WEEK 5 OF AUGUST

 This week the guys tackled the second bathroom.  These are before and after shots.  Before included no water or electric connections.  After included completed toilet connections, bathtub water but no drainage connection as yet and basin stuff still not connected.  Some tiling still needing completing but at least we have another working loo :)

While Mmalae tackled most of the tiling, Mark worked on connecting water piles etc in bathroom and finished overhead light connections in the walls in this bathroom, the spare room, school room and TV room.  He still needs to connect the outlet points.  But, enough was done that we could move into all the rooms and start unpacking.  We'll just make do without celings in passage, second bathroom, second lounge area, school room, spare room and TV area until Mark can get go them.  Mark also hung some kitchen cupboards on the walls in the kitchen, which aided more unpacking.  

Mmalae is now taking a 2 or so week break.  He will come back for short periods as Mark needs him and his other work allows.  Tho Mark too is wanting to take a break from the pressure of 12 hour days and keeping Mmalae going.  Will keep you updated as things start again.

WEEK 3 and 4 OF AUGUST

Last week was about getting the roof on the first section of the enclosed veranda area.  It was good to be closed in after 3 days of rain the previous week with no roof!  

 Here Mmalae is enjoying the feeling of wide open space as the last portion of the roof of the enclosed veranda was removed.  Both windows in this room needed replacing.  The one also needed bricking above to adjust the profile of the roof.  No problem for the fearless duo of M and M.

 In this pic (sorry about the glare, sun was in the wrong place), you can see the whole enclosed veranda's new roof.  Mark also got some of the flashing done.  

Taken from the side of the house, just before the last 2 roof sheets got put on.  You can see nicely the new profiled area.  One of the last pics I'll get of Mark on the roof.  Our one neighbor recently said to him, that he must love his roof, cos he spends a lot of time on it :)

WEEK 2 AUGUST

This was a bit of a different week.  Intense storms over 2 almost 3 of the days at the start of the week (including hail, buckets of rain and high winds, not to mention freezing cold), a public holiday...  Mark let Mmalae stay home this week.  They both needed a rest after pushing so hard for so long.
In the meantime, Mark has worked on bits a pieces... finished connecting water in the kitchen, built the sink area and we are no longer washing outside with cold water.  He's also hung some pictures and hung the kids bookshelves after they each gave theirs a new coat of paint.
Mark also had to get rid of tons of water in the area they are busy roofing.  Ja, we had no roof on that section of the house thru the storm.  But, all is well.  Thankfully he didn't have to drill holes in the walls to let the water out.  He managed with buckets.

WEEK ONE OF AUGUST

This is how the enclosed veranda section looked at the end of monday.  The part closest to you where Mmalae is sleeping.  So we'll need to finish the other section, move him and then complete the front section.

This is how it looked by friday afternoon.  Windows and new roofing sheets are ordered.  We hadn't expected this roof area to be so rotted but it is, as are the window frames.  We decided to brick up the windows on this side of the house to increase security.  We don't think light in the rooms will be decreased due to the way the house is facing.  It will also mean, we don't just look straight at the buildings behind us.  Just up at the beautiful sky:)

WEEK 4 OF JULY

This week saw the the main part of the roof done.  The raised part you can see is actually clear roofing so that natural light can get into the roof space (Mark hopes to make his study up there).  They also finished the ceilings and cornices to our and Kara's room.

Which means..... ja, we moved into our rooms this weekend.  We actually also moved everything off the enclosed veranda section in preparation for the work to start there next week.  You can see from this picture , that we're still washing dishes our our outside 'camping' sink area.

WEEK 3 OF JULY camping in our house

 Last weekend we moved our camping kitchen from the other side of the house to the actual kitchen area.  Tho we'r still camping and have no sink, tiles or permanent kitchen anything inside yet.  We're still using the makeshift sink on the side of the house.  We had to free up the arean, as the roof was going to be done this week.

 This is our lounge as we're living right now.  Dump zone.  Since this picture was taken, Mark has put up the cornices in the first bathroom, dinningroom, kitchen,  JJ's room to be and enterance hall.

Livng and doing school is becoming more and more challenging as the level of chaos increases.  I realised that we've been in boxes for almost a year now.  We're hoping to start moving into some of the rooms next weekend (tho no painting or cupboards are done yet), but it depends on how roof, celings, cornices and window go.  

WEEK 3 OF JULY = the roof

 Week 3 of July has been a mammoth week.  High winds delayed them being able to get up there until wednesday.  Mark said the wood they removed from this section was actually the worst in the whole roof (we thought the other side of the roof was the worst to start with as it was there that the roof was sagging).  He said that he could hear the beams cracking behind him as he stepped on them.  He also almost feel off the roof at one point in his haste to get done.  Decided rushing wasn't worth it after that.

You'll notice that Kara's skinny window has been removed.  It needed a lintle in the top as a structural crack had developed.

 They actually do sit down and rest momentarily during their 12 hour days:)  Here they are surveying the pile of timber they removed from the last part on the main roof.

 This is as far as they got by friday.  This picture is taken from the side of the house.  On the left you can see the next section of roof that will need replacing.  We'd hoped it would be ok but is also filled will bora, as are some of the window frames.  We're presently living in that section of the house.  It extends the length of the building.  

Weekend are always our clean up time.  Here Mark and J have loaded the old timber to take to the dump.