Building Surf

southernraw wrote:

goofyfoot wrote:

Late to the party on this one, nice work by everyone.

This is an area I've recently finished for a client in St Andrews Beach.

Lots of excavation then railway sleeper retaining wall and off-form concrete bench seat.

Thats beautiful goofy!

Goofyfoot. Hi fella nice work indeed.
Manhattan skyline type finish with the sleepers, nice.
Did you do the off-form concrete wall ? AW

AndyM wrote:

Nice Indo, blackbutt is a beautiful timber.

Re-did my bathroom and went for camphor vanities and blackbutt cabinet.

This was my very first tiling effort and especially considering how it started out, I was pleased enough with the end result.

Hardest bit was getting the old adhesive off the walls - it wasn't cement-based, it was like a sticky glue.
The stuff smeared with a diamond tipped grinder wheel, you couldn't scrape it off and chemicals didn't work.
Got there in the end though.
It was worth the weeks showering out under the hose on the driveway, weirding out the neighbours :)

AndyM. Hi mate. Beautiful work on show there, good stuff. AW

goofyfoot wrote:

Progress pics

Goofyfoot. Nice curved formwork. I bet your client was happy.

Us landscapers are versatile.

Here’s a few snaps from 1990, a job for St.Kilda Foreshore . More off form concrete walls/benches. AW

free img host

goofyfoot wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

southernraw wrote:

goofyfoot wrote:

Late to the party on this one, nice work by everyone.

This is an area I've recently finished for a client in St Andrews Beach.

Lots of excavation then railway sleeper retaining wall and off-form concrete bench seat.

Thats beautiful goofy!

Goofyfoot. Hi fella nice work indeed.
Manhattan skyline type finish with the sleepers, nice.
Did you do the off-form concrete wall ? AW

Yeah, put some progress pics up but they disappeared onto the previous page, did the lot on that one.

Goofyfoot. Filleted edges on your beautiful curved wall ? AW

basesix wrote:

"Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's"... speaking of rendering @AW, your thread just knocked the US thread off the front page. Feels a little lighter around here, no?
(inspiring shares, y'all. epic formwork on the prev page @goofy)

Basesix. Kind words from you received by myself and Goofyfoot, thank you.

The ability to build with your hands what your brain and ‘know how’ is telling you is truly one of the most satisfying things a person can ever do.
In essence you have to be able to imagine or picture in your head what something is to look like even before you build it. AW

goofyfoot wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

goofyfoot wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

southernraw wrote:

goofyfoot wrote:

Late to the party on this one, nice work by everyone.

This is an area I've recently finished for a client in St Andrews Beach.

Lots of excavation then railway sleeper retaining wall and off-form concrete bench seat.

Thats beautiful goofy!

Goofyfoot. Hi fella nice work indeed.
Manhattan skyline type finish with the sleepers, nice.
Did you do the off-form concrete wall ? AW

Yeah, put some progress pics up but they disappeared onto the previous page, did the lot on that one.

Goofyfoot. Filleted edges on your beautiful curved wall ? AW

Hey AW, yeah just a light aris on the edges.
Smooth trowel top and left the face off form as the lady liked the wood pattern from the plywood.

And yeah thanks b6. Great thread.

Goofyfoot. Oh, we think a like. I love the pattern on Australian plywood, Hoop Pine ( Araucaria cunninghamii )so true, it leaves a great reverse imprint off the form.
I think the walls are still there they were subbed to me from another landscaper who had no clue.
Testing conditions, junkies were shooting up, shitting everywhere, collapsing, Ambos a daily occurrence, sly pricks trying to steal out tools. I had to employ one of my mates apprentice just to watch our gear and our utes with tool boxes.
Prostitutes we’re hitting on us, offer us oral sex for $20 just so they could go buy a spot of heroine. Sad. AW

southernraw wrote:

Great pics @AW and those extra ones of GF.
Great work.
Love good craftsmanship.

Southernraw. Hi pal.i saw you there amongst all this discussion.
How’s things , studies, surf , your well being. I hope you’re cruising. All the best. AW

goofyfoot wrote:

Are the StKilda foreshore walls still there AW.
It’s fun doing that kind of work, I love it.

So true. Once you’ve done formwork once, you soon realise to up or change your rates, a lot of time and bucks goes into that type of work.
I ended up for a few years building a lot of suspended concrete slabs, Acrow propped, pave on top of with under floor rumpus rooms, drinks pavilion etc.
I love building concrete formwork steps. AW

Decks , a continuum.

Deck, 12 year old, constructed from Spotted Gum (Corymbia maculata) 89x19mm
Cutting around pools is never easy.
This pool was built in 1971 for a Motor Inn in Melbourne. Later became tenanted units, which they still are. I convinced all the owners and the body corporate to keep it, most wanted to get rid of it.
It as a very enjoyable job revitalising a space which is used all year round. AW

Deck constructed from SilverTop Ash ( Eucalyptus sieberi) from Victorian high country.
Bit of a party space and dance floor. I love getting wood, to work with. AW

Deck. Merbau 90x19mm

I always supported Work Experience Week at many schools, always paid them $250 a day and not $5 per hour which is crap, not only did young people learn, I also got loads of jobs indirectly from people and school staff who thought I helped their students in a positive way. AW

Well, through the fear of going into the hands of administrators and possibly becoming insolvent, I thought we better recharge this forum topic with more building stuff. I’ve got plenty of select (can’t work too much) tasty jobs in the first half of this year which I’ll photograph progressively .

But for now, on one of the flat days away in SA recently, I decided to clean out myriad photos from my iPad. Stumbled across these carport photos from a few years ago.

Of particular interest it highlights construction on uneven ground.

I was commissioned to build two double carports from metal and install them onto the concrete courtyard that was laid down in the early 70’s.
Four flats each with one car space each. Both new carports to face each other.

Purlins 150x50mm, galvanised, Posts 75x75x6mm galvanised, quad gutter, deck clad roof sheets ( colourbond- Jasper)

All bespoke made. Mark out on the concrete, work out post centres, weld plates top and bottom of posts, bolt all purlins together, fix roof.
Using a laser, take a datum reading on a spot on the concrete, work out carport height relative to existing tiled flat roof adjacent, once you have a laser reading you are either making your posts a fraction longer or shorter to allow for the ups and downs of the concrete surface. Once the frame is erected, it should be level down one side and lower the other to create a roof gradient for water flow.
Clients were blown away, thought they were getting some crappy type carport, I gave them quality with good aesthetics with nice flashings . All a one man show, when you work on your own you very quickly develop techniques to work unassisted.AW

seeds wrote:

That bamboo is amazing stuff. Maybe an Asper? AW any idea?

@Seeds, @Supafreak. Hi to you both. Hope things are good .

Yes, from previous visits , made my own inquiries, most commonly used is Dendrocalamus asper. and other species of that genus.
Bamboo plants from other genera are also used.
It’s strong that’s for sure, the intermodal rings on the culms are solid and tough.

One thing I can never come to grips with is the deformed bar steel reinforcement rods used in pillars as per the pictures, always bloody undersized in dimension , for a island that sits on and near plate tectonic boundaries , the rod diameters should be larger than normal regulation, for the infrequent wobbles.
They will never learn. I thought western influence architects and engineers design a lot of these projects. I cringe at some of the building standards.

When there are natural disasters in these regions, the devastation and loss of life is always high, poorly engineered buildings just topple like a deck of cards. My two bobs worth.
Supafreak, got your email address today. Travel details to follow, sorry for the delay, I’ve got a banged up knee and I’m working long hours on my clients renovations, got targets to meet for other trades, dog tired when I get home after 6pm.

I’ve been photographing the two separate areas in this house where I’ve ripped out a toilet and bathroom area and installing a new build and an ensuite off a bedroom getting the full replacement also, building a spa and sauna and all the bells and whistles . All the best. AW

Decking continued. This time waste wood fibre combined with recycled plastic.

How’s the deft footwork on my hairy off-sider

He’s always on the job, waits at my car before I even turn the key every morning. AW

GuySmiley wrote:

seeds wrote:

Hey AW
Loving the black. The yappy intense one too.

Ah yes but can he pass the nail gun when asked?

GuySmiley. Hi mate. Hope ya cruising.

He is the most beautiful dog I’ve ever had.
Not a bone of malice in him, Kelpie, German Shepherd, Labrador, Blue Healer.

Super intelligent, he’s also a good bird watcher, loving when you’re ill.
I’ve never met another dog like him.
He’s a rescue dog, 8 years old, he walks people , not the other way around.

Not only can he pass the nail gun, he can fire it. AW

tubeshooter wrote:

Nice one AW.
Is he checking level or did you just call "Smoko time."?

Tubeshooter Hi mate. He would if he could, he’s very inquisitive about the laser unit on the tripod spinning around.
He’s always looking for me to take him where there’s birds and water.
I was working near Sparrovale Wetlands, outer Geelong. AW

basesix wrote:

feel like we might be getting some @AW reno pics soon.. anyone seen @goofy?
Last I saw him he was asking about @Jelly..

anyway, while we're waiting, anyone got any good tips? hacks as cool people say..

I was just peeling potatoes, and was reminded how great it is that we chocked our kitchen bench up 130mm. We bought a second hand blackwood benchtops and cupboards in Melbs, and then just used timbers to raise it a little, then put a matching skirt around the lower edge. saves the lower back.

another one is to ignore convention and use a swivel tap in the bathroom, like you have in the kitchen. how annoying are those fixed taps that squirt straight down the plughole, and don't hit your toothpaste spit?

Basesix. Hi mate, you’re Swellnet’s fortune teller for sure.
Both wet areas en suite and bathroom are near completion.

From experience, I’d have to say, bathrooms are probably the most labour and design intensive rooms of a house or apartment.
The amount of planning that goes into fitting everything in, the aesthetics, the reconfiguration of sub floor and wall plumbing, the relocating of power points and switches, the waterproofing/ tanking . It costs a bob, I’d say more than your average kitchen make over.
Anyway, my clients and friends are very happy, so am I, just some minor painting, caulking and ‘fit off ‘ electrical work and it’s all done.
My greatest chagrin is working inside, not my normal cuppa tea, I didn’t actually want to do this job, but they said we’d rather pay you to do the work and not someone else they didn’t know.
I was paid in full before I’d even started. How’s that for attempting to lure oneself into a project. Well it worked. Photos soon. AW

Basesix. Those old vanity taps were around when water conservation was not thought about.
I’d use a different faucet that can move left or right or piss all three bits off and have a mixer tap. I’ve got a couple of near new ones here from clients jobs.
You can have one if you like.
I suppose I’ll have to drive down one weekend and retro fit your basin with it, AW

indo-dreaming wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

basesix wrote:

feel like we might be getting some @AW reno pics soon.. anyone seen @goofy?
Last I saw him he was asking about @Jelly..

anyway, while we're waiting, anyone got any good tips? hacks as cool people say..

I was just peeling potatoes, and was reminded how great it is that we chocked our kitchen bench up 130mm. We bought a second hand blackwood benchtops and cupboards in Melbs, and then just used timbers to raise it a little, then put a matching skirt around the lower edge. saves the lower back.

another one is to ignore convention and use a swivel tap in the bathroom, like you have in the kitchen. how annoying are those fixed taps that squirt straight down the plughole, and don't hit your toothpaste spit?

Basesix. Hi mate, you’re Swellnet’s fortune teller for sure.
Both wet areas en suite and bathroom are near completion.

From experience, I’d have to say, bathrooms are probably the most labour and design intensive rooms of a house or apartment.
The amount of planning that goes into fitting everything in, the aesthetics, the reconfiguration of sub floor and wall plumbing, the relocating of power points and switches, the waterproofing/ tanking . It costs a bob, I’d say more than your average kitchen make over.
Anyway, my clients and friends are very happy, so am I, just some minor painting, caulking and ‘fit off ‘ electrical work and it’s all done.
My greatest chagrin is working inside, not my normal cuppa tea, I didn’t actually want to do this job, but they said we’d rather pay you to do the work and not someone else they didn’t know.
I was paid in full before I’d even started. How’s that for attempting to lure oneself into a project. Well it worked. Photos soon. AW

!00% agree, fk there is some work in a bathroom and nothing is cheap and yes 100% you have to really think about the design to make it useable and look good, and yes, think about power points placement etc and the make sure that they are far enough away from sinks etc to be legal.

I finished our main bathroom down stairs a while back, so no more using the temporary shower and toilet set up in the back shed, but im now doing our ensuite bathroom. (just when i get time)

I kind of went all out for our ensuite it's 7,200mm X 1,950mm, with two entry doors at each end (Bali style) double sink, freestanding bath up one end and a double shower up the other with ceiling shower heads.

It's big but im planning on putting in quite a few indoor plants in there, i like plants in bathrooms and plants love bathrooms.

Im doing a huge main bed too, complete with kitchenette sink & bar fridge etc and a chill area with sofa & coffee table etc

I want it to be like a Bali hotel room, so if the kids end up staying at home longer than i did due to house prices, at least we have our own space.

I could have fitted in a few more bedrooms instead, maybe smarter for resale value, but id rather just build what i really want, and the whole happy wife happy life thing.

BTW. im kind of going against the grain here, but im putting in a little 25 mm high shower hob instead of that whole no barrier walk in shower thing, not as trendy but i just hate how water goes out onto the floor if no hob, also doing a full glass shower screen and door, i just think in Victorian climate that whole open shower thing doesn't work so good, i like to be enclosed and warm in the steam.

PS. Also using a swivel tap for freestanding bath like Basesix suggested.

Pics so far (excuse the mess), just to give an idea of the set up it looks narrower in the pics for some reason, solid timber feature walls, above bath and sinks, groove panel MDF on long wall (cheaper and easier than tiling) floor and shower to be fully tiled (after water proofing obviously)

IndoDreaming. Hi mate. How’s your family?

A lot of nice work there pal, coming along beautifully.
I see you’ve got one of the most important tools for a renovation, not a drill, hammer, impact driver, no, the bloody vacuum cleaner.
My gosh when you’re renovating you’re constantly needing to suck up shit so as to not spoil your good work or simply just get it out of your work zone.
I’ve a DeWalt vacuum cleaner wet/dry it’s been well paid for.

It’s limitless what goes in wet areas, all the different types of showers, baths, spa bath, enclosed or open shower spaces, in my job we have two shower bars, a rectangular panel that runs up the tiled wall with a flat bar full of jets above your head plus a hand wand and jets that squirt all down your body from neck to knees.
I’ll post all the photos next week when it’s finished.

Info, one question. Is the missus happy ? AW

indo-dreaming wrote:

"Info, one question. Is the missus happy ?"

Yeah 100% I draw up all the floor plans/design etc but she tells me what she wants included, so i ensure I tick those boxes and keep her happy, but we alao have very similar taste so its easy when just deciding on things like tiles or fittings etc

Living in a house that half of it is under construction or using a shed to wash etc would be pretty hard for many wife's/couples, but she is very easy going and flexible, it probably helped that she grew up in Indonesia under vary basic living conditions.

IndoDreaming. Good stuff.

My apologies for the typo meant to type Indo not Info, both ,enters are side by side on a keyboard.

I’ve done it, you’re doing it and others will do it.
Live in a house whilst you renovate, it’s quirky and highlights how basic we can live and still maintain harmony, when you can see it coming to fruition it’s a pretty good feeling. AW