Week 10 - Invoiced for Fix Stage

Fixing Stage Completed on July 3rd.  From our HIA contract, that is "the stage when all internal cladding, architraves, skirting, doors, built-in shelves, baths, basins, troughs, sinks, cabinets and cupboards of a home are fitted and fixed in position."  The next stage is the last one - Completion.  We're very close to the end, which is almost a bit sad.

The painters were in on Thursday, which was ahead of schedule - great!  Except that was the day my blind guy was coming by to do a final check-measure for the plantation shutters, but couldn't because the window frames were wet - boo!  So he will be back on Tuesday.  I can expect my shutters to be installed anywhere from 8 to 12 weeks after then, depending who you believe.

Unfortunately, as expected, I have finally been locked out.  Worse than that, I couldn't even peer through the windows, because the painters have protected them with some kind of rice-paper-esque cover, which prevented me from seeing inside, but I did get a peek through the front window.

Absolutely horrible photo, but I'm happy to report that even though it's raining cats and dogs, the concrete on the Home Theatre room floor was dry.  I had reported the issue to my Client Liaison Coordinator and she reported back that the bricks had been power-washed and the water wasn't from a leak, but from the spray from the power wash.  As you can imagine, I didn't like that answer, but it seems to be fine now.

Instead, of update pics, I will show you some of the plans I have for decorating.  Firstly, the front room with all of the windows (aka "the Home Theatre") will not be a home theatre at all.  It will be a landing space immediately upon entering the house, where my indoor plants will thrive (hopefully).  As a tribute to my grandmother, I want to feature this print of the lighthouse at Peggy's Cove Nova Scotia (where Grandma was born), by a photographer named Art Wolfe, front and center in the room.

We will have coffee oak floors in that room and I've bought a cotton edged jute rug to ground the space.  A while back, we bought the Belle Jardiniere cushion from Provincial Home Living which will be one of the cushions to go on the White Ektorp sofa from IKEA.  The dogs won't be allowed at this end of the house, but if for some reason they get through, the sofa comes with a washable cover.

 

I have also fallen in love with a print of downtown Montreal, by a photographer named Alan Copson.  The SunLife Building features prominently, where both my mum and I worked at the Bank of Montreal.  I will always think of her when I see this print.  Because of that, I want to put it in a place I will see often - I have a few options I'm thinking about.

We bought a few cushions from H&M, to go on the recliner set (Nelson from Furniture Trader) in the back lounge room.  The colour of the sofa is a bit off in the pic, but you get the idea.  It's my new favourite colour -"greige" (an inexplicable mix of grey and beige).  I just have to slowly start a collection of neutral coloured cushions with different textures to nest everything together.

Unfortunately, there is no Wrap Up video this week, as I couldn't see much at all and anything outside was dreadful as we're experiencing such a heavy rainfall.  I need to see inside before I sign off on the invoice, so hopefully I will have more pics for you this week.

"I want to make sure I'm not a dilettante.  Decorating has been a passion all my life.  I love it."

- Christina Saralegui

Week 9 - Fix Carpentry - Doors, Door Frames and Windowsills Up!

I am happy to report that we've put a deposit down for the Plantation Shutters I discussed last time.  I have a feeling that front room will be my most favourite room of the house!  I am now waiting for a call back from the blind company, to arrange a check-measure, as our windowsills are now up and that's what they needed to double-check the exact measurements.

We were able to get in the house today, which I didn't expect.  Nearly all of the doors are up!  Our front door, the door between the house and the garage and the door between the garage and the back yard are aqua! They will be painted to match my Colorbond garage door and windowsills, which are Dune.  I was surprised by the doorknob they've put on my door; it's the wrong one and it's too high.  I now see it's more than likely a temporary knob, where the deadbolt will be.  The doorknob will go lower, but I'm not sure I'm happy about the height of the deadbolt - it should be closer to the center, shouldn't it?  I'll have to suss this out and maybe ask a few people on the building / renovation forum I use.

Colorbond Dune

Right Door and Proper Height for Locks

Wrong Doorknob

Deadbolt

Right Doorknob

More importantly, the west facing window in the front room is leaking and I'm not sure where from.  I'm happy we had really bad weather today or I might not have spotted it.  I will be bringing this to the Site Supervisor's attention right away.

Leaking Window in Theatre Room

The one set of doors I really want to see up are the double-doors for the Master Bedroom.  Hopefully we'll see those on, next week.

2 of These Doors to Open to the Master

Please enjoy this week's Wrap Up Video.

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

- Walt Disney

Sneaky Peek!

I left work early today to meet a salesman from a custom made furnishings company, to organise a measure and quote for Plantation Shutters, very similar to these:

Plantation Shutters

for this room:

Theatre Room Porch Window

Theatre Room Front and West Side Windows

I took advantage of having time alone to take some pics and enjoy what will most likely be my last time in the house for quite some time.  I've had a really good look at the kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets and bench tops.  I also saw they delivered my laundry trough, door frames and doors.  I spoke to the foreman today and he says getting the doors on is the next step.

Cooking Nook

Oven and Stove Cavities

Sink, Dishwasher and Microwave Cavities

10cm Added Height to Benchtops for Tall Owners!

The kitchen really is the castle itself.  This is where we spend our happiest moments and where we find joy in being a family.

- Mario Batali

Cutlery Tray

Very much looking forward to seeing the finished result of the higher counter top height.  We had them raise it by 10cm, so it will be 1m high plus 2cm thick Caesarstone benches.  Can't wait!

Bathroom

Ensuite

Week 9 Day 1 Extra Video

Week 8 - Plaster work, Cabinetry and Solar Panels!

We're officially locked out of the house, which I expected.  This week, they continued to work on the plaster.  They also installed the kitchen cabinets, bathroom cabinets / counters.  Much to our delight, we also noticed the solar panels which heat our hot water tank were also installed.  This week, because an internal wrap up video was impossible, we went to Casey Fields to show you what we have at the end of our road.

Kitchen From Back Window

Kitchen Cabinetry from Kitchen Window

Bathroom Cabinet and Benchtop

Hot Water Solar Panels

Wrap Up Video - Week 8

It's really kind of cool to have solar panels on your roof.

- Bill Gates

Week 7 - Plasterboards

This week was all about plastering, which is all but done.  There are just a few cornices in the study that need to be finished off.  Next, our cabinetry will be installed in the kitchen and bathrooms.  Then the painters, then the tilers.  Once the tilers are done, I'm told from others who have built that we're about 4 to 6 weeks away from completion.  We were billed for Lock Up Stage last week, so I think this might be the last update from the inside until we're very close to the end of the build.

Kitchen

Living Room

Through to Dining Room

Toilet and Bathroom

Bath Waterproofing Plaster

Sink and Shower Waterproofing

Theatre Room

Porch from Garage

Week 7's Wrap Up Video!

Visual storytelling, of one kind or another, has been around since cavemen were drawing on walls.

- Frank Darabont

Week 6 - Rough Electrical and Insulation

From the outside, there hasn't been too much change.  On the inside, however, the insulation has been installed and the rough electrical seems to be nearly complete.  Plasterboard has been delivered, so that's the next step, hopefully not too far from now.

Insulation to garage wall on right.

Insulation to front room.

Plasterboard delivered

Muddy Timberlands

My hiking boots which I keep on cheap coir mats in the back of the car - I quickly change into these when I get to the house for an "inspection".  I leave them in the car so I'm always ready for a visit!  The plastic scrapers are for grout and plaster, but they work well to get the worse of the mud off.

Truffle Brick and Lava Stone Tile

We had chosen this tile for our front porch quite a while ago.  The builders are contracted to leave a concrete porch only, so the tile work will be done after handover.  Yesterday, we took advantage of an End of Financial Year Sale at Beaumont Tiles, which saved us a nice sum.  This is the tile with a piece of brick we "borrowed" from - well - ourselves.  I also put up a pic of the back of the house (which has wiring between the windows for a light) up against Beaumont Tiles' pic of the tile from their site, to get a better idea of how the juxtaposition will work.  The veining is very similar to the colour of the brick.

Please enjoy Week 6 Wrap Up Video.  For some reason, I got ahead of myself and was referring to this as Week 7.  In fact, we area starting Week 7 tomorrow.

Electric communication will never be a substitute for the face of someone who, with their soul, encourages another person to be brave and true.

- Charles Dickens

Week 5 - Bricks, Rough Plumbing, Heating & Ducts

To think a week ago the roof tiles were going up, a lot has happened this week.  The bricks are on, rough plumbing is mapped out, heating unit is in the roof space and the ducts are laid out, door frames are on to external doors.  Looks like we're just about ready for lock up stage!

Front of House

Porch Wall

NBN High Speed Internet Wiring

Gas Heating Unit in Roof Space

Heat Ducts

Ensuite Pocket Door Frame

Internal Door to Garage

Rough Plumbing and Tub Frame in Main Bathroom

WEEK 5 Wrap Up Video:

Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.
- Paul Theroux