# Forum More Stuff Go to Whoa!  Our renovation.

## Cecile

As Moondog posted elsewhere, we have inadvertently started our indoor renovations.  The removal of one wall has led to, so far...   a new front door being installedreplacing the old front porch timber flooring with 16mm structural cement sheetdemolition of the guts of a built in wardrobe so that the wall can have the loadbearing studs reinstated (damn you, Grandpa Jack!)cutting the doorway between the living room and kitchen
Of course we need to replace plasterboard, architraves, skirting board.  On one of our many trips to Bunnings we found the perfect timber flooring to replace carpet by the front door, on special...so we need to get that now or lose out ($25 a pack, not bad!) 
In four weeks we will have a two year old living with us, so we need to at least finish what we've started.  Thanks to everyone here for their help and advice, and especially Moondog's cousin the Master Builder for losing his driving license and providing his labour very cheaply! 
Photos to follow once I have some time to resize them.

----------


## Black Cat

It's amazing what you can start with one simple step ain't it ... 
Looking forward to the pix Cecile!

----------


## Cecile

After months of dicking around, and not doing much we have come up with what we think will be the final iteration for now.  We're having the kitchen quoted now, and have just sent plans off to a builder for estimates.  The bathroom is urgent and seeing how we should have finance on track for next week, we should be able to get that going ASAP.  It'll be good to be doing something again. 
Wish us luck!

----------


## Moondog55

Looks like we just started, Jennifer and the 2YO have been moving out and today the vacumn guys are here cleaning out all the old fiberglass and dead rats etc and putting in new R3.5 Earthwool batts
As we are pulling out some walls etc in the kitchen they wont insulate the ceiling in the kitchen or bathroom just leave the packs here for us to install later on 
OMG It has started and we still don't have enough money, is there ever enough money once you start??

----------


## Moondog55

These fellas are earning their money and doing a reasonably good job in cramped conditions

----------


## Moondog55

So i know thee photos don't show much but the difference is palpable and positive. I am not coughing or wheezing as much and the house in much warmer and much quieter. 
It is amazing now much dust and dead stuff accumulates over 50 years

----------


## jago

Hows the asthma with the renos ...I remember removing walls at my parents victorian house geeze the crap that came out mummified animals and seriously about 80kilos of dust.

----------


## Moondog55

Asthma ( well mine anyway) is better.
That huge vacumn cleaner is the way to go, even if we didn't get the full high pressure blow out. 
that quantity of dust sounds a little on the light side actually, from the noise the guys were making i think it may have been more like 200kg of dead stuff and dust they removed, poor mice and rats will have to find somewhere else to live now.
Reminder to self  :Redface:  replace all the bait stations and let off a couple of bombs for speeedies and other creeepie craawlies

----------


## Cecile

> speeedies and other creeepie craawlies

  They must have vacuumed most of them up, since we only found one huntsman that apparently escaped.  EWWWWWWWW

----------


## piscean

moondog how much did it cost to get the insulation removed and have it all vacuumed?

----------


## Cecile

> moondog how much did it cost to get the insulation removed and have it all vacuumed?

  Removal of existing insulation and vacuum was $1210 including GST, the house is 133 square metres.  Supply and install of earthwool R3.5 batts was $10 square metre.

----------


## Black Cat

I think I will just take the roofing iron off on a windy day ... Great to see progress at last Moondog - and no. There is never enough money. You think you have a budget and then you realise that 'installing a kitchen' costs more than the flatpack. It also involves plumbing, wiring, a countertop, splashbacks, floor coverings, architraves and skirting ... And that's before you start decorating ...

----------


## piscean

> Removal of existing insulation and vacuum was $1210 including GST, the house is 133 square metres.  Supply and install of earthwool R3.5 batts was $10 square metre.

  
thanks cecile. I'd love to get this done at our place but am having trouble talking DH into it. Our roof space is filthy (1960s house) and I always wonder how much of that crap makes it through the ceiling vents and adds to my allergies.

----------


## Cecile

Oh my God, there's a hole in the house, and it's enormous.  Moondog has gutted the bathroom, and removed the original wall into the hallway.  He was supposed to leave the plaster on the wall to the hallway so we could close it off but whoops, it "fell off"   :Eek:  
So with the hole in the floor under where the tub was and the house already open to the outside, he's taken off weatherboards, started removing floorboards...thank heavens the builder starts at 7am on Monday and the wind isn't blowing.  It's freezing in the house! 
**edit**
Sorry...need to rotate photos before before uploading next time.  The builder's comment was that he would be removing the entire window wall (window is going) and rebuilding from scratch, rather than trying to repair the mess.  More photos to come.

----------


## Cecile

Me:  Why is there a wrecking bar on the sink?
He:  I needed it to take off the old ceiling vent so the sparky could put up the new light. 
We have an external wall and the floor, electrician has been and run all the wiring (plus the new kitchen light.)

----------


## Moondog55

Having tradies who work and don't spend half the day smoking and talking on the mobile is a pleasure, the roof space now has the light well plastered and the framing for the bath will be done tomorrow. Waterproofing follows

----------


## johnc

Just a wrecking bar in the sink is nothing to worry about :Wink:  Spent quite some time with a mate doing a big reno and knowing the kitchen was being removed we used the sink for everything, paint, turps, plaster you name it. Trouble was they ran out of money and the kitchen was still there when they moved back in.  
Paint stripper makes a wonderful stainless steel cleaner :Shock: , put that down as handy hint no#7 for messy renovators.

----------


## Cecile

> Paint stripper makes a wonderful stainless steel cleaner, put that down as handy hint no#7 for messy renovators.

  So does caustic oven cleaner...I've used it on the stainless laundry sink before  :Redface: )

----------


## Black Cat

This is why I try to limit my renovation activities to summer. Poor you Cecile - the man is an animal!! And yes, the wrecking bar has recently been removed from my dining table, but the chain bar lube is still on the dresser ...

----------


## Cecile

No, we did not have two day twos.  Yesterday was actually day one, although it felt like week ten, after the cold blowy weekend with no exterior wall. 
Today they put up the cavity slider unit and new wall  
They framed and sheeted the ceiling to take the roof window (can't afford it yet so we'll put in a small, cheap skylight for now)  
The wide space between the studs is 180 deep, and will have a narrow cabinet fitted into it, instead of a medicine cupboard above the vanity.  
The builder has assembled the vanity, and it looks great.  Moondog is insulating walls.  Plumber comes to rough in tomorrow.  I will be choosing bath, taps, mirror (and lights if I can find any that say "BUY ME, BUY ME")

----------


## Black Cat

If you are going for the modern streamlined look in your bathroom Cecile, I spotted a mirror that had the lights inside it - looked great, excellent light for applying makeup etc and no bits to get dusty and manky looking ...

----------


## PeteV

check out this website for your lighting  www.*onlinelighting*.com.au/ 
we used it and saved heaps!!!

----------


## Cecile

Today the bath arrived, and is framed up, walls are half sheeted.  I got my taps...EEK!  I think I am WAY over budget.  Plumber comes to rough in tomorrow 
PeteV...thank you for the link.  I have been happily clicking away, putting stuff on my wish list.   :Cry:  
Needless to say, I am heartily sick of building materials in my living room.  The flooring in the far right corner has been there for a year.  EEK!

----------


## Cecile

Moondog says that should be "daze", and I'm inclined to agree with him. 
What is it about plumbers, that they ask you what to do and then do precisely what they want to do?  Three separate phone calls, two of them unnecessary, especially as I said "I want all the fixtures in a straight line directly under the shower head, on the short end of the bath.  Why then did you initially place the bloody bath spout on the long edge of the bath????  The fact that you managed to empty the entire contents of the hot water service onto the floor, which of course got under the bottom plate and into the next room, does not impress me much.  ARGH   
In any case, the plumbing is roughed in, and vanity hung from the wall.  Plasterers have been, and done a terrific job.     
Tile samples have arrived too...unfortunately the white gloss floor tile sample was actually a wall tile, and the floor tile that he brought back, while non-slip, isn't the same white.  Moondog doesn't get it...*sigh*...is that just a boy thing? 
It is half done, and looking terrific.  The young neighbours are slightly envious, although I think E is a bit uneasy about there not being a window.  The Velux roof window we are planning will be wonderful.  He's a builder though, and I am delighted that he likes it. 
I can not wait to have our own shower back.

----------


## Cecile

We have cornices, and we have waterproofing.  Of course there's already a hole in it, but the tiler did that himself (thankfully!) 
I love this wide (90mm) cornice  
Blue waterproofing...which leads us to wonder if we should paint our otherwise white bathroom palest blue

----------


## Cecile

We have tiles!  The tiling is taking a bit longer than the builder had anticipated, but he's doing a meticulous job.  Moondog, who is "project managing", says that although there has a bit of swearing, there hasn't been a single broken tile.  The blue mosaic border is giving them a bit of grief, because stupidly I didn't make sure that all the tiles were the same thickness.  Some scraps of 4mm cement sheet will fix that, so that's tomorrow's job.  Grout hopefully Monday, then plumbers come back and fit out.  We're nearly there.

----------


## Cecile

It's fiddly and taking longer than expected, but it looks great.

----------


## Armers

Hey that is looking funky. We've just had our tiling done as well, i'll need to update my thread as well. You're doing well guys! 
Cheers

----------


## Cecile

Moondog's first comment when he walked in was wow, OH WOW!  Very happy! 
Ane there is a wow factor that we didn't consider.  Running the tiles horizontally really does make the tiny room look bigger.  Those mosaics will really pop when they are grouted. 
His only issue is that he thinks there should have been two rows of tile above the vanity.  The issue with that is that we put the vanity at 870mm, higher than usual, and the mirror above would have been too high for me to see my face, and I'm taller than average.  There will be a glass shelf screwed to the tiles, and it is possible it will hit the tap, wihch is a high gooseneck.   
We will see how it goes.  It's pretty exciting now.

----------


## Moondog55

Never been excited about a tiling job previously, but I have to say those little Murano glass mosaics do the job perfectly, and real random placement is extremely hard to do.
4-way collaboration; CC, me, tiler and his boss, took 4 days longer than planned but I do like what they have done; and i could have done it myself, given a month.
paying for the extra tiling has been worth it

----------


## Cecile

All that remains is paint, the extraction fan, and the shower curtain. 
And...in spite of the grab rail, I found the bath almost impossible to get into.  Somehow I have made a huge mistake. 
Oh dear.   
All that aside, it's really, really beautiful.  So much so that the builder wants to use the photos.  That's a good thing.

----------


## sundancewfs

Its looking really nice Guys, The hand rail is something that a lot of people seem to overlook as an important bathroom fitting. Whether needed now or later. Currently we have no need of them but I will be putting the reinforced framing in our walls, for hand rails BEFORE they are closed up and tiled.
Great job  :2thumbsup:

----------


## Moondog55

Thanx Sundance
Make the noggins for the handrails from 140*45 or bigger and don't forget to take pix and make a drawing of where they are, it will help down the track

----------


## Cecile

> Its looking really nice Guys, The hand rail is something that a lot of people seem to overlook as an important bathroom fitting. Whether needed now or later. Currently we have no need of them but I will be putting the reinforced framing in our walls, for hand rails BEFORE they are closed up and tiled.
> Great job

  A compliment from you is a great honour!   
I specifically chose this handrail since it doubles as a towel rail.  I wish we had put in more noggins for additional handrails if needed.  At least this isn't going to be the main bathroom in the long term...the ensuite will have a big walk-in shower.

----------


## Bloss

yep great job - classy, but practical too (and that isn't always so!)

----------


## Cecile

> yep great job - classy, but practical too (and that isn't always so!)

  Thanks Bloss.  Not much you can do with a room 1.85 x 1.95, is there?  I knew it had to be simple, and I used easy design tricks to make it look bigger:  white, bright, and horizontal lines.  We're really delighted with the result.

----------


## Moondog55

:What she said:  :What she said:  :What she said:  :What she said:

----------


## mcsmart

> And...in spite of the grab rail, I found the bath almost impossible to get into. Somehow I have made a huge mistake.

  It looks great, good to hear the comments on how to make a small room bigger.  I am nearing 50 and had not considered hand rails - back to the drawing board for us then.
Is the bath hard to get into because of the wide lip you need to step over?

----------


## Cecile

> It looks great, good to hear the comments on how to make a small room bigger.  I am nearing 50 and had not considered hand rails - back to the drawing board for us then.
> Is the bath hard to get into because of the wide lip you need to step over?

  Thanks for your comments...in spite of the problems it's a pretty room. 
The lip is a little wider than normal yes, but the bath itself is so inherently slippery, and the bottom so curved that I can't get my footing, and Moondog's big feet are longer than the bath is wide.  A real nightmare, to be honest.   
The handrail in the photos is a proper, hospital-grade rail and it's installed per AS1428.1, the standard for installing fixtures for the disabled.  We did install it at right angles to the norm though.  Doubles as a great towel rail that way.

----------


## mcsmart

> The lip is a little wider than normal yes, but the bath itself is so inherently slippery, and the bottom so curved that I can't get my footing, and Moondog's big feet are longer than the bath is wide.  A real nightmare, to be honest.

  Righto, so a flatter bottom bath would be a start and a narrower lip perhaps.  I have a hoof on me too but I think my lovely English bride  :Redface:  (well.....as good as) will be the biggest user.  She is soooo excited........... and clumsy, look out!  You know it is things like this that make this forum SO BLOODY GREAT...........Thanks.

----------


## Cecile

We finally got enrgised, and after nearly six months put up the bathroom mirror, shelf, and cabinet.  After all the dicking around, it only took about two hours, (and four trips to the big green shed!)  We need to paint again too, since that's not finished, but it looks like a real bathroom.  I love the minimal look of the stainless zip-wire instead of a thick shower curtain rail, although the maroon shower curtain will have to go.  The bathroom's blue, after all  :Rolleyes:  
I still can not use the bath effectively, and so are looking at the best option to gain a real, walk-in shower without costing telephone numbers.

----------


## Black Cat

Loving the 'dressing room' lights - I really do like that look! There are no pix of the bath in question that i can see - am I missing something?

----------


## Cecile

> Loving the 'dressing room' lights - I really do like that look! There are no pix of the bath in question that i can see - am I missing something?

  You're not going mad.  I didn't take any of the bath.  This is just the vanity area/hallway.  I'll shoot the bath now. 
With the camera, of course!  :Sneaktongue:

----------


## Cecile

The bathroom is so tiny I can not get the whole bath into one shot.  Here is a selection.  I do have a white satin stripe shower curtain, which I prefer but it needs to be replaced.

----------


## andy the pm

Cecile,
When my wife's aunt had an ankle rebuild she couldn't access the bath (and shower) for around 6 months so we made ( a fairly crude, but practical) seat so she could sit on the edge of it (it protruded past the bath lip) swing her legs over then sit down into the bath. She said it transformed her day.
This is an example of a commercial one but I'm sure you can buy nicer looking ones or moondog could make one. Aluminium Transfer Bench with Back by Ausmedic | Buy bathroom aids at Mobility Shop
I hope I haven't offended you! 
Andy

----------


## Cecile

> Cecile,
> When my wife's aunt had an ankle rebuild she couldn't access the bath (and shower) for around 6 months so we made ( a fairly crude, but practical) seat so she could sit on the edge of it (it protruded past the bath lip) swing her legs over then sit down into the bath. She said it transformed her day.
> This is an example of a commercial one but I'm sure you can buy nicer looking ones or moondog could make one. Aluminium Transfer Bench with Back by Ausmedic | Buy bathroom aids at Mobility Shop
> I hope I haven't offended you! 
> Andy

  No offence taken Andy...thank you!  Nice of you to think of me.  We actually do have a proper transfer shower bench, although we've loaned it to Ted's nephew, who is recovering from a hip replacement.  Part of my issue is poor balance due to MS and an insane, irrational fear of falling on a slippery surface, which makes me feel even more unbalanced. Not a good combination. 
We're muddling through with a temporary shower in the laundry until we can get the funding for another bathroom.  Therein lies a whole nother design story!

----------


## Cecile

Moondog installed the noggins in the plaster-less wall behind the bathroom today, and fitted the additional disability rail next to the bath.  He also hacked a couple of IKEA towel rails to make a short deep shelf for above the loo.  I'll be glad when the bathroom's painted and the blue tape is GORN.

----------


## Black Cat

Definitely progress - It looks very impressive! And at least the blue tape is in a straight line - I am sure I would get it crooked.

----------


## sundancewfs

We have the same glass Ikea shelves in our main bathroom and also the single rail version of the rack you have, in our laundry.
I do like the styling.  :2thumbsup:

----------


## Cecile

> I do like the styling.

  Thank you!  Years of interior design training, plus I like the minimalist look in a bathroom.  Never thought we'd have an IKEA house, but the stuff's well-designed and affordable.  Even the vanity is IKEA, and we're considering an IKEA kitchen.

----------


## Cecile

After another overnight of being grandparents, with a bawling three-year-old missing her mummy and no spare bedroom, we have finally caved in and decided to start work on the middle bedroom/study.  It's been a tip since the bathroom reno, with bookcases sitting loose in the middle of the room and all our books on the floor.  Since Moondog has installed the bathroom handrail, we can now re-plaster the wall and start to make a real room, rather than a collection of "stuff".   
The walls are fibrous plaster, painted with calsomine, so instead of trying to clean it off, we're either ripping the plaster off or sheeting over it.  Today we ordered plaster for the ceiling and one wall.  The window is a piece of *bleep* installed by one of Geelong's cheapest, and we want to replace it with a double-glazed (room faces west, although does have a shadecloth pergola along the length of the house.)  Window can wait for a while 
The **small hole in the floor is leftover from a borer infestation.  It's not urgent, but he'll fix that up too over the next week or so. 
**EDIT:  apparently although the hole is small, the rot is five floorboards wide, and back to the first joist.  Yikes.

----------


## Cecile

After much dicking around and wondering how to work with the existing cornice, I just said, just get rid of it, so he popped it off and up went the second sheet.  Living room wall is now sheeted over the top of the original plasterboard.  After the hole in the floor is done (boxed up for the cat tunnel we think), he can get the plaster up in the small bedroom. 
We will have to re-cornice, and I love this, which is essentially what was original to this 1950s house. Gyprock : Gyprock Jazz Cornice: Cornice - Gyprock Jazz 
We also love this one, which might be what we choose, since it's a little more modern Linear 75mm Square Edge Profile 
Too many things going on at once, and we're trying to live in the middle of it all.

----------


## sundancewfs

I love that Jazz cornice, good choice  :2thumbsup: . I wanted it too...... Unfortunately my wife doesn't... so now we have square set

----------


## Cecile

Rotten floorboards are gone, and the hole is about half a metre wide.  Can't put the cat door in the floor, since the plumbing waste is directly below it.  Damn plumber...*eyeroll* 
So after a lively discussion (!!), it was decided that the old plaster would HAVE to go.  So, it's going.  There's no cladding on the exterior, although the brace ply is there waiting to be glued and nailed.   While the plaster is off, I guess a replacement window is in order.  It's a public holiday weekend.  I hope something can be found quickly.  Heaven knows why we do these things, in this order, but there you have it. 
Of course there's a lap joint in the top plate directly under a roof load (rafter AND ceiling joist.)   :Cry:  
We need to find a builder.  Who wants to come over and lend a hand?

----------


## Cecile

> Rotten floorboards are gone, and the hole is about half a metre wide.

  And as it happens, the rot is far more extensive than we thought.  It extends the entire width of the room, and runs under the bottom plate.   The bottom plate is nailed through the floorboards. 
Black Cat, where's the semtex?

----------


## Black Cat

Did't it get there yet? Bother - you just can't trust these couriers these days!I love the jazz, but think the second one is probably more age-appropriate. The deco look did linger into the fifties but its heyday was the 30s ...

----------


## sundancewfs

Don't you just love those... "we'll just do this bit on the weekend..." jobs.  :Biggrin: 
Before you know it your wondering if you will ever get to lock up......

----------


## Cecile

> Don't you just love those... "we'll just do this bit on the weekend..." jobs.

  Don't know whether to laugh, or swat you! 
Ted has framed up for the original window, but since it's not double glazed,  I may opt for a smaller one.  Depends on price, of course.   
Thankfully, most of the hard work is done.  We already have the new power points, plasterboard, brace ply and insulation for the wall. 
Notice Widget, helper and bringer of nails.  Sundance, I believe you have several of these at home.   :Redface:

----------


## Black Cat

I see you have resolved the air-conditioning problem - now about winter ....
Oh, and a cat door really doesn't need to be that big! :Eek:

----------


## Moondog55

Time for a quick up-date then.
Wall is clad with F-7 braceply, glued and nailed, more for air penetration than strength but it all helps stiffen the frame. 
Still have not decided on the window treatment so that wall can wait until Sunday. 
First sheet of plaster onto the bathroom side

----------


## andy the pm

I hope moondog doesn't go out in public in those trousers...

----------


## Cecile

> I hope moondog doesn't go out in public in those trousers...

  He does...and worse!   :Yikes2:

----------


## r3nov8or

I'm trying to think of a war zone where they would actually be useful as camouflage. A St Kilda cheer squad?  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Well actually the "Kimberley region"  em But  when I find em for $4- buy I buy em.

----------


## Cecile

Our young friends came for a light dinner last night.  He's a builder and has been giving Ted some guidance on construction. 
"Ted, that's WAY overbuilt!" was his comment, apparently. 
Nothing in this house that's been repaired will EVER fall apart.

----------


## andy the pm

> He does...and worse!

  LOL I can't talk, I regularly go out in my paint splattered fluro shirt and shorts, the wife has long stopped saying anything...its the Cessnock uniform...

----------


## sundancewfs

> I am not responsible for anything that Moondog says!

  Cecile, maybe your tag line should say.....  I am not responsible for anything that Moondog wears!  :Biggrin:

----------


## Jim Carroll

> Cecile, maybe your tag line should say.....  I am not responsible for anything that Moondog wears!

  But she is she is the buyer of said goods, so he wears what he is told to., must be hard to work out who wears the pants in the family

----------


## Moondog55

Nope CC *NEVER* buys camouflage

----------


## Jim Carroll

> Well actually the "Kimberley region"  em But  when I find em for $4- buy I buy em.

  Sorry misread who did the post, You buy your own clothes and she still lets you out in public, :Biggrin:

----------


## Cecile

> Sorry misread who did the post, You buy your own clothes and she still lets you out in public,

   :Roflmao:  :Roflmao:  :Roflmao:  
OK OK...it's getting off-topic in here.  Let's return to the renovation, shall we?

----------


## Black Cat

but, but, I haven't had a go at them yet!!

----------


## Cecile

> but, but, I haven't had a go at them yet!!

  Ted laughed so hard at this I thought he was going to fall off his chair.  Ask me sometime about our visit to a Bankwest branch!

----------


## Black Cat

and they laugh at his camouflage pants - orange? all over?  :Rotfl:

----------


## Jim Carroll

> OK OK...it's getting off-topic in here.  Let's return to the renovation, shall we?

  Sorry now where were we.  :2thumbsup:

----------


## r3nov8or

> Sorry now where were we.

  We were plastering the place and Moondog has started stopping up.

----------


## Cecile

Ted's been painting, mostly to protect the plasterboard.  The room's far from complete, but it's at a stage where we can start using it again and putting some stuff in order.   
That paint is VERY blue, and there's nearly 20 litres of it.  Someone mixed all the leftover paint he found in the garage into one bucket, and it came out like that.  I'm not sure I want it in ALL our rooms, but it's certainly better than the old, falling-off wallpaper that was originally in there.

----------


## Black Cat

I always thought you were supposed to do the 'cutting in' before you did the main wall ... Moondog does it his own way!! 
As you say, very blue, but a nice blue ... I had a flat mate painted out his attic bedroom in that colour and it looked fab!

----------


## Cecile

> I always thought you were supposed to do the 'cutting in' before you did the main wall ... Moondog does it his own way!! 
> As you say, very blue, but a nice blue ... I had a flat mate painted out his attic bedroom in that colour and it looked fab!

  TSK...I'll have you know that he stopped the paint where he did because the ceiling needs to be replastered, and there are no cornices yet.  Something to do with running out of cash...again 
Notice too, he's not wearing camouflage.

----------


## r3nov8or

We used a similar blue (Dulux 'Clear Blue') as a feature colour recently. So did a close friend and she's an interior decorator. Apparently it's 'in'. ('Fair Bianca' is the main 'off white' colour we used with it.)

----------


## sundancewfs

In this weeks episode of House Doctor on 7, the study that they did was almost the same colour. It looked really nice with light coloured maple built-in bookcases and closets. They did the trim and ceiling with white and it looked great!

----------


## Black Cat

> TSK...I'll have you know that he stopped the paint where he did because the ceiling needs to be replastered, and there are no cornices yet.  Something to do with running out of cash...again 
> Notice too, he's not wearing camouflage.

  ... and around the light switch and architrave???? Painting is a job where camo would be a good choice - you can't see the paint splotches where a great glob fell off the side of the brush when you thought you had wiped off the excess ...

----------


## Moondog55

> ... and around the light switch and architrave???? Painting is a job where camo would be a good choice - you can't see the paint splotches where a great glob fell off the side of the brush when you thought you had wiped off the excess ...

  it is a shocking job. 
Yes I can do better, but CC needed her room back* "NOW"* or there would be consequences, so a quick job until the rest of the house is done and then I'll come back and finish it properly

----------


## Moondog55

Think I forgot to post pictures of the finished framing 
There a few 12mm bolts holding the two old lintel beams together too, I just forgot to take more than those photos

----------


## Cecile

> it is a shocking job. 
> Yes I can do better, but CC needed her room back* "NOW"* or there would be consequences, so a quick job until the rest of the house is done and then I'll come back and finish it properly

  No "domestics" on the forum! 
I do have to admit to being much happier now that the room's nearly ready to use.

----------


## Cecile

With the arrival of some friends, we decided to tackle the back part of the workroom, by lifting the window up, recladding the exterior and replastering.  Thankfully the wall is shorter. 
Of course, five minutes after Ted pulled the plasterboard off the weatherboard-less wall, the heavens opened. 
We are very grateful that the carpet is old and needs to be replaced.  It'll dry eventually!

----------


## Cecile

Amazing what you find when you're fixing up.  A year ago we spent a fair amount to have the roof vacuumed out and reinsulated.  In the bottom of the hipped corner of the roof, he found an enormous mess of 60 years' worth of birds and rats nests that the roofing cleaners missed.  The amount of dust and debris still there is remarkable.    Cladding is nearly finished, window is being reinstalled.  He lifted the window to give a higher sill/head height, and is reinstalling the same window.  We'll replace with double glazed when we have the $$$ 
It should be airtight, more or less, in an hour or so. 
Photos show the new lintel and window opening.

----------


## Moondog55

OK it is a little over built, but that is the size of the off-cut I had, 190*45 with a 90*45 laminated to it, just easier that way.
Also we installed noggins at 1350 to make the plastering a little easier as well.
Insulation goes in tomorrow and plaster on Tuesday when the WH opens

----------


## Gaza

i take it you are going to wrap the sarking into the window opeining seal edges with tape before putting the window back in?

----------


## Moondog55

Should have, but this is another window being replaced with double glazing when we get the money.
The new hole is 200mm wider than the existing window so i just used a temporary short stud and a couple of screws on each side to hold in place as a temporary measure and blocked the space with an off-cut of plywood.
Do you think I should take it out and flash it even for the short term? We did flash the other window with aluminium.

----------


## andy the pm

If the window is exposed to the prevailing weather it would be worth flashing it, don't think you need to take it back to flash. If its pretty well sheltered then you might get away with it, but some aluminium flashing isn't expensive!

----------


## Gaza

i am a little lost the key to the american style building method is "wrapping" the building ie sarking as we know it but they run it into the openings on the windows and tape it all up over the fixing holes then silcone on flashings. 
while  you are replacing windows in the futre i think it would be a good time to still get the sarking on to protect the ply ready for cladding at a later date.  
why are you rebuilding walls are the old studs stuffed? as you are using old plates in same postion or are you just recladding with ply but taking off plasterboard at same time?

----------


## Moondog55

> i am a little lost the key to the american style building method is "wrapping" the building ie sarking as we know it but they run it into the openings on the windows and tape it all up over the fixing holes then silcone on flashings. 
> while  you are replacing windows in the futre i think it would be a good time to still get the sarking on to protect the ply ready for cladding at a later date.  
> why are you rebuilding walls are the old studs stuffed? as you are using old plates in same postion or are you just recladding with ply but taking off plasterboard at same time?

  We are rebuild some PARTS of the walls as we move windows higher.
Getting the window sill higher allows us to use desks and sideboards under the windows.
when we do so we remove the old fibrous plaster to stuff insulation in the walls, the braceply is a cost effective solution while we save the money for real cladding and perhaps foilboard exterior insulation as well as making the house much stronger

----------


## Cecile

> i am a little lost the key to the american style building method is "wrapping" the building

  Not sure why this is a relevant question.  The American style of building is to clad the entire frame with brace ply, including eaves, linings and roof.  I am sure they do use some form of sarking, but it's been a long time since I lived over there.  The wall we're working on faces west and cops the weather as well, so the insulation is paramount. 
If we were to use sarking now, it would very likely become destroyed by wind and rain.  We'll very likely paint the braceply in the short term.

----------


## Cecile

We haven't done anything to the house in a very long time, so this week we finally made some decisions about the new bathroom.  In sort of preparation to moving a doorway in the living room, we started by ripping the cladding off the driveway side and insulating the wall, running the electrical cabling in readyness for the sparky.  Ted added noggins for strength to attach the wall lights and tv bracket.  We also installed three roof extenda brackets in readyness for the carport (one day.) 
We have been toying with the idea of demolishing the chimney.  This morning, Ted found several smoke leaks and dripping creosote.  He remembered a couple of small chimney fires from the days when there was a briquette heater and no flue, so it looks as though there is a crack somewhere.  The decision to demolish is easier now, but it will allow for a bigger window and better use of the room. 
We decided on cladding this part of the wall with mini orb in a light colour.

----------


## Cecile

The finished wall, for now.  Colorbond and flashings need to be ordered in the next couple of weeks.

----------


## r3nov8or

Good to see you two making some progress again. Did you decide on vertical or horizontal for the mini-orb?

----------


## Moondog55

On this wall it will be horizontal.

----------


## shauck

It's a dilemma, deciding to remove chimneys. They can be hard to part with. I very nearly considered it at our place. It would have opened up more choices in layout of living room, extending, etc. In the end a miners cottage without a fireplace is not a miners cottage (they are valuable in re-sale) so I couldn't do it but hope you get great benefit from it.

----------


## barney118

Draft Chimneys also face stiff new standards and to get approval and not cheap so you could be shooting oneself in the foot.  
Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

----------


## Moondog55

Sorry Barney I don't understand what you mean.
Chimney isn't load-bearing and if we don't have a fire in the room it isn't needed.
If we put a wood fire in the extension it will be a free standing unit with a flue.
Also removing the chimney will allow us to put in a decent sized window

----------


## barney118

Ted, what I am saying is chimneys (old brick type , "draft", I think they call em) face tough standards from councils and a fair bit of workmanship to get right, so knocking them down shouldn't be taken lightly.
If a window is needed on the wall do you have other options for the room?
Cheers Barney 
Sent from my iPhone 4s using Tapatalk

----------


## Moondog55

Oh OK
No problem, losing it is no big deal as they are needed for open fires and no way would we ever contemplate having an open fire here.
The chimney as it stands would never meet the current requirements as it was never sparged or properly sized for the fireplace. 
Loosing the big brick chimney will have a secondary benefits of making the house look more modern, none of the newer houses have chimneys, also it will make it easier to put in the landings as the new front door is flush with the external wall of the house

----------


## Cecile

> knocking them down shouldn't be taken lightly.
> If a window is needed on the wall do you have other options for the room?

  Barney, we would not be renewing the chimney for a new one so have no issues with council.  With regard to windows, there is already a small window to one side of the current fireplace.  The room was the original living room, and the original large window is four metres away now in an extension done about 30 years ago.  When the fireplace comes down, we have the option of enlarging the window from 900 to 2100 wide and allowing a lot more light in.

----------


## r3nov8or

> On this wall it will be horizontal.

  IMO, a good choice.  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Coonara removed today.
Lots of old soot and tar still in the chimney but I did manage to get it cleaned up before Cecile came home.
Removing the insert and flue took about an hour, double that to clean. 
If you look closely you can see the thin crack that was causing the smoke issue 
Also the B***** who fitted the wood heater 30 years ago did NOT carry the flue all the way to the cap, which is probably why we had back smoke issues on some days

----------


## Moondog55

I'm glad I made an extra large extra strong creeper and that bucket is a 15liter one half full of stuff from the old bricked chimney not from the flue. old brown coal briquettes make a mess when they burn, still smells of coal and tar

----------


## r3nov8or

A good day at the coal mines, so to speak  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

> A good day at the coal mines, so to speak

   :Rotfl:  :Rotfl:  
At least it's not all over the carpet, and the baby hasn't found it yet!

----------


## Cecile

Well, it feels like at least.  We always knew that at some point Ted's father (well, whoever worked on the roof 25+ years ago) deleted a downpipe, leaving a house that needs six downpipes with only three.  The house extension 30 years ago did not account for moving the existing SWD, so it runs from each corner of the house, under the two front rooms and meets in the middle, before exiting through the front yard to the nature strip.  We also knew that the undergroud SWD was old concrete, and broken.  What we didn't realise was that it was not connected.  Last week he discovered quite by accident that under the house was a little soggy, so he started to dig.  And dig.  Up came the first lot of pipes, and down came the rain.  All weekend.  About 25mm worth of rain.  "Look Cecile," showing me the bom.gov.au site, "that little red dot is RIGHT OVER OUR HOUSE." 
Anyway, today he got really stuck into it.  A phone call at work:  We need to get a plumber to put a snake down...it's blocked with tree roots.  Then I have to block it off with concrete, or something, so it doesn't back up.  I can see the dollar signs flasing like casino slot machines.  We will have an estimate tomorrow to fix the whole thing.  I'll just add it to the cost of the rest of the renovation, whenever we get to it. 
The photo only shows about half of the dug-up area. 
Thankfully, we already have a lot of the SWD pipes we need, and we can hang it under the house.

----------


## Moondog55

The plumbers have left, having spent a lot more time than they should have on a simple reaming job. They could not get the snake to find and go down the *"T"* so I have started a trench across the front of the house to find the storm drain; knowing my bad luck it will be under the spoil heap which is currently housing rampant pumpkin and zucchini plants. Despite 70mm of rain in the past week the soil is as dry and hard as brick in the front, quite unlike the driveway side of the house where all the water has been running

----------


## Moondog55

Senior plumber experienced in this area has just left.
Storm water drainage pipe has been found and the news is not good. I have just been told that when these houses were built that the Housing Commission did not carry the pipes through to the "Legal Point of Discharge" but simply left the pipe open at the street end and let the water discharge to a shallow pit near the boundary. no wonder it is full of tree roots and also why the now removed Ironbark was so healthy. I will be digging a trench by hand for the rest of the week I think

----------


## r3nov8or

> Senior plumber experienced in this area has just left.
> Storm water drainage pipe has been found and the news is not good. I have just been told that when these houses were built that the Housing Commission did not carry the pipes through to the "Legal Point of Discharge" but simply left the pipe open at the street end and let the water discharge to a shallow pit near the boundary. no wonder it is full of tree roots and also why the now removed Ironbark was so healthy. I will be digging a trench by hand for the rest of the week I think

  Just the weather for that sort of thing..... not...  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

Again, we are stuck.  You wonderful folks must be utterly sick of our indecision, but ultimately if we had not made such a huge error with the bathroom we would not have this dilemma.  I'm posting a few 3-D images, wanting to gauge people's opinion. 
Truth is, I think it may be time to actually hire a building designer to see if there is another option that will be easy to build, with minor disruption. I have a referral to a very good architect, but his design concept fee is much higher than we can contemplate.  We have lots of ideas, but are too close to them to make a real decision.  We have had a little feedback from a few here, and for that we thank you, and apologise for asking again! 
To get an accessible bathroom, we must convert a bedroom.  We have two choices.  If we lose a small bedroom, we can retain our big master where it is, and the living spaces remain.  The house will ultimately be two bedrooms and a study...no big deal really, it's just the two of us, with occasional grandchildren.  If we keep the small bedroom, we turn the living room into a new, enormous master bedroom and our current bedroom becomes walk in robe and ensuite.  We also lose our view to the street and all that lovely northern aspect.  If we turn the archway into double glazed doors of some description, we retain the light, but lose some privacy between the big front master bedroom and the new, smaller living room.  Plus, we lose the dining room. 
Decisions, decisions.  *BLAH*

----------


## r3nov8or

Hi Cecile. Can you post a current floor plan, to refresh my memory?

----------


## Cecile

The room on the top left is the current living room, about 4.5 x 4.5.  Directly below it is the current main bedroom (same size), and off that is one of the proposed WIR/ensuite layouts.

----------


## r3nov8or

The accessible bathroom is for you own use, so there seems to be some available in what I assume to be your current ensuite (to the right of your current master.) Could that be remodeled?

----------


## Cecile

I should have made myself more clear.  The previous plan is a proposal.  What is showing as an ensuite and WIR is actually a small bedroom that we use as a study.  The current layout, before any more work, is here. 
We could actually remodel the "new" bathroom to be accessable, but the estimate was betweeh 5k and 7k just to remove the bath and turn it into a wet area walk in, and we can get an entire new bathroom for not much more than that.

----------


## r3nov8or

Ah yes of course. It's all coming back now. Not really sure how you are going to escape spending less than 5-7k

----------


## toooldforthis

think I understand.
if it is just the 2 of you, is there an issue going through the 'private' study to the bathroom? Or does the bathroom need re-doing anyway.
If re-modelling, your first idea (keeping the main bed where it is), which I think is what the 'new' plans represent? is the way to go. 
But I do understand about being too close to it, sometimes you can get a bit locked into your thinking and need someone/thing to question your thinking.
 'normal' 'professional' architects charge a bomb and mostly, in my experience are a waste of money (probably offended someone there). But you could get someone in (who you respect) just for a consult, say 2 hrs, without the expense of full blown concept plans? Just to bounce some ideas off.

----------


## r3nov8or

The proposed layout for the ensuite and walk in robe is the best option I think. You get to keep your living areas and don't lose the view/aspect to the street. If that can be done for a bit more than remodelling your new-ish central bathroom, then I that's what I'd do. You would access your main bedroom directly off the living room, which some people would not think was ideal, but having a private ensuite reduces that 'issue' substantially.

----------


## Cecile

The stormwater drain is doing just that.  Draining the bank.   
Plumber advised that it could not be easily reamed out, as it was solid with tree roots.  Replacement seemed the obvious answer, so after Ted located the pipe he started to dig.  That was about a week ago.  He did note that the water AND gas lines are in the same trench as the stormwater. 
Roll forward to today, my son out there with pick and shovel, watching what he's doing.  Half an hour later, he came in, looking a bit contrite. 
"Mum, I just nicked the water line." 
OOPS 
I am thankful for emergency plumbers, and a son who knew enough to turn the mains off immediately. 
Never a dull moment around here!

----------


## Moondog55

Well 2 week-ends and we are still digging the trench for the storm water connection, it's taking rather longer than anticipated because: *A* The ground is like concrete *B* It's Christamas and I'm feeling lazy *C* The tree roots are enormous and have grown around the main water inlet and need very careful handling or we will need another emergency plumber visit. 
We will need to replace 6 meters of water pipe when we do the new storm drain I think

----------


## Armers

its a long haul isn't it! We do it for the love of the place  :Biggrin:  You're going a little harder then i am at the moment, great work! lol!

----------


## Cecile

This time it was CHOP, through the water line on the wrong side of the meter.  More than four hours over two days, and at least $550 later, it's repaired. 
The storm water is totally cactus, and removing the old broken concrete is taking a lot longer to do manually than we thought it would.  Trying to save the cost of having the plumber come in with his ditch witch to heave it out is totally frightening...no idea what it would cost though.  Maybe first of all find a plumber who owns his own equipment so we're not faced with the need to pay a temporary hire fee.   
Anyway...this is what we're faced with, and no end in sight.  The tree roots are a huge problem, and what has caused most of the damage in the first place. 
I also think that $45 is well spent for the safety barrier.

----------


## Gaza

Have you considered dig new trench separate to old storm water that way you might not have as many tree rots as they have grown due to supply of water from broken storm water. 
Seems like a total pain in butt situation how much has it cost so far to repair damaged water line ?   
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Cecile

> Have you considered dig new trench separate to old storm water that way you might not have as many tree rots as they have grown due to supply of water from broken storm water. 
> Seems like a total pain in butt situation how much has it cost so far to repair damaged water line ?   
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  Gaza, we didn't consider it mainly because there's nowhere to put it.  In addition, we would probably have to attach to the end of existing, which means dealing with the tree roots.  I have no idea whether or not a new attachment to the existing stormwater would be acceptable.  And if it were, it means a permit (or two), etc.  Damaged water pipe has been $700 or so.  *ARGH*

----------


## Cecile

One of the culprits.  It's part of the roots of the old ironbark.  It's dead, but the wood is still wet.  Ted's very carefully cutting through it with a circular saw.  The blade is apparently now buggered.  And this isn't even the biggest root he has to deal with. 
Not happy, mother-in-law who planted the damn trees in the first place.

----------


## andy the pm

When I renewed the storm water pipe at out last place I was faced with digging up the old vc pipe or coming up with something else. So I removed the damaged and root encrusted sections and slid the new dwv pipe through the remaining clear vc pipe sections. It wasn't easy but easier than digging up 30m of pipe. The council passed it as well.

----------


## Cecile

> The council passed it as well.

  As far as I'm aware, there isn't one clear section of pipe along the whole 10m+ length and it's all so damaged it's smashed in situ, so it's all got to go.  And as it's a repair of existing, council isn't being advised.

----------


## andy the pm

I know, I was just saying council inspected and passed ours. If it were me, I'd turn off the water and get a man and a digger to rip up the lot, when he's finished digging the trench he can throw in the gravel base so you can lay a new SWD and water inlet in poly...but I may be over simplifying the job.

----------


## Cecile

> If it were me, I'd turn off the water and get a man and a digger to rip up the lot, when he's finished digging the trench he can throw in the gravel base so you can lay a new SWD and water inlet in poly...but I may be over simplifying the job.

  That's precisely what needs doing, and it's our preference but we don't have the $$$ spare for the digger hire.  The plumber's comment was "if you could get it all out yourself you would safe a couple of thousand dollars."  Moondog's doing all of the digging, piece by piece, as his damaged back allows.  We do intend to replace the lot, as well as increasing the number of downpipes.  The only complication is the proximity of the gas and water mains in the same trench as the SWD, hence the two emergency repairs in two weeks.     :Bigcry:

----------


## Gaza

> That's precisely what needs doing, and it's our preference but we don't have the $$$ spare for the digger hire.  The plumber's comment was "if you could get it all out yourself you would safe a couple of thousand dollars."  Moondog's doing all of the digging, piece by piece, as his damaged back allows.  We do intend to replace the lot, as well as increasing the number of downpipes.  The only complication is the proximity of the gas and water mains in the same trench as the SWD, hence the two emergency repairs in two weeks.

  Couple of thousand ?? 
You can get a machine with driver for around 700 bucks s day that's for a 3 ton excavator, no way it would take longer than half a day to dig it all out   
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

----------


## Cecile

> Couple of thousand ?? 
> You can get a machine with driver for around 700 bucks s day that's for a 3 ton excavator, no way it would take longer than half a day to dig it all out   
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

  I'm beginning to wonder if we've been taken for something of a ride.  The two callouts have both been weekend emergencies and to be honest it's been very quick and competent.  We had asked them for an estimate but it was not forthcoming.

----------


## andy the pm

> Couple of thousand ?? 
> You can get a machine with driver for around 700 bucks s day that's for a 3 ton excavator, no way it would take longer than half a day to dig it all out   
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

   +1, and if you can avoid the gas line then Ted can relay the SWD and do the water pipe

----------


## Moondog55

We have concrete storm water pipe going under the foot path and even that is cracked and full of tree roots, 100 PVC won't fit inside it but 90mm does. I was having a think about blocking one end of the short (1200mm) length of old concrete pipe and filling it with acid to etch it out large enough to shove some 100mm PVC through it.
Concentrated HCL is cheap enough at Bunnies

----------


## r3nov8or

I'd suggest a more conventional solution, e.g....   
You'll need to be able to cut a nice clean end though

----------


## Moondog55

"Boring"
I like playing with dangerous chemicals

----------


## r3nov8or

Yeah but my way you get to play with a big grinder/cutter in a small space lying on your stomach - anything can go wrong  :Smilie:

----------


## Gaza

> Concentrated HCL is cheap enough at Bunnies

  
You got to be joking 
That's a stupid idea for a start the HCL at bunnies will have been watered down so much that it won't eat anything plus you got the envt risk     
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

----------


## Moondog55

HCl at Bunnies is strong enough, used it all the time when doing pH adjustments on swimming pools What environmental risk? None exists that I can see as long as I kept the acid contained until the reaction had finished in an hour or so, it doesn't take long for HCl to etch concrete and no worse than a spill when doing a swimming pool . But as I said it is a "Far left field" idea

----------


## Moondog55

Damned big root is so tough and so big [ 2 separate roots above and below the concrete pipe, encapsulating it] that I am burning the thing out, started the fire at 10:00 and should be finished by sundown; just enough clearance from the water pipe that I'm not boiling the house supply.

----------


## Gaza

Where's the pics   
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

----------


## Cecile

> Where's the pics

  Hold your horses Gaza!  Uploading now  :Redface: )

----------


## Moondog55

I have been doing some reading. While I haven't come across any-one ever doing what I proposed in my left field suggestion I did read that while strong acids have the most effect vinegar is very corrosive on concrete and cleaning vinegar is VERY cheap.
I have a couple of elbows here left-over from salvaged 90mm SWV so I am going to try this experiment. Who knows it may save other members some time and effort down the track. I'm out of silicon tho so I guess I have to wait until Bunnies opens tomorrow to buy a tube or two.
I only need to make the hole 4mm bigger around so that won't really take that long  Acid attack on concrete  Hydrochloric Acid on Concrete - Page 2

----------


## intertd6

do you realise that that concrete pipe more than likely contains asbestos & shouldn't be stuffed around with even in the slightest way, plus the smashed up bits need to be disposed of properly.
regards inter

----------


## Moondog55

Inter that would be a first for me; I have never seen or heard of storm water pipe containing asbestos in this area.
 I'll double check it to make sure but it looks like the standard sand and cement mix to me; if it had quarter inch thick walls I would have been much more cautious but this stuff is an inch thick.

----------


## paddyjoy

Will be interesting to see the results, have you researched the etching rate, it might take months to get down to the desired thickness?

----------


## Moondog55

Jeez I hope not, but I checked this evening and a slow reaction was still happening, perhaps you also need to mechanically scrub the reactate from the walls and apply fresh acid.

----------


## paddyjoy

Looking at the slide show you linked it seems that the reaction will produce some form of calcium salts. I imagine this will form a layer on top of the concrete and you will need to scrape it off so that the acid can reach the concrete below it.

----------


## Moondog55

I should drain it then and ream it out with some barbed wire wrapped around a pole.

----------


## intertd6

> Inter that would be a first for me; I have never seen or heard of storm water pipe containing asbestos in this area.
>  I'll double check it to make sure but it looks like the standard sand and cement mix to me; if it had quarter inch thick walls I would have been much more cautious but this stuff is an inch thick.

   If it had reo in it then it would more than likely that it didn't contain asbestos, I've been around a few years & can't remember seeing any type concrete pipe with a diameter that small that had reo in it. It may have existed in that form somewhere from a speciality pipe producer. In a previous life I used to construct kilometers of water, drainage & sewer mains reticulation in established urban road reserves when the roadways were reconstructed plus K&Ged, that looks like asbestos pipe to me, the only AC pipe with a thin wall was usually used for flues on boilers, stoves, water heaters, etc, the thick walled AC pipe was used everywhere for water mains & drainage, it was strong & cheap. If you want to persist with it, submerge & saturate the ground thenpush or pull it out with a strap or a jack. 
Ps another tell tale of asbestos pipes is they used rubber ringed collars for joining not a socket & spigot.
regards inter

----------


## Moondog55

Something I did not even think about before starting this experiment. After 50 years in the ground there is a thick organic stain on the inside of the concrete pipe; this seemed to be a protective layer that stopped the acid from reacting with the concrete. Where the black organic layer had been scratched away the concrete is eaten deeply but otherwise relatively untouched. I think I should have made a barbed wire pull-thru first
Inter I really do not think this pipe is Asbestos

----------


## Moondog55

We can't be bothered stuffing around any more, at this point I think we will just shove a length of 90mm through the existing concrete pipe, New 90mm will be a Gazillion percent better than the nothing we have at the moment

----------


## Gaza

Is the concrete pipe under foot path intact why not just join onto that and don't worry about PVC in that section 
R u laying the pipe work yourself after all this effort I won't bother getting a plumber in, there is not much left to do now as long as it all has the right falls   
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

----------


## Moondog55

Gaza the pipe work is all there but cracked and broken so it leaks into the soil but at least it is now totally clear of mud and tree roots.
We did just talk about putting in an IO on our side of the footpath just in case we ever need to clear the pipe from our boundary to the LPE. 
I just hope Bunnies has the 90 to 100 adapter in stock
We do think we are just going to "Do it" as you say, I'll need to take a drive and get the half meter of scoria tomorrow for the bottom of the trench

----------


## andy the pm

don't forget to put in lots of rodding/access points.

----------


## Moondog55

One at the boundary and one at the house should do it, as it is only 8meters from house to boundary, we did think about it but I only bought 1 unit at Bunnies today

----------


## andy the pm

I put them at every junction, but that's probably overkill  :Tongue:

----------


## Moondog55

> I put them at every junction, but that's probably overkill

  Even above ground?
Storm water [90mm] will be hung under the house so really I guess there will only be the single below ground junction. 
I'm glad it's warm and windy today, the trench will be dry enough to finish digging out tomorrow AM.

----------


## intertd6

> Something I did not even think about before starting this experiment. After 50 years in the ground there is a thick organic stain on the inside of the concrete pipe; this seemed to be a protective layer that stopped the acid from reacting with the concrete. Where the black organic layer had been scratched away the concrete is eaten deeply but otherwise relatively untouched. I think I should have made a barbed wire pull-thru first
> Inter I really do not think this pipe is Asbestos

  i think you could be right with the probability of the pipes not containing asbestos.
regards inter

----------


## Moondog55

I've been taking a break due to the excessive heat but the trench is almost finished.
I will put an IO at the boundary about 400mm in from the concrete path and the other at the end of the trench just in case it ever needs reaming out. All the other 90mm SWV will be hung under the house.
On another note we have had a major rethink about the house and the bathroom question and we think it's possible we may need to bite the bullet and re-do the bathroom we already have. Expensive mistake. probably $5k to rip out the bath and do a walk-in shower in its place.
I think we really did want the selfish luxury of an En-suite but this may give us the money to do the kitchen. Cecile will put up the revised plans for comment in a short while
I do like the modifications she has suggested for the kitchen tho to include a reasonable sized pantry.
I am thinking a French door/window in the bedroom is a good idea for emergency egress in case of fire tho.

----------


## Cecile

I should post a series of sketches in order, showing the evolution of the house as we have changed our minds again and again.....

----------


## r3nov8or

Your laundry and rear toilet have dissappeared. What's the idea for those? I'm assuming the bottom right room is the new large pantry, and maybe other uses, but has no label or fit out yet...?

----------


## Cecile

> Your laundry and rear toilet have dissappeared. What's the idea for those? I'm assuming the bottom right room is the new large pantry, and maybe other uses, but has no label or fit out yet...?

  The bottom right room was originally a separate bedroom accessible from the hallway.  That part of hallway is now the built in robe, and it can't be reversed (glued and screwed brace ply for stability, typical Ted overbuilt!) although in hindsight I wish we had done it when we started all of this.  The two rooms are currently joined by an archway.  We will open that up to the enlarged kitchen and it becomes a multi-purpose space, craft/sewing room.    
I have issues about not having a separate laundry and am not fond of the "euro" laundry concept but in the short term we can put a front loader under the island bench in the kitchen, facing the back door.  Not sure where we'll put a separate toilet.  One of our plans includes an extension at the back that would include a big laundry but it's not looking feasible from a monetary standpoint. 
This renovation has been the source of many a lively discussion, most of which include throwing our hands up in the air in defeat.  I frequently wish we had never done anything to the house, simply pulled it down (paid virtually land value for it anyway) and putting up a new house.  Too late for that now.

----------


## andy the pm

Why can't the washing machine & drier go in the alcove next to the toilet? Cover them with a sliding door.

----------


## Moondog55

Andy we forgot to show the handbasin in that alcove, Sorry about that. Personally I'm not worried about having to deal with a temporary laundry in the back yard in a tin shed
I am hoping we will eventually get an extensnion with a largish living room and a decent laundry as per the sketches already posted
The real and only priority is somewhere for Cecile to shower safely

----------


## r3nov8or

> The real and only priority is somewhere for Cecile to shower safely

  I'm using the pic in post #118 on page 6 as reference.  
Could you add a shower enclosure to the current laundry? or
Delete the rear toilet and turn it into a shower wet room? (the laundry could also take the second toilet) 
The above options will give you an accessible shower and, importantly, won't leave you without a functional bathroom while you do it. Also cheaper.

----------


## Cecile

We considered turning the laundry into an accessible bathroom.  One of the things that is not negotiable is the big kitchen, so eventually we're going to lose those spaces. 
This exercise is an example of how NOT to do it.  How's it go:  fail to plan, plan to fail?

----------


## Moondog55

We know that this is normally done a little bit further into the renovation but the fellers are here and putting in the 4-head split system.
Our bedroom stays our bedroom so I guess the next big job is to insulate the last of the West wall and get that clad. The small wall unit Aircon will go to SD. We do seem to be doing some jobs in reverse order but that can't be helped.
I now have to get under the house and tack the 6mm line to the bearers to save us some Sparky money, but at least we had the foresight to get extra lines put in with the new switchboard

----------


## Moondog55

Well apart from the dead cat under the house [ not one I know] running the cable and tacking it up was no big deal. 
We also have a spare 6mm<2 cable running from the switchbox: I had forgotten that the sparky had done this already so the sub-board in the kitchen can have 32 amps which should be sufficient for most of the power if we keep the big oven on the current 20A circuit
Now we really do need to hurry up and make the house airtight [or as tight as we can anyway] as the aircon feller said he prefers to aircondition rooms not roof spaces

----------


## Moondog55

Just a few pictures of the new aircon, we will clad around it

----------


## Moondog55

And of the trench for the storm water.
While I was digging I dug the hole for the fence post, the offcut of big  gas pipe is the keep the hole open until I can get the post in; if I compact the soil it will hold [ I hope]
Digging through solid basalt took a little time

----------


## SlowMick

Moondog - it that genuine masking tape cornice I see in the pictures.  we have a combination of masking tape and duct tape in our dining room - helps keep the loose fill insulation at bay. Nice air con by the way.  :2thumbsup:

----------


## Moondog55

Cardboard and masking tape, much more upmarket than the duct tape.
We know we are doing things in the wrong order but that's just the way things are going at the moment. knowing our luck the new ice-age will start next month and we'll never need aircon again; it is very efficient. Biggest expense after all this is done is a solar system big enough to power the aircon, we'll need 13Kw

----------


## Black Cat

That's a very nice AC unit you have there - I like the small heads into the rooms. The billion and one cables at the back of the external unit are a bit bemusing though!! You'll be all set for the next heat wave (or cold snap since its reverse cycle).

----------


## Moondog55

Not when you think about it Jo
4 heads so 4 sets of pipe and wires, each head has 2P+E plus a control wire and each head has compressed gas in and expanded gas out.
I was just up in the roof and the installation fellers need to come back; they knocked the ductwork for the air transfer system off so they need to come back and fix it ; although we really don't need it any longer

----------


## Moondog55

Just finished gluing up the storm water, I made sure [ using a level and all] that the fittings were plumb. 
Now to fill the trench with gravel and that is one job done and finished. I feel pretty good about this [I have learned another skill, albeit very slowly and I even read the instructions] be done in a couple of days. Still thinking about laying copper in the trench for lightning protection while I have the hole in the ground

----------


## Moondog55

I had the old lightning rod assembly from the other side of the house so I laid it in the trench with one more earth stake

----------


## Cecile

Finally getting this small job done.  Ted decided to put timber coving into the corners instead of square setting the plaster, as one of the corners is inaccessible due to the split system head.  I have ordered the light fittings, and we have paint for this wall at least.  Sparky is on notice...if only he would return my call. 
The internal corner is not as neat as we would have liked due to the a/c head being in the way.  Once it's sanded and painted it'll be much better.  AND FINISHED.

----------


## Brian7886

nice mate.  
a few points on the air con, not telling anyone how to do their job.  
Pipes up internally, thats how its done, good to see they brought the pipes down and connected them in the rear of the unit, instead of in the cavity. 2 things id be unhappy about... 
1. The drain has a connection in the wall, the standard drain hose from the units are mices best friends. High possibility they could chew that (they love the water) Normally, i would run an insulated corrogated conduit down the cavity, without any joins, so as to be sure you wont have any trouble later. Not a problem though, as long as the installer is backing him work. 
2. The rigid un-insulated conduit can get a bit of condensation on it (like a cold cup of water would), its resting on cables in a power point. water + power.not cool.  
Other than that, nice work, Fujitsu's and multi heads arent my first choice, but all houses and requirements are different. Good luck mate

----------


## Moondog55

Hmm Well the unit has the usual 5 year warranty and its installation should be covered but those are good points. I'll have the GPO moved when we do the kitchen plastering
We'll ask the seller/installers about insulating the internal drain too but we had intended to fully insulate all internal walls [ I assume the insulating sleeve isn't an unreasonable price ] we did ask about Mitsubishi units but this was the most cost effective choice for us.

----------


## Brian7886

Not baggin ya at all mate. Ive had bad experience in terms of break down with fujitsu, but i am also on the coast and deal with alot of pcb failure due to corrosion.  
Just pointed that out so as u dont end up with water in the gpo. 
Warranty wont cover his install either just so ya know.  
Looks like he knew what he was doing anyway which is good

----------


## r3nov8or

I'll bet the Fuji is getting a good workout today! It's 41.1C in the shade of my back verandah. 
Edit: 44.0C at 4pm!

----------


## Moondog55

Well I may turn the on before tha boss gets home but so far the house is OK and just touching 30C inside now, she likes it about 8 degrees cooler than I do [ and 10 degrees warmer in winter :LOL]

----------


## Moondog55

I can report that the airconditioning works and works well. But I think we need to do a little bit more to stop the heat getting in and getting the trapped heat out of the roof space. Cecile bought a second Insulco "Thinking Cap" roof vent on eBay last week, I just need to get up and fix it in place.
Still a lot of work to do but we progress.

----------


## Bloss

mmm - venting unconditioned roof space to help cool? 
Let's see: A/C _blowing_ (and pressurising) cool air in living area combined with 'Thinking Cap' 'whirlybirds' trying to _suck_ hot air out of the roof space (good thing they aren't very effective at doing so!). I hope you have no openings or leaks (e.g.: down lights or unflued ceiling fans) or your A/C will be doing a good job of trying to cool the roof space . . . . Better to to spend money on increasing R-value of insulation above the ceiling IMO to well above (within reason) the minimum standard for your location. (As I am heard to say: minimum standards are the WORST you are allowed to do and be legal, they are not best practice!

----------


## Moondog55

Slowly making the house as airtight as possible, so no ceiling penetrations except for the air transfer system; which was an experiment and too small to do any real good; but will make a good exhaust for a toilet.
And personally I find they make a difference. They would make a bigger difference if the inlet air could be drawn from a source of cold air such as a fernery or shade house

----------


## Bloss

Yep air-tightness is the go in a cool climate - so long as you have good fresh air source. I have no doubt you & Cecile look into this stuff carefully, but there is much info out there that is simply based on anecdote or marketing not science. The physical principles are pretty simple: heat moves to cold and linked to that higher pressure to lower pressure - until equilibrium occurs. So all to do with temperatures and pressures and how much volume can flow - at leafs with whirly birds they are not all that expensive and at probably won't make anything worse, just not much better either. 
Of course if there is no radiant (foil) sarking barrier under the roofing material then the process will be that the bulk insulation heats up from radiant heat (which mainly will pass through the air in the ceiling space without increasing the temp much) then start re-radiating and heating up the air in the ceiling space. Passive ventilation can help - with enough vents at a high level in gables or whirlybirds, and soffit vents, but unless some estimate is made of the required airflows mostly they are way to undersized with the small airflow to little to have any significant impact on the ceiling space temperature. The volumes needed are higher than most would think. 
So as you know, first use foil sarking (or combined foil/blanket - bubble foil is not worth the extra cost over regular foil) directly under the roof, then have plenty of bulk insulation directly on the ceiling - I double the minimum required under building standards as batts remain cheap (and some suitable phase change material underneath that if you can afford it, but does not payback for a retrofit unless you are totally replacing batts anyway). Using an efficient heat pump (COP>5) in a well sealed living space is way cheaper, more effective and better for the environment than adding powered roof venting to cool the roof space.

----------


## Moondog55

Bloss the way we look at it ceiling insulation is for winter warmth and time delay as a bonus in summer and roof insulation is to keep summer heat out.
Admittedly there isn't a real lot you can do when retro-fitting an old house with such a shallow roof angle but if we were to do it again I would rip the whole roof off and try and use a reflective rigid board as ceiling insulation such as a double layer of 25mm foilboard. But as you say fiberglass is just so cheap at the moment.
Perhaps an alternative would be Anticon roofing blanket laid with the reflective side facing "UP" over and on top of the existing R3.5

----------


## Bloss

> Bloss the way we look at it ceiling insulation is for winter warmth and time delay as a bonus in summer and roof insulation is to keep summer heat out.

  I think that doesn't place high enough value on the usefulness of batts in summer - the higher the R-value the longer it takes the batts to heat up so that the heat gets to the ceiling lining so it is not simply a 'bonus', but well worth doing even if there is no foil sacking. And the blanket option you suggest is not recommended - the problem is that it reduces the re-radiation into the roof space at night of the heat absorbed during the day (and some will be even with the reflective side up. 
Of course if you are not able to open up the house at night and get the heat away from inside the house you will then have the heat dissipate back down through the ceiling. The idea is to make sure the heat goes back up into the roof space is where the absorbed heat has been sitting - once the inside temp is around the same as the outside all ventilation possible should be opened up in the living area. Of course main things is to stop heat getting inside the house at all - so physical siding on the outside especially on windows. Much harder to deal with once it gets inside the 'esky'! 
In Geelong R3.5 is a low rating for winter effectiveness, but as you say often hard to increase without much pain!

----------


## Moondog55

So this morning I was on the roof adding a short vertical frame to mount a small shade cloth offcut tho give some shade to the A/C  compressor on the roof, I can feel the small difference it makes. I totally agree exterior shading is the priority. It is easier to keep the heat out than remove it

----------


## Moondog55

I just started removing the old weatherboards from the Northern end of the Western wall. Despite being a "Master Builder" and an experienced chippy he took an awful lot of shortcuts when he was using his own money. He was enamoured of a particular framing style because he could use "Shorts"  see the pictures. Every second stud is a half length and the wall is full of second hand bits of wood, most with the original nails left in.  
Glitch in the downloader at the moment [ Seems out Internet connection is down} I'll add the pix later but some of the studs have been sawed thru to 90% of their depth to straighten them and have cracked at the weak point

----------


## Moondog55

More pictures
I'll rough in some electrical wires after sweeping out all the dead things; cobwebs and dust, before insulating and cladding with board. Making what-ever repairs are needed first of course

----------


## old1955

He certainly made use of every scrap bit that was about.

----------


## Moondog55

> He certainly made use of every scrap bit that was about.

  My Paternal grandfather. I guess the depression had that effect on almost every-one from that era.
My dads house but apparently my grandad put up most of the money for the extension [ 7 kids LOL]

----------


## old1955

Lets hope none of us have to go through anything like the great depression. They had to save wherever they could and survive on next to nothing.

----------


## Moondog55

Well once things start to move you seem to be able to see the tiny speck of light at the far end of the tunnel. 
The living room wall got a sand, prime and undercoat today and I've made a start on the structural repairs. Feel free to comment on the colour, I think it needs to be much darker but i could live with it

----------


## Moondog55

Some structural repairs to the Western wall have been done. Had to repair a hole where an old box aircon had been fitted and stiffen up some of my Grandads work. At the same time I wanted a stud to fix the braceply to at 1200 centers so I added a 90*45 on the face to give a solid nailing point for the sheet edges
A bit rough and ready be very strong and all will be hidden by plaster and wall cladding in the end.

----------


## Cecile

Sparky was here today and wired up the new wall and ceiling lights, as well as the power points.  The new fittings are a welcome change from the old, mission brown, three-light 1970s fittings. 
The four-gang power point is dedicated for the stereo and I believe on its own circuit. 
****EDIT**** 
Of course, five minutes after we put globes in, the whole thing tripped the safety switch and half the house is dead electrically.  And the sparky isn't answering his phone.  It conveniently happened after 6pm, didn't it?

----------


## Moondog55

OK Fixed Sparky just came back, a combination of poor design of the light fitting and my strong right arm. putting in the threaded rod that holds the lamps glass shade in place I seem to have over tightened by a half millimetre which compressed and cut the insulation on one of the conductors. 
Backing off the threaded rod a tad fixed the problem and my sparky says it is safe to use.
Made in China and probably not approved for use?

----------


## Gaza

> OK Fixed Sparky just came back, a combination of poor design of the light fitting and my strong right arm. putting in the threaded rod that holds the lamps glass shade in place I seem to have over tightened by a half millimetre which compressed and cut the insulation on one of the conductors. 
> Backing off the threaded rod a tad fixed the problem and my sparky says it is safe to use.
> Made in China and probably not approved for use?

  Wat tha ??    
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

----------


## Cecile

> Wat tha ??

  Gaza, these light fittings were made in China and came without assembly instructions (very reputable brand, purchased here from a very large, Sydney-based online retailer, NOT Beacon.)  There is a threaded rod that screws into it, from which the shade is suspended.  The light fitting wiring feeds into the fitting through a small slot in the side of the threaded tubing, and then out again to the three branches of the edison screw lamp holders.  There is no mark provided on the rod to prevent it from being turned too far and touching the live wiring, and also no physical isolation between the rod and the wiring inside the tube.  The metal to live wire caused the circuit to short out, tripping the RCD. 
All good now, and feedback provided to the retailer, who is very supportive.

----------


## intertd6

I'm saying "wat the" about the circuit being livened up without it being checked for dead short circuits first. stuff like that can happen anytime.
regards inter

----------


## Cecile

> I'm saying "wat the" about the circuit being livened up without it being checked for dead short circuits first. stuff like that can happen anytime.
> regards inter

  Everything was tested and checked before the sparky left. The only thing was, we forgot to buy globes and could not actually switch them on while he was still there.

----------


## Moondog55

So the bathroom drama goes on. We just had a talk with the bathrooms original builder and when we said that we were thinking of having to remove the bath and convert to a shower his face fell about a foot.
His ballpark figure to do a work-around with the waterproofing without damaging the underfloor electric heating was "about 4k" and he then spent a quite a while trying to talk us out of doing that and build a new ensuite. Cecile and I had already discussed a possible new bathroom plan, it involves going out almost to the boundary.
I'll let her post the proposal for comment but I actually like the compromise, funding it will be as always the major issue. Building a new small addition will allow good insulation and airflow design from scratch tho
As always the cost of all the council BS will be about as great as the cost of the materials

----------


## Cecile

I think we simply need semtex.  I don't want to do this any more. 
*GROAN*

----------


## intertd6

> Everything was tested and checked before the sparky left. The only thing was, we forgot to buy globes and could not actually switch them on while he was still there.

  If he had tested the wiring with a mega then the fault would have been found before livening up, the bulb is irrelevant. Active to earth in a properly earthed light fitting is found instantly while checking the circuits.
regards inter

----------


## Moondog55

Inter the fault was "MINE" not the sparkies. Sparky showed me how to screw in the threaded rod and told me to do it up "Finger-tight" trouble is I have very strong hands and apparently "MY" finger tight was enough to cut though the insulation on one of the wires and connect the circuit to the fitting. This set of wires didn't have a secondary fiberglass and silicon sleeve in the right place for some reason, backing off the threaded rod and sliding the sleeve back was an expedient way to get the lights working and the second Sparky [ the 2 are mates as the first was at a dinner with family and already half way to incompetence in a few bottles of red wine ] siad it was safe in his opinion.
Honestly i can't blame the sparky for not knowing how strong my hands are

----------


## Cecile

Playing with paint colours. The blue is going, and it'll be a dark charcoal. Unfortunately the sample pot didn't cover the semi-gloss very well so it's looking a bit streaky, but we definitely like the darker one better. It's a feature wall in the living room, and may have teeny tiny sparkles added to the paint, too. Blame my mother for that!

----------


## Moondog55

With the glitter added at a small percentage the effect is too subtle to notice, it will need the full 100 grams in a half liter to be seen

----------


## Cecile

Whichever they are, we've finally made a start on these.  It was one of Ted's jobs four years ago, but his brief visit with a surgeon put a hold on that.  We hate the paint colour, which was supposed to resemble a colorbond colour (it's way too yellow, and we will eventually repaint them) but they are up.  The timber is quite inexpensive rough sawn treated pine, 25mm thick, and quite warped but serviceable.  Replacing it with hardwood, which is what was originally there, made the cost prohibitive.  The new cladding will come down low enough to cover the bearer.

----------


## Moondog55

The Duffman redid the stud wall and opened up the wall floor to lintel. Gives us an opening 1150mm wide and 2550 high into our bedroom from what will be the dressing/sitting/retreat room
Losing the small wardrobe and adding that 700mm depth to the bedroom has changed it from claustrophobic to generous in one simple design change
First pix show again the old opening. last picture is the view from the bedroom door. plaster still to be stopped up and much patching and painting still to do but getting there [ somewhere] finally

----------


## Cecile

Not planned, as has been the case with much of what we've done, but we had to start attacking the laundry today.  Why, you may ask?  We bought a new washing machine. 
This old place has some weird construction techniques, and in this case the laundry door jambs are machined in one piece and holding up the top plate.  Of course, el-stupido me did not measure anything.  Oh sure, it's only a washing machine and they are fairly standard sizes "fairly standard" being the operative word.  Guess what?  Said door jambs are 15mm too narrow for the new machine. 
So off come the architraves on the latch side, where Ted discovers, with a lot of relief, that the jambs while very, very solid are just decorative and therefore removeable without damaging the structure.  The biggest issue is that my "temporary" bathroom (three years now!) is in the laundry and I now won't be able to shut the door.  It's cold out there! 
Having some issues uploading a few photos so will try later.

----------


## Moondog55

Not much has happened for a while
But while the Boss in visiting family I have [ with the help of my generous family ] demolished the old chimney and I am framing up for a new window in that room .
Window will triple the amount of light as it will be approximately 1550 * 2100   and set ~900 above the floor The removed window was 1810 * 600 and sitting very close to the floor.
Od course the heavens opened and we had about 50mm of rain the day after the old window was removed and the chimney demolished.
We have stacked all the whole bricks and will use them in an outdoor BBQ and fire-pit surround
Photos follow soon

----------


## Moondog55

The Boss is home so I can now post the "As we go" photos
I didn't want to spoil the surprise
Ripped all the old and rotten WB off the North facing front of the house and filled with insulation, framed up the front room for the new S/H Rylock double glazed unit Demolished the old brick chimney
Framed up for a new large window where the chimney was; quickly plastered up and we painted
It's a rough job I know but we can now see what the house will look like when we have finished
First pix are of the bedroom wall which started just before Cecile left, I was given a couple of rockwool batts so I thought I should use them up, the rest are R2 polyester

----------


## Moondog55

Used OSB to cover as it was the cheap option and then covered with foil building paper as a temporary weatherproofing

----------


## Moondog55

Dark and gloomy wall with just the single window to the South of the chimney
As soon as I got home from dropping the Boss at Tullamarine I got stuck into pulling all the old plaster off that wall. I'm actually very surprised we had a house to work on as there was evidence of all the chimney fires of past years and quite bad scorching of a couple of roof timbers.

----------


## Moondog55

Had some help from family and in two days the old bricks were mainly cleaned off and stacked in the back yard for reuse later

----------


## Moondog55

Repaired a cracked stud and installed a lintel in the new hole

----------


## Moondog55

Just some basic framing next, sill and some short studs to hold it up, insulate and braceply to keep the wind out

----------


## Moondog55

The Rylock I got some help with from The Duffman and counting the drive down to Clifton Springs for collection it was framed up and installed in 4 hours
I still need to fill the gaps with foam but being held in with bugles it isn't going anywhere
Trim and flashing still to be done

----------


## Moondog55

The Duffmans next job was a small landing in front of the front door
We employed a labourer for some physical help moving the old concrete steps and another 5 hours of paid time; it's almost done
This was a job I could have done myself but not anywhere near as quickly. Duff built the platforms in his shed out of the weather while we cleaned up and dug holes

----------


## Moondog55

A quick and rough paint job and then clean up 
It is a rough job because there were no cornices [ we need to resheet the ceiling] and ever time the house got hit by a gust of wind we got a shower of old cobwebs and dust falling down to stick to the wet paint
Have I mentioned the storms that started the day we started to do all this and the rain? Been in drought all winter and all the rain came in 4 days
It isn't perfect but it is a huge improvement

----------


## r3nov8or

You have been busy! You are on a roll now, so keep at it.  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

> You have been busy! You are on a roll now, so keep at it.

  Unfortunately, the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow is depleted.  So we wait.  Again.  *Le Sigh*

----------


## SilentButDeadly

Oooh a French sigh no less. Must be worth the effort, Moondog!

----------


## Cecile

The good, the bad and the "OH MY GOD" 
One double glazed window ordered, check.
Price, less than expected, very satisfied.
Delivery over the Christmas period?  No chance.  The glass manufacturers have already closed and don't go back until end of January.  Soonest delivery early to mid February. 
It's going to be a hot summer in the dining room!

----------


## Bloss

Even triple glazed do not stop much heat from sun but good for slowing heat loss from room - outside shading is the go so you need some shade cloth to shade that nice bit of corrugated clear sheeting. Just hang it from the gutter or roof and tie bottom corners down to some blocks or bricks. Or go all out and get a fancy roll up one like this Windoware 2.4 x 1.8m Northern Sands Rollup Outdoor Blind I/N 1261089 | Bunnings Warehouse

----------


## Moondog55

Did that today Bloss
Tomorrow will the the first real test; might need 2 layers of shadecloth until we get the carport built.
I'm always amazed at how much I am learning doing a lot of this work myself

----------


## Uncle Bob

Looking good Moondog and Cecile! 
Though my missues would have kittens if I had that many speakers in the house.
Looks like you're going to have Iron Maiden play  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

> Looking good Moondog and Cecile! 
> Though my missues would have kittens if I had that many speakers in the house.
> Looks like you're going to have Iron Maiden play

   But But but, that's only a third of the subwoofers and it's a decent enough system; just needs a bigger room to play into

----------


## SilentButDeadly

If you don't have a window in one wall so just an opening...then the room is infinite... 
As for needing a bigger room...I beg to differ. The most engaging setup I ever heard managed to crush my soul in just 36 square metres (or 160 cubic metres if you prefer). All whilst shaking the dunny at the other end of the house...about 50 metres away across the courtyard...and being largely unheard in between.

----------


## Moondog55

36 square meters is a good sized room, this is about 19 and then you need to delete the size of the speakers from that
Cecile is right in that the big subwoofer box is too large for the room; while it provides very deep bass the box is obtrusive at over 155 liters in volume'
That's actually why the speakers in the picture are wider rather than deeper, to take up less floor space.
Because this isn't going to be the primary music room I removed all the acoustic treatment when we painted and they won't be put back.
A lot to do with orientation into the room and space behind the listening position IMO and the archway unto the other part of the area needs extra bass boost to make up for the losses below 60Hz

----------


## Cecile

> my missues would have kittens if I had that many speakers in the house.

  Bob, it's called WAF in speaker-building parlance: 
Wife
Acceptance
Factor   :Rofl:

----------


## Moondog55

Update but I'll let the Boss post the pictures. Window is in and trimmed, we have decided to save the money and just use the ceiling we have so cornices are up. Just need to scrape and rough sand the old calsomine and paint it again.
A full days work with The Duffman and Jules and me sweeping up and doing the fetch and carry

----------


## r3nov8or

Good to hear things are still moving forward! Cecile, photos please  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Come over and see for yourself if you can spare the time
Still a work in progress tho 
It was a hot day yesterday but 20 minutes after turning on the cooler it was OK, 20 minutes later it was cool and later in the evening I had to turn the thermostats up to 27C rather than the normal 24C

----------


## Cecile

These are a bunch of random photos, including Pepper the cat, who is extremely annoyed that her house has yet again been rearranged.  I've included one of the patched floor where the chimney hearth used to be.  The cornice needs some fine detail work, and the guys will have to come back to do the skirting and living room architraves.  Still, adding the cornice has made an enormous difference to the room already. 
And I really, truly despise the pink carpet. 
Oh, and the cornice was a freebie, thanks to Moondog's brother, leftovers from his long-ago renovation in Ballarat.  Love them!  Perfect for this 1950s vintage house.

----------


## r3nov8or

I'll pop in when on your side of town. But the ring road takes me north most times these days...

----------


## Moondog55

OK Another start starts
For some reason our builder mate has a few days spare and we can reframe a wall and install the new S/H double glazed window in the West wall
It just so happens that we are knocking out a wall and doing all this framing up on the coldest day of the year
So this week-end is being spent moving the bed into the lounge room until the bedroom and study area are finished and knocking out the old BI wardrobe to make room for a new and improved [ as in deeper and wider] BIR that goes up to the ceiling instead of finishing at 2100 and wasting 600mm of storage space
Finally I get to insulate and seal this last part of the Western exposure

----------


## Cecile

The first two show the window that will be removed, and the new one to be installed.  The old is about 1200w x 1350h, the new is 1800w x 1500h.  A bargain, Rylock double glazed, second hand, $300.  WIN.  The others show the progression of the now ripped out BIR.  One of the door jambs had 15 nails in it (this part of the house was built by Ted's grandfather, and his two cousins who were apprentices at the time)  hence the claw hammer intentation (Thank you, Ted.)  The new door jamb will cover it. 
And lookee what is under the door jamb.  More bad taste wallpaper!

----------


## r3nov8or

A productive way to keep warm this weekend  :Smilie:

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Bob, it's called WAF in speaker-building parlance: 
> Wife
> Acceptance
> Factor

  
Yes, my beloved just rolls her eyes when I drag yet another pair of speakers in to the house.
 (I have a slight speaker collecting disorder)   
But then all is well once they're hooked up and everything gets a bit louder.   :Ohyaaa:   
And no way would I walk past a pair of these for $20 and not grab them!   
Not my pic but mine also has pushed in dust caps on the woofers...

----------


## Cecile

The demolishing is finished, carpet is gone and the bones of the new wardrobe are in.  It's big, although not a walk in.  We decided to line the back with 7mm brace ply and paint, partly because we had it already and partly because it means we can screw lightweight stuff straight into it.  We're not going to plaster over the top of it.  No point, since it will be covered by clothes. 
The builder promised us four days and we got two, so Moondog will likely do a lot of it himself.  As you can see from the photos, he's got two little helpers...I think!  Thankfully we have the bed neatly tucked into the living room and although it's a bit chaotic and cramped, it's not for long.

----------


## Moondog55

Chippy just left
I now have some clothing storage
Not pretty bet very strong and of great utility for my needs
I'll finish the trimming and painting on the week-end

----------


## Cecile

Ted reckons this is rough and ready, but it looks OK to me.  My side will be a little more...well, more OCD.   :Rofl:

----------


## r3nov8or

I'd probably paint the ply. I like it white inside wardrobes for some reason. Enjoy the extra space!

----------


## Moondog55

Yes we are going to use white paint. I had had to do a trial run to see how I liked my "Half" of the space.
I still need to drill out the holes to run the speaker cable thru the bulkhead and I debating the possible benefits of adding a braceply web under the plaster for possible added rigidity.
Also it still needs quad or coving  in all the corners

----------


## Brian7886

are they ice skates?

----------


## Cecile

> are they ice skates?

  Those are Ted's telemark ski boots.

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> are they ice skates?

----------


## Moondog55

No Brian My Telemark ski boots

----------


## Moondog55

Plasterers and concreters start on Saturday AM
Spent today clearing out one room and moving building material from the driveway

----------


## Moondog55

Waiting on   :Redface:  
  Bobcat and tip truck. 
 Plumber. 
 Builder. 
 Concreter. 
 Plasterer 
 AND 
 Last but not least
  The Dishes Fairy

----------


## Cecile

> Waiting on   
>   Bobcat and tip truck. 
>  Plumber. 
>  Builder. 
>  Concreter. 
>  Plasterer 
>  AND 
>  Last but not least
>   The Dishes Fairy

  The dishes can do this! :Blowup:

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> The dishes can do this!

   
Hahahahahah

----------


## Cecile

Oh, the chaos of renovating when you're living in the house.  Ted's desk is in the hallway, blocking off the middle bedroom and the cat is trapped in there.  I'm trying trying trying not to be too stressed out about nearly everything we need and use daily being stacked in the dining and living rooms.   
The driveway is being prepared for concrete and bobcat is here today.  Gravel will be here Monday, and concrete Wednesday.  Front door is now inaccessible until then.   
Pity I didn't arrange to stay with friends or something until then! 
Oh, and the plasterer is here today, too.

----------


## Uncle Bob

It will be worth the displacement in the end. 
Then you guys will wonder what to do next   :Wink:

----------


## Moondog55

> It will be worth the displacement in the end. 
> Then you guys will wonder what to do next

  *Sleep*

----------


## Cecile

Of course there's a little hiccup.  Ted forgot that the permit hasn't been issued for the carport, and the stirrups have to wait until the holes are certified.  Concreter has not boxed out the holes to prevent them from filling with concrete.  Of course, it means he has to come back to re-box them.  In the scheme of things though, not a major drama.

----------


## r3nov8or

Very neat holes! Hope they hold up to the rain that's just started here. It's a bit crazy how much you guys are doing at once while living amongst it, but I guess it lessens the pain in the long run

----------


## Moondog55

It wasn't planned like this of course.
But you tend to grab tradies and contractors when they are available at the right price
Luckily holes here in Norlane tend to be stable for weeks in the heavy clay and marl
1000mm is stupidly over kill deep but luckily didn't go through the marl

----------


## Moondog55

Concrete being poured now at 0930.
It's all starting to happen
Pictures will follow later
Plasterers in the front bedroom at the same time and there is mud everywhere as we had 25mm of rain yesterday
Isn't it lucky we had actually planned to replace the old carpet in the walk way

----------


## Cecile

Photos are somewhat mixed, both jobs being completed at the same time. 
Very neat job outside, hand-trowelled non-slip finish.  Plasterers are doing an excellent job as well.  Cornices will be up this evening, and we can start painting in a day or two.

----------


## r3nov8or

Jealous of your brand new driveway!  :Smilie:

----------


## phild01

You'd be itching to use that driveway now - wait as long as you can.
Looking good :2thumbsup:

----------


## Moondog55

Stupidly I want to go and put my initials and the date in it somewhere.
 We will wait until they remove the form-work late tomorrow and then I'll do a quick cleanup in the street if there's any mess left.

----------


## Moondog55

Today I slapped some white paint around inside the wardrobe
I'd post pictures but we seem to have lost the chargers for the camera batteries *"somewhere"*

----------


## Cecile

A few shots of the plasterer's handy work.  He's got a very good, hard working bunch of contractors working for him and it's a very good, clean, neat job.  Even the patching that they did (ceiling especially) will barely show when it's painted.  I'm only hoping that the old calsomine paint holds up. It came down to a financially feasible solution, which did not include re-sheeting the whole ceiling.  I hope we're not going to be sorry. 
The inside of the wardrobe is painted.  It's a bit rough-finish, only painted brace ply, but it'll be totally covered with clothes so plasterboard wasn't required.  And of course, shifting stuff around so there aren't any obstacles just means more short term clutter.  And yes, those are speaker cables. 
The window is in progress and should be done by the end of next week.  We'll probably hold off on the carpet until the window's installed.  Less chance of construction mess on the brand new, very expensive carpet!

----------


## Uncle Bob

Looking good Moondog & Cecile!
Wow at the bloke in the hole, man those are deep!

----------


## Moondog55

> Looking good Moondog & Cecile!
> Wow at the bloke in the hole, man those are deep!

  They had to be 1000mm below ground level and the concrete/gravel base is well over 150mm Yes Very deep holes and way overkill but that's what the council insist on for some reason

----------


## r3nov8or

> They had to be 1000mm below ground level and the concrete/gravel base is well over 150mm Yes Very deep holes and way overkill but that's what the council insist on for some reason

   1000mm is standard for City of Greater Geelong unless you have a soil test / engineer's report. Way back for my extension (2002) I paid for a soil test and report as I had 70 holes to dig and COGG accepted the report's 800mm depth. This meant I could dig them with a hired machine and 800mm auger myself (and a mate). I have since used that report again, so it's well and truly paid for itself  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

> 1000mm is standard for City of Greater Geelong

  And interestingly, the restumping in 2010 only required 600mm, no soil test or other report.

----------


## Marc

Councils are the epitome of ignorance and cover ass contortions that would make Cirque Du Soleil proud.

----------


## Moondog55

> And interestingly, the restumping in 2010 only required 600mm, no soil test or other report.

  And that was 150mm deeper than the original which only went 18 inches down to the stable marl layer.

----------


## Marc

Next time they say you have to dig through the earth core to china and then place an equal load in china on the stump, to counteract the load in Australia.

----------


## Cecile

Except for the saw cuts, this is the finished driveway.  iPhone panoramic photo, not the best.  You get the idea, though.

----------


## Marc

That is some mama of a driveway. What are you going to plant in the holes?

----------


## Moondog55

> That is some mama of a driveway. What are you going to plant in the holes?

  Carport posts; a couple more than actually needed but insurance for extra wind loads, same with the beam size as the difference in cost wasn't much
This our planned party/entertaining space. twinkly fairy lights and everything

----------


## Marc

Curved carport? or is it fish eye optics?

----------


## Cecile

> Curved carport? or is it fish eye optics?

  iPhone panoramic photo.  The closer it came to me, the more it straightened out.  It's straight and true, thankfully!

----------


## Marc

Bummer, I thought you had build a superhighway on a bend. 
What sort of carport?

----------


## Moondog55

> What sort of carport?

  Standard beam and rafter 4.6 * length of the house. Thinking about a roller door plus narrow gate at the moment
A fly-over with a beam on Extenda brackets. Zincalume with some translucent panels and some shade cloth at the South end

----------


## Marc

Sounds like a plan ... you have been full on for a while you two.

----------


## Cecile

> full on for a while

  We have, Marc.  Practically since we bought it six and a half years ago.  As we had a few extra dollars, we put it into the house.  There are times we wish we had never started this project, or even never bought this house.  This is the last gasp though.  We're determined to get it finished and be able to enjoy it, rather than just exist in this box of rooms.

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> you have been full on for a while you two.

  
I reckon. 
I just went back to the first page of this thread and saw mention of a 2YO.
Is that who graduated recently?   :Sneaktongue:

----------


## Moondog55

That particular tadpole is now a 6YO going on 7

----------


## Moondog55

> You'd be itching to use that driveway now - wait as long as you can.
> Looking good

   Concreter has begged us [ advised] to wait as long as possible and a minimum of 14 days. It's nice to have somewhere reasonably flat to put stuff on

----------


## phild01

> Concreter has begged us [ advised] to wait as long as possible and a minimum of 14 days.

  I did say this before, go the extra week.

----------


## Cecile

> I did say this before, go the extra week.

  You did, and we are.  It's not such an inconvenience really and the additional cure time before we drive on it will negate the possibility of tyre impressions  :Redface: )

----------


## Moondog55

I have a bucket
I have a sponge mop
I have paint
Sugar soap and start with the ceiling
I decided to get Taubmans Tradex as we won't be walking or drawing on the ceiling { dancing maybe] and the savings paid for the asbestos removal PPE

----------


## r3nov8or

> I have a bucket
> I have a sponge mop
> I have paint
> Sugar soap and start with the ceiling
> I decided to get Taubmans Tradex as we won't be walking or drawing on the ceiling { dancing maybe] and the savings paid for the asbestos removal PPE

   Take it carefully with water/soap around the feathered edges of your plaster repairs.

----------


## Moondog55

> Take it carefully with water/soap around the feathered edges of your plaster repairs.

  Have done
I hate painting but I want it done and this is a very good place to save money Should be finished by Friday when the new Rylock window goes in

----------


## Moondog55

Rylock window just arrived, it all happens at once "Don't it?"

----------


## Moondog55

Wow! Never had this problem in Geelong before but the front room was so cold the paint would not flow and it's still tacky after 4 hours but a pale donkey brown undercoat and it's so much better looking

----------


## Cecile

The baby poo yellow wall is gone!  Undercoat on all the new plasterwork, one coat to the ceiling.  Unfortunately it's so cold in that room that the paint is not going off, and the ceiling is still wet.  One of the lights in there has blown so it's pretty difficult to see what the ceiling actually looks like.  In places, it looks rather streaky, and Ted just went over it gently with the roller to feather the paint ridges out. 
It will look totally different in the daylight tomorrow. 
Carpet is scheduled for Thursday next week.  Lots to do before then, including the trip to IKEA for the wardrobe innards.

----------


## joynz

I've just installed  an Ikea Stuva Grundlig unit with wire drawers in my wardrobe.  
 It's actually from the kids' furniture range, but at about 1.95cm high it fits ten to eleven drawers. Ikea had 30 % off a couple of months ago.

----------


## Moondog55

Getting the PAX system for the small drawers, for Cecile; I already have an ELFA basket system for my stuff in the vain hope it will help me get organised
Paint started to look better when we took the paper off the heater head and turned the heat on

----------


## Cecile

Hmmmmmmm...I was so not going to use anything even faintly resembling brown.  In the photo, it's a bit more brown than I thought, but in person it's rich and lovely, with grey undertones.  We're still figuring out the rest of the wall colour:  quarter strength will be too "beige." 
I put a line under it though and since the carpet will be coming on Thursday next week, the painting has to be finished.

----------


## Moondog55

New Rylock double glazed window is now installed and airtight
I just tacked up the old architrave until we can get something a little wider/newer
Bedroom is like a sauna with the temperature set on 22C, All heating works better when the air leaks are finally stopped up

----------


## phild01

What are you cladding the wall with?

----------


## Moondog55

Colorbond eventually with either reflective insulation or Foilboard 
But the building is weather tight as is

----------


## phild01

I know how you love insulation and thought it might end up being rendered polystyrene.

----------


## Moondog55

Any more than R4.5 in the walls would be a bit much for Geelong and I think we'll make that if the use the Foilboard
 North wall we want a high summer value but R3.0 is what we have already
Things are picking up speed here finally
We did think briefly about the rendered styrofoam until we found out what it would cost

----------


## Cecile

Five hours in IKEA, plus an hour's drive each way.  One Pax wardrobe for me, plus associated interior fittings.  Home, with only minor damage to one of the tall uprights, thanks to speed bumps on the parking garage ramp and the fact that the box hung over the tailgate by half a metre.  Thankfully it's not structural damage.  Ted put it together.  Mercifully, I went to Bunnings, where I bought more paint. 
Every one of those boxes is a drawer, or shelf, or some other thing.  Gonna be a long afternoon!

----------


## OBBob

Five hours! You probably meant to leave after one hour but couldn't find your way out... right?  :Biggrin:

----------


## r3nov8or

> Five hours! You probably meant to leave after one hour but couldn't find your way out... right?

   ya gotta go the through the fire doors  :Smilie:  . And just buy a stack of cups to help skip through the exit section

----------


## Cecile

> Five hours! You probably meant to leave after one hour but couldn't find your way out... right?

  Ummm...nope.  We knew we were going for the Pax.  We also needed a new toilet roll holder, and there are 49c tea towels that we buy ten at a time.  An hour and a half to get to Richmond, including a traffic snarl on the West Gate, a light lunch when we got there.  Ted and I reviewed the kitchen units (another likely purchase,) and the entertainment units.  Another short wait in the cafe while a friend turned up.  The market hall, checking out lighting.  Of course in the damaged and floor stock section were two Pax, at 75% off but by that time I was done in and had to go home.  You know how it goes.  We didn't even try any of the short cuts!   
I do need to go back for some bits and pieces for the wardrobe but that can wait.

----------


## r3nov8or

There's a rumour that Ikea will come to Geelong, at Waurn Ponds on the Princes Hwy west of the new Kmart towards Bunnings. Wait and see.

----------


## Cecile

> There's a rumour that Ikea will come to Geelong

  I heard it, too.  Someone in the store alluded to it yesterday, too.

----------


## OBBob

> ... An hour and a half to get to Richmond, including a traffic snarl on the West Gate ...

  Probably worse than normal because they closed a few exists after that crane collapsed. Feel for the people driving into that side of the city this morning, it'll still be closed.

----------


## Cecile

Well, we broke down and hired a painter.  The cost is making me choke, but the sheer stress relief of having a professional do the work is amazing.  He's doing a grand job, excellent prep and as he says, if it doesn't move I will paint it.  It only means we will have to re-think the window coverings in the short term, since I have now spent the money that was supposed to be for blinds or curtains.

----------


## Cecile

Painting progress.  It will be finished tomorrow.  Wardrobe hanging space should be finished this evening, then carpet goes in on Thursday.  Nearly there.

----------


## phild01

A tip for anyone only half inclined to paint is to get a pro to do the cutting-in and leave it to you to finish with the roller.

----------


## Uncle Bob

I like the colour Cecile

----------


## Cecile

> I like the colour Cecile

  Thanks.  It's a lot more brown than I had hoped, but it's got grey undertones.  It's going to be fairly dark, too but the rooms are north and west, with bright white ceilings and one whole wall of each will be white doors so plenty of light reflection available.

----------


## Moondog55

I'm going to start stripping all the old AC sheeting from the old toilet and laundry [ and the old garage] today and tomorrow
Should be done by Friday and we'll get it disposed of.
$150- aprox to collect and dump but they wanted close to $700- to remove it
Instead I went to Bunnies and bought a set of masks, disposable gloves and coveralls for $40-

----------


## Moondog55

> I like the colour Cecile

  Actually so do I and that was an open question; it does need the white to offset it tho

----------


## OBBob

> I'm going to start stripping all the old AC sheeting from the old toilet and laundry [ and the old garage] today and tomorrow
> Should be done by Friday and we'll get it disposed of.
> $150- aprox to collect and dump but they wanted close to $700- to remove it
> Instead I went to Bunnies and bought a set of masks, disposable gloves and coveralls for $40-

  
Did you get a proper respirator mask rather than just a dust mask? Pretty advisable I reckon.

----------


## Moondog55

P2 is more than adequate for *A
I just need to shave off the beard and use Petroleum jelly for a good seal* No need for a full respirator 
Beside Mesothelioma takes 30 years to kill you and I don't have that long left anyway

----------


## OBBob

Ha ha ... I never have luck with those masks because I can't get a good seal over my nose and fog up my glasses! Tripping over due to lack of vision is also rather dangerous.  :Smilie:

----------


## Uncle Bob

I just use snorkel and mask. And on the end of the snorkel I gaffer a bit of garden hose that goes out the window.
I also use this technology when peeling and cutting onions.  :Smilie:

----------


## OBBob

> I just use snorkel and mask. And on the end of the snorkel I gaffer a bit of garden hose that goes out the window.
> I also use this technology when peeling and cutting onions.

  
Aww .. you can't post that without providing a picture!

----------


## r3nov8or

Re the paint, I too like the colour. Moondog says it needs the white to set it off. I humbly suggest you consider also painting the skirts white, especially if your carpet colour also has brown and grey tones.  
The wall colour will then pop  :Fireworks:

----------


## Cecile

Initially we were going to do the skirts in white, but given the cost of the painter and the limited budget we were concerned that it would add several hours to the job.  We're not unhappy with the skirts painted to match the walls for now.  We've already done a "Block" and spent too much on the first room we have finished.

----------


## Moondog55

3 hours hot and sweaty in a mask and a Tyvek suit and most of the crapola is at the end of the driveway waiting for pickup
Also dust and a few dead spiders and the walls were full  of grass and *** Rats and birds nest for 55 years I guess
I'll suit up and fill up a few buckets tomorrow and that is one biggish messy job finished and done

----------


## Cecile

Laundry, toilet and back hallway.  Ted spent the day in Tyvek pulling all of the wall and ceiling lining out in preparation for removal of the kitchen wall.  The security door has been removed, and the 60-year-old back door fell off one of its hinges.  The toilet will be removed, and that wall opened up to the bedroom next to it.  I think next we have to order the new back door, which was supposed to be a Rylock sliding door but won't fit into the design.  We don't have room for a stacker either, so it will likely be a Rylock hinged door as wide as we can fit into the available space.

----------


## Moondog55

I'm glad that's all done. I had forgotten how tiring wearing a mask can be; with a cheaper mask it's just a little harder to get a full breath easily but all the horrible stuff in now waiting for pick-up and disposal
We'll be doing the laundry from outside for a while I think but at least the tumble dryer is in under the roof
55 + years of accumulated dust etc in the walls made a mask a must have even without the dreaded asbestos

----------


## Moondog55

Just as well I'd done all of that, we got a call from our mate telling us he had had a weather related cancellation and he was available
So we took off the roof and threw the new beam in
Yes we know it is a little larger than needed but it was only $50- in materials

----------


## David.Elliott

Back to the Ikea. Yep quality's not great but it does serve a purpose. 
No2 daughter needed wardrobes and wanted my help to collect and assemble.  
In order for me to get involved we struck a deal.  
She found all the pieces at the Ikea online store, made a note of bays and quantities and off we went. 
We went in through the checkouts, straight to the racks, spilt the list in half, she got the little stuff, I got the big. 
Met back at the checkouts paid and loaded. 
In and out in 1/2 hour...bonus!

----------


## Moondog55

Lucky you David
However that's what it is sometimes 
I did some more removal of the small walls now they are no longer loadbearing 
I'll be doing the laundry on the slab for a week or three I think but the major PITA is finished; everything else is now internal I hope
This is going to be a really good kitchen layout and  with good flow in and out of the house
We'll need the Sparky soon and a Cat minder

----------


## OBBob

> Back to the Ikea. Yep quality's not great but it does serve a purpose. 
> No2 daughter needed wardrobes and wanted my help to collect and assemble.  
> In order for me to get involved we struck a deal.  
> She found all the pieces at the Ikea online store, made a note of bays and quantities and off we went. 
> We went in through the checkouts, straight to the racks, spilt the list in half, she got the little stuff, I got the big. 
> Met back at the checkouts paid and loaded. 
> In and out in 1/2 hour...bonus!

  ... and now they deliver!

----------


## phild01

> ... and now they deliver!

  Not sure they want to deliver going by a previous experience to have something delivered $$$$

----------


## OBBob

> Not sure they want to deliver going by a previous experience to have something delivered $$$$

----------


## phild01

Ah, too much, especially for a kitchen tap or anything small.

----------


## OBBob

> Ah, too much, especially for a kitchen tap or anything small.

  Of course... but for something larger, same day I think it will be popular. Many people don't have suitable transport or assistance. It's probably also just the start and they will refine and offer more in time.

----------


## Moondog55

Carpet went in today Yay We have a bedroom

----------


## r3nov8or

I like the colour even more now!

----------


## OBBob

> I

  Thanks for sharing !   Lol

----------


## r3nov8or

> Thanks for sharing !

   You are quick!  
See above

----------


## OBBob

> You are quick!  
> See above

  Ha ha...

----------


## Moondog55

Bugger
I just discovered that the tile underlay in the old laundry is asbestos 
Another pick-up needed and another set of PPE

----------


## Moondog55

These pix are also in the structural query section
Rotted out but I have seen much worse
East and South walls in this back corner are actually up in the air; the bottom plates are not sitting on anything at all as they were nailed down to the floorboards and after 60 years those have simply rotted away

----------


## Cecile

And Cecile watches more $$$ for remedial work disappear down the plughole. 
*le sigh*

----------


## Uncle Bob

> And Cecile watches more $$$ for remedial work disappear down the plughole.

  Yeah, that's always a bugger.
I think it shouldn't be to bad through, just sister in some more joists and carry on  :Wink:

----------


## Moondog55

Well I've taken the "Bounce" out of the wall; I got the big crowbar and lifted the wall and put in some 25mm hardwood packers
The 19mm cement sheet will slip in nicely
Then a couple of new joists and it's OK
I am thinking that a couple of H3 90 * 70 would do a better job here tho; one for the outer wall where the bottom plate overhangs the current 4" * 3" and the other where the cement sheet will stop so we get a decent edge to join against 
Also I discovered that the old blocking between the joining walls wasn't actually doing anything.
So the East wall and the South wall were independent, no wonder it was wobbling and shaking.
The nails had completely rusted away; so I cut some new blocks from 90*45 and some 12mm plywood [ space between measured 60mm] threw in some elastomeric glue and used some deep batten screws and 90mm nails to hold everything together
Probably stronger now than at any time in the last 30 years

----------


## Moondog55

Plumber coming Monday to do a quick disconnect */* re-connect so we can continue to use the washing machine etc while the rest of the work gets done.
So many times these studs have been cut to fit plumbing that I'm surprised this part of the wall is actually still standing  up and supporting the roof, just shows how strong the old hardwood is but isn't a 50mm notch in 90mm timber is a bit deeper than it should be?
Frustrated by how long it is taking me to get rid of all the old rusty nails and make this safe and I keep finding scraps of old broken asbestos hidden in the dirt underneath

----------


## Cecile

The builder was here with his mate, and in five and a half hours reframed the whole back area, sistered in studs where the old ones were not to standard, replaced all the rotten floor joists with hardwood, new LVL hanging beam, and framed up for the new wider than standard double glazed aluminium door.  They ran out of time to get all the brace ply up. 
The floor will have to wait until the new door goes in, since some of the rot in the floorboards goes under the wall that's coming out.  Better to put in one big piece of new floor than several smaller ones. 
We're discussing under floor insulation and what to use, so not too sure about that yet.

----------


## plum

Shove some squashed up newspaper in that sewer pipe, you don't want anything falling into it.

----------


## Bros

> The builder was here with his mate, and in five and a half hours reframed the whole back area, sistered in studs where the old ones were not to standard, replaced all the rotten floor joists with hardwood, new LVL hanging beam, and framed up for the new wider than standard double glazed aluminium door.  They ran out of time to get all the brace ply up.

  What's Moondog been given the boot?

----------


## Cecile

> Shove some squashed up newspaper in that sewer pipe, you don't want anything falling into it.

  Thanks plum.  Ted's cut it off just below joist level and has covered it with half a dozen bread bags over the top, wired on, per our plumber's suggestion.  We're not going to reinstall a new toilet there, but might want to use the pipe for something so the plumber wants to leave it.

----------


## Moondog55

Nah !! I was relegated to labouring; fetching and carrying and cleaning up but I didn't have to cook lunch or make coffee

----------


## Bros

In other words you were a gofer

----------


## Moondog55

Go figure. 
Better a Gopher than Step'n'fetchit

----------


## Cecile

> Shove some squashed up newspaper in that sewer pipe, you don't want anything falling into it.

  Like this

----------


## plum

> Like this

  Never seen that method before.    :Wink:

----------


## Uncle Bob

Telstra use a similar technique to waterproof joints in their cable pits.

----------


## r3nov8or

> Telstra use a similar technique to waterproof joints in their cable pits.

  Only if it's bin night/morning for bread bag supplies

----------


## Moondog55

Our new back door is ready
This means we have to decide on the underfloor insulation very quickly so we can get this area back
If we use the very heavy duty sarking we have left over how many knife holes per metre will be needed for moisture drainage?

----------


## Cecile

> new back door

  I went to the fabricator today to talk about the delivery, and he showed me the finished door.  I'm glad he did, because someone dinged it and there's a scratch in the powdercoating.  He's not happy!  Neither was I, either.  Not major and it doesn't affect the door but I'm certainly glad I noticed it in the factory and not here at home.

----------


## Moondog55

Today I have been putting in the RoofExtenda  brackets 2 hours per bracket and that's not counting the time to take off the roofing iron
I need a spare large capacity battery for the Ryobi
Sparky come tomorrow at 1500; guess where the 4mm cable for the oven is? Yep Right where I need to put a bracket
A bracket every second rafter ~1800mm apart That's a lot of brackets to get up by Thursaday

----------


## r3nov8or

Can you use less brackets and a bigger beam?

----------


## Moondog55

Not really as the front third is already up and using a 190 * 45
The PITA part is finding and having to fix bits of old rotten stud / top plate / roofing batten stuff as I go; I'm going to have to redo a few sections of roof battens tomorrow with some new 35 * 90; I've spent a lot of time making sure the tie down is stronger, and adding in blocking. This old hardwood is so brittle I am needing to pre-drill for the batten screws 4mm
1800 spacing is stronger than it needs to be but the next wider spacing at 2700 is too wide
I have to totally re-do one fixture tomorrow as the rafter split when  tightened up the bolts; it was warped. j. Sister in a short tomorrow and drill some more holes

----------


## Moondog55

So we've had no rain to speak of for the last 3 months and only a mm or less was forecast for today so obviously it would bucket down as soon as I had the roof off
We changed our minds slightly and put in a small window in the kitchen; above the prep sink which has moved walls for money saving reasons and is now on the outside wall
We now have no kitchen sink and no stove so we'll be living on takeaways and at the Corio Roadhouse for the next week or so

----------


## Cecile

It wasn't supposed to happen today.  Unfortunately though, removing the old lamipanel splashback with a pry bar so that they could get the window out simply collapsed the old sink cabinet, that was totally rotten...and so it went.  We now no longer have a kitchen OR laundry sink, the outdoor kitchen isn't ready yet, and there's nowhere to put anything.  Help?  I think I need to move out for a week or three. 
I can see too many takeaways in our immediate future. 
I have to say though that I really like the fixed panel double glazed window on the western wall.  It will need a blockout blind, but that will be a while away yet.

----------


## Bros

I like the tie dye B&B overalls.

----------


## Moondog55

> Can you use less brackets and a bigger beam?

  Well it now happens that we can use fewer supports as we need a bigger beam to satisfy the certifier, instead of 190 * 45 it is now 240 * 45

----------


## r3nov8or

> Well it now happens that we can use fewer supports as we need a bigger beam to satisfy the certifier, instead of 190 * 45 it is now 240 * 45

  oookaaay, does he know how span tables actually work?  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Certifiers are a law unto themselves it seems; the holes are still not inspected and the young builder has been on the phone many times already today. The difference in finished cost isn't anything  as the job is quoted fixed price and I only had only one short beam up and that mainly for last summers shade sail

----------


## Cecile

Certifier still hasn't inspected the holes.  Builder's annoyed.  It's up, more or less, and we can get an idea of how enormous this thing is. 
I hope it's ready for the party on the 19th! 
You're all invited, by the way  :Redface: )

----------


## Cecile

One carport, all framed up.  Still no certifier or concrete.  One kitchen, cabinets gone.  One new double glazed back door.  Carpenter is returning on Monday to do the floor, ceiling joists, help put up the brace ply, and frame up the pantry. Ted will have to demolish the wall so the floor can be finished.  Even with all the chaos we can see real progress.  Biggest worry is that we have enough funds available to finish the kitchen. 
I got an estimate for a beautiful vinyl in the kitchen that looks like polished concrete.  I think $2700 is well outside of the budget.  The entire floor has to be finished though, it will be visible because all the benches and cabinets will be on stainless steel legs.

----------


## r3nov8or

There is no way i'd be waiting this long for the certifier. Obviously COGG council not a private guy. I think there are rules that they need to turn up within 'x' days or you can just go ahead.

----------


## Cecile

> There is no way i'd be waiting this long for the certifier. Obviously COGG council not a private guy. I think there are rules that they need to turn up within 'x' days or you can just go ahead.

  No, it's a private guy.  Initially the delay was mine, because I didn't have the $$ to give the builder for drawings and permit and the concrete happened weeks before the plans were finished.  It's about six weeks though since the plans were given to the certifier, and there are nine metre-deep post holes that are now slowly beginning to collapse. 
They keep telling the builder that I'm "in the queue", or not returning his calls but FFS, it's a fifteen minute job at best.

----------


## Gaza

Get engineer to do site inspect plus supply sign off certf can use that rather than come out  
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Cecile

> Get engineer to do site inspect plus supply sign off certf can use that rather than come out

  Good idea, Gaza.  The certifier is already paid for and I'm reluctant to pay additional for an engineer.  At this stage I don't have a copy of the plans yet, either.  Just a little annoying!

----------


## Moondog55

I want to talk to the chippy and have a couple of the rafters doubled up and made super strong, I just think I want a couple of hammock chairs and a swing set out there now
Cecile says I'm dreaming

----------


## r3nov8or

> No, it's a private guy.  Initially the delay was mine, because I didn't have the $$ to give the builder for drawings and permit and the concrete happened weeks before the plans were finished.  It's about six weeks though since the plans were given to the certifier, and there are nine metre-deep post holes that are now slowly beginning to collapse. 
> They keep telling the builder that I'm "in the queue", or not returning his calls but FFS, it's a fifteen minute job at best.

  Oh, wow.  When I've done this it's like 'when do you want to fill the holes?' 'tomorrow' 'ok he'll be there before 8am'

----------


## Cecile

> Oh, wow.  When I've done this it's like 'when do you want to fill the holes?' 'tomorrow' 'ok he'll be there before 8am'

  I'm treading lightly, although we're both pretty ticked off.  I don't want to make the builder look like a fool in case the delay is his fault.  We haven't yet seen the plans, OR the permit.  HMMMMM  I also am not quite sure who he's using for the certifier, although he did refer to a local company not sure if it's them.  I'm tempted to get on the phone and call them myself tomorrow.  Not truly sure who "owns" the plans and permit.  I have certainly paid for them!

----------


## Gaza

> I'm treading lightly, although we're both pretty ticked off.  I don't want to make the builder look like a fool in case the delay is his fault.  We haven't yet seen the plans, OR the permit.  HMMMMM  I also am not quite sure who he's using for the certifier, although he did refer to a local company not sure if it's them.  I'm tempted to get on the phone and call them myself tomorrow.  Not truly sure who "owns" the plans and permit.  I have certainly paid for them!

  I would investigate with local council to see if approval has been given   
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

----------


## Cecile

> local council

  Would council know about it if you're using a private certifier?

----------


## phild01

> Would council know about it if you're using a private certifier?

  Yes, my certifier approved plans, were copied to my council.

----------


## JB1

Only if Council requires a planning permit.

----------


## joynz

Building permits end up with Council too.

----------


## Cecile

Camp stove, microwave, a bucket for washing and most importantly coffee grinder and kettle! 
There's hot and cold water out there too.  Works, in the short term  :Redface: )

----------


## r3nov8or

How is today's wind treating you?

----------


## Cecile

> How is today's wind treating you?

  The loose roofing sheet didn't blow off, the carport didn't fall down and the tarps are all still in one piece.  So, I guess all right!  Was noisy in the night, though.

----------


## Uncle Bob

> How is today's wind treating you?

  Looking pretty gusty down there Conder Weather, Tuggeranong Valley - Sample Blank Page

----------


## Cecile

Update.  Permit isn't even issued yet.  Council said the Section 80 was only sent to them on 25 August.  Called the certifier who was very off-putting "we're very busy and there are others in the queue ahead of you."    WTF?  Could someone please tell me the stump hole inspection will take more than fifteen minutes?  I'm fully aware that the plans need to be checked and signed off as well. 
Methinks the builder has messed up his timeframes badly and not put the documents in until many weeks after paid the deposit and I gave paperwork to him.  I should have arranged drawings, permit and certifier myself. 
Very, very unhappy with the situation.

----------


## Moondog55

And today we have a different set of chippies in as our mate the Duffman had a couple of days between big jobs
So the kitchen wall is now out, the exterior walls are ply clad and will be weatherproofed very soon and by the end of today the new floor will be in and ceiling rafters in place
I will have to retrofit the underfloor insulation later

----------


## Cecile

The old kitchen wall is now gone, and we can see that this is truly a big room.  They put down new particle board flooring, and framed up the small pantry.  Today they will break into the back bedroom/study.  If the damn carport were finished, we could have moved everything out there instead of jammed into the two small bedrooms. 
BLEH to the chaos, but everything is coming together nicely.

----------


## Cecile

The pantry is framed and although small-ish, is way more space than we would ever have in standard kitchen cabinets.  Everything will be on shallow open shelves...but that's getting ahead of ourselves.  They also opened up the wall between the kitchen and the back bedroom to create the work room.  We can no longer lock the cat up in "her" room, because she can get out the other side.  We're not sure whether or not she has figured it out, but she's certainly more skittish than usual. 
This kitchen is huge.  Now we have to fill it up with cabinets.  And the stove is in more or less its final position.

----------


## Moondog55

Chippy who put in the lintel commented on it being "Just a touch of overkill but if we've got it let's use it" 
It is the offcut from the 295 * 70 that went across the room and it makes the doorway just the right opening height also it meant not buying anything

----------


## turnstiles

Good place to stand in case of an earthquake... :Hahaha:  :Hahaha:  :Hahaha:

----------


## Uncle Bob

> Good place to stand in case of an earthquake...

  Unless it comes loose and hits you on the head  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

> Unless it comes loose and hits you on the head

  I'd better take it down and add more glue then although I think it's probably strong enough.
Tomorrow I start taking down the old plaster ceiling of the kitchen then Thursday we order the big skip

----------


## r3nov8or

> Chippy who put in the lintel commented on it being "Just a touch of overkill but if we've got it let's use it" 
> It is the offcut from the 295 * 70 that went across the room and it makes the doorway just the right opening height also it meant not buying anything

   Saves collecting small offcuts of LVL that are hard to bring yourself to dispose of but will probably never be used  :Smilie:

----------


## MorganGT

> We can no longer lock the cat up in "her" room, because she can get out the other side.  We're not sure whether or not she has figured it out, but she's certainly more skittish than usual.

  When I was demolishing some built-in wardrobes in the back room, I kept the door to the back room closed to keep our 3 cats from climbing into the walls. One of them managed to sneak in when the wife forgot and left the door momentarily open, she shot straight up the wall with me chasing her (the cat, not the wife!) and I nearly grabbed her before she made it into the ceiling space. By the time I grabbed the stepladder to get up and grab her she had figured out how to squeeze down between the tiles and the top of the wall frame and then spent the next half an hour happily running laps around the house inside the eaves!

----------


## Moondog55

Today is the last of the major jobs, ripping down the old plaster ceiling in the kitchen area
Taken me 4 hours taking it safe and slow but finished now; if the cat gets up in there she can stay there and chase sparrows

----------


## Cecile

Dust, dust and more dust.  No ceiling.  Dust.  Plumber and sparky are booked in.  Dust. 
Cecile loves the high ceiling look.  Cecile thinks, let's rip out the framing and make a vaulted ceiling.  What was that about a limited budget?  Cecile is nutso.  Ted agrees. 
Did I mention the dust? 
And, the carport fiasco.  The young builder has not turned up to either demolish it, or make it secure.  To say we're p!$$ed off is an understatement.  I sent him a terse email asking him to sort it.  Ted added some timber across the post holes to try and support the structure, because the thin MGP10 "supports" are bowing.  I'm more angry with myself for not being smarter and arranging my own permit.

----------


## SilentButDeadly

Yep...dust. It's why we spent five days shovelling then vacuuming our ceiling before we tore into it.  And there were two ceilings in some places... 
You both have my dusty sympathies...

----------


## OBBob

Probably one or two drafts there too.  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

> Probably one or two drafts there too.

  Just a few!  And a sneezing cat.

----------


## Cecile

We went looking at flooring today to see what we can find.  Our wonderful buy of 22 square metres of high end ceramic tiles for $50 means we are 2 metres short to do the kitchen.  Or anywhere else for that matter.  So let's look at sheet vinyl.  Not commercial, just ordinary sheet. 
And look what we found.  The ceramic tile is on top of the vinyl.  They could have been manufactured to be used together, they are such a good match.   
It looks like we have just sorted the flooring for three rooms.

----------


## Cecile

The line of sight through the kitchen is pretty awesome.  The smaller window really does make it dark (especially with a dark grey tarp over it at the moment, and I can see two small skylights in our future.

----------


## r3nov8or

> We went looking at flooring today to see what we can find.  Our wonderful buy of 22 square metres of high end ceramic tiles for $50 means we are 2 metres short to do the kitchen.  Or anywhere else for that matter.  So let's look at sheet vinyl.  Not commercial, just ordinary sheet. 
> And look what we found.  The ceramic tile is on top of the vinyl.  They could have been manufactured to be used together, they are such a good match.   
> It looks like we have just sorted the flooring for three rooms.

  Achieving a great and lasting vinyl finish requires no cut corners. New Masonite, nails (heaps of them) punched and filled, edges filled. All sanded. Experienced Trusted Pro install for best results, IMHO

----------


## Cecile

> Experienced Trusted Pro install for best results, IMHO

  Yep, I agree.  I knew about the Masonite and nails, but had not considered the punch, fill and sand.  There's a possibility it might need self leveller due to the age of the house.   
We went to two places today to check out the same product.  Apparently sheet vinyl layers are a dying breed, and because they are scarce they can charge what they like.  The place we will probably use actually cared about talking to us about what we want, where the other place couldn't have cared less.  I know where I'd rather shop!

----------


## phild01

I wouldn't punch them, use the special ring shanked underlay nails.  Paslode 26 x 2.0mm Hardboard Underlay Nail - 2600 Pack I/N 2360400 | Bunnings Warehouse

----------


## r3nov8or

> I wouldn't punch them, use the special ring shanked underlay nails.  Paslode 26 x 2.0mm Hardboard Underlay Nail - 2600 Pack I/N 2360400 | Bunnings Warehouse

  Yeah, 'punch' was probably not the right word. In my experience they need to be very slightly under the surface.

----------


## r3nov8or

Go custom! Love the beach in the bathroom!  Residential | Graphic Image Flooring, Minneapolis Minnesota

----------


## Moondog55

Plumber is here roughing-in; we are also putting hot and cold running water outside as The Boss had the brilliant idea of putting our spare double sink outside to cater for the BBQ
Sparky needs to come back and finish his roughing-in and then waiting on plaster
I'm probably a 6 or 7 on the Slob-O-Meter but even I am heartily sick of living in a mess and I am really looking forward to getting a huge skip and really having a clean-up

----------


## Moondog55

Making up a quick outside sink bench using H3 plinth boards and a cheap piece of yellow tongue flooring
~2400 * 800mm and 900 high
Plumber has finished roughing-in and will be back when we have the plaster up/painted and the flooring done

----------


## Cecile

This will be the outdoor sink in the driveway/entertainment area.  He doesn't build things by halves!  The sink was originally supposed to be our kitchen sink but for outside it will serve double duty as washing up and ice tub for parties.  I think the bench should be covered with mosaic tiles.  The plumbing comes off the back of the inside sink, and in the short term the washing machine will be out there as well.  Not ideal, but it's what we have to do for now.

----------


## Moondog55

In my defense H3 plinth boards in 2400 were $5- each and 150*50 was $5- a metre and the yellow tongue was broken and only $20- All the other wood came from the freebie/$2 bin at Bernie Leens
$55- all up including the screws and glue

----------


## Moondog55

That outside sink idea of Ceciles is an illustration of brilliance; now if only I had made the sink bench before the plumber was working the taps would be at the right height. He will have to drop them another 100mm but in the short term we have somewhere to wash the dishes we eat off and drink from  :Thewave:  :Cheerleader:  :Toot:  :Fireworks:

----------


## Moondog55

The wave goes the wrong way ROFL

----------


## r3nov8or

Now you CAN hose out the kitchen!   :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

Ted's right about the height. The bench is a good height, but the sinks are so deep that you have to bend to get to the bottom.  I can manage but he's a good deal taller than I am and it needs probably 100mm extra.   
This means that the kitchen benches will also be too low, which may be a problem since they are flat pack and standard sized.  Luckily we have not bought them yet.

----------


## Uncle Bob

Nice bench Ted.  :2thumbsup: 
Looks like you guys make a lot of dishes  :Wink:

----------


## Cecile

> Nice bench Ted. 
> Looks like you guys make a lot of dishes

  Ummmmmmmmm...we haven't had a sink for several weeks.  That's how long it's been since we washed anything except our coffee cups.   :Rofl:   But thank you for the compliment. 
Mind you, when he's cooking up a storm, there are usually at least that many, or more.

----------


## Moondog55

So today I'm up at ceiling level putting in the noggins for the batten fix lights and I notice all the short props to the rafters aren't actually doing anything much as all the nails have corroded away. Cordless drill and some 10mm bolts later all fixed
There's a lot of deflection in the hanging beam tho, was it normal in the late 40's early 50's to use a 4*3 as a hanging beam over a 12 foot span? Hanging off it by one hand as I drilled some bolt holes there was quite a bit of flex, at a guess about 20mm
Is that worth troubling over? And if it is what's the most cost effective way to do it?

----------


## Bloss

". . . was it normal in the late 40's early 50's to use a 4*3 as a hanging beam over a 12 foot span?" No, but little compliance and no effective licensing so all sorts of people were building all sorts of things. Over a regular 12' span an 8x2 or 10x2 HW would be more common, but I have seen smaller and larger - and none - just 4x2s and a sag in the middle you could use as a swimming pool if filled! Often it was what ever was available from the mill or yard they bought the timber from - and they used the sizes they had as best they could. Remembering that vehicle ownership was poor, roads ditto and costs high.

----------


## Moondog55

Thanx Bloss; and not forgetting that the Housing Commissions job was to get lots of people into cheap/affordable housing as quickly as possible
I guess if its help up with minimal sag for 55 years I can leave it go but it would be an easy job to top it with something while the ceiling is off

----------


## r3nov8or

I recall you have a low pitch, so would be possible to put in some ties from the hangers to the rafters? (assuming the rafters can take a little extra)

----------


## Moondog55

> I recall you have a low pitch, so would be possible to put in some ties from the hangers to the rafters? (assuming the rafters can take a little extra)

  That was done at the build stage, probably why it isn't any worse than it is.
I got the ceiling of the pantry insulated this PM 25mm RFL'd poly then 400mm of fibreglass over that, shame we don't have the space to do that over the whole house 
Pictures show the foilboard over the pantry ceiling joists; so giving another air gap of 70mm
The other two pix show the 4*3 hanging beam and the bolt I used rather than add any more nails

----------


## Moondog55

Well I have taken the flex out of the hanging beam. I used an unconventional method tho.
I soldiered in a couple of tight blocking pieces [ 70*45] under the hanging beam and used glue and nails to keep them in place then soldiered in a length of 90*35 braced with bit of 12mm plywood to hold it all together while the glue dries
Doing chin-ups in the middle of the beam it doesn't seem to move at all now

----------


## David.Elliott

My wife and I are both quite tall...and I do a few flatpack kitchen installs. I find cranking the legs another 10 or so mm, and then sitting the feet on some melamine packing makes them just right.
I do make the  kickboards and endpanels (and fancy doors) to suit though.

----------


## r3nov8or

Hey Moondog, I think it's time we asked what your favourite wood glue is, as someone who has obvious extensive experience!

----------


## Moondog55

Since you ask it's that expensive Visco-Elastic polyurethane but what I use is whatever is cheap at Bunnies

----------


## Moondog55

Today I am finishing off the insulation in the kitchen area. In the ceiling I am going Knauf R3.5 Earthwool across the joists and Tontine R2 polyester wall batts inside the joist space.
The stiffness of the polyester wall batts should hold the fibreglass in place until the ceiling goes on and R5.5 is OK or should be when combined with the vented and insulated roof, any poly batts left-over can go in the walls, where it is impossible to get R3.5 in the ceiling space I am using R1.5 to keep the fibre away from touching  the actual roof

----------


## Cecile

> Hey Moondog, I think it's time we asked what your favourite wood glue is, as someone who has obvious extensive experience!

   :Rofl:

----------


## r3nov8or

> 

  I knew you guys would find it funny, but it was equally a serious question  :Smilie:   The quest for the best (value) glues seems endless...

----------


## Moondog55

I've been using ordinary Sikabond for ages; but mainly due to its low cost and reliability; if only the water based polyurethanes were as cheap
It is amazing tho how a touch of good glue can improve the holding power of a couple of nails

----------


## Cecile

> I knew you guys would find it funny, but it was equally a serious question   The quest for the best (value) glues seems endless...

  I only found it funny because nothing built by Ted will never, EVER come apart.  When we moved from Reservoir and had to demolish a pergola, it took three men to pull it down, because of the glue.  Can one buy shares in the company that makes Sika adhesives?   :Roflmao:

----------


## Moondog55

I was expecting a comment from the Pro's on my hanging beam stiffening, but in my head I say "If it works It works" 
We were so hoping to get the kitchen finished for Ceciles birthday but it never happened and the plastering is still a long week-end away

----------


## joynz

Happy Birthday to Cecile, anyway :Yippee:

----------


## r3nov8or

> Happy Birthday to Cecile, anyway

   Is that icing sugar or plaster dust on the cake?  :Smilie:

----------


## David.Elliott

Happy Birthday Cecile,
You share the date with my wife so you CAN BE SURE I'll never forget yours.. 
Reminds me of that joke:
Whats the best way to make sure you remember your wife's birthday.....  
Forget it ONCE!

----------


## Cecile

> Happy Birthday Cecile,
> You share the date with my wife so you CAN BE SURE I'll never forget yours.. 
> Reminds me of that joke:
> Whats the best way to make sure you remember your wife's birthday.....  
> Forget it ONCE!

  All the Geniuses were born on the 22nd!

----------


## Uncle Bob

Happy birthday Cecile! 
If Bedford was still at the helm, there would've been balloons, fireworks etc. Unfortunately he isn't no longer  :Frown:  (hope my thoughts doesn't put a damper on your birthday though).

----------


## Bedford

:Toot:  :Toot:  Happy Birthday    Cecile!!   :Fireworks:  :Fireworks:  :Fireworks:  :Fireworks:    
Great to see your home making great progress now, you both should be admired for your determination and persistence. :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Well the plasterer just left and we have an estimate to finish the kitchen. Plaster gets delivered [ we fervently hope] on Monday and in a week it should be finished and painted
So I guess at least another  2 or 3 weeks before we have a fully working kitchen?

----------


## Cecile

Ceiling insulation, ready for plaster on Monday.  The plasterer needed the old battens off, so string it is to hold the batts up.  There are four layers of insulation up there, about 30cm.  There is no heat or cooling in the kitchen and Ted had leftovers so they are all up there. 
We aren't sure about the paint colour, so it may simply be white.

----------


## Moondog55

A hold-up with the plaster that only became apparent when I took out all the old wooden battens. The ceiling joists are so far out of wack that we have to use a laser and batten down to get a flat and level ceiling.
Add another ~$450- to the cost

----------


## Cecile

Finally.

----------


## Cecile

Stopping up tomorrow.  Paint on the weekend.  New floor goes down in a week.  Not long to go now.

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Probably one or two drafts there too.

  Someone say draught?  
Mmmm   
Beeeeeer   :Smilie:

----------


## phild01

Certainly enough wire left hanging!
Is a good feeling when you see the sheeting happening.

----------


## Cecile

It's coming along  :2thumbsup:

----------


## r3nov8or

Bet it feels good!

----------


## Cecile

> Bet it feels good!

  I was just saying to Ted that I can't imagine now what it will look like with the cabinets and benches in. 
And yes, it feels good.  My bank balance is bleeding though!

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Certainly enough wire left hanging!
> Is a good feeling when you see the sheeting happening.

  
Good sheet   :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Without the battening there was a wave in the ceiling big enough to make you sea-sick

----------


## Cecile

Who wants to have a painting party?

----------


## PlatypusGardens

I can think of 2005 things I'd rather be doing than painting.   
(most of which include welding and drinking beer)

----------


## phild01

Sorry too far and just spent last 2 days painting.

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Sorry too far

  
Closer than I am. 
go on.
Be a good bloke and help them out.    :Smilie:

----------


## phild01

> Closer than I am. 
> go on.
> Be a good bloke and help them out.

  Ok, but I have 2006 better things to do first, including the dentist today  :Wink 1:

----------


## OBBob

eek... probably should paint my own house first.

----------


## Cecile

> Closer than I am. 
> go on.
> Be a good bloke and help them out.

  *Cracks up at the answers*

----------


## Moondog55

Soaked up the first coat; the 3in1 and it took my 3+ hours to do it but we are on the way, A short rest and then the first top coat
Pictures follow tomorrow

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> *Cracks up at the answers*

  
See?
We're helping.
Now you'll be painting with a smile on your dial   :Wink:

----------


## Moondog55

First top coat on and I'm covered with sweat becau7se A the room is HOT B I'm working hard C we superinsulated and I have to keep the doors and windows closed or the wet paint will get covered with dust and fluff because it's windy
Second and last top coat will be done by 20:00

----------


## Cecile

I'm glad this old floor is coming up!

----------


## Cecile

Looks good.  There are a few places where it's not perfect, and with the semi gloss I can see a few imperfections in the plaster stopping up.  I'll discuss with the plasterer when he comes. 
The floor has been pulled up and I'm glad we are not using the old pine boards. They are VERY ordinary, cupping in places, and uneven.

----------


## Moondog55

Those pictures were taken with natural light except for the pantry interior, I reckon one cheap $99- skylite will do what we need easily. Semi-gloss white was the correct choice

----------


## Moondog55

Vinyl layer is here working on the floor, the plywood underlay is very stiff and almost good enough on its own. He sanded the floor lightly to remove the major cupping and all the joints have had smoothing compound over them
I'll let The Boss add the pictures later

----------


## Cecile

Floor progress.   Very impressed with the thoroughness of the job so far.  Now I am wondering whether a proper commercial, non-slip vinyl would have been much more expensive than this one, even thought this one has a high non-slip rating for domestic use.  The installation would be identical.

----------


## Moondog55

Floor is finished except for the skirting on the West wall which has to wait while we choose architraves etc: 
I like it and it seems we made a decent choice and the tiles really are a very good match

----------


## David.Elliott

That match between tiles and vinyl is just a bit spooky and a once in a lifetime occurrence I'd wager... 
Looking good MD and CC

----------


## Cecile

I was surprised to see the kitchen so light, with only a fluorescent work light hanging from the doorway to the work room.  The new floor helps to reflect the light, and I think this kitchen is going to be wonderfully bright even with the poky window.  Photo taken at 9.30pm. 
Now that the surfaces are finished, we can see that the planned sink units are not only going to be a tight fit, it looks as though we may have issues with the stove too close to the window.  The edge of the hob is 300 from the window, but only just. 
***Edit*** 
Me:  Let's measure the space, Ted.  It's supposed to be 5100mm.  
He:  It's 5000.  
Me:  So the pantry is too big by 100mm
He:  Oops (not what he really said.)  We put the stud on the wrong side of the line. 
That explains why we don't have room for the 1200 range hood, and why it all looks a bit out of whack.  On the flip side, we have a nice big pantry space.

----------


## Moondog55

So we get the space back by downsizing from the 2600 sink bench to the 2400 sink bench and guess who just found out that we forgot to run the power for the dishwasher. Luckily the wall is still open and running another wire will be easy as, we could even make it a dedicated 15A to future proof it.
Some things seem to work out lucky.

----------


## joynz

By the way, what was the issue with the carport - mentioned in another thread but I can't see it in this thread?

----------


## David.Elliott

Bah..
100mm .... bugger!
 BUT it sounds much closer when you say 4"

----------


## Moondog55

> By the way, what was the issue with the carport - mentioned in another thread but I can't see it in this thread?

  We got a young bloke just starting out to quote and we liked the look of other small jobs he had done. unfortunately his work planning and customer service skills are lacking and he didn't have the courage or nouse to tell us he had stuffed up and forgotten to get the plans drawn up immediately and start the application process [ something he assured us he had done before and had his old boss as the registered builder to sign off on stuff etc:] and he started work without actually having the approval.
So we wait while the Council Permission process is underway as the private certifier can't and won't do anything until that is done. As soon as the holes are inspected [ young bloke will need to dig out a couple by hand as they are just starting to fill in] then we fill the holes with concrete ( and lots of rubble if the inspector isn't watching] and the roof will be on  4 days after that

----------


## Moondog55

> Bah..
> 100mm .... bugger!
>  BUT it sounds much closer when you say 4"

  4 inches is a lot smaller than 100 millimeters Inch is only 4 letters Millimeter is lots more

----------


## Moondog55

I may be getting a little houseproud; I just cut a sheet of 4mm scrap ply and cut some spare vinyl to put under the fridge so the new stuff doesn't get dimples in it where the feet go

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> I may be getting a little houseproud; I just cut a sheet of 4mm scrap ply and cut some spare vinyl to put under the fridge so the new stuff doesn't get dimples in it where the feet go

  
Nothing wrong with that    :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

We should have paid for the soil test first
We just got the results back and we have Class "M" soil and footing depth is 500mm, which is actually less than I would have said myself. although i'm not sure how that is going to relate to the depth of post holes at the moment

----------


## r3nov8or

You're just going to have to make sure the bottoms of the holes are solid ground, not a mush of collapsed stuff fallen over the past weeks.

----------


## Cecile

> You're just going to have to make sure the bottoms of the holes are solid ground, not a mush of collapsed stuff fallen over the past weeks.

  The young builder is responsible to rectify that.  The holes thankfully aren't mushy, but they certainly have collected dust and other detritus, and have collapsed some.  He's lost a LOT of money on this job by being hasty.

----------


## phild01

> The young builder is responsible to rectify that.

  If you guys are project managing then watch he is doing it right.  Is better to nip problems in the bud.

----------


## Cecile

> If you guys are project managing then watch he is doing it right.  Is better to nip problems in the bud.

  Phil, he's a fine carpenter and we really wanted to give this fellow some work.  He is halfway to his builder's license.  Unfortunately, I work fulltime and he said he had a relationship with a certifier, so we gave him the OK to organise the permit.  What we didn't realise, and he didn't tell us, was that as owner builder the permit would be issued to me, yet was not yet issued.  Holes for carport posts were dug and driveway pour arranged, then could not be filled because without a permit they could not be inspected.  They were boxed out and left open.  Youngster comes in and builds the carport without a valid permit, broke every rule in the book.  The certifier is filthy with him, and so am I.  Of course, now we have to pay a whole lot more for additional concrete once the permit's issued, when it should have been done months ago.  I am seriously considering withholding the final carport payment until we can sort out the additional concrete cost. 
Additionally, it turns out that the draftsperson, who apparently is a registered builder, made dozens of mistakes on the plans, which I have not even seen yet.  Total F**k up from day one on the administrative side. 
UGH, so annoyed with my own mistakes on this.

----------


## phild01

Sorry about all that Cecile, and did see your previous comments about it.  I was just meaning as a follow on to renovator's comment to clear the holes.  I would be there inspecting what he is up to just prior to the pour and ensure there is no loose stuff.
Personally, I can't place my trust in any trade, preferring to oversee each step of the way, or just do things myself (which is mostly).

----------


## Moondog55

Sinks arrived by courier at 15:00 and at 16:30 somebody arrived via Freecycle to pick up some scrap shelving and he got roped into helping me lift things. All we need now is the plumber to fit them off

----------


## Moondog55

We have power in the kitchen.
No more tripping over extension leads and doing things with minimum light.
Sparky said we were just a little overkill with the second board and wired the microwave and dishwasher on one circuit and everything else on the second safe circuit seeing how the dishwasher would hardly ever be used at the same time as the microwave. Cables run for the work-room and for the island bar and they will get separate circuits when the time comes
Plumber booked for the end of the week to finish fitting off the sinks so I better get the silicon out.
Picture follow after we clean up

----------


## Moondog55

Some pix of the small progress so far

----------


## goldie1

Lots of progress   :2thumbsup:   Was wondering  about your overalls Moondog.  Did you  loose an argument 
with a chainsaw

----------


## Cecile

Photos taken before Ted put the silicon on and replaced the taps. 
Still quite a way to go with the rest of the kitchen.  The regular builder has gone up to IKEA to collect the cabinets for the island bar, so we'll have an actual kitchen. 
Oh, and the white protective plastic will be removed from the sinks in the next day or so.

----------


## Cecile

A few minor hiccups, including some drawer misalignments, but it is looking good.  And the bench is enormous.  I am thinking it's a bit too white, and I bought the cheapest benchtop they had.  It will eventually be moved into the work room though, and we'll save up for a proper benchtop, a little way down the track. 
Unfortunately we still need to return to IKEA for three wall cabinets and to exchange a few things that we got wrong, but in a day or so we'll have a fully functional kitchen. 
Now, if only Bunnings would chase up the lost range hood everything will be ready to go.

----------


## r3nov8or

What clearance around the island did you decide on? I can't quite read the tape measure  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

> What clearance around the island did you decide on? I can't quite read the tape measure

  900 from bench to stove/sink.  1100 from bench to fridge.  We will eventually replace the cheap benchtop with what we REALLY want, which will be a bit smaller.

----------


## SilentButDeadly

> And the bench is enormous.  I am thinking it's a bit too white, and I bought the cheapest benchtop they had.

  We didn't bother with the IKEA benchtop, knowing that we would be making our own down the track.  So we just used a combination of structafloor (chipboard) and (oiled) construction plywood.  Worked a treat for a couple of years! And even cheaper than IKEA.

----------


## Cecile

> We didn't bother with the IKEA benchtop, knowing that we would be making our own down the track.  So we just used a combination of structafloor (chipboard) and (oiled) construction plywood.  Worked a treat for a couple of years! And even cheaper than IKEA.

  This one was under $200, and is 1300 x 2400 so happy for now.

----------


## Moondog55

> This one was under $200, and is 1300 x 2400 so happy for now.

  The important thing being that it gets used as the worktop in The Bosses sewing room afterwards, it gets repurposed in a week/month or so.

----------


## Cecile

We nearly have a completed, useable space.  The kids were delighted that "their high chairs" were at the breakfast bar, and the clear walkway behind them is over metre.  Range hood goes in on Tuesday.

----------


## Moondog55

Picked up the rangehood today The help to install it will be here Tuesday AM

----------


## Cecile

A lot of banging and cutting of plywood to create the vent hole, very careful trimming of the cornice, and lifting the unit into place, plug in and we're good to go.  We need to fill the chimney with insulation, run some cornice around the top of the flue, two more tiles to finish, and that's it.  Cosmetic, but it's useable.  We'll have a stainless steel splashback cut 900w to run up to the hood and that's it.

----------


## woodbe

Looking good. 
I'd go much wider with the splashback than just the width of the stove though. 300 wider each side or at least as wide as the hood.

----------


## r3nov8or

That looks really nice. Wish ours was that high, hit my head occasionally. And all those lights, good stuff.

----------


## Cecile

> Looking good. 
> I'd go much wider with the splashback than just the width of the stove though. 300 wider each side or at least as wide as the hood.

  We thought of that at first.  I'm not sure if you can see it, but there are tiles either side of the stove width that go all the way up to the range hood.  There's a 100mm gap to the left of the stove at bench level (long story why)  that means a wider piece of stainless would look weird, so we went with the tiles instead.

----------


## Cecile

There's plenty of cosmetic stuff to complete, but we have a functional kitchen.  Another trip up to IKEA is needed to return some extraneous stuff, and pick up a few drawer organisers, but it's essentially finished.  Eventually we will put more cabinets in under the sinks, but for now we can make do.

----------


## r3nov8or

I have an exposed door stud in our kitchen following our reno 12 years ago. I find it too easy to 'get around to it later', move on to something else and never actually get around to it. Please don't be like me  :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

This is a few photos of the workroom, a former bedroom that now opens off the kitchen.  At some point about 40 years ago Ted's grandfather opened up this room into the next through a doorway.  Of course, just like all his other attempts to "renovate" this place, there was no lintel used.  The weight of the roof was being taken by nothing more than an architrave and Ted said the house practically sank when he pulled it off.  He was out the door to the builder's house to borrow an acrow prop, and two chippies appeared half an hour later and secured it in place. 
We built a recess for the upright freezer and a small broom cupboard, installed a second hand, year old Rylock window, and insulated the walls.  Ted wanted to use OSB for one wall and play with colour, which does not bother me.  The last wall will be plasterboard, and the tiles that match the kitchen vinyl on the floor.   
I've gone over the carport saga so won't do that again.  The carpenter is confident he will finish by Monday, and the roofer said he could get the Zincalume on next weekend.  Thankfully that's nearly finished.  It's been a decidedly awful week, from a building point of view!

----------


## Cecile

Workroom progress, day two

----------


## Moondog55

Concrete being poured today at 1300 holes passed inspection early in the day so by the end of the week we should have a space outdoors we can use
Big [ like 20 m tall and a 2 m diameter trunk] Pinus Radiata next door has roots 300mm in diameter extending way down our drive and the footing holes have cut them off or scored them badly
Later today I will be drilling holes in the exposed roots and filling them full of weedkiller mixed with kero as the Housing Commission say it isn't anything to do with them we have to deal with the tenant who planted the tree 30 years ago and she is not communicating at all

----------


## Moondog55

Plaster up in the workroom; stopped up as soon as we can and then we'll have power connected in there.
Next job is screwing down the old floorboards and nailing down the tile underlay
No word yet from the council on the new permissions on the carport "As built" but I can tell you it won't be going anywhere in a hurry, it is seriously overbuilt; the 12mm threaded rod diagonal "X" bracing made no difference to the structures rigidity at all

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Big [ like 20 m tall and a 2 m diameter trunk] Pinus Radiata next door has roots 300mm in diameter extending way down our drive and the footing holes have cut them off or scored them badly 
> Later today I will be drilling holes in the exposed roots and filling them full of weedkiller mixed with kero

  
Did you do it?   :Confused:

----------


## OBBob

> Did you do it?

  Will be interesting to see if that's enough ... there'd be a lot of roots I wonder how much is required to do the deed.

----------


## Moondog55

Might not be just the pine tree, I may have just "inadvertently" done this to the Ficus next door as well, they also need attacking with an axe so I'll be digging some great big holes very soon

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Will be interesting to see if that's enough ... there'd be a lot of roots I wonder how much is required to do the deed.

  
I recall severing a large-ish root on a big maple tree (I think) and within 20 minutes it started shedding leaves.
A lot of leaves too. 
Poisoning a large tree may have some initial "shock" effect, but whether it will kill it dead I dunno.   :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Time will tell
I moved the bath into position to see what it would look like; it looks like a bath.
I also scored one of the old style concrete laundry tubs for $30- at the local recycle centre and that will definitely go against the fence
Thinking idly about painting the fence to match the Slate Grey Colourbond cladding

----------


## Cecile

> I moved the bath into position to see what it would look like; it looks like a bath.

  Yes Ted, it looks just like a bath, because it IS a bath. 
Perhaps we should post a photo and move along?   :Rofl:

----------


## Moondog55

:Kissing:

----------


## OBBob

LOL ... I have an image of you two sitting on either side of the livingroom talking to each other on Skype.  :Smilie:

----------


## SilentButDeadly

Backhanders with laptops... :brava:

----------


## Cecile

> LOL ... I have an image of you two sitting on either side of the livingroom talking to each other on Skype.

  I have to admit, we do sit at different computers, back to back, regularly looking over the other's shoulder.  We actually speak, with real words, not typing into messages  :Australia:  :Unitedstates:  (that's his accent and mine, having a discussion.).  I have been known to do it in the past with a couple of friends, in the early days of instant messaging programmes, chatting on the phone and messaging back and forth with ICQ (remember?) or AOL instant messenger. 
Funny thread.  Now, back to the renovation. 
Workroom with plaster and OSB, and that bathtub!

----------


## SilentButDeadly

That bath needs a miniature horse to keep it company...tie it to the left side post!

----------


## Cecile

With all the negativity this week re *says dirty word* carport, there was a bit of a positive spin on everything.   
Finally we are able to begin sorting through the boxes and boxes *and boxes* of stuff that came out of the kitchen and back room.  I'm being ruthless.   
Me:  Three pair of curtains.  Do you mind if we recycle these to the op shop?
He:  Not at all.  They don't go with the new house. 
New house.  It really is.   :Redface: D

----------


## OBBob

Amazing how much space you can make just but being a bit ruthless.

----------


## Cecile

The plaster guy was here to do the taping and cornices.  Expensive, but worth it just to have it DONE.  Archs and corner beads go on tomorrow.  I think we won't have enough money to do the tiles until after the carport thing is sorted. 
The kitchen still needs some reorganising, and places to put stuff, but it's functional and working reasonably well.  I managed to find one part of the big sink yesterday, after washing one million dishes and pots.

----------


## Cecile

Already, a junk drawer.   :Rofl:

----------


## Moondog55

First couple of coats of paint on in the work-room
 Again Semi-gloss Kitchen  & Bathroom paint to match the kitchen 
Ditto for the cornice size, 90mm in both rooms for continuity
We've had a few hot days since the roof went on the car-port and it is doing exactly what we designed it to do, which is to keep the morning sun off the Eastern wall and roof area and the house is wonderfully comfortable until well into the afternoon Some work on Western shading later on and I think we will be fine until the mercury hits 38C

----------


## OBBob

It's that osb board still getting brightly coloured?  :Biggrin:

----------


## Moondog55

Where's the "Hangs head in sorrow" emoticon?
Only a light stain in a very pale gold unfortunately 
The Boss wimped out and stamped on my designer flame

----------


## Moondog55

:Tissue2:  :Tissue2:

----------


## Cecile

> It's that osb board still getting brightly coloured?

   :Stirthepot:

----------


## OBBob

Sorry... I must've missed where the plan changed.  :Biggrin:   
Good progress otherwise!

----------


## Cecile

> Sorry... I must've missed where the plan changed.    
> Good progress otherwise!

  Thanks!  We will both be glad when it's done.     

> The Boss wimped out and stamped on my designer flame

  I did not wimp out.  I just decided that since it's supposed to be mainly my sewing room, I should have some say in the stain colour.  Mr Camouflage can play with colour outside.   :Tongue2:  :Irule:

----------


## Moondog55

Sparky just finished wiring up and testing
Cecile and I will start the moving into the work room soon Temporary benchtops until we recoup
We have power to the island bench so no more floating extension leads

----------


## Cecile

Cladding guys are here, and that job should be finished by the end of the week.  We have been looking at the pale green temporary cladding for so long I can't comprehend what it's going to look like in the Shale Grey Colorbond.  Photos to follow.

----------


## Moondog55

Gary Fairchild from Fairchild roofing is doing the cladding
Team of 3+ and work is going fast
I fell asleep before I could ask Gary to use what RFL we had left so the one section has no extra layer We'll see how it goes

----------


## Uncle Bob

:2thumbsup:  Looking good!
How's Cecile? I haven't seen her around here much lately.

----------


## Moondog55

Working too hard and thinking too much :Biggrin:  
But I think we are getting somewhere now as far as the cosmetics go
Just the carport fiasco to get sorted

----------


## Cecile

> Looking good!
> How's Cecile? I haven't seen her around here much lately.

  I'm right here, and posted a bit up there, two posts ago.  Not much to report, hence not here much.  I'm fine, thanks for asking!

----------


## Moondog55

Day two of the cladding
Not hot yet and the team is working hard to get it done before the mercury goes over 35C
North and Western exposure now have the double layer of RFL under the colourbond
Huge visual difference and I can actually feel the difference in temperature when I touch the wall
Inside the A/C hasn't yet kicked in but it's 34 outside
I wish I had a IR thermometer to measure it and quantify the difference between inside and outside

----------


## r3nov8or

Wow. This is doing wonders for street appeal! What was the reason for the switch to vertical on one side?

----------


## Moondog55

> Wow. This is doing wonders for street appeal! What was the reason for the switch to vertical on one side?

  Cos we wanted to
CB is Horizontal Zincalume is Vertical Makes the break a feature
The plain won't really be seen from the street too much after the fence goes up and it was an opportunity to save a few tiny dollars

----------


## r3nov8or

OK, didn't notice the diff in colours at the time  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

> OK, didn't notice the diff in colours at the time

  It's actually quite subtle, Shale Grey was chosen to be neutral and go with most things and it was only after the sheets were up that we noticed how close in shading they looked from the street
Better colour co-ordinate the shade sails now; especially the ones on the roof [ the one that got ripped in the big storm hasn't been replaced yet] and needs doing soon

----------


## r3nov8or

yeah, from a distance most people will put the colour difference down to the different shading/"trick of light" created by horizontal vs vertical

----------


## Moondog55

Roofers have knocked off for OH&S reasons, it just hit 37C here. They'll be back on Saturday

----------


## Cecile

We have had a local RE agent in here a couple of times to guide us regarding property values in the area, and as a courtesy (and for fun, really) rang him to see if he wanted to see the nearly finished project.  We know we probably spent too much.  We know that what we have done is very self-indulgent, and we know it's not to everyone's taste.  We were very surprised at his reaction. 
He's in the area a lot, and has been observing the changes outside.  Last time he saw inside was probably a year ago, before we started all the work, and to give us an appraisal of finished value (he was spot on too, the valuer gave the same figure.) 
He absolutely loves the kitchen, the huge space and the layout.  He walked in and could not hide his delight, "Oh wow, you've extended it to the back of the house [these houses are common in the area, most of the layouts are identical and he's sold many of them.]"  That surprised me more than anything.  From an everyday person's perspective it's a commercial kitchen, although Ted would refute that, but I thought it would not appeal to Mr and Mrs Average.   
He also loves our bedroom "boudoir" with the sitting area, loves the paint colour we chose.  His only comment was that it would be harder to sell without a third bedroom.  That's easy fixed, thankfully.  Put a door into the living room archway and voila, massive third bedroom.  Loved the Colorbond cladding:  no maintenance, and that sells houses. 
So overall, we did good.

----------


## SilentButDeadly

So why do you sound so surprised? Of course you pair did good!

----------


## Cecile

> So why do you sound so surprised? Of course you pair did good!

  Thank you, so much.  There were times when we despaired of ever finishing, or even getting it right.  Somehow though we instinctively knew it was going to be OK.  What was really interesting is the RE agent's comment about our laundry, which is currently in the driveway.  Apparently this is becoming more common, so that there is more living space internally.  We are yet to finalise HOW we'll finish it, but for now it is at the back of the house, on the driveway. 
Next project will be an "exempt" structure, and a deck.

----------


## Moondog55

> Next project will be an "exempt" structure, and a deck.

  Perhaps several Exempt structures and an outside fireplace and BBQ and another couple of toilets in the back yard for parties and a new party sound system etc

----------


## SilentButDeadly

> What was really interesting is the RE agent's comment about our laundry, which is currently in the driveway.  Apparently this is becoming more common...

  I once looked at renting a house, situated on a steep waterfront site, where the laundry was an open air alcove under the house...facing the water. I didn't move in because I wasn't allowed to use the boatshed as a bedroom...and the house itself was a west facing three room fibro hot box. 
It sure as heck isn't the same house today!!! It has been beautifully renovated since then...

----------


## SilentButDeadly

> Perhaps several Exempt structures and an outside fireplace and BBQ and another couple of toilets in the back yard for parties and a new party sound system etc

  Backyard party dunnies require only a hand auger, builders plastic, a timber box and a seat. The lads only need sheet of corro and a bale of sugar cane mulch. 
Party sound system is a pair of 15" coaxial drivers, a simple point to point crossover and some structafloor. 
Exempt structures are great fun...

----------


## r3nov8or

I've seen 'spec homes' with the laundry in the garage. Makes dealing with floods easy

----------


## Cecile

Hopefully our last trip up there for kitchen stuff.  We now have the under sink cabinets, the "coffee cabinet" and a lot of in-drawer organisers.  The cutlery all has a home.  The baking trays are standing up on edge.  I have three more drawers to fill up, which means moving everything around.  Ted's aprons and all the tea towels will have homes.  We have the over-stove rack. 
Every time I go, I think that I will contact the local IKEA shopping service to go up and get it.  And every time, I think that I really really REALLY just want to browse.  And then I get overwhelmed and hot and tired and hungry and come close to a meltdown, and I think to myself, why didn't I just call them, pay the delivery fee and not get so exhausted.  Then I think how expensive they are, and what if they don't get the right stuff...etc etc etc. 
I'm so pathetic.

----------


## r3nov8or

Hungry at Ikea? Grab some meat balls!

----------


## David.Elliott

If you plan the coming deck as a low one, you'll have lots and lots and lots....of advice

----------


## Moondog55

Wanna cause a divorce? Go shopping at IKEA and put the cabinets together in a hurry and not be able to understand the instructions

----------


## Cecile

> Wanna cause a divorce? Go shopping at IKEA and put the cabinets together in a hurry and not be able to understand the instructions

  I still love ya though :Snog:  
You built me (us) a bew-dee-ful kitchen.

----------


## Moondog55

Just passed inspection
BUT
Inspector says we need another pop and downpipe even tho we have a plumbing certificate for the storm water.
Our plumber will not be impressed and we could really really do without the added expense
He'll just do a driveby inspection he said; so we'll need another pop and a length of SWV and a "T" 
PITA
At least we can go ahead now and put up the decorative lining and move all the outside kitchen stuff into place. If we have to put in the extra downpipe we may as well go ahead and roof in the rest of it

----------


## Marc

> Just passed inspection
> BUT
> Inspector says we need another pop and downpipe even tho we have a plumbing certificate for the storm water.
> Our plumber will not be impressed and we could really really do without the added expense
> He'll just do a driveby inspection he said; so we'll need another pop and a length of SWV and a "T" 
> PITA
> At least we can go ahead now and put up the decorative lining and move all the outside kitchen stuff into place. If we have to put in the extra downpipe we may as well go ahead and roof in the rest of it

  
Do you know where this inspector lives?

----------


## r3nov8or

> Just passed inspection
> BUT
> Inspector says we need another pop and downpipe even tho we have a plumbing certificate for the storm water.
> Our plumber will not be impressed and we could really really do without the added expense
> He'll just do a driveby inspection he said; so we'll need another pop and a length of SWV and a "T" 
> PITA
> At least we can go ahead now and put up the decorative lining and move all the outside kitchen stuff into place. If we have to put in the extra downpipe we may as well go ahead and roof in the rest of it

   Ask the inspector for his calculations and how he thinks they will differ from the plumbers. Guaranteed it's just a gut feeling based on the "100 year" rain event we had a couple weeks ago.

----------


## Moondog55

"Apparently" the new BCA mandates 1 pop for every 12 meters of gutter; we have only 12 metres of roofing but we ran the gutter the full length

----------


## Moondog55

> Ask the inspector for his calculations and how he thinks they will differ from the plumbers. Guaranteed it's just a gut feeling based on the "100 year" rain event we had a couple weeks ago.

  Even 200mm gutters and a downpipe ever 3 meters wouldn't have coped with that event

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Hopefully our last trip up there for kitchen stuff.  We now have the under sink cabinets, the "coffee cabinet" and a lot of in-drawer organisers.  The cutlery all has a home.  The baking trays are standing up on edge.  I have three more drawers to fill up, which means moving everything around.  Ted's aprons and all the tea towels will have homes.  We have the over-stove rack. 
> Every time I go, I think that I will contact the local IKEA shopping service to go up and get it.  And every time, I think that I really really REALLY just want to browse.  And then I get overwhelmed and hot and tired and hungry and come close to a meltdown, and I think to myself, why didn't I just call them, pay the delivery fee and not get so exhausted.  Then I think how expensive they are, and what if they don't get the right stuff...etc etc etc. 
> I'm so pathetic.

   
All I saw in that post was...   

> Ted's aprons

     :Rofl5:

----------


## r3nov8or

> "Apparently" the new BCA mandates 1 pop for every 12 meters of gutter; we have only 12 metres of roofing but we ran the gutter the full length

  From the NCC/BCA (it's free)   

> 3.5.2.5 Downpipes  size and installation
> Downpipes must
> (a) not serve more than 12 m of gutter length for each downpipe; and
> (b) be located as close as possible to valley gutters; and
> (c) be selected in accordance with the appropriate eaves gutter section as shown in Table 3.5.2.2. 
> Explanatory information:
> A maximum 12 m gutter length served by each downpipe is to ensure effective fall and adequate capacity to discharge all water anticipated during a storm having an average recurrence interval of 20 years.
> Where a rainhead overflow device is incorporated in the top of the downpipe, its
> overflow discharge should be directed away from the building. 
> NCC 2016 Building Code of Australia - Volume Two Page 213

  Reads to me that as long as you aren't longer than 12m then one downpipe complies

----------


## Moondog55

Well that explains it then, 15.5 m
So why didn't they pick that up from the B******** plans that were submitted
I guess they just need something to pick-up on  *Multiple expletives and rude curse words* 
No problem to put in another, we just didn't want to spend any more money

----------


## r3nov8or

> Even 200mm gutters and a downpipe ever 3 meters wouldn't have coped with that event

  Yes, the BCA also does not expect gutters to cope...   

> A drainage system for the disposal of surface water resulting from a storm having an average recurrence interval of—
> (i) 20 years must—
>    .   (A) convey surface water to an appropriate outfall; and
>    .   (B) avoid surface water damaging the building; and
> (ii) 100 years must avoid the entry of surface water into a building.

----------


## phild01

Why should it be a 12m rule when the roof area it serves is more relevant!

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> If you plan the coming deck as a low one, you'll have lots and lots and lots....of advice

  
I'll go get Marc, he shouldn't be far away

----------


## r3nov8or

> Why should it be a 12m rule when the roof area it serves is more relevant!

  Don't know, but I agree with you.

----------


## phild01

> Don't know, but I agree.

   Just one little detail they like to nit pick on :Rolleyes:

----------


## r3nov8or

> Why should it be a 12m rule when the roof area it serves is more relevant!

   Thinking about it some more, home roofs only tend to be "so big", and are particularly limited on a residential block. Unless you build a full skillion from fence to fence, the 12m 'linear' rule probably caters for the catchment area of most common hip roof and split skillion designs.

----------


## phild01

My gutter runs are less than 6m and can still overflow in the heaviest of rain (damn leaf guard).

----------


## Moondog55

Not much has happened for a while, been waiting on our plumber to find time 
Today I started to dig post holes for the side fence but I'm only going down 750 to 900mm so big deal for 4 new holes

----------


## r3nov8or

I wonder when the inspector's drive-by will be...  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

> I wonder when the inspector's drive-by will be...

  Well it can't be before the plumber finishes and he didn't turn up at lunchtime, this is actually very unusual for this plumber but he is flat chat
2 post in and tamped in hard, lots of rock and stabilised earth I'll get the others in over the week-end
Pleasant negotiation with our neighbor about the fence and we are going to go with staggered vertical boards on either side of the rails; 150 * 25's @ 2100 high

----------


## Cecile

> I wonder when the inspector's drive-by will be...

  That would have been today, about an hour ago.  I went outside to talk to the plumber and I saw the inspector's truck drive off.  The plumber said that "some guy" came up, measured the height of the carport and took off again.  So I rang the office to speak with him and they said he was out of the office all day.  OKaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy... 
The plumber's apprentice told Ted that the inspector looked at the new DP and connection, said "looks good" and left.   
Called the builder and asked for reassurance.  He has built the height within tolerances and it should be all right, and the inspector should have measured it last time he was here. 
I can not fathom the behaviour of this particular business.  Playing us like a fish simply because they can.  Terrible communication.  Very disconcerting.

----------


## OBBob

one just hopes you are almost there.

----------


## Moondog55

Define "Almost"
After all we've been working on this off & on for about 6 years now
I do reckon we are on the home stretch tho.
Fence, then some new shadecloth on the West and the rest is cosmetic internally apart from some tiling etc

----------


## Cecile

Certificate of completion for the carport.  What a relief.

----------


## SilentButDeadly

Woooo hoooo!

----------


## Black Cat

About blooming time! What a relief for you both!!

----------


## CraigandKate

Yay! Finally!

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> Certificate of completion for the carport.  What a relief.

    :Runaway:   :happy:   :Monkey dance:

----------


## Moondog55

Does the "Happy Dance" here
Now we can start on all the non-permit work and exempt structures

----------


## phild01

> Does the "Happy Dance" here
> Now we can start on all the non-permit work and exempt structures

   :2thumbsup:

----------


## Moondog55

Getting started on the Western fence as discussed in the fencing section
We'll give our neighbor an invoice for one half of a standard fence but the fence is far from standard

----------


## PlatypusGardens

5 palings? 
Hardly worth bothering the neighbour to go halfies is it?    :Unsure:

----------


## OBBob

I think perhaps there's more to the fence than those palings?

----------


## Moondog55

> 5 palings? 
> Hardly worth bothering the neighbour to go halfies is it?

  Well I do have another 19 meters to go on the neighbors side, 10 @2100 high and 9 @1200 so about another 98 palings to buy

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> I think perhaps there's more to the fence than those palings?

    :Rofl5:

----------


## Cecile

The setback of the side fence allows access to the gas meter and hides the HWS, and will be a place to put some pretty ferns or something.  This part is 2400 high, but the dividing side will be 2100 high. 
Of course, working there Ted can smell gas.  Just what we don't need, another visit from the bloody plumber.  The gas line from the meter back is about two years old.  No idea how old the line is into the property from the street, nor its condition.   :Hellno:

----------


## plum

If your plumber is going to charge you for attending, no reason why he wouldn't. Call your gas provider instead, and tell them that you can smell gas from the meter. Only prob with this, is if it is coming from your fitting line, they'll cut your supply off. Weigh up which way to go.

----------


## Gaza

Maybe spray soap water around fittings to see if it's leaking

----------


## Cecile

> If your plumber is going to charge you for attending, no reason why he wouldn't. Call your gas provider instead, and tell them that you can smell gas from the meter. Only prob with this, is if it is coming from your fitting line, they'll cut your supply off. Weigh up which way to go.

  Not concerned about paying him to attend, for sure.  He's a good plumber and turns up on time, does a professional job every time.  If it's the gas line from the street, I wonder how long it would take for it to be refurbished by the gas company.  Unfortunately it's 7.5m from the footpath.  Of course it's a holiday weekend and we're about to go overseas. 
Good information though, plum.  Thank you.

----------


## Moondog55

Well I'm back home and doing some catch-up work, mainly trim painting and small patch jobs
Plumber booked to do a quick inspection and of course absolutely no smell of gas for the last 3 days. Funny that there has been no roadwork for the last 3 days due to the long W/E 
The Duffman and his crew are here finishing off the roof over the driveway to completely cover the outdoor kitchen and laundry area, so cold here this AM that the crew were all wearing about 7 layers of clothing and the gutters were full of ice

----------


## Black Cat

Crikey Moondog, you should move to Tassie - nice day here today - overcast, raining, chilly, but no ice.

----------


## Moondog55

Not much happened today in real terms but I got the triple layer shielding for the chiminea in place and finally hung up the fairy lights

----------


## Moondog55

By the time I added a decorative bit of mini-orb the heat shield is 4 layers which is enough
I need to use a much bigger flue but I sort of knew I'd have to, now chasing some big tube or SHS

----------


## Moondog55

Here's a question for the experts here 
This carport was written up to use F5 timber and sized appropriately
It was built with MGP 10
 How much stronger does that make it? 
I ask as soon I will be putting up the shade sails and wondering in advance how big a sail area I can put up with-out unduly stressing the structure

----------


## OBBob

Bit of discussion here...    http://www.renovateforum.com/f76/usi...gp-10-a-95380/

----------


## Moondog55

Ta
Not much in it then apparently

----------


## OBBob

> Ta
> Not much in it then apparently

  I'm no expert but I would expect that the key would be the bracing of the structure and the bracketing / tie down of the key loaded areas.

----------


## Moondog55

> I'm no expert but I would expect that the key would be the bracing of the structure and the bracketing / tie down of the key loaded areas.

  Well we went way over-kill there

----------


## Moondog55

OK The first of the new shade sail anchors in
I don't think this is going to move in any normal storm

----------


## OBBob

Well the loop certainly doesn't look like it'll be the first thing to let go.  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

16mm M 8.8 bolt and Stainless steel eye, the big  "L" bracket is 70 * 70 * 70 * 6mm

----------


## Moondog55

It isn't quite finished yet but family came around; helped us clean things up a bit and we had our first gathering under the new roof.
BBQ and outside sink at the South end and room for tables at the North end and it was a bit empty with only a dozen people here at any one time 
I like the beam across the driveway; Cecile doesn't I need to add a secondary stiffening member to it and then I'll tighten up the shade sail 
Needs a gate when we can afford it, both for privacy and to stop the North wind filling the space with blown in crap and dirt

----------


## PlatypusGardens

Hey that looks like a good area to me......bbq....bar, fire....soundsystem.....I'm in!   :Smilie:   
I like the look of that subwoofer  
*drool*   :Tongue:

----------


## Moondog55

You are now officially invited to the real party When and IF we ever get the whole space finished
Bring beer and potato chips I'll burn the sausages

----------


## PlatypusGardens

Hooray

----------


## Moondog55

> I like the look of that subwoofer  
> *drool*

  That is the home theatre sub Cecile thought was too big for the room and wouldn't let me move into the roofspace while we had the kitchen opened up Not really very loud [ 115+ dB] but it goes deep The Kicker 15 has an Fs of 20Hz and is reasonable flat to ~25

----------


## Moondog55

A little work on the outside party space and shade sail structures has been done in the last few weeks but not much due to a lack of Ooomph and cash, having spent my spare cash on Cecile Fairy lights

----------


## Moondog55

A few more little jobs are getting done in the carport area
Working on the little roofing bits, a touch overbuilt I guess. One of those plant hanging thingies made from a scrap of welded mesh reo and a small day seat for us and the kids to sit on

----------


## Moondog55

We have always been happy with the space under the carport, but now that we have started to get some of the extras done I feel a lot better.
The bench is such a small thing but getting it done has made a big difference to how I feel. the same for putting the first pot on the mesh panel and starting to get the aromatics planted to cut down on the fly and mozzie problems 
Making the mistake on the plastic wood has meant a spacing of 200mm but the extra cost is minimal [ like $6- and some nails] but it isn't going to collapse under the weight of even the heaviest guest or jumping tadpole. 
The extra small roof areas seem to work very well at defining "spaces" and I may carry them on every second bay

----------


## Cecile

We are starting the final stages now, which means floors.  I have no idea why we didn't at least do the tiles in the workroom, but thinking back we were budget stressed (as in, no more money left) and we simply wanted to get our house in order.  Over the next week, the tiler will come in and do the workroom, front entry, possibly the hallway between the two bedrooms if there are enough tiles, and a narrow strip in the living room under the stereo unit.  The carpenter will do the floating floor the week after the tiler. 
Ted has started ripping up the pink carpet in preparation.  He will have to rescrew the entire floor to reduce the squeakig.  Interesting to see that under the carpet is ancient lino, and under this lino is old newspaper dated 1962!  I am pretty sure the current carpet is about 30 years old; prior to that, and after lino was a multi coloured stripe carpet, the remains of which we pulled up from the main bedroom a year and a half ago. 
The main issue is chaos.  Everything has to be pulled from this room and the dining room and put who-knows-where.  It includes the solid rosewood dining table that weighs about 100kg, and a pair of glass fronted cabinets, full of glassware and china.  Thankfully it's a couple of weeks only this time.  Pics to follow tomorrow when it's light.

----------


## SlowMick

We feel your pain.  We have just had carpet and vinyl put through the house which has meant moving furniture in and out of rooms and stacking the extra on the verandah.  The new floors have really changed the look of the house and make it feel finished. Hope you get the same feeling.  :2thumbsup:

----------


## Cecile

Progress.  From a distance, the timber floor underneath almost looks good enough to use.  Unfortunately there are wide gaps between them, and they are badly cupped.  At 190mm wide x 20mm thick they would not be substantial enough if we sanded them.  Plus, we would have the added expense of polystyrene underneath sooner rather than later.

----------


## phild01

"Barossa Pearl will transform an ordinary meal to a gay exciting occasion"

----------


## PlatypusGardens

> "Barossa Pearl will transform an ordinary meal to a gay exciting occasion"

  ...

----------


## phild01

Clearly not the right plonk :Cool:

----------


## Moondog55

Some progress.
I have just managed to assemble and put up some IKEA cupboards in the work-room; of course they are the wrong size now they are on the wall but this is something that is really hard to see in a design program that doesn't include people shapes
Some tiles are in, work-room and entry and a single row of 600 * 600 black tiles along the TV wall side of the loungeroom.
We have also chosen carpet.
Cannot find proper acoustic underlay My Google-Fu has failed me; all I have is a small piece I got from the Op-Shop for $5-; hopefully that bit is enough for the wall hanging behind the couch

----------


## Moondog55

A little work in the kitchen improving the storage and display space 
The Mud-men belonged to my Grandmother, a bit of a bridge between generations

----------


## Cecile

We really really really need light fittings.

----------


## Moondog55

Finished the double paling on the Western fence except for the painting. Started on an enclosure for the cat and discovered I was totally out of 100 & 150 &  200mm bugles 
Cat enclosure will have to wait until next pay day now.
Small enclosure just 900 * 2700 but I'll make it as tall as I can, so possibly 2700 tall on the high side

----------


## Moondog55

Of course [ and as noted elsewhere] after getting the inside of the northern wall of the Cat Palace clad I found out that cats get sick from licking the treated pine sawdust off their paws and I'll need to re-do the inside with old pallet timbers, which I have plenty of.
Making use of the old windows and the old porch security door too.

----------


## Moondog55

Some cosmetic work finally getting done on the front boundary.
I've started work on the fencing and the raised garden bed for the chillie plants

----------


## Optimus

Are they 150x25 tp boards? 
If so the gaps will look terrible in a few months.. 
Get a coat of paint on them asap to minimise the shrinkage

----------


## Moondog55

Interesting you should say that as they've been up on the other side for almost a year with no shrinkage to speak of.
Never found painting these to make much difference except cosmetically and these will eventually be painted to match the base boards. The gaps are backed by a second row of 150*25 over the spaces, just like the side fence

----------


## Optimus

That suprises me alot! I put these on house about every 2nd job (every second week) and have always found they shrink and bow...

----------


## Moondog55

> That suprises me alot! I put these on house about every 2nd job (every second week) and have always found they shrink and bow...

  Are you nailing? We used short coated bugles

----------


## phild01

> We used short coated bugles

  What, plasterboard screws!! :Shock:

----------


## Optimus

> Are you nailing? We used short coated bugles

  Yeah nailing, you wouldn't use batten screws on a house for plinths. Would look terrible... 
I noticed your screws dont line up, is there a pattern you're going for or you just didn't bother?

----------


## Moondog55

Of course the screws don't line up
Doing so puts extra stress on the rail [ 140*35 H3F11] and we do use bugles to fix to the house, it makes taking them off to do stuff so much easier

----------


## Moondog55

> What, plasterboard screws!!

  Batten screws 5mm hex drive #14s

----------


## Optimus

> Of course the screws don't line up
> Doing so puts extra stress on the rail [ 140*35 H3F11] and we do use bugles to fix to the house, it makes taking them off to do stuff so much easier

   :Doh:

----------


## 0438snappy

> we do use bugles to fix to the house, it makes taking them off to do stuff so much easier

  Nice, I had the same idea for when we go to put ours back on....  
getting under the house is a PITA at the best of times, Im very keen on the idea of being able to quickly take a few of the plinth boards off to create the shortest route possible   :2thumbsup:

----------


## Cecile

Wow, hard to believe it's been well over a year since we posted anything.  We had two pretty awful years, and very little got done in that time.  In 2017 we lost my mum, and Moondog's dad and younger brother all in the space of four months.  Then there was his hip replacement a year ago, and time to heal and get strong.  I notice with interest that the "cat palace" was started two years ago and it's at lock-up stage but puss still has no access from inside the house.  The one time we put her in there, she hated it and meowed pitifully. 
Finally though, the last bedroom is being finished.  Ted stripped out the furniture and everything else that was in there.  It reminds me of those joke tins with the fabric covered spring that pops out when you take the lid off, and can't get the spring back in easily.  I can't believe so much crap came out of a single room. 
The plasterboard is ready to paint, and the old calsomine-painted ceiling has been sanded and patched.  Once it's sealed and painted, hopefully we'll get many more years before it needs painting again.  The same treatment in the dining room still looks great a year later.  Aside from a few smaller things to finish, like carpet in the living room, painting a few architraves, wardrobe doors in our bedroom, and decent curtains, the inside is finished. 
Next stop, pull the old garage down - it's falling down anyway - and putting up a new one.  It'll only be a Colorbond shed, but a big one, and eventually the laundry will be out there, and lock up storage for outdoor stuff that needs locking.

----------


## Moondog55

I HATE calsomine. Also 33C is far too hot to be painting.

----------


## Bros

Time to go to Uluru this year?

----------


## Moondog55

> Time to go to Uluru this year?

  May sometime, early May; may need to start looking for a house sitter perhaps.
You see what I did there?

----------


## Bros

> You see what I did there?

  Nope what did I miss?

----------


## Cecile

> Time to go to Uluru this year?

  Yes, come hell or high water.  The bedroom will be done by then! I have some long service leave and I'll use some of that.

----------


## Cecile

The grey walls are much more blue than they appear in the photo.  Dulux Snow Season, same as the dining room and mostly because we have plenty of the stuff.  The inside of the wardrobe was painted about 9 years ago.  Ted isn't sure whether or not he's going to repaint it and to be honest, filled with clothes and stuff it really doesn't matter anyway, it won't be noticeable.  He's unhappy with the paint job on the ceiling - it's not nearly as good as the dining room repair was but it's certainly not bad enough to do again.  If we were at the beginning of this renovation journey I would have had the plaster replaced.  Carpet arrives in about a week, then we can return the furniture.

----------


## Bros

I think there is only one way to paint ceilings and that is with airless spray. 
Now good painters may be able to do it with a roller but mug painters have a problem.

----------


## r3nov8or

Ceilings tend to disappear when you stop looking at them in particular.  :Smilie:  
Good progress, and glad you are back on track.

----------


## Cecile

> mug painters have a problem.

  Well Bros, since he's painting a ceiling and not a mug.... :Rofl:  
In reality, this room probably had a worse issue with peeling calsimine than the dining room did, and he didn't sugar soap it as well this time.  It will last as long as we live here, I'm sure.  Overall it's a million times better than it was and no one is likely to notice.

----------


## Moondog55

Looks like we may be starting stage 2 sometime soon.
We just rented a small storage unit close by and over the next week everything possible will be removed from the old garage into storage and I will demolish. Again with the damned asbestos removal, although luckily it is a very small volume and I'll be able to take it for  disposal myself

----------


## Cecile

> stage 2

  More like stage 102.   :Doh:

----------


## r3nov8or

> More like stage 102.

  It's all about the journey  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Also perhaps Stage 3. Getting solar quotes coming in already. Much cheaper than the estimates we got 3 years ago and unsubstantiated rumours that the Federal Labor government will be subsidising home storage battery packs for domestic use at the next election

----------


## chrisp

> Also perhaps Stage 3. Getting solar quotes coming in already. Much cheaper than the estimates we got 3 years ago and unsubstantiated rumours that the Federal Labor government will be subsidising home storage battery packs for domestic use at the next election

  
I thought it was the Victorian State Government - https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/cheap...r-10000-homes/ 
Are the Feds also pork barrelling on it too?

----------


## Bros

> Getting solar quotes coming in already. Much cheaper than the estimates we got 3 years ago

  Watch out as there are some crooks out there when they can smell easy money.

----------


## phild01

Suggest you use this site to stay clear of the TV Indian flyby's. I ended up with an excellent installer and product. https://www.solarquotes.com.au

----------


## Moondog55

> I thought it was the Victorian State Government - https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/cheap...r-10000-homes/ 
> Are the Feds also pork barrelling on it too?

  The new federal government porkers from May [ Labor] not the current pigs swilling up

----------


## Cecile

> I thought it was the Victorian State Government - https://www.premier.vic.gov.au/cheap...r-10000-homes/ 
> Are the Feds also pork barrelling on it too?

  I had not heard of the federal one but here it is https://www.energy.gov.au/rebates/re...wer-incentives.  It's in addition of the Victorian rebate.

----------


## Bros

> Suggest you use this site to stay clear of the TV Indian flyby's. I ended up with an excellent installer and product. https://www.solarquotes.com.au

  They are pretty good at sorting the wheat from the chaff but all the good installers are not listed there.

----------


## Cecile

> They are pretty good at sorting the wheat from the chaff but all the good installers are not listed there.

  One quote still to come is from a local sparky who has done work for us in the past.  The other that we received today is from a local solar company (not any of the biggies, and apparently Tru Solar is on the verge of going bust.)  We'll also get one from Red Energy, who is our current retailer.

----------


## Bros

> One quote still to come is from a local sparky who has done work for us in the past.  The other that we received today is from a local solar company (not any of the biggies, and apparently Tru Solar is on the verge of going bust.)  We'll also get one from Red Energy, who is our current retailer.

  Get the details of all they are going to use e.g panels and their orientation you will need 10% more panels than the inverter, the mounting rail and the fixing screws. You will also need the inverter type so you can make comparisons. 
One mob might use one type of panels and inverter and another might use another and you can't compare them. 
If you are happy with your electrician his quote would be worth a second look.

----------


## Bros

This is the solar panel mounting system but make sure he gets the right system as there is one for tin and one for tile roof's.  https://www.energymatters.com.au/components/sunlock/

----------


## Moondog55

Starting on Stage 3.111111? 
It sort of just fell down once we got past a certain stage of cutting a few studs

----------


## Cecile

> Looks awesome

  Did you read through the whole thread?  One day we might finish!

----------


## Moondog55

Old slab finally removed

----------


## Moondog55

Building permit for the new shed finally issued

----------


## Moondog55

Just something that always has irked me, we have to get builders insurance for the shed, apart from being a total waste of money {IMO} why should we the buyer get insurance for somebody elses liability?
It's a steel shed for crying out loud not a house or other habitable space

----------


## joynz

Are you erecting the shed yourself or is the supplier doing it?

----------


## Moondog55

Supplier.
 From Whoa to go, otherwise it would take another 3 years to get finished.
As it is the slab won't get poured for another 3 or 4 weeks from now.

----------


## joynz

So if you aren’t owner building it, why would you need builders insurance?  Sounds odd.

----------


## Bros

> Supplier.
>  From Whoa to go, otherwise it would take another 3 years to get finished.
> .

   Then you can go on your trip to Uluru but it will be closed to climbing before you get there.

----------


## Moondog55

I wouldn't climb it out of respect for the traditional owners, neither would most people if they simply took out all the safety rails, chains and posts and allowed stupid tourists to kill themselves.
The big trip is going to happen tho when The Boss retires in a hundred years or so

----------


## Bros

> The big trip is going to happen tho when The Boss retires in a hundred years or so

   Tell her to hurry up.

----------


## Cecile

> Tell her to hurry up.

  But...but...I need to pay for the shed!

----------


## phild01

> But...but...I need to pay for the shed!

  Ummm...first post here: https://www.renovateforum.com/f83/sh...estion-124065/

----------


## Moondog55

Dads money didn't pay for all of the bigger shed, Cecile wanted to make sure I had enough room for all the junk and now she needs to pay for the water and power connections out of her own pocket because we went just a "Leeetle beeety beet" over on shed size

----------


## phild01

Off topic posts moved here https://www.renovateforum.com/f188/o...ullaru-126626/

----------


## Moondog55

Some small progress. Slab for the new shed gets laid out on Monday and poured at 0700 on Tuesday

----------


## Moondog55

More progress 
Just enough concrete left over to make one storm anchor

----------


## r3nov8or

New concrete feels like progress  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

32MPA with an accelerator added and the fellers have left already, started the pumper at 0700 and all packed up at 1300. 2 weeks to cure before the shed arrives in bits.
Time to start looking for a small pot belly stove and a better firepit than the old gas bottle chiminea or brake drum

----------


## droog

_I am surprised an accelerator was used with 32mpa being so much harder to work with._  
Looking good, hope they are worksite approved steel capped crocs you are wearing.

----------


## Moondog55

droog these fellers made it look easy. And these crocs are fashion wear not safety wear, my safety crocs are Hi-Vis pink. I do have a structural question tho 
On the details section of the plans we received they don't show damp course between the concrete and the steel column fixing plate the uprights bolt to. Am I right to assume that  the plastic damp course isn't needed?

----------


## droog

Damp course is usually added to stop moisture rising through the walls, steel doesn’t absorb much water.
Isn’t there plastic under the slab ? This will stop any moisture before it even gets to the bottom of the walls.

----------


## Moondog55

OK Stupid moment
So much happening now I guess I wasn't thinking straight.
The lack of communication between the builders office staff, the builder and subcontractors is worse than annoying. We were told that the concreter would dig the combined services trench using the BobCat, said bobcat didn't have a trenching attachment so took off without doing anything extra. Builder did a site inspection and knew exactly where the storm water connection is
There is a technique for digging trenches using a post hole digger too. 
We will dig the trench by hand [ or with a Dingo] and take that cost off the sheds final payment. Trench has to be done first as the electrics go so much deeper than the storm water and other plumbing connections

----------


## r3nov8or

By hand is no fun at that depth. These go well... https://www.kennards.com.au/earthmov...propelled.html

----------


## Moondog55

If the feller driving the bobcat had any real experience he would have known how to do it using the post hole attachment, it isn't rocket science. I have 2 weeks to do it by hand if need be. I did do the sewer line by hand and that was 1500 down, it was very hard work tho and I was 10 years younger

----------


## Bros

> By hand is no fun at that depth. These go well... https://www.kennards.com.au/earthmov...propelled.html

   They are a pain in the neck as I used a machine similar for a 70m trench. The digging is ok but the trench is only 90m wide and trenching shovels are 90 to 100 mm wide and cleaning out the trench with a shovel is impossible has to be done by hand.

----------


## Bros

> I did do the sewer line by hand and that was 1500 down, it was very hard work tho and I was 10 years younger

   It would be cheaper to hire a machine than be treated for a heart attack.

----------


## Moondog55

Better to keep physically active tho, digging a trench shouldn't exert me too much over a 2 week period. What is really bugging and annoying me is having to send beautiful topsoil to land fill but here in Geelong it seems impossible to give it away and I can't put it in the green bin for compost [ even tho it is a majic compost accelerator]  but if I take it to the transfer station and pay $56 a cubic metre I can dump it with all the other green waste

----------


## Bros

> Better to keep physically active tho, digging a trench shouldn't exert me too much over a 2 week period. What is really bugging and annoying me is having to send beautiful topsoil to land fill but here in Geelong it seems impossible to give it away and I can't put it in the green bin for compost [ even tho it is a majic compost accelerator]  but if I take it to the transfer station and pay $56 a cubic metre I can dump it with all the other green waste

  Ever watched the movie Great Escape as you can do that when you go for your afternoon walk or you can build up some garden beds.

----------


## Moondog55

Thought of something similar. Geelong City Council is stuck in the Dark Ages as far as I am concerned

----------


## Marc

Shovel it over the fence?  :Smilie: 
Councils should be abolished and replaced with service providers.
Come to think of it, state government is not better. We can abolish them too and replace them with a permanent circus from Russia to entertain the locals all year around. Cheaper too.
As for Federal government ... mm ... we can keep the diplomacy for apparences and photo opportunities, level the parliament spread some top soil from Geelong over the ruins and plant a large veggie garden for the bludgers in Canberra.
We can replace all the decision making mechanism with a TV program that asks the populace a question a week on which they need to reply via email or text. 
I have it all figured out. 
I tell you about flat rate taxation next time  :Smilie:

----------


## r3nov8or

> They are a pain in the neck as I used a machine similar for a 70m trench. The digging is ok but the trench is only 90m wide and trenching shovels are 90 to 100 mm wide and cleaning out the trench with a shovel is impossible has to be done by hand.

   I did about 25 metres and found it ok. Best with a mate to ensure the removed dirt stays outside the trench, and I gotta say I wasn't too concerned about it having a flat bottom  :Smilie:

----------


## r3nov8or

> ...What is really bugging and annoying me is having to send beautiful topsoil to land fill but here in Geelong it seems impossible to give it away and I can't put it in the green bin for compost [ even tho it is a majic compost accelerator]  but if I take it to the transfer station and pay $56 a cubic metre I can dump it with all the other green waste

  most of it goes back in the trench, right? And just spread the rest around  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

Subsoil goes back in the trench, it's that fertile top soil we had to scrape that I can't use here but can't give away on Gumtree and the ilk.
Some cheeky bugger asked if I would deliver tho

----------


## r3nov8or

> Subsoil goes back in the trench, it's that fertile top soil we had to scrape that I can't use here but can't give away on Gumtree and the ilk.
> Some cheeky bugger asked if I would deliver tho

  Ahh ok. Hmmmm, can't help. I'll have some of my own to deal with when I get around to the new bigger better driveway 'soon'

----------


## phild01



----------


## UseByDate

> Ever watched the movie Great Escape as you can do that when you go for your afternoon walk or you can build up some garden beds.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c36UNSoJenI

----------


## Moondog55

Delivery tomorrow around Noon. Hopefully the team will start erection this week.

----------


## Moondog55

Shed has started.
 Feels like forever since we had the mess. I feel a skip is going to be needed once more; a big one perhaps.
I know it's costly to pay to have these erected but I honestly don't think I could have done it safely myself and certainly not in one day.

----------


## Bros

To small

----------


## Moondog55

> Too small

  Smaller than optimum but it is a small yard and I'm not allowed [ nor can afford] a shed bigger than the house

----------


## Bros

Not allowed says who?  
One thing you should have done but you can do it in future is to concrete from the carport to the shed so if you are doing woodwork you can do it on this section and just hose the sawdust away.

----------


## Moondog55

She who holds the purse strings and pays the mortgage of course.
 We are thinking of road base and brick pavers in that area; we have about a thousand old red bricks.
Also that is where I want to put the firepit; although not in the centre

----------


## Bros

Oh I thought it was some council rule but SWMBO is far more important.

----------


## DavoSyd

> just hose the sawdust away.

  water restrictions are not yet a thing up North?  :Confused:

----------


## Bros

Nope

----------


## Cecile

> Not allowed says who?  
> One thing you should have done but you can do it in future is to concrete from the carport to the shed so if you are doing woodwork you can do it on this section and just hose the sawdust away.

  I agree that this could be concreted, but we have the deconstructed chimney to use as pavers and it will allow water runoff.  As Ted mentioned too, it's a good place for a fire pit and/or brick BBQ.

----------


## Moondog55

Looks taller with the silver lining. Day 2 of the install started at 0700. 
Stupid public holiday in Victoria so it will not be finished for the week-end. We'll have to wait until Monday. 
Hopefully signed off on Tuesday so I can start work on the mezzanine storage area inside

----------


## Moondog55

Halfway there now.
Still thinking hard about the mezzanine design; I need the storage but don't want to feel cramped when working. Been tossing up an open "*U*" shape

----------


## Bros

How high are the walls?

----------


## Moondog55

> How high are the walls?

  3600mm
Almost 5000mm to the ridge peak so good clearance for me under the horizontal tie beams

----------


## Bros

Ok I thought is was an optical illusion as it look out of proportion to most sheds with the high walls, now I know.

----------


## Moondog55

It does look a bit strange and we have had a lot of people looking at it since the work started.
I wanted 4200mm high but that increased the quote by 50%

----------


## Bros

Great for Queensland with the high walls just add a couple of whirly birds and you would have a good air flow.

----------


## Marc

> 3600mm
> Almost 5000mm to the ridge peak so good clearance for me under the horizontal tie beams

  Jumping piminy! I didn't know you were that high  :Smilie:

----------


## Bros

> Jumping piminy! I didn't know you were that high

  Haven't you seen him on stilts?

----------


## Moondog55

Halfway there. I'm hand digging the combined services trench for the next couple of days the we get out Sparkie to run the power and install a sub-box. 
A few cut panels left over plus the armour on the roller door, about enough to make a fence for the chook run and a quick shelter box and some roll insulation left over too.

----------


## r3nov8or

Glad to spot the personal access door

----------


## Moondog55

First job today is to go and get spare keys cut, if I don't then I know I'll lose them for sure.

----------


## Moondog55

Digging the trench for the power, this last metre is almost straight basalt, and to think that when these houses were built all the trenching for sewer was done by hand. I think I may have said this before.

----------


## Moondog55

Just a small equation. 
{Rain = MUD}

----------


## r3nov8or

Rain + soil = mud 
But as Monty Python would say, 
"Yes o' course 'SOIL'! Soil goes wi'out sayin', dunnit!?   :Smilie:

----------


## Cecile

I am about the kick the builder in the cakehole for being a jerk.  (I won't, but feel  like it, and I'll be polite.)  The whole build has been an administrative nightmare with awful communication from their office, even though the trades did an OK job.  I paid them a lot to manage and organise the build, but I had to chase everything up myself.  I never received a schedule, or confirmation of anything, or timely answers to my emails.  Their trades aren't happy either, with assurances made to me for work that will be done that the trades were unhappy doing (like installing the electrical conduit "hockey stick" that the concretor  refused to do.)   
They now refuse to organise a final inspection until I have paid in full.  They are actually in breach of the permit because they didn't arrange the frame inspection, mandatory according to the council.  Payment isn't even due yet!  I am hoping that the frame inspection is acceptable from the interior of the shed, because the cladding is on, and completed.  The cost of the inspection is paid for with the permit fees too, not reliant on payment for the build itself.  I'm gobsmacked that they think they can hold this over us.   What they don't know is that the owner of the permit has the right to arrange their own inspection, and that I did it.  The small number of issues with steel attachments that Ted found will mean I hold up part of the payment until the inspector is satisfied and everything is fixed.  I can see it now, the issues found will be ignored once they have their payment.  
A ramble I know and yes, we have a good shed, but this is a pain in the proverbial and I am home and unwell and the last thing I feel like doing.

----------


## chrisp

I think they should be randomly selected for a full tax audit!

----------


## Bros

> I am about the kick the builder in the cakehole for being a jerk.  (I won't, but feel  like it, and I'll be polite.)  The whole build has been an administrative nightmare

   You can sure pick them, didn't you have a problem with the builder doing your carport a while back?

----------


## Cecile

> You can sure pick them, didn't you have a problem with the builder doing your carport a while back?

  We did indeed.  The kid who did the carport was only a carpenter, and inferred that he was supervised by a licensed builder.  He wasn't.  This one is a registered and licensed builder and overall it's all professionally built, good trades who did good quality work.  He just has morons working in his office, has non-existent communication and has no idea now to engage with customers.  They were pretty good emailing us to get our business though, let me tell you.  It's a well-respected national franchise.

----------


## Marc

Besides the customary builder/trade bashing that is so deserved this days ... no pride in their work, and seems to be widespread sadly ... used to sack an average of 3 tradesman per job when i was in full swing of things ... So beside the above, still don't know why is this shed so high. Seen a few in Sydney that resemble that one. Are you going to build a boat in there?

----------


## Moondog55

Marc it is tall to allow a large mezzanine floor.
Actually in this instance it's builder bashing not tradesman bashing, the trades persons who did the work were competent concreters and plumbers but the attitude of the builder that near enough is good enough because it's only a shed gets up my nose.
Council building inspector will be here this morning and we will see what they say.

----------


## Optimus

Pay peanuts, get monkeys...

----------


## droog

> Pay peanuts, get monkeys...

  And sometimes pay good money and still get monkeys

----------


## Bedford

> Pay peanuts, get monkeys...

  That's a bit rough. :Annoyed:

----------


## Optimus

> That's a bit rough.

  There's always two sides to a story...

----------


## phild01

Peanuts!... I think a premium was paid for the concrete.

----------


## r3nov8or

How did the inspection go today?

----------


## Marc

> Pay peanuts, get monkeys...

  Pay almonds and macadamia nuts and still get monkeys. The problem is the monkey not the food.  :Annoyed:

----------


## Moondog55

Passed inspection with no problems.
It's the attitude of some Australian businesses unfortunately; that they seem to think they are doing us a favour by allowing us to buy from or do business with them; and this particular franchisee seems to be one of the worst I have ever dealt with from that POV.
The kit itself is a reasonable product.
I wish it was peanuts we paid but it was a substantial amount of money to have the kit assembled, a trade-off as I knew I couldn't do it in a week and we needed the shed yesterday if not earlier

----------


## r3nov8or

> Passed inspection with no problems.

  Good to hear  :Smilie:

----------


## phild01

:2thumbsup: Hopefully now the mezzanine begins.

----------


## Moondog55

> Hopefully now the mezzanine begins.

  Well as soon as we can. We sort of extended ourselves a bit to pay for the erection so it might take a few weeks to catch up money wise. First job is adding the lining to the walls.

----------


## Bros

Moondog remember that you are not as good as you were 30 yrs ago so be careful climbing as you wont bounce to well.

----------


## Marc

> .......It's the attitude of some Australian businesses unfortunately; that they seem to think they are doing us a favour by allowing us to buy from or do business with them; and this particular franchisee seems to be one of the worst I have ever dealt with from that POV......

   My personal 'cultural shock' when arriving Australia over 30 years ago. The complete absence of customer service. And it hasn't improved much. 
It seems that the very concept is absent. We do have good salesman skills that is mistaken with customer service.
I know a guy who globe trots with a course for business called "Up your service" 
I think Ron doesn't do too well in OZ.  :Smilie:  https://www.upyourservice.ro/

----------


## Cecile

> Moondog remember that you are not as good as you were 30 yrs ago so be careful climbing as you wont bounce to well.

  I keep telling him this but he's not that inclined to listen!

----------


## Moondog55

> I know a guy who globe trots with a course for business called "Up your service" 
> I think Ron doesn't do too well in OZ.  https://www.upyourservice.ro/

  Nah Here in Oz it's "Up Yours " service sometimes

----------


## Moondog55

Some small slow progress over the last week to ten days.
Started on the mezzanine level and our sparkie just made the place powered. Just a single 15A GPO to  start with and the rest done after Christamas.
Doing things as and when I get some dollars.
Fully lining the West walls will have to wait until the wiring is in but the East side should be done soon

----------


## Moondog55

Trial fitting of the joists today.
I may make some very small changes to the proposed layout as there is going to be more than enough storage space here.
One section 2400 * 4600 plus 2400 * 3600
Going 140 * 45 was the right decision rather than running around trying to source the 120 * 45, using the bigger section over a continuous span gives me a bit extra load carrying, I may just put in a permanent hook for a chain block or something rather than the hook on a webbing loop I have been using

----------


## Moondog55

Not much been happening due to lack of funds but the sparky has been back and the wiring is finished, wound up costing a bit more than the quote as I got him to add in a few extra GPOs and the future possible electric storage HWS has its own circuit just in case we decide to go with the 3600W rather than the smaller 2400W unit. Now at the stage of adding in the secure storage rooms

----------


## Moondog55

Yesterday I finally got the base boards back on the front of the house. Sorry about the lack of pictures on the progress. Dug four 900mm deep holes and added tiedowns to resist the upward force of the shade sails, then I used some S/H building wrap to stop the hot North wind getting under the house. Paid $5- for the half roll of CSR house wrap at the resyke centre over a year ago and finally got around to cutting it and using it. House doesn't seem the shudder as much when hit by a big gust of wind now and stopping the wind does seem to have made it cooler underfoot on warm days. We hope that means warmer on cold days. Also much quieter now which is a bonus.
Next job is a quick coat of fence paint on them

----------


## Bros

Is the shed finished?

----------


## Moondog55

> Is the shed finished?

  Still a work-in-progress due to lack of funds but getting there slowly.
The strong room is almost finished tho.
I am still digging the trench for the water supply but that might be finished this week-end, the rain has helped soften the ground a bit.

----------


## Bros

> I am still digging the trench for the water supply but that might be finished this week-end, the rain has helped soften the ground a bit.

   I thought you would have done that when you dug the trench for the power.

----------


## Moondog55

Nah This is the continuation up the side of the shed, couldn't run the water until after the storm water got done and I got sidetracked on something else, which was building the mezzanine and the separating walls for the laundry and strong room.......

----------


## Bros

> Nah This is the continuation up the side of the shed, couldn't run the water until after the storm water got done and I got sidetracked on something else, which was building the mezzanine and the separating walls for the laundry and strong room.......

   Oh well keeps you off the street.

----------


## Moondog55

> Oh well keeps you off the street.

  And out of the pubs where I belong. >!?!<

----------


## Marc

How did you build the strong room? Is it strong enough?

----------


## Moondog55

12mm Hardwood ply and MDF or OSB skins instead of plaster, double layer of steel mesh against frame, studs at 300mm centres, stuffed with glass wool to keep the temperature more stable, ceiling ditto. Glued and screwed. Steel skin on the doors.
, with 4 hinges not 3 and most of the other advices offered here in the forum over the last couple of years, including a pivoting latch with the cord concealed
Just a small space to keep some stuff from accidentally being borrowed and to slow down any attempt to break in

----------


## Moondog55

It's been a while since I did any work out the front. In fact it is  years since I started the front fence and raised garden bed. Well last week-end I finally got around to starting to finish the front fence. I want to put a bench here to assist with unloading/loading the car and as somewhere else to sit and catch my breath but herself thinks it is a better place to keep the rubbish bins

----------


## Moondog55

Also I put in that bench to put food on next to that old portable BBQ I found on the nature strip and rebuilt and redid the clear polycarbonate sheeting that kept some of the weather out and rebuild the LPG cylinder chiminea that warms the area in winter.
For those that care about such things the fence is protected with a 3 layer heat shield and the fence also is clad with sheet steel

----------


## Bros

Is the gas cylinder the BBQ or the heater?

----------


## Moondog55

> Is the gas cylinder the BBQ or the heater?

  The heater. but I did find the 90kg cylinder on the roadside, another found object project. It draws well now that I have replaced the old 4" flue with 6" and it really pumps out the heat

----------


## Bros

> The heater. but I did find the 90kg cylinder on the roadside, another found object project. It draws well now that I have replaced the old 4" flue with 6" and it really pumps out the heat

  You should get some treatment for your roadside collection problem.

----------


## Cecile

> You should get some treatment for your roadside collection problem.

   :Roflmao:  :Roflmao:  :Roflmao:  
"CECILE QUICK PULL OVER RIGHT NOW" 
At least he's a little better about it now, he warns me first.

----------


## Marc

I do that when my wife is driving as a joke ... - Did you see _that_ ? Stop stop let's pick it up ... but it does not work anymore, she just says - yea right ...  :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

A little bit more work done over the last week or so. The bargain stools were use to gauge height and over the next while I'll lightly sand and seal the three of them to match. First coat of sealer on.
It is internal stuff but I had it and the price was right and it is under shelter not exposed to the weather really.

----------


## Bros

Not worried about it bowing with no front support? 
What's it going to be used for?

----------


## Moondog55

Eating platform or buffet table
It is well supported, hidden underneath is a 100 * 70 H3 that runs between the posts and it overhangs 175mm in front. It's two layers of 12mm structural plywood glued together to give 24mm.
 Tomorrow or soon it gets a decorative hardwood flash over the edge, probably just beading so nobody gets too many splinters.
600mm * 2400mm
Seems solid enough although perhaps table top dancing will be discouraged
Pix of the underneath structure added

----------


## Cecile

This started off as a landing, but grew into a small deck.  It will be roofed to protect the back door from the weather.  The clothesline has to move, and I know someone who has a contact who can finally clad the back wall with zincalume. 
At some point we will have to decide what to do with the laundry - somehow enclose it on the driveway, or move it out to the shed.  Personally, I am not liking the idea of a "remote" laundry very much.

----------


## Bros

> Personally, I am not liking the idea of a "remote" laundry very much.

  Get Moondog to do the laundry as that will solve that problem.

----------


## Moondog55

> Get Moondog to do the laundry as that will solve that problem.

  What??????????????
Cecile hasn't done laundry more than three times since we moved here.

----------


## Optimus

Geez, alot going on there...

----------


## r3nov8or

> What??????????????
> Cecile hasn't done laundry more than three times since we moved here.

  You'll be sleeping in the proverbial washhouse if you don't watch out  :Smilie:

----------


## droog

> What??????????????
> Cecile hasn't done laundry more than three times since we moved here.

  Is the shed warm at night ?

----------


## Cecile

> Is the shed warm at night ?

   Well, he has quite a lot of experience sleeping in a tent in the snow so the shed will be a considerable luxury!   

> Geez, a lot going on there...

  This is nothing! We've lived through much worse in the 10 years we've been fixing up this house.  Would have been easier and cheaper in the long run to knock down and rebuild!

----------


## METRIX

> Eating platform or buffet table
> It is well supported, hidden underneath is a 100 * 70 H3 that runs between the posts and it overhangs 175mm in front. It's two layers of 12mm structural plywood glued together to give 24mm.
> Tomorrow or soon it gets a decorative hardwood flash over the edge, probably just beading so nobody gets too many splinters.
> 600mm * 2400mm
> Seems solid enough although perhaps table top dancing will be discouraged
> Pix of the underneath structure added

  I have built a few similar to this accessible from both sides floating.

----------


## sol381

Before covid you could have a dozen drinkers there mate. now maybe 4 or 6. :Biggrin:

----------


## YoungBolt

How does your misso not loose her shiit with all that going on ?! 
Ive had my house in a state of disrepair for about 3 years and the lady is getting a little edgy now.  
Dunno if I could get away with 10 years of mess!!

----------


## Moondog55

I'll let the Minister of War & Finance answer that, but I admit to being tired of the renovating and the mess.
We should have built the new shed* FIRST*

----------


## Cecile

> How does your misso not loose her shiit with all that going on ?! 
> Ive had my house in a state of disrepair for about 3 years and the lady is getting a little edgy now.  
> Dunno if I could get away with 10 years of mess!!

  You're relatively new here, so you may or may not know that I am Moondog's minister of war and finance.  And how do you know I don't lose my @@@@@?   :Banghead:  
In hindsight, and I've said this before, with the amount of money we've spent here we could have built something from scratch.  It's a challenge, and he's done a lot of the work himself, and he's not young any more.

----------


## Moondog55

I was so busy today and so focused on getting things done I totally forgot to take pictures.
Decking boards are down and secured in place, tomorrow I will start screwing down properly. I need to go and buy a new countersink bit, the cheap one has died.
I couldn't get all the joists at 450 centres because a stump bolt was in the way, right on the 450 mark, so I went with 300mm spacing in the middle and used an extra joist

----------


## METRIX

> I need to go and buy a new countersink bit, the cheap one has died.

  
Get a smartbit, it will make countersinking the boards a whole lot easier for a perfect just below flush finish of all the screws, unless your using pine decking boards.

----------


## Moondog55

That was the thing I was going to get. Looks to be worth what they cost.
Alternative? https://www.bunnings.com.au/p-n-12g-...l-bit_p6320596
Hopefully it will all be done in another week, using up a lot of bits and pieces left over from the rest of the build, then a bloody big clean up is in order. Ecodeck because it was less than half price on clearance

----------


## YoungBolt

> You're relatively new here, so you may or may not know that I am Moondog's minister of war and finance.  And how do you know I don't lose my @@@@@?   
> In hindsight, and I've said this before, with the amount of money we've spent here we could have built something from scratch.  It's a challenge, and he's done a lot of the work himself, and he's not young any more.

   :Rofl:  my mistake!! minister of WAR! Who is minister of peace? 
I suppose I assume you're still at peace because I haven't seen an obituary post yet, but maybe it's only a matter of time :lol: 
Can definitely understand how quickly things can add up and before you know it you've sunken way more than planned. I've got a few extended family & friends who do the odd house flip and it never ceases to amaze me how much money they can sink in before they consider that maybe a demo & rebuild would've been a better option!! 
Hopefully it'll all be finish soon and you can finally enjoy the fruits of moonie's labour.

----------


## Moondog55

Some small progress over the last day or so.
Some extra work needed as every single one of these rafters is a different length, went with the longest and making up the difference with some sistering
Whaling plate/ ledger up, veranda beam up, resting on hardwood braggets and held with a couple of bolts and the rafters secured using HD hangers and pryda unities.
140 * 35 rafters, 4 of them at 1200 centres so I'll need wider timber for the battens or reinforce from underneath or both. I have a lot of short lengths of treated pine and I do hate sending stuff to landfill
Using the Pryda self drilling screws rather than nails where appropriate as they are 3 times the strength. Today I am digging a couple of new post holes to take the posts for the short returns on the Southern face of the landing.
Pictures to follow

----------


## Cecile

Lots happening, and I (we) are heartily sick of this ongoing stuff.  I think we decided to let the plumber do the roof, especially since we have other small roof repairs to be done and he's been nagging us for a few years now.  Still not sure whether we should ask him about cladding the back of the house too.

----------


## r3nov8or

> Lots happening, and I (we) are heartily sick of this ongoing stuff.  I think we decided to let the plumber do the roof, especially since we have other small roof repairs to be done and he's been nagging us for a few years now.  Still not sure whether we should ask him about cladding the back of the house too.

  3rd photo: "It's gotta be here somewhere! That's all the tools I have right there!"

----------


## Moondog55

I have a tool box, it's so big and heavy I can't pick it up or carry it any more.
Most of that clutter are the various brackets and tie downs needed, just a few spanners and hammers there.

----------


## r3nov8or

Fair enough. I get it. I start with a few things then by the end of the day it takes 5 trips to put it all back  :Smilie:

----------


## METRIX

> Fair enough. I get it. I start with a few things then by the end of the day it takes 5 trips to put it all back

  Only 5 you must tool lightly  :Smilie:   :Smilie:

----------


## Moondog55

View from the back door is slowly getting better.
The posts for the returns are down 600mm so some extra bracing there.
Feels very solid
I got very cold and a little wet yesterday with the weather change and a bit cold stressed so today I need to take it easy with a book and a cup of cocoa somewhere warm.
I'll have to do a Bunnings run to buy some extra batten/construction screws quickly before Geelong gets sent to stage 4 lockdown

----------


## Moondog55

Slowly, slowly, slowly I make progress.
Back door is now protected from most weather, that storm last week really tested the structure, Solid as a rock but the South Westerly still hit the door hard so some other protection from the extreme winter storms might be needed, thinking PVC Cafe blinds or a small shade sail

----------


## Moondog55

The mismatched boards on the smaller step is because we are using up all the bits I got in that clearance auction a couple of years ago. The Kwila will darken and the Merbau will bleach and in a few years it will all look the same. 
Next step is stripping all those rotten weather boards off and finishing the cladding, might be an opportune time to add a couple of exterior GPOs "just in case" we want more twinkly fairy lights out the back.
That outrigger post is made from two 90*35 H3 screwed/bolted to offcuts of 90*90, cheaper than a full H4 post and very rigid, the H4 footer section goes down a full metre, it's there to support the new clothes line if we decide on a Hills Extenda

----------


## droog

> The Kwila will darken and the Merbau will bleach

  I thought Kwila and Merbau were the same timber ?

----------


## phild01

> I thought Kwila and Merbau were the same timber ?

  Not sure, I always understood a difference that while the same, Kwila was more dense, particularly PNG Kwila.

----------


## Moondog55

If they are then the pale wood must be something else, I was told it was Kwila when I picked it all up.
Rimu??

----------


## r3nov8or

> I thought Kwila and Merbau were the same timber ?

   Yep, the same  https://narangbatimbers.com.au/timbe...w-merbaukwila/ 
As mentioned within, it sounds like you've picked up some sapwood there  "The sapwood, however, is pale yellow, white or buff coloured. "

----------


## Moondog55

No problem, given time it will all even out.
Raining again now here so the yard gets wetter and wetter and the mud gets deeper and deeper.

----------


## Moondog55

Shade sail anchor done and backstayed and as I'm using the Paulownia for one corner anchor I cyclone reinforced the tree

----------


## Moondog55

I'm old and getting older and it seems I am also getting slower.
Deconstructed chimney started.
Later on I'll pull these up and redo with a sand base but for the moment it is helping keep the dirt and mud out of the house

----------


## Bros

> I'm old and getting older and it seems I am also getting slower.

   There are worse things.

----------


## Moondog55

> There are worse things.

  Such as being eaten alive by Grizzly bears??

----------


## Cecile

At some point we are going to have to get serious about finishing off the cladding.  We had an estimate but I was a bit put off because he "forgot" to include GST on his estimate.  Plus, I am not sure that 8 hours' work is accurate, especially because Ted will be doing all the prep.

----------


## Moondog55

It's been a while but today my mate and I ripped off the weatherboards on that SW corner, redid some noggins, stuffed in some fibreglass and covered it with breather wrap.
Tuesday we'll put up the steel top-hat battens and do a layer of 10mm Foilboard and clad it with our left-over steel sheeting.
So the rear of house will have a combination of standard Zincalume Orb on the East and pale Colorbond Trimclad on the West with the door being the dividing line. We can live with the difference.
Lots of spiders but no rats or mice.

----------


## Moondog55

Best $5- I've spent at Resyke so far, even if Cecile gave me a hard time about "wasting money" on stuff I didn't need

----------


## Bros

I was doing a job for a friend a couple of yrs ago and he had one of these ladders and I erected it like you have and wondered why I was knocking my knees. I ended up ditching it for a bailey he had.

----------


## Moondog55

It doesn't fold the other way tho.

----------


## r3nov8or

Yeah, yours and the that in the graphic are different mechanisms for extension and locking in various positions

----------


## Moondog55

Some more progress and music while we work.
Half way there at lunchtime and with luck finished today.

----------


## Moondog55

Lots of loud music and a little more done between picking up kids from school etc

----------


## Bros

> Lots of loud music

  A neighbor from hell?

----------


## Moondog55

> A neighbor from hell?

  Yes ME
My carpenter mate isn't allowed to play music during the day because his spouse is also working from home. We took the opportunity to play Rock & Roll the way it is supposed to be played. But TBH it was only 90dB at the boundary. I only turned the amp up to 3, it goes to 11.

----------


## Cecile

> spouse is also working from home

  Perhaps Moondog also forgets that *HIS* spouse is also working from home.   :Sneaktongue:

----------


## droog

> Yes ME
> My carpenter mate isn't allowed to play music during the day because his spouse is also working from home. We took the opportunity to play Rock & Roll the way it is supposed to be played. But TBH it was only 90dB at the boundary. I only turned the amp up to 3, it goes to 11.

  Dont you know that unless it’s at 11 it ain’t rock and roll ?

----------


## r3nov8or

Would have had to have been a day of Mushroom artists, surely  :Smilie:  
Vale Michael Gudinski

----------


## Moondog55

Droog I can't play  at 11 until I get the subwoofers hooked up again, the black speakers in the picture are the tops and only supposed to play above 120 / 150Hz.
It's a good feeling knowing that you're on the way to being finished.
A little concreting and some landscaping and we are almost there.

----------


## Moondog55

Concreter just let us know he will be here on Tuesday to grade and set up and pouring on Wednesday

----------


## Moondog55

it's graded and the reo is down but the concrete can't be done until next Wednesday.
Dug even more tree roots out and hopefully some weed killer under the slab will help a little there. I do think we are on the last little bit of the work.
As said previously
" Only 10 years into a 2 year renovation"
Last big job is the front gates

----------


## Bros

I hope your budget stretched to chairs for the mesh?

----------


## Moondog55

Barchairs are part of the quoted price. He did part of the work this morning as he had a short window before lunch. Chairs will go in when the concrete arrives next week.

----------


## r3nov8or

That's going to make a big difference for you both!

----------


## Optimus

Is it just plain concrete? 
We just did our driveway in exposed, came up really good

----------


## Moondog55

> That's going to make a big difference for you both!

  Yes it's nice to be able to see that light at the end of the tunnel and while it is bog standard 32mpa concrete and I think we'll be happy enough with that for the next decade.

----------


## Bros

> We just did our driveway in exposed, came up really good

  Bloody awful to walk on in bare feet.

----------


## Optimus

> Bloody awful to walk on in bare feet.

  Depends on the mix you use..

----------


## Moondog55

Ben the concreter just finished the troweling and will be back in a day or two for the removal of the timber formwork.
Good tradesman and I'd be happy to recommend him.
Krauza Concrete in Geelong 
Cecile is happier now as I won't be dragging dirt and mud into the house every time I walk from the shed to the kitchen.
Looks a lot neater 
Now all I have to do is finish the repairs to the back veranda roof, plumb in the small water tanks and clean up.
Another small skip is on order to take away the dirt and old concrete

----------


## Bros

Well Moondog I'm glad you listened to me but it took a long time.

----------


## Moondog55

It was an easy decision when we found out that it was more expensive to use our S/H bricks. 
We did listen.
Bricks are being repurposed in the other area

----------


## Cecile

> Well Moondog I'm glad you listened to me but it took a long time.

  Now all I have to do is pay for it.

----------

