11.12.10 Driveway beginning

Well after lamenting the other day, at about 11am the concrete contractor turned up and said he tried to ring but neither I nor my Mum answered our phones and here he is to start the excavation and installing the formwork. Excellent, great to see you, feel free.

He and his son finished about 6pm having completed the formwork for the driveway, front steps and entertainment area and having laid some gravel over which the reinforced steel and concrete will go.

Camden Council will be contacted on Monday to organise the inspection they need to conduct to approve the road crossing, that is to say the point where the driveway meets the gutter. I am still yet to learn why this is needed, so if anyone has any understanding about it feel free to leave a comment about it.

Fingers crossed, if he can organise for the inspection to occur by Wednesday or Thursday he can organise for the concrete to be delivered the day after as it will take two days to complete laying the concrete. Therefore by Sunday it should be finished all going to plan.

Weather for the week, however:

WIND RAIN HUMID MIN MAX

SUN		Afternoon Clouds. Warm.	5 km/h N	-	45%	16	28
MON		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	18 km/h ESE	-	51%	16	26
TUE		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	13 km/h E	-	62%	18	25
WED		Early Fog Followed by Sun. Warm.	16 km/h NNE	-	48%	17	29
THU		A Few Thunderstorms. Mostly Cloudy. Warm. Humid.	5 km/h E	5mm (53%)	78%	20	30
FRI		A Few Showers. Morning Clouds. Mild.	10 km/h S	2mm (42%)	89%	19	25
SAT		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	16 km/h SE	-	51%	17	26

...so I am inclined to think it is more reliable to believe the concreting begins Friday and finishes Saturday (or Saturday then Sunday).

PCI moved to Wednesday

Due to changes on Allworth people's schedules PCI has been pushed back a couple of days.

This apparently is a good thing because my Mum went to the site to meet with a concreting contractor for me to get a quote for the driveway and enertainment area and she says the eaves and downpipes still aren't painted. Looking through the windows she couldn't see taps or powerpoints, only doors handles.

The weather has improved today, but looks like late showers and this deterioration continues tomorrow to pick up on the weekend with mild days forecasted until Tuesday. So, maybe painting will be finished early next week. I know weather predictions aren't 100% but the mind wonders why on a weekly basis it isn't used to at least get a sense of the way things are going.

Thanks to everyone's kind thoughts as a response to my last post, still very excited though as PCI still comes 1 day earlier than originally anticipated way back sixteen-odd weeks ago.

Painting continues

First night back at TAFE for this term and class was cancelled. So after I had dinner I went for a drive to check progress. It appears painting is finished in most rooms, except for the open plan great room and kitchen. The high gloss on the trims and doors also looks done as the doors were leaning against walls throughout the house. The front and laundry doors are also painted, but the eaves and the downpipes have not yet started. By the look of it, if the weather goes well tomorrow they could finish it.

WIND RAIN HUMID MIN MAX

TUE		Light Rain Early. Mostly Sunny. Mild.	16 km/h NNE	1mm (30%)	58%	15	23
WED		Afternoon Clouds. Warm.	12 km/h NNE	-	48%	14	25
THU		Mostly Cloudy. Mild.	15 km/h N	-	59%	16	24
FRI		Heavy Rain Early. Morning Clouds. Mild.	18 km/h N	9mm (83%)	90%	11	24
SAT		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	23 km/h W	-	34%	6	16
SUN		Mostly Sunny. Mild. Crisp.	16 km/h W	-	36%	7	19
MON		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	11 km/h SW	-	34%	8	20

Hmm, maybe Wednesday?

RAIN!

I cannot believe that there is one small space of roof still not finished, the bricks are sitting there and the RAIN has started. So I am guessing unless they get in and out tomorrow nothing will happen now until next week.

Wind Rain Humid Min Max

WED		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	11 km/h WNW	-	85%	9	17
THU		Drizzle. Mostly Cloudy. Cool.	18 km/h WNW	1mm (33%)	78%	8	16
FRI		Drizzle. Decreasing Clouds. Mild.	25 km/h SW	1mm (32%)	72%	9	17
SAT		Sunny. Mild.	10 km/h NNE	-	52%	6	18
SUN		Drizzle. Partly Cloudy. Mild.	15 km/h W	1mm (30%)	79%	7	20
MON		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	19 km/h SW	-	69%	9	18
TUE		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	11 km/h S	-	37%	5	14

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

Weather for the coming week

Just to calm my nerves:

Wind Rain Humid Min Max

WED		Light Rain Early. Morning Clouds. Mild. Breezy.	29 km/h NNW	5mm (55%)	82%	11	17
THU		Light Rain Early. Mostly Sunny. Cool.	21 km/h W	1mm (30%)	64%	9	15
FRI		Morning Clouds. Cool.	10 km/h S	-	57%	6	16
SAT		Sunny. Cool.	9 km/h NNE	-	50%	7	17
SUN		Light Rain Late. Afternoon Clouds. Mild.	23 km/h NNW	1mm (33%)	68%	7	18
MON		Morning Clouds. Cool.	23 km/h W	-	63%	8	14
TUE		Mostly Sunny. Cool. Breezy.	26 km/h W	-	52%	6	14

05-07-10 Piering Day

Today was piering day. Had the opportunity to take the dog for a quick walk as they finished off with the bobcat.


As I assumed this involved the piering guy/concrete contractor waking around with a measuring stick, writing down the measurements as I watched on, adding up and then signing off.


Good news is it came in under the piering allowance, so that means a refund/deduction. My glee was shortlived as the dirt from the holes and from who knows where has become accumulated in yet another mound in the front yard and since this is probably in excess of the allowance will need to be carted away. Seriously though, I have no idea where all the dirt is coming from. Fingers crossed if it is excess that the deduction will cover it.

The contractor also helped out by establishing what the difference between yard heights will be once completed. He used his equipment and suggested that it'll be a 300m difference, so not a great difference, but still probably worth retaining. Nothing can be established at this point in time as it will have to be discussed with the landscaper.

The other useful suggestion the contractor made was to discuss the need to have the separate slab for the air-conditioner joined to the main slab by way of epoxy joints. The hot water unit and rainwater tank will be done in this fashion. He explained that otherwise the mini-slab can shift and he has seen this happen so that the rainwater tank for example sits out on a 20 degree angle. Once it comes to it, might offer him the work of the concreting that and the driveway and entertainment area.

The contractor said once the piers are done today, the will be back on Monday/Tuesday to do the slab. The plumber will be on-site on Thursday at the earliest to do the underground connections. This is once gain the weather pending, so lets see what is expected from my new preferred site, weather.com.au:

Wind Rain Humid Min Max

MON		Mostly Sunny. Cool.	5 km/h NNE	-	84%	8	16
TUE		A Few Showers. Morning Clouds. Cool.	15 km/h NNW	2mm (42%)	81%	10	16
WED		Drizzle. Morning Clouds. Cool.	24 km/h SW	1mm (30%)	70%	9	16
THU		Afternoon Clouds. Cool.	14 km/h S	-	81%	9	14
FRI		A Few Showers. Morning Clouds. Cool.	23 km/h S	2mm (37%)	83%	11	14
SAT		A Few Showers. Mostly Sunny. Cool.	16 km/h SSE	2mm (35%)	82%	12	15
SUN		Mostly Sunny. Mild.	8 km/h N	-	63%	9	18

If all goes to plan and the plumbing is done later this week before the rain starts, and the mild weather continues into next week, I'll be happy come Wednesday when I have a slab a little bit ahead of what I am expecting!