Another reno I didn't want to start

Discussion in 'Renovation & Home Improvement' started by Depreciator, 23rd Oct, 2015.

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  1. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    At home - again. One of my girls, Mimi, had a small bedroom - 3.5m x 3.5m. Adjacent to her room was a storeroom accessed from our other building. There has been pressure for some time from the daughter and the wife to knock down the wall between the two rooms and make a bigger bedroom.
    'It's just a wall, dad, how hard can that be? You're always doing that stuff.'
    The complication was that the two rooms had different roof heights. And the connecting wall was double skin brick - sandstock. And the buildings are 120 years old, which means the potential for surprises.
    The parapet came down quickly - I think it must have been relieved because some of it sort of came down by itself. Pity about the awning below.
    The old window in the storeroom wall came out easily along with a disappointing amount of wall.
    I was going to leave the existing ceiling up in Mimi's room and sheet over it but when I removed the cornice I noticed some of the roof beams had old termite damage. So the horsehair plaster ceiling came down.
    It revealed an older timber ceiling above it. That came down with 120 years of dust.
    Then all the ceiling beams came down and the roof came off and half the roof beams were removed - more old termites.
    Then it rained
    Sigh.
    Still, it's moving forward now.
     

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  2. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    Looking forward to seeing the end result. Looks like fun ;).
     
  3. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    I used some tradies this time, too - a brickie called Barney who does demo, bricklaying, rendering and gyprock. He's not cheap, but he's great.
    And a carpenter called Alex who swears more than anybody I have ever heard but thankfully doesn't listen to AM radio - this week he had question time in Parliament on.
    And I've had a labourer.
    With the roof coming off, speed was important.

    The finished room is 3.5m x 5.5m.

    Scott
     
  4. vbplease

    vbplease Well-Known Member

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    Enough room for an ensuite now :)
     
  5. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    That is funny :p.

    Don't let Mimi read that :eek:.
     
  6. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Not a chance. She's not an ensuite kind of girl, thankfully.
     
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  7. Scott No Mates

    Scott No Mates Well-Known Member

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    Thank God for small mercies.

    Start building that shoe room.
     
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  8. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Not a shoe girl, either. She has lots of books and is keen on a space to display her rock collection, which I'm happy to accommodate.
     
  9. wylie

    wylie Moderator Staff Member

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    How old is Mimi? If you lock her int his room for long enough, to get over the danger years, she may not turn into a shoe loving shopper :p.
     
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  10. willair

    willair Well-Known Member Premium Member

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    At least you have a rock solid base to work up from,plus that old horsehair plaster lasts for a long time,plus anyone young that reads these days is miles ahead of everyone in their age group..
     
  11. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    She's 15 and not really into much stuff that girls of her age are usually into. Good kid so far. We'll see.
    It's going to be the windows that will bring the reno to a screeching stop. Just like on Grand Designs - it's always the windows.
     
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  12. larrylarry

    larrylarry Well-Known Member

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    Where's this house? ;) Looks like inner west terraces. Great job.
     
  13. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Marrickville - very Inner West.
     
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  14. Stu

    Stu Well-Known Member

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    Looks like a lot of fun - might be time to buy an old house again :)
     
  15. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    I occasionally have that dream that my house has a whole extra level or room that I have forgotten about. The new half of Mimi's room - the old storeroom bit - still has a connecting door to the other building where our Airbnb pad is. I'm going to keep the door and soundproof the other side to close it off temporarily. One day we might open it up.
     

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  16. Aaron Sice

    Aaron Sice Well-Known Member

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    my kids have bedrooms 2.8m x 3.0m, 3.0m x 3.0m and 2.4m x 4.2m.

    3.5x5.0? don't tell my eldest!

    i've just come OUT of this stage so can appreciate where you are and when things get bigger than they were meant to.
     
  17. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    It's 3.5 x 5.5.
    She said it looks smaller now that the roof and the ceiling are back on, but we agreed that the roof in particular was pretty useful.
    Old houses always throw up surprises.
    The ceiling is ready to paint and the walls just need a bit of prepping. Might get the painting done this weekend.
    Then it's just the floor and the windows.
    Just like Grand Designs, it's always the windows.
    I'm going to go with Aneeta sashless double hung windows. I like that look.
    It involves getting someone to make a frame, then installing it, then get the windows made and installed. I'm amazed that I can't get someone to do the whole thing.
     
  18. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    Okay, the window sub frames frames are in. They are made from 100 x 45mm aluminium sections. The look great. The cost was $1,188. The windows are 1400 x 800mm.
    Next it's the windows. Aneeta have a lead time of 'at least 6 weeks' - as I said, just like on Grand Designs it's always the windows that brings things to a screeching halt. But there is another company that do the same thing with a 12 day lead time. The windows are $1,364 - cheaper than I expected.
    Flooring next. I made a separate thread to see if anybody reckons I can stain some new cypress flooring to match the golden colour of some old cypress.
     

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  19. Depreciator

    Depreciator Well-Known Member

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    The windows are in. They look great - better than they do in the photos. They will have a protruding timber reveal that will conceal the boxy subframe. So they're double hung sashless. Like a traditional double hung window, but there is no frame around the glass. It's a nice, clean look.
     

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  20. Azazel

    Azazel Well-Known Member

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    Does the glass slide up and down?
    Looks good, well done.