pressuntilshiok

Thanks for the info!

Hi, Congrats on your new place. The 3D pics look good, though the kitchen looks a little tight on walking space. Was looking at your a/c installation and it is indeed nicely done. Was this through your own contact or throught ID? Mind if I ask for the contact? Cheers

Am in the midst of doing my carpentry as well. For the shelves, it is true that the sides and back of shelvings is exposed and is not cover by laminates. Same case for me. As for your TV area, my guess is that the visible screw holes may be used to bind the TV top shelf to the vertical support columns.

Need help from RT Forumers: There are some interesting 'stains'/'marks' on the wall despite a few coats of paint. While it may look like a water mark, truth is there isn't any pipes running inside the whole. Moreover, when brushed using bare hands, the texture feels different from a normal painted wall. Any reasons why the mark remains even after paining numerous layers? My contractor is baffled and so am I. Here are how they look like:

Tomorrow will be acid wash day and hence, all the debris in the house was finally cleared which allowed me to review the workmanship of the living room tiles. Happy to say that first impressions were very good, overall very neat and well aligned. Will revisit it after the grout lines have been patched up. Part of the glass works for the two toilets were also up. Glass doors and fixed panels were cut to size and fitted well. Only misgiving was the installation of the glass door locks where some of the parts were missing and this resulted in a less 'smooth' twisting of the knob (ball-bearing inside was missing). Today, Uncle Hui (plumber) is also down to fix the pipes and WC. Hopeful that everything goes well. Meanwhile, some more picture: Living room view - cleared of debris LED downlights up in the Master Bedroom (cool white) Other room which was painted in Grey Squirrel Glass panel in Master Bath

Following the completion of the false ceiling, the painter came to continue his work. Was happy that our choice of neutral colours turned out quite nice. Sandstone and Misty was used for the Master while Forever Blue was used for the future baby room and Grey Squirrel for the study as well as kitchen. Workmanship of painter (Ah Huat) was generally good but I think his tendency to rush through the job (because he had accepted too many) left certain areas unevenly painted. Parquet guys also came over to lay the parquet but it'll only be varnished 10 days later so that the glue can be allowed to dry. Sandstone & Misty in Master Master from another angle Forever Blue in Bedroom

Apart from the fact that my place had numerous structural beams which made it a hassle to install aircon, it was also crooked everywhere. The ceiling was unbalanced, slanted from one end to another (by a difference of >1 inch), the walls weren't exactly straight which makes me wonder: where is the QC from HDB? How can they even allow the contractors to get away with such visibly major flaws? After the aircon guys were done, the guys who did the false ceiling came next and thankfully, they helped to smoothen the areas that had been patched up by the aircon workers. But the bad news was - due to the uneven ceiling, my L-box would exhibit some of the unbalance as well (i.e. one end bigger than the other). Thankfully, the workers were all either Singapore PRs and Malaysians which made it much easier to communicate. They even shared with me some of the projects that they had done in Sentosa cove and one house was even modeled after Angry Birds!! Aircon drainage pipe the way it is supposed to be False ceiling in the Master Bedroom Cove lighting in the Living Area (notice the slight imbalance on the left and right?) From the other side (also imbalanced) Partition for the wardrobe in the Master Bedroom

It's been quite a while since I updated the progress of the renovations. So much has happened over the past 2 weeks with ups and downs but overall, I think progress has been good. Next big thing will be carpentry and I have utmost confidence that their work will be good, having discussed the details with Ah Zhong the carpenter. First, a chronology of events: Aircondition guys came to do the pipes and trunking and I had chosen to go with a family contact from Quality Home Appliances who was strongly recommended by my parents and uncles/aunties (thanks to their good after-sales service which is true). After the whole episode, I had some reservations about their workers. Though the workmanship was still acceptable, comparatively, I believe it had deteriorated over time due to the influx of FTs. While previous teams I encountered had a local/Malaysian overseeing the execution, this time round, it was an Indian supervising a Chinese national and an Indonesian. To be fair, the Indian team leader did a good job and he understood the standards I was looking out for. Like most homeowners, it had to be neat and tidy, to use complete lengths of trunking when necessary and not do a piecemeal job. But I could not say the same for the Chinese worker as he was rude, sloppy and threw tantrums when asked to re-do something. Another problem arose when the workers drilled too low for the drainage pipe. Apparently, when the water flows into the toilet, the hole for the pipe has to be at least 3 inches above ground level otherwise it will affect the waterproofing. Judy had explained that most aircon guys would know this but unfortunately, mine weren't aware. As a result, they had to drill 2 holes - which meant that the tiles had to be replaced. Earlier, they had also mistakenly drilled another hole, only to realize that the door couldn't open. They had also missed out filling holes from the previous aircon and making good the areas which had silicon remnants from the previous trunking...this was only rectified the next day when I requested for them to plaster up the holes that they had created. Some pictures: The hole that was mistakenly drilled Master bedroom trunking (Probably the easiest and neatest of the lot) The enormous hole in the toilet The drainage hole that was too low Another hole that was too low

Tiling of house close to completion, left with kitchen and parquet in the rooms. Am glad that Uncle managed to resolve some issues over the cracked tiles and the unevenness of the grout lines. Even the living hall was completed, but since it was already covered with cardboard - I really couldn't tell or spot if there was any issues to highlight. Electrical quotation came in and boy was it costly. For labour to change all switches and sockets in the house as well as to replace wires for the living lighting points (~15 points), bill initially came up to SGD2245 before we removed some points and reduced it to SGD1995, which was more palatable. Think a lesson learnt is that regardless of anything, always get the per unit cost (or if better, the total quotation) from your contractor/ID before commencing electrical works. For those who can get one lump sum bao ka liao - that's even better! Oh yeah, and managed to get Legrand mallia sockets/points at a very good price from Feng Sheng Electric (Veerasamy Rd - look for Ah Guang) . Think after all the calling and the visiting of stores, this is one of the cheapest (except for the water heater switch, which I purchased from Choo Chiang instead). Some pictures to update.

Hi, Am very keen to get the same items as you did. Would you happen to have the email address of the seller? Btw, how did you pass the Chinese HP number verification for Taobao? Cheers John

So sorry that your carpentry turned out to be the curve ball throughout what was otherwise a rather smooth renovation process. I too, am fearing the day that the carpentry arrives. I know this might sound a ridiculous (but you might probably see my point) - rather than living with the mess created by those imbeciles, have you thought of terminating your relatives contract by not paying the outstanding and getting K to re-do your carpentry salvaging whatever is still use-able - say just the kitchen only (i.e. paste new laminates, install Blum hinges etc...)

Nice squarish layout, you won't get that with the new flats now. If I may suggest, why not knock the walls off the store and enlarge both bedrooms. You could reposition the door frames for both to face the living and you'd have much bigger bedrooms.

Erm, is it too late to join in the crowd and request for your floor trap price and place where you purchased it? Its ok to install this kind of floor trap in HDB right? Did your contractor say anything about it? Cheers

While reviewing the wall tiles in the toilet, realized that some of the corner tiles were slightly chipped or were laid unevenly (resulting in an uneven grout line). Feedbacked this to Judy and she promptly replied that Uncle Cai will rectify them the next working day. Hope this is just a minor blip in what is only the beginning of the tiling process. Any experienced RT users keen to share their experience? Is this a common problem faced by homeowners when it comes to wall tiling?

More progress on the house.... Uncle Cai has been hard at work doing up the place. Was pleasantly surprised to see the wall tiles for the toilets up already only after 2 days of work. Kitchen wall has been completed and so has the mortar base too although changes would be made to accommodate the fridge and washing machine. Meanwhile some pictures to update the status of things.

Today's entry is regarding my love > hate > disgusted relationship with Wasser-Bath - the official showroom/dealer for the brand IXISS. It began a couple of weeks ago when my wife and I decided to get 2 packages each comprising of a sink and WC that cost SGD598/set. We were assured this was the best price by Jane - the salesperson assisting us. A couple of days later, I headed down to Heritage and Universal Union and saw that they carried IXISS products too. Upon enquiry, I realized the same items were going at a cheaper SGD550/set. As I had already purchased some items from Universal Union, I asked to throw in the IXISS WC and toilet basins but after making calls for almost an hour - Christina (a very approachable lady from Universal Union) told me that the items weren't in stock and that the guys at IXISS basically made her 'run circles' without giving her any firm answers on who was in-charge (excuses like "all our stock used for condo project etc...also given"). As I was pretty happy with the service rendered by Jane from Wasser Bath, I called and asked if they had stock and if she could match the discounted price quoted by Heritage/Universal Union. If they could, I'd give them the business. Shortly, she replied that they had stock (SURPRISE - when others couldn't get their hands on it) and that it was possible to match the discount though the decision was an 'exceptional' one by her boss (somehow, I didn't feel so lucky but felt like a cabbage instead). Happy that I had secured the WC/Sink of our choice, I popped by the Balestier showroom to make payment and since I had gotten everything IXISS, I'd thought I get the accessories like towel rack and toilet roll holder to complete the set. I fancied something nice, which seemed really sturdy with good finishing and was quoted SGD138/set. Given my earlier encounter with them, I told Jane that I hoped history wouldn't repeat itself and was repeatedly assured that this was the "BEST POSSIBLE PRICE". Feeling satisfied that I had settled everything for the toilets, I went home and reviewed other aspects of the house but curiousity got the better of me in the evening and I picked up the phone to call Heritage (initially, out of fun). To my horror/disgust, they were selling the same items for SGD88/set before GST i.e. I could have saved almost SGD100 had I ordered it through them. Already starting to boil, I called Jane and related this to her AGAIN. Best of all, they actually wanted to know which shop I had enquired from (which I obviously didn't disclose). So I told Jane to void my earlier purchase as I could no longer trust Wasser Bath and proceeded to place my order with Heritage. Shortly after, Heritage called to inform me that IXISS had told them there was no stock left. Surprise, or no surprise...history repeated itself again (as with my earlier encounter with the WC/Sink). My very very strong hunch tells me that the owner of Wasser Bath (who probably also own the IXISS franchise) told his guys to stop supplying the items to all retailers except Wasser Bath. Otherwise, I can find no logic as to why Wasser Bath is always able to get their hands on stocks that others can't. Clearly, they are not keen to make the brand popular but are more keen to rip people off. So home-owners, beware of IXISS and Wasser Bath. As much as I like the product and think that the finishing is good, the guys that are bringing it in to Singapore aren't really doing a decent job of promoting the brand. Perhaps its time to inform the head office in Germany that this is happening to IXISS.

4th day since the start of the renovations. Glad to see that the hacking has been completed and the debris cleared. Also, the materials have all arrived for tiling works beginning next week. Had a long discussion with Judy yesterday regarding almost everything in the house. Glad to note that there will only be 1 master-tiler working on the entire house (estimated to take 3 weeks). Hope that this will increase the consistency of the workmanship to be in-line with our expectations. Meanwhile some pictures to update on the progress:

Hi there, For the repeater, you could try to get a TP-Link one. Although its from China, it is very compact, easy to set-up (if you know Chinese) and you can easily find it on Taobao.com or if you have friends heading to Guangzhou/Shenzhen. Costs about SGD25 TP Link Btw, I'm interested to know where you can get the Eubiq track. I've tried a couple of DIY shops but most don't seem to carry. Appreciate if you could also let me know the cost of it and the accessories that come along. Thanks Cheers

Came across some really nice, simple design which really represented what we had in mind. Saw this while surfing for laminates. Really loved the kitchen design and cabinet in the living. Had wanted to do a feature wall for the living area as well and since I was into all the wood/natural feel - when I came across this one day, I thought it would fit very well into the theme. Only problem was how to find the right wood and eventually, how to clean it when its done. Finally scrapped the idea cos it wasn't practical, especially when you have kids. Who knows, they might start pulling out the wooden blocks to play with them and everything will be chaos.

We also decided on the laminate for the wardrobes and kitchen. After going through stringent tests of pouring/drawing/scrubbing whatever imaginable and leaving it under the hot sun to dry, the one that emerged triumphant after cleaning was Lamitak's Lofty (Code SCA1109D). We decided on a white matt laminate as it helps to brighten the place and is easily matchable with wall colours, flooring and other stuff. Complementing the white laminate will be Admira's Nove Vintage (Code QAB889RW). I like it because it projects a very raw image and isn't too fake like some other laminates out there. It also provides a good contrast with white. In reality, it looks a tinge more reddish than in the picture so definitely more woody. Here's an idea of what we have in mind for the exterior and interior design. White glossy will be replaced with white matt. Silver strip to be replaced with woody laminate. Handles to remain the same. Interior will be 25% shelves & drawers and the remaining 75% hanging racks (2 levels). All 3 wardrobes are about 1.8M long.

Trunking for Bedroom2 (again need condensate pump to pump water across the living area into the toilet) Trunking for Living (also pretty straightforward, just punch hole through common toilet) Alternatives or Suggestions anyone?

Aircon guys came over earlier on Monday and presented me with some bad news. Because my house design (thanks to HDB) had so many internal beams which cannot be drilled through, the trunking for the airconditioning system would be less concealed that I had imagined and worse of all, I had to install condensate pipes in 2 of 3 bedrooms to pump the water out! Arghh.....which led me to Renotalk. Hoping some RT forumers will provide me with a breakthrough/enlightenment so that I can either run my trunking in a more discrete way (w/o incurring more costs) or that I can use 1 pump less. Solving this dilemma definitely beats playing Sudoko! So here's the floor plan and the current suggested layout of the aircon blowers (red) and trunking (blue for water pipe, brown for copper pipe) along with the ugly condensate pumps (orange). Aircon ledge walls surrounded by beams (thick part of the wall), hole for trunking can only be punched through a small section of the wall (where the grey switch is) Master Bedroom layout (most straightforward as pipes leads to the aircon ledge) Trunking for Bedroom3 (need condensate pump as there are beams blocking the piping paths to the toilet)

Master:

Smooth start to the renovation process so far. Permits have been obtained. Tile selection finalized as well. Coordination between air-con installation (different guys) and Judy taking place tomorrow. Meanwhile, some "before" pictures of the house before it undergoes an overhaul. One of the dilemma we faced was that most of the contractors we met highlighted that it would be a pity to hack away the granite flooring as it was expensive and quite hardy. Moreover, we could easily have saved at least SGD10k on the flooring had it been retained. Not that we had anything against granite but the choice of the pattern (called white surf) was really too obiang and I personally felt that it would restrict the colours we could utilise for the walls/furnitures etc and was rather incompatible with the woody/natural colour theme we were trying to achieve. Before the makeover: Entrance: Living: Kitchen:

To all those reading, Having learnt so much from Renotalk, thought it might be useful to give back by documenting our journey. Ours is a 11-yr old resale flat located Telok Blangah Heights. We purchased the flat some time back due to its great view, proximity to parents, lack of afternoon sun and quiet and green surroundings. Having gone through an exhaustive 2 months search comprising what was meant to be an initial 5 that subsequently ballooned to 10 interior designers/contractors, we settled on Judy who is with Renozone. The 10 comprised of: - North west - Craftsmen - Intradesign - Renozone - Renoart - Home Guide - Artistroom - Summit Design - H20 (a.k.a. Kevin) - KNQ Associates I guess when it comes to getting a contractor, you can say its a clash of many variables - e.g. timing, pricing, quality & workmanship, affinity, 2-way communication channel, idea propositions etc....and for us, Renozone happened to emerge as the most 'balanced' and suitable amongst them. Right now, the next step will be tile selection for the floors this Friday and demolition works are expected to begin on Aug 13 after National Day holidays. Meanwhile, here's a picture of the floorplan.