Store room walls completed. Almost.

The last 4 weeks have been quite tedious. We were waiting on the core filled double brick store room walls to be completed before the flooring for the main level could be completed. As mentioned in earlier posts this is quite a laborious task. This week they core filled the last section of wall - yay! - so next week they can continue with the flooring and framing. I think brickies will be back next week too. They are yet to finish the core filled brick pillar that runs alongside the store room but that should be finished in the next few weeks. 

The store room window was put in place. 

The other side of the store room. The core filled brick pillar is approximately 1/3 built. 

Where the door will be for the store room can be seen here and it makes me realise just how tall the ceilings in there are - a whopping 4 metres! 

Looking down onto the store room just before the core fill was done. Our bedroom will be directly above the store room. 

Hopefully I can update with better photos in a week or two when the framers and brickies have spent more time on site. 

In other developments the Caroma Pearl basins we chose for the bathroom and powder room may not be available so we have to decide what we want instead. We are leaning towards a more rectangular version of our ensuite basins.

We have also almost decided (I say 'almost' because we always change our mind) on our aircon/heater setup. Now it looks like we will get a ducted split system for the family/meals/kitchen, theatre and study. We will get a multi head inverter split system for the 3 bedrooms. We will have to make our minds up pretty soon so we can order the units and organise the install of the big unit in the ceiling near lock up and any  piping etc can de done before the plaster is put up. 

Framing, bricks and floor joists (and cupcakes!)

A fair bit has happened these last two weeks. We have had the framing finished for downstairs. Well, almost finished. A small frame is yet to go around the service pipes but whatever. It's basically done.

The bricking has commenced at the front of the house. Here are the progress pics so far for the bricking at the front. 

The bricking of the reinforced cavity filled store room walls continues. This is a long process of bricking a section of the wall, waiting for it to cure, filling it with concrete, letting it cure and starting again. They have to do this for over 7 metres of wall. Hubby says this is like a strong room. Lol! 

Floor joists have been laid for approximately half of the main living level and some yellow tongue flooring has been laid. Termite protection also installed around the perimeter of the brickwork. I'm still confused about how a strip of orange plastic-ish material stops those little white monsters. Maybe they don't like orange!?

Floor joists day 1...

Day 2...

Day 3...  (Including someone burning off in the background. I hope they had a permit!)

A pic of inside the man cave. With some of the floor joists for the main level down I get a better idea of what 3 metre ceilings are like. All I can say is "wow!". I'm bordering on midget (5ft nothing) so hubby can take care of the cobwebs in those corners. My chances of reaching those ceilings lay between f@ck all and buckleys!

Fine weather is predicted for most of this week - hello Spring!!! I'm hoping with the great weather ahead that we will see more great progress this week. 

Last but not least, it was the annual RSPCA Cupcake Day on Monday 19th August. I baked my little heart out and raised over $200 for the RSPCA. Plus no one suffered food poisoning which I regard a massive bonus. As well as Rocky Road cupcakes, my cupcake selection included toppings like coconut and strawberries in a vein attempt to resemble a healthy food option. There were also gluten free cupcakes and dairy free cupcakes so those with a food intolerance couldn't use their intolerance as an excuse not to participate and donate ;-)  See, I do have a caring side. 

Beams, bricks and births. Oh my!

We have had a little progress this week despite the terrible wet weather. Rain, hail and storms at the beginning of the week certainly didn't help at all. In fact, the weather ruined the site clean near the rear of the slab so that will have to be done again so the drainage can be finished off. 

Here are some pictures taken today of the progress this week.

The metal 'I' beams have been put in place. One above the rear sliding door and two across the man cave ceiling. 

Here is the beam across the top of the rear sliding door. I don't know where the other door panels are. I suppose they will put these on later?? 

The inside bricking has started for the double brick storeroom walls. As I understand it these walls have to be built in approximately 750mm high increments. The walls will be bricked to 750mm high then cavity filled. Once that sets then they will build another 750mm high double brick wall and cavity fill it. This process repeats until the entire height of that wall is built, which is approx 4 meters tall. We expect that this will take at least 4 to 5 weeks to complete. 

Brickies completed some more of the west facing wall. 

This is the inside section of the west facing wall. You can see where the timber beams will sit for the floor of the main level. 

The excavator operator's wife went into labour today so he's not available to perform the site clean tomorrow as previously arranged. Luckily our builder has agreed to use a friend of ours instead for the site clean. This means that the brickies shouldn't be held up any further and can continue their work this week and next week. 

This week I ordered two of these leather and recycled bike rim stools from Milan Direct. These will go in the man cave. Delivery was fairly fast, I received these two business days after ordering them. These will be used for the sit down/table top arcade game we ordered for the man cave. 

Slow and steady wins the race

They say that slow and steady wins the race. Apparently. 

This is the progress for the last couple of weeks. 

Framing for the downstairs man cave continued. 

Some windows have been installed 

Opening for the double stacker door. That tree HAS to go! 

Staircase to the right 

Man cave bathroom

The bricking was then commenced. I laughed when I saw the foil insulation. We are not using that builder so I have no idea where that came from. Oh well...

Store room walls then started to be bricked up. These will be cavity filled double brick walls - no timber frames. 

Some bars were then put in. 

Bolts into the slab for the upright steel posts that have to help support the big "I" beam that will go above the stacker door. 

One of the upright posts. Clearly not upright at his point in time. 

We had terrible weather this week. The only dry days were the weekend ***rolling eyes*** Storms are predicted for tomorrow ***sigh***

I'm hoping the weather can hold out so they can get a decent amount of work done this week. 

RSPCA Cupcake Day 19th August 2013

I have decided, rather last minute, that I will be participating in the RSPCA Cupcake Day on Monday 19th August 2013 to help raise much needed funds for the RSPCA. 

To view my fundraising page, or to donate, visit https://cupcakeday-vic2013.everydayhero.com/au/nadia

THANK YOU!! 

***UPDATE ON 23rd AUGUST 2013***

I raised a total of $206.75 for the RSPCA from my Cupcake Day. Thank you to everyone who donated.  There were a selection of chocolate/strawberry, vanilla/strawberry, rocky road & vanilla/coconut cupcakes available on the day. I also baked a batch of very yummy gluten free cupcakes for those who are gluten intolerant. 

I'll definitely participate in Cupcake Day next year, although this time I'll be better prepared and hopefully I'll be able to raise more money. 

The beginning of the man cave...

The framing has commenced for the downstairs man cave. 

Man cave double stacker sliding door 

Man cave and store room windows 

Looking down from the top of the block. There was an excavator guy there doing a site clean. 

Quite a few pellets of bricks have also been delivered. Looks like the piers may be getting bricked up next week. 

We spoke to the excavator driver who said he will be there tomorrow too finishing the clean up. 

It's been great to see some frames go up! 

We have a slab!

So after a few delays we finally have our slab!! 

First here are some slab preparation photos taken on Monday 8th July 2013.

Here is the garage 

Man cave area 

Another shot of man cave area

Another day of preparations on 9th July 2013. Boxing now completed, plastic laid and rio laid. 

Garage - excuse the blurry photo! 

Man cave 

The slab was meant to be poured in Wednesday 10th July. This didn't happen because the concreters missed some steel work in the garage. So... He fixed that on Thursday 11th July. 

Friday 12th July we got our slabs!! Both the man cave the garage slabs were poured today!! 

Garage slab

Man cave slab

Both slabs (man cave slab partially hidden by pile of dirt)

We have been told they will let the slabs sit there for 5 to 7 days before the framers start their work.