Arise O Wall, Arise

Today has been a hive of activity around the site. Getting into the work now the rain has cleared. Deputy was working from home due to Brendan having to sit his license test (he passed, much to his and everyone else's relief!).

First up, Sam and Stephen, the painters. Sam giving Deputy a rundown of activity and issues, then telling him he had a job. White and two and a half and white and two! Over the course of the day, the boys have reached the stage of nearly having the upstairs finished (and polishing off at least 3 coffees, which is apparently a slow day!). A little bit of work tomorrow and upstairs will be done and dusted, from a painting perspective. Joel's room still has another coat on the feature wall and on the other walls plus the trim.

Joel likes the colour. Marissa's room is all finished, though now she is not so sure about the colour. It is nice, not sure why she has changed her mind though Deputy did say he liked her green colour from before.

Brendan has gone for a vivid colour, of white!

While all this was going on, Wayne and Peter (who was hoping for a half day) were busy building the retaining wall out the back. Two older gentleman working hard. Wayne stood up and he was as red as a beetroot! Deputy was concerned and quickly found water. They worked very hard, the bottom rows the hardest, they are hoping for an easier day tomorrow. They are working very hard to get back on track as they are behind in the concrete pour which is holding everything else up.

Phil was spending his time going through the house and patching and fixing all the little dings and holes through the house. A bit of tidy up sanding tomorrow.

Just when we thought it was all over, there is a knock on the back door and there is Simon, the kitchen man (notice they all have titles ....). He has the missing doors and a replacement door. After a quick call to Wayne, he also worked out a fill solution to the gaps around the vanity upstairs. Can you also spot the other thing that was changed in the kitchen? A prize to whoever gets it right!

Well it should all be on again tomorrow. Wayne is back, assume Peter as well and Sam and Stephen as well. Expect it to be fun all round!

Rain, rain go away!!

What a waste of a week, didn't see anything at all thanks to the rain, and rain and the rain. Saturday morning it was still coming down and our pool was nice and full. After the rain cleared around lunchtime we spent the rest of the weekend bucketing water out of the back area. We'd empty it, turn around and it was full again. 

Peter and Phil were back today and were determined to get things moving. Despite there still being water seeking down the hill on the rock, we have the steel bars in place and the level ready for the laying of the concrete blocks.

The best news was Sam the Painter (and a Souths supporter, ahhh!) turning up on Friday and again today with a helper to paint upstairs. Sam got more done in one day on Friday than Deputy can get done in about a week and a half. Made Deputy feel very much like the amateur he is. The results are looking good. Top coats to come and the feature walls in Joel and Marissa's room however it is making a big difference.

 The rain scared the air conditioning people away on Friday so goodness knows when they will be able to come back. Little by little we are getting there!

Oh what the heck, lets put in the pool!

The kids have been talking about a pool, wouldn't it be nice, so good in the summer, so why not hey, not as if the project has been big enough already ....

Well, not quite. The area off the back of the alfresco area, we have been discussing how to finish that off so we are not left with a big dirt heap. So we've contracted Wayne to build retaining wall and concrete the area to finish it off. The idea also is that when the concrete is poured for the entrance way and to fix the driveway around the entrance, do this at the same time. So, off to work we go on it.

Rain, it has rained ever since work started on it, and it has continued so now we have ..

The start of a swimming pool. Please rain, go away!

The rain has kept the boys away all week, they started today however that was really to secure the fence so it didn't fall over, and then it rained again, for most of the day.

One bright spot in the day, shower screen upstairs was installed, just a little closer!

Tomorrow should be a big day to end the week. Sam and his boys are in to start the painting upstairs, air conditioning people are to be here to finish off the installation and hopefully Peter and Phil working on the pool! Could be a fun day!

Show us your floors!

We are still here folks, just a little tardy in bringing the blog up to date however that is also a function of the slow down in activity. This was driven by the sanding and staining of all the timber floors last Thursday and Friday.

This activity necessitated Chief, Deputy and all the little bloggers to leave the house for 2 days. Elder blogger decided to stay around the corner with friends while Chief, Deputy and smaller bloggers went and spent 2 days with good friends the Hinds who graciously opened their house up to us to stay. Just quietly, between you and me, it was a genuine sacrifice for the Hinds to put up with us lobbing into their hectic house so thank you thank you thank you. Shadlows, the same thank you thank you thank you for taking on elder blogger for a couple of days.

While we were absent, Shane the Sander got to work and did the hallway that used to be under slate tiles, the old floor boards in the dining room that used to be under cork floor and the new floor in the kitchen and family room. 

Check out what you can do under slate!

And this is what it looked like just after the slate was ripped up ....

The dining room floor has come up nicely as well.

The kitchen and the new family room a completely different feel.

There has been scant other action in the meantime due to the off limits site. Peter and Phil have started the work on the extension to the alfresco area. We're building a retaining wall and concreting the area immediately off the alfresco area, new stairs and path to finish off the back. A big variation cost however it needs to be finished and by doing it now, we get to utilise the pump and concrete coming for the entrance way and rebuild of the drive up the side.

The stone man also returned and finished off the kitchen outside bench and the stone under the exhaust. All had been patched up so he was allowed back on site.

Rain for the first 2 days of this week has not helped the progress outside. At some stage this week we're expecting Sam to come and start painting upstairs and also on Friday the air conditioning installation is expected to be completed. All little jobs around the place now though rain is not going to help!

Fireworks, and we missed it all!

Before we get to the fireworks, back track to Monday and the action on site. Wayne was present, however Phil was not, which was a bit of a problem as Phil was to help Wayne continue with the steps to the new entrance landing. Oh dear ...

The stonemason did turn up and started with the stone splash backs in the kitchen and the serving bench outside the window. It was not all completed so he was due back Tuesday. More on that later ...

Today was a big day of activity. Wayne and Phil started early on the steps to the new entrance. At the end of the day, this is the result.

Little sign on the bottom that reads, DO NOT USE!

Sammy the Electrician was back and the cook top was connected, Chief very happy however couldn't get it to work for tea. Deputy worked it out though, but he didn't cook tea! The range hood was also on the agenda and is not quite finished, however there is a nice hole in Deputy's nicely painted wall and ceiling! You can see the stone splash back as well.

Upstairs the power was connected so now all the lights work and we replaced the nice light fixture in the stair well to ...

At least this won't swing in the breeze!

The plumber was also on site and spent the day installing the upstairs bathroom. A small problem when a crack was discovered in the toilet bowl (ha ha, no I'm not trying to be funny). A crack that leaked water was discovered in the bowl and a new one had to be quickly obtained. Now, once permission is granted, people can go upstairs and do their business.

The vanity and the shower head and bath fixtures were also put in place.

The shower screen has been ordered and some finishing off work to be completed before it can be used.

While upstairs, do you like the photo of the fan going in Joel's room?

The stonemason returned and he finished the splash backs.

And then he finished off the serving bench outside the window.

Apparently though the work on this piece and under the range hood was shoddy work and Wayne told them so. From eye witness accounts, it was on for young and old. Shoddy work, not paying for this work, I'm ripping my stuff out then, no you will get off my building site and not return. Poor Chief returned to be called over by Wayne and given the run down and strict instructions not to let him back on site. First fun and games in 23 weeks and we missed it all!

Will be interesting to see who turns up tomorrow. The range hood is not completed, there is tiling work to be done upstairs and in the laundry and from last reports, the air conditioning was being completed tomorrow before the floors are sanded. Stay tuned, pretty sure it will not be as exciting as today!

Big weekend!

Despite the absence of Peter, the work continued for the rest of the week. Despite our concerns about how we were going to live on the wooden floors after they had a first cut sand, the process went ahead as planned on Thursday. Another nice young tradesman, Shane who spent the day having a crack at our old floor boards. Our concern was that they wouldn't sand well however all good news, they will come up well.

This is the hallway that was the main concern with the black stuff on it. Bit of hard work with the sander however they will come up well.

The dining room is an mixture of colours of timber and will be a nice bit of the old character of the house when polished up. The good news overall, no new floor boards required!

The tiler was back on Thursday, Friday and Saturday finishing the alfresco and veranda.

We met another new tradesman on Friday, the brickie who started the work on the new entrance way. It is coming all together, the new entrance is going to be a great addition.

The news was that the floor sanding is booked in for Thursday/Friday on this week so we have to vacate the house. It was also suggested that it would be good if the ceilings had been painted at least. So Deputy started early Friday afternoon and has spent the weekend painting, and he has had enough of it already. Hates ceilings!! Just another step closer to looking like a home again.

Still some work to do finishing off, but it is a start.

While painting on Friday night, Deputy disturbed a visitor. Sort of thankful that this little furry friend was not around when our house was open to the elements!

We miss you Peter!

Today was the first day of the rest of our lives without Peter. Well, it's not quite that dramatic however on Tuesday Peter, the old master who has been such a blessing on the work site, pulled down his little tool shed in the backyard, wheel barrowed up all his tools and bid us farewell in the only way Peter knows how .... Bye! It seemed strange not seeing his car out the front at 6.30 in the morning, the gate opening at 6.50am and his 'morning Mark' as he walks in with the paper ready to work. We gave Peter a little present as he has been so good to have around.

What this does mean is that we entering into the final stages of the work. It is now down to specialist trades so Peter has gone off to another job. Tuesday Peter finished the storm water work and then packed up. Phil has spent the last 2 days just taking rubbish off the site, removing excess materials and generally cleaning the place up. We have discovered that the nice grass out the front, no longer exists!

Tuesday did see the plumber come back, and we now have a working sink in the kitchen! Yeah!

The kitchen windows have been pulled open every day this week in the hot days and nights. You can also see that the dish washer is in place!

The tiler grouted the upstairs bathroom, will wait for daylight to get a photo as the lights are not on upstairs as yet. 

The floor sander is coming tomorrow to do a first cut of the floors to see how they come up, Wayne is a little nervous about how some of the old floor boards will scrub up. We're nervous about living on the first cut of sanded floor boards, even though Wayne assures us it will be fine.

Tilers are waiting for more tiles as Wayne got the order wrong to finish front and back. Air conditioning is scheduled for next Thursday. Shower screen is being measured up tomorrow. Plumber is supposed to be back maybe tomorrow/Friday to put in the toilet and vanity upstairs. Garage door has been ordered. Splash back for the kitchen has been decided, stone same as the bench top and so this is being cut to be put in so the range hood can go in. Blinds have been ordered for the upstairs bedrooms from our good friend Lance. Painting of the upstairs has been locked in week after next with Sam, husband of Chiefs long time back to school days friend Alyson. Sam is a Souths supporter, took us a while to come around to having him on the site ......... (only kidding Sam!) Carpet has been measured up and chosen. Phew, there is a lot there!

It is all happening and so we are not expecting to see tradesman everyday like it has been for the last 22 weeks. We must be also getting close to the end of the build as Wayne has sent through all the variations to the contract. Gulp! Love the kitchen?? Hope so, we've splashed out a little in this area. Looks great though doesn't it!! (am I convincing myself!?!) Deputy is madly working the calculator to make sure he has calculated everything correctly as everything gets invoiced (apparently that means pay up!)

Enter ...

There has been an overload of activity the end of last week, weekend and today however the best part, the removal of something that has always annoyed Deputy, the stupid front door. Arriving home, to be greeted by ..  

 Our new front door, which hasn't been painted yet folks, but it has a handle and it opens and closes so easily. Ah, the old front door has already disappeared off the site, good riddance!

Back tracking to Friday, it was a busy day again with Henry the tiler back working on the preparation of the alfresco area, which was 'keep out' taped. The sanders appeared and went around and sanded all through the house, and so there was a healthy covering of dust all through the house, even after a vacuum. Peter and Phil continued the work on the storm water drainage and it was all complete down the two sides of the house and the front yard. 

Saturday saw Henry come back and they worked on the front veranda. By lunchtime they had finished and it was nicely tiled, waiting for the grout.

The cornice man also made an appearance and he finished off the kitchen, dining room, laundry, storage room in the study. It has made a big difference to the look of the kitchen again.

On Sunday, we spent some time cleaning up the mess around the place however it was great to open up the back of the house and even though we were unable to use the alfresco area, it had a great feel to the place. We're getting a little excited about it being finished soon and being able to use it properly.

Today (Monday), it was tradesman all over the place. The cornice man was back to finish the hallway.

Everything has now had the cornice put in place. The plaster flingers were back going around and patching up all the areas marked by the sanders on Friday and finishing the laundry. Henry was also back and started work on the alfresco area. Apparently there has been some disagreements between Wayne and Henry on the tidiness of his tradesman and also on how the area was to be tiled. Chief reports that the 'discussion' went on for about 40 minutes! It is not complete, however it is close.

Bob the Carpenter was back with his mate (Nooo, not Scoop!!) and they completed all the architraves, skirting, hung the front door, door on the storage under the stairs, door on the storage room in the study and finished the robes in the upstairs bedrooms.

The toilet and Vanity are upstairs with the fittings ready to be installed. As week 22 gets into full swing, we can really start to see that it might be over soon. The plumbing and electrical is required to finish the bathroom upstairs and the kitchen. The storm water and tiling outside plus some further painting. The new entrance way is the big piece for outdoors. Inside we are still to find out a quote to paint upstairs before the stairs are stained and of course there is the sanding and staining of the floors downstairs. The carpet man has measured up for when we are ready. It is all happening, and I have a feeling it is all going to be on tomorrow as well!