Sunday 14 February 2016

swims, supports and salad stuff

Had a lovely day on the land yesterday.

Jana came up from Sydney for the weekend and we spent the day at my house site doing very little except enjoying the weather and tranquility.

It was warm (33deg) so we took the opportunity to have along and leisurely swim in the dam. I'm really appreciating having the jetty there now as getting in (running jump!!) and out was much easier - no more muddy feet.



Jana also helped out watering the veggies:



Her reward (6 capsicums,spinach, rhubarb, rocket, beetroot, basil, mint and chives.):


The previous couple of days I spent cutting out strips of container wall and inserting the blue steel supports. These are just beside the large openings such as the 4 big windows at the front of the house, 2 large glass sliding doors and 2 regular doors. Four down and four to go.



Tuesday 9 February 2016

wet 'n' wetroom

I have all the timber for the back deck and verandah posts and was just about to start building it when I realised that the deck ledger (the back bearer of the deck attached to the shipping container) will completely cover a row of welds where the containers meet the steel plates set into the concrete piers.  All of my welding must be inspected before it is covered.

I am thinking I should do some other bits of welding first and get them all inspected at the same time. (I have to install about 12 - 75x75 steel posts as additional support around window and door openings. It means cutting through the exterior container walls which til now I've been reluctant to start.)

Internal steel support plan:

I have been in contact with my engineers as there is the possibility I will not need some of these posts as the steel container walls themselves are strong enough to support the roof.

Veggie garden has gone feral in the last 3 weeks - the water tank was a blessing as we had one of the driest past 3 months in years.

I'm harvesting rhubarb, mint, rocket, beetroots, capsicums, basil and the spinach is about a week off picking.

Rhubarbs and pumpkins battling for the central path!


A fierce storm that hit Eastern NSW recently battered my land.

I drove to Sydney that morning to buy a toilet, shower screen, laundry tub, bathroom sink and some minor fitting and was driving back through the thick of it on the way home on the Motorway. Cars were crawling along at 50-60kph. Worst weather I've yet driven in.

Arrived at my land to drop off purchases (cardboard boxes were like soggy bread!) and there was water everywhere. It filled the dam to overflowing. By sheer luck I had the jetty level just at the right height so that at maximum capacity the deck bearers are 50mm above the water!!:



Pumpkins were peppered with little holes from the hail. A few rhubarb stalks snapped off but overall not too much damage.

Decided to get some basic bathroom things so when I get the plumber to quote he knows what he'll need to plumb for (mainly the toilet outlet). The shower will be a basic wet room type with no door just the fixed screen. I would like a long narrow S/Steel grate drain:



but they are pretty pricey for what they are. Will search around to see if there are any bargains to be had!

The laundry tub is the smallest I could find (380mm x 550mm x 870mm) as mine rarely gets used for anything and I'm required by Council to have one.

Was pleased to find the Back-to-wall toilet suite for almost half the usual retail price for the cheapest variety. Some of these toilets sell for well over a thousand dollars!!

Purchases (not the tap or the shower head):




It seems a bit weird buying things like toilets and taps when I don't have a roof or even the windows in yet!