The interior fit-out of the new build kitchen wing came along in leaps and bounds this week, with the arrival onsite of the plasterers and gyp-rockers; over the course of a few days all internal walls were completed – both in the new build as well as the guest bedrooms and bathrooms in the existing. At the end of the week, the waterproofing team were back on site to install the waterproof membranes for the second guest bathroom, laundry room and mud room shower and toilet.
Red was back at Terragong this week, working on the internal doors and all sash windows in the existing weatherboard structure. When this part of the house was lifted onto its new foundations and set level (which involved jacking the house up by over 80mm across the rear), the windows and doors no longer fit their frames. Thanks to a lot of skilful carpentry - including planing, patching and clamping – everything now fits like a glove. Red even hand-shaped replacement pieces for rotten window sashes and frames where required.
Outside was also a hive of activity, with trenchers in action excavating for the new rainwater drainage system and buried power feed to the house. Electricians were on hand to install the new underground power feed, connecting to the new board at the back of the house. In another week, the existing fuse box on the veranda will be decommissioned, the aerial power lines taken down and the existing private pole (full of rot and borer) next to the drive removed.
All down pipes (most of which emptied straight onto the ground alongside the house) have now been connected to a drainage system which will charge two new rain water tanks; these tanks in turn will supply water to all toilets, washing machines and garden taps (topping up from the mains supply only when tank levels reach critical low levels).