Browse Forums Owner Builder Forum Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 261Dec 12, 2017 11:35 am Owner Builders in boot-shaped Yorke Peninsula : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=80264& Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 264Jan 15, 2018 4:59 am Owner Builders in boot-shaped Yorke Peninsula : viewtopic.php?f=38&t=80264& Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 267Feb 06, 2018 5:13 pm Good to hear your health is improving. You must be itching to go check it out ! Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 268Feb 07, 2018 9:50 am waxinggibbous Roof is on! Had a text from the roofer last night - originally I was going to be there to lay the insulation as they lay the tin. But with the current situation he said they would do the insulation as well (it was all sitting inside the containers waiting to go, so I sent the roofer my keys.) He sent these pix through: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I have been given the all clear to drive again so I will be heading home on Thursday and will head out to the house to check it out on Friday. Looking good. Nice views from your roof Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 269Jul 22, 2018 10:23 am Apologies for lack of updates - year to date: annus horribilis meet Misery Loves Company. (Though health is good - except for a raging toothache ATM on a halfway done root canal!! Why do these things ALWAYS occur on a Friday evening?) With teaching and a general lack of enthusiasm progress continues to be slow. We are having a drought in this neck of the woods - and as a result (almost no grass and more kangaroos than I've ever seen before) my nemesis - Saffron thistle, raised its ugly head. Sprouting up in huge numbers in areas not seen in for 3 years. So that took some of my time up, as did the winter veggie garden. I've also been planting a lot more trees and shrubs. (You may see a procrastination tactic here!!) Anyway - the little bit of house progress is as follows: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ See right through now! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ It's great to finally have these installed after sitting around inside forever. The difference inside is amazing. Even a month after the shortest day, the sun still comes in a long way. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And despite freezing conditions (we hit minus 9.1 at 06.30 this morning) it has been warm enough to work inside in a T-shirt. Once the windows were in I could frame up the hall cupboard and bedroom wall/door: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I have also begun to seal the container floors. The timber in them is saturated in pesticides from years of spraying. This can lead to off-gassing, or the release of noxious fumes into the house over time. So I have been covering them with a layer of epoxy resin. This forces any fumes to escape below into the sub floor cavity. This has the added effect of deterring any insect from eating their way into the floor from below. Cleared and mopped: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And sealed: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The windows also give me a chance to observe the locals unseen: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Slowly getting my motivation back, so will endeavour to post more regularly as things happen! Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 270Jan 07, 2019 6:49 pm Well the last 5 months have flown. Apart from working almost full time and losing time because of Xmas and New Year, I took off on another trip for just over 4 weeks to Tunisia and Malta. (It was my present to myself for turning the big 6-Oh!!) The usual Spring Weed Massacre has continued - targeting Mullein, Saffron Thistle and something I think might be Horseweed. And the veggie garden has taken a massive hit from an invasion of grasshoppers. 10's of thousands of the little monsters. I usually get grasshoppers every December but there are never that many and they do no damage - a little nibbling on the rhubarb leaves is about all. This year they've been attacking almost everything, even young Grevilleas I've planted. Very depressing. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Also caught this little miscreant amongst the veggies: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ As vermin and a chronic pest its presence means the back of the shovel over its cranium. I took it across the road and let it go. I'm going to make a terrible farmer! Whilst on the subject of fauna - just after evicting the rabbit this found its way into the veggies: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I let THAT one find its own way out. Also in mid August I stopped to move a dead wombat from the middle of the road only to discover this in the pouch: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I called WIRES and they sent over a guy to take him off to a wildlife sanctuary. The main progress on the house was the installation of the sub floor. I was held up several weeks as the hardware store mislaid my order. So while I was waiting for a phone call re delivery time the order wasn't even in at the Sydney depot. (The insulation panels weren't kept in stock) It was quite tricky to lay as the insulation panels were a different size (2400 x 1200) to the yellow tongue (3600 x 900). Also the insulation needed holes cut into it wherever a batten was put down on the floor. Another difficulty was maneuvering the yellow tongue sheets on my own as each weighed 45kgs. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 271Feb 25, 2019 9:35 pm Omg haven’t been on here for ages. The view through those three windows are gorgeous!!! Anymore updates? <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 272Oct 11, 2020 4:18 pm Wow - where did the time go? I'm still alive and no...still haven't finished the house! Life keeps getting in the way. Most of 2019 I worked almost full time to refill the coffers and then the Xmas hols from school was going to be a whirlwind of activity. But then the fires struck. Not me but they got horribly close. I spent every day waiting for the fires to arrive sitting in dense smoke with a facemask on and buckets of water lined up on the deck. (Back deck and still exposed rood trusses faced the direction of the fires.) The huge Morton National Park ends across the road from me - and about 95% of it burnt. The fire was travelling at 10-14kms an hour with the fierce winds and came within a few kms of my place when on Jan 4th a sudden 180 deg wind change turned it back on itself and then went on to wreak havoc in Wingello and Tallong areas. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Pyrocumulous cloud over the hill: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ The dam in January:Not a good time. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then when the rains came it was suddenly time to go back to paid work. So work on the house continues to be glacially slow. With teaching and being away at my partners for over 2 months of every year I put all my spare time on the house and land. Weed maintenance continues to take up a lot of time, but I've cut back on the veggy garden. It was taking too much time and energy. With the sub floor done there wasn't much more to do inside until I cladded the exterior and flashed the roof (as during heavy rain with strong wind, rain could still get blown under the tin roof, collect on the container roof and drip in through a few small gaps between containers) But Jan and Feb rains greened things up again: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I made a start on the front deck: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And I planned the deck boards to run parallel with the front of the house: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Big mistake as (though not obvious in this photo) a slight curve in the lines became apparent and it jarred with my OCD!! So undo and change direction: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then I decided to finish the wall on the back of the house. I am using double insulation both inside and outside. So the exterior walls are having an insulated foam inlaid between the studs. Interior walls are having regular f/glass batts. First was framing up the wall: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then I had a practice flashing my first window: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then the foam inlays: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Sorta mock tudor lol: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then I added the fibro: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Because fibro need battens to hide the joins I decided for this wall to be a little creative with them and make them a bit of a feature, so added a few more where they were not needed: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ It currently has 2 undercoats and 1 of 2 topcoats. Next post - the other walls. Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 273Oct 11, 2020 4:30 pm Next I needed to cut out the door in the guest bedroom: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Then I began framing the other walls: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And I have also put in my first door (a nerve wracking exercise for a first timer!): Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And surprise...surprise...it works perfectly. Now it just need a coat of primer and 2 topcoats. I've just finished the 4 coats on the other 4 doors that are waiting to be fitted. I made a simple but very handy door pivot so I can paint all sides and edges at the same time: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ All of the insulation panels have been cut individually to size and numbered for the outside walls. Lots of measuring! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Also, after finishing the back wall I discovered a fibro with a deliberate shadow gap which I really like and so doesn't require battens. Hardie Easylap: Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ So the rest of the exterior walls will be covered with this. It's been ordered just waiting on delivery. And we've finally had some decent rain on September, and my dam is overflowing for the first time in about 4 years. : Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ That's about it for now - apart from some cladding and flashing I've been working at on the roof. ATM I'm spending hours attacking the spring weeds. (5 hours spot spraying yesterday and 3 today) Will try to be more regular with updates in future. Sorry for being neglectful!! Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 274Oct 11, 2020 5:47 pm Omg where do I start? I’m so glad you weren’t badly affected by the fires but can imagine how terrifying it would have been. The view from those windows!!!!! I love the shadow line fibro (although what you did with battens was cute) I just think the shadow line is a tad more sophisticated. It’s all looking gorgeous! <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 275Oct 12, 2020 6:03 am Thanks AKB - I agree about the shadowline fibro. I wish I had discovered it earlier. I may consider replacing the back wall with it at a later date as I was never really satisfied with having to use battens in the first place. But it's nice to have at least one exterior wall finished!! Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 276Oct 12, 2020 8:07 am waxinggibbous Thanks AKB - I agree about the shadowline fibro. I wish I had discovered it earlier. I may consider replacing the back wall with it at a later date as I was never really satisfied with having to use battens in the first place. But it's nice to have at least one exterior wall finished!! Oh yeah don’t get me wrong I like the Batons I just think the sleekness of the shadow line with your build will be next level <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 277Oct 29, 2020 7:33 pm I've been waiting for the winds to die down for what seemed like weeks in order to put up the verandah cladding. While waiting, weed control still takes 2-3 hours daily to keep the numbers down - in this area, Cape Weed and Paterson's Curse has run rampant. But my efforts in previous years meant I had hardly any of these - but large numbers of Saffron Thistle are back on my property. I also was wondering how I was going to be able to lift the 2400 x 970mm cladding sheets myself to nail into position. Sometimes a redesign follows necessity. I decided to halve the sheet length from 2400 to 1200. Quite happy with the look as the squarish boards will echo the square cladding planned for the front of the house. Began last Friday lunchtime and managed to nail the last board just as the huge thunderstorm broke the following afternoon. Now I need a sunny day to dry the panels so I can paint them. And it's rained almost every day since! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Now I want to do the verandah soffits (if that's what you call the verandah 'ceiling') - but despite my best efforts to keep them out, birds have managed to get into the roof and so now I have to wait until the 'kids leave home' before I can put up the soffits. Just bought some ... Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ So now ANOTHER skill I have to learn Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 278Oct 29, 2020 8:37 pm I love the cladding. It’s interesting you should mention Patterson’s Curse a friend of mine and I were discussing this on the weekend how you use to see it all the time but haven’t seen it running wild for years <!-- l --><a class="postlink-local" href="https://forum.homeone.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=62083">viewtopic.php?t=62083</a><!-- l --> Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 279Oct 30, 2020 6:25 am Paterson's curse is rampant here in Goulburn, also around Grenfell where my partner lives. Pastures full of it has looked quite beautiful alongside flowering canola in these regions. Over the past 5 -6 years at my property/my local area, I have seen usually one particular weed dominate each Spring - this year it is two - Cape Weed has also been extremely prolific. Last year for me was horse weed, the year before mullein (Verbascum thapsus) before that Saffron thistle (still rearing its ugly head!!) and when I first bought the property it was covered in serrated tussock. Weeds - a never-ending battle! Re: Tondelver House - Southern Highlands 280Nov 15, 2020 6:26 pm A few small jobs finished. Weed killing is taking quite a lot of my time ATM being Spring and all the rain we've had. I painted 2 undercoats and 2 topcoats on the verandah facade as well as completing the capping. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Also I welded 28 steel 'anchors' to the container walls and bolted the external timber frame to them. This will solidify the frame ready for the cladding panels (which weigh 44kgs each) After grinding off the paint, I welded the steel angle brackets (not the prettiest but it will do the job), cleaned up the weld and sprayed it with cold-gal. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Next I made 4 concrete reinforced pads for brick piers. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Today I finished making the 4 brick piers. Laying bricks was harder than you imagine. The guy on the youtube clip made it look so easy! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ I was pleased that I got them level with each other. Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ It's greened up nicely down this way - this time last year it was brown...brown..brown!! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ Next I need to install some door and window reveals before I can start putting up the cladding. 1 10697 Thank you so much everyone. This all makes a lot of sense. I guess when you talk to a builder who butters up everything to look very polished, you get to start believing… 7 19951 hi guys. Please be nice. First time home builder in Qld. I would like some feedback please on whether I should build my granny flat first before my main house at the… 0 5343 |