30 October
On Monday we were given a pet lamb. She is 3 months old and was used in a school project. She is very tame and still drinks from a bottle. The other two would not accept her initially, but we put them in two adjoining larger pens and later removed the partition. She is adapting well. We did have another problem though, Anne, the first lamb, got used to stick her head through the fence with the neighbour (the grass on the other side?) Yesterday I added more battens (droppers for non-kiwis) but last night she got through again. I will have to add more wires. As a temporary measure she got a hook around the neck. It works.
Tuesday I didn't feel like work, so I spent most of the day writing a motivation to demolish the little room with the existing second bathroom and fit french doors instead. The bathroom will then be moved into another room. I will submit that to the Historical Places Trust.
The original sarking (lining) of the living room was match lining in Kauri. That is tongue and groove boards. One part of the sarking has been replaced at some stage, and the replacement was in Rimu and not tongue and groove. We stripped that part on Wednesday. We repaired some damaged studs and installed insulation. Then we proceeded to install Kauri boards. Because it is recycled boards (from where we removed the other wall) it is warped and does not fit together easily. I put in a request with Barco to come and help. Sorry for the Starling's nest that has been in the wall. If we can manage to install insulation to all of the wall, we intend to paint the timber, without gibbing it. It might mean that we will have to remove some of the outside weatherboards to install the insulation.
The young guy from next door mowed our grass on the sidewalk on Saturday. He did not do a very good job, so I will be forced to use my lawnmower on that as well. I also cleared the ivy on the gatepost by the entrance. Another job on my "round tuit" list is to cut the concrete on the driveway entrance, it is a little high and sometimes our car scratches when we drive in or out.
Next door they are finishing off the new house, with a timber fence going up between us. Looking good.
Sunday
23 October 2011
Not much to report this week. I have moved the tree stumps to the rubbish corner. We also finished the gib stopping on the inside. On Wednesday we had a visit from a South African friend and her Kiwi daughter. It was so cold we had to put a heater on (16 deg). We had a lovely time though. We appreciate all visits immensely, it just serves to strengthen us in our resolve to do the impossible with no money.
We moved the sheep into a moveable pen which we completed. They don't like it, but the grass get cut. I also cut some grass on our "front lawn" where the sheep has been. Slowly but surely we are making some progress!!
On Thursday and Friday I had to be in Hamilton and not much was done on the house. We did clean some of the polish off the floorboards in the new lounge though, but it a very slow job. We used methylated spirits.
Monday is Labour day, but it will not affect us much. Tonight it is the AB's against France. Fingers crossed!!!!
Not much to report this week. I have moved the tree stumps to the rubbish corner. We also finished the gib stopping on the inside. On Wednesday we had a visit from a South African friend and her Kiwi daughter. It was so cold we had to put a heater on (16 deg). We had a lovely time though. We appreciate all visits immensely, it just serves to strengthen us in our resolve to do the impossible with no money.
On Thursday and Friday I had to be in Hamilton and not much was done on the house. We did clean some of the polish off the floorboards in the new lounge though, but it a very slow job. We used methylated spirits.
Monday is Labour day, but it will not affect us much. Tonight it is the AB's against France. Fingers crossed!!!!
16 October 2011
It is our anniversary!! We arrived in New Zealand on 15 October 2001. And we have never regretted one moment of it!!
Last week I said the beam we fitted was 50 mm wide, that was a mistake, it is 100 mm wide. This week we fitted the last Gib board and did most of the Gib stopping. Sanding will be next. We also repaired the timber backing (sarking) where we opened up the wall. That is good for Gibbing now, when we have the money to buy more Gib.
We also had a hole which was cut into the ceiling, into the board and batten. The boards are 300m wide and the batten covers the joints. The missing part was 500 mm long. I believe somebody used it to access the ceiling space in the past. We cut a piece of plywood, and stained it. It took about 8 coats of stain to get it dark enough. Looking good now. Still have to touch up other small blemishes in the ceiling. The wiring to the light in that room was still old rubber insulated, and I disconnected it. New wiring will have to be installed.
Saturday morning our son, Barry (or Barco for others) offered to come and cut our grass. The sheep are doing a fine job, but there are areas where we cannot build pens. I hate mowing grass, so I tackled two stumps from trees that were cut down under the deck, long ago. One was a Rimu. I have removed one in the past, and knew the roots would be mostly rotten away. The other is a Ponga, or fern, and is similar to a palm tree. I got both of them out, but I was so tired that I could not move them to the compost/rubbish area in our section. A job for another day. The result of the mowing is that I will be obliged to cut the grass more often now. But the improvement is immense. Thanks Barco!!
The All Blacks and Aussies are playing at the moment. Go AB's!!!
It is our anniversary!! We arrived in New Zealand on 15 October 2001. And we have never regretted one moment of it!!
Last week I said the beam we fitted was 50 mm wide, that was a mistake, it is 100 mm wide. This week we fitted the last Gib board and did most of the Gib stopping. Sanding will be next. We also repaired the timber backing (sarking) where we opened up the wall. That is good for Gibbing now, when we have the money to buy more Gib.
We also had a hole which was cut into the ceiling, into the board and batten. The boards are 300m wide and the batten covers the joints. The missing part was 500 mm long. I believe somebody used it to access the ceiling space in the past. We cut a piece of plywood, and stained it. It took about 8 coats of stain to get it dark enough. Looking good now. Still have to touch up other small blemishes in the ceiling. The wiring to the light in that room was still old rubber insulated, and I disconnected it. New wiring will have to be installed.
Saturday morning our son, Barry (or Barco for others) offered to come and cut our grass. The sheep are doing a fine job, but there are areas where we cannot build pens. I hate mowing grass, so I tackled two stumps from trees that were cut down under the deck, long ago. One was a Rimu. I have removed one in the past, and knew the roots would be mostly rotten away. The other is a Ponga, or fern, and is similar to a palm tree. I got both of them out, but I was so tired that I could not move them to the compost/rubbish area in our section. A job for another day. The result of the mowing is that I will be obliged to cut the grass more often now. But the improvement is immense. Thanks Barco!!
The All Blacks and Aussies are playing at the moment. Go AB's!!!
Tuesday
10 October 2011
I had some enquiries about the blog: When are you writing again? Sorry that you had to ask.
At one stage I decided that I should clear all the rubbish and stuff that moved with us from Cambridge and which was lying on the lawn. We even made a list of all the outside tasks. Then, very conveniently, I lost the list (I put it in the rubbish bin) That allowed me to start work inside the house.
We had a visit from the builder who did the roof for the previous owner. He showed me all the pictures he took whilst working here. He also told me that he still had all the sheeting for the veranda. We can buy it off him. Unfortunately we have no spare cash right now, so that will have to wait. He also asked me where my work area is, and offered that I could use his workshop if needed.
Well, eventually I had to work on the storage shed. Prompted by his asking, we decided to move the new sheds further away from the cookhouse. With levers and rollers we managed to move all of them so we have a space of about 4 meters between the buildings now. We had to redo the floor support. I used concrete fencing posts for the base, and on the tool shed, used solid doors for a floor. In the storage shed, we used pallets over the concrete posts. In the end I used all the roofing sheets we had available (been collecting it forever) and had to ask for some from my son. Thanks. On Friday we moved the timber that was stored on the front lawn under a tarp into the timber shed. We also cleared everything from the lawn. From old trampoline frames, we even made a frame for a tarp shade over the work area. We cannot leave the tarp up all the time, it is too noisy.
Elna has been asking for an area to be cleared for a veggie patch. Last Monday I decided to start on that. We have borrowed a small rotavator from a friend, and I tried that. The engine wouldn't start. On Saturday Hans came to my assistance and we got it going, and I even tried it on a small patch. I stopped the engine to clear the loose grass, but it wouldn't go again. Yesterday I opened it again and decided it needs new points. Will do that tomorrow.
On rainy days, we work inside the house. So, when it was rainy two weeks ago, we installed the beam where we removed the wall inside. It is a heavy beam, 50 by 250 mm, and 3.4 m long. I went into the roof space and fitted a coffin hoist to the joists. Then I proceeded to drill a hole through the beam, ran the cable from the hoist through that, and hoisted the beam in place. Only Elna and me. It worked fine and the beam is properly fitted now. Obviously, one needs scaffolding. We had a steel frame from a double decker bed. With reinforcement, it works fine as base for our scaffold platform.
Yesterday we had a light drizzle, and I spent time on vehicle maintenance. For those non Kiwis, we must do a warrant of fitness every six months. Our car was due for its inspection and I had two tyres fitted, but it failed on wear on the steering links. Another job for me when it is not raining.
We have rain forecast for most of the coming week, and hopefully we can continue on the lining in the "new" living room. We also started looking at paint colours. Inside I want to paint the new Gib lining and the tongue and groove lining of the original dining room part of the room to simulate the Kauri timber colour.
Working outside on the bay window, we discovered a piece of weatherboard that showed all the original paint colours. Based on that, we also decided on the outside colours. It is nice to plan ahead, even if you now there is no money to buy paint.
On Sunday we had friends over who has not been here for a couple of months. They say they can notice the progress we have made. We have been here for three months now, and even I have to admit that we are getting some things right. Originally we have budgeted to spend six months on each room.
I had some enquiries about the blog: When are you writing again? Sorry that you had to ask.
At one stage I decided that I should clear all the rubbish and stuff that moved with us from Cambridge and which was lying on the lawn. We even made a list of all the outside tasks. Then, very conveniently, I lost the list (I put it in the rubbish bin) That allowed me to start work inside the house.
We had a visit from the builder who did the roof for the previous owner. He showed me all the pictures he took whilst working here. He also told me that he still had all the sheeting for the veranda. We can buy it off him. Unfortunately we have no spare cash right now, so that will have to wait. He also asked me where my work area is, and offered that I could use his workshop if needed.
Well, eventually I had to work on the storage shed. Prompted by his asking, we decided to move the new sheds further away from the cookhouse. With levers and rollers we managed to move all of them so we have a space of about 4 meters between the buildings now. We had to redo the floor support. I used concrete fencing posts for the base, and on the tool shed, used solid doors for a floor. In the storage shed, we used pallets over the concrete posts. In the end I used all the roofing sheets we had available (been collecting it forever) and had to ask for some from my son. Thanks. On Friday we moved the timber that was stored on the front lawn under a tarp into the timber shed. We also cleared everything from the lawn. From old trampoline frames, we even made a frame for a tarp shade over the work area. We cannot leave the tarp up all the time, it is too noisy.
Elna has been asking for an area to be cleared for a veggie patch. Last Monday I decided to start on that. We have borrowed a small rotavator from a friend, and I tried that. The engine wouldn't start. On Saturday Hans came to my assistance and we got it going, and I even tried it on a small patch. I stopped the engine to clear the loose grass, but it wouldn't go again. Yesterday I opened it again and decided it needs new points. Will do that tomorrow.
On rainy days, we work inside the house. So, when it was rainy two weeks ago, we installed the beam where we removed the wall inside. It is a heavy beam, 50 by 250 mm, and 3.4 m long. I went into the roof space and fitted a coffin hoist to the joists. Then I proceeded to drill a hole through the beam, ran the cable from the hoist through that, and hoisted the beam in place. Only Elna and me. It worked fine and the beam is properly fitted now. Obviously, one needs scaffolding. We had a steel frame from a double decker bed. With reinforcement, it works fine as base for our scaffold platform.
Yesterday we had a light drizzle, and I spent time on vehicle maintenance. For those non Kiwis, we must do a warrant of fitness every six months. Our car was due for its inspection and I had two tyres fitted, but it failed on wear on the steering links. Another job for me when it is not raining.
We have rain forecast for most of the coming week, and hopefully we can continue on the lining in the "new" living room. We also started looking at paint colours. Inside I want to paint the new Gib lining and the tongue and groove lining of the original dining room part of the room to simulate the Kauri timber colour.
Working outside on the bay window, we discovered a piece of weatherboard that showed all the original paint colours. Based on that, we also decided on the outside colours. It is nice to plan ahead, even if you now there is no money to buy paint.
On Sunday we had friends over who has not been here for a couple of months. They say they can notice the progress we have made. We have been here for three months now, and even I have to admit that we are getting some things right. Originally we have budgeted to spend six months on each room.
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