What We're Looking Forward To

Watching sunsets like molten gold from our deck while drinking ridiculously fruity cocktails in the Summer... Although this one was taken tonight while eating greasies in the dusty 'aquarium' :-)

Things seem to be moving along again...

So, last night when we went up to the site we found that the "Gibbing" is going pretty well by the looks of things... although the rooms that now have their internal walls covered feel a lot smaller suddenly...

Pics tell the story:

The aquarium grows sides

The hallway looks like a hallway!

Sliding doors for the TV room with their insides exposed

Inside the second bedroom

There's a step ladder in our shower!

Master bedroom

Overview

Fat Kereru in a Puriri tree

Plastered!

Well, the plastering has finally begun anyway.

So - status update: Interior insulation is in place, underfloor insulation is also in place. The ceiling Gib (dry-wall or plaster board for those in other parts of the world) is going up, and over the next few weeks the wall gib work will be happening.

Spring is certainly here with vengeance - the grass and trees are growing fast, and the birds have returned to feast on the spring berries in the trees... We really wish we were living there already!

Builders decided to start catching some rain - the tank was getting low

The front door after it's first coat of stain - and a closeup of the first layer of plaster

The plaster layer has started. Two more to go...

Plaster, and temporary down-pipes (blue plastic)

Insulation (fibreglass "Pink Batts") and the ceiling in place

More ceiling and insulation

And the grass won't cut itself!

Colour me something...

So - we need to think about exterior colours. I spent some time with photoshop and came up with some concepts. We both like the idea of the Axon panel being dark chocolate in colour, and the plaster needs to be a lighter colour according to its rules of engagement... so - below are a few possibilities we'd like your comments on please.... And - please VOTE in the poll to the right!

Option A

Option B

Option C

Option D

So - that's how you wanna play it huh?

Well, here's a few more pics from the weekend - Back to our regularly scheduled updates now that I'm back from overseas...

For someone who doesn't like to be in the pics - he sure seems to get in a lot!

Still not done... :-(

But there's real live plumbing under the house too!

And here's the progressive shot from the gate post. Check this one really carefully...

Context

It's all about context, y'know?  Over the months we've taken lots of pics of the build all close up and detailed and stuff.  And you've seen pics of what the view looks like.  But where does the house itself fit into the landscape?

We went a-wanderin' on the next door section (which is for sale, BTW!) and got some shots from afar, that will hopefully show you where the house is situated, and how it fits into the local landscape.

That, and there is a picture of Pete being silly.  You've seen enough pics of me looking dumb, time for revenge, MUAHAHAHAHAAAAAAAA! >:-)

Pete's too cool for school... HURPA DURPA DURP!

The house from afar, nestled against the hill.  Still standing out a bit, but once it's plastered and the ground around it is landscaped it wont stand out quite as much.

I'm read for my close up now, Mr. Demille!  They've just about finished putting on the Axon cladding - the lighter coloured, vertically grooved stuff that will eventually be painted quite a dark colour.  The brownish stuff is the paper & wire mesh base that the concrete stucco stuff will be sprayed onto, then painted a lighter, contrasting colour.

Better view of the Axon cladding on the games room.  It will provide a nice contrast in terms of texture as well as colour against the concrete stucco goop (when it is eventually done).

Fishies In The Aquarium

Alrighty, short update! Most of the wiring is in and the majority of the plumbing is done apart from connecting pipes up to the water pump, storm water drainage, sewerage/septic-tank and the roof gutters to the water tanks. The upper part of the house is now completely weather-tight with all glass in, finally :-)  So a few pics of the joinery we decided to go for... as much as we would have liked huge expanses of glass, we had to go with horizontal dividers in most parts due to the cost, boo hiss :-P



Looking out onto the main deck from inside the aquarium... here fishy fishy fishy fishy...



A couple of fishies in the aquarium :-)  Lots of natural light coming in which is good - it will be a nice, light, airy space when all done and dusted.  Well, knowing us, not dusted very often... :-o



So many horizontal dividers in the doors and windows, but alas it cannot be helped.  Until we win lotto and rip it all out of course to be replaced by vast expanses of uninterrupted glass.  Hey Mr. Builder Man - if you are reading this, if we win lotto then be afraid... very afraid :-D



All the windows and doors are now in, in the games room under the main deck.   It will be a great space for doing all sorts of stuff.  The gimp-pit is just out of sight in this photo, but we'll acquaint you with it - intimately - when you come up and stay with us sometime... oh my, yes.

Mmmmm - glass. CRACK! Doh!

Yep - more windows and door frames have gone in now, and yep, a couple of large panes have big fat cracks across them. Oh well - they'll be fixed :). We met on Monday morning with the plumber to go over the requirements, and the sparkies have been on-site all week and are making some clear progress. Today when we went up after work, we even saw that the plumber has already started! It's nice to see things taking shape!

The big glass is in! Pity about the left two panes being broken...

Door frames too - no doors yet, but frames!

Welcome to Krazy Kane's sliding window emporium

I see wires...

I also see pipes! Shhh, there's copper thieves about...

Ok - now I REALLY see wires.

I see windows!

Well, as promised - windows started going in yesterday... here's the evidence.

View from bedroom 2 - with glass in the way!

Windows going in - not necessarily with glass in all yet...

And the other side...

Guest bathroom even has privacy.

Progress feels so slow at this stage!

Well, in the last week there has been some progress, but it still does feel like not a lot's happening. There's been more prep work done for the plaster cladding, and some of the axon cladding has started going up - in addition, the spouting has started appearing, and the ceiling battens have been installed. So - in reality, a fair bit happened in this last week.

We've been told by the electrician that pre-wire should happen this coming week, and the windows should start going in tomorrow - we shall see......

Cladding making progress

We have some gutters now too

Close-up of the Stucco-Rite cladding prep

Axon paneling going on

More external cladding goodness

Steel ceiling battens in place