Esk Valley House

Outside views

northesk — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 11:29:55 +0000

We’ve almost finished unpacking boxes and getting to used to where we’ve put things. Over the Christmas break we even had enough to time to appreciate the views from the house. Still a few things to be finished like the steps and ramp to the house and some glass in the kitchen – we’ll be so pleased when it’s all done.

1. House at night long view
2. Deck view with lights
3. Sunset from deck
4. Panoramic view from deck

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Completion

northesk — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 12:04:11 +0000

The long interval between the mid-July post and this one in November should speak volumes. After many delays and broken promises over a completion date we eventually took possession at the end of August and moved in almost exactly a year after work first started on the house. We had made arrangements a long time previously to go away for six weeks and meant that no sooner had we moved in and we were gone. The upside was that we had a pleasant break after the trauma of the past few months. And it was a difficult time – we had to move out of our rented accommodation and ended up in a one bedroom apartment for four months.

One bedroom apartment: Tamar Villa Units.

Are we pleased with the final house? Overall a resoundng yes. There are the inevitable things one didn’t foresee but generally we felt we did surprisingly well to achieve a house that suits our needs. We’ve discovered that good insulation has a surprising downside which for us at any rate we hadn’t even considered. The east facing windows catch a lot of sun which in winter will be give us a lot of welcome solar gained heat. In summer it does mean that the heat gained in the first three hours takes some time to dissipate because of the insulation. Quite controllable when occupied, as doors and windows can be opened but when closed up the heat builds up. We had planned for this to some extent with overhanging eaves and tinted glass but as the latter wasn’t installed (contractual loophole dishonourably exploited) we’ll use solar screen blinds. These should be fitted in the next few weeks. Retrospective tinting of the glass is a possibility still to be explored and if necessary.

The pictures below were taken just before we moved in August.

We’ve not had a chance to take pictures of the house at night with the outside lighting, so will make this another post in a few days.

There are still a few inevitable things to complete: an internal glazed door and glass panel in the kitchen to be fitted. Also some steps and access ramp to the front door. Should have been done a few weeks ago…. Once completed will show these as well.

A special thanks to long suffering family and friends who patiently listened to our tales of woe and our son who lives locally for all his help with shifting furniture, a roof over our head when we were homeless for a week or two.

End In Sight?

northesk — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 12:30:57 +0000

Don’t think they’re going to make completion in the next two days but things are moving on. Next week maybe? All the lighting on the inside has been fitted; outside lights still to go in. Power points are in as well; just the sub-board to wire up and cabling to go to the garage and sewage treatment unit. Sinks, basins, lavatory pans and extractor fans have been delivered as well. A welder was busy securing the balustrade rail and a start was being made on laying the timber floating floor. Work has started on the ducted heat pump as well.

Second bedroom with wall lights for reading
Wall light in main bedroom
Kitchen through to living room
Roughed in section of timber flooring
Hall cupboards
Garage looking south
Garage looking east

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Fitting out towards the end

northesk — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 12:05:44 +0000

Finished in seven days time? Apparently, but still lots to do so they’ll have a busy week if they’re going to make their finish date. We’ll see. Most of the power points are in as are the downlights. Interested to see how these look as they are fitted with low wattage, compact fluorescent lamps. Outside downlights under the eaves to go in next week. Some plumbing has been started inside – just stop taps for the washing machine and lavatories. Outside, there’s more to see: the downpipes have been fitted and the first flush device installed to pipe the roof water to the storage tanks. We’ve even got an inch or two stored after a few days of showery weather – progress!

Main bedroom with view of cupboards behind the false wall
Second bedroom painted and with power points fitted
Bathroom with vanity unit
Kitchen nearing completion

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Home Run

northesk — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 09:11:50 +0000

After an excruciating period of delay it looks like we might be on the way to finishing. The outside of the house is largely complete now with only a few things left to do: the balustrade rail needs welding and the rigging fitted, while some windows need trim plates installed. The garage is now complete other than fitting the door and a window at the rear. We abandoned the idea of rendering some of the walls of the house; it was going to look messy structurally because of lack of planning and we opted instead to continuing on with the use of Colorbond – glad we made that decision.

Inside, the joinery is all fitted: cupboards, kitchen, vanity unit. The painting was finished this week (we think) and the way is clear now for the electrician and plumber to come back to finish off their work: fitting sinks, taps, lavatory pans and the electrician to fit the lights and power points. After that the timber floor is laid.

Overall, pleased with the way the house looks but we’re drained by the experience after 10 months (that’s not a typo).

Looking south along front of house to dining room and bedroom at the end
Northwards along deck past the dining room to Manna gum (Eucalyptus viminalis)
Rear of house; bank in the foreground and to left of deck tidied up with top soil
Rear of tanks up by the house

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Fit Out Start

northesk — Sun, 29 Apr 2007 00:20:00 +0000

We are very much at the stage of being utterly tired of building, as yet another ‘firm’ date for completion slides by without a hint of concern. On the up side, fit out has started, now that the plastering has finished (almost: they missed a bit in the cloakroom) and the painter has been through with the first coat of paint on the walls and ceiling. All the carcases for the joinery have been made and are in the process of being installed. Still to go in are the vanity units and the kitchen joinery. There’s still a way to go: tiling, hang internal doors and cupboard doors, install lights and power sockets, plumb in the sinks, shower, lavatories, lay the timber floor, install architraves and skirting boards, finish painting and install heating.

Hall cupboard in place
Kitchen joinery carcases ready to go in
Shower base in preparation
Skirting boards going down

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Cladding with decking

northesk — Sat, 14 Apr 2007 09:35:15 +0000

Now that Erik’s other large building project has been completed, all his resources are to be focused on finishing our house. We are hopeful that all will be finished in around 4-6 weeks. The house is now at lock-up stage with all the windows installed and glazed, albeit with the incorrect glass. The replacement double glazed units to be here in three weeks or so…

The plastering is not finished but should be all done in a week’s time (apparently) after which the painters move in. In the mean time more work has been done on completing the cladding which is almost done. The edging strips are now colour matched for the red Colorbond and looks much better. The cement sheeting for the rendered panels has been hung and work started on preparing the edging around the windows and front door where they sit in the rendered panels.

The first of the decking has been laid down for the laundry and front door entrances. The main deck hasn’t been started but will probably wait until the handrail has been welded to the deck stanchions. It’s progress.

Correct colour for Colorbond edging
Decking outside kitchen window
Back of house, looking north

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Water tanks

northesk — Sun, 08 Apr 2007 23:19:49 +0000

Other than slow progress with the plastering and a bit more cladding going up, work has started on preparing the base for the water tanks. A box of treated pine sleepers has been created and 150mm layer of crushed pebbles put down. The tanks have been man-handled into their approximate positions. They’ll be moved over closer to the house once properly in position so that the left hand tank is in line with the end of the house. The outlets at the bottom will have fire hose attachments fitted in accordance with local regulations. On the other side of the tanks are smaller connections for the house supply.

Water tanks roughly in position

Last stages of plastering

northesk — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 11:54:39 +0000

Progress is being made though it is maddeningly slow. Work on the plaster is well under way with the likelihood of finishing at the end of next week. Most of the edging and joins have been taped and coated with plaster prior to top coating and sanding back. As there are no architraves around the windows, plastic trims are being fitted as support to cover the join between the windows and the plaster board sheeting. The edges of the trims will be coated with plaster and sanded back.

We had intended that a ceiling bulkhead in the kitchen would extend around all four sides however, Erik suggested that the fourth side extending into the dining room would look too massive and thought it best to trim it back. With some reluctance we thought there was some merit to this, however when the plaster sheeting was hung around the kitchen, it just didn’t look right. Erik agreed that it wasn’t a success and completed the fourth side to the bulkhead as on the plans; it looks much better.

View from the living room down to the foyer past the kitchen
Window trims fitted to obtain a square stopped plaster finish
Kitchen without outward facing ceiling bulkhead
Bulkhead fitted to fourth side
View from living room through the bifold doors

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Getting plastered

northesk — Tue, 20 Mar 2007 12:13:25 +0000

Might as well mention the windows and get that over and done with. Sent the wrong bottom plates for the french doors and bi-fold doors; the correct ones have been delivered now but still need to be fitted as does the flashing for underneath the sills of the doors. Once the door frames are in the plasters can finish and last of the cladding on the outside can be put up.

Inside, the plasterers have started to hang the plasterboard sheeting. All the insulation is in except for accoustic batts between the inside walls; these should be fitted tomorrow. In the mean time all the ceiling plasterboard has been fitted and the main bedroom, spare bedroom and study have been lined out. They hope to finish hanging all the plasterboard by Friday. Next week they start stopping up – hiding the joins, square edging where the ceiling and walls meet and round the windows, which won’t have architraves. Only the doors have these, matched with a narrow skirting board.

Ceiling installed; looking through to the dining and living area
Study lined out, walls and ceiling
Main bedroom with false wall in position
Same view but fully lined out

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