# Forum More Stuff Go to Whoa!  Extensions to Red Bricker

## aussieslr

Hi All,
I want to share my experiences during the next three months as I extend my house. I have had my house for 12 years and have always been 'going to' renovate it. Three years ago I made a major change to the way I live my life and actually got underway with renovating my existing parts. Below are some pics of my journey.
Kitchen Attachment 91326Attachment 91327
Bedroom Attachment 91328
Study (extra bedroom) Attachment 91332Attachment 91333Attachment 91331
Front door Attachment 91329Attachment 91330

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## shauck

Very nice so far 'sir.

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## aussieslr

Awesome - just had my first thread meltdown. Cool I've just worked out the auto recover.
My extension will include 68m2 of addition, 20m2 undercover deck, porch and a double carport (long ways). I have 3 months off work to be no. 1 labourer and to learn as much as I can from my builder. I'm currently 1 week into my leave however I've been working on my demos for a few weeks. 
Sleepout has to go Attachment 91346   Attachment 91349Attachment 91348 Attachment 91347
Brick pile grows Attachment 91350 Attachment 91351 
Down to damp course  Attachment 91347 
Front verandah had to go which I did yesterday.    Attachment 91354Attachment 91353 Attachment 91352 
Please feel free to ask any questions as I go and I'll endeavour to find out the answer. I'll try to post some thing each weekend

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## aussieslr

Thankyou Shauck, it has been a journey as all renos are.

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## Bloss

Nice bit of work. Well done.  :2thumbsup:

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## aussieslr

Firstly thanks to Bloss for the comment. 
Secondly boo to EI9 for freezing 3 times so far. I've just downloaded firefox so hopefully that won't happen any more.
This week my builder was delayed due to the recent bad weather. It worked in my favour because I could finish off my demo work plus get all the rubbish off to the tip. 
This monster concrete lintel got the better of me though. 
One of the days I took three 800kg loads to the tip plus jack hammered between loads. Slept well that night. 
Bricks all cleaned and stacked. 
Denailed all my hard wood and made some sundancewfs inspired saw horses. 
Pulled up some roots that had to go. 
I decided to get my hedge plants started. I bought 10 box leaf privots and potted them up. They are tough, attractive plants. 
This is what they look like when they grow up. 
Finally I'd like to introduce the site foreman Denzel. He's into eating, sleeping and long walks.

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## jatt

Like the archway over the front door.   
Looks like plenty of long days and fun 4 u. 
Being a lackie to a tradie, yep done a bit of that when possible.  U will learn heaps.

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## aussieslr

Thanks Jatt for the reply. The arch over the front door is nice however it has a big crack through it. Looks like we will have to pull it apart and install an expansion joint to sort it out. This is the best opportunity in the history of my house to fix it so I'll be pushing to do it. I have had my builder and the boys here for two days and I've just loved it. I'm doing my best to take it in (lots of photos) but tradies can be telepathic at times. I've been mates with some of them since high school so that makes it even better.
Now for this weeks update. The lads rolled in Tuesday with an excavator. First thing to go was the concrete lintel and the rest of the carport brick. The excavator had a 'claw' bucket so it made demo really easy. We just ripped into what ever I couldn't move and took it away in the truck. Luckily my builder had organised a recycler to take the bricks and concrete for free. One load had a bit of dirt in it so we took it to the tip and it cost more that $300 to tip (got to love the carbon tax).
Excavator doing its thing. 
Plumbers at it capping off the old earthen ware and fitting the new section under the footings. 
Footings being dug. 
The recent rain has left the ground very wet. Water started coming in so we stopped. When we started the next day the plan was to dig the rest of the footing, mesh it, get the inspector in and concrete it before the rain come again. 
Footing in and meshed up. 
Concrete pump was a tight fit. 
Beats the 'barrow any day. 
All done. 
Now I can put my feet up until next week while the concrete dries. OK so that's not true. The two page 'spare minute' list has come out and I'm into it.
Cheers until next time. :2thumbsup:

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## shauck

I like your "spare minute list" idea. Everyone needs one of those.

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## aussieslr

Shauck - the list is easy to make but hard to complete. Lots of little rework things so I'm finding it tricky to start them with so much else going on.
Thought I'd put up some plans so things are a little easier to follow. I've been playing around with sketchup too so I've added a couple of efforts. I'm finding it easy to use and great for planning because it is scaled.   Attachment 91755  Attachment 91756 
Sketchup of what I want my new front yard layout to look like. Could spend a week trying to explain this to the bricky.  Attachment 91757
Same deal with the toilet. I've got a Caroma Invisi cistern which is going in the roof with the buttons on the wall. Attachment 91758

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## Bloss

That brick-clad front door is gunna need some decent hinges . . .  :Wink:   :Smilie:

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## aussieslr

Ha ha ha Bloss, very true. I've decided to go without windows too.  :Biggrin: 
Just question for the brickies out there. We have been discussing how to do the rendered tapered columns at the entry of my house (see the first sketchup pic above). Any ideas? I thought we would do it the way the Egyptian made the pyramids ie. making each course a bit smaller then the last and then filling in the steps too create the taper. We could also use precast concrete jobs. Has anyone got any companies we could talk to about this ie. unitex?
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.

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## aussieslr

Had a great week this week. At then end of it the sub floor LVL floor and brick work have been put in. I also tidied up all of the insulation in the existing roof, cleaned up my fire place and moved 4 down lights in my study.
Bricks arriving. Attachment 91821
Brickies underway. Attachment 91822
All done. Attachment 91823
LVLs arrived. Attachment 91824
Steel piers ready to go. Attachment 91825
Bearers going in levelling as we go. Attachment 91826
Pier up close. Cut to size out of 90X90mm duragal then the ant cap slipped over. Attachment 91827
Joists just about finished off. Attachment 91828
I had to move 4 down lights by 200mm. First hole saw new holes. Attachment 91829
Move lights.  Attachment 91830
Cut a backing piece to support plaster cut out. Attachment 91831Attachment 91832
Use cut out to fill old hole, plaster over and paint.  Attachment 91833Attachment 91834
Just to top it all off I leveled the ground under my extension and put 1/2m of road base on the driveway to help with access. Attachment 91835Attachment 91836
Next week I'll be going to Darwin for a blow out. The boys will be back to put the r-floor down and stand the frame. 
Cheers.  :Drink:

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## aussieslr

I've returned from Darwin with a hangover and found that the frame had been erected. I actually thought that was pretty modest for a whole week given the speed that I had witnessed previously. Turns out the trusses had not been delivered as promised. That was fine with me as I want to be here for as much of my build as possible. The trusses turned up on Monday just as the Stramit truck arrived. Within an hour the doors/windows arrived.
The boys fired up on Tuesday firstly by tackling the steel members that hold up the roof over the deck. The roofers got underway removing the old fake tile iron roof and exposing the corrugated iron underneath it. They also removed the back iron ready to bring the trusses through. Attachment 92158
Trusses went up and a tarp went on. Not bad for a days work. Attachment 92159 
The roofers got under underway once the fall protection went up. All new colourbond right through. Attachment 92160
Porch out the front got framed up and the roof got finished off just in time to beat the rain. Attachment 92161
Later in the week the plumbers did their rough in. I have a Caroma Invisi cistern going into the roof with remote buttons. Had the plumber guessing but we all agree it is going to look pretty cool. Attachment 92162 Attachment 92163 
Today I worked on the electrical rough in. I got to used my new saw horses as a cable drum stand. Attachment 92164
Window and doors will be going in this week. We will wrap it up and knock out the linking wall between the new and old (hopefully I don't freeze) and start sheeting. It is all happening very fast and smoothly. Being here full time has been awesome and really allows work to speed on. I also get to keep a very close eye on everything and discuss positioning etc as it is installed. I'm starting to get that feeling of excitement!
Until next week.  :Biggrin thumb:

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## shauck

Coming along real nice. Are you learning heaps? 
That cistern looks interesting. Is it up there for access?

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## aussieslr

Hi Shauck,
To say I'm on a steep learning curve doesn't quite do it justice. I've read the books so I sort of have an idea but the speed of progress is over loading my brain ha ha. For instance on Tuesday morning only the frame was up. By Thursday night the roof was on, plumbing roughed in and I had started the elec rough in. I'm keeping a diary of progress, taking heaps of photos and doing a video diary to back it up so I should have backup for my dodgy memory.
The cistern in the roof was the result of a 'design process' ha ha. I bought the suite off ebay for the same as a normal loo. When I told the plumber he said I had to put a panel over the cistern so it could be removed. This was news to me so I read the literature and it said all the internals come out through the button hole (I proved this). I noticed that the literature mentioned a remote mount kit which allows the cistern to go in the roof (up to 3m) and the buttons to be mounted where ever you want. To save a fight I got the kit but I also like the idea of full access to the cistern given my maintenance back ground. The wall where the toilet also has taps on both sides so it would have got a bit busy. Like I said 'design process' ha ha.  Attachment 92167
See in the pic that the flush pipe goes undo one tap set and above the other. Only 45' bends are allowed and by doing it like we have the cistern is easily accessible. One note though - the bowl has special holes under the lip to slow the water down. If you used a normal bowl  you would get a nasty surprise.
Just one other thing too. Using this toilet allowed me to move the ensuite wall by 100mm because there is no cistern in the loo. That will make my double shower the full 900mm width - happy days.

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## shauck

Plumbing is not my forte so I still have a lot to learn about it but I have read discussions about concealed sisterns and the problems associated. You seem to have found the solution.

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## aussieslr

It has been a big week and the transformation of my house has taken a big step forward. Early in the week the boys finished of the framing by sorting out the bath, building a baulk head in the ensuite and tying the walls to the trusses. The external doors and windows also went in. Outside the roofer finished off the gutters.
The biggest change came on Wednesday when the old wall was removed between my extension and existing house. Now I can see from my kitchen out through the bi folds to my palm trees (that was the plan at design stage). The original window that was in my back wall has been moved to my laundry and is a real success light wise.
The back end of the week involved insulation going in and gyrock going up.  
My ebay bath installed. Saved some dollars there. 
Doors in and sissilation on. 
All wrapped up 
Down goes the wall. 
Insulation 
Things getting busy. 
View from my kitchen. 
My new (old) laundry window. 
Just wanted to show this product. It is temp down pipe. It comes in rolls and you just duct tape it up and peg it out. One of my spans is about 8 metres and it handled 10mm rain without a problem. I would have a big problem without this stuff due to the recent rain. 
Thats it for now. We just have a bit of gyrock to go up on Monday and the brickies will be back to start outside. Things are really motoring.

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## BaysideNana

Are you planning on fitting some insulation around/under the bath?  Offcuts work OK and keeps the water warm, that is unless you like a cold bath!!!   :Biggrin:   
Couldn't help but think when you pressed the loo button it would be a case of 'whooshka' and you'd have to jump out of the way....then you mentioned the speed trap!!   :Shock:  
Anyway congrats, it's looking good.   :2thumbsup:

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## aussieslr

Hi BaysideNana,
Yeah we talked about insulating around the bath but I thought it was a joke. We did the external walls but not the front. I'll jam some in there now - thanks for the tip.
I'll be happy when the toilet flushes for the first time. Then I'll be sure the speed trap works.  :Fingerscrossed:

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## BaysideNana

Don't worry so many people either don't think about insulation around the bath, or they are non-believers.  I had a big fight with the builder here and NO WAY would he agree...so I put aside some leftover batts and fitted them when he went home and just before the bath was sheeted.  Because it's a spa bath it was even more important to have it insulated, but of course, would never affect him in a million years.   
Anyway he didn't find out I'd done it because he was gloating some weeks later about how many arguments he 'won' and this was on his list.  I know who had the last laugh, and it wasn't him!!   :Biggrin:  
This house has insulation everywhere and it's paid off because I've only used the heater (r/c aircon) for two nights, 15 minutes each time, then had to turn it off because it was too hot.  Kept a close eye on room temps throughout winter and on the coldest nights it drops less than 1degC overnight, with no heating during the day either.  Gotta love insulation...btw, I'm NOT affiliated with any insulation company etc, but have learned over the years it's well worth installing in every nook and cranny.  
Don't forget to report back on the loo flushing as I'm really interested in the results.  Great idea having the cistern in the roof, except if you have OA (like me) and can't get into the roof anymore when a washer needs replacing.   :Cry:   
Have a great weekend!    

> Hi BaysideNana,
> Yeah we talked about insulating around the bath but I thought it was a joke. We did the external walls but not the front. I'll jam some in there now - thanks for the tip.
> I'll be happy when the toilet flushes for the first time. Then I'll be sure the speed trap works.

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## aussieslr

All done.  :Biggrin:  Thanks again. Attachment 92302
Don't worry - I'm a huge believer in insulation and gap removal. My house is a 1937 job so you can imagine the cold in winter. Things have got progressively better as I've renovated each room and lowered the skirts, sealed vents etc. One of my first jobs when I started my extension was to get in the roof and properly insulate around my downlights and fill any missed bits. Just that simple job made a difference to the retention of heat when the heat turned off. The new roof also made a big difference with the installation of sissilation which was missing before. My extension also has r-flor to get the floor up to R1.5 for the BASIX and I choose to put in double glazed windows and doors . I'm really looking forward to feeling the full effect once it is fully sealed off.  
Have a great weekend too BaysideNana.
Cheers.  :Monkey dance:

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## woodchip

Good tip BaysideNana! 
We are close installing the bath ourselves & will do that with some offcuts. 
cheers

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## sundancewfs

Just read through you project..... I'm having flashbacks.  :Biggrin:  
Great job! A lot of work has gone/is going into this one.  :2thumbsup:  
You can never have too much insulation......... :Biggrin:

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## BaysideNana

Woodchip we first insulated a bathtub approx 35 yrs ago and you should have heard the knockers back then!!  LOL  But we lived in a cold climate and wanted the kids' bathwater to stay warm, we also put some insulation around the laundry tub (I used to wash in hot water back then) and also the kitchen sink.     :Biggrin:    

> Good tip BaysideNana! 
> We are close installing the bath ourselves & will do that with some offcuts. 
> cheers

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## aussieslr

Hi Sundancewfs,
I greatly appreciate your comment as I am a subscriber to your thread. This is my first reno/extension so most things are a first. Hopefully one day I'll have a skill set like yours to call upon rather than having to 'google' it ha ha. Thankyou for seeing the hours behind the photos (as I also see in your pics) as there are a mountain of them. The old saying 'measure twice, cut once' really should be extended to 'think three times, measure twice, cut once'. I'm really glad now that I went to open houses, read the mags and really took the time to get all my decisions sorted before building commenced. 3 tradies and a labourer can rattle through some work in a week if the the designer can tell them exactly what he/she wants instantly. 
Thanks again and keep up the good work on your build. :Clapping:

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## aussieslr

Hi All,
Saturday morning means its time for an update. Another busy week with lots of progress. Firstly the sheeting was finished off including the villaboard in the ensuite. That left me alone to install the roof insulation, mark out my downlight positions and clean up my yard. Not sure if I said it before but take your bricks, concrete and iron to the recyclers. It is $40 a tonne to dump it at my local tip so recycling it for free (or a small profit on the iron) is much better. Later in the week my plasterer started stopping up the wet areas and I started painting my truss tails outside (no eaves on my old place). The weather has the brickie in a tizz. He will be here all weekend trying to lay bricks while the sun shines. Things are still going well and this next week will be exciting as tiles and paint come into the equation. 
Cheers.  :Yippy:  
Insulation   
Toilet cistern in the roof (again)  
Sheeting in progess 
The plumber showed me his new toy. The fitting are going toward crimp style fittings and this is the tool for the job.  
My ensuite baulk head getting plastered. 
Bricks set up ready to go.

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## aussieslr

This week the brickies managed to get all the bricks laid. I loved it because it was the first time I could see the finished product. On the inside the plaster was in to start stopping up. The wet areas were the priority and by the end of the week I have moved in to start painting ahead of the tiles being laid next week. I also started painting the tails outside ahead of the carport being built. Feels like not much happened because only a couple of things got worked on but they are big ticket items - bricks, plaster, paint. Yep that takes time. 
Bricks Attachment 92535Attachment 92534Attachment 92536Attachment 92537Attachment 92538 
Plaster  Attachment 92540Attachment 92539Attachment 92541 
Paint  Attachment 92544Attachment 92543Attachment 92545Attachment 92542Attachment 92546 
I learnt how to remove old bricks. 
Use a 6mm masonary bit to remove mortar along the bottom (and up the side if needed). Attachment 92548Attachment 92550
Drop brick down and wiggle out. Attachment 92551Attachment 92552
Repeat. Attachment 92549
Brick up. The bricky put the bottom mud in first then used a 5mm trowel to push the rest in up the sides and top.  Attachment 92553
After all that work it is time for a nap! Attachment 92554  :Sleeping2:

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## aussieslr

Another busy week and I'm nearly wrecked. Booked a hotel in Melbourne next weekend for a well earned break and to visit the Grand Designs show - might even meet Kevin McLeod???
This week some of my plans have started to bear fruit. The concrete on the carport side of my house was removed and the carport footings and posts were installed. Next the frames and trusses went up with lots of care taken to keep it all square etc.
On the inside the plasterer did a great job to finish off the plastering. The cabinets have been installed and the stone bench tops installed. The tiler has also put a bit of shape on the floor ready for Monday. Next week should see the job finished and full control handed back to me. Happy days. :Biggrin:  
Carport going in. I can get a bit more into the 'how too' if anyone is interested. Attachment 92651Attachment 92652Attachment 92653Attachment 92654 
Plastering. Attachment 92660Attachment 92661 
Floor waterproofing and shaping. Attachment 92665Attachment 92659Attachment 92668 
Laundry cabinets.  Attachment 92667Attachment 92666 
Powder room vanity. I got the cabinet from the Southern Innovations car park sale for $90, the basins are Caroma Liano units that cost $100 each off ebay and the stone bench tops were $1800 all up. Attachment 92657 
Ensuite Vanity. This unit was also purchased at the car park sale for $720. The top was marked which didn't worry me because I was going install stone bench tops. Basins are Caroma Liano. Attachment 92658 
Walk in cabinets. Attachment 92663Attachment 92664 
This week I've also got to feel the full effects of the thermal properties of the house. My two north facing windows are now fully exposed to the winter sun and do a surprisingly good job of providing some warmth during the day. In the late afternoon the french doors to my future bedroom are fully exposed to the sun and the room also warms up a fair bit. My house is also now about 95% sealed up for the first time in my 12 years here and will be 100% by the end of next week. No drafts, no slugs on the floor, no dust blowing in, no feeling the weather outside - just seat down and enjoy. Well maybe next weekend I can  :Fingerscrossed: .
Bye for now.

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## BaysideNana

It's looking good and cornice really suits the house.   Nice to be able to see light at the end of the tunnel?  Does your supervisor get next weekend off too?  maybe at a doggie resort somewhere?  LOL   
Enjoy Grand Designs...I've got tickets for GD in Sydney but starting to think it's not going to happen.  Will place an ad in the forum once a decision has been made.   
You'll come back to your reno with renewed enthusiasm.  Have fun  :Biggrin:

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## aussieslr

Hi BaysideNana,
The supervisor gets to have the house to himself for the weekend. I'm going to build him a new site office in a few weeks so that will keep him happy.  :Biggrin: 
The cornice is CSR Tempo which works well with my 2.9m ceilings. I'm stoked to have the plastering behind me as that dust is almost unstoppable. 
I'm really looking forward to having my house to myself again. 2.5 months of having visitors has really stretched my social limits ha ha. I also think I'm going to become a clean freak after this because I just want the dust and dirt gone  :Fit:   .
I went to a home last weekend for sustainable home day to wet my appetite for Grand Designs. I really love all the deign stuff so I'll be like a kid in a candy store next week.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

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## sundancewfs

> I'm stoked to have the plastering behind me as that dust is almost unstoppable.

  I can relate to this..... :Annoyed:  Dust! PLASTER dust! It just cost us $200 to have our projector cleaned out, after the concrete dust experience of a few months ago.....

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## aussieslr

Hi Sundancewfs,
I did a pretty good job of keeping the plaster dust at bay but its the sand and dirt getting carried in on boots thats doing my head in. The brickies are set up right in a strategic position so you can't get past without getting sand on your boots. I think it could be a ploy to crack me  :Weeping: .
I've had my TV and stereo for a decade so the plan is to replace them soon anyway. My poor vacuum cleaner has done some hard yard so I suspect it will be the one that lets out smoke (electricians know that everything is made of smoke - if the smoke is let out it's bad  :Biggrin: ).
Just about to start on the down lights which will mean I can paint 24 hours a day (Block joke sorry  :Doh:  ). 
I'm a bit excited about this week - wet areas finished, lights, power, paint - yeah.

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## Bloss

This is looking great! Glad to see that insulation too.   :2thumbsup:   :2thumbsup:  Bath insulation also stops heat leaving via the empty bath and that's the case much more than keeping it in.

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## aussieslr

Thanks Bloss. Seeing all my ideas taking shape is really floating my boat at the moment. At 9pm tonight I finished off the lights and felt a bit proud of my efforts.   :Biggrin:

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## aussieslr

My weekly update has come forward a day because I'm off to the big smoke tomorrow. Week started well on Sunday when I connected the lights for my extension. I have all down lights with CFL 3000K globes in them so the light is like very natural. I put a sensor in the hallway near the toilet and one in the walk in (people love that one). Just a tip - I went to the wholesalers to get Clipsal sensors but they were $180 each. The guy said the sparkies had been using PDL PIR sensors instead at $80. Very neat unit and is silent.
Trev the tiler had a crew in doing my much thought about tiling. 600X300 white rectified wall tiles, 300X300 moca rectified floor tiles with glass mosaics are not for the faint hearted but the boys have done a great job. Outside the roof went on the carport and the boys fitted fascia around the tails of the extension. 
Guess what??? That's right I've been painting  :Artist1: . 
Carport Attachment 92760Attachment 92761 Attachment 92763Attachment 92764 
 To avoid a box gutter I designed the carport to run under the house gutter line. This created an area which is not accessible for cleaning.Given I have plain trees in my street I needed a solution. I asked the roofer to install flashing from the house gutter to the carport roof. Should do the trick :Fingerscrossed:   Attachment 92771 
Trev the tilers fine work. Attachment 92765Attachment 92766Attachment 92767Attachment 92768 
Tail painting or acrylic yoga as I like to call it. Attachment 92769 
On Thursday my tallowood floor turned up so I staked it up to acclimatise. I took 3 samples over to a timber flooring store to have them moisture tested. They came out at 7-8% straight out of the pack which means they are ready to lay. Unfortunately by my calcs we are 30lm short which sucks. I took the chance to look at the different finishes in the store and fell in love with an oil based finish they use. It is a flat finish which can be revived if a section of floor is damaged or worn. The thing I loved the most was how it covered imperfections and makes them look flat. More on that later. Attachment 92770 
One area of electrical work that DIYers can get involved in is tricking up the mounting of external lights while the sparky is fitting off. Rather than having a piece of conduit saddled to the tail and the light mounted flush on the tail or fascia, I used two blocks screwed to the tail to create a flat surface for the light (it is right on the corner of the house and needs to point forward and back). I then used a 20mm spade bit to drill a hole for the conduit in one block and checked out a route for the cable. Next I cut the conduit to length and the boys checked the fascia for me to hold the other end. Screwed it all up, filled gaps, painted and connected light...looks trick. Attachment 92772 
Bye for now. Have a great weekend. :Biggrin:

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## BaysideNana

It's looking schmicko!!  Like how you've done the dual light under the eaves, those little things are what really add a nice touch....anyone can run conduit with ugly saddles. 
Have a great weekend away  :Biggrin:

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## aussieslr

Thanks BaysideNana. All those little things add up and hopefully I'll end up with something to be proud of. Did you get to Grand Designs? I really enjoyed Melbourne and listening to Kevin McLeod was actually a little bit awesome. Come out of there with some good ideas and a truck load of inspiration. So much so that I got on the paint brush after the 3.5hr drive home.

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## Gaza

> Thanks BaysideNana. All those little things add up and hopefully I'll end up with something to be proud of. Did you get to Grand Designs? I really enjoyed Melbourne and listening to Kevin McLeod was actually a little bit awesome. Come out of there with some good ideas and a truck load of inspiration. So much so that I got on the paint brush after the 3.5hr drive home.

  
was there much at the show other than the normal trade both style set up, how many presentations are there?

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## aussieslr

Hi Gaza,
The Grand Designs Live website has the presentation time tables for the different stages on it. I had big plans of listening to the different speaks but after standing in the one spot for 90 minutes for Kevin I was over that. Everyone went in at 10am and straight to the main stage for Kevin at 11am so it was full. I noticed it got much better for the other speakers as the day wore on. 
I liked how it was broken up into areas. Outdoors, building, Kitchen/bathroom and interiors were in the 4 corners so it was a easy to navigate. It was different to your standard home show in that it was tailed toward self building, renovation and sustainable living. For example, CSR had a big stand in the middle of the building section which covered gyrock, Bradford insulation and Viridian glass. Just up from it was the Scyon display which covered self building where you could book a one on one to talk about your project. The only problem for me is my build is beyond that stage so I had very few questions to ask (and it was busy). I have the list of displays now so I can check out there websites and save there links for later.
I will be going back for sure next year but I might wait until the afternoon to make an appearance.
Cheers.

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## aussieslr

Morning all,
This week has been a rewarding one and a frustrating one as well. Firstly the plumbers have been back to finish there fix out and connect the draining. Everything looks good and the toilet works. The only slight problem with the toilet is you have to hold your finger on the button for the whole flush but I think this is a toilet issue not an installation issue. Its great to to have fully working drainage for the first time in a decade however the charged system has a leak which will need to be fixed.
The tiles are looking sweet and the wet areas just need the trim painted. We started laying the floor boards and after many calls to the retailers got all the boards down except 3 rows. I told them 230l/m four months ago, my builder told them 28m2 two months ago so they deliver 200l/m which was actually 170l/m when unpacked. The top up delivery was 30l/m so guess what we miss out by 3 rows - hopeless  :Annoyed: . Even after all that frustration I really don't care because the boards look amazing. Yesterday the lads also fitted the doors and I got the mirrors, shower screen and linen doors ordered. Oh and I painted another section of tails out side and primed the steel beams over the future deck. 
Plumbing Attachment 92838Attachment 92839 Attachment 92840Attachment 92841 
Flooring
Finally got to pull up that feral blue plastic and clean the r-flor. Attachment 92842 
Two link full boards to link old and new. Attachment 92853 
We angled the laundry board up to make it a seamless join. The toilet board had to be shaved down to get the same join. Glad we did it as it looks trick.   Attachment 92847Attachment 92846 
Away we go with the secret nailer. Attachment 92849Attachment 92845Attachment 92850 Attachment 92851Attachment 92852 
Finally the site foreman had to inspect the drainage pipes. I hope he fills them in for me.  Attachment 92848

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## BaysideNana

It's looking good!!  Really like the streamlined toilet (with no visible cistern).  Bummer about the shortfall on the floorboards, it doesn't surprise me....nobody seems to care about stuff like that now, but they look good all the same.   
Hope you give the site foreman some time off, he really looks overworked....poor bloke!! :Eek:  
Have a great weekend  :Biggrin:

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## shauck

Great stuff. Love the floor boards. I'm guessing the foreman got out of backfilling those trenches.

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## aussieslr

Hi BaysideNana and Shauck,
The boards are 130mm feature grade Tallowood. The idea is to fill all the holes and other faults in with black filler. I've seen it in a store in Melbourne and it looks pretty good. I was a bit worried that gluing and secret nailing on to yellow tongue might not hold the boards firmly enough but we had to pull one up and it is difficult with wet glue let alone dry glue. I just wish we had the full 230l/m so we could shuffle the boards around a bit. The TV room looks a bit like floating floor because of all the short bits  :Upset: . No one will be able to tell with some furniture in there but it could have been perfect. 
The loo is an all round success. It allowed us to move the ensuite wall 100mm and the leg room is still ample. That 100mm made a big difference on the ensuite side because the shower is now a full 900mm. :Biggrin: 
Back to my real job this week so my building work experience is just about over. I think I'll look back at it as one of the most rewarding things I've done. Right up there with the Kokoda trail and Contiki (you couldn't get two things more apart then those two).
Cheers.  :Cheers2:

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## BaysideNana

Some years ago we had a house with 150mm rough sawn, shiplapped Tallowood as wall cladding in the family room and black filler was used, it looked great and blended so much better than any timber coloured wood filler.  It was then fixed with copper clouts to battens which had been screwed to the steel frame.   
Ceilings through the whole living area (except beds and baths) were T&G Tassie Oak (lightly oiled) and the kitchen cupboards were also Tassie Oak.   
Good luck going back to the real world....has the site foreman been stood down???  Poor bloke, do feel sorry for him loosing his job like that!!   :Sneaktongue:

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## aussieslr

He didn't fill in the trenches so I sacked him. He is now back in charge of security while I go back to work. It will definitely be a shock but I feel refreshed even though I've been working 60 hour weeks. I'm sure a couple of night shifts will slap that out of me  :Cry: .

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## BaysideNana

Gee....tough boss!!   isn't that unfair dismissal?   :Rolleyes:

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## shauck

Hopefully you'll find your way back onto the tools. They're hard to put down.

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## aussieslr

Don't worry Bayside he has been 'redistributed'. :Biggrin: .
Shauck - my real job is an industrial sparky so I just put down one set of tools and pick up another. Ive got to finish off a heap of painting. After that I've held back lining the carport and porch plus building the deck. They will be all mine to stuff up  :Biggrin thumb: . I'm feeling much more confident in my ability after watching the pros for 3 months so hopefully I can do the boys proud.

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## shauck

Enjoy the painting... It'll be good to see your next project.

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## aussieslr

Got along way to go here Shauck so I'll be posting here for a bit.
I'm at work tomorrow and Saturday so I've decided to do my post early. OK I'll be honest I a bit excited about my new brick work.   
The design essentials with my carport was to maximise the the door opening. The end result will be 2520mm W X 2300mm H. I need 150mm on each side for the panel door so that meant the right side had to be 2 bricks. After lots of thought I ended up going with 2 bricks either side to keep it even. It is set back a little because the courses don't line up because the recycled bricks are bigger.   
The front course extends up to the gutter and the structure of the carport sits on the back course. The bricky tried to tell me it would look crap but I think it looks smashing. The head will be rendered to match the house windows.    
The council planners original said I could take the gutter to 300mm from my border. I got the plans drawn up and handed them in and promptly got told I had to 500mm off the boundary. So to get maximum width for my door I got the boys to brick up under the gutter on the side. This adds about 100mm of width and allows the downpipe to be hidden behind the brick work. A great design is great but coming up with an ever better compromise almost feels more satisfying.   
My two front piers are in too. I got talked into putting my old columns back up but I like reusing some of the old pieces so I'm happy enough. As Kevin McLeod says 'the old stuff is the story of the building'.    
Columns there ready to rock.
The plumbers have been back and fixed up my drainage leak and finished off there left over jobs. My builder just rang and the boys will be here tomorrow to finish the floor and continue the fix out. It's really coming together and I'm chuffed with it.  :Blush7: 
Enjoy the weekend.

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## sundancewfs

That's looking really great aussieslr! It sure is going to have some excellent curb appeal when it's all done.  :2thumbsup:

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## aussieslr

Thankyou sundancewfs, I'm getting a bit pumped about it now. The lads laid the last 3 rows of floor boards yesterday as well as fixed off a big chunk of the skirts and arcs. It is also time for it to be just me and my home  :Biggrin: .
Funny you mention street appear. Now that the brick work is done out the front I can stand back and have a look at the front. I was going to replace the front fence with a new 1200mm pier fence so a path could be install straight to the front door (see my sketchup pics). Now that it's in I'm thinking I might just get the existing piers capped to match the columns near the front door. My street is actually about 600mm higher than my yard so with the current fence it looks like 3 steps - fence, porch columns then house. It is something I hadn't thought of and it looks kind of right. Oh and the brickies will be happy. The recycled bricks are very dry and a bit well 'second hand'.  
Tomorrow I'm on the paint brush inside heading for the finish line. Bathurst in the background should make it a good day. 
Good luck with your home over the next few weeks. Looks like you've got a little bit of free time to get stuck it. I look forward to your posts  :Thumbup: .

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## aussieslr

Just wanted to do an early update as I am working all weekend. This week a lot of things got finished off so that the only thing left to do is paint or better still touch up the paint. All the skirts and archs are on except the bit where the render needs to be installed. The laundry, toilet, ensuite and main bedroom are done. I just realised my living are is done too - woohoo. The big highlight of the week was hands down the installation of the mirrors, shower screen and sliding doors . 
Laundry. The dirty clothes sliding draw thingy is finally in. Sliding doors in.   
Toilet mirror is in. It makes the room look huge.    
The ensuite mirrors and shower screen. The screen is an aqua delux semi frameless from Regency (part of Jeldwen). It was half the price of fully frameless and looks like a glass wall - brilliant.     
I had about 25l/m of 130mm Tallowood flloring so I decided to start working on a dining table. I wanted to get then stuck together and braced as they tend to warp quickly is left. I ended up with 2700X1040mm so my future dining table should seat 8.         
Last week the brickies were unhappy because my recycled bricks were to dry. This week the new reds are too wet and the mud keeps collapsing. So the result is I have half a column.  
To finish with the sundancewfs inspired saw horses have delivered on the promise of being revolve door painting specialist tool thingies.  Attachment 93062
Thanks sundancewfs.

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## BaysideNana

It's really looking good with all the final bits 'n pieces in place.   The laundry looks great and the semi frameless screens are fantastic,  aren't they?   
I've just about (maybe tomorrow or the next day) bought myself a makeover project, not on the same scale as yours, but needs a lot of TLC.  I've got my ducks in a row just waiting on my purchaser's bank to get their's lined up so the sale on this house can proceed before committing to the next one!!   
All good fun and games....better than sitting around watching the grass grow!   :Biggrin:     

> Just wanted to do an early update as I am working all weekend. This week a lot of things got finished off so that the only thing left to do is paint or better still touch up the paint. All the skirts and archs are on except the bit where the render needs to be installed. The laundry, toilet, ensuite and main bedroom are done. I just realised my living are is done too - woohoo. The big highlight of the week was hands down the installation of the mirrors, shower screen and sliding doors . 
> Laundry. The dirty clothes sliding draw thingy is finally in. Sliding doors in.  
> Toilet mirror is in. It makes the room look huge. 
> The ensuite mirrors and shower screen. The screen is an aqua delux semi frameless from Regency (part of Jeldwen). It was half the price of fully frameless and looks like a glass wall - brilliant.      
> I had about 25l/m of 130mm Tallowood flloring so I decided to start working on a dining table. I wanted to get then stuck together and braced as they tend to warp quickly is left. I ended up with 2700X1040mm so my future dining table should seat 8.   
> Last week the brickies were unhappy because my recycled bricks were to dry. This week the new reds are too wet and the mud keeps collapsing. So the result is I have half a column.  
> To finish with the sundancewfs inspired saw horses have delivered on the promise of being revolve door painting specialist tool thingies. 
> Thanks sundancewfs.

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## aussieslr

Hi Bayside,
Firstly sorry about the photos getting a bit out of control. I ran out of time before I had to leave for work and accidently deleted my post. Anyway all good now.
It is good to be seeing the finished items installed. It is almost fully under my control again which will be great. I managed to give it a clean today and hid a few tools which made me a bit happier after 3.5 months on a construction site. Outside is a different question :Annoyed: .
Congrats on the new project. Reading the 'go to whoa' threads gives you lots of ideas so I look forward to reading how you are getting on (that's if you thread it up :Biggrin: ).
Agree on the semi frameless - its a cracker. First shower this weekend :Confetti:

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## aussieslr

Weekly update is a one word affair - painting  :Cry: .

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## freebaser

Mate this is looking fantastic. What a transformation! The place will be unrecognisable when you are done. 
Yep - Painting sucks, but it always feels good when its finished.

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## BaysideNana

Agree that painting is not much fun but is worth it in the end.  The house is looking good and a great sense of achievement when you've done so much yourself.   
I like the bathroom and laundry colours, neutral is always good and bring out other colours in towels etc.    :Biggrin:

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## aussieslr

Thankyou both for your comment. Painting is alright but painting to a deadline sucks. I have carpet coming next week and I've been in Melbourne for the last three days. Thankfully I had it under control before a left so I should be right. I dropped into Urban Salvage while I was down there and got the timber for my dining table which has me all excited. The legs will be recycled Tallowood phone pole cross members and the sides are Blackbutt from an old chook shed. Should look very rustic.
Only one downpipe got fixed up while I was away but my builder will be here on Friday. A good day would just about do it for him and then only render and a brick clean will be left to do. Then I'll be king of the castle again  :Biggrin: .

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## aussieslr

This week has been a very busy week at work so it has been tough to find any time to spend on the house. I did manage to connect out the final outlet inside and one outside so the power circuit could be turned on. Yesterday my builder was back for his last day. The boys did a great job installing the columns out the front, boxing around the top of the alfresco column and finishing the trim inside. The only things left are render outside, brick clean and the plumber needs to come back to install the washing machine (I know I could do that but the builder reamed the plumber for not doing it). 
The good news for me is the carpet goes in on Wednesday so I''m going to spend some quality time with my dining table build  :Biggrin: . 
Firstly I installed my ensuite outlet inside the vanity. This has raised a few eyebrows because it doesn't seem practical. However I got a box made for it so that it sits about 100mm inside the door (enough room to have something on charge and the door closed). If you want to use it you open the middle door, pull out our appliance, plug it in and get to work. As a result my ensuite has no electrical switches visible as the light switches are outside the door also. Attachment 93316Attachment 93317 
Chair rail on to complete the work inside. Attachment 93320 
To tidy up the lines at the top of my alfresco column I asked the boys to box around the top. After lots brow rubbing they came up with a marine ply option which is better than I imagined. The check outs are also very well done so a big shout out to the lads. Attachment 93321Attachment 93322 
The columns out the front where chem set at the bottom and bolted at the top. The fascia board was installed and I have a plaster job to complete it. So that's it, the new street view of my house (minus the panel door  :Biggrin thumb: ).  Attachment 93319Attachment 93324Attachment 93326Attachment 93325  
Finally I wanted to show you the recycled timber for my table. It is just so good to have timber in my world again.  :Clapping:  Attachment 93318

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## BaysideNana

On the home straight now....it's looking good too!!    Imho, those mosaics in the bathroom just add enough of a feature without being too overpowering.   
The alfresco column is finished neatly, I was beginning to think neat tradies were a thing of the past.....hoped not!! 
Can't wait to see your table.     :Biggrin:  
PS.....hope to sign on the dotted line on my next project tomorrow, it's not huge like yours but has a few problems of it's own.  Mainly a brand new deck, lacking (imho) a bearer or two and some adjustable piers...atm it's like walking on a trampoline, but having said that it looks OK...just as long as you don't walk across it!!  LOL     :Doh:

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## aussieslr

Hi BaysideNana,
That's exciting news. A bouncy deck shouldn't be too hard to fix. A extra joist here and there should fix it up. The people on this forum will be able to help out if yo have any questions. 
Yes the mosaics are a success. I asked the tile man if I was over baking it and he just looked at me and said 'it will look awesome'. I do think I'll have to pull one of the colours out of the mosaics into the bedroom to balance it out a bit. Then it would work really well.
Being a tradie I have a high standard when it comes to judging work quality. The work of the builder and his chippies if top shelf. That's twice they have checked around that corner and both times the gaps have been within millimetres. Some of the other guys haven't been to that standard though.
I'm just pumped about my table. I choose to go to electrical ahead of joinery years ago because I wanted to have woodwork as my hobby. I think my life might be at the right point to get back to my hidden love. I just wish I had more tools...... but don't we all  :Wink 1: .

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## BaysideNana

I have dabbled in woodwork at various times and really enjoy it, biggest project was owner building our house many years ago, learned heaps doing that...and it was fun too!!   Beforehand I couldn't even cut a piece of timber straight nor could I hammer a nail without folding it over, but all that soon changed and it gave great satisfaction to know I did the entire house with T&G Cypress floors, archs/skirtings/etc, T&G V-jointed Radiata ceilings (invisibly nailed) and hardwood decks that were all highly visible and done to a high standard.  Quite proud of that achievement after a few short months on the tools and having never seen floor cramps let alone know how they worked....joists/bearers/wall studs/etc/etc don't matter too much but were good practice for the detailed finishing work.  On that house I did all the plumbing and electrical as well, although both trades signed off and did the final connections after everything was checked.   
Metalwork was another hobby and was a one year course at TAFE but I continued for 6 years only finishing due to a move away from that area, and made things like a copper rangehood, copper/brass sundial (which I've still got), fire tools, heat exchanger fire grate to name a few.  Dressmaking (and all kinds of sewing) is another long term hobby and I just look at these others as an extension....measuring/cutting/assembling and all giving a great amount of satisfaction, because one thing I hate is a shoddy job and prefer to do as much as possible when/where I can but having said that, do know my limitations. 
Good idea to pull one of the colours in your mosaics to flow into the other room, doesn't have to be a huge amount but just enough to tie it all together.  I've always preferred bathrooms to be fairly neutral and add colour with towels etc which can be a different colour every day of the week, if you want.   
Fully understand the 'wanting more tools comment' I've got a mitre saw that's never been used and itching to get it out of the box and onto the stand.  Bought it a couple of years ago when planning to do another owner build but the land deal fell through and plans changed, but there's work for it at the next house.  That's when I'll be asking questions as it never hurts to have another opinion or three....you can always learn something new.   
Oh it's all good fun  :Rolleyes:

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## aussieslr

I'm still getting hammered by work and other commitments so work has been a little slow this week. I spent most of my free time in the shed working on my new table. Almost got the legs on it but I'll need a few more clear days to get it finished. 
The big thing that happened in the house was the installation of the carpet in my main bedroom. I just have the feature wall and the doors to go in that room and I'm finished. Similarly the ensuite just needs a touch up and the door painting. The laundry and toilet need the windows painted plus some touch up work. I'm going to finish these room of completely before starting on the living room  :Wink 1: .    Attachment 93515 Attachment 93516 Attachment 93519 Attachment 93517
On the old part of the house I left the timber edge exposed but on the main I installed an aluminum strip just the cover the slightly out of line flooring edge.  Attachment 93518  
Bit of table action. I'm just winging it so don't chip me about something I'm doing wrong. The timber on the boards is just the frame and I have blackbutt to go around the outside so no screws will be visible. Well that's the plan anyway  :Cry: .  Attachment 93522Attachment 93523Attachment 93524 
It has been a nice relaxing week in the shed and the site foreman enjoyed it too. I even caught him sneaking a nap in the sun.  Attachment 93520Attachment 93521  
Just one last pic of the back of the house with the brick column in place. I'm already looking forward to starting on the deck. Attachment 93525 
Cheers.

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## aussieslr

During the last couple of weeks I've been finishing off my table. All up it had cost me $900 for a 2.7m X 1.1M dining. Half of that was tools and things so they will keep giving in the future. Designed the table so that I could cover all of the screws etc with the border timber.    Attachment 93850 Attachment 93852 
I did find a useful tool that could be used by renovators. I used a 3/8' plug cutter to cut plugs to cover the screws in the mitres. I just put the plug cutter in a drill press and cutter plugs out of a piece of offcut. Next I drilled the holes in the end timber and used a 9.5mm drill bit to recess the screw. I then clamped, glued and screwed it all up, pushed in the plugs in with some glue. The next day I cut the plugs to length and sanded them flat with the belt sander. This sort of thing can be used on decks to hide screws and is better than using a dowel because the grain is going in the same direction.    Attachment 93853Attachment 93854Attachment 93851 
The good news on the house is the brick clean has been done, temp fence is down and the rendering will be done this week. I got my final builder bill and it come in about $10K more than I expected. I had to take it in a bit before I was happy with it. I do have an amazing property, I did learn a huge amount and I will be able to do more next time so at then end of the day I'm good with that. 
The pics below show the recycled bricks around my carport and the new reds out the back all cleaned up.   Attachment 93855 
Finally I had a huge ebay victory with the leather chairs below. They are $500 each from Bay Leather Republic and I got 8 of them for $360. They are distressed leather and will be the perfect partners to my table.  Attachment 93857Attachment 93858 
Bye for now.

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## aussieslr

Oh missed a bit :Doh: . We are using tung oil on the table.

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## aussieslr

After 7 months of doing my washing in the shed I've moved into my new laundry. The toilet is also finished so I only have the living area to paint then its outside for some deck building.  Attachment 94055 Attachment 94054Attachment 94057 
Now back to the painting.  :Biggrin:

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## sundancewfs

Great job aussieslr. The whole project is looking brilliant!  :2thumbsup:

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## aussieslr

Thanks sundancewfs. I was getting a bit lonely on my thread. I just ordered the duragal flooring for my deck and I'll order the decking today so I've got supplies for the festive season. No rest for the wicked so they say. Looks like your project is ticking along nicely too.
Merry Christmas.  :Santahat:

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## gkounadi

> Thanks sundancewfs. I was getting a bit lonely on my thread. I just ordered the duragal flooring for my deck and I'll order the decking today so I've got supplies for the festive season. No rest for the wicked so they say. Looks like your project is ticking along nicely too.
> Merry Christmas.

   :Shock:   Don't feel lonely!  I've been watching this one from the start.  Looking great and can't wait for more.  Love the table too!

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## aussieslr

Firstly to gkounadi, thankyou for using your first post to cheer me up. A very merry Christmas to you and yours.
It has been a frustrating and disappointing couple of weeks. I've been trying to refinance but my bank (three letters) is giving me a low valuation which means I have to pay lenders insurance. Get this - I've spent $170K and the bank said it increased my house value by $70K??? What the?? When I challenged it they said they couldn't find any comparative sales so I emailed them 2 from 2011 but the valuer said the 'time frame' was unacceptable. What the?? Also at no point has the valuer been in my house (time for an icon  :Ranting2: ). However I'll get them. They are going to give me the finance to payout my builder and I'll hopefully be moving my business to the bank my girlfriends works for which has some pretty sweet deals for 'jumpers' like me  :Biggrin: . 
Enough of that rubbish. All my doors are on and I've started on the living area painting. I'm so close I can smell it ha ha. Yesterday was pretty cool because the steel for my deck turned up as well as my Deckmax system is here too. I'll be able to work through the silly season without hindrance. No I just have to stay sober  :Drunk22: . Good luck with that. 
The plan stated 2mm 125X75mm duragal bearers and 1.6mm 75X50mm joists. Due to the weird size the Metaland boys up sized me to 3mm bearers for the same price. I think my deck will be pretty stable. Attachment 94396Attachment 94397Attachment 94399 
What makes the duragal flooring system easy to use is the adjustable peirs below.  Attachment 94398 
Here is my deckmax bits and pieces. After lots of research I decided to go with what I wanted and that was a 'no fastener' finish. The lads at Scrooz told me that decking screws can sheer off when used with steel joists because they are so rigid and the timber needs to move. My mate suggested rivets but if a 4mm stainless screw can't hold then what chance does a rivet have. I'm not nailing it so deckmax it is.  Attachment 94400Attachment 94401 Attachment 94402Attachment 94403 
Finally I got my table up to the house and introduced it to my chairs. Very happy with that I can tell you.  Attachment 94404

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## BaysideNana

Your hard work is paying off because the finish looks great!!  The dining table is fabulous and chairs match really well.   
No comments about banks because I don't want to get kicked off the forum, but I asked my bank to increase the daily transfer limit so I could pay the deposit on this house and while they said 'not a problem, it will be done today' it didn't happen and I had to do the transfer over several days...a bit embarrassing!!  Then....once it was all paid, the approval was processed....a bit too late!!  It wasn't the same bank as yours but I guess they are all tarred with the same brush.   
If you want some practice on deck building I've got just the project for you....a 9m x 4m Merbau deck with double corrugated roof which has TWO piers underneath, consequently it's like walking on a trampoline and if that's not enough the posts which hold up the roof don't go to the ground but are bolted to other posts....verrrrry strange!!!   Then when the tenant was kicked out he took the stairs to the deck and stainless wire for the balustrade....along with lots of other stuff throughout the house, who needs a rangehood in the kitchen, skylight in the bathroom, various remote controls etc etc etc   :Shock:     I've found a chippy who will be working through, except for the public hols.  Next is a new kitchen...can't wait for that!!   
Hope you have a productive, deck-building Xmas and New Year, can't wait to see the photos.   :Reindeer2:  :Santajump:

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## gkounadi

Good luck with your Christmas deck.  I'll be watching keenly for updates.  (I've finally learnt how to subscribe!!) 
Like I said, that table looks fantastic and the chairs are a winner.   :2thumbsup:

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## shauck

Banks can be a law unto themselves. Bank valuations are notoriously low. Keep your chin up and enjoy the christmas season. Lovely table.

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## aussieslr

Thanks for your support and best wishes. I didn't realize it was against forum rules to comment on banks. The good news is I have a couple of outs so I'm not trapped. If anything it feels a bit liberation to pull rank and tell them I'm taking my business else where.
I've decided to progress my painting and my deck building at the same time. One I'm pumped about, the other not so much. Today I'm going to start cutting the steel to get this deck out of the ground.
BaysideNana - congrats on moving in to your new project. Sounds like the tenant started the demo for you ha ha.
Merry Christmas  :Sleigh:

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## aussieslr

While I'm waiting for Grand Designs to start I thought I'd update my thread with my progress since Christmas. I lost my thread completely there for a bit so I'll include some pictures of my decking too as that update was lost. I have been working on 3 big items at the same time - driveway, fence and shade sail. The posts for the last two had to go in before the concrete went in for the drive way. 
My deck.
I used the duragal flooring system and fabricated a few add ons like the doorways.  
I used the Deckmax system which was time consuming but the finish is awesome. If you use this system would out home many biscuits you need and order the right number. I used the 20m2 and 5m2 kits and ran out of pieces even though my deck is 20m2.   
I had the plug cutter out for the side boards.   
All done and oil drying.   
Next I had to pull out my side fence to make way for a new driveway and colourbond fence. The old fence was one of those pole and mess jobs with ivy growing through it.    
Next the fence posts went in and the shade sail posts were placed in ready for the concrete. Crusher dust was used as the packing for the driveway. After being watered down it packs really well.    
For access under the deck I asked the lads to box out an area which I'll cover with a step. Then it was pour time.   
The concrete I used brickies sand and 7mm bluestone. My mix had a bit of brown stone as well and the overall effect is a more 'natural' look (that's the best way I can describe it. A bit like see on a beach covered in little black shells.   
Finally I planted my box leaf privot I grew from $2 babies. Sleepers for edging and some 'blaze' for foliage colour finish it off. The shade sail went up to.     
I have spent about $16K on the deck, driveway, fence and sail but they are worth every cent.

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## Cecile

The shade sail looks like it's a flyover...have you used the roof extenda shade sail brackets?

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## aussieslr

Hi Cecile,
By flyover I presume you mean it connects to the roof above the gutter which it does. As for how I haven't got up there for a look. I just told the shade sail man what I wanted.

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## Cecile

These  Roof Extenda - Shade Sail Anchor - Roof Extenda Pty Ltd

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