Story: Our Own Place

[whisper 0]

Purple matching with black should be nice and look classy. Just like the colour tone in your kitchen. Do not worry too much about it.

I think black ABS will make the gap between cabinet doors look even slimmer/closer.

Purple ABS trimmings doesn't match the purple laminate we chosed. No choice but to choose black ABS trimmings.

Super worried if it'll be nice. So much choices but nothing close to the purple laminate we chosed. Sun Hup should have warned us much earlier. This purple laminate really gave us the "uber uber" high stress level.

[Reiki 0]

It's been some time since I blogged on the progress of the reno. Let me update on the series of unfortunate events which I do hope will turn out nicely.

It's painfully slow due to the rectifications for the past 2 weeks. Life has been upside down with sleepness nights and being upset.

The slanted false ceilings are corrected. Now they really look much better. The entrance of the kitchen wall was also straightened.

Perlyn says by this Thurs painting will be completed. The aircon installation will then take place on Thurs.

Will be meeting the plumber, electrical and Sun Hup all together on Thurs night to finalize on the locations of all accessories and fittings.

It will be a long long night on Thurs....

This 2 weeks will be the renovation hectic lifestyle as next Saturday will be the delivery by Courts for all my electrical appliances.

Somehow, even with the wall erected to cover the original main door, the place looks bright. Nice, gnipihz!

Hang on there! Reno is also about building our patience

[snake 0]

Bought our toilet bowls today!! $218 each. I guess we don't see why we need to pay more for toilet bowls.

It's a 1 piece solid design. Actually same as my current home which the toilets were renovated 3or 4 years ago. Guess some designs never change.

Hai hai, where u bought the toilet bowl from?

[gnipihz 1]

Opps paiseh. Didn't see you asked a question.

Bought the toilet bowl from Homeone Euro at Geylang. near lor 40 to 44. It's opposite the "stinky tofu" shop and walk for 3 mins past the 7-eleven and a nightclub.

They offer a package. Toilet bowl with sink at $268 or $288... I didn't get the sink so they deducted $$ from the set for me.

If you go will see Universal there as well. Got pple in Renotalk also recommend to go there see see.

Edited September 29, 2011 by gnipihz

[enrico 0]

How's your busy Thursday coming along?

[gnipihz 1]

The busy Thurs (actually entire week) came and went in a flash....

Thurs afternoon.

Kok called to say that the electrician found lots of broken lamps and shattered glass. Gosh.... was so upset that I had almost wanted to take leave. But I had calmed myself down saying we'll see what happened when we meet in the evening. We had checked all lights and I even played with the lights by wiring them up to see the effect in my room... and they were definitely in good condition when we had placed them in the house about 1 month ago... Maybe we had placed them there too early? Maybe the workers damaged them? Or did the glass shatter by themselves? Doubts and questions just keep popping up.

Thurs evening

The planned meeting of Sun Hup and their "heads" of plumbing and electrician. Met them and surprisingly, it's a short session. Had thought will be long and dreadful. But it's manageable.

The moment I stepped into the place, the plumber & electrician immediately catches me and ask me to confirm the locations and installations... luckily I had been prepared well. =) Had earlier prepared plans of where the toilet accessories and lights position.

Anyway The broken lights...

Didn't take pictures of those lights that had been damaged. Those are the 2 common bedroom lights. Identical 4 glass holders on each lamp. Hence 2 lamps which are damaged. Had been surprised to see them shattered and also the plastic plugs for the lamp holders shattered as well. How can they be shattered when it was looking so nice earlier on??

I didn't want to point fingers... One of the electrician asked me if the lights were okie when I placed them there... I said yes... Then his partner came beside us and said, "Yah. last time I open before 1 box, the lamp was alright and not broken..."

Decided to move forward and not waste any more effort, time and money. Luckily we had another ceiling lamp which was an extra after changes in plans... didn't place it anywhere and hence it'll go into 1 of the common room. Then I told the electricians to combine all remaining parts of the 2 broken lamps into 1 lamp. Should have enough good parts from what I see. Then it'll fulfil the remaining room. It's just too bad the common rooms are not having the same lights. Electrician then reply," okie. we'll try and see how to combine them." End of broken lights story... better not to dwell too much. Already stressful enough.

After telling the plumber the positions of the accessories, then Kok started to make suggestions on how to improve things... eg. Kitchen sliding door, he will remove his earlier work and also do a boxup with laminate for the sliding mechanism. He's really experienced but still, he's super busy..... to be able to grab more of his time is good.

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Let me update the progress of this speedy astonishing week:

Monday Evening:

As shown earlier... Base painting completed.

Rectifications of false ceiling completed.

Finally it start to look cleaner.

Acid wash should be starting soon.

Wednesday Evening:

Painting completed.

Flooring washing almost done.

TV feature wall halfway up.

Aircon installation completed.

Glass door installed for MBR toilet and Shower screen.

Thursday Evening:

Acid Wash completed... (but now all carpentry wood dust and dirt...)

TV Feature wall cabinets installed. reamining drawers to be completed.

LED Downlights for living, dining and mbr all installed.

LED covelights for living and dining installed.

Balcony ceiling crystal lamp installed.

Kitchen 1x ceiling lamp installed.

Kitchen Cabinets carcass up.

[matrox 0]

Hi

Could you share what's your total damage for the reno at your place? Do you mind emailing me your quotation/invoice at amoroux@hotmail.sg?

I feel that Kok's prices are high for contractor leh... some ID's price is comparable to his based on psf/pfr....

Thank you.

[gnipihz 1]

I spent around $44k+ on reno (hack and tiling entire house, shift storeroom, change veneer doors, feature wall, kitchen cabi, mbr wardrobe, mbr dresser, new windows for kitchen, balcony and toilets and plaster the house) $2k+ on full electrical wiring and installation and $3.5k on aircon.

I really burst my budget but many pple told me for a 5rm 121sqm full revamp, $50k is quite decent... Kok's quotation is not the cheapest but it's a give and take on the reputation, trust and quality of work also.

Later I find and send u the quotation. It's not really accurate as there's other adds on and freebies as well that are not inside the original quotation.

[gnipihz 1]

Hi

Could you share what's your total damage for the reno at your place? Do you mind emailing me your quotation/invoice at amoroux@hotmail.sg?

I feel that Kok's prices are high for contractor leh... some ID's price is comparable to his based on psf/pfr....

Thank you.

Sent!

[matrox 0]

Received! Thank you....

[gnipihz 1]

Do any of you have experience in "leveling up" of flooring? I got a few tiles at the level up area that sound hollow at some parts.

I levelled up my balcony floor to be the same as my living room. I heard that there's foam used in leveling up so will this be an impact to the hollow sound? Some parts sound solid some parts sound hollow...

Experts please help!

[gnipihz 1]

Do any of you have experience in "leveling up" of flooring? I got a few tiles at the level up area that sound hollow at some parts.

I levelled up my balcony floor to be the same as my living room. I heard that there's foam used in leveling up so will this be an impact to the hollow sound? Some parts sound solid some parts sound hollow...

Experts please help!

Guess not many people level up or top up their balcony to be same height as living room.

I still feel uneasy when i think that there's a few tiles in the balcony that will have a hollow sound. It's not even across the entire tile. But at certain parts of it only. Hopefully Sun Hup will change them.

Today will go down to BMS Marble/Granite place to see see. Will keep you all informed. (nearly typed wrongly... BMS becomes MBS... haha)

[Reiki 0]

Guess not many people level up or top up their balcony to be same height as living room.

I still feel uneasy when i think that there's a few tiles in the balcony that will have a hollow sound. It's not even across the entire tile. But at certain parts of it only. Hopefully Sun Hup will change them.

Today will go down to BMS Marble/Granite place to see see. Will keep you all informed. (nearly typed wrongly... BMS becomes MBS... haha)

I think it has to do with the quality, and hopefully the layout, of the foam. I recall when my ID was sharing with me about foams.

I guess to rectify your errr 'tiny' hollow sound, perhaps more cement for just that area?

[gnipihz 1]

I had asked Sun Hup to replace the tiles there.

The tiler aka "ah Hua" cut the piece with the most hollow sound for me to see.

There don't seem to have any big pockets of hole. The underneath of the tile has at least 2cm thick of concrete when it's taken up. Consistent concrete... tiler and Sun Hup both say the foam underneath does at certain areas give a little bit of hollow sound compared to the full concrete base. HDB specified foam top up.

Well.... Sun Hup had redone up the area of tiles for me. (to reassure me...) Seen some tiles with slightly newer grout lines. Guess they changed the tiles already. Will knock knock on them again.

Last week, went to BMS to confirm the "job order" for the kitchen granite top. Will post some photos when it's done!

[gnipihz 1]

Bad Aircon Installation

It's been about 2 weeks of finishing rectifications... Painting works, touchups, kitchen cabinet finishing, wardrobe finishing. Just when all seem okie, the Winter Cool Aircon, Mr Chan, finally came to test the unit with me. (installed for sometime but he never come to test it out) Everything was cool and nice. With cold air blowing strongly remotes, warranty cards given as well.

Brand New Aircon Leaks

How do you all test your aircon unit? Just blast it overnight and see what happens?

We tested it out for maybe an hour in the afternoon then he left and everything was switched off. In the evening when we went back to the place, we discovered fluid leaking from the 24K BTU aircon unit in the dining room. Leaking quite badly... The paint on the wall start to absorb the fluid as well.

It seems to come from the back of the aircon unit. Super upset. Saw so several aircon installations before. 1st time engaged Winter Cool as Sun Hup recommended them. 1st time I see leakage problems.

Not good.