"Minafon" - week 12, Wednesday

Couldn't get a car park within Coo-ee of the house today! Trucks and utes everywhere. True to his word, Steve was there with three off-siders, doing the eaves and top levels of cladding so they are now more than half way around with all that completed - working on the front porch when we got there. Mark the Plasterer is ready to do the cornices tomorrow then final finish on Friday - all the niches and finishing bits inside look terrific. Bulkheads are installed in the kitchen.

Will do another blog tomorrow as the exterior will be done. Paid a visit to Elmers Storage and had a quick look in the shed containing all our worldly possessions - thankfully (as far as we could see) all looking good - but no room for so much as another packing case! Chockers.

The 'boring" Western aspect - but now with eaves & complete cladding!

front porch also with eaves etc - just the side left to complete.

"Minafon" - week 12, Monday

No photos today (we just called in briefly while shopping) but happily found Mark the plasterer had not only started but just about finished the initial covering throughout and was about to start on the corners - another quick but good tradesman! While we were there Steve turned up to do some measuring and told us that they will be back Wednesday to finish the outside cladding and start lining the deck. They come back next week to complete the internal fit-out (doors, wardrobes, trims) and at the same time the water-proofing, tiling and painting should be under way as well. Floor sanding/finishing and carpets finish off the job but these will take a little while so probably still looking at 6-7 weeks until completion! Not bad.

Chris the painter phoned tonight to let us know that he has tinted the primer on the cladding with the actual exterior colour (Pinwheel) so if you look back a couple of blogs (week 11, Friday) the exterior color is pretty much as it will appear - just a bit darker on completion.

Get back to you Wednesday or Thursday with more photos when the exterior will be getting pretty much completed.

"Minafon" - week 11, Friday

As expected, not much to report on today. The painter has been there doing the doors (Sikkens) and filling/priming the cladding which already looks terrific. The kitchen guys have also been installing the drawer set in the study and putting in most of the knobs as selected Wednesday. The plasterer did not turn up (Mandy is NOT happy) but hopefully will be there Monday - or his career with Thomsens may be terminated!

Might be a bit of a break in updates into next week as it will be over to the plasterer who will probably take up to a week as it is, in Mandy's words, a BIG job (and we're downsizing???)

looking into the kitchen from deck

bedroom doors - first coat of finish

"Minafon" - week 11, Wednesday

Two visits to the house today - had to go over this morning to sort out the positioning of all the knobs for the kitchen drawers and doors with the kitchen installer - they've now gone as far as they can until the plasterer is finished. Another visit this afternoon to meet with Chris Welsh the painter as he wants to start oiling the doors and filling/priming the cladding tomorrow. No-one mucks around in this business - Mandy seems to have them all hopping! We have to do some re-thinking on the internal colour-scheme as Chris advised us that the colour we have selected for the internal doors and trims will "yellow" very quickly (he uses enamel gloss rather than water-based gloss). He had also quoted on the basis of one internal wall colour and the colour consultant had gone a bit mad with different colours for the ensuite and bathroom so we have a bit of re-thinking to do there. No great problem though as the general colour we'd chosen will suit just as well.

Probably do another blog Friday when Chris has done the doors etc but not much significant difference to report on until then.

Kitchen taking shape - gap  is for the wine-fridge!

gas cook-top and range-hood to go in centre of bench

"Minafon" - week 11, Tuesday

Kitchen installation day today - some "progressive " photos to show installation - all going well. Very happy with the "look" - colours, drawers, laminex and timber benches etc (just as well really)

The 'raw bones" of the kitchen

side cupboards

brush box bench-top

island bench (sink and dishwasher to come)

"Minafon" - week 11, Monday

Not a lot of noticeable difference today, but boy what an exciting difference!! - the flooring is complete and just looks beautiful - when sanded/finished it will look absolutely stunning - even the builders are really excited about it.

The other exciting news is that the kitchen and the study desk go in tomorrow morning. The builders are finished for the moment - the plasterer comes in Friday and then the waterproofing, painting and tiling will all "happen" - should be some good blog updates tomorrow, then a bit of a break probably until next week.

Meanwhile..........

Living Room - 

ensuite - bath hob with "niche" windows to bedroom

Hallway looking towards front entry

"Minafon" - week 10, Friday

Hard to believe, but we've now completed 10 weeks since building started! Watching a build as closely as this makes you realise just how much goes into a house - probably shouldn't say it, but I'm absolutely amazed with the amount of "input" - in both materials and labour - that you get for the price. Incredible.

Today, more cladding - they are now right around the whole house except for the top few boards - and more flooring (again "blind nailed") so now the kitchen, eating area, tv/library, bedroom hallway and some of the living room complete. There was a little"story" with the flooring - we had ordered the standard 80mm brush-box but when the delivery time came they contacted Mandy to say there was no 80mm standard grade anywhere in Queensland. After a bit of negotiating, they offered us 130mm superior grade for the same cost!!! We accepted the offer of course. The 130mm looks just fantastic over this area. Bit tinny there.

tv/library flooring complete

Exterior cladding almost there!

Main bedroom - spaces are for glass panels to ensuite

"Minafon" - week 10, Thursday pt2

Well the rain didn't arrive (but just starting now) so got over for a late check - as indicated, timber flooring has started to go down and it looks terrific - so a bit of a photo gallery for part 2 today!

flooring in progress - gap near wall is for the fireplace hearth

looking out from tv/library

bedroom 1

front entrance 

"Minafon" - week 10, Thursday

Had to take a ride over to the site a bit early today with rain threatening to arrive this afternoon. Managed to avoid the magpie with the help of my trusty weapon so he is learning to not bother with us. Found plenty of progress - the cladding is almost done, the doors are all in and they are starting on the flooring this afternoon. All those things to take and guess what?? - the battery on the camera was almost flat - got two photos in so they follow - will have a lot to report again tomorrow it seems.

The cladding is great - they "blind nail" it (across the top of each "board") so there are no exposed nail heads to treat, fill or to rust later. By the way, the colour showing is just the pre-undercoated condition - the actual colour will come later of course - "pinwheel" if you can find it on a Taubmans colour-chart!

If the rain holds off, might get a "part 2" for today's blog later this afternoon. Don't forget, if you click on the photos  you get full-size - much better.

Meet the builders- Steve (boss), Scotty (son), Brandon (carpenter) and new apprentice (un-named as yet)

now with the doors!!

"Minafon" - week 10, Wednesday

Full steam ahead - gyprock interior now finished and they started on the external cladding today. They will go close to finishing that tomorrow they think, doors also go in tomorrow and then the flooring timber goes down. Soon be ready for the interior contractors - tiling, painting, electrical and plumbing fit-out. Very exciting

You may remember the photo from about week 3 of the "pet" magpie. Well he has now turned vicious of course as its nesting season. According to Danielle our neighbour he ignores everything except cyclists but he really gets nasty with them - got Elizabeth's ear yesterday so now we go with weapon of choice (stick). Scott told us today he follows them around inside (no problem) but flew straight through the house from the river end today, exiting through the open louvres. He must have had millimetres of clearance!!

Hopefully photos of almost completed cladding tomorrow.

Now it starts to look like a real house!

Our bedroom now complete with bulkhead

"Minafon" - week 10, Tuesday

OK - all back on track. The cladding has been delivered, along with the brush box floorboards and the crew were all there today working on the internal gyprocking which is now almost finished.

Front door is also installed. Steve anticipates the external cladding will be done this week and then early next week the flooring goes in - then the plasterer comes in to do his work and  following that the painter comes in to do the ceilings and seal the walls. This is followed by the internal fit-out - kitchen, laundry, doors, skirting etc so we can see the end approaching on time. Spoke with Steve re the stairs (he will order iron bark treads) and stringers (galvanised steel).Better start sorting things out here!!

Front door installed

Brush Box flooring all delivered

The brush box flooring - looks beautiful!

"Minafon" - week 9, Saturday

Just in case you were thinking we are "off the air" for some reason, just advising that there was not much significant "photographable" work done on the house this week - the external cladding  (Hardie Linea) has not arrived as expected so we are on hold for just a bit. Some internal framing/gyprocking done but not much else.

Speaking with the kitchen people on Thursday about drawer handles and they advised that they have completed the manufacture of the kitchen and bathroom and laundry cupboards etc and that they are all off with the painter so they are ready to install all these as soon as the house is ready.

Hopefully some more significant updates next week!

Library/TV room - looking into living room

Study/bedroom 3 - bench to go under louvres

"Minafon" - week 8, Friday

Big day today. Mandy phoned this morning requesting a conference at the house to discuss the design of the "niches" (storage spaces in the ensuite/bathroom for towels etc) as "the boys are under the impression that the shelves will be mdf and that is just not going to happen". Also needed to discuss some building inspector worries re the laundry ramp so over we went. Three hours later we got home having decided on the shelving/storage construction of the "niches" (should look really good) and ascertained that the non-slip tiles we had chosen for the laundry ramp are OK by the building inspector so all good. Another "milestone" today - the timber french doors, sliding doors and the front door were delivered this morning and they look every bit as good as we expected - Graham has done a beautiful job - they go up sometime next week when the internal lining is done.
Scott told us that things really start coming together next week. They will spend Mon/Tues at another house getting the roof on and then they come back to ours to finish internal lining and start on the external cladding/putting in the doors. We are then at lock-up and the rest really gets going apparently with flooring, kitchen and bathroom fit-out, internal doors all (apparently) happening quite quickly. This is really getting to the interesting/exciting stage!!! Really pleasing also to see that the inside has plenty of light - now that the lining is up we can see how the inside actually feels and it is great - no problems with dark hallways, rooms etc.

french doors/louvre set for tv/library room

looking into our bedroom with doors ready for installation

front door set

"Minafon" - week 8, Thursday

Not a lot of significant change so far this week - lots of rain last night and today but the team was there today "Gyprocking" the ceilings. Solar guys have also been and done their internal wiring. No sign of the doors or external cladding material as yet but we are meeting with Steve tomorrow (Friday) so will get an update on progress from him then.

Kitchen/eating area and TV/library room now have a ceiling!!

.....as does the garage with insulation stored