28 April 2013
Elna did manage to paint all the posts, but they are not up yet.
I worked on adapting the framing for the new kitchen.We have to provide for installing a second window towards the street (south side). I also had to accommodate the corner pantry which we have in storage. Then Jaco called, he is available and wants to learn more about framing and installing plasterboard. We made some preparations and went out to get plasterboard and started installing it. All went very well, but I had a worry in the back of my mind: is there not something that I have forgotten? The next morning when
I got up, I remembered that I still had to provide for a light and a wall heater. So I took one of the boards off again. Luckily it was only screwed down.
We went to town and bought a wall heater and a mirror (we did have a lamp in storage). Then I started the intricate task of wiring, with me first drilling the necessary holes through the framing and floor and then crawling under the floor to reroute the existing wiring for plugs. I also had to provide for the other plugs that have to be fitted in the kitchen. All of that took me most of Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday we also went to Hamilton with Jaco to select and buy used timber framing for a room they want to build for his wife for a salon. That is on their front lawn. Got a whole trailer load for $ 100.
I finished my wiring late Saturday night, just as it was getting dark and I was running out of energy. There is still next week to do more work.
Sunday
21 April 2013
It is officially autumn now. We have had the most severe drought in North Island in the last 70 years, and the whole North Island was declared a drought area. With autumn arriving, we got bits of rain, but not much. The farmers called it a "green drought". The grass was green but with no growth. Luckily, it has changed, we had some rain during the week and today we had about 30 mm so far. This also implies that I will have to start work in inside tasks.
The last of the veranda posts are joined and sanded now, but not painted yet. We will have to wait for a sunny day.
I started work on cutting and removing the old studs between the bathroom and the kitchen to be. Sorry, the place is a mess, I cannot take a picture. That job went well, but it had a complication: I got affected by the dust and developed a sinus infection. It meant that I had to get antibiotics. It also delayed my progress. We also went to help friends with the finishing touches of a unit/flat renovation in Hamilton. We spent two days on that.
Next week we need to replace the hob in our kitchen in the Cambridge house, and that will require some cutting and joining of the bench top.
Well, even with getting older, we never have a spare moment. That is, excluding rest breaks whilst doing a job. But we are not complaining, we are enjoying it.
Let us hope next week will have more to report about
Bye
It is officially autumn now. We have had the most severe drought in North Island in the last 70 years, and the whole North Island was declared a drought area. With autumn arriving, we got bits of rain, but not much. The farmers called it a "green drought". The grass was green but with no growth. Luckily, it has changed, we had some rain during the week and today we had about 30 mm so far. This also implies that I will have to start work in inside tasks.
The last of the veranda posts are joined and sanded now, but not painted yet. We will have to wait for a sunny day.
I started work on cutting and removing the old studs between the bathroom and the kitchen to be. Sorry, the place is a mess, I cannot take a picture. That job went well, but it had a complication: I got affected by the dust and developed a sinus infection. It meant that I had to get antibiotics. It also delayed my progress. We also went to help friends with the finishing touches of a unit/flat renovation in Hamilton. We spent two days on that.
Next week we need to replace the hob in our kitchen in the Cambridge house, and that will require some cutting and joining of the bench top.
Well, even with getting older, we never have a spare moment. That is, excluding rest breaks whilst doing a job. But we are not complaining, we are enjoying it.
Let us hope next week will have more to report about
Bye
14 April 2013
I spent a lot of time extending the veranda posts. By last count, we had 7 painted and ready, two in clamps and two more to glue. The others are ready for paint. Progress, but slow. I hope to get all of the posts up before the rainy season starts. The roof will have to wait a while.
I called the plumber on the 11th of March to ask for the new bathroom to be connected. I called again last Friday, and he promised to come back to me this week. On Monday he called: Will Thursday be OK? We had a wedding on that we would not miss, but we could not put the guy off. In the end, we accepted. Because it is very dry and dusty under the floor, I went under and put black plastic sheets down where the guy would work. That implied that I got dusty, instead of him!!.
Thursday morning at eight he turned up, ready to go. Now, we normally only start waking up at eight, but we were up and dressed, and were ready for him. I showed him what I had in mind, and obviously, he had another layout in mind. We left him by himself and attended the wedding at 11 am. We returned about 12:30, skipping the party. He worked all day but didn't finish, so he came back on Friday. He came even earlier, but we were up and ready, but skipped breakfast. He finished at about 11. Now we have the luxury of a bathroom two meters down the passage. I must admit, there is a lot of finishing still to be done, and it was cause for an argument with the boss (what is to be priority), but we can use it in the meantime.
It gave me great pleasure to destroy the old toilet and basin in the old bathroom on the deck!!!(If I took the shower out, the whole structure will collapse)
Well, we have made great progress this week, but none of it is visible, it is all under the floor.The veranda posts are still in the workshop. I hope to fit at least the seven that are ready. Keep in mind the posts go in pairs, 450 mm apart (did I type that correctly?)
Love you all
I spent a lot of time extending the veranda posts. By last count, we had 7 painted and ready, two in clamps and two more to glue. The others are ready for paint. Progress, but slow. I hope to get all of the posts up before the rainy season starts. The roof will have to wait a while.
I called the plumber on the 11th of March to ask for the new bathroom to be connected. I called again last Friday, and he promised to come back to me this week. On Monday he called: Will Thursday be OK? We had a wedding on that we would not miss, but we could not put the guy off. In the end, we accepted. Because it is very dry and dusty under the floor, I went under and put black plastic sheets down where the guy would work. That implied that I got dusty, instead of him!!.
Thursday morning at eight he turned up, ready to go. Now, we normally only start waking up at eight, but we were up and dressed, and were ready for him. I showed him what I had in mind, and obviously, he had another layout in mind. We left him by himself and attended the wedding at 11 am. We returned about 12:30, skipping the party. He worked all day but didn't finish, so he came back on Friday. He came even earlier, but we were up and ready, but skipped breakfast. He finished at about 11. Now we have the luxury of a bathroom two meters down the passage. I must admit, there is a lot of finishing still to be done, and it was cause for an argument with the boss (what is to be priority), but we can use it in the meantime.
It gave me great pleasure to destroy the old toilet and basin in the old bathroom on the deck!!!(If I took the shower out, the whole structure will collapse)
Well, we have made great progress this week, but none of it is visible, it is all under the floor.The veranda posts are still in the workshop. I hope to fit at least the seven that are ready. Keep in mind the posts go in pairs, 450 mm apart (did I type that correctly?)
Love you all
7 April 2013
This week I managed to fit the 10 posts that were extended last week. It is beginning to take shape, but there is a lot more to be done. There is about another 13 to do. Remember, most of the posts are doubled, 450 mm apart. I asked around and was told of a different epoxy glue, and man, that one works! I can manage two posts per day (with the eight clamps I have). I think, including Saturday's two, I have about seven done now. Still to be sanded and painted.
I called tie plumber on Friday, it is four weeks we have been waiting now, but it seems he is not very interested. I will give him another week, then start the pipework myself.
On Saturday we picked up a fridge/freezer we bought in Hamilton, so half the day was gone. We spent some time today to remove the old fridge and freezer and install the "new" combination unit. We still have a separate smaller freezer.
We are still planning to fit the "new" used hob in Cambridge this coming week. We will have to modify the counter top to accept the smaller hob.
We also had some rain on Saturday, and the weather has suddenly turned. Our forecast for tonight is 5 deg. I think winter has started. Thank goodness we are sleeping in the front room which is insulated.
I am very excited about the patio door frame I need to build for the dining room, but realise I have to be patient till Willie arrives here to advise me.
This week I managed to fit the 10 posts that were extended last week. It is beginning to take shape, but there is a lot more to be done. There is about another 13 to do. Remember, most of the posts are doubled, 450 mm apart. I asked around and was told of a different epoxy glue, and man, that one works! I can manage two posts per day (with the eight clamps I have). I think, including Saturday's two, I have about seven done now. Still to be sanded and painted.
I called tie plumber on Friday, it is four weeks we have been waiting now, but it seems he is not very interested. I will give him another week, then start the pipework myself.
On Saturday we picked up a fridge/freezer we bought in Hamilton, so half the day was gone. We spent some time today to remove the old fridge and freezer and install the "new" combination unit. We still have a separate smaller freezer.
We are still planning to fit the "new" used hob in Cambridge this coming week. We will have to modify the counter top to accept the smaller hob.
We also had some rain on Saturday, and the weather has suddenly turned. Our forecast for tonight is 5 deg. I think winter has started. Thank goodness we are sleeping in the front room which is insulated.
I am very excited about the patio door frame I need to build for the dining room, but realise I have to be patient till Willie arrives here to advise me.
Friday
29 March 2013
I stand corrected, and I humbly apologise. The conversion from 2 inch is not 500 mm but 50 mm. That was a double strike while typing. So the bath outlet is 50 mm.
No plumber in sight yet, so we are playing the waiting game.
I spent time on joining more veranda posts, but none are really finished or painted yet. It is an ongoing task.
I also bought a Bosch dishwasher on Trademe for $10, and had to pick it up in Hamilton. We took the opportunity to visit friends and had an enjoyable day. Yesterday I spent trying to establish what is wrong with it, and how to repair it. It is still an ongoing task. Will report on progress.
Whilst using the tap next to the house, I realised we had a water leak. The tap was about 300 mm from the house, and I just might have hit it with the Ride on lawnmower. So I dug it up and removed rusted out pipe sections and rerouted the pipe to have the tap against the wall. I did not have a standpipe with threads on both ends, and had to dig my pipe threader from deep storage. (I have never used it in NZ, and was considering to sell it as scrap) Pipe threaded and secured to the wall, now it is safe from roaming mowers. Eventually all pipework will have to be replaced with polythene pipes.
It is Good Friday today, which means a very short week.
We are expecting Anneke up from Christchurch for the weekend, so no more work will be done.
I stand corrected, and I humbly apologise. The conversion from 2 inch is not 500 mm but 50 mm. That was a double strike while typing. So the bath outlet is 50 mm.
No plumber in sight yet, so we are playing the waiting game.
I spent time on joining more veranda posts, but none are really finished or painted yet. It is an ongoing task.
I also bought a Bosch dishwasher on Trademe for $10, and had to pick it up in Hamilton. We took the opportunity to visit friends and had an enjoyable day. Yesterday I spent trying to establish what is wrong with it, and how to repair it. It is still an ongoing task. Will report on progress.
Whilst using the tap next to the house, I realised we had a water leak. The tap was about 300 mm from the house, and I just might have hit it with the Ride on lawnmower. So I dug it up and removed rusted out pipe sections and rerouted the pipe to have the tap against the wall. I did not have a standpipe with threads on both ends, and had to dig my pipe threader from deep storage. (I have never used it in NZ, and was considering to sell it as scrap) Pipe threaded and secured to the wall, now it is safe from roaming mowers. Eventually all pipework will have to be replaced with polythene pipes.
It is Good Friday today, which means a very short week.
We are expecting Anneke up from Christchurch for the weekend, so no more work will be done.
Sunday
24 March 2013
I took all of Monday and Tuesday to finish off the jobs on my list for Saturday.
It mostly concerned fitting the brackets for the shower frame, and fitting a waste pipe for the bath. The bath has a 500 mm or 2 inch waste, so I had to reduce it to 1 1/2 inch. Then I cut a hole in the floor for the toilet waste. We also finalised the position for the kitchen sink, and cut a hole for the waste. I had to remove some of the timber stored under the floor for the plumber to get in. All in anticipation of the plumber turning up. Needless to say, he didn't.
I measured the difference in height between the veranda posts, and the height of the rebuilt corner storage area. It turned out to be 180 mm. I repaired three left over posts and cut them to size. Those will still need to have nail holes and cracks filled in. Then I planned the extensions to the other posts, 27 of them. I ended up cutting a block of timber the right size and length, then drilling a hole through it, and joining it to the post with a galvanised iron rod, 8 mm and weatherproof glue. I had one rod easily available, and made the first one, then went to the shop to buy more. Sorry, only 6 mm and 10 mm available. I have a piece of offcut rolltop pool fencing in my scrap bin, so I was forced to use that. Only problem is that it was welded in a grid, and I had to cut it all loose. Rods are OK now, and I hope to continue extending posts in the coming week, two per day.
Elna also got at the "knotty pine" boards, and painted them all. Looks like a unit now.
One of our friends was in the process of buying a house, and I was asked to do an inspection ( Builder's report). The final inspection was on Thursday, they settled (took transfer) on Friday and we all helped them move over on Saturday. Cutting it a little fine, but everything worked out fine.
Well, that was our week. We are looking forward to a visit from Anneke over Easter.we will surely enjoy that.
I took all of Monday and Tuesday to finish off the jobs on my list for Saturday.
It mostly concerned fitting the brackets for the shower frame, and fitting a waste pipe for the bath. The bath has a 500 mm or 2 inch waste, so I had to reduce it to 1 1/2 inch. Then I cut a hole in the floor for the toilet waste. We also finalised the position for the kitchen sink, and cut a hole for the waste. I had to remove some of the timber stored under the floor for the plumber to get in. All in anticipation of the plumber turning up. Needless to say, he didn't.
I measured the difference in height between the veranda posts, and the height of the rebuilt corner storage area. It turned out to be 180 mm. I repaired three left over posts and cut them to size. Those will still need to have nail holes and cracks filled in. Then I planned the extensions to the other posts, 27 of them. I ended up cutting a block of timber the right size and length, then drilling a hole through it, and joining it to the post with a galvanised iron rod, 8 mm and weatherproof glue. I had one rod easily available, and made the first one, then went to the shop to buy more. Sorry, only 6 mm and 10 mm available. I have a piece of offcut rolltop pool fencing in my scrap bin, so I was forced to use that. Only problem is that it was welded in a grid, and I had to cut it all loose. Rods are OK now, and I hope to continue extending posts in the coming week, two per day.
Elna also got at the "knotty pine" boards, and painted them all. Looks like a unit now.
One of our friends was in the process of buying a house, and I was asked to do an inspection ( Builder's report). The final inspection was on Thursday, they settled (took transfer) on Friday and we all helped them move over on Saturday. Cutting it a little fine, but everything worked out fine.
Well, that was our week. We are looking forward to a visit from Anneke over Easter.we will surely enjoy that.
17 March 2013
Sorry, I missed a week. It has been a hectic time (for me).
First, back to the bath. I used a lot of sanding discs. Then I decided to try scraping the coating off, and guess what? It came off easily with a wood chisel. The original enamel is still in good condition. There are a few stains, but that has to wait for a later day. Then we turned the bath over. and cleaned the outside. I found a casting date of 1926. I removed the feet. Only one of the bolts broke. Elna painted the outside a light green, and the feet ended up a bronze/ gold colour. Feet back on and we got two tough guys to move the bath in position.
The matter of cleaning off the lacquer on the doors and skirting boards is not resolved yet. The historical people wants us to wipe it with Methylated Spirits.That is a big job, and does not repair scratches made by kids.We considered stripping it off and applying a new coat of lacquer, but that does not seem right. Our trusted paint stripper is Polystrippa, but it works out that you would need more than two cans on a door, both sides. Now several people have told me about "Coopers" which seems to be very effective in stripping, but also very expensive. I contacted them and they promised to do a house visit sometime in April. In the meantime we tried cleaning a door with Polystrippa, but we could not get one side cleaned with one liter. So that is on hold for now. We might end up stripping and maybe polishing it.
Next job was the shower cubicle. I have bought this frameless shower surround to use in Cambridge, but got wary of the inspector. See, all glass in a bathroom has to be safety glass. I did some internet research and found that the symbol printed on it is actually a Chinese standard. We spent about two days fitting the glass, learning how wide it will be and how the edges meet. Next was to cut all the holes for water and waste pipes in the handbasin bench and the floor. That done, I could call the plumber to arrange for him to send one of the guys over. He promised it could hopefully be in the coming week.
The next door neighbours started building a framework and put a tarp over it. We were expecting a party. My dumpsite is just over the fence from them. I felt obliged to build an corrugated iron fence between us. We had the iron left over from the garage we bought 15 months ago. Elna painted it, and helped me put it up. Now my junk is hidden from their view. It turned out the guy is very sick, and they are getting a constant stream of visitors.
We also moved two large wardrobes from the kitchen to be. When we find the time, we will start planning the new kitchen. The waste pipe for the sink has to be located as well.
I have put the curved iron that I had earmarked for the veranda on Trademe, and got a good price for it. I could also return the 10 liter roof paint for a credit of $ 200 (Yes, that is the price of paint in NZ)
The whole of North Island was declared a drought zone. We had very dry weather since January, and the farmers are suffering. The forecast was for severe rain today, but we are getting some light rain. When we put the new roof on the little corner storage area, I left a gap between the wall and the roof. Elna insisted that it be closed in, because of the threat of rain. First, I had to decide by how much I will lift the veranda beam. Remember, it was so low it would interfere with the bay window, because I took a shortcut when repairing the posts. I have cut them all to the same length. It now turns out I will have to extend all by 150 mm.
Once that was decided, I could attach the ring beam to the cross wall and fit the last weatherboard. I have a stock of "knotty pine" planks in Rimu and thought it would be easier to fit narrow planks than wide ones. It turned out to be a big job. Each plank needs to be cut at the top at the right angle (which changes as you go), then beveled and cut to length. sometimes it is too long, sometimes too short. I think I walked between the job and the shed more than 100 times, for there are more than 27 planks, and each one took fitting. In the end I think we have a nice job. We have run out of wall paint, and will need another can of paint to finish that one off. At least, the rain cannot get in there any more.
One of the next jobs will now be to extend all thirty of the veranda posts by 150 mm.
We were also given some material that was used in the local museum to make a mock street scene from the 1800's. We picked up what we thought we could use, and I spent most of a day de-nailing it. The remainder will become firewood. At some stage I will also have to take a load of junk to the dump.
I nearly forgot, I made a load of scrap metal that I have collected over time to the scrap merchants. Made some good money. But I missed some, so I will have to go again. Slowly our section is getting more tidy, but I am not taking pictures of that yet..
Sorry, I missed a week. It has been a hectic time (for me).
First, back to the bath. I used a lot of sanding discs. Then I decided to try scraping the coating off, and guess what? It came off easily with a wood chisel. The original enamel is still in good condition. There are a few stains, but that has to wait for a later day. Then we turned the bath over. and cleaned the outside. I found a casting date of 1926. I removed the feet. Only one of the bolts broke. Elna painted the outside a light green, and the feet ended up a bronze/ gold colour. Feet back on and we got two tough guys to move the bath in position.
The matter of cleaning off the lacquer on the doors and skirting boards is not resolved yet. The historical people wants us to wipe it with Methylated Spirits.That is a big job, and does not repair scratches made by kids.We considered stripping it off and applying a new coat of lacquer, but that does not seem right. Our trusted paint stripper is Polystrippa, but it works out that you would need more than two cans on a door, both sides. Now several people have told me about "Coopers" which seems to be very effective in stripping, but also very expensive. I contacted them and they promised to do a house visit sometime in April. In the meantime we tried cleaning a door with Polystrippa, but we could not get one side cleaned with one liter. So that is on hold for now. We might end up stripping and maybe polishing it.
Next job was the shower cubicle. I have bought this frameless shower surround to use in Cambridge, but got wary of the inspector. See, all glass in a bathroom has to be safety glass. I did some internet research and found that the symbol printed on it is actually a Chinese standard. We spent about two days fitting the glass, learning how wide it will be and how the edges meet. Next was to cut all the holes for water and waste pipes in the handbasin bench and the floor. That done, I could call the plumber to arrange for him to send one of the guys over. He promised it could hopefully be in the coming week.
The next door neighbours started building a framework and put a tarp over it. We were expecting a party. My dumpsite is just over the fence from them. I felt obliged to build an corrugated iron fence between us. We had the iron left over from the garage we bought 15 months ago. Elna painted it, and helped me put it up. Now my junk is hidden from their view. It turned out the guy is very sick, and they are getting a constant stream of visitors.
We also moved two large wardrobes from the kitchen to be. When we find the time, we will start planning the new kitchen. The waste pipe for the sink has to be located as well.
I have put the curved iron that I had earmarked for the veranda on Trademe, and got a good price for it. I could also return the 10 liter roof paint for a credit of $ 200 (Yes, that is the price of paint in NZ)
The whole of North Island was declared a drought zone. We had very dry weather since January, and the farmers are suffering. The forecast was for severe rain today, but we are getting some light rain. When we put the new roof on the little corner storage area, I left a gap between the wall and the roof. Elna insisted that it be closed in, because of the threat of rain. First, I had to decide by how much I will lift the veranda beam. Remember, it was so low it would interfere with the bay window, because I took a shortcut when repairing the posts. I have cut them all to the same length. It now turns out I will have to extend all by 150 mm.
Once that was decided, I could attach the ring beam to the cross wall and fit the last weatherboard. I have a stock of "knotty pine" planks in Rimu and thought it would be easier to fit narrow planks than wide ones. It turned out to be a big job. Each plank needs to be cut at the top at the right angle (which changes as you go), then beveled and cut to length. sometimes it is too long, sometimes too short. I think I walked between the job and the shed more than 100 times, for there are more than 27 planks, and each one took fitting. In the end I think we have a nice job. We have run out of wall paint, and will need another can of paint to finish that one off. At least, the rain cannot get in there any more.
One of the next jobs will now be to extend all thirty of the veranda posts by 150 mm.
We were also given some material that was used in the local museum to make a mock street scene from the 1800's. We picked up what we thought we could use, and I spent most of a day de-nailing it. The remainder will become firewood. At some stage I will also have to take a load of junk to the dump.
I nearly forgot, I made a load of scrap metal that I have collected over time to the scrap merchants. Made some good money. But I missed some, so I will have to go again. Slowly our section is getting more tidy, but I am not taking pictures of that yet..
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