Drainage in - 1 September
With drainage inspected, the trenches have been filled and we are ready to connect.
First roof trusses - 1 September
The team has been really busy this week - it doesn't look much is happening after the framing first appears, but they all need to be set true and square and then fixed to the sub-structure.
With good weather this week and a couple of fellas helping out from one of Matt's other teams, there has been some great progress. Scaffolding is rising around the building and the first roof trusses have gone up over the garage and one of the bedrooms.
Scaffolding & Steel - 7 September
Perhaps green should be our new favorite favourite colour.
These days scaffolding is a necessary part of any build to meet occupational safety and health (OSH) requirements. What does it cost? Well, for our project, around $11,000.
On the plans this is just called an SHS (or square hollow section) post. It is one of only a few steel components specified by Jared in the design.
Weather bomb - 8 September
For the second time this Winter Wellington has served up a real weather bomb for the guys on site. Sub 10 degree temperatures, gale force winds and sleet, hail and even the odd flurry of snow.
Wellington is somwhere under all that pink and those isobars direct to Antarctica!
Thanks to Emma for this shot of the site from her front window, as the storm rolled through.
Site meeting - 9 September
We were on site today with Matt and Eric from Classic Metal to talk through a few details that had not been included in the design. Everyone is in polar wear as the southerly blast continues to pound Wellington. Apparently the Scandinavians say 'there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad gear'.
While on site, we took the opportunity to walk through the spaces the guys are creating. This is the bathroom for the main bedroom.
Last of the roof plywood - 15 September
This week has seen the high window framing installed, scaffolding completed, and the last of the roof plywood laid.
We have some problems getting detailed designs of several aspects of the build finalised. These delays will be felt later, but for now the team are pressing on.
Plumbing fittings - 17 September
Everyone tells you that building involves hundred of decisions and they are right. That said, some are easy and others less so. We have been building a list of iikely products for months, but had lots of question marks.
You can certainly create a short-list using brochures and the web, but you really have to touch tapware and fittings to make decisions, and with Zip Plumbing Petone's annual sale on this weekend, it was time to bite the bullet.
Doors - 21 September
Doors were not really something we expected would need much of a decision, so the question 'where would you like to place the hardware?' was a bit unexpected.
We have opted not to have level entry, as an added safeguard against flooding, so there's a 165mm difference between the inside and outside levels. Choosing the placement of locks, handles, snibs, and levers was a bit tricky, so we mocked up a life-size door.
If you fancy going to such extremes yourself, use cellotaped sheets of brown paper for the door, printouts of the fittings (scale them in Word, so they are life-size) and blue-tac to make them easy to stick and move on the brown paper.
Outer plywood goes on - 23 September
The outer ply has started to go on, in preparation for cladding flashings.
The house uses RAB construction (Rigid Air Barrier), where inner and outer layers of plywood are separated by battens, forming a very strong and weathertight structure. The additional mass in the walls also aids sound-proofing.
That's Junior doing the hard work there (one of the two team leads on the site).
It's always a good sign when builders are happy to pose in front of their handiwork - that's very handsome Ecoply behind Matt and George!
Achieving weathertight - 29 September
This week the structural roof has been fully clad with 19mm treated plywood substrate, and the first of the zinc roofing installation has begun. It's a great feeling that we have more structure to keep the persistent spring rain off the interior.
The team have finished up the Ecoply barrier this week and installed the battens for the 20mm cavity system. The plywood substrate for the zinc cladding is starting also well underway.
