The One With The Gargantuan Task

[schiz0id 0]

Hey Reiki,

Thanks for that.

Indeed, if flooring done again will be best. And yeah, you're right to say that that'll only happen if HDB steps in.

We'll see what happens after my sleuthing tomorrow Thanks for your input on the matter. Appreciate it

[schiz0id 0]

MAIN DOOR UPDATE

The main door frame is finally up! Fire-rated door to go up here soon! Pillar will be hacked only tomorrow since today no noisy works can be done

FLOORING UPDATE - BEDROOM

The bedroom floor tiles sitting pretty waiting to be laid. [sounds ahem.. ] Really love these homogeneous tiles that look so much like wood panels!

My bedroom floor tiles, half done, to be completed tomorrow

My younger brother's room being grouted since his floor is all done!

Lots to do this coming week. Entering the 5th week of renovations.

[silversurf 0]

hey schizoid,

you might want to consider to treat your ceiling/roof if you can't get to your neighbours. i don't think HDB will get your neighbours to re-do their floor. nonetheless worth a try to give HDB a ring to ask TO to take a look at the ceiling. hope all goes well! jiayou!

btw your floor tiles for the bedroom are looking good, almost parquet like!

[schiz0id 0]

hey schizoid,

you might want to consider to treat your ceiling/roof if you can't get to your neighbours. i don't think HDB will get your neighbours to re-do their floor. nonetheless worth a try to give HDB a ring to ask TO to take a look at the ceiling. hope all goes well! jiayou!

btw your floor tiles for the bedroom are looking good, almost parquet like!

Yup, love those tiles too!

[pebbles 0]

Yup, love those tiles too!

All the tiles selections were very well done. Each looks so good in the respective places. Surely will be very swee swee when it's completed

[edenstrauss 3]

Did your HDB TO tell you about the kitchen flooring not having waterproofing or you heard that from your contractor?

It really is a cause for worry...

The HDB TO told us explicitly that the blocks around our areas were built by HDB WITHOUT any waterproofing done in kitchens.

As such, it is not mandatory for the new owners to get waterproofing done. I think we're really "suey" becox the last renovation came with waterproofing for their kitchen flooring. This current malay owner paid peanuts & got monkeys to do their renovation. Then, after they shifted in for less than a week & started using the sink for washing, water collected below it when those jokers did a bad plumbing job. They forgot to tighten the pipes properly...

By the time they discovered the problem, our ceiling was already leaking below their sink location.

In fact, when I confided in my own contractor, he was shocked that no waterproofing was done for kitchen flooring becox he would always provide that regardless of whether it's a requirement for that unit or not.

I would call this cutting corners.

[edenstrauss 3]

There will be no 50-50 sharing when it comes to redoing of tiling in your neighbour's kitchen.

reason: if your ceiling leakage is a result of their reno being done poorly, the renovator is responsible for rectifying the issue by say, if the situation demands for it, to redo the tiling.

U should be left out of the picture when it comes to billing.

[schiz0id 0]

I'm sitting at HDB Branch Office now.

Who knew pushing up hacking date of 2 puny pillars will be such an arduous process...

Don't understand why they can't release more season parking lots if there are sooo many empty lots at night. Sheesh...

[schiz0id 0]

Hey eden, thanks for sharing.

My HDB TO says it's a standard procedure to have to lay the waterproofing layer before they lay the tiles in the kitchen. When I told him that the upstairs neighbour has already hacked twice, he says he's aware and that after hacking each layer, they will have to put a fresh layer of waterproofing before laying the new tiles. This is all talk, of course. But the actual doing - who's to say what actually happened.

When he comes down to assess the situation on Friday i'll ask him what else HDB can do about it.

The doors to the upstairs unit were open today cos they were doing some touch up works. Managed to go to their kitchen and see. No sign of faulty taps or wet areas were found. The area immediately above the wet spot is not at any sink or water pipes. Seems okay so far.

Will wait and see what HDB says on Friday.

[schiz0id 0]

FLOORING UPDATE

All the bedroom floor tiles are done!

Tiles have also been grouted. They are looking very nice! [Can't tell from here cos each time they wash it'll still have cement residue]

WALL UPDATE

Plasterers have started works in the bedrooms.

I sure didn't know how tedious plastering can be. This small wall here that the guy was working on, took him at least 45mins to an hour just to make it super smooth and perfect. Yup, one puny wall. That long a time.

Hope to post pictures of more perfect, smooth white-washed walls soon!

[adidaem 6]

The doors to the upstairs unit were open today cos they were doing some touch up works. Managed to go to their kitchen and see. No sign of faulty taps or wet areas were found. The area immediately above the wet spot is not at any sink or water pipes. Seems okay so far.

Will wait and see what HDB says on Friday.

Don't judge based on appearances... best to check if the contractor laid any pipes in the floor...

[schiz0id 0]

Don't judge based on appearances... best to check if the contractor laid any pipes in the floor...

Oh my.. that's a good one! Thanks adidaem

See if I can catch the contractor again.

[pebbles 0]

Don't judge based on appearances... best to check if the contractor laid any pipes in the floor...

That's a good tip, adidaem.

[schiz0id 0]

OVERALL UPDATE

Four weeks have zoomed by so quickly. Made many uncle friends this past month.

Time for a quick update -

DONE & DANDY -

• All floor/wall tiles hacked
  
• Walls hacked (11)
  
• Walls erected (8)
  
• Dry Kitchen tiling and grouting
  
• Bedroom tiling and grouting
  
• Bathroom tiling and grouting
  
• Windows (still left living room)
  
• Door frames
  

WORKS IN PROGRESS -

• Living room floor
  
• Wet kitchen floor
  
• Plastering (Bedrooms)
  

PENDING WORKS -

• Electrical works
  
• Plumbing works
  
• Lighting works
  
• Ceiling works
  
• Carpentry
  
• Window Grilles
  
• Doors
  

Three more weeks to go..

[schiz0id 0]

STIFFENER UPDATE

So.... the last I posted about the stiffener, we were cheering and waiting for it to be disposed of.

Last evening, ID called to say that HDB’s permit states that we can only hack next week. It’s just delay after delay when the handover is in 3 weeks’ time!

So, called HDB TO early this morning, he says to go Branch Office cos he can't change on his end. I made that trip down.

At first, the clerk (that’s what the TO calls him) says have to submit online and wait for approval. I gave him a DUH look. Excuse me, I want to hack tomorrow cos I can’t wait and you still want me to wait for approval?! [What a 'stiff'! ARGH!]

I think he noticed my change of tone and face when I said,”I’m already here. Can’t we get an in-principle approval for just one pillar?!” I felt bad that he started panicking but sorry, I’m just annoyed at all these paperwork and protocol for just one stiffener. We already have approval to hack, why do I have to re-apply for an earlier date?

Long story short, he was nice enough to help me in the end. He says he will approve on the spot if my ID can send the online request form immediately. So, I called my ID. Can’t get him. Called his boss (the perks of having the boss’ contact number) and it was settled in 10 mins.

Don't worry. I'm a nice person. Already intended to write a nice letter to my TO's boss. Now just have to write two more nice letters. Give credit when credit is due. The people are nice, just the SOP and policies suck.

Hacking SHOULD take place tomorrow if nothing else crops up. Hope everything goes well tomorrow.

Edited November 9, 2011 by schiz0id