inthechouse

Cracked wall tile in one bathroom. Alan said it may be too tight and the tile cutter cannot reach it. Sigh. We'll find out on Saturday. Problem-free in the other bathroom. Thanks to everyone here who voted for the pipes to be painted grey. One question though, for the corners of the floor tiles, do we need to have them siliconed? Or should we leave it like that? Other pix... StarHub TV installation last week. Fibre broadband can only be installed tomorrow. Customized (brown) storeroom rack with PVC planks, first inspected by the little one. Yee Sin was pretty prompt and reliable (in other words, did not give me any headaches). Installation was swift too. Highly recommended! Delivery and assembly of dining table from Natural Living. Another problem-free transaction (as of now).

Managed to quickly upload some recent pix. This is the glass panel (yet to clean the glass properly) and the offending section where water accumulates. The silicone was badly done, but the workers have since cleaned it up. See that brush/broom? It's a lifesaver. greg asked about the patching of the pipe holes. Here's a shot (pre-sanding down). The colour is so much better now that my independent sub-con has had it touched up. Alan's workers simply filled the hole with super dark gray cement. Oops, image failed to rotate right.

It was between R-Z451 and 481. Went for the bigger one eventually coz the price different wasn't a lot. We like to entertain and sometimes we end up with lots of leftovers, so the extra space will come in handy. Not to mention the need for space for endless bottles of wine! Btw, Hitachi refrigerators are supposed to be very energy-efficient. That's what we were told by several different stores. As for the instant water heater, 707 is supposed to be super reliable, since it's been around for some time. We were told that all/some? (can't remember) of the 707s units and 1 or 2 selected Mistral units come with inner copper something. And that's supposed to be good/safe.

Thanks! Tell me about it .. Zzz. Btw, did you get Ah Gui and team for your carpentry? They were a joy to deal with. Btw, do check the joint lines between your cabinets and the wall. Sometimes some parts may not be sealed properly. Also, for the smell of the cabinets to dissipate, try airing them continuously for

So we spent 1 hour last night struggling to install the safety gate. It was a true bimbotic moment for me. And someone wasn't too pleased with us/the item. Been struggling a bit with the Hitachi fridge. Being new, you'd have to close it with some amount of strength, otherwise it won't close properly. A few days ago, in the midst of running around like a headless chicken, I had left the fridge door ajar for a good 2 hours! Then there's the water pressure issue. It's good everywhere, even for the basic Mistral instant water heater we have in the common bathroom, but the 707 Princeton in the master bathroom turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. We bought this most expensive 707 model coz of the pretty shower head. But the water pressure was pathetic. We weren't expecting the rain shower kind of effect, of course. We chose not to install storage heating tanks la. Anyway, we had two different plumbers check it and the water pressure around the flat. No solution. So we called the agent and they sent someone down 2 days later. Note: If they find that there's nothing wrong with the unit, you'd have to pay a transport fee of $35. So the guy came and said that the culprit was the shower head. So he replaced it with a 707 Protek shower head (or so he claimed) and the water pressure was much better. Apparently he's done this for many customers. So, for those who are thinking of buying a Princeton for a new home, you'd have to take a gamble, coz you won't know the pressure until the unit is installed. Now that we know, we feel it's not value for money, coz the Protek - at about $50 cheaper - may very well work just the same.

Thanks, elin1029. The bathroom is so puny it's impossible to install a shower unit (which was what I had in mind long ago). Hence just one glass panel to keep the WC dry. I guess we'll just have to wash the floor around WC less frequently, though the recent unpacking has caused a lot of dust on the floor, hence we 'dirty' the light-coloured bathroom floor tiles whenever we go in to take a pee. Maybe mopping will do. Or if a wet wash is a must, we'll have to dry that headache area with a rag. Oh well. Very keen to just shower in the common bathroom. This whole thing really wasn't well thought out at all. Thanks, Songz. Looking forward to this long weekend (took leave on Friday) to continue with the unpacking.

Some quick updates without pix. Just got back to work and there's tonnes of stuff to clear... - No time to deal with the cement wall other than to wipe it with a slightly damp cloth. It looks and feels a lot better now. Still can't decide about the lacquering. - Ah Gui and buddy came down to fix my inverted hood. I also requested for them to seal the gaps one more time and he kindly obliged. P.S: The smell in the cabinets is taking forever to go away. Gagged a few times on the first day. Hiaks! - The glass panel team came by again after I told Alan that they had not done a good job with the siliconing. I asked them about this problem I am facing, but they don't have a good solution. But at least they offered some. Alan just told me nothing can be done about it. Here's the problem: In the MBR bathroom, there is a fixed tempered glass panel that separates the shower area and the WC. The floor trap is at the shower area, and the floor slants towards it. This means any water around the WC, especially the part between the glass panel and 1 side of the WC, is trapped there. Bad news for when you need to wash the bathroom floor. I've tried sweeping the water out, but unless one kneels down and dries the (very tight) area with a cloth, it won't be completely dry. Worse, the accumulation there has since caused the grout to darken permanently. The glass people have offered to dril a tiny hole in the alum frame that holds the glass panel. But this hole will not be levelled with the floor, so it's kinda pointless, coz the suspended hole will not help with letting all the water through. They also offered to remove all the silicone at the 90-deg corner of the floor, where the two alum panels meet. But this just leaves a 3-4mm gap, which does not help with letting the water through. This L-shaped frame and glass idea now seems very half-witted. It's so easy for them to just place it there, without considering the water flow. Obviously we did not think of it earlier either. Now with all this knowledge we can only advise other newbies, but we can't fix our own problems. How vexing. In other news... 1 of the 2 Otto WCs we bought from Hupfarri - the more expensive one - lets out a roar after a flush. It was also a mistake to have purchased this particular model, because, carrying an extra tick, it flushes badly due to it's water-saving feature. What's with the roar though? Gotta check with Hupfarri.

Thanks, vics1234. Same to you! Any tips for final inspection? After 3 months of reno, I am still blur blur. LOL. Yeah it's kinda nice. The furkid got to explore the neighbourhood while I tried to get friendly with the neighbours. But the cleaning is a pain! We had commisioned some general cleaning which set us back by 150 or 180. Basically it was just floor and window wash with plain water. Hmm. Kinda ex. After the unpacking, dust flew all over, and the place was back to being dusty. I was very slow with the cleaning because of 1 bad arm, but I had 4 full days so... Still toying with the idea of hiring a PT cleaning lady for a 4-hour block once I am done with all the boxes. Just halfway through the 20 now.

Congrats! For all the gabras that happened between Alan and some clients, I must say he does work very fast.

Good that you have somewhere to "hang" that string. The string provided by the company I ordered my laundry rack from is filmsy, and I have nowhere to "hang" it but the common bathroom's entrance. Meaning, if you were to use the bathroom, you'd have to bend your head to go under the string first. -.-

Try my best. Zzz. I do, but I've yet to upload them onto Photobucket. Meanwhile, here's the Google image link. Looks like the iZen is undoubtedly one of the most popular iQuartz colour around here. P.S: I must say that passing over iPure for iZen was one of the best decisions we made. Amid the hassle of packing and unpacking, there was simply no time to maintain a white counter top. With iZen, stains were hardly visible, and we could place whatever we wanted on it in the middle of all the chaos. No regrets.

Can I just say that I've not had the time to "knock" on all the tiles? I am praying they are all ok -.-

Thanks, guys. Will definitely hold on to it! Makan, how was your final inspection like? The day before I moved in I asked Alan when are we gonna have the final inspection and he said something like, "what final inspection? you've already told me all the outstanding issues."

Hi tessina, turns out it's a D (we didn't buy the correct D the first time). Grateful to the chap at the hardware store nearby. He just said "D" without blinking. Still pissed with that Brandt staff's nonchalant attitude. Hope we won't need servicing ever. In other news... It turns out that the black out curtains I chose for the bedroom is not so black out. LOL. Maybe because it's a light colour. But it's from the black out booklet of samples. Oh nevermind. The water in the master bathroom isn't draining well. Some of you may recall that we've asked for an extra floor trap way back then. They only conceded to that for the common bathroom. Oh well. The unpacking is taking forever... Still waiting for Alan to come "check" the upside down hood, one chipped bathroom wall tile, and the badly done silicon work for the glass panel in the bathroom. He's probably not anxious about the last 10%?

Thank you both! We've gotta use matches to light the cooker cos we just can't find the right size of battery for the ignition. C and D have both failed to fit. Nothing mentioned in the manual. And best of all, the Brandt people, as well as Mega Discount where we bought the hob from, can't help. Imagine that.

Btw, thanks for the info, Koori. I shall not change gas company then. Was actually toying with the idea. LOL.

Bought a Brandt hob. Aiya the whole episode was so confusing. Everyone was telling me different things. Anyway luckily it's all sorted out very quickly. Speaking of hob, Alan's team installed my hood upside down. The gas man had a good laugh when he spotted it. -.- Major electronics delivered yesterday. Ditched the number lock for a sturdy padlock. Woke up at 6+ today to do the ritual at the new place, and returned before Shalom Movers came. Everything (20 boxes and a few big items) were moved in by 11am. So tired and sleepy now! Thankfully it's just two appointments today: Sia Huat delivery, rectification work by VYY (Swingslide Door's installers drilled through the other side of the wall!) and not sure what. Tomorrow, it's the delivery of the 1.8m solid teak dining table, and the installation of the storeroom rack by Yee Sin.

Just found out today that there's a charge of $90 for a connector and not sure what. Apparently my hob packaging didn't come with it. Please also standby an appropriate battery for your hob. They won't provide.

Songz, don't be! if your ID/contractor is responsible and on the ball, you shouldn't have to tear your hair out. So, choose wisely. Found the clay stove thingy at Sia Huat in Chinatown. Got the rest of my chinaware, crystal glasses and kitchen accessories there too. It's forever bustling with business! Packed most of my stuff, excluding clothes and shoes. Will try to do as much as we can tomorrow, and collect the rest later (after settling down).

Question: Does anyone know where I can find the clay stove thingy to hold charcoal for the ritual at the door step on the day of moving in? Best if someone can show me a photo of it. Heh. Thanks!

Hello! I've yet to visit the flat since my independent contractor patched it up. Will find up tomorrow and take a pic. I believe it won't be a 100% match. But it should be a closer match than whatever the workers filled the holes with, which was a very dark shade of grey, and apparently cement. We shall see. Trying to recall what was I doing 1 month before I collected the keys... Oh, buying small stuff during my visit to Japan, and also going around to see the major furniture items so I know what to get when the time comes. It will be fun! Excited and happy for you.

Just wanna share something which I'm not even sure it's useful. For those who are not using piped gas or electrical cookers, your contractor and subcons are not gonna hook up the gas cylinder to your cooker hob for you. It's apparently the job of the gas company. So I called Union and they told me it was the job of my contractors'. They said their driver can "try" to do it, but "they are not professional", so don't blame them if anything goes wrong. Sounds scary right? So I asked Alan if he knows of any company which does the hooking up, and he said he will ask around for me. Then, while sitting at the bus stop waiting for a bus, I saw a gas truck go by. It belongs to one "Tan Brothers" company. So I googled them and gave them a call. Turns out their services include installation ($30), so an appointment was fixed there and then. Maybe y'all already know this. But I didn't, until yesterday.

Don't know leh, it may or may not. Won't know till Friday night. But I've got a (bad?) habit of watching TV in semi-darkness, so I've usually got a table lamp switched on and that's it. Will try and remember to update you here. When's your reno commencing?

So I cannot hold housewarming lor... Didn't consult about a single thing... Though I did follow like 2-3 basic rules.

Thanks, Songz. Think I'll just top up whatever is requested because I really don't have the time to source for another set or reschedule another SH appointment. There are lots of things which are still unpacked at my parents' place, and I've taken a lot of time off work these 2 months. As for your question on your blog about the ceiling fan without false ceiling, that's what we did too, and the ceiling light is some distance infront of it (closer to the TV). Not sure if there's shadow coz we've obviously yet to watch TV proper, but good that you thought about this, coz we didn't!