This is part two of our extensive home renovation. This time bathroom and kitchen. And not just a little paint or new tiles. Nope, the main goal is to insulate the whole house and to get it to a decent, liveable standard. Modernising it comes as a side effect. Why not knocking out a few of those superfluous walls when we are at it? Here are a few impressions:
These are the "before" pictures. Bath, toilet and laundry all separate rooms
with plenty of walls and doors that waste a lot of real estate.
with plenty of walls and doors that waste a lot of real estate.
Little peepholes are supposed to be windows.
I ditched the laundry door quite a while ago.
The bathtub in the background is only there for cleaning.
I don't think anyone was actually using it during the last 15 years.
I don't think anyone was actually using it during the last 15 years.
Lets knock all that stuff out...
Uhh, that's hard yakka!
Looks a lot more spacious already!
And we have two peepholes next to each other.
And we have two peepholes next to each other.
Of course we need a dunny in the meantime.
And a shower.
A full day of dust production just to remove the old tiles from the concrete floor.
So, the peepholes are gone too.
Scary...
...but not for long. The new bathroom window has been sitting on the veranda for a long time.
That's what an Australian timber frame home looks like beneath the floor.
Al least the older ones - new ones sit on a concrete slab.
Al least the older ones - new ones sit on a concrete slab.
Brilliant! After I arduously removed the floor tiles, the plumber got into action. First he changed the concrete floor into a Swiss cheese and then he knocked it out altogether...
Now we had to get a complete new floor. First the pipes and drains...
...then the concrete.
We put James Hardie Scyon Secura Flooring on top.
A brickie fixed our brick veneer and the window sills.
Oliver hates all the hassle. But I guess the evenings are OK.
We will need new doors. It's time to prepare them.
We want cavity doors - so, we get started with a drawing...
...a few bits and pieces...
...pockets...
...and final assembly
Ready to go into the wall.
Most walls don't carry any load, however some of them have braces.
I assume that they at least function as cross-bracing for the house.
We decided to stiffen all remaining walls with 6mm OSB panels.
That should make up for the lost walls.
I assume that they at least function as cross-bracing for the house.
We decided to stiffen all remaining walls with 6mm OSB panels.
That should make up for the lost walls.
We have to fix a lot of things later on in the bathroom (soap board, handle bars, shower, etc.). The easiest is to document the mount points with photos nowadays.
Finally - time to insulate everything properly.
Insulation only works if behind a decent class I vapour barrier.
Covered by our OSB stiffeners...
...10mm Gyprock...
...and tiles
We used corrugated conduits to prepare the walls for the electrician.
A fancy vanity should go into that bathroom as well. So, I made one from Merbau decking that I got at Bunnings.
The table top is made from Italian marble and the basin is a hand made Moroccan sink.
After the walls, we tackled the floor. Primer first and rubber sealing second.
Covered with terracotta style tiles.
A timber ceiling tops it off
We are not really done yet...
...but it looks promising enough!
Next page,
kitchen renovation
