A long time ago

A long time ago i posted a few pictures of templates i made to cut plasterboard. I was reminded yesterday just as i was making another template for a sheet of plasterboard for the lounge ceiling so here's another picture.

It's just as easy for more difficult shapes all i need now it to draw this on the right part of the sheet that is to get put on the ceiling and it will be a perfect job.

Another trip to Liverpool

Not long and i will be back in Liverpool to see my wonderful Mum and her new stair lift. I will get to see everybody i want but one will be away working and that's a worry at the moment as i know where he's gone.

The flight gets in mid afternoon so i have the rest of the day and the flight back leaves mid afternoon so i will get a few good days.

There is one who missed the school reunion who i would like to meet up with but i have heard nothing from Steve for a few weeks.

Ready for the winter

Does it never end. Being a home owner there is always something to do and at the moment installing my chimney for my log burner is top of the list of things to do. Each joint was drilled and riveted together now it should be toasty this winter and no rain water leaks like the last chimney was fitted by someone who was supposed to know what he was doing.

It's looking good now and it's ready for the winter months.

It started with Russia now it's the USA

A little while ago i started to get a lots of views from Russia Thousands and Thousands more than normal. These views lasted for a few weeks and then they almost stopped, now it's back to lower numbers of viewers.

The same has been happening now for a while but it's the USA. From the Statistics i get i only get to see the country. Today i noticed that a number of pages have been viewed by the same amount of people for all of the pages i can see have been read.

As each page has been read by the same amount of people then it can only be it's a school or other institution  so please if this is you please get in touch i would like to know something about the readers.

Scaffolding up in the lounge

Today i managed to get the largest part of the downstairs ceiling up and even got the lights in. I used a scaffolding tower to put the plasterboard up as each sheet is heavy. I have six LED lights for the ceiling but before i installed them i first put them all up in position to check them. I had to see first that six was the right amount for the size of room i have.

I should have took a picture before i put the plasterboard up while it was on the scaffolding tower.

At last the hard part is done i now have the sides to do and after insulating behind the aircon unit i can finish that section. Just a hole to cut now for the ceiling fan

Last insulation and plasterboard done.

After finding in my cellar today a sheet of insulation it was time to get the last wall to be insulated done and finished. Just one more joint to finish on the outside and all the parts of the chimney can be jointed together.

The gap round the hole is because of the possible heat from the chimney.
The pipe as it comes through the wall will also have insulation around it.

Plasterboard up and screwed in position now i need a tub of an adhesive type material like plaster to finish the joints etc.

Fame Fame who wants Fame

It's now been a couple of years since i met a couple in Lidl Arganil who recognized me from my Blog. They told me how they have been reading it from when i first mentioned it on Expats Portugal forum. They like others told me that the reason they moved here was because i gave my opinion of this place i call home.

Friday i was going in to pay for the Euro Millions lottery. As i walked in someone looked at me is if he knew me. I was then asked if my name was Peter again recognized but a bonus and it is a big bonus he is From LIVERPOOL. Again so it seems my Blog has helped someone to find what may be there place in the sun.

That to date makes a total of three couples and two individuals who my Blog has helped that does make me feel proud that is some small way i have been of help.

Roll out the barrel

i recently took a barrel i had in my cellar to get it cut in two. Today due to rain at the market i was forced to come home early so i decided to transplant my orange trees into the barrels.

All i need now is something better for my Lime tree, the Lime tree is the one in the middle.

Stuff what the supermarkets say in the UK

I have just been reading the news on the BBC website i read about Tesco and Unilever in dispute over prices. Unilever say they want to raise price because lots of there product comes in my outside of the UK and because of the effect of the loss in value of the £. Tesco says that they are refusing the increase because they are listening to there customers and are trying to keep prices down

I saw a food program some time ago and a family of farmers who grew Parsnips close there farm due to the supermarkets wanting perfect shaped products.
Well just look at the pepper i got from the market at Figuerio dos Vinhos a few days ago. OK not supermarket shape but tasting amazing, so if you are new to Portugal forget what the supermarkets are like in the UK and enjoy the amazing products available here in Portugal. I have already used the Tomato's but in the UK they would never have seen the supermarket shelves.

This pepper certainly tasted better than it looked but what's better taste or look's?

Today i got these at a market but what would Tesco or Asda say about them?.
Well i know they are fresh and i even know where they where grown and you don't get any fresher then these. One is already cooking in a tomato and basil sauce.

What a difference a day makes

Yesterday i found a place where i could get a short piece of chimney pipe just the length i needed.

Today i cut the hole in the wall and fitted the pipes through . When the outside pipework has been done a collar will go over the pipe and hide the gap round the pipe. There has to be a gap all round the pipe to stop heat causing damage to the plasterboard.








The plasterboard is not yet fixed as the wall behind has yet to be insulated and then the plasterboard can be finished.

Unable to find somewhere to get a short length of pipe the size i wanted i was prepared compromise and the picture i posted a few days ago was the compromise. I had to use a full length of pipe until now when i found a stockist who had short lengths of pipe.

Once i cut the hole in the wall i can fit the last sheet of plasterboard and that's the last of the plasterboard done in my bedroom.

This pipe should act like a radiator in my bedroom and when it's time for bed the room should be warm.

Meet my mate T

Today i was putting up the plasterboad where the chimney for the log burner has to go. To do it on my own would be difficult as i only have two arms.

This is my new best mate T. He may not have any arms but he proved invaluable and i couldn't have done the job on my own.

Chimney in but it needs to have more cut from round the pipe to avoid a fire hazard.

I even got time to cut the hole for the LED light one of six to be fitted  and put the fitting in position ready.

Reinstalling the logburner chimney pipes

It may not be getting to cold yet but my attention must go to finishing the log burner. I am rerouting the chimney pipe out of the wall in the bedroom because when it was up through the roof it leaked. The guy who fitted the original chimney came back but it still leaked so with making a bedroom in the loft i decided to have the chimney out through the gable end wall.

The problem is that as the floor has been raised even though it was only by a little bit it made fitting the pipes with the bend in them impossible to refit without having a fire risk. The picture below shows the option i have decided on and this gives me more surface area for the heat from the pipe to help heat the room.

The chimney pipes going from the log burner up to the bedroom above are now made from stainless steel. The original pipes where just in mild steel and due to the rainwater leak the had rusted badly and where a hazard from leaks in fumes.

 To move the bend in the pipework would have created to many problems so i will just have to live with it as it is. The black pipe will be cleaned to be the same as the rest of the pipework.

I can then look to put up the last sheet of plasterboard and get this job finished.

Nice shiny chimney but it will soon show signs of the heat that goes up and out after giving me a nice warm living room.