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Slat my shack up
The shack has slowly been morphing into its new shape over the past few weeks. Matty has been busy putting up the timber frame and installing windows. We were very conscious of the timber used for the framing as the site is prone to termite infestation, a problem we discovered whilst stripping the shack down. As such, all timber framing has been done with H3 grade timbers which are treated for moisture and insect resistance. The windows and main door arrived about two weeks ago, and Matty has installed them into position already. These beautiful windows match the ones in the Nest, and are simply gorgeous. Being a hardwood timber…
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Battens, cables and bales
It is nearly time for the house’s most distinguishing feature to be delivered. Matty and I went to inspect the bales this morning, and they are mighty fine. I ain’t any bale connoisseur but these bales definitely looked like they could be the muscles of our house (the render will be the skin, the frames are the bones….important to get these anatomical details correct :D :D). Each of these wheat straw bales measure 965mm(W) x 450mm(D) x 375mm(H), making the walls quite thick and insulated. 350 of these bad bales will be delivered next week, and the remaining 100 a fortnight after. Last week we completed putting up all the roof…
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A roof over our heads
The last day of January marked another milestone on Cooinda, the roof sheets were put up! Three days later, Matty secured the flashing around the edges as well. Tim, the plumber assisted Matty on the day. As the skillion roof is on a 6 degree single pitch, the gutter will only be on the south side of the house, where eventually a downpipe will feed a 10,000 litre rainwater tank. We then started work on the roof battens this weekend; this is the timber on the inside portion of the roof that holds up the ceiling plaster as well as the roof insulation bats. Alongside the roof extravaganza, I managed to finish…
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The first quarter
And so we are close to our first quarter since the slab pour; 3 months, oh how you’ve whizzed by! We’re on the precipice of the roof inauguration (yes, I used that word with intent). Last weekend we had hired help from our local Benny Boy, a quirky character who we buy firewood from during the colder months. He has the strength that I lack, and he lacks the fear of heights that I have, so it worked out for the better :D He helped Matty put up the smart roof joists (as opposed to the intellectually challenged type). In case you were wondering (like I was)… smart joists refer to a…
