It feels like we are making slow progress with the secondhand house again. You might be wondering what's taking so long. Here's what's happened since I wrote about painting the outside of the house back here.
The shed
I don't know if I've really explained the shed before. The intention of the shed is a workshop and storage space so that we can keep the house free of clutter. We chose a big shed because we didn't want to have to build another shed if we ran out of space. Its 15m (three 5m bays) by 12m by 4m high. The two bays closest to the house have roller doors. The final bay has a mezzanine floor, which we will use for storage. We will also build a space under the mezzanine for the freezers and a soap-making/honey processing kitchen.
So far we have council approval for the shed, we had rainwater tanks hooked up, we have rodent-proofed the gap between the wall and the slab and filled the shed with a surprising amount of stuff already. We haven't organised the room under the mezzanine, shelving for the mezzanine, electrical wiring (connected to solar PV I hope), however I have bought a secondhand kitchen!
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| Taz helping me with the plan of the shed |
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| rodent-proofing |
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| shed kitchen waiting to be installed under the mezzanine |
The bathroom
Everything is installed in the bathroom, the only job left is painting the walls and the ceiling (without splashing any of the new fittings!). We haven't had the hotwater turned on lately, so I haven't actually tried the bath or shower, but it is very nice to have a toilet in the house again. (here's more about designing the bathroom)
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| few before photos from the bathroom |
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| can't wait to try that bath! |
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| The toilet is hiding behind the tiled wall |
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| Mirror and light to go above the vanity |
Painting the inside
We have officially finished sanding all the inside walls of the house! So far we have finished painting two bedrooms, the hallway and the sideroom (builtin veranda). The kitchen has primer on the walls, and we are now ready to put primer on the lounge and master bedroom. We have also left all the doors and window frames until last. (here's more about painting the house)
New floors are next
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| ready to paint in the lounge and master bedroom |
New floors are next
We have been through several different options for the floor in the house. First we thought we would put tiles throughout, put then we learnt that tiles are not really suitable in a Queenslander house that can move and twist on its stumps (better for concrete slab houses). Then we thought we would sand and polish the original floorboards, but I read a very good book about Queenslander houses, which said that the hoop pine boards were never really designed to be walked on, always intended to be covered. We can also see the ground through some of the gaps in the floorboards, so it could be a bit chilly in winter. We've decided to lay a new hardwood floor over the hoop pine floorboards. This will be 25mm ironbark floorboards, not a laminate. It will be sanded and polished with a Danish wax product, and its thick enough that we can repolish and resand it if needed. We need to finish the painting before we can get the floor laid though! And we needed to have the shed finished so that we could move everything out of the house and into the shed while the floor contractors are here.
So that is what has been taking so long! But I feel like we are making slow and steady progress. What do you think? Are you renovating? Or a survivor of a renovation? Who's living in a Queenslander?
That sounds like the complicated domino effect renovations we have been doing. It's a slow dance but oh so surely it happens. Keep taking photos, they are so motivating. We have chosen Tas oak for the kitchen which is stacked in the front room but about to be stacked out in the kitchen so it can acclimatise for a few weeks. Then....more sanding!
ReplyDeleteSlow and steady wins the race, Liz. Imagine how much you'll love sitting back when it's all done and enjoying the home you've done so much work on!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me like you're getting heaps done.
ReplyDeletethe house is coming together beautifully! the bathroom looks fantastic! slow & steady is best, no point rushing that's when mistakes are made, you'll be enjoying the fruits of your labour soon :))
ReplyDeletelooking good!
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ReplyDeleteRemovalists Melbourne
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing this post.
ReplyDeleteRemovalists Brisbane
A shed kitchen - what a fascinating paradigm shift! (my mind is whirring now)
ReplyDeleteWow, a shed kitchen. Brilliant idea! For the past couple of years I've been saying "If I was starting over again I'd have an outdoor (or shed) kitchen" and there, you wise things, have done it. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the idea of your shed kitchen, and hanker for one. My Italian relatives (living in rural Italy) take the idea of a shed kitchen to the limit - they do most of their cooking there, and their inside kitchen is mostly used for brewing coffee in the morning, so it is just about pristine in it's newness. I think that's taking things a bit far!
ReplyDeleteI think the new floor boards are a wise choice allowing you to insulate underneath if you want and you are right Hoop Pine is very soft.
ReplyDelete