Day 21- More decorating, propping up the ceiling and taking out the rotten beams!

The decorators are beavering away at the front of the house and making a very good job of it. It is so nice seeing the house beginning to look smart, even if one glance through the windows shows that the inside isn't quite at the same stage!
Today, Keith and Mike are using acro-props and planks to shore up the ceiling in the living room, while they remove the entirely rotten beam that the other joists are resting on. The beam they are taking out is set into the wall the length of the room, so it is a big job and they have to make sure that the ceiling is well supported until the new concrete lintel/beam is set in place. After that, the dehumidifiers will have to do their work, until the beams and walls are dry enough for the wood preservative to be painted on the exposed ends of the beams.
This is an extra job, therefore extra expense, but it really needs doing to prevent problems in the future- little things, like furniture falling through the floor when the joists rot through!
The other problem we have spotted is the original lathe and plaster behind the tiles in the family bathroom, which are due to come off shortly. There is no way that the builders will be able to retile on that crumbling surface, so we have asked them to replasterboard the three walls around the bath area. We have chosen a bath with a slight bulge at one end, to allow a bit more space for the shower. It is going to be very posh! There is already an electric shower over the bath, which was working when we first viewed the house, so we hope we can re-use that. The shower in our ensuite shower room is going to work off the combi boiler.