Week Thirty-nine – Stairs

For a few months now, the entrance to the cellar has been covered with the same steel that provides the ceiling for the cellar with a ladder on top which was the only way up. While there were no safety issues, other than falling off a ladder, it was not an easy way of viewing what was happening on the first floor.

It’s a trade-off though between having stairs in place for easy access against having them trashed due to heavy use during building. With stairs in place, things have changed greatly.

The gas heaters are fixed in place with the facia’s still safely in their boxes.

The baths have arrived and will be installed once the bathroom walls have been fully siliconed.

The painter has started with paint going on the veranda timber while it's accessible prior to the tin being installed and the bathroom windows get a coating.

Off site, we order a new door knocker for 19 to match the one on 17. No problem, visit Adelaide Restoration Centre on Magill Road and order one that matches pretty well.

Get out the wire brush to clean the original one and it breaks in half, the break indicated that it may have been cracked for quite a while. So another is ordered, they will definitely match now.

Week Thirty-eight – Some of the finer points

Building a house gets a bit frustrating the further you get into it. Many of the big changes have been done and while there are plenty big items left, the kitchens, bathroom fittings etc., there a many smaller items that need to happen that can take a fair bit of time.

Things like the routing of the front veranda. While there’s plenty of maintenance free steel out the back, getting the right heritage look out the front requires dome detailing.

Inside some work is done getting the timber floors ready for polishing in 19 and a new floating floor for 17. The carpet grippers need to be removed and there’s a number of staples that the floor sanders won’t enjoy.

Week Thirty-seven – The front veranda takes shape with more out the back

On their website, listed under Planning & Development, the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters state that the city has a rich history and contains a large number of historical buildings and sites that are of interest and value to the community.

The city’s development plan found at http://www.npsp.sa.gov.au/files/555_npsp-development-plan.pdf?v=253 includes the following;

DESIRED CHARACTER STATEMENT

The Residential Character (Norwood) Zone includes the largely residential areas of Norwood, bound

by Magill, Portrush, Kensington and Fullarton Roads.

A key feature of the zone is the distinct rectilinear pattern of wide tree-lined major streets, intersected by narrow minor streets, around which various eras of development have been overlaid.

This has resulted in a built form character, which comprises a mix of housing styles, including workers cottages, bungalows and villas and a variety of post war dwellings, including walk-up flats, townhouses and a range of contemporary detached, attached and group housing styles. This has, over the years, established a broad mix of allotment sizes and provided a diversity of residential accommodation options, including affordable housing.

Although the built form character throughout Norwood is relatively varied, there remains a strong theme associated with the historic built form, which includes a significant number of Local Heritage Places and buildings constructed before 1940 and is further supported by the areas of Residential Historic (Conservation) Zone, which are found throughout Norwood. The regular street grid pattern and the high level of vegetation, including mature street trees and landscaped gardens, are elements that assist in unifying the various eras of built form development in Norwood.

The zone will continue to support a mix of old and new development and provide opportunities for a range of housing types and allotment sizes. The remaining pockets of housing pre-dating 1940 that make an important contribution to the mixed character of Norwood are identified (by site) on Concept Plan Fig RC(N)/1. Additional development guidelines will apply to new development within these identified localities and further land division will not occur, except where it involves the redevelopment of an existing multi-unit site or the conversion of an existing dwelling into two (or more dwellings) where the building and the front yard maintain the original external appearance to the street.

This respect for the city’s heritage has always been a major consideration with the development of the site without knowing it was well aligned with the city’s plans and there has always been a strong desire to have the house looking as it did originally from the street but with a contemporary new living space at the rear.

The eyelash veranda will finish this off well and we have a number of great examples in the street to guide us.

Meanwhile, more work is done out the back and south side fixing the battens onto the pergolas.

The stairs have arrived but won't be installed just yet.

Week Thirty-six – The decking is down and the roof goes onto the pergolas

The decking is completed and the Alsynite goes up to provide the rain protection over the western doors and windows.

With much of the indoor construction work complete, it’s time to give everything a good clean out. The carpets that were originally in the house were laid upside down over the new polished concrete months ago and each piece was dragged outside, given a good bash with lots of sweeping and vacuuming inside before reinstating the carpets.

All done with the back doors firmly closed to avoid dusting the newly stained deck.

 

Week Thirty-five – The decking commences

More work outside while we have a dry week.

Some progress is made completing the ridging on the roof and the carpenter gets to enjoy what he loves doing, getting the decking started.

The plumber is kept busy with more storm-water work being done, there won’t be any chance of tweaking things with the tanks once the decking is down.

Week Thirty-four - Every home must have 1000 litres

In March 2004 the South Australian State Government announced several initiatives aimed at making our State a leader in environmental reform. A number of these initiatives aim to improve the sustainability of new housing. These initiatives include the installation of plumbed rainwater tanks which became mandatory from July 2006. 

The original plan for 19 was to have a metal modular tank behind the carport and the tank for 17 tucked in the back corner. Given space is at a premium, we could have chosen slimline tanks but the decision was made to install under-deck tanks. More work is required to install the tanks and serviceability will be limited once installed but they’ll be out of sight. These will be plumbed  with an automatic device between the pumps and the downstairs toilets which switch to mains water if rainwater is not available.

So a short week without much happening. The tanks have been delivered and the plumber is booked to fit out things prior to the deck being constructed.

While there is no rock, only good clay soil, the holes to house the four 500 litre tanks need more than a spade. With tight access, specialised machinery is needed. A deal is done with the construction site down the road and the clean fill goes for a short trip.

By Thursday it looks more like a cemetery than a building site but the tanks are laid to rest.