Our new home

[Terpe]

I can imagine how you feel Steve.
It's not so easy to find 'good' tradesmen here.

[imagine]

WOW, there is something wrong then, ours goes sideways!

so is ours

[imagine]

Latest news,
Just spoke to the foreman Roland and all is well, he recons it will be around another 3 weeks before its all done , so it has over run by that time, but it was a fixed price and the fee is still the same, he just wants it all done properly in his words .
Down stairs has been finish on the inside, all windows are in tiles too,
They are starting to take down all the supports from the roof and the roof deck , the outside walls are to be skimmed and painted ,
We are both so pleased we found someone who knows what they are doing and the charges are good too,
More pictures to follow soon

dont let them skim the walls with neat cement,it will give cracks in its coat , use skim coat its a white color , it can be sanded and smoothed when dry

[fred]

dont let them skim the walls with neat cement,it will give cracks in its coat , use skim coat its a white color , it can be sanded and smoothed when dry

Agreed although its always been normal here face fill walls after the acid in cement has been neutralized.
They used to call it "Patching compound" and they face fill the walls with a 4 " putty knife! Takes forever..
These days we use a product called Mondo skimcoat. It has to be mixed with either white or grey cement and it bonds like .... to a blanket,extremely tough and of course sand-able.
Unlike ordinary skim coat it is not very porous.
If pure white cement is mixed with it,the walls are already white and very easy to paint.
I always get the masons to put it on with 12" float trowels... Quick and easy.



http://www.tuugo.ph/CompanyProducts/...o/022999415136

[imagine]

Agreed although its always been normal here face fill walls after the acid in cement has been neutralized.
They used to call it "Patching compound" and they face fill the walls with a 4 " putty knife! Takes forever..
These days we use a product called Mondo skimcoat. It has to be mixed with either white or grey cement and it bonds like .... to a blanket,extremely tough and of course sand-able.
Unlike ordinary skim coat it is not very porous.
If pure white cement is mixed with it,the walls are already white and very easy to paint.
I always get the masons to put it on with 12" float trowels... Quick and easy.



http://www.tuugo.ph/CompanyProducts/...o/022999415136

we been using super kinis skim coat ,, island paints, but wasnt mixed with cement, next time il try check mondo

[fred]

we been using super kinis skim coat ,, island paints, but wasnt mixed with cement, next time il try check mondo

OK..Yeah we have used super kinis but we have had some fall off the wall..Also if there is any dust residue on the walls after sanding,the paint cannot adhere and that falls off!
The Mondo is a bit more pricey but never had any issues with it yet..
I was a painter for 30 years in UK but over here I have had to learn all over again as the whole process (and products)are quite different..
Oh how I wish Dulux would open a factory here!
E
Edit..
Although Mondo is more expensive there is no need to buy Flat lax to mix it with..Just pure cement so thinking about it,the price is about the same.. Not 100% sure though.

[stevewool]

The latest pictures , the pictures are not the greatest quality but you can see what is happening

Attachment 9340Attachment 9339Attachment 9341Attachment 9342Attachment 9343Attachment 9344Attachment 9345Attachment 9346

Again we are so pleased with what is happening, the builders are doing everything we are asking and even though they are saying it will be another 2 to 3 weeks over the date they gave us, the fixed fee is still the same

[Michael Parnham]

Nearly there!

[stevewool]

Just had some more pictures taken of the house, its coming on fine, the roof is on and its weather proof too, just the last few bits to be done and thats it, ready for us to put our mark on it, pictures to follow

[stevewool]

here are some more pictures

[SimonH]

Looking good Steve

[grahamw48]

That looks like a rather large house.

[Terpe]

Thanks for continuing the photographic updates Steve.
Very interesting to see something grow.

[stevewool]

Looking good Steve

Thanks Simon,

[stevewool]

Thanks for continuing the photographic updates Steve.
Very interesting to see something grow.

Hope it can give others who may want to go down this line, plus not being there i want to see every stage of the build for when and if i would like to build myself

[stevewool]

That looks like a rather large house.

The lot is just over 180 sq mtrs and the house is just over 73 sq mtrs each floor, down stairs is the bedrooms of Ems dad and Brother, plus bathroom and kitchen and living room, upstairs is our living space, somewhere to share plus somewhere to get away too, the roof terrace well thats my space, somewhere to try to grow things and to get some pictures of the night sky too, so yes its a big house but for a very good budget so far

[grahamw48]

Ah, I see.

The place I had built out there was about the same...80sqm each floor (ground floor restaurant, first floor living accommo' and rooftop for aviaries, clothes drying ,etc).

[stevewool]

the latest pictures, taken on the 10th April

Attachment 9373Attachment 9372Attachment 9374Attachment 9375Attachment 9376

[jake]

Its coming along nicely Steve

Why is the left hand side of the building only plastered on the ground floor?

[stevewool]

Its coming along nicely Steve

Why is the left hand side of the building only plastered on the ground floor?

Thats where we may or not build the extension just above the plaster, then knock through into the first floor, but i do say maybe, OR MAYBE NOT, but its there till we make my mind up,
I am hoping to get some plants climbing ip that side of the house to cover it till then

[stevewool]

Jake i tell a lie, Ems told me that the rest of that side will be plastered later on once they have finished the front,then they can move the scaffold to that side

[jake]

Jake i tell a lie, Ems told me that the rest of that side will be plastered later on once they have finished the front,then they can move the scaffold to that side

Did you ask her why they painted it first? Don't tell her I said that, as she might show everybody a picture of my stairs
The ground floor would be ideal for a garage at a later date.

[Michael Parnham]

the latest pictures, taken on the 10th April

Attachment 9373Attachment 9372Attachment 9374Attachment 9375Attachment 9376

Nice!

[stevewool]

Did you ask her why they painted it first Don't tell her i said that, as she might show everybody a picture of my stairs
The ground floor would be ideal for a garage at a later date.

, indeed she may, the plans was for that to be a garage with another bedroom above, but i dont want that , may put some sort of carport there but lets wait and see,

[stevewool]

Attachment 9382Attachment 9383Attachment 9384Attachment 9385 here are the latest, these was taken last Saturday, and we have been told that this Saturday they will have finished what we have asked them to do

[Michael Parnham]

Almost there!

[grahamw48]

Very nice Steve.

[Terpe]

Looks like a great job done Steve

You have my greatest respect for the way you took the responsibility and controlled what looked like the beginings of a potentially uncontrollable situation.
Well done Steve and Emma

The results speak for themselves and in a relatively short time too.

[stevewool]

Again thanks for your support boys and girls,
Yes Peter even i thought i was taking on to much but with a very firm hand and even tighter wallet it does look rather grand,
The best thing that we did was to get over there and to see what was happening, there was plans to do this and to do that from members of the family and the work had even started too, but a big NO NO from me that stopped, and thats when we did it the way i wanted it done,
Ems dad has been a big help and Roland our foreman well what a great chap, we spoke to him today and we asked for a quote to do other work and hopefully it will be what we are wanting again, i shall keep you all informed about our next project, thanks again everyone for these nice and welcoming comments

[imagine]

Attachment 9382Attachment 9383Attachment 9384Attachment 9385 here are the latest, these was taken last Saturday, and we have been told that this Saturday they will have finished what we have asked them to do

congrats steve it looks fantastic