Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 281Feb 09, 2010 12:21 pm It has been very lazy of me not updating my thread since I moved in in September. I guess, I enjoy spending time with my new home than spending time writing about it We hired a landscaper to do all our front and back landscape. We just wanted to at least have our garden looks finished and then we will just improve from there. Here are some landscapes pictures. Before, Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ After, Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Front garden Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ When we planted those penniseteum rubra (those redish grass on the right), they were tiny and weak. After a few months, they grew so fast and now have out-grown all the other plants! Since we moved in, the house is not without issues. We also submitted our defect list at the end of the maintenance period at the end of november. I thought none of them were going to be fixed before the new year. I was wrong! To my surprise, a few tradesmen started calling to schedule time before christmas. In fact, most of the issues were fixed before the new year. Anyhow, the warranty defect list wasn't really critical. We had couple of more urgency issues that we couldn't wait. Solar hot water We had water leaking/dripping out of the solar panel on the roof. Clarendon was quick responding to my issue and had Rheem service guy came out and fixed it. In previous posts, I mentioned I wasn't too sure if my solar panel was working properly or not. I also was confused if the green lights was blinking correctly. I raised my concern to the service guy. As it turned out, the hot water pipework was connected INCORRECTLY! Water was flowing into the solar panel in the wrong direction! However the technicality works, it caused the pump to stop as soon as it starts pumping water through the panel. So, it ends up the pump keeps starting and stopping constantly, hence, the green light blinking rapidly, and then stop blinking very soon after! Apparently, Rheem only installed the hot water tank. The solar panel pipe connection was done by another contractor! More leaking When I thought my roof wasn't leaking any more, NO, I was WRONG! After couple of months of moving in, after a night of heavy rain, I had water dripping down through a light point in my living room! I had a pond of water over my timber floor. No real damage was done because the new finish with the floor made it waterproof. Anyway, Clarendon was also quick responding to this and had someone come out the next day. That guy came out, and within couple of minutes, he spotted the problem - missing flashing with the brickwork! If you recall from my previous posts, my former SS tried to fix this leaking 5 times before handover. 5 times! He fixed one wall, but not the one next to it!! Past few days, we had some of the most heavy rains we ever had, I am happy to report that no apparent leaking from the same area. This is a relief. But.... I found leaking somewhere else... This time, it is from the TV antenna installation. It is leaking through the TV mount on the roof. I guess, we can't blame everything on the big C This leaking damaged some paintwork on my upstair ceiling. Anyhow, I didn't bother to call my antenna guy to come back. I just put some silicon around the holes yesterday as soon as the sun came out. I hope this will do the trick. Building Clarendon Brighton - Done and moved in Sept 2009 Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 282Feb 09, 2010 8:28 pm Hi Eho, Landscaping looks great! I also love the sandstone paving that you have out the back! Very nice! With the before and after shot... what happened to the tree you had in the back corner (the one behind the protective fencing during the build?)?? Very glad you got your water issues sorted quickly!! Never argue with an idiot they drag you down to their level & then beat you with experience - Dilbert View Thread: viewtopic.php?f=31&t=19733 Contract signed 14Sept Slab 30Sept Bricks laid 1Dec Lock up 26Feb Keys 10Jun Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 283Feb 09, 2010 10:01 pm MrsRose what happened to the tree you had in the back corner (the one behind the protective fencing during the build?)?? I had a nice and big lilly pilly there. Somehow, after the demolition, the tree started dying. The old house was no where near the tree. Maybe there was a major root went far near the house and the demolition upset the root and killed it I attempted to plant the same species at that corner. If you see carefully at the "after" shot, that new tree is also dead There were a few really hot day couple of months back. After that week, all the leaves dried up. However, there are now some new greens coming out of the branches. Not sure if it will make it. I think I am going to re-plant another one anyway Building Clarendon Brighton - Done and moved in Sept 2009 Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 284Feb 10, 2010 10:39 am Oh eho, this is one of the most beautiful landscapings I've ever seen !!! It is amazing ... I'm not even looking at the plants, just at the "hard surfaces" and the design ... and best of all, it seems like your back is similar to ours - is your fill section at the back?? And how high the fill was (and the ret. wall)? What kind of works have you done there? Looks like sandstone paving and s/s retaining wall, but what's under the paving (hard concrete maybe?) ?? And who did you hire ... would you recommend them ... etc etc I have millions of Qs again ... My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 285Feb 11, 2010 7:07 am Hi eho, Just read a few pages back and love your timber floors, for the kitchen, did you raise the height of the benches by the same height of the flooring. e.g. around 38-40mm if you have done solid floors? If you wouldn't mind PM me the details of who you used for the floors too that will be great. We are planning to put solid boards and asked the builder to provide the skirting as part of the deal but we will do the install afterwards and also raise the bench height so it is not sunk by the timber floors. MadCow. Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 286Feb 11, 2010 9:48 am Lex, The before and after shot is the backyard. Our land is sloping down to the back. Before the house was built, I thought the land was fairly flat. Until the slab were down, then I realised we have a drop of about 600-800mm in our backyard. So, the retaining wall was an after thought. That makes it more expensive to build too because of all the fills needed to wheel-barrow in! The retaining wall is using the same bricks as the house. The paving is sandstone pavers on sand (compacted with road base first). And yes, the most expensive materials in my entire landscaping budget!! Just a word of warning if you are considering sandstone paving. Depends on the pavers, they may not have even thickness. This makes it very hard when paving to produce a smooth and even surface. This is the case for my pavers. Not sure if this is the skill of my landscaper or what not. He spent quite a bit of time to improve the evenness, but still, there are still places not as even as I would hope for. In contrary, he also did paving for my driveway. The surface is even and good. Paving on concrete may make a difference too?? not sure. Would I recommend my landscaper? Overall, I am happy, except with the less than perfect sandstone paving I paid a lot on the stones. I guess I have high expectation. He did a good job for my driveway and other things. He is quite easy going, helpful, good advice, and flexible on what you want. However, when he tends to juggle between multiple jobs and not turn up to your place when he said he would. MadCow, Yes, I did raised my kitchen bench by the height of the floor. I used Damien (http://www.dsprestigefloors.com.au), the same guy Behw used to service his floor. My experience with Damien was good in general but not so for Behw. So, you may need to more research Building Clarendon Brighton - Done and moved in Sept 2009 Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 287Feb 11, 2010 10:19 am Ah, yes, on second look, it's obvious that the wall itself is made of bricks Looks like our backyards are the same in terms of the fill ! Except that yours is then just flat, while ours is still sloping down to the back fence ... We might copy your landscaping idea ... but probably not the s/stone as it seems very expensive . So did this guy do the ret. wall as well? Did you have to get a structural engineer for the wall? Have you got any thoughts about a pergola at the back?? My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 288Feb 11, 2010 10:21 am And do you have more pics of that area at the back, but looking at the actual wall + paving, towards the house? My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 289Feb 12, 2010 1:08 pm Love all the landscaping here ... we must have the same taste as I always dreamed to have those dark red and green cordies (or whatever the name is) and some silvery foliage plans, but most of all - the large beaut violet-red grass! And all your colours are just magic together ... the brick and the downpipes/window frames/fence, the pathways ... so very nice ... aahhhhhh .... My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 292Feb 15, 2010 11:55 am madcow, I can tell you that the following company is an expert timber floor. Timber Floors Pty Ltd. www.timberfloors.com.au The owner John can give you a lot of advcie on the timber variety to use to suit your location. I live in Kellyville which has extreme temperature and he has recommended to use southern blue gum which he got from Tasmania. This timebr is not available to other timber flooring company. Their installer Chris is very punctual and careful. Their floor sander Rchard uses a very enpensive machine and the finish of the floor is very smooth. However, I was unable to get Richard to come back to sand my floor as he was too busy. So I used Damien from DS Prestige Flooring and he is not good with the finish. I tried Prestige Flooring and they sent this Korean team to come and the sanding is not level. I wish I had waited for Richard. So try Timber Floors Pty Ltd. They do not ask for a deposit. You make the payemnt when the floor is complete and then pay the sander for sanding. behw Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 293Feb 15, 2010 12:22 pm Here are some more pics of my backyard. As you may see, its still very empty We are still figuring out what outdoor furniture we need/want. First, we think an outdoor bench at the corner near the tree would be nice. Under the alfresco, we may get a 2 seater + 2 single seater with a coffee table, maybe?? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We are also thinking to have a folder arm awning that we could extend to cover (most) of the paving area at the back. So, in summer, it can block the north aspect sunlight. Also, we could use that area for lunch/dinner gathering for a large group. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ For the side of the house, we went for steppers with gravel. I chose blue metal for the gravel as I like the colour matching with the house. I think I am starting to regret this decision because the gravel is small and light. Walking on it tends to kick up the stones. Also, gravels make it hard (impossible) to sweep the area! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Building Clarendon Brighton - Done and moved in Sept 2009 Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 294Feb 15, 2010 4:52 pm Ooooh, it's beautiful, eho !!!! I see that you won't even need a pergola as your house alraedy has the alfresco, that's very lucky. I think anything will look good there - and that sandstone is just so beautiful. And guess what - we also thought of stepping blocks with gravel for the sides (our sides are quite wide, so we can even fit the concrete pathway next to the slab, and then the gravel&blocks). Hmmm, do you think that some other type/style/size of gravel would have made any difference in regards to sweeping / easier maintenance?? My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 295Feb 15, 2010 9:34 pm Lex Hmmm, do you think that some other type/style/size of gravel would have made any difference in regards to sweeping / easier maintenance?? I am not sure. But, if I used river pebbles, they won't be so easily kicked around and I should be able to use a blower. At the moment, my blower can easily blow away all the blue metal Building Clarendon Brighton - Done and moved in Sept 2009 Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it off! 296Feb 16, 2010 12:20 am Oh ... well maybe you can just pick it until (if) you decide to replace it with some heavier stuff ... or, neglect it a little , you deserve a break!! I like that your side fence has proper concrete underneath - helps with weeds too ... both our side neighbours don't care about their weeds/turf spreading into our garden beds, it's a nightmare to keep them free of their 'veggies' My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it 297Apr 23, 2010 11:14 pm Hi eho, long time no words?!?! How is the garden growing? Any nice plants to show us? How is everthing else going and do you have any more updates, or are you completely "done" now ? I found your kitchen in progress photo and you mentioned: "Kitchen - we are having ice snow caesarstone benchtop and stipple seal glass splashback. DW and I are both hopeless visualising colours and design. I hope this will work out ok." Haha, I'm joining the club - no way I can visualise either. Can you post a photo of your finished kitchen? My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it 298Sep 19, 2010 9:09 pm behw madcow, I can tell you that the following company is an expert timber floor. Timber Floors Pty Ltd. http://www.timberfloors.com.au The owner John can give you a lot of advcie on the timber variety to use to suit your location. I live in Kellyville which has extreme temperature and he has recommended to use southern blue gum which he got from Tasmania. This timebr is not available to other timber flooring company. Their installer Chris is very punctual and careful. Their floor sander Rchard uses a very enpensive machine and the finish of the floor is very smooth. However, I was unable to get Richard to come back to sand my floor as he was too busy. So I used Damien from DS Prestige Flooring and he is not good with the finish. I tried Prestige Flooring and they sent this Korean team to come and the sanding is not level. I wish I had waited for Richard. So try Timber Floors Pty Ltd. They do not ask for a deposit. You make the payemnt when the floor is complete and then pay the sander for sanding. behw So true about Timber Floors Pty Ltd - they are quite certain that southern blue gum is the most suitable species for the moody climate of Syd's north-west. Wondering if anyone actually used them? They do seem to have good reputation. My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it 299Sep 19, 2010 10:09 pm Lex Hi eho, long time no words?!?! How is the garden growing? Any nice plants to show us? How is everthing else going and do you have any more updates, or are you completely "done" now ? I found your kitchen in progress photo and you mentioned: "Kitchen - we are having ice snow caesarstone benchtop and stipple seal glass splashback. DW and I are both hopeless visualising colours and design. I hope this will work out ok." Haha, I'm joining the club - no way I can visualise either. Can you post a photo of your finished kitchen? Yea!! Definitely been a while since I come on this forum. About the garden, most of my plants survived the winter. Many of them are now shooting new leaves, good to see. Also see lots of weeds coming out now, just did a round of zero today. Nothing much happened around the house. I still haven't done all the light fittings arounf the house - still using those batten holders in some rooms!! Well, not really nothing happened. My wife gave birth to our baby girl earlier this year. She is now 6 month, time flies! Another reason I am not on this forum much is because I am spending lots of time on another forum, hehe. Reseaching and setting up a marine/reef aquarium . This is going to be a nice addition to the house! Building Clarendon Brighton - Done and moved in Sept 2009 Re: Clarendon Brighton - Builder done, my turn to finish it 300Sep 20, 2010 7:24 am Well hello eho and welcome back! Whattdayamean "nothing happened", there's a new baby - CONGRATULATIONS!! Anyway, good to see that your house is standing put. Any chance of a kitchen pic (remember, kitchen is the heart of the house and we've never seen yours completed !) My signature is distracting people from my wise posts ... Hi, did you get any money from insurance? if you did, does it match what you've already paid the builders? 3 9565 I work with owner, he/she is my man on the ground and I instruct them when to visit the site and take photos and I have other tools in the bag. 4 15275 4 14463 |