Not much to update you all on as the work that gets done at present is small in pictures but big in effect.  We have almost all of the soffits up (boys were finishing that off this morning) and some battens on the building paper ready for the cladding.  EXCITING.  Apparently we MAY, (don’t want to jinx it) have some glazing later this week.  Would be awesome if we did as we are having the roof shout on Friday and given the weather/ temperature forecast I think we will all want to be indoors.  And being indoors in my current living set up is not an option – it will give a new meaning to the “party in a caravan” analogy! hahahaha.

I have included a few snaps taken yesterday afternoon when there was no wind and the sun was shining.  When I took them I was thinking – ‘Oh – seems such a shame to put the windows in’. But  This morning when I was doing the walk-thru with Mr Watkins from Advanced Plumbing, we were both very clear that we needed windows and doors ASAP.  The wind was freezing!!!!  And when the guys who usually work outside are telling you they are cold, you know it’s cold.

Arrived back at the block last night to find  – A ROOF !!  But the downside of this is that you can no longer see the stars from inside the kitchen. (some people are never happy are they)

Because it was dark when I got back last night  I got up super early to take some pics for you all so you can inspect the roofing progress.  I have to say that the monkey bars look far less stable than the ones I used to play on and given I have grown a bit I don’t think I will be attempting any aerial acrobatics up there any time soon.

Walking around inside now you really start to get a feel for how the spaces will be in terms of light and feel etc.  I don’t think we have enough windows… but I guess you can’t have every room facing north now can you – (well -not on our site anyway).   I’m sure that once the gib is up and the walls painted it will feel lighter again.   It really is quite neat seeing all the changes along the way.  I loved it when the framing went up because it was like having an instant house, but now the roof has gone on, that completely changes it yet again.  I imagine that when the doors/ windows go in will be another huge change in the feel of the place.   I can’t wait to get in there and unpack our stuff and all of the kitchen things.   I have a lovely Kitchen Aid mixer that B brought me for my birthday nearly 2 years ago  and I haven’t used it as I wanted to use it for the first time in the house (if I’d known how long i’d have to wait I would have shelved that idea ages ago. lol).  B also has a fancy new flash coffee machine which is also in it’s box as I said that the same rule had to apply. So the upshot of all this is that we will be able to produce you a (hopefully) lovely coffee and some cake/ treats when you come to inspect the finished product.

Anyway – enough talk of cakes – it’s making me hungry.  Here’s some pictures.

 

Sometimes in the life of a trailer park girl you just want to channel the language and let rip.  Last night was a shaping up to be one of those nights.

Got back out to the block at about 6:00pm ish with the car loaded up and the dog on hyper drive. The dog was no sooner out of the car and me starting to unlock the caravan when I heard scrambling noises to the point I thought someone was on the inside of the caravan!!    Dog eventually reappeared and we headed with torch in hand to inspect the building work for the day and check the toilet had water in it before I used it (previous lesson).

Then I wander back in my torch light to check the dog has water in her bowl and find this..

The latest amphibian invader was swimming in circles in Kia’s water bowl and swimming head first into the corner might I add.  whilst trying to coax to the dog to drink out of the bowl and then video the fright both frog and dog got  I instead hear a distinct “Hisssss” noise.     Following the lead of the dog, I discover the source of the warning hiss which had been issued to a nose poked under  the edge of her kennel. This is what I saw wedged between the bottom floor of the kennel and the top of the pallet upon which it is sitting:

So I shut Kia in the caravan whilst I started to cook tea and left the lights on and frypan starting to sizzle whilst I took some dog kibble out to the new inhabitant in an effort to try and coax it out.    I wasn’t game to stick my hand under as I’ve previously been the recipient of some very deep and painful puncture bite wounds from a wild kitten whilst at University so I wasn’t game to go a possible round two.

I then got back around the corner to find the caravan in complete darkness.    The weirdest thing was that the thought that actually went through my head first was: “hmm – how did Kia manage to switch the light off?”   Alas, nothing that simple or clever had occurred.  After checking the mains board, resetting everything and then doing some investigative work I found this…

sigh…

So, tea was removed and plonked on to the bbq, the idea of doing the dishes quickly abandoned and the concept of a shower completely dispelled.

Staying in town tonight I think.

Here’s a little pic of my view (someone else was still in bed) on Saturday morning…

 

Hello everyone,

Last week got a bit busy and I didn’t get any photos with daylight until Friday so you are going to get a lot of pics in a couple of posts today.

So last week the house got it’s first winter layer (better get cracking guys   – it’s getting cold again).   All the building paper wrap is now pretty much in place and we just have to hope that the weather gods have stayed away from the curry house so that the paper stays in place.  Keep your fingers crossed for us.     I believe that the windows/ frames etc will be on site in the next 2 weeks!!  Crazy to think that we’ll have opening windows soon.  There is always an upside – I can hang out inside the house and practice opening and closing all the doors. The downside however is that I have lost my ability to cut through the exterior wall -walk-through-the-house-to-the-toilet shortcut.   Still – can’t be complaining about these things as progress is a good thing.  Because the faster we go the sooner i’ll have an inside toilet anyway so warp speed ahead I say.

here’s some pics of the wrap:   (I wanted a bow effect but apparently i’m a little early in the process for that kind of request)

Saturday morning the lad and I were merrily sitting down to a lovely cooked breakfast (still in our pjs’) when we both saw a truck slowing on the approach to our place, then pulling into our driveway, then the barking burglar deterrent told us that we indeed had visitors – scaffolding no less.      Apparently builders and roofers can’t be trusted by OSH not to fall off roofs anymore so they need to be tied on to some scaffolding (which quite frankly looks like it wouldn’t stop a mouse falling off). But anyway – if it keeps the compliance peeps happy then go for it.

so here’s the scaffolding on it’s way up.  (I’m still trying to work out how the scaffolding guys get their safety tick without having their scaffolding to stop them falling off the scaffolding they are putting up..??)

HI Everyone,  Sorry for the long silence.  Been a bit frantic at trailer park land.

As you can see from the photo above and below, the roof framing is all now complete.  Looks a bit like you could land a helicopter up on top (hint hint – birthday coming up…)

Unfortunately, due to the need for the weather gods to create a moat around my trailer park set-up last week, virtually nothing at all happened.  Except a delivery of a strange large blue coloured drum on a wooden pallet.

I’m assuming that it’s not an industrial sized delivery of high grade dark chocolate, but I haven’t managed to prize the lid off yet to double check.  (Will keep you posted… -not – i’ll just eat it all quietly in the corner. lol).

Check out our very tidy builders… Everything tucked away and all symmetrical to keep the OCD trailer park inhabitants happy.

Apparently there is a pre-wrap inspection due today and then the building paper/ gift wrap starts going on.  The first bit of roofing iron is scheduled to start next Monday I believe!!  Very exciting.

I have now finally pushed the GO button on the window/ joinery order.  Whew!   Stressful trying to decide what was the right look within the confines of our very high wind rating.  Am learning lots about the council regs with regard to wind loadings, spacing between the double glazing panes, the % of opening windows per room etc. etc…    It will all be so handy when we start our next building project – NOT LIKELY!!

I think we have also chosen a gas fire place although until it actually goes in, these things are never certain.  I think the idea is  that once you have made a decision stay the hell away from any shops stocking such products or glossy magazines or the internet for that matter.

The kitchen is still a work in progress (not to be confused with the other work in progress which should be taking place in my office but isn’t because I’m too busy thinking about kitchens and windows).   We have finalised the design – I think (hahaha) but are just now working on the colours/ cupboard finishes etc.

The bathroom is next on my list as the plumbers want me to lock in exactly what fittings/ fixtures I am having so that they can do all the piping into the walls and mount brackets for the wall hung vanity units etc. etc.   We had pre=selected a lot of the fitting previously but there is some fine tuning required.   Not assisted might I add by someone (who lives in a land far far away – ie. not within striking distance) sending me a link for a flash  bathroom supplier in his area having a 60% off sale!!!   arrggghhhhh – more choices – more confusion!!!    CLOSE INTERNET PAGE KIRSTIN.

Anyway  – have also been back to Fieldays last week to hunt out some pink gumboots and anything else I can find that makes a mockery of our move to the country.

Ok people.  Time for me to do some income generating work – unless you all would like to donate to  my charitable house building trust fund I have just decided to create.

 

Well, it’s been a good week  or so since my last post and it feels like not a lot has changed out in trailer park land but  in fact the boys have been continuously busy.

We’ve had all the roof trusses and other bits of wood anchored into place up top on both end of the house.  Just now waiting on the mid section to go in (delayed in part I believe by a change to some pre-framed window sections…yes, that was me).    But the steel purlins are now in place so the big stacker door span opening is all framed up now.  Just the top window framing to go in above and then that’s all the external framing complete.    Have attached a pic of some of the roof trusses and steel beam for you all.  (notice the “beaming” face in front of the beam – hahahaha).  (The things I get excited about now are rather sad).

 

So,  on to the other jobs.   Glazing and joinery!!    So I thought that we had it all sorted.  Green tint glass for the whole house.  Then I start to question myself:  “what if that looks weird against the external colour?”, “Would grey look better?”, are there any other options for window configurations that I haven’t thought of?”  However, the biggest problem of all is my height.   Those of you who know me well may have heard me say on a few previous occasions that I need “Go go Gadget legs”  (reference to a children’s program from the 80’s called “Inspector Gadget” for those older readers. ;)).    So the importance of all this now is that our stud height (not my stud – “B” – his height is a mere 1.85)   is 2.7 throughout all the bedrooms and formal living space. What this means on a practical level for me is that the side opening windows I really wanted (as opposed to traditional awning opening windows – they are hinged at the top), I can’t have.  The reason being is that I won’t be able to reach the damn latch at the top and no, apparently you can’t just move the top one down as that will affect the seal around the top part of the window.        Now – some might suggest that I could just jump which would then put to use all of this training I have been doing – (and work off the enormous double lunch I have just inhaled), but alas whilst I can jump a little higher now, I have not perfected the art of hovering yet which I believe will be required if I was to be able to open the window or close it with a latch up high.   So it’s back to the traditional awning windows in all but the front windows in the lounge and bedroom.

I suppose I could still have the side opening windows and then we could coin a new catch-phrase in our house:  “B  – can you please close that window”   “B – can you please open that window, no not that one, that one!”.   Followed shortly thereafter by another catch-phrase:  “Sorry but my plane has been grounded in Christchurch”.

However, after another week we still have not finally confirmed the windows.  We’re waiting on the pricing options on the alternatives for the big windows in the front.  Will it be:  “Dear Bank Manager – can we have another wad of cash for the extremely expensive big pane of glass we have just chosen?”  or   “Well – at least it’s within budget”.      Someone is my house was far more interested in the fingerprint scanned door lock that is now available.   NO!!!    Should never have even told him about it.   Men and gadgets.

So anyway – some of the linear cladding has arrived on site so I guess that next week might see the house getting a wee wrap up with black paper and then some skin.   Exciting times.   Watch this space for pictures of the roof shout people.