The reno I didnt want to start
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I reckon that shower went in some time in the 90s. There was some kitchen plumbing already in the space, too, so it would have been a space where somebody lived.
So my tactic to strengthen the roof....
I hung a rope of the centre of a rafter and got a mate to swing on it while I measured the deflection - very scientific. It flexed 15mm under his weight.
Then I got some lengths of 65 x 3mm flat steel and drilled staggered holes at 400mm intervals. Then I propped up the rafter and fixed the steel to the side of it.
Then I got my mate to swing on it again while I measured the flex. It was.... 15mm.
That was disappointing.
So I got a second length of steel and fixed it to the other side of the rafter and we tested it again. This time it flexed 10mm.
Still a disappointment. Time to talk to a tame engineer, I reckon.
So my tactic to strengthen the roof....
I hung a rope of the centre of a rafter and got a mate to swing on it while I measured the deflection - very scientific. It flexed 15mm under his weight.
Then I got some lengths of 65 x 3mm flat steel and drilled staggered holes at 400mm intervals. Then I propped up the rafter and fixed the steel to the side of it.
Then I got my mate to swing on it again while I measured the flex. It was.... 15mm.
That was disappointing.
So I got a second length of steel and fixed it to the other side of the rafter and we tested it again. This time it flexed 10mm.
Still a disappointment. Time to talk to a tame engineer, I reckon.
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Got my solution to the roof. A bit hard to explain, so I'll post pics when it's done. The engineer said I was never going to achieve anything with flat bar. He was kind enough to not say I was kidding myself. He said PFCs around the rafter would do the trick, but for a few reasons that wasn't going to happen.
Took the rotten fascia off the top of the wall on adjacent outside dunny/laundry. Then I found the plate on top of the brickwork was rotten, as were the ends of two rafters. I also noticed that the brickwork above crack around the window was leaning, so down it came.
Still going backwards.
Took the rotten fascia off the top of the wall on adjacent outside dunny/laundry. Then I found the plate on top of the brickwork was rotten, as were the ends of two rafters. I also noticed that the brickwork above crack around the window was leaning, so down it came.
Still going backwards.
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I spent last week at home in the backyard working on the shed. It was a pleasant week.
I bit the bullet on Tuesday and decided to do a proper job on the ceiling/roof strengthening. I put in eighteen 150 x 50 LVLs beside the existing softwood rafters. That will do the trick. The new roof went on Friday.
The slab in the old dunny, soon to be dunny/shower/laundry, had to come up. I knew that was inevitable, but I hadn't wanted to think about it. Still, at least I'm not going to have sewer problems down the track. I put a new slab down on Saturday and the driver of the concrete truck asked me how I was going to get rid of the rubble. I told him I hadn't thought about it because the only solution was a skip and a long barrow run (by an unsuspecting labourer). He said he would come and pick it up for $400 cash. That was less than a skip and a labourer would have cost me.
I put some of the old steel roofing out the front as bait for the scrap metal guys who prowl the streets. When I heard them, I raced out and got their number and I'll get them back this week to pick up all the rest of it - at no cost to me, of course.
Sort of moving forward now.
I bit the bullet on Tuesday and decided to do a proper job on the ceiling/roof strengthening. I put in eighteen 150 x 50 LVLs beside the existing softwood rafters. That will do the trick. The new roof went on Friday.
The slab in the old dunny, soon to be dunny/shower/laundry, had to come up. I knew that was inevitable, but I hadn't wanted to think about it. Still, at least I'm not going to have sewer problems down the track. I put a new slab down on Saturday and the driver of the concrete truck asked me how I was going to get rid of the rubble. I told him I hadn't thought about it because the only solution was a skip and a long barrow run (by an unsuspecting labourer). He said he would come and pick it up for $400 cash. That was less than a skip and a labourer would have cost me.
I put some of the old steel roofing out the front as bait for the scrap metal guys who prowl the streets. When I heard them, I raced out and got their number and I'll get them back this week to pick up all the rest of it - at no cost to me, of course.
Sort of moving forward now.
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I love your definition of "pleasant" and your optimism Scott you are an inspiration.
It's the most time I have ever spent in the backyard. With our odd property, I have to go through three locked doors to get to the backyard. If I didn't have chooks out there, in the winter I could go all week without venturing out into the yard. It was nice being out there and getting some sun. It was good also spending a whole week in my suburb and going out to get lunch everyday from different places.
How good is this dunny/basin set that I picked up? It's that classic 60s pastel green colour - complete with matching taps. This is going to be a cheap bathroom, but I'm not a fan of most modern, cheap bathroom jobs where everything is white. This is also going to be a utilitarian, hose out bathroom because it's out in the yard.
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You'll have to trust me that this window looks great. It was small, high window in the soon to be dunny/shower/laundry. On the other side of it is the neighbour's backyard. It was an old louver window that long ceased to function. So I ripped it out - or gave it the final encouragement it needed to fall out.
The room has plenty of alternative ventilation, and the neighbour wasn't fond of the noise of the spare washing machine out there, so rather than just bung another standard window I thought I would do something interesting.
Last year, upstairs in our Airbnb pad, we had a bloke from Coffs Harbour staying. His hobby (because it's hard to make money from it) is glass art. I sent him an email with the size of the opening and asked him if he could knock something up. He'd never tried that sort of thing before, but he was keen to give it a go. So he got bits of discarded glass, put them on the bottom of his kiln with a dam around the edge to make the shape, and turned it on and let them melt. His kiln wasn't big enough to do it as one piece, but I don't mind it being in two pieces.
I made up an aluminium frame from scraps to sit the glass in, and then rendered the reveals on both sides.
Total cost - $0.
Pity it doesn't photograph very well.
The room has plenty of alternative ventilation, and the neighbour wasn't fond of the noise of the spare washing machine out there, so rather than just bung another standard window I thought I would do something interesting.
Last year, upstairs in our Airbnb pad, we had a bloke from Coffs Harbour staying. His hobby (because it's hard to make money from it) is glass art. I sent him an email with the size of the opening and asked him if he could knock something up. He'd never tried that sort of thing before, but he was keen to give it a go. So he got bits of discarded glass, put them on the bottom of his kiln with a dam around the edge to make the shape, and turned it on and let them melt. His kiln wasn't big enough to do it as one piece, but I don't mind it being in two pieces.
I made up an aluminium frame from scraps to sit the glass in, and then rendered the reveals on both sides.
Total cost - $0.
Pity it doesn't photograph very well.
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Yes, I'm pleased with the window. Much more interesting than an off the shelf solution.
You'll also have to take my word for it that this next thing will look great. Well, I'm hoping it does.
Because I'm putting in a new ceiling, I thought it was a good opportunity to do something interesting with the lighting. The white wall down one end is a bit over 6 metres wide. So I thought I would put in a 6 metre long recessed strip light. Easiest way to do it was to make up the frame then fit it between the two end rafters. If it looks terrible, I'll just sheet over it when I do the ceiling and pretend it never happened.
It's all made up from scraps that were lying around, so it didn't cost anything.
Boy, it's heavy, though. It's going to be fun getting it up into the ceiling.
You'll also have to take my word for it that this next thing will look great. Well, I'm hoping it does.
Because I'm putting in a new ceiling, I thought it was a good opportunity to do something interesting with the lighting. The white wall down one end is a bit over 6 metres wide. So I thought I would put in a 6 metre long recessed strip light. Easiest way to do it was to make up the frame then fit it between the two end rafters. If it looks terrible, I'll just sheet over it when I do the ceiling and pretend it never happened.
It's all made up from scraps that were lying around, so it didn't cost anything.
Boy, it's heavy, though. It's going to be fun getting it up into the ceiling.
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The recessed box for the strip light in-situ. Lined with bits of gyprock I had left over from a previous project. That furry stuff to the left is insulation.
The ceiling gets sheeted on Thursday. I've had quotes (from one of those on-line directories) ranging from $1,200 to $3,000. That's to fix and set a 65sqm ceiling in Supaceil - Supaceil is a product for ceilings where the span between rafters is getting a bit too wide.
I picked the $1,350 quote because he seemed like a reasonable bloke. I told him that if it turned out that he had underquoted, I was happy to pay him a bit more - better that than have him take shortcuts on the setting and sanding.
If I had done in myself, the materials would have cost around $800 delivered. And I would have needed to hire a sheet lifter. I would have also needed a labourer - and it would have taken me ages.
The ceiling gets sheeted on Thursday. I've had quotes (from one of those on-line directories) ranging from $1,200 to $3,000. That's to fix and set a 65sqm ceiling in Supaceil - Supaceil is a product for ceilings where the span between rafters is getting a bit too wide.
I picked the $1,350 quote because he seemed like a reasonable bloke. I told him that if it turned out that he had underquoted, I was happy to pay him a bit more - better that than have him take shortcuts on the setting and sanding.
If I had done in myself, the materials would have cost around $800 delivered. And I would have needed to hire a sheet lifter. I would have also needed a labourer - and it would have taken me ages.
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All looking good.
I think $1350 for the ceiling is good - especially if you don't want to have a neck crick for weeks afterwards.
Love the slump window and the bathroom set - that stuff will last forever.
I think $1350 for the ceiling is good - especially if you don't want to have a neck crick for weeks afterwards.
Love the slump window and the bathroom set - that stuff will last forever.
The ceiling is in. The bloke underquoted and had an inexperienced labourer, so I pitched in and helped him. I wish I had piped up when I saw him about to cut a sheet to a length that I thought was too short.
He didn't manage to get any of it set yesterday so he's back Saturday to do that and get the rest of his money.
I told him at the end of the day that he had underquoted the job. He said, 'Yeah, it was trickier than I expected.'
I cut him off there and said, 'It was exactly what you expected. You had the room dimensions and photos, and the gallery picture hanging system I put on two walls will save you 17 metres of setting.'
Then, when it looked like he was going to say something, I added, 'It would have been ideal if you had showed up before 9am, brought an experienced labourer, and not stopped every 30 minutes for a smoke. But if you do a good job on the setting and sanding, I'll give you an extra $150.'
He didn't manage to get any of it set yesterday so he's back Saturday to do that and get the rest of his money.
I told him at the end of the day that he had underquoted the job. He said, 'Yeah, it was trickier than I expected.'
I cut him off there and said, 'It was exactly what you expected. You had the room dimensions and photos, and the gallery picture hanging system I put on two walls will save you 17 metres of setting.'
Then, when it looked like he was going to say something, I added, 'It would have been ideal if you had showed up before 9am, brought an experienced labourer, and not stopped every 30 minutes for a smoke. But if you do a good job on the setting and sanding, I'll give you an extra $150.'
The ceiling is still going. He could be the slowest gyprock guy I have ever seen. He spends a lot of time looking at the ceiling with his hands on his hips - and stops for a ciggie break every half hour. Problem is, until he has finished, I can't do the floor and some other stuff.
The first set is done, finally. Yesterday he was due at 8am and called up at 9am and said he had the flu. Then there was that pause where I would have been expected to say, 'Oh, you poor thing. That's terrible. You snuggle up in bed and I'll see you whenever.' Instead I said, 'Isn't it great that you've done some of the first set and you'll be home before dark, then.'
He's back on Wednesday to do the top coat and then on the following Saturday to sand.
I set and sanded the recess for the strip light myself and did a really great job - I'm pretty good at setting. I put a curve in the long visible edge so that looking up there will be no line where the vertical plane meets the horizontal. He saw it and said, 'Who did that?'
'I did,' I said. 'I wanted to show you the standard I expect for the rest of the job.' He stood with his hands on his hips for an extra long time looking up at the ceiling then.
The first set is done, finally. Yesterday he was due at 8am and called up at 9am and said he had the flu. Then there was that pause where I would have been expected to say, 'Oh, you poor thing. That's terrible. You snuggle up in bed and I'll see you whenever.' Instead I said, 'Isn't it great that you've done some of the first set and you'll be home before dark, then.'
He's back on Wednesday to do the top coat and then on the following Saturday to sand.
I set and sanded the recess for the strip light myself and did a really great job - I'm pretty good at setting. I put a curve in the long visible edge so that looking up there will be no line where the vertical plane meets the horizontal. He saw it and said, 'Who did that?'
'I did,' I said. 'I wanted to show you the standard I expect for the rest of the job.' He stood with his hands on his hips for an extra long time looking up at the ceiling then.
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You would want to hope there is not a local front bar within walking distance when they run out of smokes,the last drywall fixer I employed
paided him 4k cash for materials and fit-off,went off at smoko to buy some food smokes paper on the way went into the local hotel and put the lot through the pokies in 2 hours drinking op rum.,comes back in a taxi blind drunk and needed a loan of 1 k to get through the next week..good luck..
The plasterer our son used had the personality of a doorknob. He did a good job though. I came on site, walked into the room with hubby. Plasterer said a gruff hello to hubby and completely ignored me. I think he probably guessed I was the one who had been emailing him regarding the job. Perhaps he doesn't like women. I walked in, thinking most people would at least nod or say "hello"... nothing. After a few beats, not wanting the pregnant pause to go on too long, I introduced myself.
I'm assuming it was because I am a woman, was dressed and clean (not in painting gear) but maybe it was just that he had no idea about how to conduct himself.
Funny chap. Couldn't wait for him to leave the site. Goodness knows how he gets work, especially work that requires some communication skills.
I'm assuming it was because I am a woman, was dressed and clean (not in painting gear) but maybe it was just that he had no idea about how to conduct himself.
Funny chap. Couldn't wait for him to leave the site. Goodness knows how he gets work, especially work that requires some communication skills.
Not quite sure what that means?
Anyway, now I think more, he was initially pretty rude to hubby too. He actually said "I'd prefer you were not in the house." Hubby was working on the back door, working from the back porch, not even in the house, not in their way at all, but this chap was just gruff. Hubby got him chatting, and he lightened up a bit, even had a laugh
. Interestingly, he had two young chaps working for him. One was his son and the other just a young worker.What I thought was interesting was that nobody talked, no chatting, no banter. I'd hate to work in that atmosphere.
We laugh with our tradies, joke with them, buy them coffees and cakes for smoko, have a good relationship. This bloke was just a "Nop" (no personality).
