Upping Sticks

[GrandmasterP]

Well there's three weeks tomorrow since we moved in to this new place gone quickly.

DIY and decorating are still the order of each day interspersed with tip runs and essential shopping.

The nearest town is seven miles away but a good road and some decent shops plus a B&Q for decorating and DIY supplies.

There's a Jewsons too and I've had to buy new skirting board for some areas.

It's all lath and plaster ceilings, lime plaster walls and lime washed 'paint' so sand, scrape, vacuum and repeat several times to find anything like a paintable surface.

Then coat after coat of PVA to stabilise the ancient crap before finally emulsioning.

I cannot understand this love of all things retro.

The old fisherman our predecessor here just carried on treating the place as it had always been treated so we're undoing what is basically Georgian domestic 'decorating'.

Utterly bleddy awful messy crap it was ( and is) too.

What part of 'damp proof course' didn't those cretins understand?

Hey ho.

Edited October 27, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[GrandmasterP]

Living off Grid sucks!

Power down today.

Nada.

Electricity just kept tripping out and all of a sudden we were back into the stone age.

Bleddy cold, dark, rough seas and a gale.

Mrs GMP less than impressed.

Finally tracked down the issue.

Sea water in boat house/workshop circuit.

Isolated that and so far so good we're back on.

There's no mains here on this coast we've oil tank heating and all electric everything else.

Open fires in every room but with onshore winds those fill the house with smoke.

Possibly not an issue 200 years ago when this place was built but not what we want at all.

Multi fuel stove looks good so we're having a look at getting one of those babies in.

Edited November 14, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Taoist Texts]

Hi Gmp, I was wandering how the plumbing and sewage works at yr place? Thanks

[GrandmasterP]

Duplicate post.

Edited November 15, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[GrandmasterP]

We're on mains for water and sewage and, so far; no problems with either.

We had a water meter installed for ease of access and a new stop cock.

They don't charge for those and as there's only two of us, at the old place it was cheaper metered than non-metered so we had one there as well.

Water comes in, sewage goes away.

Hopefully it'll stay that way.

Bleddy awful two days with no power for some of the time and no heat for most of it.

Electrician was here today and hopefully we should be OK.

All is working at the moment.

Worst of it is that sense of impotence.

I have not the first idea about nor skills with electrics and the system here is really old although luckily the actual wires are modern PVC and not that old rubber covered stuff that crumbles.

He reckoned we don't need rewiring as such but we do need the old fuse box replaced for a modern consumer unit.

He's coming on Tuesday to fit that and to replace the old electric shower which is beyond grotty with something we feel safe to use.

The one in now won't switch off except by the pull switch on the ceiling.

All good fun.

Love the cottage but do find myself pining for a new build now and again.

It'll be nice when the work's all done.

It took us the best part of a year at the old house to get that into shape and this place is much smaller so just maybe we'll be sorted for Christmas.

Some decorating still to do, just internal woodwork now, all the walls and ceilings we've repainted throughout and had literally just completed the last room and were celebrating that achievement when the power went down.

Sometimes it feels like one step forward then two steps back but we press on regardless.

Retirement is hard work!

 

[BaguaKicksAss]

when I lived in a more sort of remote area, it was par for the course for the electricity to go out for about a week every winter. This was due to the main town lines going out. It would hit the entire town, accept for the folks in town, on the hospital grid. Wood stoves, lots of blankets, lanterns and candles! Though the folks living even further out of town all had generators.

 

You could always burn the photo of the person who sold a house with power ready to give out to keep warm .

[Nungali]

Usually in a flood we lose grid electrics. At other times I dont notice as I am not connected ... until we need to pump river water up to the storage tank.

Open fires in every room but with onshore winds those fill the house with smoke.
Possibly not an issue 200 years ago when this place was built but not what we want at all.

Why does the wind make the house smokey? Is it not going up the chimney ?

Cant you have a cowl fitted? Maybe there was one but it got damaged or removed (or is old an inefficient?

Ooo ... I like the gladiators helmet style;




Maybe you need one with a larger wind rudder ?

 

 

or one is fitted and jammed and is pointing into the wind ?

Edited November 15, 2014 by Nungali

[Apech]

Or get this chap to sit on your chimney ...

 

[Apech]

Seriously if you get a coal/wood burning stove with a proper flue and cowl you should be ok in wind ... also warm.

[Nungali]

Or get this chap to sit on your chimney ...

 

 

 

Sometime I wish you would sit on a chimney.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GrandmasterP]

Thanks for the suggestions guys and also to Jeff and Manitou for good wishes and rituals sent.

We may get a multi fuel stove fitted.

I don't like open fires much at all to messy and also a bit risky in a basically timber framed house IMO.

I'm the same with candles.

Mrs GMP loves 'em but they make me uneasy.

Needs must though if the power goes down.

Electrician due again tomorrow to fit a new circuit board to replace the ancient fuse box.

All good fun.

Edited November 20, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Nungali]

I use candles all the time .... but yes risky

 

eg. (and bear in mind I am aware of the risk, lived with them for 20 years and know 'most' of the dangers )... until one night ;

 

drawing at desk ... have some papers scattered about, and a candle either side; I big moth crashes into one, gets covered in melted wax, lands on some paper and some of the wax goes on that and the paper catches alight, I whack it to put it out but that just gives it air and it flares up and spreads, more whacks do the same; now its spreading across the deck ...

 

and this happened while I was sitting there watching ... I went to the kitchen and got a tea towel and wet it and chucked it over the fire and beat the edges out ....

 

Then I thought ... that could have happened while I went outside to have a piss. (I have very low water pressure too ... sometimes the tank runs out and there is no water at all - all of a sudden).

 

There have only been 3 people I have felt good enough about to let stay here without my presence - there was this amazing big owner built house across the river ... made from large whole trees trunks, stair cases , upstairs rooms and verandahs ... all gone from a renters candle clumsiness ... and no insurance ...

Edited November 21, 2014 by Nungali

[GrandmasterP]

Circuit board in and, so far so good.

Power has stayed on.

Possibly rats nibbled through some wires.

We've heard a couple these past nights so sure to be more.

One in the loft for sure and last night I heard a big one behind a kitchen unit false wall.

Had wondered why the washing up,sponge appeared gnawed.

There were bits of sponge all over under the sink.

Cat can't get in there so I've bought a couple of traps today.

Not looking forward to using those but what else to do?

Man this place just keeps on giving!

Edited November 26, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Nungali]

Here is a hint, soak your pieces washing up sponge in something tasty and use them as trap bait !

 

It works! They will be used to it. I have caught them with plastic (as they were chewing that) and fluff, hair, etc (when they collect it for nesting material.

 

You can get these here (I take them across river - in car over the bridge - and let them go in the rainforest ) .

 

[GrandmasterP]

I'm pretty squeamish about using traps and poison, not faced up to doing it yet.

Will see how we get on.

Nothing gnawed since those sponges.

I hope I found where it was getting in under the eaves and have blocked that hole off with wire mesh but time will tell.

Have given the cat a pep talk and promised extra treats if she scares any further the critters away from in the house.

I have no issues with the beasties being outdoors but not inside.

At the old place we had a cat flap so puss went in and out at night.

She's cabinned up in here with us at night at the moment and back to using her cat litter.

Edited November 30, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Nungali]

Buddhists !

 

Alright then ... 'live trap' Mk II :

 

 

[GrandmasterP]

Just found the equivalent of one of those underneath the kitchen sink unit.

Total rat play area.

Flooring guy took off the bottom unit panel and we found out where the little critters are getting in and out.

There's NO flippin' floor around the sink waste at all.

Found a dish cloth that the little sods had dragged down there.

Tonight is for cleaning out all the mess and wire meshing all and everything I can get to.

Floor guy will pour screed down there tomorrow and hopefully once that sets solid that will seal up any access.

Man, those rats are persistent little beggars and no mistake.

Word to the wise colleagues.

Never ever buy an ancient property.

Edited December 3, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[Nungali]

Ahh dont worry man .... I have seen new cars blown up on the side of the road.

 

When I was working up north, work accommodation was at 'Paradise Palms' - yeah right !

 

Brand new ... had more rat and mice noise in the walls than my bush cabin at home! No overhanging eves so at the end of a sweltering day, if rain came to cool things, you would have to shut the doors and windows as rain would come in onto the floor (which we discovered was not wood, as it bubbled up from raindrops. Every tap had to be turned on and off a specific way or pressure banging (fearsome!) in the pipes.

 

I watched them making the new ones adjacent; put up a thin crappy poisoned wood frame, staple gun particle board sheets to it, stand back and spray it with a thin layer of ferro cement, then paint ... VIOLA !

 

Absolute crap!

 

(Give me whole tree trunks, large beams, river rocks and threaded rods , some tropes and pulleys, cement, a chainsaw and mallet and chisel any day! )

 

Edited December 3, 2014 by Nungali

[Michael Sternbach]

In addition to using live traps and avoiding open food and rubbish - use your qigong! The best approach would probably be mentally talking to the rats while in a meditative state. Radiate positive energies to them. Anger etc. would likely be counter-productive; rather something along 'the unity of all life' lines. Then direct them out of the house.

 

I heard from a reliable source about a guy who is into Anthroposophy who would sit in front of a wheat-field full with some kind of bugs. Within minutes, they would all take off.

[Apech]

Get a cat! We live in a rural place where there are mice and rats all over. Nina brings back at least two mice and a dead rat every day and her six kittens (yes really I have seven cats) are big enough to do the same. The area round our house is now a blitz mice/rat free zone. All natural ... no poison or traps needed.

[Nungali]

In addition to using live traps and avoiding open food and rubbish - use your qigong! The best approach would probably be mentally talking to the rats while in a meditative state. Radiate positive energies to them. Anger etc. would likely be counter-productive; rather something along 'the unity of all life' lines. Then direct them out of the house.

 

 

 

Rats: " Hey guys , lets go over and raid the hippy house, its totally non-violent, you can do whatever you want there!"

 

I had a pesky rat a few weeks back (for a about a one week period), could not get it; traps (three types), banging the wall right next to it with an axe handle loud ( wonder what the neighbour thinks of that in the middle of the night ? ) ... the little bastard got out of control, running back and forwards across the floor right in front of me !

 

Then , one night, when I was at the table - its running over the bed and my pillow ! ... they dont usually do that ! That is too much. I stood up and turned and our eyes met and I jumped up and .....

 

 

 

I went ballistic ... as soon as I did the thing bolted and I went after it, throwing chairs and tables out the way ... chest of draws, desk ... even ripped a wallboard off.

 

Dont know where it went ... but I haven't had one peep of a rat, mouse, or anything since. The traps are still all set with the baits untouched.

 

Cats ? NO thanks they dont discriminate ... I got these guys living just out the back door;

 

Edited December 4, 2014 by Nungali

[GrandmasterP]

Great ideas guys.

I have done QiGong.

Sent mental biddings to the rats.

Been at one with the rats of a night when I think they were scurrying about.

Thing is this is a really old house with massive oak beams downstairs and Norfolk reed ceilings plus wattle and daub plaster in places so it creaks and makes noises on its own.

We have a cat and three dogs all indoors at night.

The cat was a great mouser at the other house but the dogs are Cockers so not natural ratters.

They've barely barked of a night, possibly taking the noises for granted or getting the hang of the place.

We've been in nine weeks and it's still new to all of us.

What seemed to have worked so far ( fingers crossed) is packing an air brick under the sink unit with yards of steel mesh screwed up to totally fill the space but still let air in.

For the little sods can get through that they'll need wire cutters.

That seemed to be the main entry and exit as there was lots of poo in the area plus they had dragged down some sponge from under the sink, also a cloth, a carrier bag and a wire pan scourer.

Maybe they were getting set to do some washing up!

The plinth at the base under that unit is clipped on so I can pop it off to check and see if it remains clear.

I really don't want to use the poison or those traps.

That would be an absolute last resort for me.

Edited December 4, 2014 by GrandmasterP

[gatito]

I found some architectural drawings that might help: -

 

[Nungali]

Sorry GMP ... they can chew through mesh eventually.

 

The only solution there is to trap them humanely, take them to a vet and have him

 

 

 

 

 

install some amalgam fillings in their teeth, bring them home and let them go

 

and then lace the mesh with bits of aluminium foil.

[GrandmasterP]

Well so far so good.

Hoping for the best and that ratty has gone elsewhere.

Not heard anything these past few nights and it's not as if I'm sleeping all that well at present.

Edited December 9, 2014 by GrandmasterP