Have I mentioned the wall to wall carpeting in my cabin?
Here it is.
On the wall.
Or rather, was....
For the pink carpet, which may have been there since Davenham's beginning, is now past- tensed and binned.
I thought I would attempt to ply the wall myself but Cengiz, quite rightly (and to my great relief), removed the saw from my dangerously inexpert hands and skilfully ensured that not only did the walls stay up but that the breeze emanating from the engine room next door has been eliminated.
The cabin's little vestibule - including its ceiling - was also pink-carpeted and its manufacturer should be proud to know that it had weathered so well. Glued as it was to the painted steel, it must have been one of the few ways to insulate. These days the range (boards, blocks, spray, sheets) is dizzying. And then there are the different kinds to consider; Eco-friendly natural types like hemp or recycled plastic bottles; the standard fibreglass, cellulose or itchy rock- wool varieties; foils, films, foams, papers... the options are endless. On top of that there is the "R-value", which on Googling I learned is a measure of thermal resistance and depends on the stud work, the material of the interior and exterior walls, size and position of windows... At all costs, though, air must be trapped; gaps, spaces, air pockets terrorise the mind.
I performed my due diligence and came to the conclusion that if Davenham's captains had survived the decades with flooring on the walls, I could do so too. I purchased some cork tiles and their compatible cement and set to.
The result was imperfect, having a somewhat warped look due to the tile edges and corners coming a little asunder but a lick of Evostick reunited some of them with the wall.
Rolf suggested the room would benefit from a further layer of insulation and brought over a huge roll of orange underlay that he'd removed from "Jeanette's" wheelhouse. Because of its weight (I wasn't entirely certain that the cork would cope) I cut it into tiles of various shapes. It was marvellously malleable and cut-offs could be stuffed into the tiniest of interstices.
The underlay adhesive smelled heavenly.
Another roll of black underlay from Rolf completed the job.
Still, I can't wait for Cengiz' return to save me from any further attempts at DIY which could result in having to use it as a padded cell.
In the meantime, Steve has returned to resume electrifying Davenham.
And look.....
Almost-illuminations!
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