Week Thirty-two – Last of first fix, first of second fix

The carpenters are back to get the trusses up and facias onto the carport. Not quite the last of the first fix given the front veranda need to be framed.

  

Inside, skirting boards go on, door frames go in and doors are hung. On the weekend there’s a gang to get the wet area floors set for the tiling.

This week’s selections are paint colours. Inside is pretty simple, Antique White U.S.A.

Outside is reasonably sorted utilising Stone White in most places but what about the woodwork? A different colour for the window woodwork, black doors, highlights on the rendered surfaces?

So the streets of Norwood are trawled looking at what others have done.

Again, in some ways tradition sets the tone and the decision is made to have all painted surfaces the same colour, Stone White with what is now Avocado Green on the window surrounds on the sides pained black.

Week Thirty-one – The carport is framed

The last of the steel-work goes up but there is still some ironwork to be done on the roof.

With all the roof sheeting done save the bit where the carport cuts in, there’s still a fair bit of flashing required and with rain forecast, some sarking goes up to act as temporary flashing and does the job during a good downpour.

It is replaced the following day by the real thing and it doesn’t rain for another ten days.

The flushing continues its never-ending journey and it's looking great and the tilers get things waterproofed in readiness for the screeding.

Meanwhile off site, light shopping is happening. Thankfully most of the rooms with have standard LED down-lights but we need to decide on three pendants, kitchen lights, stairwell lights, front veranda light and wall lights for the upstairs bedroom. Too many shops, so much on-line, too much choice.

Week Thirty – The front veranda gets poured

The first set of plans had Tessellated Terra Cotta tiles specified for the front veranda, these would certainly look great and were fairly popular in the Victorian era when the place was built but the heritage of this cottage is working class and there is no sign of Terra Cotta in the rest of the street so plain concrete it is.

The guys have finished it well so painting the concrete may not happen.

While they’re at it, the footings for the carport are poured and yet another skip goes in readiness for the carport steelwork to be erected.

The outside doors are hung so if not for the big hole above the side door, it could be considered lockup.

The Gyprocking continues and the hallways are taking shape. Gypsum power is everywhere.

Week Twenty-nine – plasterboard goes up

The plasterers are back to do some flushing in the hallway. The decision has been made not to do another arch or associated corbels, with the walls flushed the hallway is going to look very long, the ceiling will need to be flushed and extended to the one and only remaining arch.

The yellow is rapidly disappearing behind white and grey.

It’s also leading to a better idea of how the light will work once everything is done.

Outside, the concretors dig the trenches for the front veranda and carport.

It is a work site, but looks a bit like a bomb site on video

Week Twenty-eight – yellow is the word of the week

Although Bradford probably call them gold, insulation batts that is.

Another short week thanks to Anzac Day, Tuesday is spent getting rid of the Gall Wasp infected parts of the lemon tree which translates to not much left. Plan no. 247 for the rainwater tanks is underdeck with pumps in sumps so a hole is dug and the back yard is cleaned up to make room for the decking and to bury the tanks.

Some work is done to track down a good supplier of the required electrics for the windows and the corbels are ordered.

Wednesday is significant as SAPN come and connect the power to both sides underground to the newly installed meter boxes.

With things relatively water tight and the sparkie having completed the first fix, it’s time to get ready to plasterboard. Step one is to fill the walls and ceilings with insulation batts. Yellow everywhere.

The plasterers do a wonderful job plastering the common wall both sides to a smooth cool surface.