Buildlogue #23–Interlude

Construction Day 30 is 31 July 2014, scheduled for work on another site by Builder John’s team. The Quin roofing guys were due to arrive in the afternoon for a spell.

Overnight, we’d had some high gale-force winds with occasional monumental gusts, which all but threatened to rip the roots from under the trees. Then the wind abated a bit and the clouds opened up during our sleeping hours, delivering 8 mm between midnight and 7:00 am – I thought to myself that the roof guys would possibly be affected.

I took advantage of the lull in developments and drove down to Lower Hutt on a couple of long-outstanding errands and also to get some dark green paint for the fascias (in my Neutron days, we called the colour Old Cape Dutch Green or Heritage Green, and it was made of 4.5 litres Gloss Mid Brunswick Green and 500ml Black Gloss); John had already delivered me some sealer/primer to apply as undercoat for the soffit boards.

When I returned a number of hours later, Jeanette reported that the guys had been, had worked on one side of the roof, but had left again. Probably something to do with the impending rain.

I couldn’t start painting the fascias, as I have just discovered that they are half a metre longer than the garage, so that painting in the face of impending showers is not a sensible option. Oh, well… I’ll take a couple of photos for the record.

(Above): The view of the (light grey) rubberised membrane-covered roof waterproofing.

(Above): The view of the green metal roof on the eastern side above the laundry, bathroom and dressing room. This is about one-third of the metal roof area

(Above): The metal roof as seen from the ground behind the garage. In view id the laundry door (left), then the laundry window and on the right, the bathroom window.

Buildlogue #22 - Up On The Roof

Wednesday 30 July 2014, Construction Day 29. It is a day of wind, high wind, strong wind, gusty wind. Ask any roofer and he’ll tell you: the wind always blows wherever they are fitting a roof. Guaranteed.

Builder John’s guys arrived and started fitting fascias and purlins (the longitudinal planks at right-angles to the roof trusses) on which the roofing sheets must rest. The roofing sheets were delivered as were the large 2.4 by 1.2 fibre-cement boards to be cut into soffit ceilings outside between the wall verticals and the fascia edge. My job will be to apply a first coat sealer-primer to these boards under cover of the roof.

(Above): View of the eastern side from the kitchen, with the fascia board fitted and the second of the purlins fixed in place.

(Above): Quin Roofing Direct (“way to go!”) delivering the roofing sheets and rolls of waterproofing membrane. Quin hails from Levin.

(Above): The waterproofing membrane gets fitted to the flat roof section, and the end folded under the metal flashing situated just below the window in Tyler’s upstairs bedroom. To ensure a proper seal, the roofers have decided that the window must be popped out. The window took less than 15 minutes to remove. Refitting takes quite a bit longer.

(Above): The Quin roofer stands on the flat roof section on top of the waterproofing membrane. To his right below the window one can see the metal profile which will hold the waterproofing down.

(Above): Hard at work applying the membrane to the flat roof.

Buildlogue #20 – Roofing

Friday 25 July 2014 Construction Day 26, marks seven months since we touched down at Wellington airport at the close of Xmas at midnight on 25 December 2013.

(Above): The view of the roof above the bedroom – the plywood sheets being fitted to the first half of this area.

(Above): Fitting the supports for the metal roofing along the western side of the bedroom above the opening French Doors.

(Above): The view of the bedroom from the sitting room. On the right, just beyond the orange broom, is the bathroom door and a bit past that, the dressing room/ walk-in wardrobe door. On the left next to the panel of plywood, is the opening for the French Doors.

(Above): A view of the ply-clad “flat roof” area nearing completion as seen from Tyler’s upstairs bedroom window, and (below) as seen from the ground floor standing in the bathroom-to-be.

(Above): The framework stands bathed in bright afternoon sunshine, in preparation of a scheduled inspection by KCDC next week. Possibly the sunlight is a promise of better weather to come?

Once we have passed the upcoming inspection, cladding of the open skeleton can commence and the building will start taking on a proper character of its own…