It's been a big learning curve for me as I had no clues about gib-stopping and paint types; the only bathroom renovation I've been involved with had a Seratone finish, which I (foolishly in hindsight) thought was the green gib finish. Doh! It would have been much simpler if I knew about that first as I'd now be having showers without worrying about gib-stopping and paint.
I'm back without a toilet cistern for a couple of weeks as there's a gib join right behind it. A bucket of water doesn't do the job quite as well but at least I have a sort-of-working toilet after 5 days without one! We were blessed with dry weather for the building - so much easier than what it would have been in the rain and wind that's now blowing through.
I've picked up a month's fulltime fieldwork with DOC and start this Tuesday on the Darwin's Barberry eradication team. I will be spending the next month out in all weather's searching for, and destroying, any barberry bushes. It's a garden escapee that likes Rakiura as much as I do but unfortunately takes over and can establish itself in dense bush. DOC put an eradication plan in place in 2001 and rotates between blocks every 8 (??) years. This year it's the township's turn, so I'll get to see a lot of ground that I haven't covered before. We search on a 4m x 4m grid and treat the cut stems with a gel to kill off the roots, otherwise it springs back up again. The team also gets rid of any other weed plant as it goes including Chilean Gunnera and Cotoneaster. The great thing about getting this job is that I'll be able to use DOC's shower at the end of the day.
Back to renovations - Jarrod's done a great job despite the lack of squareness of both the interior and exterior walls. So important to get these basics right at the start so that work in the future goes smoothly. Jed, the electrician, is going to replace my mishmash ceiling lights (5 of which were placed at random) with 2 ring fluorescent fittings - so much nicer with twice the light and less electricity use. He's put one up for me to try and it's amazing the difference it makes at night.
Right, enough talk - here's the photos! It's getting harder to fit in now that the gib is on the framing.
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| End 26 May - new office from deck |
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| End 26 May - new bathroom |
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| End 26 May - new rooms off lounge |
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| End 26 May - new rooms from ranchslider |
