Keeping a clean work site

Sometimes all we seem to achieve is a clear floor - we move piles of wood from one side of the unfinished lounge room to the other. We pull some nails, sweep up bird's nest refuse fallen from the rafters, sweep and sweep the dust.

The Council plans require installation of braceline - this is needed to strengthen the rigidity of the house structure, especially since we've taken some wall out and installed windows and french doors. Most of the morning was spent working out where to install the braceline to get broad enough coverage.

It's hard when you take annual leave from work and don't seem to acheive any big step forward in the building process.

Progress is however inevitable. Underfloor insulation is being installed. Just in time too, because we were about to book Council to do a pre-line inspection and hadn't realised they'd be wanting to see the underfloor insulation in place. So, inspection has been put off until next week.

Tiling Easier and Cheaper Than Vinyl

I don't think anyone would disagree that tiled floors give a more expensive polished look than vinyl. Because it looks more expensive, we assumed it would be more expensive. But, not necessarily. We also assumed it would be hard to do. We put vinyl in House No.1 but we got the professionals to lay it. That's what puts the cost up.

For this house because the bathroom and laundry are new from scratch we have the opportunity to make it look really good - so why would we do vinyl? The tiles are expensive compared to a roll of discounted vinyl, but we decided to lay the tiles ourselves. We watched several 'How to' videos on YouTube and the next day we put down the tiles in the laundry.

Looks pretty good so far:

This is Step 1. After 24hrs drying we need to grout.

How to remove internal walls

Big milestone in the renovation achieved this weekend. The final bits of wall framing separating kitchen to dining and dining room to lounge have been removed and two very large heavy beams have been installed. Here's some photos showing the steps involved in putting the beams up.

This first photo shows the final bits of wall framing holding the ceiling up.

A lot of preparation has gone on before being able to put the new beams in. This new framing which will support the beam had to be built ready to fit in to place. Below this under the floor, new piles had to be put in to support the weight. The photo below shows the holes cut in the floor. We had to dig down into the dirt and concrete in new piles, then secure these to the joist with strapping.

Next is fitting a bracket to the first beam. This is where the second beam will join on to the first beam. Measure 5 times: measure, mark, measure again, fit or cut and measure again. Note the beam is laminated pine - pieces of offcut finger jointed and then these are layered and glued together. This is apparently more solid and stronger than a single piece of timber.

Safety is paramount. It's time to take out the last two posts of old wall framing and hope the ceiling doesn't fall down.

Now is the exciting part - getting to use the Genie Lifter.

The beam weighs about 120kgs. Machines like this make it almost a one-person job.

Here we go winding up the Genie which lifts the beam into place, with a little bit of jiggling. The good things about these beams is that they will slot in between the old scotia.

Nearly there. Now slip the new post in to secure the beam in place.

Bashing the post in to place. Below in the hole you can see the new pile and the strapping.

Insert a temporary post at the other end and then lower the Genie. Stand back and see if it's going to stay up.

Now bolt in the new beam at the top.

The adjoining beam now needs to be shaped to slot into the bracket.

Hoist up the second beam, jiggle and guide it into the bracket and hope it fits. It didn't the first time, so we had to bring the beam all the way down and using a long drill bit, we made the slot deeper. Perfect on the second go.

With the beams in place the new wall framing can be built into place.

Nogs are built into the exterior wall ready for braceline gib (as required by Council). The ceiling framing you see in these photos is hung and barely supported by the interior walls. So no walking around up top.

With the beams up and all the interior wall framing gone, we begin to get a feel for the new open plan area, for how the kitchen flows into the dining area with it's new french doors opening out onto the carport, and over into the lounge area, similarly with new french doors where the chimney used to be. Now a light large space, where once it was dank, dark and cold with a broken fireplace and bright green walls. 

All the staples and nails have been pulled from the floors ready for polishing. Can't wait for that. It's such a great feeling of satisfaction.

Over the demolition hump

We're finally building, instead of just ripping out. The house is getting underwear (building paper and insulation) and the new bathroom is taking shape.

This is the kitchen. We've removed and boarded over where the exterior window was as this will be where the hob will be with glass splashback above.

We totally gutted the bathroom and have cut the laundry down in size to make the bathroom bigger. We've had to move the laundry window over a bit. There'll be just enough width for the laundry tub and washing machine to go in under the window. The hot water cylinder will be tucked in a space to the right of the window. This juts into the bathroom but forms an alcove where the new bath fits.

The bath is smallish but it's just a bath, no shower over it. As per regulations we're using aqualine - gib board for wet areas, hence the green colour. This will be undercoated and painted and the lower third will be tiled.

We're installing a new shower box 900 x 900 in the inside right hand corner. We had long debates about the layout. We've changed it from the plans provided by our designer. It was all about maximising the light coming in from the one window, and privacy. It's feasible that someone could look in the french doors (driveway side) right through into the bathroom if the bathroom door was open. So the shower is tucked in the right hand side corner and the bath is on the left. The eye-line from the other side of the house will flow along the floor unimpeded to the vanity. A photo later will show why this will work to make the house appear bigger.

All new flooring in the bathroom.

So it's end of month 4 since possession. We can only manage weekend work on the house on top of our fulltime jobs, travel for work, school and after school things, Girl Guide biscuit selling, family events: an engagement party, a death and thus funeral. But, we are finally over the demolition hump and it's satisfying to be able to glimpse what it's going to look like. There's light at the end of the tunnel, or in this case the light is in the back porch where Steve is sawing timber.

Drowning in paint

The back house is all painted. Despite the accident - when the painter slapped the roof paint on the house exterior - it's come out okay. The roof colour is looking a little lighter than the same colour on the house.

We're still trying to get rid of the eye-sore blue shed at the back. Have sold it twice on Trademe but the people didn't go through with the buy. That seems to be happening alot on Trademe lately.

The front house has just got it's first coat of paint on the roof. French doors bought from a demolition trader via Trademe have gone in to the driveway side of the house (that's North, sun-facing) and allow alot more light inside.

Inside is almost just the skeleton. We've had to rip up some of the laundry floor because of poor repairs to rotten subfloor timbers. Some joists run across to nothing - no support. Some are propped on timber which is standing on another piece of timber sitting on the ground!

New beams have to be put in where the dining room walls are coming out. This requires new supports and new piles, hence the holes in the floor through which we had to manually dig down into the dirt underneath to install new tanalised timber piles and concrete. We're held up on that while we wait for the Council Permit. They've got some questions on heights, thickness and materials... as they usually do. 

Roof paint on the walls solves colour problem

Our painter friend finds us way too slow. Since the only paint we supplied was the roof paint and he was waiting for the exterior weatherboard paint, he just decided to go ahead and paint the weatherboards with it.

Meanwhile, I was agonising over a colour and buying a test pot. Nekminut!

Before shot

One coat of Solarguard Roof paint "Lichen"

Freshened up and rented

Four weeks hard out from possession date and tenants are moving in to House No.3. Here's the before and after pics at flickr.

The house is under-priced at $350 including water. We advertised it before we'd finished and based the rent on what the house was like before the new carpet and replaced kitchen went in. Plus, we've put in a microwave and washing machine. Saving grace is the first term is only for 6 months and all prospective tenants were told the rent would be going up $10-$20 after that time reflecting the work we expected to have done on the property over 6 months.

The rent is cheaper than it could be also, because we'll be around and want access to paint the exterior, paint the roof, fence and landscape.