We've been framed - again!
Yes, we have finally started on the frame of the house. Monday was a public holiday in Canberra so we organised a working bee to put up the house frame. Our builder mates, Danny and Peter, arrived early Monday morning and we made a start - placing tools, finding the plans and working out where to set up the radio. As every builder knows, you can't work on a site unless you have music!! This is as far as we got on Monday - the heavens opened up and the drought broke in Gundaroo! While we're not complaining about the lovely water falling from sky, timing could've been better :) So the working bee was called off and everyone went home.
Tuesday came along and we thought, yep the weather looks good today let's try again. This time, we only had James, Tracey and Peter. First step was to check the slab markings and James had done a great job of marking out where each frame was to do.
Next step was to lay out the frames where they were supposed to go up. With Tracey directing, James and Peter lugged the frames and placed them in their spots kinda in the middle of the slab, leaving room on the outside to actually put them up. This step took most of the morning as the frames were pretty heavy, particularly the front entry frame and the frame for the bi-fold doors - they were monsters.
We were now up to the stage of actually putting the frames up. Again with Tracey directing, James and Peter stood up the frames and nail gunned and drilled them into place. Surprisingly, things went smoothly and half the house went up pretty quickly. One quite difficult part was the front entry frame. It is sooooo tall and in one complete piece that standing it up and keeping it steady was quite a task but James and Peter managed well despite Tracey panicking every time the wind blew ever so slightly! Heaven knows how on earth we're going to get the window in up there.
It was then Tracey's job to go along and drill through the bottom of the frame and into the concrete and bolt the frames to the slab. After a lot of swearing and getting one drill bit stuck in the reo in the concrete, which we couldn't get out and ended up having to take it off the drill and leave it there, she managed to get it done. There will forever be a 10mm drill bit behind the wall of the guest bedroom now :)
Next stage will be putting on the roof trusses.
Tuesday came along and we thought, yep the weather looks good today let's try again. This time, we only had James, Tracey and Peter. First step was to check the slab markings and James had done a great job of marking out where each frame was to do.
Next step was to lay out the frames where they were supposed to go up. With Tracey directing, James and Peter lugged the frames and placed them in their spots kinda in the middle of the slab, leaving room on the outside to actually put them up. This step took most of the morning as the frames were pretty heavy, particularly the front entry frame and the frame for the bi-fold doors - they were monsters.
We were now up to the stage of actually putting the frames up. Again with Tracey directing, James and Peter stood up the frames and nail gunned and drilled them into place. Surprisingly, things went smoothly and half the house went up pretty quickly. One quite difficult part was the front entry frame. It is sooooo tall and in one complete piece that standing it up and keeping it steady was quite a task but James and Peter managed well despite Tracey panicking every time the wind blew ever so slightly! Heaven knows how on earth we're going to get the window in up there.
It was then Tracey's job to go along and drill through the bottom of the frame and into the concrete and bolt the frames to the slab. After a lot of swearing and getting one drill bit stuck in the reo in the concrete, which we couldn't get out and ended up having to take it off the drill and leave it there, she managed to get it done. There will forever be a 10mm drill bit behind the wall of the guest bedroom now :)
Next stage will be putting on the roof trusses.
posted by Tracey and James | 1:43 pm
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