Window Infills

I was a little snowed under last week so this is an update that actually occurred last Thursday, the day before our PCI. I was really happy to drive past and see two A & L Window trucks there working away at the windows and doors. They put all (3 missing) infills in, which have been a fairly big part of our journey and I'm so happy to say that I love them!! Of course, I would prefer they weren't there but they actually suit the boutique windows and really finish it all off. We were able to insulate these so we hope this maximises the double glazing. There were also other parts of the windows and doors that were cleaned and replaced, including foot plates, brushes to doors and cleaning out (most) of the mud and dirt from the tracks. 

Here they are;

Window Infills 

Above Dining Room Doors

Above Laundry Door - this is probably the largest

Study Window

Fixed Lounge Window

Lights, Camera, Action - Electrical Light Up!!

Photo overload today!! Yesterday when we went past we were lucky enough to get inside as one of the doors had been left unlocked. We made the most of the opportunity! As well as taking lots of photos and having the freedom to have a careful look around, the main reason I wanted to get inside this week was to give the floors a good clean. The carpet will be close to going down and the floors are sooooooo dusty and dirty. You would assume that the floors would be vacuumed cleaned beforehand but I honestly don't trust they would be. The painters had swept the dirt away from the bottom of the staircase but it all sat 30cm away and would surely end up all through the house again. I actually took our old vacuum and started upstairs. It was quite a scene. Within 3 minutes of vacuuming the dust was pouring out the end of the vacuum and the room was thick of dust - I opened every window in a mad panic as it looked like smoke and the last thing I needed was the fire brigade turning up to a dust storm!! So instead, I attacked it all with a broom, brush and shovel. It was much cleaner (took a lot longer) and I opened the back and front doors which limited any dust. It's spotless now! By the time I finished sweeping, darkness had crept in. So I tested out all the lights! It was definitely a goose-bump moment!! It looks like a real house, like a house you would really live in!!! We were really surprised with the brightness of the downlights too. We had excepted that we may need to change most of the globes over to brighter ones once we moved in but they are great!! The photos don't really show the true effect of them - in real life is even better!  

Looking Through the Front Doors

Down the Hall (forgot to turn the bulkhead lights on)

(Dust Free Floors!!)

Stair Lights (with hall lights on)

Stair Lights Only - LOVE THESE!

Study - this room is super bright

Theatre Room

Downstairs Powder Room

Ensuite

Looking the Other Way Down the Hall

Kitchen - only had these ones on for a split second as even the dangling ones were working!

Clean Floors!!

Lounge Room

Laundry

Upstairs Activity Room

Upstairs Bathroom 

Upstairs Powder Room

Electrical Work!!

The electricians have been hard at work this week. They have spent the past 3 days at the house and will still need to come back when some of the products they need arrive. Doing a happy dance for nearly all of the work but a couple of small disappointments. These have come through being first time builders; aka novices (always bound to make mistakes - tough realisation for perfectionists!!). Our mistakes are things we overlooked unfortunately. Small things but grrrrrrrrrrrr!! Focus on the positives!!

Electrical Work Completed:

Down-lights installed - still some to go;

Exhausts to showers and toilets;

Stair lights;

Batten points for lighting and ceiling fans after handover;

Power-points and light switches installed - some changed to be made;

TV and Foxtel points installed

Outdoor powerpoints and junction boxes

20amp isolator switches for reverse cycle air conditioners (installed after handover)

Central heating installed; and

Kitchen range started.

Downlights in entry bulkhead

Master Bedroom Batten Points

Centre point for ceiling fan and left and right for pendant lights (to be installed post handover)

These are our master bedroom pendants. They are timber, with chain and rope. 

Bergen Wood Pendants - Schots Home Emorium

Slimline Light Switches and Master Bedroom Powerpoints

Stair Lights

(The electrician told me they had trouble placing these as the timber from the stairs had obstructed their position)

Spotted these lights on 'The Block Glasshouse' last night!

Electrocution anyone??!!

Lounge Lights - we thought we would try and start a new fad - downlight pendants!!

(I am joking!)

Dining Downlights and Batten Points for Kitchen Island Pendants

(Don't you love the shades!)

Kitchen Island Pendants (to be installed post handover)

Egg Black and Copper Pendant 

Dimmer for Lounge 

(electricians said this is the incorrect plate and will replace next week

 - not sure why)

Yes, please do!

Really disappointing to see the placement of the air vent for the central heating. It's in the hallway towards the theatre room. We made specific note of the location of this in the display. It was tucked around the corner IN the theatre. We thought this was great as it's not the prettiest of things. Assumed this was it's standard placement... As they say in building (or in fact anything in life), never assume....... So we are taking a positive from a negative and are thinking it terms of noise it probably is a better place. Still slightly peeved though! We need to check our unit too as we upgraded to a more powerful one to include zoning - added to the 'checking' list.

Square Vents Downstairs

Round Upstairs!

Bit of Paint Patching to do

Preparation for garage door and batten points are for 2 x double fluorescent lights which will be put in next week 

This was another small disappointment. I took this photo for the downlights and then wondered why on earth the powerpoints were so high. I checked the plans and yes, they are at 1350mm..... The electrician said he doesn't know why Carlisle put them at that height. We obviously had a choice though and didn't pick up on it. 1100mm people - check your plans. Anyway the electrician told another story of this one. This whole is to be re-plastered. He had to put the powerpoint in the cupboard as it's too close to the bath. Happy with that! I asked if he could lower one on the left (not in photo). He was great, he pulled it off and checked there was enough wire and there was - he could line it up with the bottom of the tiles. I said I would ring our SS and ask. I did. I returned later in the day as the electrician wanted some information on the 20amp isolator switches for future air conditioners (don't worry, I don't always harass the tradies!!) and he was told by the SS not to move them.... He must have been in a bad mood! It will be interesting to see what he says in the next few days about it! 

The electricians were hoping to have the house powered up by the end of today. But still needed to return for another day when the materials they need arrive.

Brickwork - The Highs!

We've had a busy week, in more ways than one. There have been highs and lows this week. I'm going to start with the positives then get into the negatives.

The brickwork has powered on during the week. The weather has been very kind and our swamp of a yard has almost completely dried out, to the delight of the brickies. The rest of the week isn't looking as optimistic though. 

Our concerns of the off white mortar continued. We were still questioning whether or not it was off white. We were usually seeing the mortar a few hours dry and as the week progressed we have seen how the colour changes and the whiteness comes through (some of these photos are taken of still wet mortar). It's nice to see the clean colour with each day it dries. The western side of the house is showing more of the authentic colour now.  We are really happy with the colour of the bricks and the work brickies have done a really neat job (there is more to this though). It's great that some walls are almost complete and we can see how our colour choices are coming together. I'm writing this with a heavy heart this week, from our disappointments, so it's hard to be too excited. Lots of positives though and we know the final result will look great. 

Back of the garage (extra wide door - to fit a wheelbarrow)

Can see the Woodland Grey Roof against Boral Mocha Bricks = HAPPY!

The Front Coming Together

Dining Room

Lounge

Mortar Yet to Dry

The Garage

This wall did have to be built internally. Therefore the plaster, cornice etc needed to be ripped down.

We thought this would be the case.

Up She Goes!

More Bricks Delivered (there were at least another 10 pallets)

The Rubble