This 1960s open-plan property required extensive renovation, but first, some hidden problems had to be resolved.
The owner of this house in the heart of Blackheath was planning a bespoke kitchen along with a complete makeover of the rest of the ground floor. We were recommended by StonerMakers Joinery, who we’d worked with in Old Street.
We began by removing all existing elements in the open space – kitchen units, wood and concrete tiling on floors, radiators, skirtings, and gas piping and electrics.
ASBESTOS REMOVAL
On discovering asbestos vinyl tiles – which were loose and breaking up – under the existing flooring, work was suspended. We retained a specialist asbestos removal contractor to remove and dispose safely of the vinyl tiles from the 40m2 area. This cause a seven-day delay, but progress was quickly made once the tiles were removed.
The gas was completely isolated as the client no longer required a gas hob, and all electrics were reinstated according to the layout of the planned kitchen – with Schneider flat-plate screw-less white sockets and switches. Some sockets were also relocated to accommodate two new cast iron radiators, fed by new pipework laid into the substrate floor.
As the floor’s surface had been hacked in removing some of the asbestos vinyl and concrete tiles, it required self-levelling. This was carried out in a single visit to ensure a uniform surface for light oak engineered parquet flooring, with a square-edged skirting and architrave. This was through the entrance, lounge Kitchen and dinning area of the ground floor.
The kitchen was created from birch ply with colourful laminate finishes to the doors and handles. A 20mm Aura quartz worktop was fitted to the main worktop area and island with a shadow gap to illustrate the birch ply finish on the kitchen units. A square undersink was installed also with a Quooker Tap for instant boiling water.
The project took 5 weeks to complete and the client was delighted with the finished transformation. They have since have referred us to other local residents in the area.
