Buildlogue #9

Thursday 26 June 2014: Construction Day number 7. Happy Plumbers (I will call him ‘Happy’ with a big ‘H’ for ease of reference) arrive on schedule this morning, with his two black labradors, who are happy to remain inside the ban. After unpacking the pipes, fittings and tools, we had a quick discussion about the sanitary-ware to be fitted. Then the skies opened and we witnessed what, in my opinion, was the heaviest torrential downpour I have witnessed in New Zealand in 2014. I bucketed down, without hint or promise of respite. Overnight until 08:00 this morning, we had 10mm rain, bringing the June month-to-date up to 68mm

Happy was not happy.

PVC glue used in joining pipe fittings, etc is not all that happy with the wet muddy conditions, and neither was Happy. Apparently, the weather outlook for tomorrow Friday is also not all that good, so Happy, after calling Builder John, decides that Monday morning will be a good day to do the couple of hours work he has. This will still be within John’s Wednesday concrete-pour schedule.

John arrived an hour later with a delivery of building materials, but no construction activity ensued.

(Above): The PlaceMakers truck arrives just after the deluge, and proceeds to offload a dozen 6 metre lengths of timber, reinforcing steel rods and boxes of nails, fittings, etc.

(Above): Next John guides the polystyrene insulation panels, rolls of polythene damp-proofing, and plywood for foundation boxing.

(Above): Squish, squish. One needs to tread extremely carefully in the toffee-like muddy underfoot conditions.

(Above): John helps guide the steel mesh for the foundations to the waiting pallets. From United Steel NZ, they are 5.05m x 2.02m 24.8kg each 500E Ductile Mesh SE62.

At this point, I need to make a decision about how to number the days. A Construction Day will be numbered according to the number of weekdays elapsed since Wednesday 18 June, when Builder John accepted the site. Therefore to-day and to-morrow, even though no work will be done, will be numbered Construction Day 7 and Day 8. The next Buildlogue will relate to progress, weather permitting, on Monday 30 June.

When a plan comes together

Can you remember John Hannibal Smith, B.A. Baracus, Templeton Faceman Peck and H.M. Howlin Mad Murdoch? Sure you do. The A-Team. And can you remember what was Hannibal’s favourite saying?

“I love it when a plan comes together!  Nice.”

At the end of this week, Sir Barry delivered our concept plan for the extension. In the greater scheme of things, the extension is but a tiny part, but when it comes down to checking over the broad details, there are suddenly a heap of questions on stuff that needs to be decided.

(Above): Sorry, there are a few scratchings on the plan. Look, you can even see me lying on the bed! Well, not quite me, but a stickman representation of me…

There is stuff such as outer wall cladding. In SA, there is no question: of course it will either be face-brick or painted cement plaster. In NZ the walls are much thinner and made of wood. The outer skin can be covered with brick veneer or with timber weather board. So, we spent the larger part of Saturday at various hardware merchants such as PlaceMakers (‘Know how. Can do.”) and Mitre 10 Mega, looking at all sorts of brick veneer, none of which match the bricks which are currently on the walls of the house. One of the problems.

Then there is the little problem of where to use pine weatherboard and where it is more appropriate to use Cedar (imported from Canada). Time will tell.

The main talking point is the shape of the roof, which must blend in with the existing roof of the house. It will be virtually flat, with the side bits at the same slope as the house. Confused? Well, to be perfectly honest, I guess we are just a weeny bit uncertain as well. But, to use the words of Sir Barry:

I have attached a couple of basic sketches that show the outline shape of the extension and how it all fits with the existing building.  I hope this is enough to convey how it all goes together.  As I said, the need for fall on the flat section of roof results in it not being a 'regular' rectangle.  Interesting geometry!

Just not too sure about the suspect lurking at the corner of the bedroom like that.