Redesign living room - how?

jay0109 wrote: »

Hi, hoping for some advice or a guide as to how to go about this?

I want to totally redesign my current living room:
- take up flooring and insulate underneath it
- either put down new timber flooring or regenerate existing timber flooring
- talk out old stove and put in a large shelving unit as the feature piece of the room on that wall (TV would go into that unit)
- change lighting currently on walls to perhaps downlights in the ceiling
- put in an an additional radiator

How do I go about getting this done? Is there 1 company that could do most/all of that or do I need to manage it myself, taking on different trades people one at a time?

I'm clueless as to the best way to approach this. I'm based in Sth Dub if anyone has a contractor recommendation they want to send by PM

thanks

You could try looking at builders on tradesmen.ie check reviews left by other people,
The television part is best done by yourself, planning is the big part of the television stuff, I've fitted a 1.5" flexible pipe in my wall to contain all cables feeding to the television on the wall,

Are you eliminating the stove completely or replacing it?
I blocked up our fireplace and fitted a celsi electric fire, got a local chimney cleaner to fit a C-cap which I purchased online to block the top and I put a vent in the side of the chimney in the living room to let it breath.

If you have a Windows based computer, maybe take some pictures of the room then use Microsoft paint to draw on the images then upload your plan for more accurate advice.

I've also fitted downlights in the hall LED type

I assume the floor is a suspended wooden floor and not concrete?

I've fitted Milano designer radiators from bestheating.ie the heat output and apperance is way better, have pipes recessed in to the wall makes it cleaner looking as well as easier to clean the floor.

You are going to need to get some advice on the spot here.

Putting in a new radiator will depend on the layout of the existing system and where a supply can be brought from. It might be very simple or it could be very difficult (ie mean a lot of 'construction' work). You will need at least a plumber, better a heating firm to advise you.

They would probably take out the stove for you. You will have to deal with the chimney/flue so that you do not have damp problems.

Taking up the floor would probably be a help here as the plumbing for the rad can be done while it is up. Putting underfloor insulation into a suspended timber floor is not a problem. You will need a carpenter who might be able to sort the wall shelving as well. Or you might need a carpenter and a cabinet maker, depending on what you want. Without seeing it it is hard to say, but it is unlikely the old floor would be reusable so you will have to get new flooring in. And skirting of course.

Putting in lights into the ceiling is also something you need to discuss with an electrician, again it might be straightforward but more likely it will mean re-slabbing the ceiling. So you will also need a plasterer.

You need to talk to the carpenter, plumber/heating and electrician before starting the job at all, so you can establish what will be done and in what order. Or set on a builder or project manager willing to take on a small job, but that might be harder to find. A competent handyman/general carpenter would probably be able to help you put the job together and get in plumber and electrician as needed.

jay0109 wrote: »

Thanks all.

Yeah, it requires a few different tradespeople which in itself will be a pain to organise individually. And as you say, it'll probably be too small a job for a builder to take on. So caught between 2 rocks on this one.

I already have the flue taken down as got the house externally wrapped recently. So while the stove is still attached to the wall internally,it's not a big job to take that away.
I don't think the extra rad will be a big job. Will plumb it in from the hall where the first rad on the loop is in situ.
Re-slabbing will be needed if ceiling lighting goes in. Will also be needed for the wall where the stove is currently. And as I'll want to hide the TV cables, I'll need some rewiring done on that wall too.

I'll take a look at Tradesmen.ie and see if I can find a company who would look at a job like this.

I'll try and post a pic or two of the room if I get a chance in the coming days

I've got a home improvement thread where I've blocked up the fire, put cables in the wall for televisions and fitted downlights in the hall way without reslabbing using a wire coat hanger to insure there was no beams prior to drilling the hole for the downlight; I could then fit my hand in to guide the cable and daisy chain them together,
Here's a link:
https://www.fordownersclub.com/forums/topic/80864-living-room-project/

Please continue discussion on here though, I do try to post on here and transfer my thread from the other site to here as much as possible, However in this case where so much detail is required; it's alot easier for me to share the link,
Im saying this because moderators generally don't like people linking other forums.

jay0109 wrote: »

That's impressive Len and it definitely gives me some ideas. But I wouldn't dream of trying that myself in a million years!
But I'll take what I can from it when dealing with the relevant Tradespeople.

Thanks, im lucky my dad is a retired lecturer used to teach appreciate electricians, he's also a qualified plumber lol

I just got a builder in to do the block and plaster work,
Had a local chimney cleaner; clean the chimney and fit the cap,
Local independent satellite installer fitted the octo LNB to the dish on the chimney and routed the cables in to the attic for me,

Everything else then I did myself.