Termimesh Update & Inspections

Managed to ring them first thing in the morning and found out that they did install the mesh around the pipes pre-concrete pouring.  That was a relief.  Contacting our site supervisor wouldn't have done any good as if he had said yes, I'm sure Von would have wanted some sort of evidence for it.  It's a little sad but after all the bad experiences we've heard and we've encountered online, we feel we need to be a bit more vigilant to protect ourselves.

Another thing we may be organising are regular inspections after the stages as this is something a friend did and the inspector found something wrong with the frames which would have been covered up by the brickwork but which was rectified as a result of the independent inspection.  We opted out of this because of cost and because Clarendon said they have independent inspectors as well.  However, how reliable are those reports, really?  Would you bite the hand that feeds you???

True to Their Word

I was most excited to find a vehicle in front of our site at 9.30 this morning!  Saw two men doing measurements on the slab, but I don't think they saw me past the piles of wood right in front.

What made it more impressive is that today was meant to be a scorcher, with forecasts of temps reaching 40 in the west.  Well, it was actually over 42 in Penrith today!  So, I decided to thank them for turning up at all by picking up bottles of water, watermelon (which I cut up), and Red Bulls (I saw a couple of V in their vehicle), freezing them and dropping them off just before noon.

I braved the heat with the three boys which wasn't easy as my 20 month old has been running 40 degree temps since last night.  We met the two gentlemen, coincidentally, both named James, like our oldest son.  They were sitting under a tree and they said they will stay until it gets too hot.  I said I couldn't blame them.  Nice folks.  Found out they did intend to work through the holidays but since all the other contractors they used, shut down (like cranes), they couldn't do much.  They're still technically on holidays but they were on our site.  So, I was very appreciative.  They, too, appreciated the little loot I brought them.  As I see it, these people are building our house and having been in customer service and sales for so long, I know that I like to go the extra mile for nice customers.  I hope they do, too.   

I also asked if they do timber decks and they said they did.  So, I'll speak to them about this later.

After dinner, we drove to the site and found some of the frames laid on the slab, ready to be put up, I guess.  Can't wait until tomorrow!  The older James said frames should be up within 7-8 days.  Woohoo!

 

Frames Scheduled to Go Up Tomorrow or Friday

I rang our site supervisor this afternoon as I've not heard from him yesterday. He actually answered the phone (for the first time!) It was specified in our letter from Clarendon that he preferred to be contacted between 1.30pm-4pm.

Well, I tried to build a little bit of a rapport asking how his break was and he seemed to respond favourably to my warmth. After all, I have to be on his good side as he's responsible for the building of our dream.

He said, he had just spoken with the contractor who plans to put the frames up tomorrow or Friday and once he starts there, he will pretty much be there continuously except for some small jobs he is needed for like eaves or repairs, etc. That sounds promising! Can't wait to go there tomorrow.

Von raised a very important point tonight, though. He asked how we know that our Termimesh has been put in around the pipes before concrete was poured. We tried to zoom in on photos of concrete pouring but we can't tell. I've emailed Termimesh and will follow-up tomorrow. I can't believe I missed this step :C

I'm glad we've paid for the extra to get Termimesh in. It's extra peace of mind especially since termite damage isn't covered by insurance. The fact that it's chemical free and won't require top ups or inspections for the 10 year life of the warranty is a BIG bonus!

Frames for First Floor Arrived Today

I've been visiting the site nearly everyday hoping that the carpenter has started. Each time I go past the bend at which point I could see our fence, my heart sinks as I see no cars parked out at the front.

Today, the same thing happened when I went there around 9am, but when I passed by again in the afternoon, more frames have arrived! Hurrah! The land is so small that the frames are almost bursting out of the fence...hahaha!!!

Von has told me that he suspects the carpenter wasn't really planning on working through the Christmas holidays but Clarendon just didn't want to store the frames as that's more expenses for them. Sounds true, now that the frame for the first floor have only arrived today. I just hope the contractor goes back to work soon.