Even more bricks.

Today we saw the bricklayers back, fortunately it was a much milder day weather wise.

I think they have done a stellar job. It has surprised me how much time and skill is required in bricklaying. It's not an easy job by any means. Our bricklayers are veterans of the trade and they really have worked like craftsman. I'm sure reclaimed bricks are not the easiest bricks to lay in a timely fashion either.

I have enjoyed watching them work, and the friendly insights into bricklaying they have been generous to share with me.

Roof from above

I noticed nearmap have done a recent update. Here is what our roof looks like from above on the 19.11.2012.

More Bricks

Today was a scorcher! 39.1 degrees celsius and the poor brickies were hard at it. I really hope no-one comes down with sun stroke later this evening.

We are almost there brick wise. Tomorrow should see us at official lock-up stage. Yipee!

Peter Ford from Belmore Plumbing is coming tomorrow to rough in the pipework required to extend our hydronic heating into this new section of house.

Windows!

Big day today, the windows are going in! What a difference this makes, you can really begin to sense the end result now. Lockup is just around the corner - I'm guessing tomorrow or Friday at the latest.

These windows weigh a tonne (they are all double glazed) I could barely watch as 5 men struggled to install them. But of course they know what they are doing.

Our lovely stacker doors - that wide opening is wonderful.

Kitchen window.

The first of the large north facing windows.

Both windows are in!

View from the outside.

Brickies in action.

Lunchtime.

Windows have arrived.

What a day. It started well with a team of 4 on site and then the rain came, bucket loads of water washed away any hope of work commencing here today. As predicted as soon as the tradies jumped in their cars and left the rain stopped and the sun came out. Typical.

Charlie and I headed up to playgroup as we both needed to get out of the house for a bit. We had lunch with Marisa and Leah - lovely - then we returned home.

To my delight all the windows had been delivered! Just no tradies around to put them in.

Front of ensuite now bricked up.

Back of ensuite bricked and awaiting window.

The doorway from the ensuite into the bedroom has began.

Kitchen colours

As mentioned earlier the selection of the kitchen appliances was for me one of the hardest choices to make. The only thing that has been harder has been selecting the kitchen cabinetry colours.

It's a combination of the sheer expense of everything combined with the knowledge that we will need to live with this decision for the next 20 years plus, which evokes such analysis paralysis.

So, at the moment I have narrowed things down to only a few options. Both are combinations of warm greys and warm whites (as shown below).

The first option is using 'Dulux Heifer' as the feature wall colour along with the lower cabinets. The benchtops would be a fresh white.

The second option is using a much deeper grey 'Dulux Mud Pack' and combining it with the ceasarstone colour shitake. Such as below.

And lastly, using the same 'Dulux Mud Pack' but only on the feature wall cabinetry and combining it with a white benchtop. See below.

I wish I could do a poll and get everyones opinion. Drop me a line if you have a strong reaction (good or bad) to any option.

Ensuite bathroom

The ensuite is slowly coming together. I have chosen tapware, basin and toilet, and tiles were selected and bought some time ago.

To maximise space, I have asked Con to build me a fake wall about 110cm high which then becomes a shelf. My plan is to remove the need for storage below the basin by putting in a shaving cabinet above this shelf.

It really is quite a small space so I don't want to do too much in here. A couple of towel rails and perhaps a small cane basket under the basin to store my hairdryer and this room is finished.

I have asked for a few power points inside the shaving cabinet where we can recharge toothbrushes and David's shaver.

So now I need to think about tiling this room. Originally I was thinking of using the sandstone grey on the floors and wall opposite the entry doorway. Such as the image below.

Or another alternative is to apply the sandstone grey to the floor and other wall (such as below). This would help contrast the white porcelain basin and toilet. Any thoughts?.

Lowering the ceiling

We have decided to lower the ceiling in both the transitional area just outside the family room as well as the laundry and powder room.Why?

Firstly, small rooms with really high ceilings can often feel like your inside a tube rather than a room. Secondly, we are hoping that by dropping the ceiling in this area by about 40cm we will be able to create a contrast between the transitional area and the family room.

The theory being that by contracting the space in the smaller rooms then releasing that space in the family room, it will accentuate the height, light and space of the larger room.

Well that's the plan anyway.

Old Pantry be gone!

Today the old pantry in the old kitchen has been removed, opening up a direct line of view from the front door to the back stacker doors. And wow, what an improvement!

It was always a dark rabbit warren in this section of the original house where things you wanted out of sight (i.e. vacuum cleaners and clothes drying racks) were kept behind the door at the end of the hallway.

I knew the impact of this one little change would be big, but I didn't anticipate just how much better it makes the whole house feel. The flow is improved, light now floods into the dark hallway and standing at the front door you are instantly drawn towards the light, bright space at the back. I'm thrilled!

Next the doorway at the end of the hallway and laundry wall need to go.

Plumbing and Electrics

Over the last week it's been a busy little building site. The builders are here at 7am each morning and they leave around 3.30pm most afternoons. And while I know alot has been happening, sometimes I am unsure looking around what exactly has been done today.

I assume it's things like getting the frame ready for the surveyor (who is coming tomorrow at 7.30am) attaching gutters, and roofs etc etc. All the small and time consuming jobs, that to the untrained eye (like mine) can be easy to miss.

Both the plumbing and electrics have began, and while we are a long way from finished, it's good to have this started. Both of these stages require alot of decision making from us. So there has been alot to think about this week particularly with regard to the ensuite.

Tomorrow I'm told the pantry in the current kitchen is going as they start to open up the back area. This should really make a large impact on the flow of the floorplan. So I am quite excited about it. Con says this too is a slow job as you really need to take your time with an 'easy as she goes' approach when removing existing walls.

Hopefully there will be a lot more to report then.

Tiles - the second batch.

After removing the first batch of tiles from the roof, a new reclaimed batch of tiles arrived. Fortunately these tiles were a much better fit with the original tiles, however I do have my concerns (but really, what do I know about roofs and tiles ).

So what are my concerns?

Well, it's my understanding that (according to the internet) the lifespan of a terracotta roof is about 70 - 80 years (although this information comes from roofers websites - who of course want your business). To counteract this I have also read (online) not to fall for the "your tiles are brittle so I need to replace your roof" line as it's one of the oldest fibs in building.

That said, a functional roof is pretty bloody important! So if there are signs of water damage on your ceiling your roof really needs to be assessed as soon as possible.

So with the above information in mind, added to the fact our roof is around 84 years old now, I was very keen to know the state of it's health from both Con and the tilers.

Con thought it was in pretty good shape as he was able to walk on it without the tiles breaking (all tiles whether old or new will break when walked on incorrectly, however tiles past their used by date will break even when walked on correctly). The tilers thought it could use some repointing, but in general there is no reason why it wouldn't last another 15 - 20 years.

So, when this new batch of tiles arrived, to my eye they looked quite faded compared to the first batch - and I'm thinking faded = really old. Secondly when I stood on a few remnants they seemed to break incredibly easily (yes, this could also mean it's time to get back on the diet!)

However the tilers told me they were fine, and Con assured me these tiles are guaranteed by the supplier. So here's hoping they will be fine.

Appliances - Part 3 (Fridge, Freezer and taps)

Yesterday I purchased our new fridge and freezer from The Good Guys. I would especially like to thank Ben (my sister-in-laws boyfriend) who managed to organise a wonderful deal enabling us to purchase a fridge and freezer that normally would have been out of our reach.

Thank you Ben! We are thrilled beyond words.

LG Built-in Refrigerator and freezer.

So these two products will sit side by side and be built into our cabinetry. I'm completely chuffed with them!

My other purchase was a kitchen sink mixer, the "Abey SK5 tap".

And for the shower, "Zucchetti Pan mixer"

There are still a few more things that need to be bought, such as the laundry trough and tap, and ensuite and powder room toilets and basins. But we are getting there!

Tiling Drama.

Our existing roof is quite old with lichen all over it. It doesn't leak, it's original and as they say "if it ain't broke then don't fix it." In short I like it the way it is.

So when it comes to tiling the new extension we thought it best to try and match the existing tiles with some readily sourced reclaimed tiles. Sounded easy enough, right?

We gave an original tile to the tile people, and sure enough that afternoon two pallets of reclaimed tiles arrived - beautiful.

The following day the tilers arrived (couple of nice young guys) and they proceeded to get all the tiles up on the roof to be laid the following day. However the next day I see them up there shaking their heads and shrugging their shoulders. The tiles don't fit!

So down they all had to come. New tiles needed to be matched and delivered. So what should have been a day and half job has turned into a week long affair.

These thing can happen sometimes.