Sunday, June 3, 2012

May progress


This update covers about 3-4 weeks of progress - which seems slow but is steady.  At the time of writing nominally only 3 weeks to go! (although we're not sure we can see everything getting done in 3 weeks.... but the builder keeps saying we will).  Most of the obvious progress in the last few weeks really involves the front fence, which went up pretty quickly and is already prepped for painting.  As of this weekend the actuators for the mechanised gates are in, although the power connections are not finished. We're pretty pleased with it, with the exception of the ring latch, which is a bit "floral" looking for my taste, but bearable.  Had a look at the exterior light and letterbox position, and these should go in after painting (to match the fascias/verandah posts etc - the infamous woodland grey colour).

Also on the outside, the vitrapanel is all finished and the metal gate frames are in, with latches done also.  We're waiting for the perforated metal that actually makes up the doors - this is being custom laser cut so will be a little while before it is delivered.  The steel frame has had electrics roughed in, but not connected yet.  We're still waiting for the rest of the longline to go up on the back wall (underneath the window) and also on the dividing wall at the rear of the carport.  Apparently the delay is due to the fact there's a dire shortage of the metal cutters used to trim it to custom length - there's one is the whole country!!!  So we have to wait our turn.  At least it doesn't stop that much else going on for a change.


On the inside, major progress made on the bathrooms, now with all the tiling done and shower fittings in.  Had a bit of to-ing and fro-ing on the main bathroom shower screen which was underspeced in the tender.... so up for yet another variation to accommodate chrome rather than aluminium finish and thicker glass, which is all rather annoying.  Similarly the main mirror lighting is rather oddly asymmetric despite us telling the architect months ago that is should have been symmetric.  But we're gritting our teeth and baring it on the latter as the mirror's already been cut and, although the architect offered to pay for the stuff up, I'd just rather not have any excuses for delays.    The bench tops for the vanities have actually now gone in.  Not sure I'm entirely convinced by the "beigeness" of all the colours.  But it's hard to tell at the moment as we don't have any decent lighting yet.  Exhaust fans also in; toilets on site but not yet installed.  

The laundry trough is also in, with tiled spashback and the pull out storage is all finished.  We're still waiting on door handles for everything except the master bedroom where we have apparently the only 7 handles in stock.  But time to delivery of the rest is only about 10 days as they get manufactured in China. Decided this weekend to lash out and go to Ikea, where we got some lampshades for the bedroom (el cheapo, if we don't like them, we can always get new ones next year).  And we think we might have solved our saga of the couch dilemma - i.e. how to find one we both like, by actually buy 4 single squishy lounge chairs that we can rearrange into 2 couches.  The painters are making progress inside, with 2nd bedroom and study pretty much done, including all the timber trim.  Supposedly this week the hydronic panels go in (where have we heard that before?) and even the carpet goes down soon.  Not sure about the carpet yet, as it looks like the painters still have quite a bit to finish on the living space and bathrooms etc but it's probably not too far off.