Day 123 – Car park full!

Earlier in the year the Cordial Factory Crew would regularly drive past a building site close to town. It seemed to always have lots of Vic Restoration vehicles out the front. Junior members would often comment “Why aren’t they at our place?” Well, today they were. Five builders, three plumbers, one mini excavator, two solar electricians and a mobile ‘Test and Tag’ guy battled it out for parking space. (I really should have taken a photo of that).

In the past week we have had over 30mm of rain which shut down the site for three days. The guys were back last Friday and got stuck into the framing. Today they continued framing up the back of the cottage and began the link. Mick, the plumber dug trenches with his mini excavator for drainage and rainwater tank integration. The rest of his crew fitted the pipes for the plumbing of the bathroom and en-suite.

What a hive of activity – could almost make one think that we’d have a working bathroom by Christmas. Alas, our site meeting with Dugald provided us with a more realistic expectation. He’s confident there will be access to both wings through the link by Christmas. So, advance notice to friends and family – our home will still be a building site come Christmas time. Nevertheless, the CFC are committed to providing a warm welcome to all visitors – you just may need to bring your own hardhat and wear a high-visibility vest.

Close of business, Friday 15th Nov.

The mini excavator made quick work of trenches

Laying pipe to connect all the rainwater tanks

Framing of back of cottage complete

The back wall of the link – put to the side so Mick could get his mini excavator out

No garden beds were injured in the making of these trenches

‘Whose legs?’ competition

This week the Cordial Factory have a competition for our loyal followers and any new readers. Can you name the owners of the legs on the ladders (from left to right)? First correct response posted in the comments will be declared the winner and receive full bragging rights. Matt, Brant, Luke and Noah are ineligible to enter.

Whose legs??

Day 118 – Joining the Hall and the Cottage

Progress has been rocketing along here at the Cordial Factory. Last Friday the slab was poured for the link between the hall and the cottage. The sub-floor has been completed and the framing begun. Today Brant, Noah, Matt and Luke arrived around 7am, immediately getting stuck into installing the beams for the roof. By the end of the day they were all in place, just before the rain set in. Luke says it would make a great verandah. True, but the CFC would rather a bathroom!

When renovating improvisation is the key!

The link boxed up ready for the cement

West wall frame almost complete

Monday morning – back into it!

Fitting the beams for the skillion roof

Bracing the beams

A wet finish to Monday, 11th Nov.

Back of the cottage gone!

A lot has happened in the past week. The rest of the back of the cottage has been demolished, new stumps in, bearers and joists laid and foilboard and yellow tongue flooring started. Yesterday was an RDO for the builders and today was the Melbourne Cup public holiday so no progress yet this week. The accompanying photos barely skim the surface of the amount of activity we had here last week. There is lots of timber in the driveway – plenty for framing up over the next few days.

Day 107 – Chimneys come down

The end of the working week sees the work site in a state very different from what it was like on Monday. The chimneys have gone, along with the asbestos sheeting, roof and much of the framing. It shouldn’t take long for the last of it to be cleared on Monday. At this point we are not sure whether the floor will be retained but we do hope that at least the stumps and bearers can be used. That would save a bit of time and money (perhaps). We’ll wait and see what transpires next week.

Tuesday evening

The laundry skinned

End of Thursday

Brant begins on the north chimney

Friday lunchtime

Four guys for the afternoon

End of Friday

Living on two sides of the driveway

It is official. We have a kitchen, dining area and living space that we are now using. It’s a bit challenging juggling between the two separate spaces across the driveway but we are gradually developing a routine. The builders started tearing apart the read end of the house last Monday. They’d done as much as they could by lunch. A lot of asbestos sheeting was used in a previous ‘upgrade’ so a team of experts will be in this Tuesday to remove all the sheeting safely. Then it’s full steam ahead with the rear of the house and the link. The Cordial Factory Crew have been flat out this past two weeks and are feeling somewhat discombobulated.

Our special escape hatch

Kitchen starting to take shape

Looking from the south-west corner

Looking from the east end – still some work to do

Luke, Matt and Noah have no philosophical issues about demolishing even though they are skilled builders.

Old kitchen losing its shape

Asbestos sheeting on the kitchen wall

Wall between play room and dining area skinned

Day 92 – The kitchen is in

Today is a landmark day. The Cordial Factory Crew are proud to announce that the kitchen is in. Hooray! We are being a little premature as the photos will attest. Yes, the kitchen is in, it’s just not put together yet. Soon, very soon. Matt has also been working away at the fiddly bits (a technical term for skirtings and architraves). Dugald has told us to be ready to move into the hall this weekend. That’s only 4 sleeps. Next week they are planning to pull down the back end of the house. Time to pack some boxes.

The kitchen is in!?

Base of kitchen being fitted

A ‘nugget’ from the diggings

Day 91 – The Wormy Chestnut floor

This was not the first nor second floor we had selected but we are very happy with the final choice. There is no evidence of any worms but if you look carefully at the photos you will see some lovely squiggly, wiggly grain. The wood has been treated with a linseed oil based product. It left the hall smelling like a cricket bat before the new season. The CFC (Cordial Factory Crew) left everyone else working hard and took a mini-break in the Melbourne metropolis. It was great to come home and see the floor installed.

Junior apprentices enjoying an RDO

Wormy Chestnut raw

Second sanding

First oiling almost complete

Wormy Chestnut floor

Flooring before any treatment

Day 86 – Plastering

During the past 3 days the plasterers have been busy lining the walls and ceiling. Some of the sheets of plaster were huge. The guys did a great job navigating the beams, particularly when they were on the stilts.

Big sheets of plaster!

The north wall with R2.5 wool and R1.5 polyester insulation

Half way?

All ready for taping

Feathering off the ceiling

Stilts – for hard to reach places

Day 83 – Insulated

After several days of hammering and the preparation of timber for the stud walls, it is now much quieter in the hall. The R2.5 insulation wool has been inserted into the roof space and the new foam walls. As well as its insulating properties, it has a sound proofing capacity as well. It is working wonderfully on the noise out the front, so we hope it will have an equal effect on the sometimes loud rows from the junior apprentices.

Insulation in ceiling and 3 new beams

The good stuff!

Penny’s wall – finished

North west corner