TomCat's new digs!

[blackcat20]

Well our loan just got approved so now we just need the land to title.

 

[JessicaTam]

Everyone is getting very impatient given the construction was finished weeks ago. We all want to get things happening before Christmas.

Hopefully the slab can be down before Christmas and then the summer builders' break will give it extra time to cure.

If you can avoid a waffle slab foundation you will have a much more thermally efficient house, too.

 

[blackcat20]

Hopefully the slab can be down before Christmas and then the summer builders' break will give it extra time to cure.

If you can avoid a waffle slab foundation you will have a much more thermally efficient house, too.

No chance it will be down before Christmas (though that was what I hoped for) as we wont settle on the land til at least mid December now. Then permits etc, so hopefully they get going by the end of January. No avoiding the waffle, its what we're getting but we're doing everything possible to make as energy efficient as possible, including double glazing, insulation etc.

 

[Denali]

Im interested in the windows and what screens you will be using.

For us, because we dont use aircon/sleep with windows open, I would sleep better using something like like metal mesh Crimsafe screens but Ive not looked into it too much yet. Our current house means you need a ladder to get into our rooms but new house design will be ground level so I need something for security.

 

[Flying mermaid]

Never heard of waffle slabs - just looked it up. Adding it to my list of things for Ms FM to check when she does her house!

 

[Denali]

For new slabs, do they drill anchor holes into the ground every few metres? What happens these days? We have an old house so its on piers/hardwood so I get to learn via Tom & BC

 

[cove]

Double glazing is a winner as it cuts down heating and cooling costs for the life of the home. I would love to have more WiFi enabled appliances so I could get the air conditioner and BBQ on before we get home. I think our place was built over 3 years and was completed about 43 years ago.
Don’t let your builder take that long.

 

[blackcat20]

Im interested in the windows and what screens you will be using.

For us, because we dont use aircon/sleep with windows open, I would sleep better using something like like metal mesh Crimsafe screens but Ive not looked into it too much yet. Our current house means you need a ladder to get into our rooms but new house design will be ground level so I need something for security.

I dont know specifics but the windows will all be double glazed, awning style. Fly screens are bushfire code strength (BAL12.5). Bedrooms are upstairs.

 

[blackcat20]

For new slabs, do they drill anchor holes into the ground every few metres? What happens these days? We have an old house so its on piers/hardwood so I get to learn via Tom & BC

My old place was on stumps too, so the whole concrete slab thing is very new to me. I think they only drill piers for certain soil types, not so much ours as far as I can tell.

 

[yld200]

For new slabs, do they drill anchor holes into the ground every few metres? What happens these days? We have an old house so its on piers/hardwood so I get to learn via Tom & BC

It mostly depends on the type of soil that you're building on. As part of the engineering design process, a soil report is done on the site by taking samples from 3 different bore holes at 2-3m depth to determine the classification of soil and whether it is reactive or not. For example some estates are built over sites that may have been land fill so the soil might not be considered to be stable - at 1m depth everything looks fine, but below that the soil can change to a silty unstable material.

Depending on the soil classification the engineer will design the slab accordingly, this can vary from having concrete piers, waffle slabs, conventional, deeper trenches, thicker steel, etc. Most houses are built on slabs, stumps aren't common much these days and others are built on strip footings which is common for houses built on sloping land.

 

[TomVexille]

I insisted on double glazing. Also if you have sliding doors, you'll have to make sure that the builder includes those as they will exclude them from the double glazing quote yet they are likely to be your largest glass surfaces.

 

[blackcat20]

Our block is solid farm paddock so no fill. I've heard some people having issues at a neighbouring estate where their blocks are old dams that have been filled in.

 

[Flying mermaid]

I insisted on double glazing. Also if you have sliding doors, you'll have to make sure that the builder includes those as they will exclude them from the double glazing quote yet they are likely to be your largest glass surfaces.

we have double glazing for everything including sliding doors and it makes a huge difference. Curtains with a good insulated lining are still essential though - I can feel the difference in the warmth of the room in winter after the sun goes and before I close the curtains. Floor to ceiling curtains as well.

 

[blackcat20]

we have double glazing for everything including sliding doors and it makes a huge difference. Curtains with a good insulated lining are still essential though - I can feel the difference in the warmth of the room in winter after the sun goes and before I close the curtains. Floor to ceiling curtains as well.

We'll have roller blinds to all windows, then sheer curtains over the top.

 

[cove]

Our upstairs main bedroom gets warmer than the rest of our home so we have a split system air conditioner and a multi speed fan. In a Perth summer the double brick construction does finally heat up.We have a good level of insulation in the ceiling and window tinting plus blinds and curtains.
Melbourne doesn’t get as hot for as long so you should be ok with a ceiling fan.

 

[Flying mermaid]

We'll have roller blinds to all windows, then sheer curtains over the top.

sounds very pretty and probably fine for Melbourne where it doesn’t as cold as here.

 

[travelislife]

Melbourne doesn’t get as hot for as long so you should be ok with a ceiling fan.

Hmm...we have just had our longest stretch of 30+ days in November in Melbourne ever! And it’s still going!

 

[blackcat20]

Hmm...we have just had our longest stretch of 30+ days in November in Melbourne ever! And it’s still going!

And we're living in a house with air con right now, which is a first for me

 

[cove]

Today Melbourne has a hotter day forecast than most other capital cities. I guess it had to happen one day.
We have used Dulux paint as it can last so many more years than the other brands. It is worth it. The colour consultant from Dulux we used was brilliant. I hope that service is available in Melbourne.

 

[blackcat20]

Today Melbourne has a hotter day forecast than most other capital cities. I guess it had to happen one day.
We have used Dulux paint as it can last so many more years than the other brands. It is worth it. The colour consultant from Dulux we used was brilliant. I hope that service is available in Melbourne.

Our paint will all be Dulux. The builder provides an interior designer who guides you through all your selections and she was fantastic when it came to paint colours.
Inside we have antique white USA for the walls and lexicon quarter for roof, doors and skirts.
Outside we have Pipe Clay upstairs and Timeless Grey on the portico.