Week 15

Bay window frames have finally gone in for downstairs. They'll finish getting bricked up next week along with the lintel getting welded in place and then bricked over ready for floor trusses above.

Most of the downstairs brick work is now up to floor height. Still a bit to go until we are completely ready for our floor to go on.

Floor trusses have arrived and are going to start getting installed on Monday. Hopefully the bricking can stay ahead of them. Pressure is on the bricklayer as the concreter comes in Tuesday next week to begin work getting ready to pour our north garage, rear terrace, front veranda and anything else we can think of that needs concreting. With any luck the south garage will get done as well.

Week 14

Getting closer to floor height now for the whole house. Floor trusses have been ordered and are supposed to be on site Thursday next week.

There's still a bit of bricklaying to be done before we're ready for trusses. Here's hoping. Then the pressure will be on to get the garages built so the roof trusses can go on. The plan is to have a roof on and windows in by Christmas.

 We had some mechanical help today diverted to our garden bed and it did ,in less than an hour, what would have taken me weeks to do by hand.

I'm happy with the result. Now we can get the garden beds prepared for planting. The vege patch in the corner will have to wait as apparantly storm water piping needs to run underneath it.

Week 13

Some progress this week with a team of bricklayers coming in to help. They are coming back next week so here's hoping we'll be out of the ground and ready for frame. If the weather looks after us I think we'll get a LONG way next week.

Slab went down this week in the water tank area. Hopefully water tanks will go in next week and then all the walls can go up.

Planted our sad avocado tree today. It's been nagging me to get it in the ground so today was the day.  I hope it's happy there and gives us many years of fruit. More fruit trees to follow along that fence. Lemon, Lime to acompany the mandarin, fig and now avocado. They'll have to wait 'til next week.

Week 12

The final internal timber lintel went in. Another beautiful piece of ironbark.

The posts to carry the t bar lintel above the bay door was installed. The t bar will be welded on top to carry the load of bricks above.

Brickies at work on the footings, not their best work mind you. This wall is technically called a "pig". Due to it's long length an error was made in the levels which meant the wall was going downhill. Luckily this wall will be hidden under the house as it is support for floor trusses, otherwise it would have meant pulling it down and starting again. No effect on structural integrity, just not pretty to look at.

The start of digging up the grass for our garden.

week 11

 We have a room, minus roof, of course.

 Opening between the 2 downstairs rooms. Huge piece of exposed ironbark will be placed next week. Going to take a few strong hands to lift it into place. Once its installed , the brickwork can then be finished off over the top.

Retaining wall is looking good. Will start to fill it with soil in 2-3 weeks. Then start the garden.

Week 10

Quiet week this week. James started bricking over one of the windows today which was great. I'm going to pick up the internal timber lintels on Monday so hopefully they will be installed then.

I went up today (Saturday) and continued with my retaining wall. It's starting to look pretty good. Not really looking forward to digging out all the grass. I think I'll continue on with the back wall and finish that before I carry on with the side wall.

Week 9

Finally got some window frames in today. Only reason we managed to do it was there wasn't any glass in. Very windy today. Bricking them in has started.

 Finished the week off with some nice weather and some reasonable progress. Still a long way to go.

We should be pretty close to finishing the lower level bricklaying in 2 weeks, I hope. Then the fun starts with the floor trusses and frame for upstairs.