Bricks!

We're so excited that the bricks have begun to go up and they look great! They're something a bit soft and different, though they tie-in quite well with our neighbour who independently of us chose a similar brick. We were worried at first as the mortar looks grey at the front, but we suspect that this is simply because it's still wet...well, we hope this is the case as the mortar at the back was off-white (as we chose).

Also, the plumber has corrected the Ensuite overhead shower (though it's not centred), and insulated the pipes. The other plumbing issues aren't sorted though. Fairmont have also moved the windows in the Media Room, however they're not in-line with each other...hmmmmmmm....

The steel beams in the Alfresco Area and Garage are up. These were expensive but worth it not to have columns.

Anyway, here are some pics:

Bricks!

LOVE the look of our bricks!

   

We suspect the "Plain Jane" bricks stacked on the porch are for the rendered columns.

The mis-matched height of the windows is rather...interesting :-S

Insulated pipes

Beam in Alfresco Area

Beam in the Garage

Second Story View and Brick Delivery

A visit to the block this weekend and there has been a bit more progress...and a few more errors (I'll explain in pics below).

She's coming along nicely!

Our formal dining room (or reading room) window. It's very large and unfortunately our house sits higher than the neighbours' house so we get a lovely view of a fence (when it's up) and bricks. Plus they can see into our window (see pic below). So, at the moment we're thinking of installing sheer curtains as well as block-out curtains for privacy while still letting light in.

This is our laundry wall which will have cabinetry and our washing machine and dryer. Unfortunately the washing machine taps (on the left of the pic) appear to have been installed too high and too far to the right.

View of our kitchen/meals area

An unwelcome waste pipe in our study. I hope it can be moved as space is already a premium in that room.

I was so excited because we were able to go upstairs for the first time as the sub-floor is in! I thought downstairs was beautiful, but upstairs just floored me. The photos do not do it justice at all, but the view from both the front and back of the house is really amazing. I can't wait to live in the space!

The view from our upstairs TV room (shame about the port-a-loo!)

View from Bed 4. You can't see it properly in the photos but the hills in the background looked beautiful.

View from Bed 1 and upstairs landing (from the angle you can't see much of the golf course but in reality it's so serene).

Bed 1! I can just imagine our bed against the floating wall...

I can't wait to have a balcony to step onto

The window on the right is not meant to be frosted. Apparently the window company made a mistake and are sending out a new one in a few weeks.

Unfortunately we're now worried that we can't fit a wardrobe next to the window...

Our ensuite. The over-head shower outlet seems to have been incorrectly installed as a wall-outlet. Another thing to mention to Fairmont.

The bricks! When I describe them, I say they're like peaches and cream. With pink and cream subtly mottled through them. Unfortunately in our lot there looks to be a lot more pink than cream which is a bit worrying. I really hope they look nice when up.

Our bricks. Boral "Rose Cove."

Well, we are excited, but there are a few things to work through. Nothing worth having is ever easy.

More Frames...and Some Windows!

Visiting the block today we were delighted to see more progress. We have frames to the upper story and some windows...and some issues (is any build complete without them?).

Here are some pics:

Second story up!

From left to right: Fixed window (shouldn't be obscure) in our "dressing area"; sliding doors from Master Bed to balcony; french doors from upstairs landing to balcony.

View from front of house through to backyard. Now with ceiling joists!

Kitchen/Meals area. Loving the raked ceiling!

View from Kitchen to the backyard. We're very happy we changed to a four door slider from a six. It just suits the span.

Media/Family Room. Still haven't fixed the height of the windows.

 

Laundry. That window should be obscure glass.

Sliding door from Study. I was unsure of the door, but am so happy with it. I think it makes the room look larger than it is.

  

Formal Living area taken from front of the house.

If I were more nimble than I am, and Mick hadn't hurt his back last week, one of us would have shimmied up the ladder and had a look upstairs. I'm dying to check it out!


Ok, now for the issues:

Here are Fairmont's answers to issues we raised last week:

RE: Low height of Media/Family Room windows: "Frame/window – our frame company have made a small error, naturally we would never install windows at this point. This is no problem at all and I believe the carpenter is already onto it." - Still unresolved as of 5/8/12

RE: Unknown floor and wall pipes in Powder Room: "Powder room – the plumbing in this area is correct – the hole under the frame is for the vanity. We now complete all vanity drainage thru the wall in case of wall hung vanities. There is an additional hole in the floor that is not connected to the sewer and is now obsolete. It is normally used for electrical conduit to the kitchen island bench however as you have a frame/wall at one end of the island, this pipe will now be filled in." - Still unresolved as of 5/8/12

"Laundry - A 40mm pipe will be run thru the stud of the frame for the drain box. A lintel has been allowed for to support the roof load." - Something Mick wanted to double-check

We're sure Fairmont will resolve all these issues and that they would prefer we be less vocal on the point (from my own inference, not from anything directly said by Fairmont), however I think it it reasonable to want full input on any project that you have a large amount of time, money and energy invested in. So, we will continue to check-in with Fairmont on any issues we perceive.

In that vain, here are the new issues:

- Fixed window in Master Bed appears to be obscure glass but it is meant to be transparent
- Laundry window isn't obscure and it is meant to be
- There is a floor pipe in the Study that we're unsure of
- The stacker door in the Kitchen/Meals area is meant to be rebated into the slab so it's flush with the floor (i.e. I can wheel our large bird cage in and out without having to lift it over a lip), however it doesn't appear to be rebated.
- The backyard levels are out and one of our beautiful Manchurian Pears has had the roots and branches damaged. We will need to engage a landscape architect, a cost we had hoped to avoid, to work through these issues. Landscaping is an important aspect to any house. I love the outdoors and it adds immensely to the value of any property.

We will, as always, keep you posted.