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-   -   Wol's house build progress - or not! (https://britishexpats.com/forum/australia-54/wols-house-build-progress-not-402445/)

Wol Oct 16th 2006 7:22 am

Wol's house build progress - or not!
 
1 Attachment(s)
Well, after the pouring rain that turned the site into a muddy mess just after they'd levelled it we thought we were into a straight run. The hundred or so piers went down OK, the footing beams were laid on top of them (114.1 m3 of concrete for the latter, no less) and the commons delivered on schedule.

Now:

1 - Boral bricks advise that their kiln in Kempsie was bust so the facing bricks are delayed 2 weeks, they may end up a different colour and they won't be properly matured before lying. (Bricks "grow" with time and this can produce bad cracking...)

2 - There have been curved ball after curved ball from the window suppliers: today's was an email saying that their Chinese factory won't supply the obscure glass we specified but just some ghastly bubble glass.

3 - The (Australian) garage door manufacturer quoted for three doors to be made in England (We'd installed them before and they are of very good quality) and assured us that they would handle everything. Then a week ago they indicated they were not really interested and would prefer us to have their Oz doors which are of a much lower standard - but they would be happy to do them for the original quote which was 3 times the price of the Oz doors...

So: progress so far is a load of curing inground concrete.

Fraser will no doubt say "Told you so!".

How anything gets accomplished in Australia is beyond me: I think that in general people just shrug their shoulders and put up with whatever they are given on the day rather than insist on things being done properly.

fraser Oct 16th 2006 7:24 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by Wol
Well, after the pouring rain that turned the site into a muddy mess just after they'd levelled it we thought we were into a straight run. The hundred or so piers went down OK, the footing beams were laid on top of them (114.1 m3 of concrete for the latter, no less) and the commons delivered on schedule.

Now:

1 - Boral bricks advise that their kiln in Kempsie was bust so the facing bricks are delayed 2 weeks, they may end up a different colour and they won't be properly matured before lying. (Bricks "grow" with time and this can produce bad cracking...)

2 - There have been curved ball after curved ball from the window suppliers: today's was an email saying that their Chinese factory won't supply the obscure glass we specified but just some ghastly bubble glass.

3 - The (Australian) garage door manufacturer quoted for three doors to be made in England (We'd installed them before and they are of very good quality) and assured us that they would handle everything. Then a week ago they indicated they were not really interested and would prefer us to have their Oz doors which are of a much lower standard - but they would be happy to do them for the original quote which was 3 times the price of the Oz doors...

So: progress so far is a load of curing inground concrete.

Fraser will no doubt say "Told you so!".

How anything gets accomplished in Australia is beyond me: I think that in general people just shrug their shoulders and put up with whatever they are given on the day rather than insist on things being done properly.

Sorry to hear that mate.

Which bricks did you choose as ours were Boral

iPom Oct 16th 2006 7:24 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 
Nice foundations. :o

Wol Oct 16th 2006 10:24 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by iPom
Nice foundations. :o

Dam' well should be - they go down into jules Verne territory!

Looking at the photo again - don't they look a bit like a swastika from that angle? <g>

Wol Oct 16th 2006 10:26 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by fraser
Sorry to hear that mate.

Which bricks did you choose as ours were Boral

Flintstone, I believe. They are the extruded type, with "cut" corners to simulate tumbled bricks. I hate the proportions and size of metric bricks - they are gross compared with Imperial ones but nobody understands!

fraser Oct 16th 2006 10:28 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by Wol
Flintstone, I believe. They are the extruded type, with "cut" corners to simulate tumbled bricks. I hate the proportions and size of metric bricks - they are gross compared with Imperial ones but nobody understands!


You should be fine as none of our metric ones were square ;)

iPom Oct 16th 2006 10:35 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by Wol
Dam' well should be - they go down into jules Verne territory!

Looking at the photo again - don't they look a bit like a swastika from that angle? <g>


Ya! I see vat you mean!

:D

iPom Oct 16th 2006 10:35 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by fraser
You should be fine as none of our metric ones were square ;)


:D

Wol Oct 16th 2006 10:50 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by iPom
Ya! I see vat you mean!

:D

(To DIMIA): Only a mistake, I promise - don't connect it with my online citizenship application!

iPom Oct 16th 2006 10:52 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by Wol
(To DIMIA): Only a mistake, I promise - don't connect it with my online citizenship application!

LOL!

HA! Your subversive little secrets vill not escape zee pryink eyes of zee DIMIA spies.


Mvahahahaahahahahahaha

Wol Oct 16th 2006 10:54 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by iPom
LOL!

HA! Your subversive little secrets vill not escape zee pryink eyes of zee DIMIA spies.


Mvahahahaahahahahahaha

I will now go into the little attic, behind a false wall and write my diary for posterity........

jad n rich Oct 16th 2006 10:56 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 
Nice size piece of land, is it all yours? bet that cost some serious moolah, they could fit 30 lego land houses on that chunk :D

iPom Oct 16th 2006 11:01 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by Wol
I will now go into the little attic, behind a false wall and write my diary for posterity........

It vill never sell.

cranni Oct 16th 2006 11:50 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by Wol
Well, after the pouring rain that turned the site into a muddy mess just after they'd levelled it we thought we were into a straight run. The hundred or so piers went down OK, the footing beams were laid on top of them (114.1 m3 of concrete for the latter, no less) and the commons delivered on schedule.

Now:

1 - Boral bricks advise that their kiln in Kempsie was bust so the facing bricks are delayed 2 weeks, they may end up a different colour and they won't be properly matured before lying. (Bricks "grow" with time and this can produce bad cracking...)

2 - There have been curved ball after curved ball from the window suppliers: today's was an email saying that their Chinese factory won't supply the obscure glass we specified but just some ghastly bubble glass.

3 - The (Australian) garage door manufacturer quoted for three doors to be made in England (We'd installed them before and they are of very good quality) and assured us that they would handle everything. Then a week ago they indicated they were not really interested and would prefer us to have their Oz doors which are of a much lower standard - but they would be happy to do them for the original quote which was 3 times the price of the Oz doors...

So: progress so far is a load of curing inground concrete.

Fraser will no doubt say "Told you so!".

How anything gets accomplished in Australia is beyond me: I think that in general people just shrug their shoulders and put up with whatever they are given on the day rather than insist on things being done properly.


Great views !!!!!

cranni Oct 16th 2006 11:51 am

Re: Wol's house build progress - or not!
 

Originally Posted by fraser
You should be fine as none of our metric ones were square ;)

So have you settled now Fraser, have you got over the stress of it all.
Well we have decided to sell and do it again, we must be bloody mad i know.
Denise


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