After some prompting, the lady at Council told me that we were given a partial grant, but we have to wait until the letters has been written and signed. Fingers crossed.
We finished the deck, it is all good for sealing now. It took some planning to get the trapdoor right. We did have some rain in the week, so everything is wet, but we are thankful for the farmer's part. Having grown up in western Transvaal, I will never complain about rain.
The forecast is for a sunny Tuesday, so we hope to do the sealing then. We still want to do an extension on the larger deck at a lower level, but the plans are not clear in my head yet, so I might start with something else.
The trapdoor over the cellar works fine, but I still have to finish off handles to open it that I started yesterday. It involves welding, and with me being so shaky, it takes a lot of time.
Pictures to follow when the sealing is done!!
On Friday I did some necessary maintenance on our little car. I got some parts from a metal recycler and changed the RF seat covers, the RH sideshaft and the front wheels. The agreement is that I will only return the old parts, no cost involved. Thanks Michelle!!!!!!!!!
Sunday
6 April 2014
We made good progress this past week. We managed to seal the deck on the western side, and replaced most of the posts. We also had the 150th commemoration of the last battle of the Maori Land wars (when the whole of the Waikato region was confiscated from the Maori) That commemoration took place on Tuesday. We were surprised when a person turned up and asked if he could take pictures of us sealing the deck. Turned out he has written a lot of books on the local history. He said his next book will be on Major Jackson. We could not stop work, so he left quite soon.
We finished off the last framing for the northern deck, and started fitting boards. To make sure we would not have an odd board or an odd angle, I put the first board on the end of the extended deck, and worked back to the corner. It did mean that I ended up with a narrow filler, but it is very short and not very obvious. Yesterday I continued on the extended deck, and managed to fit 10 boards, which is just under half of that part. The next part will be more difficult, because I will need to cut in to allow for the trap door. Remember there is a food storage cellar down there, and we must keep it accessible. I am still not clear on how to make the trap door to open. Hopefully it will clarify itself as we go along. That ugly post is just a temporary prop until we have rounded the ends and sealed the whole side, then all the posts go back. Thinking of it, I still have not decided what posts to use on the extended deck. At the time when I repaired the original posts, there was no deck there.
Some time in the week, we fitted the scrolls for the eastern side. It looks very original, (maybe it is because it is original) There are still "collars" around the posts that need to be fitted, but that can come at a later date.
You must appreciate these pictures, I got up early, very early to take them. We went off daylight saving last night, that means I was up before seven, a big achievement for me.
I also had an email from the lady at Council, they will decide on Monday on our application for a grant for the decks. I might be given an opportunity to explain the application. I might even take these three photographs along.
We finished off the last framing for the northern deck, and started fitting boards. To make sure we would not have an odd board or an odd angle, I put the first board on the end of the extended deck, and worked back to the corner. It did mean that I ended up with a narrow filler, but it is very short and not very obvious. Yesterday I continued on the extended deck, and managed to fit 10 boards, which is just under half of that part. The next part will be more difficult, because I will need to cut in to allow for the trap door. Remember there is a food storage cellar down there, and we must keep it accessible. I am still not clear on how to make the trap door to open. Hopefully it will clarify itself as we go along. That ugly post is just a temporary prop until we have rounded the ends and sealed the whole side, then all the posts go back. Thinking of it, I still have not decided what posts to use on the extended deck. At the time when I repaired the original posts, there was no deck there.
Some time in the week, we fitted the scrolls for the eastern side. It looks very original, (maybe it is because it is original) There are still "collars" around the posts that need to be fitted, but that can come at a later date.
You must appreciate these pictures, I got up early, very early to take them. We went off daylight saving last night, that means I was up before seven, a big achievement for me.
I also had an email from the lady at Council, they will decide on Monday on our application for a grant for the decks. I might be given an opportunity to explain the application. I might even take these three photographs along.
30 March 2014
I was a bit under the weather this past week, so productivity was low.
We did manage to finish the decking on the western side, where the bay window is. The timber is freshly milled, and is still very wet. I found that I could router it only with the greatest difficulty. So, in the end I cut the boards to length, and left it to dry off a bit.
On Friday I managed to take a load of offcuts and other rubbish to the dump.
The weekend we spent visiting friends. (Nice to be retired and not need to work to a schedule)
We did an inspection today, and it seems the boards have dried off sufficiently to allow us to cut it tomorrow.
Hopefully we can supply pictures next week
We did manage to finish the decking on the western side, where the bay window is. The timber is freshly milled, and is still very wet. I found that I could router it only with the greatest difficulty. So, in the end I cut the boards to length, and left it to dry off a bit.
On Friday I managed to take a load of offcuts and other rubbish to the dump.
The weekend we spent visiting friends. (Nice to be retired and not need to work to a schedule)
We did an inspection today, and it seems the boards have dried off sufficiently to allow us to cut it tomorrow.
Hopefully we can supply pictures next week
23 March 2014
Repairing the joists and bearers took a lot of time. Mostly done now.
We have also recycled the rusted water tank that stood next to the kitchen. It is about 2000 gals, 9000 liters. When we got it, it was meant to replicate a tank that would have been there, but that would only have been 500 gals, 2250 liters. So the tank never fitted in properly. We decided to move it to behind the cookhouse and make a firewood shed from it. It is lying on its side now.
Using odd free times during the week we (Elna) painted the eight fretwork pieces It will be up to me to fit them now
Early in the week I threw my toys out of the cot We have ordered the decking material on the second of February It worked by Friday afternoon we had the timber delivered Guess what my next job will be?
We have also recycled the rusted water tank that stood next to the kitchen. It is about 2000 gals, 9000 liters. When we got it, it was meant to replicate a tank that would have been there, but that would only have been 500 gals, 2250 liters. So the tank never fitted in properly. We decided to move it to behind the cookhouse and make a firewood shed from it. It is lying on its side now.
Using odd free times during the week we (Elna) painted the eight fretwork pieces It will be up to me to fit them now
Early in the week I threw my toys out of the cot We have ordered the decking material on the second of February It worked by Friday afternoon we had the timber delivered Guess what my next job will be?
16 March 2014
On Monday we went to visit friends. No work done.
The next job was to replace the temporary joists for the "new" deck. When it was built as a temporary platform, I have used new bearers but timber that I had in stock for joists. Those were not treated for outdoor use and had to be replaced. Unfortunately, the temporary joists were 140 mm, and the new ones are 155 mm, a discrepancy of 15 mm. Because the height was calculated to fit the new patio door to be, I had to lower the bearers by 15 mm. That meant cutting a lot of piles shorter and removing some spacers. In the end it all worked out fine. The finishing touches will be done in due time. The opening you see is for the trapdoor to the cellar. We have to keep that accessible. The remainder of the decking has not been delivered yet. Fingers crossed.
We had a forecast of a tropical cyclone reaching us from the North, with winds up to 140 km/h and 100 mm rain. So, on Friday I battened the hatches. I tied a strap around our car port to the red car. I moved everything that could be blown away, and put weights on the others. The rain was forecast to start Friday night. In the morning, nothing has happened. Later in the day we had a fresh breeze, with wind in the afternoon. No rain. Obviously no work done either. Today, Sunday we had two light showers.
I have done a little bit of work on the fretwork. This was the worst one. Most of the flat sides are sanded now, but We still have to clean the openings in between. Then Elna will have to paint it with an artist's brush. Just for the record, Elna has been helping me quite a lot, and when she is there, I have to spark to keep up!
The next job was to replace the temporary joists for the "new" deck. When it was built as a temporary platform, I have used new bearers but timber that I had in stock for joists. Those were not treated for outdoor use and had to be replaced. Unfortunately, the temporary joists were 140 mm, and the new ones are 155 mm, a discrepancy of 15 mm. Because the height was calculated to fit the new patio door to be, I had to lower the bearers by 15 mm. That meant cutting a lot of piles shorter and removing some spacers. In the end it all worked out fine. The finishing touches will be done in due time. The opening you see is for the trapdoor to the cellar. We have to keep that accessible. The remainder of the decking has not been delivered yet. Fingers crossed.
We had a forecast of a tropical cyclone reaching us from the North, with winds up to 140 km/h and 100 mm rain. So, on Friday I battened the hatches. I tied a strap around our car port to the red car. I moved everything that could be blown away, and put weights on the others. The rain was forecast to start Friday night. In the morning, nothing has happened. Later in the day we had a fresh breeze, with wind in the afternoon. No rain. Obviously no work done either. Today, Sunday we had two light showers.
I have done a little bit of work on the fretwork. This was the worst one. Most of the flat sides are sanded now, but We still have to clean the openings in between. Then Elna will have to paint it with an artist's brush. Just for the record, Elna has been helping me quite a lot, and when she is there, I have to spark to keep up!
9 March 2014
The week started with a forecast for rain, so I decided to prepare for it.
Firstly, I put flashing on the storeroom and car port behind the "hoarding wall". Last season, every thing stored against that wall got wet. I was given some capping for such a wall, and with flashing salvaged from the veranda job, I managed to complete that job.
The next one was a leak in he "cookhouse" roof, just by the wall. In the past I have tried sealing leaks, to no avail. Together with the veranda job, we were given some iron sheets by the roofer. I cut three to size, Elna painted them, and i replaced some of the old sheets. It turns out that, if I ever want to repair that roof properly, I will have to add extra beams. The existing one where I opened up was half eaten by rats, and has snapped. Must admit, they were only 50 * 50 mm .
The next "rain job" was to provide for proper runoff from the down pipes from the new veranda. When the previous people cleared the land, they changed the contour as well. If I had left the water to run freely, all would run under the house. (I must admit it has been doing exactly that since the roof was replaced, before our time.) Because the veranda and decks had to be rebuilt, I could not really do anything about it before. Now the water drains into a flower bed on the northern side.
Next job was to put fibre board to close off the end of the new deck. Looks very nice now.
Part of Friday and part of Saturday was spent to repair the fretwork for the eastern side. Some pieces were missing, and some were in pieces. Still some work to do on that.
We also noticed that the old doors we have used to block of the opening where the chimney fell down were falling apart. We took some plywood and not only covered the opening, but also put a cover over the remaining brickwork. Now rain won't leak into the cookhouse any more.
We had a pleasant surprise on Saturday. About six o'clock we had a knock on the door. It was another "Jackson". His grandfather was a brother of William Jackson, who built our house. Turns out he has got a lot of information about William and the rest of the family. He also has a sword that belonged to Jackson, and a pocket watch. He has never been in the house before, and was very interested. His son plays polo in Kihikihi and he promised to pay us another visit and to show us the artifacts.
Needless to say, we haven't had any rain. Farmers are struggling,
Firstly, I put flashing on the storeroom and car port behind the "hoarding wall". Last season, every thing stored against that wall got wet. I was given some capping for such a wall, and with flashing salvaged from the veranda job, I managed to complete that job.
The next one was a leak in he "cookhouse" roof, just by the wall. In the past I have tried sealing leaks, to no avail. Together with the veranda job, we were given some iron sheets by the roofer. I cut three to size, Elna painted them, and i replaced some of the old sheets. It turns out that, if I ever want to repair that roof properly, I will have to add extra beams. The existing one where I opened up was half eaten by rats, and has snapped. Must admit, they were only 50 * 50 mm .
The next "rain job" was to provide for proper runoff from the down pipes from the new veranda. When the previous people cleared the land, they changed the contour as well. If I had left the water to run freely, all would run under the house. (I must admit it has been doing exactly that since the roof was replaced, before our time.) Because the veranda and decks had to be rebuilt, I could not really do anything about it before. Now the water drains into a flower bed on the northern side.
Next job was to put fibre board to close off the end of the new deck. Looks very nice now.
Part of Friday and part of Saturday was spent to repair the fretwork for the eastern side. Some pieces were missing, and some were in pieces. Still some work to do on that.
We also noticed that the old doors we have used to block of the opening where the chimney fell down were falling apart. We took some plywood and not only covered the opening, but also put a cover over the remaining brickwork. Now rain won't leak into the cookhouse any more.
We had a pleasant surprise on Saturday. About six o'clock we had a knock on the door. It was another "Jackson". His grandfather was a brother of William Jackson, who built our house. Turns out he has got a lot of information about William and the rest of the family. He also has a sword that belonged to Jackson, and a pocket watch. He has never been in the house before, and was very interested. His son plays polo in Kihikihi and he promised to pay us another visit and to show us the artifacts.
Needless to say, we haven't had any rain. Farmers are struggling,
2 March 2014
Wow!! I did neglect you!!!
Checking back on the last post, I only now realise how long it has been since I reported on progress.
Well, we rounded the ends of the board on the eastern side, and put up the fibre board. Then we sealed / stained the whole deck. It looks lovely. The timber looks better than our floorboards.
We had a lot of fun with the blimp sticking out from the deck. We had various explanations for it. In the event of a major flood, I can sit on the deck and do some fishing. The other one is that when I become frail, Elna can park a van next to it and I can drive in with my mobility scooter. The real explanation is that we want to build a ramp there, but it is a greater priority to get the other decks done.
Well, we need to have at least the street side (southern side) of the deck done by end of March. On the first of April we are having a 150 year commemoration of the last battle of the land wars which took place just outside of town.
I started looking for decking, but found it all had grooves, and we want to have it smooth. Also, I was not impressed with the quality. Eventually I called a dealer and asked what he had. Turned out they had a supply of 140 mm wide, 32 mm thick decking, properly treated. I went to have a look and was impressed. Most of it is clears both sides. We made a rough calculation as of quantity he has got available, and had it delivered the same day. Turned out they sent only 36 boards, the remainder is warped, etc. Lovely timber to work with and we started right away. There was a problem though, the thickness of 32 was different from the 25 mm spacers I have inserted under the posts. The spouting (gutters) was fitted with these spacers in place. If I liftted the veranda roof, the water would not run off from the spouting. This meant that I had to remove and cut each post down by 7 mm, keeping in mind that the posts each has a 8 mm steel rod glued into the foot to hold it in position. This meant I had to cut each post by hand, all 10 of them.
In the end the deck worked out quite nice. We did have a problem though, we did not have enough timber. I went by car and selected and cut another 8.5 meter of board. This allowed us to finish the street (southern) side. We could also seal the whole deck. We have not put the fibre board under the deck yet.
The remainder of the timber is on order. Let us hope it arrives soon.
Our rainy season is coming, and I have two roofs by the sheds that has no flashing yet. I have decided to do that tomorrow.
Checking back on the last post, I only now realise how long it has been since I reported on progress.
Well, we rounded the ends of the board on the eastern side, and put up the fibre board. Then we sealed / stained the whole deck. It looks lovely. The timber looks better than our floorboards.
We had a lot of fun with the blimp sticking out from the deck. We had various explanations for it. In the event of a major flood, I can sit on the deck and do some fishing. The other one is that when I become frail, Elna can park a van next to it and I can drive in with my mobility scooter. The real explanation is that we want to build a ramp there, but it is a greater priority to get the other decks done.
Well, we need to have at least the street side (southern side) of the deck done by end of March. On the first of April we are having a 150 year commemoration of the last battle of the land wars which took place just outside of town.
I started looking for decking, but found it all had grooves, and we want to have it smooth. Also, I was not impressed with the quality. Eventually I called a dealer and asked what he had. Turned out they had a supply of 140 mm wide, 32 mm thick decking, properly treated. I went to have a look and was impressed. Most of it is clears both sides. We made a rough calculation as of quantity he has got available, and had it delivered the same day. Turned out they sent only 36 boards, the remainder is warped, etc. Lovely timber to work with and we started right away. There was a problem though, the thickness of 32 was different from the 25 mm spacers I have inserted under the posts. The spouting (gutters) was fitted with these spacers in place. If I liftted the veranda roof, the water would not run off from the spouting. This meant that I had to remove and cut each post down by 7 mm, keeping in mind that the posts each has a 8 mm steel rod glued into the foot to hold it in position. This meant I had to cut each post by hand, all 10 of them.
In the end the deck worked out quite nice. We did have a problem though, we did not have enough timber. I went by car and selected and cut another 8.5 meter of board. This allowed us to finish the street (southern) side. We could also seal the whole deck. We have not put the fibre board under the deck yet.
The remainder of the timber is on order. Let us hope it arrives soon.
Our rainy season is coming, and I have two roofs by the sheds that has no flashing yet. I have decided to do that tomorrow.
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