Bob Heine
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Hewey, when the Jacaranda goes into bloom, could you please post up a picture or two? Driving to work on purple streets was one of my favorite memories of the northern suburbs.
Below 265 SQ/FT Hewey's 1950s single garage & cottage
- Thread starter hewey
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All workspaces below 265 squarefeet.
Lyndon
Well-known member
Hewey
Meant to post this when I saw your first mention of the intentions for the back deck.....
I don't know if we all went out onto the deck here when you and Rod (& significant others - and where is Rod BTW) visited a few years back, but this is what ours looks like:
And, looking west, at the top of the stairs:
Or more significantly, this is what the side rails look like:
And this one's a bit dark, but it's the other end of the stainless steel wires:
When we did the deck I found a company at Miami (our Gold Coast, not theirs) that made this stuff to custom dimensions.... Not sure if they are still around, and I did measure 23 times, then checked it, before they made them up and had them sent it to me to install (which I did).
Main reason that I wanted them custom made was to not have to have that doubled back and clamped look on the ones you can buy locally.
If you need this style, look them up. Or I can possibly look back through the renovation files I have for a name......
Lyndon
Meant to post this when I saw your first mention of the intentions for the back deck.....
I don't know if we all went out onto the deck here when you and Rod (& significant others - and where is Rod BTW) visited a few years back, but this is what ours looks like:
And, looking west, at the top of the stairs:
Or more significantly, this is what the side rails look like:
And this one's a bit dark, but it's the other end of the stainless steel wires:
When we did the deck I found a company at Miami (our Gold Coast, not theirs) that made this stuff to custom dimensions.... Not sure if they are still around, and I did measure 23 times, then checked it, before they made them up and had them sent it to me to install (which I did).
Main reason that I wanted them custom made was to not have to have that doubled back and clamped look on the ones you can buy locally.
If you need this style, look them up. Or I can possibly look back through the renovation files I have for a name......
Lyndon
Bob, yeh more than happy to take some purple Jacaranda pics for you 
Also you might be interested in this article about people causing havoc for the locals and for traffic standing in the middle of the road to take pics - comes up as a news story every year!
Thanks Lyndon. Sourcing the wire balustrading is on my list of things to plan and source. I really like the look of those wires - very tidy! A quick google and these guys come up, does this ring a bell? https://www.miamistainless.com.au/
Also you might be interested in this article about people causing havoc for the locals and for traffic standing in the middle of the road to take pics - comes up as a news story every year!Thanks Lyndon. Sourcing the wire balustrading is on my list of things to plan and source. I really like the look of those wires - very tidy! A quick google and these guys come up, does this ring a bell? https://www.miamistainless.com.au/
Lyndon
Well-known member
Hewey
Yeah - pretty sure that's them. But measure, measure, and then check measure their order confirmation..... Very easy to get it wrong!
Lyndon
After 3 days of work, I've got in and painted the brick section of the back deck, and it makes a huge difference in how the space looks and feels.
To get the paint in to all of the crevices of the brick you really have to muscle the brush around, and trying to get around some of the nooks around places like the windows is really hard, so you have to go overboard with the masking - I spent 3 hours masking, which included against a join up to weatherboards, 2 windows, 1 door, the deck floor, the eaves, a downpipe, a stink pipe, and a water line. After that there are 3 coats - a primer and two top coats. Most frustratingly the primer is clear, so you paint a whole wall and have nothing to show for it! 
But the mineral paint chemically bonds to the brick, it breathes, is resistant to mould and moss, and is guaranteed for 30 years.
A quick before shot, in slightly better light than the last one.
And showing the freshly painted wall - feels so much more inviting. So the next step is considering what other bits will be painted and what colours. Most of it will probably be white to freshen things up, but we also want to make sure we give it some soul and personality.
Our lockdown has been extended to the end of September, which even then I think is pretty optimistic, so plenty more weekends to keep chipping away at it bit by bit.
To get the paint in to all of the crevices of the brick you really have to muscle the brush around, and trying to get around some of the nooks around places like the windows is really hard, so you have to go overboard with the masking - I spent 3 hours masking, which included against a join up to weatherboards, 2 windows, 1 door, the deck floor, the eaves, a downpipe, a stink pipe, and a water line.
After that there are 3 coats - a primer and two top coats. Most frustratingly the primer is clear, so you paint a whole wall and have nothing to show for it! But the mineral paint chemically bonds to the brick, it breathes, is resistant to mould and moss, and is guaranteed for 30 years.A quick before shot, in slightly better light than the last one.
And showing the freshly painted wall - feels so much more inviting. So the next step is considering what other bits will be painted and what colours. Most of it will probably be white to freshen things up, but we also want to make sure we give it some soul and personality.
Our lockdown has been extended to the end of September, which even then I think is pretty optimistic, so plenty more weekends to keep chipping away at it bit by bit.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Somehow I missed your posts last week Hewey and it took me a while to figure out what Bob's reference to jacaranda trees was about, but I'm up to speed now. The view from your deck is making me thirsty.
Good job on painting the brick work. I hate painting, so good for you. That stainless wire balustrading Lyndon put you on to looks great too. As he says, way better than the systems that just double the cable back and secure it with an ugly looking clamp. We nearly went with something like that on our deck but turned to glass in the end, there was a bit of concern about the grandkids being able to climb the wire and our deck is 3 metres off the ground.
Big, by Oz standards, Covid numbers in NSW lately. I think you're right that you'll be locked down for quite a while yet. Not looking too flash here either and I expect we'll be extended beyond the current 2 Sept end date.
Good job on painting the brick work. I hate painting, so good for you. That stainless wire balustrading Lyndon put you on to looks great too. As he says, way better than the systems that just double the cable back and secure it with an ugly looking clamp. We nearly went with something like that on our deck but turned to glass in the end, there was a bit of concern about the grandkids being able to climb the wire and our deck is 3 metres off the ground.
Big, by Oz standards, Covid numbers in NSW lately. I think you're right that you'll be locked down for quite a while yet. Not looking too flash here either and I expect we'll be extended beyond the current 2 Sept end date.
Thanks Geoff. Definitely agree with you and Lyndon on the streamlined cable system. Sounds like the glass was the right call for your place and context with grandkids. We've agreed that if/when we get a puppy, we'll need to put in place some temporary chicken wire or something till the dog gets enough self awareness to not wriggle off the deck
Seeing the results of this first step of painting has got me excited about finishing off the rest of the deck. I think the limiting factor will be availability of trades for some of the work, who are were all busy to begin with, and are struggling to catch up after a few weeks where they were shut down. Our sparkie is coming on Monday to do a quick fix on a lightswitch which is playing up, and as part of that we'll run our lighting plan for the deck past him to make sure its viable.
Yeh the Covid situation isn't pretty here, sounds like our hospitals and ambos are being pushed to their limit. I had to get tested yesterday as a casual contact for being at our local supermarket as a positive case, got my results back this morning and am negative so that's good. But we haven't had any local exposure sites for months, so just my luck to visit the supermarket in the exact same 30 minute window they did
Seeing the results of this first step of painting has got me excited about finishing off the rest of the deck. I think the limiting factor will be availability of trades for some of the work, who are were all busy to begin with, and are struggling to catch up after a few weeks where they were shut down. Our sparkie is coming on Monday to do a quick fix on a lightswitch which is playing up, and as part of that we'll run our lighting plan for the deck past him to make sure its viable.
Yeh the Covid situation isn't pretty here, sounds like our hospitals and ambos are being pushed to their limit. I had to get tested yesterday as a casual contact for being at our local supermarket as a positive case, got my results back this morning and am negative so that's good. But we haven't had any local exposure sites for months, so just my luck to visit the supermarket in the exact same 30 minute window they did
Not a super constructive weekend. It was a long week at work, which combined with cold and miserable overcast weather over the last couple of days meant motivation to work outside wasn't real high
One piece I did get in and do was tidy up this barge board. The previous downpipe was half the size and used to often overflow, which didn't do the surrounding timber any favours as you can see. So while I had the downpipe off from painting the brick, I figured I'll get in and tidy this up too. Timber is still solid with no signs of rot which was good.
Much better. The rest of the eave will be painted in the coming weeks, but I can reach that from the deck with some folding steps. Also considering a water tank, which is why I havent painted and tidied up the pipes just yet.
And one of the local cafes were offering a pancake kit which was too good to resist - pancake mix, fresh fruit, a waffle and nut crumb, maple bacon, and a whiskey caramel sauce. Just as good as it looks
vweww
One piece I did get in and do was tidy up this barge board. The previous downpipe was half the size and used to often overflow, which didn't do the surrounding timber any favours as you can see. So while I had the downpipe off from painting the brick, I figured I'll get in and tidy this up too. Timber is still solid with no signs of rot which was good.
Much better. The rest of the eave will be painted in the coming weeks, but I can reach that from the deck with some folding steps. Also considering a water tank, which is why I havent painted and tidied up the pipes just yet.
And one of the local cafes were offering a pancake kit which was too good to resist - pancake mix, fresh fruit, a waffle and nut crumb, maple bacon, and a whiskey caramel sauce. Just as good as it looks
vweww
For the stainless wire balustrading you can actually buy the ferrules and a hydraulic lug crimper from ebay is about $30. I used to fuse all the strands together with the TIG and then pop it in and crimp down. Works a treat
Grumblebum
Well-known member
Still here Lyndon, just lacking on the posts in recent times.
10 weeks down and at least 10 more to go before the kids have any fleeting chance of going back to school. They are doing well with the schooling at home routines but I suspect lots of kids are going to have some social anxiety when they can actually see their peers again. I really feel for the kids. My daughter will miss all those last things like school camps etc that they do in year 6 primary school. Once she starts high school you pretty much need to be wearing grown up shoes, so those last days of being a kid at school are fleeting along with the loss of social interacting life skills that you get from that environment.
Because there is no break up of the day now by going into our respective offices, we are finding the tendency to work all sorts of hours - home schooling stretches out the work day too by a good margin.
Place is looking great Hewey, I'm chipping away at our outdoor space at the moment. Who knows, we might one day be able to get the gang together down here for a catch up!
Cheers GB
10 weeks down and at least 10 more to go before the kids have any fleeting chance of going back to school. They are doing well with the schooling at home routines but I suspect lots of kids are going to have some social anxiety when they can actually see their peers again. I really feel for the kids. My daughter will miss all those last things like school camps etc that they do in year 6 primary school. Once she starts high school you pretty much need to be wearing grown up shoes, so those last days of being a kid at school are fleeting along with the loss of social interacting life skills that you get from that environment.
Because there is no break up of the day now by going into our respective offices, we are finding the tendency to work all sorts of hours - home schooling stretches out the work day too by a good margin.
Place is looking great Hewey, I'm chipping away at our outdoor space at the moment. Who knows, we might one day be able to get the gang together down here for a catch up!
Cheers GB
Thanks Takai, and great to see you pop in Grumblebum. Yeah I really feel for those families homeschooling and working from home. no matter which way you slice it, its tough going on everyone. At least it finally feels like there's some light at the end of the tunnel though! Sydney and surrounds Garage Journal catch up sounds great.
We're on week 13 (?) of lockdown in Sydney, the weather is warming up which is both good and bad. Great to open up some windows in the house during the day, but also just looking forward to a decent drive on a weekend. I got my second jab last week, and my wife is getting hers this week, so good to know we're protected but also eligible for things as restrictions start easing.
Deck is progressing. I realised I had some scrap particle board sitting in the rubbish pile down the side of the house, so cut a few pieces up to 'rapid prototype' a bar rail with a few different size options. Consensus is 300mm depth can hold a full size plate and drink with ease, and doesn't encroach in to useable space at all. As rough and shoddy as it is, its actually become a favoured lunch and morning tea spot already.
One of the 'fun' tasks was removing all of the surplus hooks, nails, staples etc that had wound up across all of the ceiling beams. Crappy job, but looks much tidier now.
And we settled on a paint called 'grey gum' from Porters for the walls. We wanted something a littler brighter and modern than the old cream was, but still wanted a heritage vibe as well. Really happy with the colour choice.
Next steps will be getting some lights installed, and starting on painting the beams etc too. We're also planning on an overhaul of the laundry too (pictured on the right) to make it more practical and so it present better.
We're on week 13 (?) of lockdown in Sydney, the weather is warming up which is both good and bad. Great to open up some windows in the house during the day, but also just looking forward to a decent drive on a weekend. I got my second jab last week, and my wife is getting hers this week, so good to know we're protected but also eligible for things as restrictions start easing.
Deck is progressing. I realised I had some scrap particle board sitting in the rubbish pile down the side of the house, so cut a few pieces up to 'rapid prototype' a bar rail with a few different size options. Consensus is 300mm depth can hold a full size plate and drink with ease, and doesn't encroach in to useable space at all. As rough and shoddy as it is, its actually become a favoured lunch and morning tea spot already.
One of the 'fun' tasks was removing all of the surplus hooks, nails, staples etc that had wound up across all of the ceiling beams. Crappy job, but looks much tidier now.
And we settled on a paint called 'grey gum' from Porters for the walls. We wanted something a littler brighter and modern than the old cream was, but still wanted a heritage vibe as well. Really happy with the colour choice.
Next steps will be getting some lights installed, and starting on painting the beams etc too. We're also planning on an overhaul of the laundry too (pictured on the right) to make it more practical and so it present better.
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cros13
Well-known member
That painting has come out top notch mate. Brick wall looks good, almost inspiring me to paint my brick wall in my garage... almost.
And you cant go wrong with light grey, its timeless.
Rudi.
And you cant go wrong with light grey, its timeless.
Rudi.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Looking the business there Hewey, nice work. That's a big collection of hooks and stuff you removed. I was reminded of a young bloke one of my girls was involved with about 20 years ago who had all this what i used to call fishing tackle hanging off his face and ears. Nice enough kid but as father of the girlfriend I felt entitled to poke a lot of fun at him and ratchet up the generally intimidating approach I adopted with all my girls' suitors.
Thanks Rudi. Painting the brick has made a huge difference to how bright this space feels, compared to the old brown brick. The paint is actually a pale eucalyptus green (see pic below). We're trying to achieve that balance between modernising things a little, making the space brighter, but also maintaining a heritage/cottage influence as well.
Geoff the good news is I've got no intention of inserting the hooks in my face
So first of all a better shot showing the green colour against the white brick.
And on Friday we had our sparky out to install our lights. We got these on sale at 50% off (just got lucky with timing), gotta be happy with that. They're aluminium, and have a rough/textured finish for an industrial look, and are painted in a silver/galvanised look.
I think we went through about half a dozen 'lighting plans' before settling on this one, factoring in things like lighting up the steps, ambient mood lighting, allowing for doors to open etc. We settled on two lights on the brick wall (activated by an internal lightswitch), and 3 on the weatherboard wall (activated by a switch on the deck itself). This way we've got enough light to see to get around by turning them on from the inside, but can also chose to switch either set on or off depending on how much light we want.
While we were at it, we also bought a floodlight for the backyard - mainly for accessing the garden shed or clothesline at night. It's just a generic modern one, so we installed it where you cant see it from the deck. Certainly does a great job of creating daylight in the backyard! And this is a night time shot from my phone that works terribly in low light conditions.
Next steps and questions:
* The European laundry on the deck is going to get full change up to make it more functional and prettier. So currently on the lookout for a single concrete laundry sink (like this). Scouring ebay, gumtree and marketplace to try and find a second hand one.
* Also currently pondering deck ceiling ideas. Preference is for a timber look to provide some warmth, and we want to install it between the beams (so we don't lose any sense of height), which makes things tricky. Also want something that has a suitable heritage flavour to it. I have a feeling something like decking timber might get a look in, but open to suggestions.
Geoff the good news is I've got no intention of inserting the hooks in my face
So first of all a better shot showing the green colour against the white brick.
And on Friday we had our sparky out to install our lights. We got these on sale at 50% off (just got lucky with timing), gotta be happy with that. They're aluminium, and have a rough/textured finish for an industrial look, and are painted in a silver/galvanised look.
I think we went through about half a dozen 'lighting plans' before settling on this one, factoring in things like lighting up the steps, ambient mood lighting, allowing for doors to open etc. We settled on two lights on the brick wall (activated by an internal lightswitch), and 3 on the weatherboard wall (activated by a switch on the deck itself). This way we've got enough light to see to get around by turning them on from the inside, but can also chose to switch either set on or off depending on how much light we want.
While we were at it, we also bought a floodlight for the backyard - mainly for accessing the garden shed or clothesline at night. It's just a generic modern one, so we installed it where you cant see it from the deck. Certainly does a great job of creating daylight in the backyard! And this is a night time shot from my phone that works terribly in low light conditions.
Next steps and questions:
* The European laundry on the deck is going to get full change up to make it more functional and prettier. So currently on the lookout for a single concrete laundry sink (like this). Scouring ebay, gumtree and marketplace to try and find a second hand one.
* Also currently pondering deck ceiling ideas. Preference is for a timber look to provide some warmth, and we want to install it between the beams (so we don't lose any sense of height), which makes things tricky. Also want something that has a suitable heritage flavour to it. I have a feeling something like decking timber might get a look in, but open to suggestions.
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Have just clocked over 100 days straight of lockdown, will be easing tomorrow to allow travel outside our local government area. Glad to see the end of it, but not in a hurry to go any crowded places either.
Took advantage of some of the loosened rules to do some local exploring over the last few weekends which was really nice.
One of the highlights was exploring around Narrow Neck Peninsular as some storms were rumbling through. Few things as awe inspiring as smelling the rain on the wind and hearing the thunder boom and echo from the sandstone cliffs across the valley. Being spring and seeing the wildflowers just makes it even nicer.
And exploring out towards Mt Hay, a nice long firetrail with killer views.
And then finishing off with some killer woodfired pizza from a new place we hadn't been able to visit until now.
Deck wise, I'm halfway through painting the beams of the ceiling, just doing little bits here and there. No pics because its just fiddly painting. We've found a single concrete sink which we're hoping to pick up Wednesday night. Once its home we can look at designing options for taps, the stand etc. Plus also look at booking in the plumber for install. Initial homework tends to indicate something like the Bradford Polyair sarking might be a good option for helping with heat from the metal roof on the deck ceiling, before we install a false ceiling.
Took advantage of some of the loosened rules to do some local exploring over the last few weekends which was really nice.
One of the highlights was exploring around Narrow Neck Peninsular as some storms were rumbling through. Few things as awe inspiring as smelling the rain on the wind and hearing the thunder boom and echo from the sandstone cliffs across the valley. Being spring and seeing the wildflowers just makes it even nicer.
And exploring out towards Mt Hay, a nice long firetrail with killer views.
And then finishing off with some killer woodfired pizza from a new place we hadn't been able to visit until now.
Deck wise, I'm halfway through painting the beams of the ceiling, just doing little bits here and there. No pics because its just fiddly painting. We've found a single concrete sink which we're hoping to pick up Wednesday night. Once its home we can look at designing options for taps, the stand etc. Plus also look at booking in the plumber for install. Initial homework tends to indicate something like the Bradford Polyair sarking might be a good option for helping with heat from the metal roof on the deck ceiling, before we install a false ceiling.
Terrick down Under
Well-known member
Painting bricks is a tedious job as my SIL found out. But was a bit easier for him as he was painting them darker on the southern wall. It worked a treat for what he was trying to achieve.
Tomorrow's relaxed Reggs means we can start catching up on our 6 week backlog of work in other shires. Hopefully things won't go bad again.
Tomorrow's relaxed Reggs means we can start catching up on our 6 week backlog of work in other shires. Hopefully things won't go bad again.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Have just clocked over 100 days straight of lockdown, will be easing tomorrow to allow travel outside our local government area. Glad to see the end of it, but not in a hurry to go any crowded places either.
Took advantage of some of the loosened rules to do some local exploring over the last few weekends which was really nice.
One of the highlights was exploring around Narrow Neck Peninsular as some storms were rumbling through. Few things as awe inspiring as smelling the rain on the wind and hearing the thunder boom and echo from the sandstone cliffs across the valley. Being spring and seeing the wildflowers just makes it even nicer.
And exploring out towards Mt Hay, a nice long firetrail with killer views.
And then finishing off with some killer woodfired pizza from a new place we hadn't been able to visit until now.
Deck wise, I'm halfway through painting the beams of the ceiling, just doing little bits here and there. No pics because its just fiddly painting. We've found a single concrete sink which we're hoping to pick up Wednesday night. Once its home we can look at designing options for taps, the stand etc. Plus also look at booking in the plumber for install. Initial homework tends to indicate something like the Bradford Polyair sarking might be a good option for helping with heat from the metal roof on the deck ceiling, before we install a false ceiling.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Nice little day trip you there Hewey. You do live in a great part of the world. Your deck is coming along nicely too. Enjoy the freedoms.
Ralf99
Well-known member
Beautiful shot of the storm coming up the valley - certainly a lovely part of the country to enjoy all the more now you can.
Ralf99
Well-known member
Out of interest, what app did you use for the sink sketch - quite effective?
Terrick, yes, I'm pretty happy to see the end of brick painting. At least I used a premium paint which is guaranteed for 30 years to never fade or flake, so won't have to do it again. Great to hear your work situation is improving.
Thanks Geoff. If you're ever up this way would be happy to give you a locals tour.
Ralf thanks mate. I'm pretty sure this weekend will see the mountains clogged with tourists day tripping from Sydney! The sink sketch was just done in the standard phone picture editor - just go in to edit and then 'mark up'. I've just got an old iphone4s so its nothing fancy. Took a couple of attempts my with fat fingers...
10 degrees and raining here, feels like its winter again after 33 degrees on the weekend!
Thanks Geoff. If you're ever up this way would be happy to give you a locals tour.
Ralf thanks mate. I'm pretty sure this weekend will see the mountains clogged with tourists day tripping from Sydney! The sink sketch was just done in the standard phone picture editor - just go in to edit and then 'mark up'. I've just got an old iphone4s so its nothing fancy. Took a couple of attempts my with fat fingers...
10 degrees and raining here, feels like its winter again after 33 degrees on the weekend!
Geoff289
Well-known member
Look forward to taking you up on that. We had a week up there about 5 or 6 years ago, rented a house at the end of Fletcher St. W'worth Falls, right at the entrance to the NP. It was great. Nice day here, low 20's and sunny, no wind to speak of, the solar system is singing away but I gather we're back to Winter tomorrow.
Ralf99
Well-known member
Ahh, the mighty iPhone 4s - the best model ever - only recently retired mine to duty as fancy speedo and GPS on the mountain bike. I would still be using it as a regular phone if my failing middle age eyesight would let me see the screen properly. I’ve never bothered with the markup function on it or later phones as i thought it a bit gimmicky - i’ll have to reassess my prejudices now…
Geoff it's hard to find a much better location to stay than that!
Ralf it's starting to show it's age in terms of battery life, but is otherwise going strong. One of the biggest attractions of upgrading is having a better camera. I'll get around to it one day.
Patchy progress is still happening on the deck. Sink has been picked up and we're really happy with it. Just a nice level of age and patina to it for it to be a nice feature, and perfect size too. Next step is making a base/stand so that we're ready for plumbing and install. Have also come up with a tap plan for the plumber to follow.
It's also been warm enough this week to sling some paint in to the evening after dinner which has been nice. The rafters were spot primed over knot holes and glue stains, and have been fully rolled, but as you can see they're still quite yellowy, so I think they'll get another coat of primer before the final top coat colour. Keen to get it buttoned up so that I can install the ceiling insulation before it gets too warm.
We've also been making the most of having restrictions eased (while still avoiding crowds). Saturday night we took the mini up to Katoomba for a picnic dinner, only problem it was blowing a gale and freezing up there so we had to eat in the car! Still the view was pretty good.
And on Sunday we visited Sydney Olympic Park on the bikes and did some exploring, and the weather was perfect for it. It was great to get back on a bike after way too many months of not getting out for a ride. My wife is now looking in to pet carrier options for bikes so we can take our foxi
Ralf it's starting to show it's age in terms of battery life, but is otherwise going strong. One of the biggest attractions of upgrading is having a better camera. I'll get around to it one day.
Patchy progress is still happening on the deck. Sink has been picked up and we're really happy with it. Just a nice level of age and patina to it for it to be a nice feature, and perfect size too. Next step is making a base/stand so that we're ready for plumbing and install. Have also come up with a tap plan for the plumber to follow.
It's also been warm enough this week to sling some paint in to the evening after dinner which has been nice. The rafters were spot primed over knot holes and glue stains, and have been fully rolled, but as you can see they're still quite yellowy, so I think they'll get another coat of primer before the final top coat colour. Keen to get it buttoned up so that I can install the ceiling insulation before it gets too warm.
We've also been making the most of having restrictions eased (while still avoiding crowds). Saturday night we took the mini up to Katoomba for a picnic dinner, only problem it was blowing a gale and freezing up there so we had to eat in the car! Still the view was pretty good.
And on Sunday we visited Sydney Olympic Park on the bikes and did some exploring, and the weather was perfect for it. It was great to get back on a bike after way too many months of not getting out for a ride. My wife is now looking in to pet carrier options for bikes so we can take our foxi
On Saturday we headed over Dural way, as we needed to pick my wife's latest addition to her ever-growing cactus and succulent collection. A place I'd been hanging to get to for ages is Benzin cafe, and which was conveniently only 10 minutes away. Everyone's a winner! So Benzin are an automotive focused bunch, they feature a display car inside which changes every month, as well as have cars come and go during the day - being reasonably convenient for runs up to Wisemans Ferry or the Pacific Highway. The display car was a Kei truck, and found out later the changed it the next day to an outlaw Porsche 356! Doh - just means we'll have to get back there during the month. Found a pic of the Porsche online at least, and sharing some of the cars from the carpark line up.
On the deck front I finally finished painting the rafters - spot primed, 2 coats of primer, 1 top coat - all fiddly overhead work. Happy to have it done and ready for insulating before it gets too hot. The overpaint is all getting covered so wasn't too **** with it.
And pulled out these rocker covers to clean them up and see what was under the crud and paint. I think the second one (furthest one) is the preferred candidate, but will need to have the old chrome removed from it first. But should look great when done.
Found a pic of the Porsche online at least, and sharing some of the cars from the carpark line up.On the deck front I finally finished painting the rafters - spot primed, 2 coats of primer, 1 top coat - all fiddly overhead work. Happy to have it done and ready for insulating before it gets too hot. The overpaint is all getting covered so wasn't too **** with it.
And pulled out these rocker covers to clean them up and see what was under the crud and paint. I think the second one (furthest one) is the preferred candidate, but will need to have the old chrome removed from it first. But should look great when done.
cortina64
Well-known member
Your deck is coming along very nicely, you have some cool looking rocker covers. The outlaw Porsche 356 is amazing, really love the colour and the look of it.
Warren
Warren
Thanks Warren
Deck update, the builder working on our neighbours place has become available so we've roped him in to help.
So this is what the old steps looked like - basically they were a complete shambles. Really weird combination of steps and landings, narrow, the boards were upside down and too close together so the water just pooled on them, and everything was well on its way to rotting. Have hated them since we bought the place. In this image I've already removed the railing, but you get an idea of what they looked like.
And today the new steps went in! We've doubled the width to make it feel more like a feature, and make them more practical as well. Really happy with how they look, and the quality of work too.
When we installed our lights, the intention was that the one on this section of the wall would light up the steps. Now the steps have been opened up, it works fantastically and lights up all the steps. The plastic chain is in place until the concrete sets, otherwise we'd probably just use the steps out of habit
Deck update, the builder working on our neighbours place has become available so we've roped him in to help.
So this is what the old steps looked like - basically they were a complete shambles. Really weird combination of steps and landings, narrow, the boards were upside down and too close together so the water just pooled on them, and everything was well on its way to rotting. Have hated them since we bought the place. In this image I've already removed the railing, but you get an idea of what they looked like.
And today the new steps went in! We've doubled the width to make it feel more like a feature, and make them more practical as well. Really happy with how they look, and the quality of work too.
When we installed our lights, the intention was that the one on this section of the wall would light up the steps. Now the steps have been opened up, it works fantastically and lights up all the steps.
The plastic chain is in place until the concrete sets, otherwise we'd probably just use the steps out of habit ajohno
Well-known member
Steps look 100% better Hewey.
Lyndon
Well-known member
Hewey
Pic "Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3" aren't showing, for me.....
Edit : It's ok - they are there now!
New steps look good.
Are you getting anywhere with the stainless wire people?
Lyndon
Pic "Step 1, Step 2 and Step 3" aren't showing, for me.....
Edit : It's ok - they are there now!
New steps look good.
Are you getting anywhere with the stainless wire people?
Lyndon
Last edited:
Geoff289
Well-known member
Wow, what a difference!
The bar is open! Well not quite, but we had the railings and bar section installed yesterday, and really happy with how it has come out. So the overall bar depth is 300mm (11.8inches), which gives plenty of space for a plate of food and a drink.
In this first shot you can see how streamline the bar is in profile. Ditching the vertical panels under the balustrade really helps open up the light and outlook from the deck itself. Also you can see the Jacaranda is just starting to come in to colour.
This shot better shows the railing on the left side of the deck, and how the bar top has been seamlessly integrated in to it. The bar will be wrapped in zinc which will be glued, then hand hammered and screwed. Over time it will weather and patina which is part of the appeal for us.
And a better shot showing the depth of the bar itself.
In this first shot you can see how streamline the bar is in profile. Ditching the vertical panels under the balustrade really helps open up the light and outlook from the deck itself. Also you can see the Jacaranda is just starting to come in to colour.
This shot better shows the railing on the left side of the deck, and how the bar top has been seamlessly integrated in to it. The bar will be wrapped in zinc which will be glued, then hand hammered and screwed. Over time it will weather and patina which is part of the appeal for us.
And a better shot showing the depth of the bar itself.
Ralf99
Well-known member
That'll be a sweet recreation and entertaining space over the coming months. Any plans to camouflage the garden shed?
Coolabah
Well-known member
Hewey, you have neglected to show us your plans for how you are going to plumb up the beer tap ? ( or wine dispenser LOL)
Looking great, I particularly really like your steps, how much better are they being wider !!!!.
BTW , apologies I find after the fact that I have called you Huey in Bob's thread, I am (somewhat) certain you do not resemble a Bell UH-1 Iroquois.
Looking great, I particularly really like your steps, how much better are they being wider !!!!.
BTW , apologies I find after the fact that I have called you Huey in Bob's thread, I am (somewhat) certain you do not resemble a Bell UH-1 Iroquois.
Coolabah
Well-known member
I did that once, still can't find the ****** thing....
Thanks Ralf. Yeh, just in time for the warmer weather kicking in which is great. And yes, definitely want to sort that shed out one way or another. Would love something really rustic and cute as a feature rather than just hiding it. But would similarly love a double garage/workshop in the back left corner... but harder to justify the cost of that. Overall the aim is to hide all of the colorbond fencing behind plantings, so the edges of the garden are hidden and it just blends in to the trees in the mid ground and background - kind of taking that principle of borrowed landscape. The lilly pillies on the right side are going great and should hide the neighbours place from the regular line of site.
Coolabah no beer tap, but will be installing a sink on the deck with the intention that it can be used as an open esky for entertaining (as well as washing dogs). Also after seeing it on Sakurama's thread, I'm really loving the look of the Gozney pizza ovens, which are small enough we could probably place it on the bar section while we cook. I also like the concept of having a pass through window from the kitchen on to the deck as well. So yeh, definitely setting it up as an entertaining space. And dont worry, I've been called much worse things than Huey!
Coolabah no beer tap, but will be installing a sink on the deck with the intention that it can be used as an open esky for entertaining (as well as washing dogs). Also after seeing it on Sakurama's thread, I'm really loving the look of the Gozney pizza ovens, which are small enough we could probably place it on the bar section while we cook. I also like the concept of having a pass through window from the kitchen on to the deck as well. So yeh, definitely setting it up as an entertaining space. And dont worry, I've been called much worse things than Huey!
Geoff289
Well-known member
You're making me thirsty.
Hello GJ world! Hope you're all doing well and staying safe. I'm officially on leave until the first week of the new year, which feels much needed after the *********** of a year and 100+ days of lockdown.
It's been raining a hell of a lot here, I think we've barely had a handful of dry days since my last post around 3 weeks ago. Worst of all it's been raining once a day, so just as things start to dry out, everything gets wet again. We've had a couple of corker storms too, including some hail as well.
Most of the time I've been trying to get the painting on the deck sorted in the brief dry spells. I haven't taken any shots, because it's like watching paint dry
Today I managed to install the 4.4 metre (14+ feet) zinc top on the bar. Overall I think it went well, but we'll know in a day or two when I remove the weights.
First step was trimming the zinc to allow for the posts and things.
Mocked up in place. I got it fairly close the first time, just needed some minor tweaks and refinements as the deck posts are a little twisted/off kilter.
Nice tight gap on the end.
Here you can see where the post twist shows up. We'll do some small timber trim pieces to help tidy this up.
Glue up time got a little stressful, doing 4 metres of it all at once! I also made the rookie mistake of starting the glue up the end in the sun so it started to go off too quick You can also see some mdf lying on the deck, I cut this up to be used on top of the zinc to help weigh it down while the glue dried.
When I was contemplating the glue up and realised I didn't come close to having anywhere near enough clamps, let alone decent size ones. So I just went with the option of lots of weight! I used a mix of concrete and hardwood timber scraps (from my pile waiting for a skip), on top of the mdf to help spread the weight out evenly. You can also see that I added some temporary posts to help take the extra weight.
I'll give it a day or two to dry, and then the next step is hammer forming the edges and wrapping the zinc around.
It's been raining a hell of a lot here, I think we've barely had a handful of dry days since my last post around 3 weeks ago. Worst of all it's been raining once a day, so just as things start to dry out, everything gets wet again. We've had a couple of corker storms too, including some hail as well.
Most of the time I've been trying to get the painting on the deck sorted in the brief dry spells. I haven't taken any shots, because it's like watching paint dry
Today I managed to install the 4.4 metre (14+ feet) zinc top on the bar. Overall I think it went well, but we'll know in a day or two when I remove the weights.
First step was trimming the zinc to allow for the posts and things.
Mocked up in place. I got it fairly close the first time, just needed some minor tweaks and refinements as the deck posts are a little twisted/off kilter.
Nice tight gap on the end.
Here you can see where the post twist shows up. We'll do some small timber trim pieces to help tidy this up.
Glue up time got a little stressful, doing 4 metres of it all at once! I also made the rookie mistake of starting the glue up the end in the sun so it started to go off too quick
You can also see some mdf lying on the deck, I cut this up to be used on top of the zinc to help weigh it down while the glue dried.When I was contemplating the glue up and realised I didn't come close to having anywhere near enough clamps, let alone decent size ones. So I just went with the option of lots of weight!
I used a mix of concrete and hardwood timber scraps (from my pile waiting for a skip), on top of the mdf to help spread the weight out evenly. You can also see that I added some temporary posts to help take the extra weight.I'll give it a day or two to dry, and then the next step is hammer forming the edges and wrapping the zinc around.
Geoff289
Well-known member
Nice work Hewey. Still thirsty.
Geoff thanks, and pretty sure if you ever visit Sydney we can organise a low key garage crawl with some refreshments along the way 
Wire balustrades went in today. Lyndon thanks for the tip on Miami Stainless, good product which created a really clean outcome, good install videos, quick delivery etc. My only comment was they only included what was essential, like for the bits where the ends of the wire were crimped, they sent you the exact number needed, so if you dropped one and lost it you were stuffed. Likewise we used about 100m of wire and were left with only 300mm surplus, and we didn't stuff any sections up. If I was ordering from them again I'd be inclined to buy a few extra bits just in case.
The top few wires under the bar section have been left loose until I can finish up the bar top, but looks nice and clean, and most importantly lets lots of light in.
Wire balustrades went in today. Lyndon thanks for the tip on Miami Stainless, good product which created a really clean outcome, good install videos, quick delivery etc. My only comment was they only included what was essential, like for the bits where the ends of the wire were crimped, they sent you the exact number needed, so if you dropped one and lost it you were stuffed. Likewise we used about 100m of wire and were left with only 300mm surplus, and we didn't stuff any sections up. If I was ordering from them again I'd be inclined to buy a few extra bits just in case.
The top few wires under the bar section have been left loose until I can finish up the bar top, but looks nice and clean, and most importantly lets lots of light in.