DAY 86 - The scaff is down!

Friday 9th November - our scaffold is down!  It was a big surprise when we went to meet the tilers as there's still some painting to be done at the front.  The painter must have a big ladder!  The house looks smaller without all the scaff around it.  It's been there for 5 weeks when normally it would be there for about 2!

Many of the tradies ask if we're going to render.  Maybe if it wasn't so much $, but we actually really like the bricks.

I had a good meeting with the tilers this morning and hopefully they will do a good job.  Today they bedded the bathroom, wc and ensuite.  Because it's a flat timber floor upstairs they bed it to give a fall towards the drain pipes.  I was quite suprised to find them mixing their bedding mix (sand and concrete) straight on our bedroom floor!  They say 'it's ok, you're laying timber floors or carpet aren't you?'  It seems that's standard practice.  There are some things I wish I didn't know about how our home is constructed :(

I took a few pics of the bathroom whilst they were working but forgot to take of the ensuite.

Bathroom

Bathroom - shower

WC

Monday they will start on the wet area floor tiles followed by the walls.  They should be done by Wednesday next week.

I also spoke with them about laying our main floor tiles and got their pricing.  It's comparable to the quotes I've already got so if they do a good job we'll likely use them as if we don't get handover this year it's easier for the builders to allow them access during the break since they're their tradies.  They did offer to lay the main floor tiles next week but the site super said no as with trades still coming through (plasterers, painters, fit off) they will have ladders and other equipment and likely damage the tiles.  That's fair enough.


I had another restless night thinking about the sink.  I came up with an idea of how I could possibly get the clips on.  So armed with screwdrivers, pliers and the sink, I spent about an hour in the cupboard trying to work it out.  I could get all but 2 clips on , but it still didn't hold the sink in place as well as I had hoped.  Surely it shouldn't be this hard to install a sink!  I remembered the laundry sink I bought for our old home 2nd hand off eBay.  It fit so easily...  So after another call to Abey, thankfully they have agreed the sink is faulty and will replace it.  Yippee!  That is such a relief... no more dreaming of sinks :)


Another couple of plasterers came by to fill half a day.  They lined the inside of the stair cupboard (which I hadn't thought would be done), did a bit of patching, and put the porch roof and skirting on.  They can't finish the alfresco cornice until the chippies come back and finish the eaves and lining in the alfresco.  But the site super wants to get the chippies back for a full days work which includes putting on the front door which hasn't arrived yet.  But the chippies need to finish so the plasterers can finish their pre-paint work and then the painter can start next week.  It's a flow on effect with the hold ups...

I was a bit cheeky and queried our recent invoice from the builders for our Enclosed stage.  This includes all external doors and brickwork, and as we don't have a front door and the bricks are not right on the garage wall, they said we could hold off on that invoice.  They have don't so much work in the next stage of construction that I could pay it, but if it means our mortgage stays lower for another few weeks then good for us.

I'm excited for next week to see the tiles in and ready for painting.  It feels so close now but still lots to be done.


Another 112 days.  But hoping it's not...