csingeu

Yes... i've emailed the HDB officer IC again... my contractor told me not to ask the HDB officer so much questions... if not, later they come and check, even more "problems" might surface... I'm not expecting a 10cm drop.. maybe 2-3cm drop lor... ok lah... maybe it's really not very possible... but then again, i saw it at other people's place leh... i think should be possible la... except maybe more work for the contractor... oh well... *puke blood* it's mentioned in HDB website (http://www.hdb.gov.sg/fi10/fi10324p.nsf/w/...ow?OpenDocument) Renovation works not allowed: "Raising of floor level exceeding the allowable thickness of 50mm (inclusive of floor tiles) using concrete." but if this is the case... then how can people level their balcony (100mm drop) or kitchen (also 100mm drop) with the living room? hmmm...

Quick Updates! KNS... called up the HDB officer in the morning just now... realised it's a "her" not "him"... LOL... anyway, after she read my email, she understood what I meant, and she said that the hacking should be approved, however, in my contractor's application, several items were unclear; hence they did not approve it. then i called up my contractor and told him that it was not approved as their submission was unclear... and he denied it... saying that it was clearly highlighted in their submission... then i reminded him that for the bathroom area, i would like to do a drop for the shower area, instead of doing a shower kerb. he told me, it's only for the new HDB flats; and HDB won't approve. *faint* lor... he said... if really want to do, it's illegal, and that i better check with the HDB officer myself... i see so many people (esp EM owners) doing it also lor... bro Soichiro, also did it wat... called up the HDB officer again... but she's going out for inspection liao... so told me she will open up my case in the afternoon and communicate with me over the phone. why did i not get my uncle to help me do my renovation instead...??? *ARGH* (at least for the wet works and tiling portion)

true la... i also feel mine 9.5kg is an overkill... maybe i should just go for 8kg or so... LOL... i also don't want to wash too often... but i think sometimes, if exercise and sweat a lot, then prob would want to wash the clothes asap... hopefully got those quick wash mode, which maybe use less water (?) actually, i don't know the size of the WM at my current place now... i think i might be a 6.5kg or so... think if once a week, wash my own clothes + my wife (who, at the moment, stay over during weekends)... it's almost full capacity le... then my parents' usually will wash theirs during weekdays... if need to wash towels and bedsheets, might have to stagger the washing cycle a bit... plus... next time, i'm getting fabric sofa... i think a bigger capacity one... maybe easier to use to wash the sofa cover... but then again... i might just send to the laundry shop...

Well... That "hang dry space" is a valid pt la. LOL... I also don't know leh. Must check with the rest of the EM owners. I think some either use dryer or hang at balcony. Think hang indoors also got la. Hmmm... How much able to hang also depends on how you hang the clothes, right? Anyway, there's also the balcony where I'll prob get that portable pair of bamboo poles holders, for those days whereby I need to hang and sun my bedsheets or quilt, etc. As for using 6.5kg WM, those who "survive" esp with 4 adults or toddlers, prob have to do laundry every alternate days. I did ask my other colleague how he washes the bedsheets and stuff. He mentioned once that he tried to wash and dry using dryer. The results were not very gd. Very crumpled etc. Hence from then on, he will send his bedsheets and stuff to the laundry shop to clean. They even iron it and it feels more shiok, like in hotels(?) Oh well... Different people different lifestyles and expectations and also different "pocket depth". Oh... Btw, he lives in a condo. So no hanging of clothes outside.

actually... my colleague also told me 6.5kg is enough... but again, i think it depends on individual lifestyle la... think for us, so lazy one... maybe might just wash once a week, during weekends... so might need a slightly bigger load one... coz also dun want to wash at max load all the time...

ohh... sgdi.gov.sg only lists the division 1 or more "important" people... most of the technical/clerical officers are not listed... I heard from my contractor, usually the TOs will be ard at their workstation, at 8am or after 4pm... maybe, in between the day... they are actually offsite doing inspections etc... so won't be able to answer phone calls... why want to enlarge main door ah? 1. my neighbour got do mah 2. i feel the current door opening very cramped; seems even more cramped than the one at my current place... maybe it's the gate la... 3. bigger entrance, easier to move ard... and also shift bulky items like fridge ah... and king-size bed? 4. i just like a bigger main door la... look more "grand"... and less cramped lor... i want to talk to him also... but really cannot reach lor... sian... hopefully, he will reply my email tmr morning...

can help me read my bazi?

hmmm... this is interesting...

that's what my wife told me... "just get a plastic stool la...", when i told her i want to have a bench in the bathroom... gd to sit down, read magazine... and soak tired feet in hot water...

Maybe he thinks 6kg is sufficient for now... but somehow, i think next time, if got kids, prob will need bigger ones... and maybe by then, it's time to upgrade the washing machine? hmmm... i only wanted a 8 - 8.5kg... somehow, we got a 9.5kg... coz the salesperson recommended... oh well...

Mine not a lot of places to hack la... only the lower level... plus i never hack so many walls like you... LOL... and my 2nd level, all parquet flooring... not hacking mah... only hacking the toilets... BUT the toilets' stench really STINK... must be the exposed sewage pipes... I was taking pics of the bathrooms... really nasty smell... *puke* I hope the HDB officer can revert tmr... so i can hack my main door!!!

Renovation Day 1: I'm not too sure if this is the usual pace of work... but somehow, I feel it's hacked away too fast... no time to regret also... somehow, I feel the hacking of the kitchen wall is a gd idea; it sort of make the kitchen looks more "open" and spacious... however, i also noticed that the main door is very very near the kitchen wall... so far, quite a lot of EM owners, I see their main door is "flushed" to the common corridor, giving more space between the main door and kitchen... it looks slightly cramped now... hmmm... the utility room looks kind of out of place now too... if it's hacked and converted to glass partition walls, and maybe used as a computer or study room, it might be great. let the pictures speak for themselves... No pics for the wash area & utility room, as i don't want to be electrocuted accidentally...

ya lor... i was totally not expecting it... sian... i got a feeling, i might need to build fire-rated door frames and get fire-rated main door, if i choose to hack and enlarge... hmmm... going to call again tmr... his phone whole day cannot reach... but luckily, I'm on govt email... have auto-check function... managed to find his email... and i sent him an appeal letter using my personal email... think not very gd to use office email for such stuffs... hmmm... LOL... i never check with them... they are the "unfriendly" lvl 6 neighbours... I slipped a msg under their door, asking to pay them a visit, etc... and gave them my hp no. and email, but they never respond... anyway, i've "censored" the unit no. in this pic... but the one I've sent to the HDB officer; I've included it... sian leh... better dun drag too long... think this friday the aircon guy coming to dismantle and do first installation of trunking... i still **** blur abt the trunking la... i hope it won't look like crap... LOL... don't ask me leh... it will be the "noob" leading the "noob"... coz i lazy to find the hammer at home... (plus i think it's rusty and stuff)... i just bought 1 new one (ard $5) from the hardware shop downstairs... no "bai-bai"... don't know who/what to "bai-bai" to leh... Thor? eh... no pineapple ("ong lai")... no one (as in Linda or the uncle @ the shop) mentioned it leh... maybe when officially shift in, then throw ong-lai? hmmm...

Renovation Day 1: First bad news of the renovation: My contractor called me this afternoon, and informed me that HDB did not approve the hacking and enlarging of my main door entrance. Reason? My contractor said HDB officer said that none of my neighbours has done that before, hence it will be a precedence. WTH... My contractor advised me that if I really want to hack, may need to apply to get PE to endorse. WTH... it's just 1 small piece of wall (less than 30 cm wide, i think), and it's not even on a reinforced concrete wall! anyway, I have photographic evidence that one of my neighbours, not only successfully hacked and enlarged its main door, he/she even relocated it nearer to the corridor. And the renovation was done recently (i.e. Nov/Dec 2010). Anyway, I've already written in to the HDB officer IC to appeal. I'm not going to waste $500 for a PE to endorse a small piece of wall, which is hackable.

I thought of doing a seater for my shower area too... think it's useful to sit down and soak feet or scrub/"exfoliate" dry skin from the soles... but bathroom really too small, think do liao, no where to stand...

Quick Updates: Renovation hacking supposed to start officially on 4 Apr 2011. However, think it's the start of Chinese Qing Ming Festival, plus advice from Linda to pick another day, as 4 Apr major clash with my Day Master... hence changed to last Sat morning to "Dong Tu" (symbolically start renovation)... Not that i'm super pan-tang, but if can follow, follow lor... everyone also wants to have smooth renovation and gd luck mah... Hence, I popped by the neighbourhood joss-stick and incense paper shop... and asked the uncle... "Uncle ah, I want to start renovation (Dong Tu). What to buy ah?".... uncle very experienced... straight away know it's for "Di Zhu Gong" (aka "House Deity") "bai-bai" (pray) one... So... I've gotten: 1. 1 pair of red candles 2. 1 standard set of joss-sticks 3. 1 tea packet 4. 1 packet of candies 5. 1 stack of incense paper 6. 5 x oranges 7. 1 x fa-gao (glutinous rice cake???) - supposed to symbolize prosperity??? 8. 1 x new hammer first time "bai-bai" by myself... usually during 7th month, etc... my mum will ask me to go with her... then i'll go reluctantly... I'm not the "bai-bai" sort... so usually will try to siam la... Linda gave me some advice to prepare for the simple "ceremony"... but i still blur blur... then ended up... just improvise on the spot lor... while setting up the "stage" to "bai-bai"... all the while, I scared wind too strong, then the burning paper fly around and burn the place... I think I really quite paranoid at times... luckily the burning paper never anyhow fly... but towards the end, the paper container (actually, it's the box for the lockset, left over by my contractor), got burnt... hence the "fiery" image above... after that, I took the new hammer and went around the living room to "knock-knock" the corners symbolically (LOL... i initially thought, need to hit until tile break kind... WAHAHAHA)... but even symbolically, it's still very LOUD... now I can imagine the noise my new neighbours will have to go thru for the next few days...

Tomorrow will be the start of the hacking. mixed feelings.

i want to do that also. by the way, how much you pay to patch up the wall at the stairwell?

You conceal the wiring for the wall lamp inside the recess area?

wah Linda... your "tile-testing" process even more hardcore sia, but "test results" more instant la... no need to wait 1 day or 1 week for stains to appear... but i don't think i'll do that la... the stupid toronto antarchite tiles from Hafary... when they brought out the sample tile from the store, it was all covered with white stuff... and even after washing (and in chemicals, i think)... some bits of white stuff still remains... I don't think i'll be putting any other parts of myself near it... except my fingers and hands la...

thanks for your advice. did consider this pt abt being dark... hence earlier intention was to go with a lighter theme... but somehow, we still ended up with this... anyway, the rest of the walls are very very light grey... so it shouldn't be too dark la... I hope... let's see how the effect turn out to be... *cross fingers*

ohh... we decided to get the MAX TV console from Cellini instead; to match with the sofa set and also the dining table... but the coffee table... we'll just source for a cheaper and less bulky one... if not, then do without it first... I asked the contractor uncle to do under-cabinet LED lighting for me... but he doesn't want leh... zzz one lor... maybe i'll have to DIY abit... The pendant or hanging lights... still considering... currently, have no plans... but somebody commented should have... if not cannot see the food... i prefer the "softer" diffused lighting, which cove lightings give la... I thought having downlights will mean having to do false ceiling which will lower the ceilings, which i don't want lor... though i think for my dining area, maybe 4 downlights will be more than sufficient... just been to madwarrior79's place just now... noticed that she has 4 downlights for her dining area... hmmm.... Oh... so just one 5-LED light on top of the bathroom vanity counter? I also think 1 light should be enough la... coz my bathroom also not very big... but i prefer it to be directly on top of the edge of the vanity counter...

hey hafiizh, you got contact to get the LED strips? can PM me? thanks!

i wanted to install to improve ventilation of my bathroom areas... coz only got 1 small window... BUT wife thinks it's a waste of money and that it's not going to be effective... and also because, we are getting shower screen, so only the shower area going to be wet... she doesn't see a pt in installing the fan... i would have gotten it, if wife's not against it. you can ask reglxt abt it. she got installed b4.

my personal views only... 1. Need or good to have top cabinet at Chimney Hood's position? - i'm not having. 2. Need or good to have top cabinet at Fridge's position? - don't think it's gd to have stuff on top of the fridge; might affect fridge cooling? think the compressor generates a lot of heat behind, and may need space to dissipate the heat from the side and top? - but my top will be boxed up, due to ugly waste pipes...