Day 129 - Pre-Plaster Report received

Money well spent!
The report was emailed to me late last night, but I didn't see it until today.

CG were keen to see it so I sent them a copy once I had read it.

As others have sais, the NHI report is very clear, detailed and references the specific Australian Standard Building codes.

The inspector found quite a few shortcomings, many but not all, introduced since the last inspection.  Types of things found related largely to changes that plumbers and others had introduced that would have had long term impacts to the house, such as possibly creaking floors due to cut timber supports allowing too much movement between struts, lack of noggins in some of the woodwork, that would have resulted in difficulty getting the plaster up (and to have it stay without issue), and a number of technical matters.

Pretty impressive report, and CG naturally offered to jump right on it, rescheduled the work for next week, so as to address the raised issues.  CG have always told me that they value additional private inspections, they do multiple levels of inspection themselves, but they value "a fresh set of eyes", and seem to truly want to deliver a product of the highest order.  I really cant imagine there are too many builders where the site supervisor is allowed to just make this call, and action it.

I am blown away, of all the normal worries of a small family, I am delighted to report that the house build itself seems to be the least, which is not what I expected when I started this journey.

Day 90 - Hebel continues, almost all ground floor windows installed

Great progress occurring this week, looking forward to catching up with DL now that he is back. Carpenter has just about completed his work downstairs, glass people have been around and put in almost all the missing ground floor windows.  Looks like lockup by the end of the week.

Day 84 - Work has recommenced preparing frame for the Hebal

Ground floor of house has been wrapped, and hebal has arrived just need to understand if there is a downside to areas not wrapped, such as where the remaining scaffold is still in place. Will do some research. 

Day 63 - Private Inspection of Frame stage

I selected an inspector that had never worked for CG, and whose company was unknown to CG.
The inspection found no defects, but impressed the inspector no end. He took me around to show me all the areas that well exceeded standards, but which were in line with the very best practice. He did mention that this was an unusual outcome and that his experience with other builders, one in particular, often is a long list of defects that apparently are addressed only after lengthy and repeated demands

Day 51 - Framing just about complete

The house is now looking much more complete. Perhaps I should have thought to put in a pool over the rear of the house, certainly enough room, just need to win tattslotto to pay for it.

One surprise was that when we agreed to pay to lower the ceiling to accommodate the ducting in the rear, it was inclusive of getting all the bulkheads lowered as well, the effect being that it looks like you need to duck when you walk down the hall to the rear. Now when I looked at the plan, it states that bulkheads are denoted by shading using little dots, I assumed the lack of said dots would indicate no bulkhead, but apparently wrong again. At any rate CG will fix the non-dotted bulkhead for free, but as the kitchen bulkhead needs to go back to the originally agreed height, we need to pay to get the plans fixed. Slightly annoying, but I am now getting even better at understanding what to look out for.

Day 46 - Framing continues

Framing continues at a great pace,  posi-struts divide the ground and first floor at the front of the house.

Posi-struts

 and standard struts are used in the rear, we would have preferred posi-structs throughout for more flexibility, as we have a flat roof at the rear, but alas I didn't think it through and the option was not raised.

Half of the upstairs balcony built - with standard struts

First floor coming along nicely

This is the view from the stair cavity towards the front of the house, with the linen cupboard on the left and the bathroom on the right and the boys bedrooms on the left and right towards the front.

 and the view from the rear is not too bad

Day 42 - The house starts to take shape

Steel Girders are up, balcony is taking shape, my study is being formed, and the feel of the 8'6" hallway coming through to the 10' ceiling in the living area is becoming apparent.

Day 40 - Ground floor frame just about done

Great progress continues to be made

Day 36 - Framing starts

Framing work has commenced

Good tip I got today, was to start thinking of where your towel rails and other devices that will need to hang off the walls go, and to make sure the framers put some timber (noggins) in those places so you have something to screw those things to. Obvious things are wall mount tv's, towel rails and curtains.