DAY 11 & 12

We decided to drop in on Sunday to show the kids how much work has been done so far. I was sure they would be tickled by the demolition of the wall between their rooms and wanted them to see it. When we arrived, we noticed that the lock was not attached to the gate. Someone was inside the house. We opened the door to find three chaps working on the electrical wiring. I didn't know that there would be work done on a Sunday! I spoke to the man in charge there and he said they could only do 'quiet' work on weekends as our neighbours would definitely complain if they so much as heard a knock or a drill. So laying out the electrical cables was a quiet enough job to be done on a Sunday. The kids soaked in everything they saw but of course gave their own comments here and there. The electrical guys said they would work the entire day until about 6pm. I wish I'd known they would be there. I would've brought some snacks for them. 

This was what we saw when we walked in. Wires and conduits dangling from the ceiling.

They had to know precisely where our fittings are to be able to lay the cables.

The living room will have 11 Hue downlights and a pendant light for the dining table.

That wall is still there!

The boss working in the master bedroom.

He explained that he was helping his brother with his electrical business and they do work on weekends and Sundays when required.

An insulated aircon tube has been lodged in the floor of the study to carry water away from the aircon unit to the drainage pipe in corner of the balcony. While I appreciate the effort to conceal the pipes so that it looks neater, I belong to the old school who's a bit nervous about concealing everything because it's going to be a real hassle (and expenditure) if the concealed pipes give trouble in the future.

Gypsum boards for the false ceiling have been brought in. They are pretty heavy and I wonder how they are going to erect and support the weight of these boards!

Emma staking her claim on her territory.

When we purchased the water heater, they provided a 3metre long cable to connect the water storage tank to the digital temperature control panel. I had my doubts that 3m would be enough, looking at the drawings in the plan and also physically looking at the bathroom. If we required more than 3m, they would charge $80 for a 10m long cable. I tried to ask my contractor if he could extend the 3m wire if it wasn't enough, to save me the extra money. I left the bag with the 3m long cable for the heater guys to install on Monday.

A family outing.

DAY 10

It's hard to photograph after sundown but it looks like there's not much choice since it's almost impossible for us to get there before 7pm before the light goes. It's down to the phone light and the torchlight to illuminate the scene for some photos. A set of drawings have been put up on the walls as a visual reference for the workers I suppose. However one of those drawings is inaccurate as it's from a design that we changed in the end. I hope they know it! It's quite a thrill to open the door every evening, not knowing what we're going to see on the other side. It's become a little game where we try to spot the new elements.

Some plumbing work's been done. This is where the water heater storage tank is going to be located. I called AO Smith today to try to arrange for delivery of the tank on Monday. Luckily, they had an open slot. Otherwise the usual lead time is 2 weeks for delivery and installation. I paid for them to install as well in case something goes wrong, I can still seek redress. If I have my contractors install it, the dealer may not honour the warranty. So best to get the dealer to install to ensure expert installation and warranty thereafter.

One of the issues at the design stage was how to power our reclining sofa which is a piece of 'floating' furniture, a standalone in the middle of the room, with no power point to plug the power for the reclining mechanism to. Then I saw that my designers had designed a power point placed at the side of an island with no trace of an electrical trunking so I knew it was possible. The solution: Drill a channel in the floor that would accommodate a pipe to pull the power cord through. I have no idea how they are going to do this but since they've done it before, I'll leave it in their good hands!

The new walls where one of two entrances to the study is located has been erected. The storeroom is on the left. The pocket door and air-conditioning units will be installed where the opening is right now.

The beginnings of electrical work starting. These pipe casings are up on the ceilings. If you look carefully, you can see the word 'Fan' marked on the ceiling at the top of the frame and another X in a circle.