Windows

It has been full steam ahead. My glass for my opening windows has arrived and I have just started putting them in. All of my opening windows are awning windows. They are really easy. The only issue will be the fly screens. I'll need to make hinged ones so you can open them to open the window. The top windows are hoppers that open on inside so I can put the fly screen on the outside.




The electrician has put in my fluoro lights and my garage is fully illuminated.



The gyprockers have almost finished.

Stairs and Glass

My glass for my fixed windows arrived today - yay! We started to put them in. Unfortunately one of the panes blew out and smashed before the beading was put in. But fortunately for some reason I got two extra panes so problem solved. The glass is special "comfort plus" and has a low U value (or high R value 0.28). It is really expensive at $250 per square metre. It reduces heat loss by over 30%, reduces voice noise by 15%, blocks out 99% of UV. It also lets in 82% of the light - which is good. Most of the windows have been reduced in size due to being made out of timber and having the jambs made out of 45mm thick timber. Technically I should not have to use energy rated glass, but I'm hoping that I will save on energy.

I have noticed that the acoustics have changed since installing the glass.

The stairs are in and they are great.

Here is the status of the kitchen windows. The glass has been ordered, the sashes have been built, the electricity, gas, plumbing have been roughed in. The kitchen has been bought. The gyprock people have being arranged to start next Wednesday or Thursday. The only thing left to do is install the fixed glass, sashes and a bit of oiling.

The carpenters will return on Monday to finish a few more things off.

First Two Sashes

I installed the first two window sashes today. They have no glass yet. I'm going to try to install the glass in-situ. Of course I spent the first 7 hours of the day getting W2 right and only half an hour putting in W3.

The window sashes are an unusual design. They are not glued, but held together using a loose mortise and tenon with a bugle screw. They are suprisingly very strong.

8th attempt at window sash w2

I routed the groove to hold the glass pane in the sashes today.

I attempted to first do this with the window frame all held together as a rectangle. Somehow I lost my grip and the window frame kept on bouncing off the router bit like a pool ball on a pool table (except it was the pool table moving). It made a complete mess of window sash W2 - ripped it to shreds. Not to mention that I almost dislodged my router - it was hanging loose and at an angle - which made it even worse. Fortunately the router was ok and the bit was also fine. Really scarey though - I was shaking a little bit. The router bit is around 5cm in diameter with 4 teeth and the speed of the router is 22000rpm. So the angular velocity is a cool - wait for it- 44.6 m/s or 160 kilometers per hour!

I'll redo W2 for the 8th time on Monday.

We went to IKEA today to buy our kitchens. We spent around 5k and got exactly what I wanted - very boring but very practical (kind of). Liz is "ok" with it, but she would have prefered a solid wooden kitchen. I'll do the upgrade in 25 years when the warranty runs out.

Sashes

I had spent most of the week playing around with making the sashed for my windows. I tried to do a double loose mortis and tenon and it just would not work. I didn't fasten down the stops in my jig so everything was all over the place. I though to my self "stuff it" and I'll start all over again this morning. I managed to complete all of the low window sashed in just a day. I ended up doing a single half inch wide loose mortis and tenon and fasten them using a bugle screw.

Here is a trench I dug for the the services.

Roof and Cladding

The roof and cladding is going on. Here are some photos:






Here is some detail in the flashing of windows and the colorbond wall.



In the meantime, i've being working on on the window sashes. These will be double loose mortise and tenon joints held together with a bugle screw. Designed to not fail after being hit with a sledge hammer - a bridge too far.

Flashing and Window Frames In

Today the window jambs that I have made got installed-except for the high windows. They are very solid (and heavy). Not everyone's cup of tea but they look good to me.

window jambs finished

Today and yesterday I coated the frames in Cutek - a surface timber preservative. It is kind of meant to seep into the grain - I believe it when I see it though. I have finished all of the lower level windows except for the bedrooms and the big one in the bathroom. I will need to pre-fab these and build them upstairs - just because they would otherwise be too heavy.

I'm using a polyurethane (moisture curing) glue and boy is it strong. I had to replace one of the bottom jambs and had to resort to cutting that section in half and then pounding them down with a hammer to break off the end join. I thought end grain joins are not meant to be strong?



The basic design of the jambs is very similar to a door jamb expect the bottoms are angled by 15 degrees so the water does not sit upon them. In the corners I have rebated out about 11mm (what the depth setting had happened to be set to) on the top and bottom jambs to house the side jambs. In this way, the sides, bottoms and tops can't push in.






Our eves which are meant to be 600mm will give most of the windows a H1/H2 rating (ie out of the weather). According to a document (timber service life design guide), anything above 30 degrees from vertical from the eve line has a H1/H2 rating. This makes sense as it won't really get wet.

The best document I have found for timber service is "Timber_service_life_design_guide.pdf" http://www.fwpa.com.au/. They don't really say much about finishes other than they can't say much about them.


A progress view from the park. It seems to jut into the park a bit.

making window jambs and a bad day

I've begun constructing the window jambs.

I've being a bit depressed lately. I've not being having a good day. Somehow a neighbour's window broke and the caretaker is blaming me or the carpenters. I can't work out what had occured.

I had a car accident where some guy reversed into me when I was turning right and my insurance company has not yet decided whos fault it is - be aware never make a right hand turn incase someone decides to suddenly reverse! I suspect the insurance company would rather me pay the excess rather than chase the other guy.

Some of the house measurements are going out. I still can't work out the problem but we are talking about the high windows being 400mm instead of 450mm. The carpenter not being experienced in this construction has doubled up on the framing somehow. The posts are supporting beams He put lintels in the frame but nothing is going to be resting on these lintels. The roof is going to be resting on the beams that span the posts.

Jambs and Beams

I'm full speed ahead with my jambs. It is a case of mass production. I cut up as much timber that is available to create jambs. I have to wait till early next week for the rest.

Window Jambs

I started building the window jambs today. Here is my first one.

I was going to construct them the traditional way, but I decided that this way is best. This is mainly because of the wall cladding, how scaleable it (is in terms of adding horizontal and vertical structs) and that is is very quick to do. You can just notice the 15 degree angle rebate I took out.

Focus

This last week I have really focused on setting up my workshop to start building the windows. I finished my workbench - which is rock solid - probably could easily support a couple of tons, added a a fluoro light and moved most of my stuff downstairs.

I did manage to complete most of the utiltiy room door - I ran out of glue so I had to stop.

Frame Going Up

The frame is going up. I've installed a light in the garage and I have started to make a new work bench.

Sub Floor Complete

The carpenters have finished the sub floor - yay! I've started on the second door and added a lock or three to the garage doors. I've started to move into the dungeon.

Garage Doors Finished

I finally finished my garage doors. It was a bit a trepidation putting on the second door. Weighing around 100kg they are not easily lifted. The last thing I wanted to do is take them down again to do adjustments.

They swing easily for doors that weight heaps - there is no bias and my 3 year old daughter is strong enough to open them. The gaps are even and the doors reasonably meet in the middle - I think they are slightly out by 5mm or so. Not bad really.

I bought a lock on the way home. I'll install this tomorrow. I'll make up some door handles.

The next task is to make the utility room door.





The chippies did not come today. A father in law was sick.

Hardwood

Hardwood is sure hard, very hard.

When I hammer 2mm diameter nails in to make my doors, I pre-drill with a 2mm drill bit to the length of the nail and guess what - they still bend even when I just "lightly" try to tap them in. I found that if I drill them out two or three times, they go in much easier and are less likely to bend.

I don't need to block clamps, there is no way the clamps mark the timber.

In summary, hardwood is tough, but if you want to use fasteners - you need to pre-drill - you might as well use bolts.

Bearers and Garage Door

The carpenters have put up some of the bearers.



I have completed one of the garage doors. They are really really heavy.

The gate hinges I are using (G1 goliath) are rated at 1 ton, so it should be ok.