Balcony Tiles, Deluxe Staircase Staining and More Jobs Off the List!

It was great to get into the house yesterday and see that not only was the balcony tiled, but it had also been grouted! 

Tile - Lifestyle Charcoal Textured 400 x 400 (standard)

Grout - Charred Ash (should be darker looking than it appears but it hasn't been cleaned yet)

Paining works continued yesterday (and again today). The painters were adding silicone along the weatherboards and doing some other exterior paint touch ups. The front doors had their second coat of stain and we are so excited to know that the stain on the stairs has started!!!!!

Front Doors - Cabots Rich Walnut

Stairs Cleaned and Ready For Staining Today

Staining Began on the Staircase Handrail Yesterday

More Tiling Works

Now that the spa bath has been installed, the tiles on the wall (back left) and the front (centre) tile have been completed - they haven't been grouted yet 

With the window in the shower finally in, the tiles were able to be finished 

An extra row of tiles has also been added to the bathroom shower - we think this is due to the height of the showerhead

Theatre Room Reveals Replaced

One was replaced last week and the remaining ones have since been done - yay!

The ensuite bath tap has the incorrect tap so when we go in yesterday and went upstairs it was interesting to see that the bath tap is different, but also wrong!!

Incorrect Tap!

The painters have been using one of the back taps and it is now constantly dripping - note to self! 

Need to check the height of our timber flooring as this part of the wall looks like it might need fixing as it will still be exposed

Portable Scaffold Delivery

We assume this is in readiness for rendering the facade and the tiles 

Facade Tiles

Eco Alabaster Grigio Lappato  

Ticking off the List

It was really kind of the workers to leave the windows and doors open last night....... One positive was that we got to see what had been happening over the past few days! Unfortunately I only had my phone on me which is clearly in desperate need of an update due to the poor photo quality! 

My Legs Feel Feeble Looking at this Bad Boy!

It's a GREAT standard feature of Carlisle (Affinity) Homes

Glass of Wine, Trashy Magazine and a Spa - what more could a woman want!! 

Plastering Around the Window Fixed (from when the window was dropped)

More Electrical Work Finished

Double fluorescence to garage and more lights completed (still more to be done)

Door Handles On - Internal Doors = Elena Lever (Cat 1) - Bright Chrome

Elena Lever with Privacy Adaptor (upgrade)

Angular Trilock - Bright Chrome (upgrade)

Water Proofing Around Basins and Bottom Ledge of Tiles (still more to go - some tiles to still grout)

Some Down-Pipes Added 

(not connected to drainage and facade not done due to rendering) 

Discrepancy Update

During the week we had a few discrepancies that we found were mounting. On Wednesday we met with our SS to discuss them. He was reassuring, accommodating and has assured us that all these problems will be resolved (except the infills!! grrrr). My husband was talking to someone who works at Simmons during the week and he said that if you complain hard enough when building you can change anything. Good to know! We are not that type of people but we are certainly willing to question things. He explained the position of the windows in regards to the infills (we still feel like the drafts-person and framers could have stopped this). We accept this. We have asked to put insulation in these to maximise heat loss and noise. We have hunted the streets and have found some houses with them and no-one will really even notice. I can't even look at a house now without analysing the windows!! He has strongly reassured us of the quality of the bricklayer and his reputation and you can see his work is very neat, square and symmetrical. We are really really happy with the brickwork otherwise. They also seem to be the most caring of trades so far. They cover their work if there is a chance of rain with tarps etc. and have been incredibly clean. The error of the kitchen windows will be fixed (has been already!), the brick wall be knocked down, the lintel and window put into the correct position and rebuilt!!! We didn't even have to say anything about this - it was what the SS explained- so we were very happy. Everything else on our list will be done and he explained that even though the painters were already there, other trades would come back on and off and the painters would be back (often) at least 3 or 4 times again. Happy days!

1. bricks not coursed to top of windows  - Black aluminium to match the windows - cannot change this - apparently they're on every build....
2. overhang of bricks (not regulation) to front piers - steel angle support to be placed here
3. gaps at one side of the butlers pantry - aluminium infill to sides (where needed)
4. butlers and kitchen windows at different levels - has been changed the past few days!!!! Lintel to be moved down and brick wall to be pulled down and rebuilt
5. butlers window not level in its own right - will be fixed
6. theatre window reveals to be replaced due to water damage - reveals will be replaced
7. theatre window now brick damaged (bent framework) - will be looked at and fixed if irreparable after all brickwork is finished
8. 10 or so plaster faults - by inspector - yet to be rectified - though painting has started - all to be fixed in the coming weeks
9. bulge in plaster-work on stairwell - from scaffold brackets - will be fixed with above - will be given a skim coat
10. plaster bulkhead in living/kitchen not straight (either side) - to be fixed and plastered
11. kitchen and butlers overhead cupboards too high - due to dropped window - SS is disappointed this wasn't already done (may have delayed the window change)
12. wrong placement of overhead shelf in cupboard - to be done with cabinetry 
13. graze/scratch on one kitchen drawer - will be replaced
14. chip on laundry laminate bench - to be fixed/replaced if needed
15. bulkhead in lounge short in length (we will NOT bring this up as we prefer it!)
16. scratches to framework on most doors and some windows - all to be cleaned and fixed at door service and any parts removed and replaced if we are not happy with quality of finish
17. master bedroom window winder broken - to be fixed at window service
18. insulation needs replacing in two parts due to wrap wind damage  - will be done when brickwork is high enough
19. electrical wire in brick pier missed (brickie checked with me today and he will fix tomorrow - grateful he saw it before they continued) - hole through brickwork has been drilled and wire will be put through

It was good to meet with our SS and go through our concerns and the fact that he addressed everything was exactly what we needed. There is no build that doesn't have it's ups and downs and as I expected, in the light of a new day our concerns where not that huge. Being informed is the biggest part of building and just knowing what will happen instead of jumping to conclusions when you see it half done it probably our biggest downfall. We currently live just near the build so we drive past a few times a day. Sometimes I feel like we are too close and too aware of everything. Juxtaposition really; too close in one way but wanting to stay on top of it all at the same time. 

Plaster

It's been a big week of plaster work this week. The plasterers started the plaster on Tuesday and in effectively two days they had the majority of all walls and roof areas plastered. Our SS informed us that they would also be there most of the weekend. 

Looking Down the Hall (from the Entry)

Master Bedroom (with bulkhead) 

Not sure what all the plaster squares are on the wall - they appear in most rooms

Ensuite

You can see the difference in plaster to ground floor - finish will be square set

Study

Theatre

Lounge - with bulkhead and hob (vicious evening sun coming in)

Kitchen - rough plaster work under window - wasn't finished

Window not centred which looked a little odd. We looked at the plans and display and it is the same. Funny the things you don't see until it is stripped back!

First Floor

Activity Room - you can see the gap where the cornice will go

Bathroom

Bedroom 3

WIR in bedrooms 

NBN Box in Garage 

One thing I am glad we did before the plaster went up was take a photo of all the walls in each of the rooms and take note of all the electrical wires as well as the measurements for noggins etc. The hope is that when it comes to hanging pictures, shelves etc on the walls we won't make a mess of the plaster-work or cause a house fire!! (we also need it for the speaker wires in the theatre room - should be fun finding those!!)

Destructive Winds Cause Shock, Horror and then a Slight Twist of Fate..

If you were anywhere, well practically in Victoria, this week you will know how wild, woolly and extremely windy it was. The early part of the week had a weather forecast that included damaging gale force winds with squalls..... Why? Why? Why? Just when the house had been wrapped. The first night of winds, I envisaged the entire wrapping ripped to shreds and lifted to the high heavens. Driving past the next day, I was surprised to see it all intact! The wrappers have done an amazing job! Over the entire week, there was one small section that had a tear - on the corner of the house which was quickly secured. However......... we had a call from our SS on Monday to say that during the afternoon, while he was at the house, a mini twister (his words!!!) hit the house. Our 4.5m double glazed stacker doors were ripped from the frame and came smashing down. Two (out of three) doors were smashed and the door frame was twisted as a result. The double whammy was that the plaster had been delivered that morning and placed in front of these doors - they then came smashing down on top of all the cornice and the plaster. The afternoon and evening then included torrential rain, which came pouring in on top of the already damaged plaster/cornice. 

However, in a slight twist of fate, the doors that were damaged were the meal doors that were going to be reversed (hopefully) as we had made an error with the direction of them opening (see previous posts). Unbelievable. I had actually driven past during the windy afternoon and seen all the workers moving the door. I sent a text to my husband in pure excitement to say that they were in fact changing them over (our SS was going to try - but we weren't 100% sure it was even possible). It was only after the phone call later on that I realised they were obviously moving the doors in the aftermath of the damage from the winds. When we saw the doors that evening, we could see there was no way any of them could be salvaged. We thought the frame and one of the doors may be reused but they were really damaged. Such a waste. Our SS informed us that they would have to reorder new doors and the back would be boarded up until then (due to plaster work starting. The cornice was also unusable and the plaster had to be sorted through. Certainly a disaster week for him. We got confirmation on Friday that the new doors would arrive on 4th July and they would be sliding the way we wanted!!!!!!!! We were ecstatic! So lucky that it happened to those doors and not the lounge. Unbelievable stroke of luck really.

The Aftermath (frame looks better than it is)

Shattered Glass

Surveying the Damage (that night - mind the flash)

Boarded Up to Keep the Weather Out 

Whats Next.

My husband met with our SS during the week who gave us a run down of what is next to come. Crazy stuff. We have a confirmed build finish of 1st December 2014 (told this at contact). However, he is confident it is more likely to be the end of August. MAD.....!!!! We're not really ready by then! Ha! Shopping is high on the agenda the next few weeks = fun!

Our SS has been awesome and has allowed us to do quite a few extra things. I will blog about it after the build,  in fairness to him - check back after handover!

'Other' things occurring in the coming weeks:

• Electrical work - (today - Friday)
• Argus installing 5.1 speaker system -  (today - Friday)
• House Wrapping -  (today - Friday - photos to come)
• Plaster - (next week) - this scares me greatly as the bricks are not up. Luke asked our SS about this and they call this 'Reverse Building.' The wrap basically water proofs the house and the process is faster as the brickie's are one of the longest tradie's onsite (still secretly praying for lots of dry weather!!!).
• Bricking (next Friday)
• Tiles and kitchen (mid July)