Look what I got for Valentines Day (Day 154)

Who needs flowers and chocolates when you can have stairs!  Our staircase went in today, no more climbing up ladders.

Under the stairs storage.  We have the door into the garage
so we think this will be a good spot for the push bikes.

Stairs, bottom step is Maple and the rest will be carpeted

 N29 Posts with PT29 Tops

View from the landing at the top of the stairs

Well the house has been a hive of activity over the last few days.  The plastering is pretty much all done upstairs and they will be back tomorrow to finish off down stairs.

All the plastering completed in the garage

After all of this rain is seems we have a sink hole in the backyard, lets hope its just the soil settling after the demolition and that we don't have any more surprises under the ground.

Sink Hole

Beck

Electrical, Security, Insulation and Plaster. (Day 149)

OK this is for all of you that have been complaining that we have not updated the blog in a while.

Monday and Tuesday last week we had the electrician come and do all the wiring for the lights, power points and light switches.  These guys would have to be the cleanest tradies around, not only was the work neat and exactly where we wanted it,  the place was cleaner after they left than before they arrived.

Wednesday the guy from Sentinel alarms came to do the wiring for the alarm and security, as well as all of the TV and data cabling.  Derrick got to be a tradie for the day and wired in some things for the media room.

Electrical and Data/phone cabling

Electrical and Data/phone cabling

Friday the insulation was put in and it is amazing how much noise it blocks out.

Kitchen/ Dining

Main bedroom

Garage

Over the weekend Derrick and I went shopping and ended up with a King Size Bed and Derrick got his toys for the media room.  I think he used the whole months internet usage just looking up what was the best quality and the best buys.  The guy at Harvey Norman ended up matching the lowest prices he found online.




Tuesday the Gyprock arrived and at 1.30pm the Gyprockers started work putting up the ceilings,  they stayed till after 5pm to get all of it up.  Wednesday the walls started up stairs, and it makes such a big difference to the feel of the house,  you get a much better idea of how big the rooms are and how much natural light you get into a room.  Today it was just two guys working and they have pretty much finished upstairs.

Main Room
 Walk in robe on the Left and Ensuite on the right

ensuite

Upstairs Living

View of stairs looking into Main Bedroom

They will be back tomorrow with more guys and they are hoping to get down stairs done.  They should be back next week to put up cornices.

We also had a phone call from Kurmond this week asking if we wanting gloss or matt finish for our Kitchen.  After much deliberation we have decided on the gloss.  I took this as a good sign, it means they have started the  kitchen.

The last two weeks have been full steam ahead,  Can't wait to get to lock up.

Beck.
ps. Daz of www.outerwestknockdownadventure.blogspot.com.au your external paint work is looking great.

Garage Roof & Balcony Posts (Day 133)

Today the roof was put onto the garage and the cladding was finished.  The ceiling of the front porch is up and our big post to hold up the top balcony went in as well.  I love the big chunky post, cost more than we wanted but I think it's worth it.

Under the balcony before the ceiling and brick cleaning

Under the balcony with the ceiling and clean bricks

The big Merbau post they are about 200mm x 200mm
I absolutely  love them 

Cladding and the roof above the garage.

No More Brickies (Day 130)

We get to blog twice in a week, things are off to a cracking pace since the SS has been back from holidays.
On Thursday the brick cleaner was back to finish cleaning the bricks on the ground floor. Derrick and I went out to the site this afternoon to check to see if the big I beam in the garage had been cut, so the garage roof can go on.  We got the best surprise,  not only had the beam been fixed, but the roof tilers had been and completed the roof on the ground floor  (alfresco and dining room).

Roof finished 

All the bricks have been cleaned
and it looks like a house now

The I beam that had to be remodelled
to follow the roof line

Brick work finished on the balcony
(from ground level)

Brick work on the balcony
(from up on the balcony)

We were so excited about all the work that had been done today we nearly missed the thing we have waited three months to complete.  THE BRICK WORK IS FINISHED.  So on a Saturday with the weather not the best, we had three trades on site.  This would have to be the best week in this whole process.  We left the site today excited about our house again, its been a while since we haven't left feeling frustrated.
Lets hope we can keep this pace for 2012.
Beck

Scaffolding is down at last (day 128)

Well this week didn't look too promising with rain on Monday, but by today (Thursday) we have had the facias and guttering put on the alfresco, dining room and the garage.  The down pipes are in and have been  painted, but the most exciting is the scaffolding is down at last.
The brickies still haven't come back to finish the last little bit on the balcony, but its not holding up any of the other trades.

The front balcony and the garage will be done in moroka

The post still need to be put on the brickwork
to hold the balcony up

The roof on the alfresco and dining room will hopefully go on by Monday.  Lets hope the weather doesn't hold things up.
Beck

Day 124

Last week we were promised the scaffolding would be down this week.  It's not.
Not much has changed since my last post, so for the third consecutive post there's nothing to take photos of.
The SS and all the trades return to work tomorrow, so hopefully things will start to move along a bit better.  I'll put 2011 behind us, hope 2012 has less delays.
Anyway, so as to avoid depression, I will finish on a positive note. I'm proud to report the first floor eaves have been painted.  Only took three weeks since they were supposed to be painted, but they're painted.
D

You wouldn't believe it...

I certainly couldn't believe it when I went to look at the "finished" brickwork today only to find that the Brickies had run out of bricks...AGAIN! Yes folks, this is not the first, second or even third, fourth or fifth time, but the sixth time!
Looking on the bright side, the Brickies where there on Saturday and again today, albeit only for a few hours each time. But they where there. Our SS said no trades would be there until 16/1, so I called his boss to express my disappointment at 2011's progress.
At first he seemed a bit dismissive, but once he had a look at our lack of progress, he was very quick to get the boys back to work.
As mentioned, the Brickies started back on Saturday, and the painters have got half of the first floor eaves painted. He says he has booked the Scaffolding to come down this week, and so far I have no reason not to believe him. The SS is back from holidays next week, hopefully he can maintain the pace his boss has set for 2012.
There's still lots to do to catch up for lost time, but at least now they can't blame the Brickies. Their remaining work won't affect any of the other trades.
Fingers crossed!
Dez.