Reno - Week 9

A lot of people don't associate masonry construction with traditional timber and tin "Queenlanders" but a quick walk around the inner suburbs will have you thinking otherwise:

Masonry front steps on a Worker's Cottage

As the terrace (our outdoor room) and back stairs are open to the elements, masonry was the preferred choice of construction material because it is:

• Strong and durable - it won't fade, warp, rot or decay.
• Low maintenance - easy to clean and no need to sand or repaint.
• Acoustic performance - no sound of little feet running into and out of the house, and
• Appearance - clay bricks have a classic, timeless quality and our architects have also included a number of decorative elements into the design such as vertical stretcher courses and corbelling. And as the house is raised, it will help "ground" the house to the site and is a lovely way of engaging the house with the garden.

Concreting the back stairs

Formwork removed. Bricks will be laid over the terrace and stairs at a later stage.

The wide set of stairs will also become permanent garden furniture and double-up as seating. It will be the perfect spot to perch in the shade with an icy cold beer and watch the kids play outside.

So with the concreting now complete, our builder Steve and his team of carpenters got busy constructing the sub-floor of the addition. For a relatively small extension, it actually looks quite massive:

Notice the changes in floor levels

A set of four steps will connect the original cottage (master bedroom and main living areas) to the extension (kids' bedrooms and utility area.) This row of elevated joists will eventually form the kids' bedrooms:

The boys are still arguing as to who will be sharing with who. I just hope that the separation between their bedrooms and mine will stop all the night time visits.

So once the timber and steel posts are concreted into position we move onto the next stage: Framing.