Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges -Snakes Part 2 101Dec 04, 2014 8:46 pm Took another boot load of cement render to my build site last weekend (I am stock piling the render so I will have something to do over the Christmas - New Years break). When I arrived on site I noticed that the draft excluder (door snake) under the front door had been moved. I initially wondered what could have move it. I gingerly explored the house not knowing what to expect to find. In the living room I found several large snake scats. This explained what had moved the draft excluder to gain access into the house. I now may have a large snake somewhere inside the house. I still do not understand why the snake would go to so much trouble to enter the house just to go to the toilet when there are 100's of acres of bushland outside. I hope it hasn't decided to use my house to have babies. Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges -Snakes Part 2 102Dec 04, 2014 10:19 pm I''d be finding it quick smart. Nothing worse than lifting something up like a sheet of ply etc and there is a cranky brown snake under it when you least expect it ! Stewie Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges -Snakes Part 2 103Dec 05, 2014 7:59 am I picked up all my drop sheets, shook them out and have now stored them in my shed. I laboriously moved all but 2 left over building sheets into my shed. I also have arranged for all the now empty timber pallets to be collected. This will eliminate hiding places adjacent to the house. Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges -Snakes Part 2 104Dec 09, 2014 7:43 am Beetaloo I now may have a large snake somewhere inside the house. I still do not understand why the snake would go to so much trouble to enter the house just to go to the toilet when there are 100's of acres of bushland outside. I hope it hasn't decided to use my house to have babies. Clearly you are building a superior home and the local fawna have decided to move-in pre occupation certificate. At least you won't have a problem with rodents. Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges -Snakes Part 2 105Dec 11, 2014 9:22 pm Fingers crossed it's come in and gone straight out again!! Build thread http://tinyurl.com/llgc7yk Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Electricity 106Dec 13, 2014 8:59 pm I have not done much more on my build recently as I have been busy working on a major overseas project (and will be up to Christmas) to earn money to pay for my build. I don't have the luxury of using other people's money to pay for my build.
I now have mains power. Getting mains power connected is a major milestone in the country. This might not mean much in suburbia, but in the country is it a major achievement. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I should now be able to use my air-conditioning during the Christmas/news years break. This should allow me to continue working on my build when the temperature is in the +40's Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Electricity 107Dec 13, 2014 9:53 pm That is great. I know what you mean about it being an achievement, water, electricity, gas, sewerage, roads, even rubbish collection are all taken for granted in the city. Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Electricity 108Dec 18, 2014 1:10 am Hi, What an excellent blog! I currently in the process of purchasing some acreage in Beetaloo just north of your location. Im hoping to owner build a small house with a large orchard and veggie patch. I recently passed your house and it looked brilliant. Beetaloo is such a beautiful place, feels like you are worlds away. I've only heard good things about the Northern Areas Council, how have you gone building through them? Thanks Jye Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Electricity 109Dec 19, 2014 11:27 am Quote: I've only heard good things about the Northern Areas Council, how have you gone building through them? Northern Areas Council have been quite helpful. They have sent me lists of local tradies and contractors that work for the Council. They visited my site during the framing and the roofing stage and also to inspect the plumbing. I have not seen them since. I do email them photos of my progress. The Council building inspector did call in one day to ask for directions to a Straw Bale house that is being build in the Valley. PM me details of your land once you purchase it. Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Radio 111Jan 13, 2015 9:02 pm I now have an emergency services radio installed.
This is because last summer there was a major bushfire in the district and one of the issues that came out of this event was the lack of communications using mobile phones or landlines in this type of emergency. Hopefully I will never have to use it. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Rad 112Jan 14, 2015 1:16 pm That's a good idea. With that you can communicate directly with fire crews or the incident control centre. Our house is on top of the biggest hill around and we can see more than 20km. That is invaluable in pinpointing the location of fires and reporting directly to crews on the ground. Also handy to be able to listen in on the actual progress of the fire in real time. http://i1054.photobucket.com/albums/s493/RuffTuff2/IMAG1341_zps45d7825a.jpg We also use ours for communication within our property. It has its limitations but does provide an additional way to keep in touch. Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Radio 113Jan 15, 2015 6:03 pm RuffTuff, You have a good setup. You live in the country. I still live in the City, I am still finding out about things that are important in the country but largely irrelevant in the city. I only wish I knew about the advantages of a CB radio with high gain antenna a couple of months ago before I finished putting up the wall and ceiling linings. I only found out about it at this years Valley Christmas party. (you really need to go to one of our local Valley parties) It took +4 hours to install the cabling from the antenna into the house in +40deg temperatures. This would have taken only 10 minutes before I put up the ceiling and wall linings. Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Rad 114Jan 15, 2015 8:33 pm Beetaloo It took +4 hours to install the cabling from the antenna into the house in +40deg temperatures. This would have taken only 10 minutes before I put up the ceiling and wall linings. So what coax did you install ? rg58 or rg213 or something better like lmr-400 ? What frequency is it on ? Brendan - vk4blp Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Rad 115Jan 15, 2015 8:51 pm Dropping in for updates Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Radio 116Jan 15, 2015 9:09 pm Quote: So what coax did you install ? rg58 or rg213 or something better like lmr-400 ? I'm sorry Brendan, After a couple glasses of wine and a belly full of country food I sort of lost interest in the technical stuff. What I can tell you is it was a big thick black cable that I could not bend with my bare hands (within the wall cavity) without mechanical advantage using pliers. The cable was supplied free of charge by a local TV/Antenna contractor under a government grant. This company also came out and terminated the cable both ends. Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Emergency Rad 117Jan 15, 2015 10:32 pm sounds like at least rg213, so at least not as lossy as rg58. Owner Building at Jimboomba Woods in Logan City Qld. Blog : http://bandlnewhomebuild.blogspot.com H1 thread : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=68283 . Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Ensuite 118Jan 18, 2015 6:39 pm With the shut down in the commercial building industry over the Christmas/New Year period I was forced to take 3 weeks leave.
This leave (even though January is not my favourite time to be working on my build) allowed me to progress my build. My first priority was to get one bathroom working. The ensuite is now fully functional and in use. All that is left to do are: towel rails, final coats of paint, sealing around windows and around the vanity unit and to replace a cracked tile. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The hot water service is not installed yet but at this time of year this is not an issue as the ensuite is at the opposite end of the house from the rainwater tank and the water is warm by the time it reaches the shower. Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Painting Woes 119Jan 29, 2015 6:37 pm Working 3 weeks solid, instead of just on alternate weekends allowed me to progress other areas in addition to the ensuite.
In the first week I was able to tape and flush all the plasterboard walls. By the end I was starting to get quite good at it. Pity I probably will never need to use this newly acquired skill again. I then moved on to painting. After the sealer, I put one coat on paint onto 4 rooms before I ran out of paint. I looked in the yellow pages and found the one paint shop in the district. I bought one 15 litre tin of wall paint and also ceiling paint. When I applied it, it was tinted to a significantly different colour and one coat did not cover the first coat. I tried to buy more paint from the one and only paint shop but they had closed for the Christmas new year period. I did not want to sit around doing nothing for a whole week so I tried every hardware store in the district. Only one store was open and said they sold paint. This was a very small general store that sold everything from fishing gear to building supplies. They typically only carried one item of everything in stock (their regular customers know to order in advance) so I was only able to buy one 15 litre tin of wall and also ceiling paint. The owner said he would need to start up his computer to look up the tinting formula on the web. He said this would take some time and suggested I go away and do something else. I crossed the road to the local mini supermarket and stocked up on provisions. When I returned his computer had only just finished booting up - he was not kidding about it taking some time. When I applied the paint, it was tinted differently to the previous paints and one coat would not cover. I ordered yet more paint and applied one more coat to all walls and ceilings while I was waiting for the delivery. I had to wait another week for this extra paint. After I collected the second batch of paint ( had to cross the street again and do some grocery shopping while his computer booted up) and I returned to my build to apply this new batch of paint, it was tinted differently from all the other paints even though it was the same brand and was tinted in the same store. I did manage to get 2 more coats on to three bedrooms before I ran out of paint again. I have now returned to the city. On my next trip I will need to repaint all the walls and ceilings (another 2 coats) in the remaining half of the house. Photos of the completed main bedroom. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Owner Build in Southern Flinders Ranges - Painting Woes 120Jan 29, 2015 7:27 pm The joys of working in the country Beetaloo ! What you have finished is looking good though. Good luck with the rest of the painting. Stewie Congratulations! Nice to put that to bed before christmas, now you can relax 3 7182 We are in NSW and require 2 positive covenants to be placed on the property didnt really underdtand this but apparently it will take a few months, and have just been… 2 7473 0 5684 |