Island Wall
This beautiful cottage on the Island Wall, Whitstable, was one I owned. I completely refurbished it before before selling.
This kitchen has clay floor tiles and a boarded ceiling, giving it the feel of a fisherman's cottage.
Kitchen Fleetwood Avenue
This new kitchen was installed after first replacing the ceiling and plastering it then tiling the walls and floor.
Old Rotten Roof Rafters
Water had been leaking into this roof for may years, making the rafters weak and sagging.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate flooring is a more economical way to re-floor, than hardwood boards and with the right choice can look very attractive.
Four Floors Up
Where there is a will there is a way. It was far to expensive to scaffold this building.
My job was to add extra brackets to the rain water down pipes, because the original developer has skimped and fitted the brackets too far apart.
This caused the pipes to twist out of shape and come apart at the joints.
Fleetwood Avenue Kitchen
This was a complete kitchen refurbishment, including the floor, ceiling, kitchen units and tiling.
Kitchen & Tiling
These tiles with the white kitchen unit give a dramatic feeling.
One of the most important aspects of tiling is the positioning stage, ensuring the finished project has a balanced look .
Flitch Beam
Sometimes a lot of support is required. I was installing a flitch beam on this occasion.
Kitchen work surfaces
Fitting kitchen work surfaces can be very tricky. Especially when you only have a few MM to spare
Stilts for Plastering
Most of the ceilings that I plaster now I do on my plastering stilts…it can be a bit scary when the ceilings are very high…the stilts adjust for various hight ceilings!
High gloss black large floor tiling
Large floor tiles with smooth regular shape can be tricky to lay as they will show lifted edges if they are not perfect flat
Cut & Pitch Roof
Hip rafter which has been chamfered. A cut and pitched roof, built on an extension of a country cottage in Ash, Kent.
Upstreet Farmhouse
It is suprising how much work goes in before the finsihed project. This is the development of two ensuites, one with just a shower, the other to the master bedroom had a beautiful period cast iron roll top bath.
Central Parade
Work can look a bit daunting when the customer first see's what has happened to their homes.
Oxenden Park
Another happy customer, practicing pole dancing !!.
Here, I divided an area to form a downstairs cloakroom and a kitchen dinning area. A flitch beam was used to support the upper floor.
Grasmere Road, Start of Project
This is the starting point of a new project. Major work was carried out on this small bungalow in Grasmere Road, developing it into a beautiful house
Rafter replacements
Once uncovered, its not unusual to find rot and bad workmanship. This roof had both and needed replacement rafters and a new perlin.
We used a multi layer blanket originally designed for survival suits.
Set up ready to plaster
Ready to start the plastering of the new ceiling.
Decking
Decking fame was built using treated !00mm x50m timber and stainless steel large headed screws. Under the frame I cast four concrete beams.
Reclaimed Fireplace
I made this fireplace using a reclaimed cast iron insert. The surround was created from old floorboards.
The floors were sanded and stained.
Decking
The tree an Acer palmatum ‘Senkaki’(Coral Bark Maple) was designed into the decking and planted before the footings were cast.
Newel Post
This newel post was created using a purpose made jig and a router.
Decking
The rafters have been set at 300mm centres to give adequate support because the decking was laid at an angle. Laying the decking at 90 degrees would have only needed rafters to be at 400mm centres.
Wreath layout
This is how I layout a block of wood to form a half turn, when making a continuos hand rail for period stairs
Island Wall Bathroom Extension
This bathroom extension was added to Island Wall, being a small cottage meant that to preserve three bedrooms upstairs, the compromise was a downstairs bathroom.
King Edward Street
Me building block work…replacing a structural support that had been remove at sometime!
Decking
One month earlier this garden was just a big pile of muddy dirt. Planting now well under way.
Upstreet Farmhouse
Lots of pipes, to fit into tight spaces. I like to keep them all tidy even though they will not be visable when the walls are finished.
Central Parade
After the initial stages of digging out the floor base and then reinstating, things start to look a more homely.
The kitchen was then ready for me to fit the underfloor heating.
Steeple Cottage Roof
Cut & Pitch. Creative work that in the summer is very enjoyable, winter time can be hell!!!!
Roof construction
Progression on the development of the Grasmere Road property. This shows the shell with two new extensions and the start of a new roof that I designed and built.
Stair Wreath
After cutting the rough shape of the stair wreath, i have attached a section of hand rail to guide me in the shaping of the wreath turn which is three-dimensional.
Internal View
Now I have the roof cover in, the next job is the installation of floor joist and stairs.
En-suite Johns Wood
This en-suite was built by another builder but the owners of this home was so disappointed with the result that they employed me to completely demolish the room.
Including walls and floor and rebuild it. This is the result.
Tiling at St Mildreds Avenue
When tiling it is important to spend time laying out your room to ensure that the tiles look good at important key points and that they are level all the way around the room.
King Edward Street
Support work reinstated…just needs plastering now
Decking
Boards mostly down. Just a few more hundred stainless steel screws to go…every hole first had a pilot hole. Then counter sunk…ALL 1200 OF THEM!
Hand Rail Wreath
The near finished half turn stair wreath.
A little sanding and final shaping when the whole handrails are connected should give a very pleasing look.
Cut & Pitched Roof
One of my favorite jobs is building a cut & pitch roof in the sunshine.
This roof will also have four dorma windows built on to it.
Ashlar Walls
This new Ashlar wall is a structural support for the roof rafters.
En-suite
Another photograph of the Johns Wood en-suite.
King Edward Street
Tom working away lengthening rafters that were not long enough to support into the back wall
French Doors
French doors were instaled in place of the box sash window, to give the livingroom a feel of the outside.
A reclaimed fireplace and purpose made surround finished off this beautiful cotage, located of the sought after location of Island Wall, Whitstable.
Island Wall Rear Extension
A rear extension was added, which now contains the bathroom. Decking from the French door, leads to the garden.
King Edward Street
First coat of plaster applied…needs a little smoothing out but I quite like the artistic look!
Decking
Setting the boards on an angle involved a lot more work. But I think it gives the decking a lot more character:
French Doors
French doors let plenty of light into this room. Before there was a lovely old box sash window, which had to be sacrificed for the pleasure of the doors.
The window was recycled.
Insulation in a loft conversion
Insulation is a wise investment when doing any new work to the inside of buildings,.This is a special multi-layered blanket quilt which gives very effective insulation.
King Edward Street
Always lots of making good after alterations have been completed
Decking
Inserting trees of sculpture into the decking will add interest.
Under the floor
Its a shame to cover up all my lovely pipe work with floorboards.
King Edward Street
As I was saying lots of making good…sometimes walls filled look better in an old property than ones skimmed with plaster…filling still leaved a feel of originality to the walls!
Decking
Changes in levels can also add interest to the eye. The top step has boards going in one direction…changing direction on the main deck then back again on the last step.
Fleetwood Avenue
To provide lighting to an internal landing area at Fleetwood Avenue, Herne Bay, I made and instaled this window frame, which completely transformed the space, making it a much brighter area.
Boiler Cupboard
This was part of an unconverted loft space at Sunbeam Avenue, Herne Bay. Before the refit, it housed just a boiler and many pipes!.
Now it is converted into a walk in wardrobe, with the boiler housed in a cupboard. A great improvement!
Sofit & Fascias
New fascias and soffits were fitted here. The fascias were clad in plastic as requested by the home owner.
On the roof I use a breathable membrane.
Hanging a Door
Kim enjoying fitting new doors to a property in Fleetwood Avenue.
Bath Support
Its important to support modern baths when installing. so often when called out to have a look at leaking baths the problem is lack of support.
Internal Roof
Inside view of the new cut and pitch roof that I built on our Grasmere Road development
Fitted Wardrobes
This is a fitted wardrobe. I built the framework and plastered it. Then fitted sliding doors. The interior of the wardrobes, which were off the shelf units, comprising of drawers and shelves, did not fit the space available, I adapted them to fit perfectly.
Fitted Kitchen
Another kitchen fitted by me. This one is in a holiday home in Ramsgate.
Previously I have created an en-suite to the master bedroom and converted the family bathroom from a separate toilet/bathroom into one room.
King Edward Street
Re-wire under way…originally wires had all be surface mounted as this house had previously been a rented property!
Decking
LED lights have been let into both steps to give light after dark.
King Edward Street
Where there is a will there is a way…the stairs were to narrow to take the plasterboard up so it went up onto the rear extension roof and through the bedroom window!
Decking
The deck is now complete… it was sanded all over to smooth out any marks and rough wood from production.
King Edward Street
Making a custom door lining using my Festool Domino…This tool forms floating tenions which make a very strong joint!
Decking
Sanding finished. The boards were treated with two coats of decking oil. The boards were supplied by Wingham Timber.
Decking
This project is in Whitstable a beautiful seaside town. So I designed this jetty into the decking which I feels works well.
King Edward Street
A Hardwood threshold for a custom door lining using my Festool router and domino's strong and durable!
King Edward Street
Glueing up of a door lining made by me!
Decking
Decking…Jetty and planting all finished. I feel very happy with the overall design…
Central Parade
Hand crafted box sash frames.
The new box sash windows were made on site.
Sunbeam Avenue
Boiler Cupboard. The finished product, decorated and awaiting new carpets.
Office
This room was originally a dingy storage area with badly built storage shelves and a hot water cylinder.
After relocating the hot water cylinder, I converted the room into a very usable office for the owner.
Dormer Window
Curved top dormer window, which was eventually lead clad and had a purpose made aluminium double glazes structural window inserted.
This was one of my design projects on a loft and roof refurbishment that the owner just gave me free rain to come up with a finished product.
Grasmere Road
My Son-In-law working at Grasmere Road.
I often get help from the family on our major renovations. Bill had just finished uni and was about to start his new job.
Plastering
Here I am plastering, a small downstairs cloakroom at Beltinge.
It is often more time consuming to do small rooms with many shaped areas, than large easy accessible walls.
Dormer Window, Westhill Road
This window is a structural part of the dormer window.
Oxenden Park
This bathroom was refurbished and finished off with a lovely new bamboo floor.
The old door
This was the start point.
I supported the wall above the window & door with acro props, then removed everything.
Sunbeam Avenue
This loft area had a large velux window installed, which gave veiws for the owner all over Hampton Bay.
The walls were also plastered and decorated with Farrow & Ball (string) paint.
Steeple Cottage
This was the end product of a two floor extension in a period cottage in the village of Ash, near Canterbury.
The bathroom is an en-suit to the master bedroom.
Master En-suite
This is a spacious en-suite bathroom to the master bedroom in a Farmhouse at Upstreet.
My daughter, visiting
New flight of stairs, just before i installed them into Grasmere Road.
Acro Props Installed
With all the decayed frames removed, you can now see where the new French doors will fit.
French Doors
These doors were fitted to replace a single door and window.
Family Bathroom
New family bathroom, with tiled floor and wall. The bath also had a power shower fitted.
Grasmere Road
The finished project !! a brilliant feeling after all the hours of work that goes into it.
This property started as a two bedroom bungalow that I bought at Chestfield. Two extensions were added to each side. The roof replaced and totally refurbished.
The final development was a lovely four bedroomed house.
Steeple Cottage Bathroom
The finished product always make me feel happy.
As its the time the owners get their homes back and can enjoy my work.
En-suite
En-suite shower room that I built, in a period farmhouse.
The large mirror, with mosaic tiles, makes the room feel much more spacious.
Family Bathroom C/P
Beautiful hand painted roll top bath, sits in a room of its own.
Family Bathroom second part
The main bath is in a room of its own. This is a second, adjoining room with the shower, toilet and basin.
Birthday Present
Easel made for a present.
Sunbeam Decorated
Decorated and ready for carpets. The colour on the walls is Farrow & Ball (String)
Family Bathroom
Completed family bathroom at Fleetwood Avenue, showing the new tiling, and the purpose made internal window.