Gutters up and Roof Tiles delivered

On Thursday night I went for my now usual drive after TAFE class and saw that nothing new had happened. Went again on Sunday and saw the gutters were up, so this must have happened on Friday! Sunday was also lovely weather.

The skinny window in the middle is the main bathroom and shows the plumbing.


This is the alfresco area, which will be concreted later as Allworth was quoting far too much for the work.


I went again this afternoon as I rang SS2 yesterday and have not received a call back. But last night's trip was cancelled as I injured my back on Sunday and was resting yesterday. This is the view out the front window. Ignore my car but if you look out towards the port-a-loo across the road you can see the townhouses being built at the bottom. This is the last row of houses before the Camden Bypass. Across the road will be single storey homes, and beyond that is a gradual downhill slope, so fingers crossed the view of the skyine will not be completely obstructed from this position. Also I am 5'3" and standing at the far end of the room so I taller person would be able to capture it a lot better.


The excellent news today however is that the roof tiles were delivered, so this indicates that the roof will be done first. I have a feeling that it is the team one block down that are currently completing a roof that will be doing it as the conveyor belt is in place and will only need to be swung around and the scaffolding relocated tomorrow when they finish. It was very hard to take a picture of the colour due to the late afternoon sky, but the sample photo in the slideshow displays it much better, these are really just evidence that I am not seeing things.




The weather outlook is good despite being overcast, so I am looking forward to the roof being done this week if progress continues going in my favour.

28-07-10 Frame, Windows and Copper Pipes, Done

The frame was started on Monday with the walls and windows in place that evening.

My understanding is that the roof went up on Tuesday.

And the copper plumbing to the wet areas finished on Wednesday. It is a bit hard to see but there are two more distinct and dark lines behind the mesh fence running down the house.

This was lucky because today it poured almost everywhere in Sydney!

Wind Rain Humid Min Max

FRI		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	10 km/h NNW	-	70%	11	20
SAT		Light Rain. Morning Clouds. Mild.	11 km/h W	4mm (53%)	82%	12	19
SUN		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	15 km/h WNW	-	55%	8	18
MON		Light Rain Early. Mostly Cloudy. Cool.	13 km/h W	1mm (33%)	70%	7	13
TUE		Morning Clouds. Cool.	23 km/h SW	-	62%	6	16
WED		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	13 km/h W	-	50%	6	15
THU		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	6 km/h SSW	-	64%	5	15

I didn't get to speak to SS2 this week but fingers crossed that since the work has been continuing along nicely that the bricks will be delivered either tomorrow or early next week with the brickies work commenced by the end of next week. Some other Allworth bloggers have reported incredible speeds of the bricking being completed so I look forward to having the same benefit and having that finished within the fortnight. If the roof tiling is commenced thereafter I might be able to show the family the progress when we celebrate my Nan's 80th birthday at my Uncle' house in nearby Harrington Park on 21 August 2010?

20-07-10 Outdoor Plumbing

My local spy informs me that he saw the plumbers hard at it about midday. No pictures this time as it should have been finished and the trenches filled back in. From what I have seen it involves those white pipes being connected and laid around the house to do the things they are meant for.

Frame should be on site tomorrow. I start my new job so I am hoping I'll get an early mark and can head out before dark to check. Fingers crossed that it is put up before the weekend rain sets in.

The rain set in tonight and weather.com.au predicts:

Wind Rain Humid Min Max

WED		High Level Clouds. Cool.	5 km/h S	-	48%	6	15
THU		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	17 km/h SSW	-	63%	7	15
FRI		Showers Late. Mostly Cloudy. Cool.	12 km/h SSW	2mm (37%)	84%	7	16
SAT		Showers Early. Morning Clouds. Mild.	11 km/h SSW	4mm (47%)	85%	9	18
SUN		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	6 km/h SW	-	47%	7	15
MON		Sunny. Cool.	9 km/h SE	-	47%	4	14
TUE		Morning Clouds. Cool.	8 km/h NE	-	66%	4	15

Upcoming Work and change of SS

The other revelation I got out of the SS is that SS1 handles all front end preparation until the frame is delivered. SS2 handles construction and fit-out. I think he told me this so I didn't make the mistake of hassling him after next Wednesday because he also told me that the plumbing of the drains will be done on Tuesday and the frame delivered Wednesday, hence the reason the dirt needs to be gone on Monday. This is good because other than a bit of rain expected Monday it will be fine for the rest of the week. Framing should hopefully be finished by Friday in that case.

I asked him about the availability of bricks and brickie teams as well. He said I'd have to ask SS2 but that a week delay is nothing to get worried about as it is reasonable. I said I'd been talking to other people (hello to all those bloggers out there) and delays had been 3-4 weeks and not related to weather so I wouldn't call this reasonable. He said to talk to SS2 about it. That might be a call for Monday.

Underground Plumbing Connections 08-07-10

Despite some mid-morning drizzle the plumbing connections appear to have gone ahead on schedule.

There has also been the appearance of the some formwork, the security fence and the beloved trademen's friend, the port-a-loo! The middle picture below is looking across the front window of the main lounge towards the portico. In the third picture can you see the pile of dirt? I can't believe we had one like that hauled away already and now there is the same again. A friend of a friend building nearby said that because the dirt wasn't carted away immediately neighbouring lots dumped their excess on his pile, and then he was quoted $17,000 to cart it away. He argued with the builder and the developer and not sure of the details of the arrangement reached but it was agreed that as it was the result of dumping he wouldn't be charged above the excess. Apparently the lesson to observe from this is if the builder hasn't agreed to remove it immediately go and take some pictures of the size and shape, or if it is not covered in the contract arrange to have it taken away ASAP and again take pictures.

I start a new job on the 19th so my random late afternoon trips will stop but hopefully by then the frame will be going up, then the guttering, and the bricking or roofing commenced thereafter, so the new visual changes will be less frequent and weekend trips should suffice. The slab will be laid on Monday/Tuesday coming, then some more plumbing and then usually the frame goes up about the end of the following week.

The picture below and left is of the garage looking towards the main lounge and back. Once it is done the builder provides 3 steps from the garage into the house. I still have no real sense of what the final height will be, but it makes me confident that at least the same will be needed in the front yard up to the portico.

The second picture is looking from the right hand side across the backyard. It is 4m deep to the back fence, but that narrowing is caused by the rainwater tank. The shed will also be positioned on the rear wall as it has no windows looking out, ad otherwise Camden Council guidelines are that sheds must be positioned 900m off the boundary, so really encroaching too much. It's only going to be a narrow under eaves version with a sliding door just big enough to make sure the mower and the like don't have to be stored in the garage. But as you can see they have excavated so much at what appears to be about 1m from the rear fenceline so I am inclined to retain it at this point and garden behind it. The entertainment area is around the corner to the left, and because the house is set 2m from the Peach Palace I am guessing that the dog will have a grass patch to do her business around there somewhere near the garage, adjacent to the car washing bay Camden Council requires you to have in the front yard.