Queensland Spotted Gum Hardwood Floor, Poly Gloss Finsih

I wish I was writing this post under different circumstances. We must have done something to insult the universe because we are being seriously punished at the moment. I will write a longer post next regarding this but it is with utter dismay and with the heaviest of hearts that I say that our stunning Spotted Gum flooring has been destroyed. It has all happened in the last 2 days and we are still in the process of going through it all but a brand new, yet defective dishwasher has slowly leaked water under our flooring for the past 2 weeks (unbeknownst to us). It has completely destroyed the floor, which will all need to be ripped up. It flooded through 2 rooms into the study and saturated the carpet there. Fischer and Paykel had their head guy come out and they found a broken pipe inside. We are completely devastated and its going to be a long journey to get back to where we are now. Our painter just finished filling and painting the skirting boards last week and we were finally ready to set all our furniture out. Instead we will soon need to begin packing again. 

Here is the flooring prior to this week (we only had 1 week of them). It turned out better than we had imagined and we could not have been happier with the final result. It was stunning.

Harwood timber flooring - QLD Spotted Gum 80 x 14mm select/standard mix
We deleted flooring in our Carlisle contract (to entry, hall, meals, kitchen and lounge) and then had our own company install the floors.

Flooring Timeline

• 31st October - Handover - got keys
• 3rd November - Flooring laid - took 1 week to lay
• We moved into the house (partly) on 7th November - floors were not sanded or polished
• Flooring then sat to allow them to acclimatise to the temperature and ensure minimal movement (as they came from Queensland) - nearly 2 weeks
• 19th November - we moved out and floors were sanded and polished. After polishing we couldn't move back for an extra 3 days to allow time for it to dry and set (also highly toxic)
• We moved back into the house on the 24th November
• (See now why I haven't had many posts!!!)
• We have been in the house just over 2 weeks....

Flooring Process

• Concrete scraped and cleaned
• Protective plastic laid
• 12mm layer of ply - screwed to the slab (what appeared to be 1000 screws!)
• QLD Spotted Gum timber glued and secret nailed
• Sanded and polished with 3 coats of solvent poly gloss finish

Protective Plastic Goes Down

 

Ply is Laid

 

 

 

Timber Gets Delivered!! It was soooo exciting seeing the timber. It gave us a good idea of the colour and what the end result would look like (this photo is in the garage under fluorescent lights).We were so excited by the colour variation and the feature to the timber. Timber really is an absolutely beautiful product.

 

More Natural Light

 

Here we Go!!! Goose bumps when we saw the first parts down!

 

The Next Night

So much completed in a day! These photos are under light at night time

 

While the floorers laid the floors during the night. I went back to the house at night and painted all the skirting boards! Enamel paint fumes in a garage send you a little crazy after a while!!

*Because our flooring was laid after hand-over and did not want quad on the floor under any circumstances, we had Carlisle leave the skirting boards off to all of the ground floor. They left us all the skirting boards in the packets and the paint to paint them. It was a bit painful at the time to try and get them done but the end result was worth it all. To avoid quad around the kitchen the floorer used caulking. Its a timber matched silicone that fills in the small gap needed to allow for movement.

 

Finished laying in the kitchen and lounge

*This is not yet sanded or polished

 

Close Up

It has those beautiful browns, reds, and ash colours

 

More Photos - not yet sanded or polished

 

Variation of Colour is Amazing!!

 

 

 

HERE IT IS - QLD SPOTTED GUM WITH POLY GLOSS: FINISHED!!!

Looking down the hall

 

So happy with the colour match of the timber staircase; Walnut

 

 

Entry to Study and Theatre carpets - Cat3 Takarra Ridge

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Jestmaster SL550TRSI Gas Fireplace

We weren't sure if the fireplace was counted as an appliance but our SS recently informed us that the fireplace was going in soon (so it obviously isn't). In our previous home, we had a Coonara wood fireplace and it was amazing. It basically burned every night throughout winter and was the only source of heating we ever needed. When it came to choosing the heating for this home we debated for a while whether to do a wood fire or gas. In the end a gas log fire won! Although it won't have exactly the same ambiance (it does a good look alike though!!) or have that ability to burn throughout the night it's going to be great to flick it on in seconds, without filling the house with smoke and the crazy amounts of dust a wood fire accumulates. We have opted for an outdoor fire pit to get out fix of freshly burning wood!!

The First Glimpse that Something had Been Done!

The External Vent/Flue

Jetmaster Fireplace in the Lounge

Not sure if this is the best place for the paperwork!!

When we received the paperwork for our 'New Home Inspection,' it informed us that once we have settled and have the keys that we need to contact both companies that installed the fireplace and the central heating to they can run us through the systems (assuming this is the paperwork for this).

Unfortunately we made an error with the location of our powerpoints etc in the lounge next to the fireplace - on the electrical plan we didn't visualise the fireplace being there. They clearly need to be moved to the left and we will have to do this post handover. We are also going to paint the wall around the fire - the middle section - still deciding on a colour! Dulux Stepney is winning at the moment!

  

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.