We are back

Hi All, sorry it’s been so long but with special days and surgery we haven’t really done much building work of late, mostly garden work with more embankment plantings as well as the trees.

So while I recover we are doing some small jobs, like external lighting and internal lights

this job was pretty easy just a lot of getting up and down ladders.

 

 

 



The deck part 3

Yep the deck part 3, well it took a lot of weekends to actually finish it. Oiled and with steps not just a frame.

 

 

As you all now every good farm needs a name, and thanks to Jenna who gave us this name and Brian who plasma cut our sign, out of bits of shipping containers of course he it is. All we need is somewhere to hang it now.

 

Maybe I could hang it on my new garden gnome? ( sorry Blogger doesn't recognise rotated photos)

 

The Deck part 2

Back with the remaining supplies the deck was finished off including a couple of rows at the front. It is really strange because the house doesn’t look as tall anymore. After nearly 2 years of looking up to it we are now at its level. Oh better put in some stairs hey.

 

The Deck

May brought about the great deck challenge, this has been planned for some time with reinforcements being flown in from SA & NT for the May long weekend.

Unfortunately it was not a long weekend in QLD anymore, ah well a day off instead.

Here are the motley crew of workers

Work began at a frantic pace with joists being installed by the minute

As usual someone decided to mention that the Wet season may have passed us by. Well that was a little silly because in true Tully fashion it rained, and rained and then it rained some more.

Then it was onto the deck so many different lengths to choose from, lucky we sent for the experts, just look at that brains trust, pointing at bits of timber.

It all went together really well, apart from those screws you don’t need to pre-drill or countersink. (they will tell you anything to get a sale these days).

 

We had a great set up with all of us, drilling, countersinking, fit screws.

 

We could have got it all finished, but someone calculated the material wrong and we were 2 rows short. Anyway we all had a great time that weekend and nearly finished the deck great job done by all.

Cladding is nealry done

We are finally onto finishing of the cladding, the last row required a flashing to fix to the top of the container. This was quite tricky and time consuming to install but looks great. And then more painting Tina di a good job of this.

What do you mean more painting?

Well what would any smart person do who hates painting and has just spent all of Easter painting. That’s correct do more painting. Our supplier has not come through with that custom flashing yet. So what better than to spend another weekend painting. This time indoor painting, now that our cornice is up we have painted the ceilings.

 

Sorry about the photos it is very white in there at the moment with the walls painted in white undercoat also.

Ah Painting what a joy

With nearly all the cladding done and just waiting for the custom flashing to finish off the final row we decide to commence painting. So off we go painting cladding, have I told you all how much I hate painting. Anyway one Easter weekend gone, one house painted, well nearly.

OK lets build the deck next

So with all the walls nearly completed we need to put up the deck beams so we can get the deck done of the May long weekend. So 4 beams (not delivered to the top site again!!) to weld in place another set of cleats and some serious rust proving takes us another weekend but ready for joists

Where have the containers gone?

We are so close to finishing off the cladding but need to add some cleats in for the decking. So back to welding cleats and preps to allow us to finish of the last wall. Looks good but no more container walls any more L

 

Just need some flashing to complete the top row and it is all over

Woops nearly forgot a wall

Nearly forgot to show the extra wall we started Sunday arvo. We didn’t quite get it finished but 2 ½ walls to go and the end is in sight.

First undercoat

With the gyprock finished and only the cornice to go, time to drop a quick undercoat on. We a special one. They have a special everything up here for the tropics just looks like paint to me just costs more. But we have to seal it off quick it only takes a short time and 300mm of rain and it will absorb it all.

Another one gone before breaky

So now we are getting so good we knocked of this wall before breakfast. 3 walls to go and all the container walls are gone inside and out, we will have to climb up on the roof to see what they used to look like.

Another weekend and more walls are gone !

Well another weekend and more cladding gets done. We are getting quite good at it now and we completed the southern wall in a day. It’s still hot and hard work but the end is in sight. Lucky we have a TA on site.

Just a little time for the garden

We don’t publish photos of it, but each weekend we spend a fair of time mowing, weeding and trying to plant out garden. It is a lot of work and no matter how many plants we get in there is room for hundreds more. I  luckily picked up some underlay form a building refurbishment to aid in weed control.

Oh did I mention I was building a tropical island, complete with sand beach, Coconut palms, and hula girls ( well I haven’t convinced Tina to put a grass skirt on yet)

External Cladding works continue

Well with  plasterer finishing so quickly the pressure is on for us to complete the external cladding. So this weekend we tackle the Back wall. It has been dam hot and when you are getting the reflection of the insulation it makes it even worse. But another weekend down anf the back wall is finished ( only 5 to go)

Just a blink an the internal walls are done

We arrive back after a fortnight away and the internal lining is done. Blink of an eye there are no more container walls an d now just gyprock. It looks great however somewhat sad .