Thinking ‘interior’

I mentioned in an earlier post that I’d rejected the interior doors that the builder originally wanted to install in favour of some pine ones that I’ve sourced from Leroy Merlin and which I’ve just been told have arrived and are ready for me to pick up. I’ll arrange that for some time next week when the electricians have finished their initial cable installation and the guys who will be installing the interior partition walls are back.

They already asked me about the doors and said that they’ve been supplied with the dimensions of the openings that they’ll need to leave in the partitions for them to fit into that I supplied to the builder a few weeks ago (see image below). However, they said that usually they’d prefer to fit the doors as they go to ensure the best possible fit and finish.

They also said that the doors are generally fitted before the final floor screed goes down to provide the level surface on which the tiles are mounted. I suggested that in that case, maybe it would be a good idea for me to drop the doors into the house when I’ve got them and for us to come to an arrangement for them to fit them for me. This was generally seen as being a good idea so that’s what we’ll do 😉

The order I placed on Leroy Merlin was quite sizeable and was split into three deliveries. The other day I picked up the laminate for the bedroom floors that the builder doesn’t fit here in France – the bedrooms are left with just a plain concrete screed (see ‘chape’ in the image above) – and that you have to install yourself. At the same time I picked up the laminate underlay and since then the door handles and escutcheons that I ordered have also arrived.

Before I put all of that stuff into storage yesterday I took a few pictures which I’ve included below starting with the floor covering.

Now the door handles.

Instead of going for door handles with the handle and keyhole in the same plate mounted on the face of the door I’ve gone for beautifully smooth, curve shaped handles and separate round escutcheons containing the keyholes which I think are more ‘French’ (I don’t know what’s fashionable in the UK nowadays). I’ll also be having special keyless escutcheons in the bathroom and separate WC which will allow the doors to be locked by turning a knob, a nice touch I think. I already have them but I’ll need to buy two special keyless door locks to replace the ones that the doors will come with.

The electricians resumed work today and I was able to have a quick word about the cable for my planned satellite dish. The builder confirmed to me yesterday that the TV point that will be sited in one corner of the living room is intended for that purpose and that the cable will be left in the roof space ready for the dish to be connected to it.

I showed the electrician where I want to site the dish (which I’ve now ordered) and he said that rather than leave the cable in the roof space he’ll drill the wall and push it through ready for use. This will be an excellent arrangement as it will avoid having unnecessary connectors in the cable run as well as being a very tidy install, and will also ensure that I get the best possible reception 🙂