Southern Tablelands Shipping Container Build

[turnstiles]

Thought I'd kick off this section with a new thread about my Owner Build saga which has been going on for years!

I am building a shipping container house in the Southern Tablelands in a small place called Bungonia (some may know of it through the Gorge and caves.)

I bought 25 acres 10 years ago and started building after getting council approval around mid 2015.

This is a 'Pay As You Go' build, meaning I need to earn the money in order to build. It has been a fine juggling act balancing working enough to buy materials, but not too much so that I have energy to do the actual build.

I have been doing everything I can by myself. Apart from electrical and plumbing, I paid to have the steel roof put on, the concrete pumped into the foundations I prepared, the dam dug, the water tank built, the drive gravelled, the solar panels installed (on the frame I made) and I needed help to lift the (208kg each) big windows at the front of the house. Everything else I've done by myself.

It's been a huge adventure as I'd previously never built anything more than an Ikea bookcase. But I finally feel like I am getting close to being able to move in and give up being a renter forever!!

Here is a quick recap of the journey so far in 10 pics for those who are new to this build:

526911

526912

526913

526914

526915

526916

526917

526918

526919

526920

[Camelot]

Very impressive views from those windows and now it's clad you wouldn't guess there were shipping containers behind there, well done :)

[turnstiles]

Currently at the gyprocking stage.

Here's a few pics of different areas that I have sheeted. Haven't begun the arduous task of plastering yet - just a few trials in the bathroom and 2nd bed.

2nd bedroom:
526921

Bathroom:
526922

Kitchen with cabinets temp. placed to check spacing:
526923

Main bed west wall:
526924

Lounge/dining south wall:
526927

West end of lounge:
526926

Main bed - corner bead and shadowline bead placement:
526928

Currently waiting on ceiling batten clips - waited 3 weeks for them to arrive only to then find they had sent the wrong type :(( So now another 2 - 3 week wait.
The 2nd bed and bathroom do not have battens, only the lounge/dining, kitchen, and main bed.

Also have been mucked about by the tiler. After accepting his quote and declining the others I pressed ahead and lined the bathroom walls ready for him to start. (I am not allowed to waterproof myself so to make it worth a tilers while, i asked for them to also do the screed and tile the floor and I would do the walls.)

Once ready, I contacted him and he has since ignored my calls. So now I am in a position of having to find another tiler - awkward as I already rejected two others. I don't feel comfortable re-approaching them.

[turnstiles]

Very impressive views from those windows and now it's clad you wouldn't guess there were shipping containers behind there, well done :)

Yes I am really fortunate with the views - and better still, the windows are north facing so theys not only encompass the view, they capture the winter sun for passive solar heating.

[jack620]

Impressive job. Well done.

[turnstiles]

Impressive job. Well done.

Thanks Jack!

[Bushmiller]

turnstiles

That is looking good. I am not really familiar with the climate in your area, but I can appreciate the value of those windows for the winter sun. Do you anticipate any further structure to prevent the summer sun heating the house as I see there are no eaves?

What is the exterior cladding: It looks a bit like a tilt up concrete wall but I doubt it is. It is striking. If I ever built another house, which is unlikely, I think I would go down the container path. I did dabble with a container for a studio (https://www.woodworkforums.com/f245/studio-181897) a few years back.

Regards
Paul

[Mr Brush]

Awesome job, and a spectacular location too ! :2tsup:

Is the cladding that Hardie Architectural fibre cement boards? We used their Hardiedeck planking system for outside deck on our rebuild after bushfires, very happy with it.

[ErrolFlynn]

Just wondering - I presume you had a crane to lift the containers onto the foundations. The containers don't look new. I imagine they might have received a few knocks during their life and may have bent a little. Did the containers wobble when placed? If so how did you fix that? Are you relying on their weight to keep them in place or have you fixed them in position somehow?

[turnstiles]

turnstiles
Do you anticipate any further structure to prevent the summer sun heating the house as I see there are no eaves?

What is the exterior cladding: It looks a bit like a tilt up concrete wall but I doubt it is.

Regards
Paul

Hi Paul - the exterior cladding on three sides is a fibre cement product called (Hardie) Easylap which has an expressed shiplap join.

It was tricky to manoeuvre them by myself as they are 3600 x 1200 and weigh 52kgs each. Not only did I have to get them from horizontal to vertical - I also had to lift them by hand up around 400mm off the ground and then screw to the external studs. Not a job for a windy day!
526977 526978

The panels on the front are a similar material - 1200 x 1200:
526979
They also have a 10mm expressed joint.

526980

526981

There is a small eave on the front which cuts out mid summer sun. Down here in the Southern Tablelands it is the cold that is the main concern not the heat. But the house has double insulation on every side including under and over the containers. All the windows and glass doors are double glazed. This is a schematic of the container walls:
526982
I haven't finished all of the internal insulation or draft excluding on the doors and today we hit a maximum of 12 deg and I was working all day in the house with shorts and a singlet!

[turnstiles]

Just wondering - I presume you had a crane to lift the containers onto the foundations. The containers don't look new. I imagine they might have received a few knocks during their life and may have bent a little. Did the containers wobble when placed? If so how did you fix that? Are you relying on their weight to keep them in place or have you fixed them in position somehow?

Hi ErrolFlynn - Yes - I hired a Franna crane to lift the containers = when it arrived I didn't think it was big enough for the job but it made light work of it!
526996 526998 526999

The concrete piers had metal plates set into them on which the containers were welded when in place:
526997 527000 527001

The containers were at the end of their life so there were a few dings in them but nothing severe.

[rwbuild]

Very impressive!!! You insulation is gold standard. Look forward to more WIP photos
:2tsup:

[Bushmiller]

turnstiles

Thanks for the extra information. You have certainly done your homework and I had not appreciated how cold it is down that way. You did well to manhandle those Easylap sheets.

Regards
Paul

[turnstiles]

Awesome job, and a spectacular location too ! :2tsup:

Is the cladding that Hardie Architectural fibre cement boards? We used their Hardiedeck planking system for outside deck on our rebuild after bushfires, very happy with it.

Thanks Basil! :D Yes Hardie Easylap. I'm really happy with it.

[turnstiles]

With the long weekend over I realised that I have now been working 7 days a week for 2 years straight except for 3 days off for Christmas (the one before last!) No wonder some mornings are hard to get out of bed!!


Here's a few update pix - most of the walls are now gyprocked and all the metal beading too.

Main bed window:
527252

Lounge-room windows:
527253

Here you can see the original reveal, reveal extension and the shadowline bead in place.
527254

battens up for the kitchen ceiling:
527255

I need to 'box in' the kitchen ceiling beam before I can start putting up the gyprock. This is still a WIP.
The large gap between the white timber form-work is because I have to somehow fit a 600mm wide 3 bar down-light in there.
527256

Here's a pic of my poor old workbench (Looking tidy for once!) and its surface - so battle scarred! (The hole is where, in a fit of anger, I attacked a staple gun with a hammer because it wouldn't staple!!) I found this table outside the neighbours on the grass verge 2 weeks after moving into my rental and just as I was about to start the build. Was meant to be.
527257

Lovely clear winters day today - early this morning:
527258

[ErrolFlynn]

(The hole is where, in a fit of anger, I attacked a staple gun with a hammer because it wouldn't staple!!)
You seem such a calm, measured individual. I'm just trying to visualise that moment. So funny! We've all been there.

[Sir Stinkalot]

Looking good. It has some early Richard Meier vibes going on with the expressed joint cladding.

Out of interest why did you go with the shipping containers as your starting point? Would you do the same again?

I have followed a few builds that have started with shipping containers, and initially it looks to be a good idea, but they seem to quickly start becoming a hindrance and result in a compromised outcome. Looking at your photos, by concealing them you have basically created a home around the containers.

Not trying to be a negative Nancy, but interested in your feelings after going through the process and if you would do it the same if you knew then what you know now.

[turnstiles]

Looking good. It has some early Richard Meier vibes going on with the expressed joint cladding.

Out of interest why did you go with the shipping containers as your starting point? Would you do the same again?

I have followed a few builds that have started with shipping containers, and initially it looks to be a good idea, but they seem to quickly start becoming a hindrance and result in a compromised outcome. Looking at your photos, by concealing them you have basically created a home around the containers.

Not trying to be a negative Nancy, but interested in your feelings after going through the process and if you would do it the same if you knew then what you know now.

Yes Meier likes his grids! I was actually inspired by Mies van der Rohe the Barcelona Pavilion and especially Farnsworth House.

I chose shipping containers as I'd never built anything before and doubted by construction abilities. I thought with containers I'd basically just have to clad them. Which is pretty much what I've done. And initially I was going to leave them exposed inside and put all the insulation and cladding on the outside. But I grew tired of looking at the metal as the years rolled by and I decided to line the inside as well. This also meant I could increase the insulation.

Would I do it again with containers. No. For several reasons - firstly when I bought them they were really cheap (40' High Cube $2,500 per container including delivery) and this build is a super budget build. Secondly, having now had a lot of building experience I would create a similar space with steel beams and curtain walls. Thirdly, and let me make this quite clear - THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER TIME!!:hahaha:

But it's been a grand adventure and I don't regret any of it. All my life I've set myself big challenges - soon I will have to start thinking of the next big one!

[turnstiles]

Last 4 days at the house (2 were in the classroom!) since my last post and I managed to get the kitchen ceiling up. The battens certainly made it easier to put the insulation in.
527480
527481
527482

I had some fiddly gyprock cutting around the 3 bar down lights that will be above the kitchen island.
527483
527484

I also lined one of the two large loungeroom cupboards and finally put the bathroom cavity door latch in - a small job I've been meaning to do for ages.
527485
527486
527487

[turnstiles]

Main bedroom ceiling now sheeted. I'm running low on insulation for the lounge/dining ceiling so have ordered more along with other odds and ends (doors for the hall cupboard, door reveals for the barn door, more 2x4;s,and I think I'lll need more shadowline bead)
527950

527951

527952

527953

527954

527955

527956

And made a start on battening the lounge/dining ceiling (the last to do) - it is fiddlier than the others as the container roofs on 2 of them are a little battered and uneven so I need the battens to adjust the height differences to make the ceilings all level with each other. The laser level has been getting a good workout.

Went for a boundary walk the other day - I don't often get to see the house from these directions:

View from the North boundary fence:
527957

View from the West boundary fence:
527958

View from the South boundary fence:
527959

View from the East boundary fence:
527960

[ErrolFlynn]

You should consider planting a few (hundred) trees. Perhaps from seed. Perhaps you could find out what's indigenous or what the wildlife likes to eat and plant them.

[turnstiles]

You should consider planting a few (hundred) trees. Perhaps from seed. Perhaps you could find out what's indigenous or what the wildlife likes to eat and plant them.

I've already planted I think around 180 natives (I'm not having any non-natives on my property except food plants), and have mainly been planting flowering gums, large and small grevillea, banksia, callistemons, and have been researching endemic natives.

I still have plans to plant a lot more - lost a lot during the 3 years drought followed by the big wet these past 5 years (soil became so boggy that with the high winds we get here lots of trees came down in this area as the tree roots couldn't cope)

And I don't want too many trees near the house - the Morton National Park bushfire in Jan 2020 came within a few kms of my place so I intend keeping a decent fire break between me and the trees!

Also time and money mean I can't plant as extensively yet as I would like.

[turnstiles]

I'm still waiting for the order mentioned in the previous post - over 3 weeks now so I have no batten clips or insulation to finish the lounge room ceiling.

Bu there is still plenty to go on with.

This photo shows the difference in levels of parts of the lounge ceiling. The top blue line shows the bottom edge of the ceiling joists (which follow the two edges of the containers). Because they are a little worse for wear, battens were necessary to level up the ceiling. The bottom blue line shows the batten where the actual ceiling level will be.

2 of the 3 containers had this lopsided roof - the other was fine.
528650

I had enough batten clips to do 2 of the three ceiling sections.
528651

I boxed in the steel support beam that runs across the kitchen/lounge division:
528652


Then I did the same for the two beams in the lounge:
528653

528654

I added the corner beads today. It taught me a lesson NOT to shop at the hardware store without my glasses. I bought another supply of corner beads and couldn't work out why they looks so messy and wouldn't sit neatly along the edges.
I had inadvertently bought internal corner beads instead of external!

I have also gyprocked the wall behind the (main bedroom) barn door. Then cleaned out the hall cupboard which was full of shelving and housed all my tools and building supplies, so I could prepare it for lining and adding doors:
528655
528656

I had a tiler come out to check out the bathroom to give me a quote. He picked up on the fact that the plumber had not centred the drainpipe in the centre of the wall so the strip drain would butt right up against the tiles on one side and leave a gap of about 10cms on the other. This would have driven me crazy!

So I set about repositioning the pipework. Fortunately there was ample 'give' in the pipe in the direction I needed to move it:
528657

[turnstiles]

Quick update - working away steadily as usual on lots of little things mainly taping/plastering, putting up some fibre cement panels on the ceilings outside, ceiling battens (yes my delivery finally arrived), door jambs and the waterproofer/tiler has been and completed the waterproofing.

The plan now is to complete the things I need to do in order to get the plumber back to attach all the fittings such as shower, sinks, toilet etc and the electrician to attach all the powerpoints, switches, lights etc so I can move in to finish off everything else.

There is still so much to do but once i can live there I will have longer working hours and save money on rent, electricity and petrol which means I can buy more materials.

Battening all done:
529217

Ceiling outside kitchen door:
529218

Main bed door surround:
529219

Villaboard for the bathroom floor:
529220

Waterproofing compound:
529221
529222

In order for the plumber to return, the kitchen sink needs to be plumbed in - so the wall needs to be painted and the kitchen cabinets installed and the sink and cooktop holes cut into the countertop. This is my first attempt at top coat plastering - messy but a bit of sanding will make it right!!
529223

Mid winter browns:
529224

[ErrolFlynn]

I’m curious about the series of clamps in the wet area. They appear to be holding something along one edge of the shower floor. So, what are they doing along one edge that doesn’t have to be done along the other edge?

[turnstiles]

Good question! They are clamping 2 pieces of aluminium forming the edge of the sloping floor into the shower. The glue between them wasn't completely dry when he wanted to waterproof. The clamps were removed the next day for the 2nd coat. Almost all will be buried in the screed, and all that will be seen after tiling will be a thin sliver on the shower side below the shower screen.

[r3nov8or]

I've just caught up with all your progress since the move from 'RF.com'. Great progress and love the detail! You'll be a plastering expert with all those extra internal and external corners on the beams etc. 'Hamper corners' I was advised they are called. I elected to do mine myself after seeing the quote! - you are saving a bomb doing them yourself, as the hours just shoot up exponentially for that detail! (Not to mention everything else you've DIY'd, of course!)

[turnstiles]

Hey r3nov8or - good to see you on here.

A builder told me that shadowline edges are not more popular because of the extra time and money involved in putting them in. I have a lot of the former and not much of the latter!!

I'm getting some practice in on the wall of the kitchen that will be mostly hidden by cupboards, fridge, rangehood etc. So if it looks crap no one will see it :D I have just put on the top coat - what a beautiful silky plaster it is. And great to sand. I found an unusual sanding pad at the Big Green Shed which has a sheet of what looks like fibreglass mesh instead of glasspaper and it works amazingly well.

Once I get going a neighbour has said I can borrow their electric plasterboard sander they swear it makes the job so easy,

[turnstiles]

Bathroom is moving along.

Screed down:
529802

529803

529804

Floor tiles:
529805

529806

Tile up close:
529807

I grouted them Tuesday:
529808

Today the wall tiles went up and I will grout them tomorrow:
529809

529810

Outside ceiling painted:
529811

Kitchen wall sanded, and 2 undercoats and 2 top coats:
529812

Temporarily installed kitchen cabinets so I could cut out the sink hole and line it up with the floor waste ready for the plumber to connect, and tomorrow I will cut out the hole for the cook-top - I put the range hood up so I could line up the cook-top position (no it isn't blue!! That's the stainless steel protection)
529813

529816

The window reveal still needs sanding and painting.

I set up a panel for the electrician to mount the main circuit board. I will build the cupboard around it later:
529814

And apart from this there has been copious amounts of plastering and sanding happening when I haven't been teaching!!

7am greeting this morning:
529815

[ErrolFlynn]

The first time I saw large tiles I fell in love with them; particularly wall tiles. When I saw them close up I noticed the space between was narrower than standard. Loved that too.

I like your kitchen cabinet. I used to have a place that had a timber top like that. Really nice and I miss it. There seems to be a trend for stone tops (or fake stone). It’s just the thing to chip or break your jam jar if you strike it badly. Wood has such a great feel.

I also find it depressing the number of new houses that have their kitchen wall against a sold/blank wall. What happened to the window? Architects seem to be lacking foresight at times. Glad you have a window there. There’s nothing quite like looking outside when peeling spuds or the like.

[turnstiles]

I like your kitchen cabinet. I used to have a place that had a timber top like that. Really nice and I miss it. There seems to be a trend for stone tops (or fake stone). It’s just the thing to chip or break your jam jar if you strike it badly. Wood has such a great feel.


That's the same reason I have gone for timber floor in the kitchen - drop any glass or ceramics on a tiled floor and it's gone plus a possible cracked or chipped floor tile!!

[turnstiles]

The plumber returned today and installed all the kitchen, bathroom vanity, toilet, shower and laundry tub plumbing. It is all usable now (except the shower which needs the hot water tank electrical work done.) It seems a bit unreal to have a functioning bathroom! I love my unusual shower rose and shower shelf!

The bathroom ceiling needs painting, the shower screen installed, the light and extractor fan installed (when the electrician return on the 18th), and a little bit of detailing and then it is complete!

I plan to move in after the 18th and before the 28th when I have to vacate my rental flat. There is still quite a bit of gyprocking, plastering and painting to do but once I'm living there I should manage to get it done much more quickly. I feel confident that everything will be complete by the end of the year.

Bathroom vanity
530398

530399

Stainless steel shower shelf
530400

Rain shower head
530401

Laundry tub will be enclosed with washing machine in a cupboard
530402

Kitchen sink installed and functioning
530403

Kitchen box beam is now painted
530404

530405

Bathroom ceiling needs sanding and painting
530407

Learned a handy tip (from Youtube) for painting skirtings without taping: using my 30cm plastering blade I run it along the floor with the paintbrush on top. Very quick and no paint on the floor!
530408

Last morning of winter and mist on the dam
530409

[Mr Brush]

"and on the seventh day he rested, for he was - knackered" :D

Awesome stuff, and the finishing line is getting closer !! :2tsup:

[turnstiles]

Thanks Bas - unfortunately he works the 7th day too!! But for about the first time I can see the finishing line.

[ErrolFlynn]

Learned a handy tip (from Youtube) for painting skirtings without taping.

I'd be careful in doing that. I can imagine paint getting blocked by the edge of the blade as intended, but it might find its way to the underside. The effect of gravity. Then when you go to try again a blob of paint appears on the carpet or floor or whatever. The only way to stop it would be to continually wipe the blade clean. Then if the skirting or floor isn't perfectly straight, as the blade is, then it's an opening for the paint to seep through. Though, it's a nice idea and would be worth keeping in mind.

Love the picture of your lake.

[turnstiles]

I'd be careful in doing that. I can imagine paint getting blocked by the edge of the blade as intended, but it might find its way to the underside. The effect of gravity. Then when you go to try again a blob of paint appears on the carpet or floor or whatever. The only way to stop it would be to continually wipe the blade clean. Then if the skirting or floor isn't perfectly straight, as the blade is, then it's an opening for the paint to seep through. Though, it's a nice idea and would be worth keeping in mind.

Love the picture of your lake.

Because I painted the skirting before I siliconed it where it meets the tiles, the tiny gap was big enough for the blade to slide a little underneath. Didn't have any issues with leaking paint! It certainly is a lot quicker than taping - and Ive had paint leak under tape!! The trick is to keep the blade moving with the brush. I could do about 2 metres at a time before I had to stand up (can't crouch for long in my advancing years!) and then I'd give the blade a quick wipe.

Yes the dam can be quite scenic at times. When it's still it's like a mirror.

Also I've just now booked a truck to move, so my first night (ever) sleeping in the new house will be the night of Sept. 21st. Really cannot wait :U Countdown begins!!

[turnstiles]

The electricians came on Monday and finished all of the electrical work. All of the lights, switches and power-points are operational and so too is the hot water tank. (Electric heat pump)

The bathroom still needs a cupboard built around the laundry tub and washing machine, plus an architrave (ughh...unavoidable because of the cavity door) but it is pretty much complete and usable.

Such a great feeling to be at this stage
530694

Lights for over the kitchen island
530695

Main bed ceiling fan
530696

2nd bedroom fan
530697

Hallway halo light
530698

Kitchen still needs the oven, fridge and kickboards to go in
530699

Bathroom from kitchen
530700

530701

Bathroom from 2nd bedroom
530702

530703

There's a pattern forming!! 😆
530704

Warm early Spring mornings - out on my morning walk before starting work
530705

[ErrolFlynn]

A couple of questions about your experience there, if I may. The house seems relatively remote. Off gird, presumably.

1. what have your experiences been with the toilet? When the property was simply a piece of virgin land with hardly a tyre track, what did you do? Dig a hole in the ground or did you go for something better? Did you try many products along the way? The thing is, I’ve just bought a property that has no services and this aspect of life has me very curious.

2. Are you off grid for electricity? What do you have, if it’s easy to relate? Number of panels, power output, battery capacity, etc. Cost.

[turnstiles]

A couple of questions about your experience there, if I may. The house seems relatively remote. Off gird, presumably.

1. what have your experiences been with the toilet? When the property was simply a piece of virgin land with hardly a tyre track, what did you do? Dig a hole in the ground or did you go for something better? Did you try many products along the way? The thing is, I’ve just bought a property that has no services and this aspect of life has me very curious.

2. Are you off grid for electricity? What do you have, if it’s easy to relate? Number of panels, power output, battery capacity, etc. Cost.

Hey EF - yup totally off grid!

1.

When I first bought the land I had no toilet - so a tree windbreak was a temporary substitute! But within a few weeks I found this chemical camping toilet (online):
530792

and toilet tent (Aldi):
530793

And as I had containers I had it inside - too windy at times for the tent outside.

It suited me for years, mind you, as I was renting 30 minutes away I didn't have to use it that often. I think I only needed to empty it once a year.


2.


Yes, off grid for power too (how overjoyed was I last week to pay my final electricity bill ever!!)

I have a 3.2KW solar panel set up with a 5KW inverter plus a 5KW Lithium Ion battery.
530794

I did a huge amount of research and got around 7 or 8 quotes I think it was. It came down to 3 serious ones (2 came out to the property) but some gave a vague "you'd be looking at somewhere between $30-40,000 mate....)

Two of the three quoted both around the $25-27,000 range and came with a lead acid or gel battery.

The third is a Victorian company called Home | Commodore Australia (https://www.commodoreaustralia.com.au/) and they quoted $12,900 WITH a lithium Ion battery! Needless to say I went with them!!

The package came with: 8 X 400W panels, inverter, battery, pre-made circuit board, delivery AND included $2,500 for the installer :o He came from 5 hours away and stayed overnight in a motel! The company only has a few installers in NSW. If I had found my own it may have been cheaper. I had to build the panel stand - but you can find kits etc online.

I spoke with the owner of the company when obtaining the quote and he went through a solar calculator with me to determine how much I would need.

Hope this is helpful.

[Bushmiller]

Turnstiles

Your house is coming up a treat.

3.2Kw sounds a little bit light on (no pun intended). Time will tell when you are living there full time. As you have a 5KW inverter, I expect you can add panels. Possibly the same amount again as you can imagine it is only under optimal conditions that they will deliver their rated capacity.

Regards
Paul

[turnstiles]

Turnstiles

Your house is coming up a treat.

3.2Kw sounds a little bit light on (no pun intended). Time will tell when you are living there full time. As you have a 5KW inverter, I expect you can add panels. Possibly the same amount again as you can imagine it is only under optimal conditions that they will deliver their rated capacity.

Regards
Paul

Thanks Paul - at last I can see the finish in sight! Re: solar - as you would know, it isn't a 'one size fits all' and so far I have now been living here for more than a week, with a mixture of cloudy and sunny days and so far haven't come near 50% use of the battery. It's been a regular week and the only thing I haven't used is the oven. But I rarely bake and if I do it will be during the day most of the time.

But as you said, if I find I am running short I can add more panels and/or buy another battery (they are really coming down in price). I don't have air-con or electric heating and there is only me in the house. So I am hopeful (for the time being at least) that I have sufficient solar for my needs.

CHeers,
Terry

[Arron]

Nice to hear you’re getting so close to moving in, but no mention of an Occupation Certificate. Are you required to get one ? If so it may be good to exercise some caution in terms of making move-in plans.

When I finished our OB I was sure that everything was in pass mode, but when the Certifier turned up for the OC he went immediately to the staircase with a ruler, and determined that the lowest stair riser was 10mm too high. This happened because we made a late change to the choice of downstairs flooring material. We had no choice but to demolish the lower flight of stairs and rebuild them. They can be picky, although beyond that he hardly looked at anything else.

I expect you’ve already taken care of it, but if not be cautious.

[419]

When I finished our OB I was sure that everything was in pass mode, but when the Certifier turned up for the OC he went immediately to the staircase with a ruler, and determined that the lowest stair riser was 10mm too high. This happened because we made a late change to the choice of downstairs flooring material. We had no choice but to demolish the lower flight of stairs and rebuild them. They can be picky, although beyond that he hardly looked at anything else.

I'm sure plenty of other members have had similar experiences with building inspectors.

Your reference to the inspector going straight to your stairs reminds me of one of my ancient joys with a building inspector who went straight to a balustrade around a stairwell, which I'd made from scratch with mildly decorative balusters and involved a fair bit of time and effort. He informed me that it was 900mm high. I agreed. He said it had to be one metre. I showed him the approved plans in the building permit and pointed to the height being 900mm. He informed me that he didn't care what the building approvals part of the same department in the council that employed him had approved, because minimum height was one metre. We had a, from my point of view, increasingly fruitless discussion about what's the $#^&*@! point of getting a +^%#$*& building permit from your @&$%(*& incompetent council if they're going to approve works which you now say aren't to code? He said that's not his problem and he wasn't going to approve the balustrade until it was one metre high, because it's his job to make sure works are to to code, not to the approved plans. Like you, I had to demolish and rebuild.

Although I did give some thought to throwing the inspector over the 900mm balustrade and down the stairwell and asking him to come back when I'd rebuilt it to one metre to see if it stopped me doing it again.

[turnstiles]

Nice to hear you’re getting so close to moving in, but no mention of an Occupation Certificate. Are you required to get one ? If so it may be good to exercise some caution in terms of making move-in plans.

When I finished our OB I was sure that everything was in pass mode, but when the Certifier turned up for the OC he went immediately to the staircase with a ruler, and determined that the lowest stair riser was 10mm too high. This happened because we made a late change to the choice of downstairs flooring material. We had no choice but to demolish the lower flight of stairs and rebuild them. They can be picky, although beyond that he hardly looked at anything else.

I expect you’ve already taken care of it, but if not be cautious.

Hi Arron - changes to the regulations (they are ALWAYS changing!!) means, at least in NSW, that the terms "Interim Occupation Certificate" and "Occupation Certificate" no longer apply and it is all called "Occupation Certificate".

"staged occupation of a building is still permitted. As a new development is constructed, parts may be completed and become suitable for occupancy before the overall development is finished. To accommodate this, the EP&A Act allows for an OC to be issued for part of a partially completed building."

So same thing, different name!! And so I've moved in! I have a fully functional bathroom, laundry and kitchen, and all structural work complete. I still need another Occupation Certificate when everything is complete.

My local council inspections have been, how would you say? Casual! For the hot & cold (internal plumbing before covering,) the inspector arrived had a long chat with me for half an hout about totally unrelated things, stuck her head in the bathroom door (without even going in) and said "All good. I'll issue the framing inspection while I'm here." (Because from the lounge she scanned the interior!

I hope my finasl O.C will be this easy!

Re: farcical regulations - friends of mine on QLD on 5 acres bought a property with a pool. They decided to replace the 30 year old aluminium safety railings with glass and had to jump through numerous hoops because of new regs. The pool backs onto the house so they had to seal a glass sliding door from a bedroom permanently. The glass fence had to extend one metre past a right angled junction at one point (for some reason which escapes me.)

30 metres down the paddock from the house was a completely unfenced 2 megalitre dam!!

[Arron]

So obviously things are different in the bush, as one would expect.

We also had a staged development, but to move into stage 1 it had to be finished in its entirety - a home within a home. Then it had to be sealed off from the unfinished portion - not just with a door but with something ‘that required tools’ to remove. Plus it had to be on separate power circuits with separate subboards so power could be off in the portion under construction while life continued in the lived-in portion.

Obviously your requirements are not enforced so strictly. Lucky you. It would not have been hard for us to manage the risks associated with the two stage build so I would not have hesitated to do it as you are.

[Beardy]

So obviously things are different in the bush, as one would expect.

We also had a staged development, but to move into stage 1 it had to be finished in its entirety - a home within a home. Then it had to be sealed off from the unfinished portion - not just with a door but with something ‘that required tools’ to remove. Plus it had to be on separate power circuits with separate subboards so power could be off in the portion under construction while life continued in the lived-in portion.

Obviously your requirements are not enforced so strictly. Lucky you. It would not have been hard for us to manage the risks associated with the two stage build so I would not have hesitated to do it as you are.

I think you will find the rules are exactly the same they are just not being enforced. If you want an easy ride through the building process I found council was much easier to use than private certifiers. As a result I purposefully used private inspectors as they were a form of QA for me, the council inspectors were just to lax and it concerned me.

Private certifiers are so scared of litigation and deregistration that they are vigilant with the process, council inspectors are not part of the scutiny regulation process so don’t care.

[r3nov8or]

Stairs! The one thing I was pulled up on too. I had set the top step at the same height as the threshold. With the door opening out over that step, the step was considered a landing, and if there is a landing it must be at least the length of the door when opened/perpendicular to the wall. But zero landing is ok (!) so I 'simply' lowered the stairs so the first step was below the threshold

[rwbuild]

Stairs! The one thing I was pulled up on too. I had set the top step at the same height as the threshold. With the door opening out over that step, the step was considered a landing, and if there is a landing it must be at least the length of the door when opened/perpendicular to the wall. But zero landing is ok (!) so I 'simply' lowered the stairs so the first step was below the threshold

What year was that and how many treads in the flight?

[r3nov8or]

What year was that and how many treads in the flight?

It was about 2004 and 4 steps

[ErrolFlynn]

Re: farcical regulations - friends of mine on QLD on 5 acres bought a property with a pool. They decided to replace the 30 year old aluminium safety railings with glass and had to jump through numerous hoops because of new regs. The pool backs onto the house so they had to seal a glass sliding door from a bedroom permanently. The glass fence had to extend one metre past a right angled junction at one point (for some reason which escapes me.) 30 metres down the paddock from the house was a completely unfenced 2 megalitre dam!!

That's interesting about the dam. Perhaps the assumption is that no one would want to go swimming in a dam. Perhaps true if there are a few yabbies there. Though, kids might love to play in a dam. Splashing around, building a raft. Now that you've mentioned it I've never seen a fence barring access to the seaside, jetty, dock, river, lake, or public fountain. All of which are potentially dangerous. Though, there's nothing stopping them playing in the creek, jumping into a river, or dangling their legs off the side of the dockside with a fishing line, or going surfing, and they often do that unsupervised.

[Beardy]

That's interesting about the dam. Perhaps the assumption is that no one would want to go swimming in a dam. Perhaps true if there are a few yabbies there. Though, kids might love to play in a dam. Splashing around, building a raft. Now that you've mentioned it I've never seen a fence barring access to the seaside, jetty, dock, river, lake, or public fountain. All of which are potentially dangerous. Though, there's nothing stopping them playing in the creek, jumping into a river, or dangling their legs off the side of the dockside with a fishing line, or going surfing, and they often do that unsupervised.

The rule is the same for waterfront properties, the pool needs to be appropriately fenced and comply with the other relevant requirements but the natural watercourse requires nothing

[419]

I'd be careful in doing that. I can imagine paint getting blocked by the edge of the blade as intended, but it might find its way to the underside. The effect of gravity. Then when you go to try again a blob of paint appears on the carpet or floor or whatever. The only way to stop it would be to continually wipe the blade clean.

That's my experience. I have several sizes of this idea, some specifically sold as paint shields and others just being plaster taping knives etc, and have yet to find them satisfactory in all circumstances as they misbehave exactly as you predicted and require frequent wiping. One issue with using some plaster knives is that they have a slight curve along the edge which just introduces another problem in getting a neat finish. I also have some homemade much larger thin metal shields for spraying and they behave the same way. Might as well use old beer cartons, of which I have a steady supply, to get a similar result and throw away rather than wiping.

On glass, tiles and similar hard surfaces I find it's better to load the brush very lightly and start at the edge of the trim away from the glass etc and work towards the glass etc with a steadily less loaded brush. For the occasional accidents use a dry rag wrapped around a putty knife or thin flat scraper to clean it up.

What works even better is to get a professional competent painter to do it, and marvel at how they can paint skirts over carpet and not end up with paint on the carpet or carpet fibres and other junk in the painted surface. Don't know if they're still available but I have a fair set of very thin plastic strips about 50mm wide which can be slipped between skirts and carpets to protect the carpet, but again this works best with a lightly loaded brush starting at the top of the skirt.

FWIW, don't believe the advertising about Frog masking tape being this wonder product that stops paint bleeding under the edge. It still bleeds, just not as far as cheaper tapes. If you're going to have to clean it up anyway, use the cheaper tape.

[419]

Because I painted the skirting before I siliconed it where it meets the tiles ...

Painted before installation or painted after?

As I'm a crap painter, on new work I paint skirts before installation and fill and touch up nail holes afterwards as it's easier and quicker than doing it afterwards.

Archs I install first and paint later as even my crap painting can produce an acceptable edge between the wall and arch.

I'm impressed with your build.

I envy you with that lake on your land.

[turnstiles]

One issue with using some plaster knives is that they have a slight curve along the edge which just introduces another problem in getting a neat finish. I also have some homemade much larger thin metal shields for spraying and they behave the same way. Might as well use old beer cartons, of which I have a steady supply, to get a similar result and throw away rather than wiping.

None of the plaster knives I own have a curve in them. They are ultra thin metal blades that allow you to create a curve when feathering the plaster. I don't think I'd like to use a blade with a curve! Also, having done quite a few walls of skirting with this method it is important that the blade slides along with the brush as if it is one object.

[turnstiles]

Painted before installation or painted after?

As I'm a crap painter, on new work I paint skirts before installation and fill and touch up nail holes afterwards as it's easier and quicker than doing it afterwards.

Archs I install first and paint later as even my crap painting can produce an acceptable edge between the wall and arch.

I'm impressed with your build.

I envy you with that lake on your land.

Thanks 419, I am also not a good painter - though much better now having had to do so much!
Like you, I now paint skirts etc before installation though that was not always the case. Lots of my installed skirting only has the primer that came with it. I only have one architrave in the entire house (don't like 'em!!) and that was prepainted as were all the soffits.

[419]

None of the plaster knives I own have a curve in them. They are ultra thin metal blades that allow you to create a curve when feathering the plaster. I don't think I'd like to use a blade with a curve!

Taping knives are often curved or, perhaps more accurately, bowed. Hold the knife vertically and look along the edge of the blade and you can see the slight curve or bow between the ends. It's used bow down onto the mud to keep the ends off the wall and assist feathering the mud over tape. If this knife is used as a paint shield it won't have a straight edge, at least unless it's turned upside down and forced flat against the floor.

[turnstiles]

One of my knives resting on my level:
531125

Straight as!!

Perhaps they sell different types - mine are all like this! Though I can imagine them developing a slight bow after a lot of use. (When feathering one end is pressed down quite firmly creating a bow in the blade.

[turnstiles]

Hey look - I just discovered how to make the pix bigger!! Now you don't have to click on them to see the details!!:U

[419]

Perhaps they sell different types

They sure do. I have several of the curved ones.

They're fairly easy to make by modifying the flat ones, although the first example in this video is a bit uneven in the curve. Bending a sheetrock bedding knife - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FcgYjPVOWTg)

[turnstiles]

Just watched a youtube clip by Vancouver Carpenter (he has mainly plastering vids) where he compared the flat to the curved trowel.
Flat Trowel vs Curved Trowel (Drywall Trowels) - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQAsp-VY8Vo)

Like many things - what you first learn becomes your preferred. I think I'll be sticking to the flat!!

[419]

Like many things - what you first learn becomes your preferred. I think I'll be sticking to the flat!!

If it works for you, it's the correct tool.

I haven't done enough work and often enough with plastering trowels of any type to get satisfactorily skilled with them, so almost everything I do is done with knives as they are easier to control.

[turnstiles]

Three and a half weeks living here and I'm loving the quiet (except for the occasional distant cow conversations)

Solar is holding up exceptionally well. First time I used the oven during the day (new oven so it was recommended turning on max power for 45 minutes to burn off residue). I checked the battery level before I started and at the end and there was practically no difference. So that is encouraging.

Have been doing a lot of minor things as well as plastering and painting.

I moved into the main bedroom (gyprocked but unsanded and not painted) while I concentrated on finishing the guest bedroom:
531414
531415
I've ordered a small single wardrobe, plus I need a dressing mirror on the wall, plus a double bed - but the room is basically done.

So now I am sleeping in the guest room while I finish off the main bed.

The bathroom is now finished except for the cupboard enclosing the laundry tub and washing machine. This isn't urgent so is further down the 'to do' list.
Window frame and architrave are painted, towel rail, robe hooks and mirror installed:
531416

Kitchen has the kickboard installed, and an old bookcase being used as pantry shelving until I build the floor to ceiling shelves for the cupboard in the same spot.

The toaster and coffee machine and temporarily situated until I build the cupboard to house them.
The fridge will also be in a door-less cupboard with storage overhead.
531417
531418

What to do when you haven't built a wardrobe yet::U
531419

And the halo light really does take on a halo quality when lit:
531423

Neighbour took some drone footage for me. (Recent rain has now greened everything up):
531424
531420

First evening I spent here when coming back after returning the removal truck, I was greeted by around 80 -90 kangaroos all around the house and this sunset.
A nice welcome I thought!
531421

And a strange albino rainbow (!!) on my morning walk a couple of days ago:
531422

TTFN.

[ErrolFlynn]

With kitchens, people refer to a triangle layout. That’s the relative positions of the stove, fridge, and sink. There are also rules about distances between those things. I think it has to do with having everything in the best position for efficiency. For good access and to prevent you from walking around too much.

As you have it, all three are in a straight line. Consider building some bench space where the fridge is currently and moving the fridge to where you are standing to take the photo. Perhaps the pantry can go next to the fridge.

You might check out some plans from the web to see if you can work the idea.

[turnstiles]

As you have it, all three are in a straight line. Consider building some bench space where the fridge is currently and moving the fridge to where you are standing to take the photo. Perhaps the pantry can go next to the fridge.


That would put the fridge right in the middle of the space linking the lounge/dining to the kitchen! so..umm NO!

Also that is where the kitchen island is going.

Thanks for the suggestion but I've spent a long time planning this and I'm very happy with the way thing are.

[r3nov8or]

Kitchens in a short line like that are very common in apartments and work well when there is only "two and a half steps" from "A to C". Adding an island will provide valuable working space.

Love that sunset!

[turnstiles]

Kitchens in a short line like that are very common in apartments and work well when there is only "two and a half steps" from "A to C". Adding an island will provide valuable working space.

Love that sunset!

It is such a small kitchen everything is almost in arms reach from the one spot! Once the coffee machine and toaster have been moved, I will have bench space between the sink and stove plus the kitchen island surface is all prep area.
531463

[turnstiles]

As mentioned int the previous post, I had been sleeping in the guest room while I plastered, sanded and painted the main bedroom:
532653

A strip of sand paper taped to my plastering blade made a great tool for sanding up inside the shadowline profile:
532654

With windows on three sides, the light creates very interesting shapes and shadows:
532655
532656
532657
532658
532659

I painted the wall behind the bed charcoal as I planned to hang my 3 new Indigenous paintings there. I saw it in a gallery once and thought the colour worked really well with the colours used in Aboriginal paintings.
532660
532661

Before I could install my new paintings I had to frame them as they came rolled up in tubes.

I use 42x19 pine with quarter dowel around the edge - this lifts the canvas away from the frame and stops the inner side of the frame showing on the painting:
532662

Once painting was finished I moved back into this room
532663

I found a small wardrobe for the guest room and a wall dressing mirror:
532664
532665

Every time I buy something largish for the house the cardboard goes on the floor to help protect the Tasmanian oak floorboards - I swear the ceiling is looking a lot closer!
532666

Then I bought a bed and side tables (which are not what I want but I haven't yet found what's in my head in a shop!!)

These cube stands were only $11 each and were narrow enough for the space (320mm) and will suffice until I find what I want.

The artwork above the bed is by a good friend of mine in Norway, the little steel shadow boxer on the side stand is one of mine made about 30 years ago. Now the room just needs carpet and the blind to go up.:
532667

Then it was back to the final area to finish - the lounge/dining area.

Lots of gyprocking, plastering and painting to do here.
Currently putting up the ceiling gyprock:
532668
532669
532670
One section to go and I ran out of insulation. I am teaching the next 2 days so I can pick up some when I am in town.

It's as dry as here ATM. Very little rain over the past 3 months. The ground is brown and the grass is getting crunchy underfoot as it did 3 years ago during the drought. Last night a terrific storm blew over, dark ominous clouds, lots of lightening and... 1mm of rain😒

But the callistemons have been fiery this year:
532671

And the 'roos haven't deserted me!!
532672

[rwbuild]

This is going to be 1 awesome home when finished :2tsup:

[Bushmiller]

I agree with Ray. Awesome!

Regards
Paul

[Simplicity]

Stunning build,it looks awesome.

Cheers Matt.

[ErrolFlynn]

So, you frame your own pictures. Good on you, for that.

I haven’t done much cutting at 45 degs. I spent a lot of effort on a deck. once. Then the boards shrunk and it looked stupid. That was disappointing. My saw has a little click at the 45 deg point, which is nice in principle, but the trouble with that is that there’s a bit of slop in that click-thing. So, when it comes to it I have to assume I have approx 45 and not precisely 45 degrees. Which is probably good enough for most things.

I had wondered, given that I don’t know the real angle my machine is set to, that if I flip the board for the subsequent cut all will be good. For example, if the machine is set to 44-and ¾ deg and I do the first cut with it, then when I flip the board upside down on the next cut it will cut at 45-and ¼ deg. Total: 90. Though, I found that my blade leaves a perfectly crisp line on one side and an uneven edge on the other where the teeth have ripped the wood fibres ragged. You don’t really want ragged edges on the upper surface. So, while that seemed like a good idea at the time I'm not so sure it is.

I wonder how companies that are in the business of framing pictures manage to get a perfect 45 that has no burrs. Maybe a sander that’s set to 45 degrees too.

Anyway, I’m impressed that you are doing this yourself.

[rwbuild]

They use mitre trimmers like this https://www.timbecon.com.au/hand-mitre-trimmer

[ErrolFlynn]

Nifty!

Presumably, some effort was made in the manufacture of the tool to ensure 45 degrees; unlike my crap mitre saw that has inbuilt slop.

[Arron]

Or if in the business, a Morso
MORSO F DELUXE manual miter cutting machine (N20005) (https://hoffmann-usa.com/woodworking-machinery/morso-miter-cutting-machines-for-picture-framing/morso-f-deluxe-manual-miter-cutting-machine/)

[turnstiles]

So, you frame your own pictures. Good on you, for that.

I haven’t done much cutting at 45 degs. I spent a lot of effort on a deck. once. Then the boards shrunk and it looked stupid. That was disappointing. My saw has a little click at the 45 deg point, which is nice in principle, but the trouble with that is that there’s a bit of slop in that click-thing. So, when it comes to it I have to assume I have approx 45 and not precisely 45 degrees. Which is probably good enough for most things.

Anyway, I’m impressed that you are doing this yourself.

I had to laugh - as I was reading your comment I was like 'Yup...Yup, me too.. same here"!! I have exactly the same situation as you down to the crap mitre saw and the uncertain 45 deg click! And my beautiful mitred corner decking has also shrunk and left a gap.😒

But the good thing with the canvas frame is the corners are covered by the painting and the back is never seen (except by me!) so it doesn't matter too much if the mitre is a little off. I like your theory about reversing the 2nd cut - must try that. I think if I wanted a corner that was permanently on show I'd probably pay a professional, my woodworking skills are not fine enough for that..

[turnstiles]

Thanks Ray, Paul and Matt.

[turnstiles]

In the past 10 days since my last post I haven't managed to get a huge amount done. Four of those days were teaching (and a day at school is way more exhausting than 8 hours labouring on the house - if you know any casual/substitute teachers ask them what it's like in a low economic area state school!!)

And of course there are always those irritating chores to do like shopping, cooking, cleaning and laundry which tax my time!

But I did manage to get the last part of the lounge/dining ceiling up and all the joins taped and screw holes plastered.
532943

532944

And routed guide channels in the four sliding doors destined for the lounge cupboards:
532945

I also hung a couple more artworks in the finished main bedroom. It makes me feel like the place is turning into a home.

The first is an oil on canvas painting done for me by a good friend - the detail is quite extraordinary. The kangaroo detail on the tea bag label is about 3cm high., and I swear the Tim Tam biscuit looks like you could pick it off the painting and eat it!!
532946

532947

The other image is a digital artwork I created about 18 years ago. It's a re-interpretation of a well known Australian photograph called "Sunbaker' by Max Dupain from 1937.

I used around 4,500 digitally altered pix of skin cancers to replicate the image, subverting the original meaning with a contemporary context.
532948

Detail:
532949

Apart from the ever present kangaroos outside the windows, recently I spotted a wild deer 50 metres from the house and only the second snake of the season - a beautiful red belly black snake just off the front deck:
532950

With the drought going on this year and the prediction for a long hot and very dry summer due to El Niño being declared, it was a bit of a surprise to have a massive and sudden rain event a couple of days ago. In 24 hours the storm dumped more rain that the total November rainfall on record.

Luckily there was little damage from it, and on the positive side it filled my dam to overflowing - before:
532951

And today:
532952

This will be handy for when the heat and dry of summer does occur. And as a bonus, it put 20,000 litres of rain in my water tank - with my estimated daily usage, it's about a years worth of water 😁

Well...back to the plastering!

[ErrolFlynn]

I thought you'd taken a photo of the bushland tea just before you drank it. A relaxing cuppa after something just completed. Extraordinary detail on that painting. And your own... Well, that too is extraordinary. Cancer is just another aspect of life; even if it is a bastard thing.

[Bushmiller]

if you know any casual/substitute teachers ask them what it's like in a low economic area state school!!)







Detail:


Apart from the ever present kangaroos outside the windows, recently I spotted a wild deer 50 metres from the house and only the second snake of the season - a beautiful red belly black snake just off the front deck:
532950







turnstiles

I think it is wonderful that you have your own art around you. Well done. I have heard that the duration casual teachers last in such areas is often measured in weeks rather months or years.

As far as the Red Bellied Blacks are concerned, they are the reptilian good guys being the natural enemy of the Eastern Brown snakes, although I suspect they pick on the juveniles more than the adults. They are typically docile and I stepped across them in the bush on two occasions. They took no notice of me, although I was startled to put it mildly.

There is nothing quite like a good downpour to restore your confidence in nature and relieve thirsty anxiety as there are few things worse than having to truck in water .

Regards
Paul

[rwbuild]

That oil painting blows my mind, you would swear it was a photo, extraordinary detail :2tsup: x 10

[turnstiles]

Well a month has passed by quickly. I have been busy working every day but there is not a huge amount to show.

School thankfully finished for Summer 2 weeks ago so I have more time (and energy) for the house build. It doesn't start again until the beginning of February next year.

One of the first things I did was to redo one of the lounge room beam covers:
533845

When I finished the plasterboard cover the first time, and base-coated the shadowline beading in I noticed that one of the sides was not quite straight and had a slight bulge along it. At first I thought it was not significant enough to worry about, but every time I looked at it I couldn't NOT see it!!

So I had to rip it all off and redo it. I'm so glad I did as I am much happier with it now.
It, and the other one have their top coat of plaster and need a light sanding before painting.
533846

The other part I mainly worked on was getting the 2 lounge room cupboards built. I am running out of space ATM to store things in so I really wanted these cupboards finished first so I could hide a lot of the stuff that is getting in the way. It will make finishing the lounge a lot easier.

This is how they were:
533847

First, block in the
533848

Install the sliding doors:
533849
533850
533852

Remove the doors to paint:
533851

Then after insulating and lining the ceilings, I've just finished the plastering and sanding and have begun painting them.
One has both undercoats done, then I ran out of undercoat, and after a quick trip to town this morning for more paint, the other has the first undercoat.
533853

You can see the mess I am working around in the lounge:
533854

On top of tool shelves, scraps of plasterboard, ladders, work table - there is also the kitchen island and a very large box holding 2/3rds of my new sofa (the other third, plus new coffee table, new dining chairs and rug are currently choking up the guest bedroom!

I had thought about a month ago, that I would be basically finished by December 31st. (Not completely finished as there are quite a few small things that are not urgent - like carpet for the bedrooms, small cupboards to be built etc) All the messy stuff (plastering and painting would be done and I could lift the cardboard from the floor and put in the sofa, coffee table, rug, more artworks etc. This is the point at which i would consider I've finished. Any other work could be done outside on the deck so as not to make a mess indoors.

But we are having an extremely wet Summer. Lots of storms and rain, 100% humidity at times - and this has slowed me down as the plaster is taking longer to dry as is each coat of paint. But I am still optimistic of reaching that finishing point in a couple of weeks.

[ErrolFlynn]

we are having an extremely wet Summer. Lots of storms and rain, 100% humidity at times

I've been repairing an old shed. A tiny thing, but I want to save it before the wind and storms wreck it. Yesterday morning I was wearing my parka while working, to keep warm. I'd been clearing some leaves off the roof and my hands near froze. Not quite ice but close to it. I came inside and sat on them to warm them wondering what frostbite feels like. Then an hour later I was back out, the parka was off, the jumper was pulled off too as the day warmed, then at about ten o'clock I was pulling on my shorts and sweating like a pig as I worked. I don't know how the wildlife manages to survive out there.

[turnstiles]

then at about ten o'clock I was pulling on my shorts and sweating like a pig as I worked. I don't know how the wildlife manages to survive out there.

Yes, the temperature fluctuations are crazy! A couple of weeks ago we had top of 36 deg and then a top of 17 the following day! So far it has been a very mild summer and I'm mot complaining - January through to March can still bring some scorchers.

[turnstiles]

Once the lounge cupboards were done, I was able to fill them with stuff that was cluttering up the lounge.
(Most of my tools are now temporarily in one of them).
534356

And then I put up the door reveals and temporarily (they need to come off and be painted and have handles put on them) hung the doors on the hallway cupboard.
534357
534358

This gave me more storage to de-clutter!

The next task was to do all the lounge/dining area and hallway 2nd and third plaster coats on all the ceilings and walls. Then came sanding the final coat of plaster, followed by the 3-in-1 (primer, sealer and undercoat in one paint).

Up to today, all the ceilings and all of the walls have been sanded and undercoated, except the North facing wall with the huge windows. This will be done tomorrow morning and then I can begin painting the whole lot another two times!

Previously i was doing 2 undercoats and 2 top coats but have been reliably told this is overkill, and one coat of 3-in-1 is sufficient. It will certainly be cheaper (as another 15L buckets would cost another $250.) As it is, I will have just enough undercoat to finish the job.
534364
534365
534366
534367
534368

Within a few days i should be able to take up all of the protective cardboard from the floor, and get all the furniture in.

The end is nigh!!

Watching me eat breakfast!
534369

[ErrolFlynn]

Watching me eat breakfast!

I'm surprised they're not scared of you.

[turnstiles]

They used to be. But now many of them seem to be quite used to me being inside the house. They understand the difference between inside and outside. If I was to walk out onto the deck they'd run!

There's a female roo that has become very used to me - she is the one that hangs out the closest. I can go outside to within 5 metres of her. She watches me but doesn't run. And if I don't make any sudden movements she returns to eating. She has had, I think, 3 different joeys in the last couple of years that I like to think she brings to show them off to me!!

There is a mob of mainly white nosed roos that hang around the most. Never seen white nosed roos before. Possibly all interbred. A couple of years ago I saw an albino roo down the back paddock.

[r3nov8or]

Perhaps do a granny flat, you know, when you get bored...

534639

[turnstiles]

Perhaps do a granny flat, you know, when you get bored...

534639

:hahaha::hahaha::hahaha:

When this is done I don't think I'll want to pick up even a hammer for a year or two!!

I do need a studio/workshop - but I'll wait until I can afford to buy a shed and have it installed for me.

I do like the granny flat design though!

[ErrolFlynn]

That would be a bit like living in a fishbowl. Though, if it was located in a place where you had no nearby neighbours to stare in and you had great views then it could be good. With so much glass it could be on the hot side in summer. Unless triple glazing was used. I’d be afraid to guess the cost of that.

There was a house I went to an open inspection that was up for sale a few years ago. It was as near as practical to being a sphere as a house might try to be. The thing that stuck in my mind was how the furniture in the house by and large just didn’t work. So many flat surfaces and so many curved walls.

[turnstiles]

Agreed - this wouldn't work in most locations. Also it is a CGI - there is no provision for rain dispersal/collection on the roof, even the kitchen floor is unfinished!!

That is what I've found with lots of CGI architecture - design and flights of fancy bear no relation to reality.

I had a similar situation with designing my place. I was strongly influenced by Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House, one of the first Modernist glass box houses. I realised that it was totally inappropriate for Australian climate conditions. But it was a great starting point for my final design.

But what these designs are good for, are to stimulate ideas, and someone might take away just one part of the design and make it work for them.

[turnstiles]

Busy couple of weeks with lots of painting done. Once the hallway was painted I set about reinstalling the sliding container panel barn door.
534681

The red colour of the door is the same as the original colour of the shipping containers.
I attached a handle matching the hallway doors.
534682

The rest of the lounge/dining room with all coats of paint.
534683

534684

534685

Now I was able to install the ceiling downlights - made easy these days because they come with a plug attached.
534686

534687

Next came the moment I'd been greatly looking forward to for a long time - the lifting of the cardboard protecting the Tasmanian oak tongue and groove floorboards (which I hadn't seen for the past 16 months).
534688

(Above: still sweeping the floor of plaster dust and yet to mop!!)
Once the floor was washed (3 times) I could unpack the sofa, coffee table, rug and chairs.

Sofahenge!!
534689

534690

534691

Coffee table.
534692

534693

To finish setting up the loungeroom I unpacked the Barcelona chairs that I bought (and kept wrapped) years ago. Also the kitchen island, a stainless steel tool trolley also bought years ago. Plus I hung a large abstract painting by a recently deceased good friend of mine, plus a small collage by one of my 13 year old ex students
534694

534695

534696

534697

534698

534699

534700

534701

534702

I still want a large rectangular artwork or diptych (2 panel work) for the wall behind the sofa.

Also put up the blockout blind in the guest bedroom - the morning sun through the glass doors can be quite fierce in summer.
534703

Couple of pix of the house model I made in 2011 when I was first starting to plan the house (this was even before I bought the land.)

Not too many changes since then (bathroom has been reconfigured and the water tank moved, and solar panels moved to ground level).
534704

534705

Next is carpet for the bedrooms. I ordered it yesterday and waiting to hear when they can install it.

[rwbuild]

Totally AWESOME :2tsup: x 10

[ErrolFlynn]

A nice colour of red for the door; looks good. I see the kitchen island is on wheels. That could be useful. Three of them. Probably wise.

[turnstiles]

Totally AWESOME :2tsup: x 10
Cheers Ray!

[turnstiles]

A nice colour of red for the door; looks good. I see the kitchen island is on wheels. That could be useful. Three of them. Probably wise.
Yes the wheels (there's 4!) could be useful. Until I finish the pantry and mini butlers pantry I haven't settled on the island's final position.

I took a scrap of container wall off-cut to the paint store and they were able to scan it and make the exact same colour - clever stuff these days. I intend having some decals made in the style of lettering found on containers - letters and numbers that relate to me and the house, to put on the door.

[turnstiles]

My Arne Jacobsen Egg Chair has found its rightful place now the bedrooms have their carpet.
535296
535297

By no means an adventurous choice, the 'Peppered Borneo' (truly - that's its name!!) is a neutral choice carpet in the budget range (like everything in the house!!)

I'm very happy with it - and it really finishes off the bedrooms.
535298
535299
535300
535301

From nailing the carpet nail strips, taping and stapling the foam underlay to laying and joining the carpet in the 2 bedrooms, the carpet layer was finished in about 3 hours.

Mmmm...gotta love that new carpet smell 😁

And I have just begun to tile the kitchen splash-back. Just the grouting to do tomorrow.
535302
535303
535304

535305
535306

[rwbuild]

That sunset is Awesome

[ErrolFlynn]

I love the large tiles. A very neat job of cutting the hole for the power outlet.

All my life I’ve seen power cords on the walls above kitchen benches. That means the cords drag across the bench. Not the best thing if you have stuff carefully placed on the bench. Or like maybe kneading dough or something. Though, if it’s for a microwave or coffee machine that’s a permanent feature, then fine. But if it’s a hand-held mixing machine, elec knife, or some other hand-held gadget then dragging the cord over the bench I not the best idea. Kitchen designers should consider inducing space in their cabinets so that the power outlet doesn’t have to drag across the bench top.

[turnstiles]

I spent ages planning where power outlets would go. I wasn't originally going to have one above the kitchen bench as the coffee machine and toaster are only there temporarily while I build the mini 'butlers pantry', where I've put two double power points so the most used electrical items can stay plugged in and used in that spot.

But i thought there might be the occasional time I might need to have power there (like using a stick blender or mix-master) and I wanted the power point low and discrete. But the electrician said it has to be a certain distance from the hob and if it is too low it is at risk of water when washing the counter top.

I would have loved to have the 'in counter pop up' power points. They disappear back into the counter when not used, but a bit pricey and it would interfere with the drawers in the kitchen cabinets.

[ErrolFlynn]

A good point about water issues and the hob.

I've watched TV cooking shows. Quite often you see the cook stick one of those hand-held mixing machines into the saucepan while on the stove and wondered how convenient it would be to have a power point next to the stove. But then there's the risk of the cord brushing aginst something hot and burning.