A rather strange weekend just passed by, a typical Christmas weekend really. Time passes really quickly, money was spent, nothing really happened.
No work was done on the house while we wait for various things to fall into place. Once those things have fallen, work will continue.
Monday, 23 December 2013
Monday, 16 December 2013
Jack Ketch - a Master of his craft
After waiting many tantalising weeks the inevitable finally became a reality: hanging day was upon us.
The streets were filled with the people looking for a spectacle, spent streamers clogged the drains, young boys sold broadsheets, old men sold hot pies (and the occasional rat-on-a-stick), women looked resplendent in their recently bought hats. Jack Ketch was attired in his finery: black leather apron, black leather boots, and black leather hood. In typical fashion Mr Ketch toyed with the crowd, showing off the tools of his craft: chisel, drill, sander, planer.
And as soon it had started it was over: five doors hanged. Just like that. No mess, no fuss, no celebration, no remorse: Jack Ketch is a true professional.
Also over the weekend:
The bathroom and laundry walls were fully tiled. Accompanying the tiling of these rooms was the installation of the cabinets, that was done by the Joinery company on Friday. We are well impressed with the cabinets! The bathroom cabinet looks, well, weird, sitting by itself. But the quality of the materials, and the colors, materials we chose are very pleasing. As is the very wide and very deep drawers. It will look less weidr with the basin, tap and mirror above it. The laundry is great too. We opted for a ceaserstone bench in the laundry instead of a basic one, very pleased we did.
Last week we found out the floor tiles we had previously selected are unavailable, and there was no timeframe for when they would be back in stock. So a quick trip to Geelong on Saturday morning to select new ones. We arrived at the tile company, advised the attendant who were were ("We're with Jack Ketch", "This way, sir") and within 30 seconds had the old tile and three similar ones ready for inspection. 30 seconds later we had selected the new tile and were on our way. New tiles will be ready by Wednesday. It ain't no thing.
The other totally ace thing was the installation of the LED skylights in the passageway and the bathroom. The actual LED lights were put in a few weeks ago but we were waiting for some nice weather, and a scaffolding system, before mounting the solar panels to the roof. Instead of regular skylights which are, I figure, mirror systems that reflect natural light down a mirrored tube through a hole in a ceiling, thus illuminating a room; these bad boys are solar panels that generate electricity that is sent down a typical black power cable into an LED light. The LED is "on" as long Helios is up in the sky beaming smiles down upon us. There are three LEDs, two in the passage and one in the bathroom. They are pretty impressive! Our bathroom has no natural light, so when the lights are off the room is pitch black. Not anymore. The LED does not have the same power as powered LEDs, but it throws enough light to easily use the bathroom during the day. The passageway is a little harder to notice the difference, but when the doors are all closed the passage is very nicely illuminated - again, no need for power.
The streets were filled with the people looking for a spectacle, spent streamers clogged the drains, young boys sold broadsheets, old men sold hot pies (and the occasional rat-on-a-stick), women looked resplendent in their recently bought hats. Jack Ketch was attired in his finery: black leather apron, black leather boots, and black leather hood. In typical fashion Mr Ketch toyed with the crowd, showing off the tools of his craft: chisel, drill, sander, planer.
And as soon it had started it was over: five doors hanged. Just like that. No mess, no fuss, no celebration, no remorse: Jack Ketch is a true professional.
Also over the weekend:
The bathroom and laundry walls were fully tiled. Accompanying the tiling of these rooms was the installation of the cabinets, that was done by the Joinery company on Friday. We are well impressed with the cabinets! The bathroom cabinet looks, well, weird, sitting by itself. But the quality of the materials, and the colors, materials we chose are very pleasing. As is the very wide and very deep drawers. It will look less weidr with the basin, tap and mirror above it. The laundry is great too. We opted for a ceaserstone bench in the laundry instead of a basic one, very pleased we did.
Last week we found out the floor tiles we had previously selected are unavailable, and there was no timeframe for when they would be back in stock. So a quick trip to Geelong on Saturday morning to select new ones. We arrived at the tile company, advised the attendant who were were ("We're with Jack Ketch", "This way, sir") and within 30 seconds had the old tile and three similar ones ready for inspection. 30 seconds later we had selected the new tile and were on our way. New tiles will be ready by Wednesday. It ain't no thing.
The other totally ace thing was the installation of the LED skylights in the passageway and the bathroom. The actual LED lights were put in a few weeks ago but we were waiting for some nice weather, and a scaffolding system, before mounting the solar panels to the roof. Instead of regular skylights which are, I figure, mirror systems that reflect natural light down a mirrored tube through a hole in a ceiling, thus illuminating a room; these bad boys are solar panels that generate electricity that is sent down a typical black power cable into an LED light. The LED is "on" as long Helios is up in the sky beaming smiles down upon us. There are three LEDs, two in the passage and one in the bathroom. They are pretty impressive! Our bathroom has no natural light, so when the lights are off the room is pitch black. Not anymore. The LED does not have the same power as powered LEDs, but it throws enough light to easily use the bathroom during the day. The passageway is a little harder to notice the difference, but when the doors are all closed the passage is very nicely illuminated - again, no need for power.
Bathroom cabinet - before surrounding tiles:
Bathroom cabinet - now with tiles!
The space is for the mirror. On the left will be a large mirror too.
Laundry cabinets and tiles.
The space between the two cabinets is for a dryer.
Above the cabinets we will put an additional bench for more storage and take advantage of the high ceilings.
What you see here will eventually be enclosed behind doors so it is nicely tucked away.
Shower hole - tiled like a boss:
Hanged doors:
In the foreground is a halfdoor to a hall cupboard
In the background is the door to the study/bedroom 2
Let there be [natural] light!
Helios-powered.
TAKE THAT GAIA!
Monday, 9 December 2013
Back at it
A couple of weeks off, The Master's look fresh and as though they had been relaxed, but a week back in reality from two weeks on a cruise ship wipes the relax off pretty fast. And then its back to work at the house.
This weekend was all about tiling. The bathroom walls are pretty much all covered now, a couple of spots left but they are dependent on the cabinetry being put in first (I think). Plus we ran out of the glass tiles.
The tiles were probably the hardest thing for me to visualise. You have take such a small sample and extrapolate it in a 3-dimensional room that doesn't physically exist, with items that haven't been purchased. We picked the tiles relatively easily, but I have been concerned about them. With the walls mostly tiled I remain uncertain. I hope that by the time the entire room is finished I will be satisfied. If not, well too bad for me I guess. The Shadow, who does have a good internal eye for visualisation, is quite comfortable. So that gives me peace.
On Saturday I went around the house and filled in all the nail holes with filler. SO many little holes.
Having not been to the house for a couple of weeks I was surprised to see the state of the backyard - Gaia is a real jerk! But we'll see next week who has the last laugh, Gaia or Senor Roundup.
This weekend was all about tiling. The bathroom walls are pretty much all covered now, a couple of spots left but they are dependent on the cabinetry being put in first (I think). Plus we ran out of the glass tiles.
The tiles were probably the hardest thing for me to visualise. You have take such a small sample and extrapolate it in a 3-dimensional room that doesn't physically exist, with items that haven't been purchased. We picked the tiles relatively easily, but I have been concerned about them. With the walls mostly tiled I remain uncertain. I hope that by the time the entire room is finished I will be satisfied. If not, well too bad for me I guess. The Shadow, who does have a good internal eye for visualisation, is quite comfortable. So that gives me peace.
On Saturday I went around the house and filled in all the nail holes with filler. SO many little holes.
Having not been to the house for a couple of weeks I was surprised to see the state of the backyard - Gaia is a real jerk! But we'll see next week who has the last laugh, Gaia or Senor Roundup.
First walls to be tiled
Fibre to the House - suck it rest of Australia!
Whats that, up to 1Gbps now?
What, no more FFTH only to the Node because the Libs prefer the hMail* and the tele**?
BAM!
*Horse courier mail | **telegraph
Welcome to Thistle County - proudly brought to you by Gaia
Aka Mother Nature
Aka World's Biggest Jerk:
Stompsville - nee Thistle County
Shower area, fully tiled with glass tiles feature:
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