Opening A New Chapter Of Our Lives ... 2nd Home In 7 Years

[Chunky Monkey 2]

Our outdoor patio area is finally really to be tiled. If you refer to some earlier pictures, you can see how the size of the void was downsized. Looking at this picture below, you can see what it finally looks like. Because of bad weather last week and also this week, it kind of slowed the workers down. But at every opportunity, the workers levelled the ground, and applied the water proofing. My main contractor said that the W1 waterproofing agent, used normally for bathrooms is not good enough. So he used a stronger one that is normally used for waterproofing swimming pools. Bravo!

I look forward to the outdoor patio area to be fully tiled. I will most likely have to wait because it's been raining. What will probably happen first, is the installation of my platinum white coloured wrought iron grilles around the void.

This door opening that you see is where my BestView doors will be installed. This is the BEFORE picture. Once the doors are installed later today, I will post the AFTER picture.

We are also waiting for the installation of a uPVC window and swing door on the adjacent side of the kitchen.

uPVC manufacturing takes a longer time and the whole frame has to be manufactured as one piece (unlike aluminium) and installed as such. But the boss of Fascina is very nice. He knows the urgency of this particular location because it's holding up my kitchen wall tiling, so he is trying his best to accomodate an urgent request. I am crossing my fingers the installation can be done next week.

We've had a bit of challenge laying the long 90cm wood-grained ceramic tiles. Long tiles have a bad reputation of warping and it was very difficult for the tilers to lay the tiles in a layout that we originally wanted. I actually asked for the tiles to be cut into 60cm and 30cm sizes and have them laid out in a pattern using 30cm, 60cm and 90cm. But it turned out that the uneven lengths make it very obvious that the tiles are all not straight, and it showed up very badly even sides.

My main contractor was very kind in laying them (with cement and all) for me to see, and it was disastrous. So we have no choice but to abolish Plan A.

Plan B is to stagger the tiles by 15cm one way and lay them all using 90cm tiles. And this is the effect.

This is our attic

Edited November 24, 2007 by Chunky Monkey

[Chunky Monkey 2]

24th Nov 2007

The guys from BestView came to install the windows and glass sliding doors as arranged.

I witnessed the installation process from the start to the end, piece by piece and I was thinking to myself that I would have regretted it, if I hadn't gone to the house today.

For the 1st time, I saw what the Bestview tracks look like. They were covered up the whole time until today. The tracks are layered down. I guess in this way, water will not trap inside the tracks??? There are also bristle-like things (grey colour) which I believe help to improve the air-tightness

Here is a picture of all the glass panels stacked nicely against the wall.

The installer was marking on the frame where to drill the aluminium arms of the flip-out windows:-

Here's a close up photo of the bristle like stuff all around the flip-out windows. Just can't find the right name for them.

Close up photo of the flip-out windows when closed.

Close up photo of the flip-out windows when open. I like how the window flips out 90 degrees!! Maximum air-flow.

Some more photos of the installation process ...

What the BestView doors look like when they open out -

Close up photo of the mechanisms/frame when the doors open out -

What the BestView doors look like when they are all slided shut.

Edited November 24, 2007 by Chunky Monkey

[Chunky Monkey 2]

The waterproofing of our outdoor patio was done today whilst I was there. It was so easy to do, with the workers rolling over the waterproofing solution.

That's my main contractor, overseeing one of his workers, by the way ...

Some other photos showing the waterproofing all done! When the floor is all dried properly, the waterproofing becomes a water-tight membrane.

[renoGirl 1]

Congratz! Nice windows from Decorille!! That very tall man came n did the installation for my windows too. haha.

[Chunky Monkey 2]

Congratz! Nice windows from Decorille!! That very tall man came n did the installation for my windows too. haha.

Thank you! How long have you had your BestView windows? What do you think of them?

[Chunky Monkey 2]

Installation of Lights & Painting

The electrical wiring of my place has taken close to 3 weeks. Shocking but it was very time consuming. My electrician did the lighting points, power points and SCV points. The telephone wiring was done by someone else. He is very patient and does things the right way. I appreciate that he uses the right coloured wires, and not the same coloured wires that the electrician at my mother's house tried to use. That was not such a good experience, and my father ended up quarrelling with him over that matter.

I can most certainly understand that when a job drags on for too long, because they still cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel, their energy levels dip. Towards the end, the electrician kept asking me if it's ok not to hack the wall, to conceal the wiring. I relented for those wiring that go behind my built in wardrobes. My main contractor was the one who insisted that he conceals wires even after I'd said it's OK. It is moments like this that I know my main contractor has my interests at heart. And in case you're wondering if the electrician is my own contact or my main contractor's contact, it is the latter. I actually overheard him saying in Hokkein that "you want fast, I also want fast. But must do ho ho, and swee swee mah!" That day, I bought lots of packet drinks and biscuits for the workers.

I ordered all my lights from National Electric in Geylang (these people use emails too) and the manager I am dealing with is Priscilla. I told her that my electrician asked for the delivery of the lights that I had ordered, because they were ready to cut holes in the false ceiling. So I expedited that and in 3 days, the lights were delivered to my place. I was pleasantly surprised that Priscilla had marked on the Delivery Order, what lights are for which locations ~ just like the way we indicated to her in the store 2 weeks ago! The lights were all very well marked and packed, so it was a no brainer for me to sort out the lights in the house. To make the job easier for the electrician, I sorted out the lights by location and so they know with any guesswork.

Despite having given the electrician the drawings showing the positions of the lights at the beginning of the installation, I went down to the house and stayed the whole afternoon when they were marking the ceiling. It was an eye-opening experience for me. Mundane for most people, I guess. But enriching for me, because I never would have expected that was the way it's done, and it's from watching them that I know I can never do their job. These guys are good guys, and thank god for them.

The electrician asked me if he could go ahead and install the wall sockets, light switches and also the lights. I was about to say OK but my main contractor said it's not proper; that he should wait for a week to let him paint the ceiling. So the sequence has become >> 1) cut holes for light points 2) paint ceiling 3) install ceiling lights 4) paint walls 5) install wall sockets & switches. My main contractor is obviously one of the old guards. He refuses to be hurried into doing something that is not right. And he is certainly no push over. So, the electrician has no choice but to make repeated trips to my house over the next few weeks.

Here are some pictures I took

My electrician and his assistant marking on the ceiling with a blue powdered string.

Close up of the lighting point marked on the ceiling

Holes being cut in the false ceiling in the Basement

What it looks like now in the Living Room, ready for the painters to move in in the next few days. In the process of marking the positions of the ceiling lights, we've had to make changes because there were locations where the support of the false ceiling was in the way, and the electrician couldn't saw away.

Edited November 24, 2007 by Chunky Monkey

[Chunky Monkey 2]

Here are some random pictures I took around the house yesterday

Worker smoothing out the edges for the skirting in the Attic

Another worker tiling the wall where I would place my fridges

Another worker patching up the gaps with plaster, in between the ceiling board and kitchen wall tiles.

Edited November 25, 2007 by Chunky Monkey

[mparade 0]

Good pictures!

I am planning to renovate a inter terrace with an airwell and a pond. Costs seem rather high to construct a pond with filtration system and wondering whether you would also be getting a pond.

By the way, what are lighting points? The forum has some info that cost of installing a lighting point is about $25 and cost of installing a light is $8. I am contemplating to get Legrand mosaic switches as they have better looking dimmer switches. Which range would you be getting?

Would appreciate it if you could share your experience.

[Chunky Monkey 2]

Good pictures!

I am planning to renovate a inter terrace with an airwell and a pond. Costs seem rather high to construct a pond with filtration system and wondering whether you would also be getting a pond.

By the way, what are lighting points? The forum has some info that cost of installing a lighting point is about $25 and cost of installing a light is $8. I am contemplating to get Legrand mosaic switches as they have better looking dimmer switches. Which range would you be getting?

Would appreciate it if you could share your experience.

There was a water feature with a filtration system and we chucked it out. Only because it does not fit into our lifestyle. We appreciate quality but we much prefer simple things, and having a water feature is not part of our plan. It's there to look at and all, but we rather have the outdoor space for the children. And it also means less cleaning and maintenance on our part.

If you wish to install a pond, I think you need to consider child safety if there are children in the house (now or in future). And also, in place of the pond, what better use of the space would you have. For intermediate terraces, there really isn't a whole lot of space for entertaining AND having a pond. Just my 2 cents' worth.

A lighting point refers to a spot in which there is electrical wiring, to install a light, be it ceiling light or wall light. $25 for a lighting point is VERY cheap, by any standard. Is it for concealed wiring or external wiring with trunking? And does it include hacking and patching of walls if it's concealed wiring? Is it extension or relocation OR brand new wiring from the DB (distribution box)?

We will just be using ordinary Clipsal white switches and power socket casings. We are of the opinion that designer switches have fantastic asthetics but the function of a switch remains unchanged, and that's to turn on and off lights. So, we're keeping it very basic. My husband reminded me time and again, that over the years, we will completely forget about the colour of the switches, and the feel of the switches etc. So we might as well channel the renovation budget to other things that matter to us more, and that we can't compromise. Decisions about renovations have great variances. So, it's to each his/her own. I am just sharing how we derived in saving on some stuff, and go all out in others.

Edited November 25, 2007 by Chunky Monkey

[Chunky Monkey 2]

26 Nov 2007

I didn't go to the house today. Instead, I went to Guan Chang Electrical Pte Ltd at Playfair Road to pick up the VIBO (made in Italy) stainless steel pull-out baskets that I ordered.

We had a bit of trouble configuring the internal space of our kitchen island because there was one particular model/size of S/S pull out baskets that was out of stock, and I was rather disappointed because it meant that I could not maximize the space like I originally intended. But out of the blue, the salesgirl called me, and told me that she found the last one in her warehouse, and she'd kept it for me for a few weeks till I picked it up today.

Under our kitchen island, we will therefore have 1) 100mm bottle rack for sauce bottles etc 2)865 mm pots and pans rack right under the cooker hob 3) 235mm rack for garlic, potatoes & onions & 4) 345mm rack for a bottle of oil, containers of flour & rice bucket. And all to fix in a 1800mm kitchen island we specified in the space we want in the kitchen. Viola!

[Chunky Monkey 2]

28 Nov 2008

No update today. I've caught a bad flu. Main contractor called to say our wrought iron grilles for the airwell have been installed. And some WCs and lights were just delivered this morning. That's all for now.

[lifestyle 0]

Hi Chunky Monkey,

Nice place you have there and reno is coming very nicely. Nice pics & t-blog btw.

Speedy recovery...

Cheers !!

Edited November 28, 2007 by lifestyle

[Chunky Monkey 2]

Hi Chunky Monkey,

Nice place you have there and reno is coming very nicely. Nice pics & t-blog btw.

Speedy recovery...

Cheers

Thank you, lifestyle. I hope to check on things tomorrow. I am just worried that the dust will irritate my throat. So staying away for another day may not be such a bad thing.

[MaCe 3]

9 November 2007

Today was a nerve-wrecking, nail-biting kind of day ... only because we started out being very unclear if we really needed ethernet LAN connection throughout the house. (some of you might have noticed my question in the ethernet thread)

wheres your ethernet thread?

most houses(landed), ethernet seems like a defacto standard liao. cos wireless and the aztec powerpoint networking doesnt work 100%.

[Chunky Monkey 2]

1 Dec 07

This bout of flu is really different from other times .... makes me weak, and my body aches just wouldn't go away. So you can imagine how frustrated I feel right now.

I am not in the mood to get descriptive, so I'll just post photos for now ...

Pictures of our new hot-dipped wrought iron grilles around the airwells/voids. Colour: Platinum/White

View from the Basement