:00

8th December 2007
Work has started on the new terrace and steps at Villa Renata in Javea, Spain. During this winter we will be renewing the tiling on the naya at Villa Renata, raising the level of the open terrace off the end of the lounge, and creating a stunning flight of steps from this new terrace to the lower "naya" and swimming pool.
This is what it all looked like before work started on 7th December 2007:

The plan is to create new steps, wider and shallower, that will provide easy access to the lower "naya" and to the swimming pool area.
As usual with this type of job, there is a small problem! The septic tank is, we think, under the flower bed and we don't want to build over it without leaving some sort of an inspection cover. So the first task is to locate the exact position of the tank. Here we go:

The first thing we found was the "false" tank! This is an ingenious system for watering the flowerbed from rainwater caught by the guttering on the roof. But it goes nowhere - just into the soil. Very ecological, but not what we are looking for.
So, is it here?

No!
What about here?

Yes! This is where the tank is. We finally discovered part of the concrete top of the tank. All we have to do now is break into it, make sure it really is the septic tank, check it for roots etc, build a "chimney" up to soil level, and put an inspection lid on so it can be found easily in the future!

Refurbishment at Villa Renata in Javea, Costa Blanca

2007-04-24T19:03:00.000+02:00

3rd June 2007
Phew! Ready just in time for the first guests who arrive today!
Everything is now finished - well, nearly everything. There are still a few little things to finish:
1. The shower screens from Duscholux. These should be here in the next few days, but I wouldn't hold my breath. All their shower screens are made to order, and usually take 3 - 5 weeks from measuring. We are in to week 3 now. A temporary shower curtain is in place in the shared bathroom. Extra bath mats supplied in the main bathroom.
2. The third vanity unit, for the main bathroom. The suppliers say this will be in on Monday or Tuesday. Whenever! It will be fitted as soon as it arrives. The unit that is there looks fantastic.
3. The curtains for the main bedroom - we have the curtains - match the bedspread perfectly, but the hooks from the old curtains didn't fit (too long) so we have to get new hooks. No-where open on Sunday. They will be up on Thursday.
There are still some decorations that are not in place, but right now the whole house looks great.
A total transformation. Excellent job!

29th May 2007
Everything is just about finished now - although no-one would believe it looking at the villa!
All the floors are finished, just the grouting in the entrance hall to be done this afternoon.
The bathrooms are done, just the vanity units, shower screens and the little accessories like towel rails to go up. Unfortunately the suppliers haven't got the vanity units in yet, so they will go in on Friday. The shower screens should be here next week sometime, we hope!
The electrics are all finished and the light fittings are going up today.
Tomorrow (30th May) the builders say they will be out! Watch this space ..........
Furniture, curtains etc will be going back on Friday when the painters have finished. Then it's just the cleaners (Friday afternoon)

18th May 2007
The lounge and dining room floors are finished!

The lounge floor is completely finished with the skirting fitted and everything grouted. It is quite stunning!

The tiling is now finished in the main bathroom, and the marble trim is on along the back of the bath. A great feature that really finishes it off. Grouting will be done next week and then all the fittings will go in.

The shower room tiling is finished as well. There is a piece of marble at the end of the shower tray that finishes it off really well. The new windows are also in. They will be stained up next week after all the fittings go in.

17th May
Work is going on really well, although it all still looks a mess. The colours don't come out very well either - the real thing looks a lot better than these photos!

14th May 2007

There are always a few unexpected problems with refurbishing a property. At this villa we found a lot of evidence of termites. It seems they have gone as no live beasties have been found, but there is a lot of damage. Here is a piece of architraving from one of the doors - looks perfect on the outside, but is held together by the varnish. And the front door also needs a piece fitting to one side of the frame.

9th May 2007

Tiling is going very well in the lounge and work has also started in the bathrooms. They look a real mess at the moment, but the tiles look really good.

8th May 2007

At last! Tiling has started. Tiling has started in the lounge with the Porcelanosa tiles. These are beautiful tiles and laying them is a real precision job. Takes a lot longer than standard tiles as they are butted together with just a tiny grout between the tiles. No room for manoeuvre or error. They look really great and everyone on the job is looking forward to seeing them all down.
Tiling starts in the lounge and then works through the house in one continuous run to keep the staggered pattern right all the way through.

5th May 2007
Here are a couple of photos of part of a shower screen. This screen shows a stainless steel frame between the fixed glass and the wall, but this will not be necessary at Renata as the wall will be squared off to take the glass without a frame.

5th May 2007
This has been a "short" week with public holidays in Javea on 1st (May day) and 3rd (Día de las cruces). Add to that the torrential storms, and the result is that work has progressed, albeit slowly.
The top level concrete has now been poured in the lounge and dining room in preparation for tiling. This concrete is poured onto a bitumen damp-proof membrane, and covers all the central heating and water pipes. The floor tiles have arrived on site - everyone is excited about laying these tiles as they really are quite stunning.
The new plumbing is now virtually completed with just the towel rads to be installed and the bathroom radiator. The central heating circuit has been tested under pressure (3 bar) for 3 days and not a drop anywhere, so that has now been drained down in preparation for fitting the last 3 rads.

24th April 2007

Work is continuing well at Villa Renata.

The new concrete bases in the lounge and dining room are now in place, incorporating mesh reinforcing in the concrete, and tieing the bases to the walls with reinforcing rods.

The new concrete base for the lounge floor

The main drain to the septic tank is under the concrete base in the lounge. There is a T join under the dining area where the drains from the cloakroom and second bathroom join the drain from the main bathroom. There is also a T join to the kitchen (photo above)

The concrete bases for both bathrooms and the cloakroom are now complete, with the drains for all the bathroom appliances under the concrete.

A cable for the thermostat for the central heating was run from the carport to the end of the passage. The thermostat will be at the end of the passage - a fairly "neutral" area as regards temperature. By situating the thermostat here it is not necessary to channel any walls as the wiring will run up inside the bathroom wall (before tiling) and then come through neatly to the wall of the passage.

New floors and bathrooms at Villa Renata in Javea

2007-04-14T00:17:00.000+02:00

The project at Villa Renata is to renew all the floors in the villa except the kitchen. The idea is to lay "tile on tile" everywhere except the bathrooms where the floors will be taken up completely. At the same time the two bathrooms are to be completely refurbished and the plumbing and drains renewed. Before the floors are relaid plumbing for central heating is to be laid in the floor, and radiators will be installed as well.

As soon as the fitted carpet in the lounge was taken up it became apparent that the slight difference in the floor level that had been noted was in fact a very considerable difference amounting to 3cms in places. It was then decided to take up the floors in the lounge and dining room, compact the infill below, lay a new concrete base with reinforcing and then tile.

The difference in the level of the lounge floor is as much as 3cms in places
In the photos below you can see the floor has been taken up in the lounge and the new plastic drainpipe is now in place. A "T" has been taken off this pipe to the utility room. The plastic pipe has been joined to the old pipe in the utility room as a temporary measure until the kitchen and utility rooms are refurbished. This avoids having to dig up the new lounge floor at a later stage to join the kitchen drains to the main pipe.

In order to take the drain pipe from the main pipe to the kitchen it was necessary to dig a hole under the present washing machine, and then bore through to the lounge. This hole will be made good and the position marked so that when the utility room and kitchen are refurbished it will be a simple job to join the new drains to the main pipe.

The early work is the most "destructive" when everything is prepared. When the bathroom floors came up and the drains uncovered it was discovered that the drains were completely blocked with roots that had grown into the pipes from the "arquetas" (traps) that were found under the dining room floor and in each bathroom. Photos of these roots are amazing! All the old drain pipes have been removed and replaced with plastic pipes. There will not be any traps and so the root problem should not arise again. It was apparent that the roots were not growing up the pipes from outside, but from the traps down the pipes.

The bathrooms are now stripped out and ready for a complete makeover. New plumbing, electrics, all fixtures and tiling

The radiators to be installed throughout the villa are Radson radiators. In the main (en suite)bathroom there will be one radiator and one ladder towel warmer (chrome). The ladder towel warmer will have an electric element as well so it can be used in winter with the central heating, or in summer independently. The second bathroom will just have a ladder towel warmer.

Work has finished upstairs at Villa Adelfas in Javea

2007-04-14T00:03:00.000+02:00

Work has now finished at Villa Adelfas in Javea.

The upstairs area of the villa now has:

Completely new (tiles, floor etc) fitted kitchen
Completely new family bathroom
Completely new en suite shower room, including a new door
All the floors re-tiled throughout the upper level
New tiles (non-slip) on the outer "naya" and open terrace.

It all looks really fantastic. Here are some photos of the finished work

Villa Adelfas, in Javea, Spain is available for short term summer rentals. The villa may be rented for up to four people using the upstairs areas only, or for eight people using both the upper and lower levels. All the bedrooms are equipped with air-conditioning.

Balustrading for terraces

2007-03-26T18:54:00.000+02:00

Flower pots are an alternative to balustrading around a terrace, but remember - a watering system has to be installed to keep the plants alive.

Here are some of the styles of balustrading available. Most is available in either white or in stone colour, with either a rough/rustic or smooth finish. Prices vary from style to style, between about 80euros and 100euros per linear metre including iva.
1. Menut 35 2. Palomo
1. Cipres 2. Barroco
1. Cipres 2. Cipres 3. Anilla
1. Palomo 2. Palomo 3. Anillo
1. Palomo 2. Ciebo 3. Copa

Another alternative is to simply build a low (about 60cms) wall around a terrace and render it with a white cement mix. This is a much cheaper option to balustrading and is maintenance free as the rendering does not require painting.

Work started on paving driveway

2007-03-26T15:13:00.000+02:00

Work started last week on paving 60sq m of driveway. The concrete base was already in place and the Tarragona stone has been placed on a bed of sand/cement and then grouted up. This provides an attractive hard standing for vehicles and access to the garage.

Pave your driveway

2007-03-07T00:28:00.002+01:00

Transform a concrete driveway with paving

This is the driveway before paving

This shows how the driveway could look with grey stone paving

This shows how the driveway could look with "yellow" Tarragona paving

These photos have been manipulated to show what a driveway could look like if it were paved. They are NOT photos of the finished work.

Adelfas upstairs refurbishment 2007

2007-02-27T11:51:00.001+01:00

After a short break, work on the kitchen, bathrooms and floors upstairs at Villa Adelfas is now nearly finished. Today the kitchen fitters started fitting the kitchen. This is almost the last phase of the job. All that will remain after this is the fitting of the granite work tops, and to finish off the bathrooms putting up all the fittings.

The outside terrace was finished a couple of weeks ago, after a short hold-up due to the incredibly wet weather. Historically the terrace had always leaked when it rained, with water getting into the downstairs kitchen and store. When we dug up the terrace it became very clear why this happened.

The outside tiles were laid on a bed of SAND........... with NO DAMP PROOFING and just a very thin sprinkling of cement to hold the tiles in place. All this was removed, taking the level down about 12 -15 cms.

The whole area was prepared with bitumen felt to completely waterproof the area.

Concrete was laid on top of the bitumen and the fall adjusted to take the water away from the villa walls. Previously water had gathered in puddles against the walls, adding to the ingress of water downstairs. The new non-slip tiles were laid on top of the new concrete base.

Finally after grouting up the area the "skirting" was placed around the walls to tidy up the look, and to further help keep the downstairs dry.
It has since rained a lot and NO WATER has come in downstairs!
It all looks fantastic.

Adelfas upstairs refurbishment 2007

2007-01-22T19:16:00.003+01:00

Work is going well at Villa Adelfas in Javea. The painters moved in today and they are painting all the upstairs walls and ceilings. The builders are finishing the grouting up in the kitchen, and tiling the insides of the wardrobes. They should be out of there by Wednesday when they will probably start on the outside terrace now all the "dirty" work is finished. The kitchen units should arrive on Friday or Monday (29th Jan).

Adelfas upstairs refurbishment 2007

2007-01-17T19:28:00.003+01:00

At Villa Adelfas we are completely refurbishing the upstairs area:

NEW floors throughout
NEW kitchen - floor, wall tiles, units, cooker, hob, microwave and adding a dishwasher
NEW family bathroom - wall and floor tiles, bath, basin and wc
NEW en suite shower room - corner shower stall, basin and wc. And a door.
NEW tiles on the outside terrace
NEW tosca arch between the kitchen and the lounge

To do this all the old tiles were taken up from the floor and removed from the walls. The floor had to be re-concreted as the original base was crumbling. The walls were roughly rendered and then tiled.
In the kitchen we took the opportunity to upgrade the electrics, and move the main electricity board to a more convenient place.
A new Tosca arch was installed between the kitchen and the lounge as the old one was "flush" with the tiling in the kitchen, resulting with a very poor finish between the tiles and the stone of the arch. The new one is a huge improvement.

The following photos were taken two weeks in to the work:
The floors are all finished. The kitchen walls are finished. The electrics are finished. The bath and shower trays are installed. The arch is installed. There is still a lot to do, and we are now waiting on the painter and kitchen fitter. After that the rest of the bathroom and shower room furniture will be installed and then work will start on the outside tiling.

BATHROOM

BATHROOM

BEDROOM

SHOWER ROOM

DOOR TO SHOWER ROOM

TOSCA STONE ARCH BETWEEN KITCHEN AND LOUNGE

ARCH AND ELECTRIC BOX

KITCHEN DETAIL

KITCHEN WALL

These photos were taken on January 15th 2007. Since taking the photos the door has been fitted to the shower room and the coving fitted to the kitchen ceiling.