Holiday paint jobs

Painted the white sections on the front awning this morning. It was a devil's job to get the blue painter's tape off - I had left it on too long and it stuck to the borders. Managed to scrape it off with finger nails! I think the white looks cleaner now, and I will need to do another 2 coats, but I will have to go over some spots on the black sections where there are smudges of white, alas.

The garden looks nice from up here too!

I still have some red paint to scrape off the outdoor seat, especially at the top, but it definitely looks much better painted in white, and pops against the black fence.

It's time to paint the rest of the rails at the top of the pergola at the back, if I can stay awake that long. It's 35C hot today. I do lioke how the grape vine has made this kind of like a green tunnel! I still want to paint leaves in various greens on the back fence to enhance the 'jungle' and cool feel.

So, the ceiling racks fell down (Dec: Mon 15, Tues 16, Wed 17)

I had a great idea of making that dark little back room into a walk-in dresser. I hung two ladders from the ceiling, so that I could hang up all my long stuff, and have make-shift drawers etc underneath for storing foldable stuff. Well, the hook tore through the plaster ceiling and one of the ladders fell down. Next problem!!

I searched for a local plasterer, and settled on Jesse from J Triple A Plasterers. He came out, had a look and quoted me almost $2000. I had to agree to it, so he arrived Monday morning 15 Dec to start fixing. I had to move everything, all the hanging stuff and everything else out of the room, except for a few things which I covered with drop-cloths. He said the ceiings had fallen from their nail moorings and were hanging lower than they should. He said it was a wonder the ceilings held the ladders loaded with clothing at all! I am grateful that's for sure. ( Just quietly, I reckon several of the ceilings probably need rehanging. Certainly the kitchen is suss). I just had to take all the clothes down and put them anyway I could find.

He proceeded to remove the ceiling in the room.

He then went off to Bunnings to get some wood to strengthen the hanging mechanism between the rafters/struts. He's been gone a long time. I hope he comes back. I have paid them a $700 deposit. Tutti came in to investigate, after I had dusted the upper beams and roof area, then swept and vacced the floor a wee bit. I think she smells mice.

So, now I am waiting for him to come back and install the extra beams. Otherwise I am left with an exposed ceiling and further jaded view of tradies.

He returned from Bunnings with some pine boards to install to hold up the ladder racks.

After he left, I vaccumed the floor again and had a snooze. It was dastardly hot (36 C) and I could hardly stay awake any more. It was difficult to sleep though, as much of the room on the bed was taken up with clothes. Tuesday 16 Dec Jesse returned with the plaster panels, and put them up.

Now he is making a plaster mix and sealing up all the edges. Then he says he will put cornice on, and sand the plaster, then I can paint it and he will rehang the racks with new hooks. Just like most renovators who remain in the house as the work is done, I will be glad when it is all over. Can't go out or do anything until he is finished for the day.

Plastering

Plumber needed!

A couple of weeks ago, the shower started leaking quite a lot, no matter how hard I turned the knobs off. One of the tap knobs kept falling off too, which was frustrating. So I had to call I'm Your Plumber again! Cameron came out to look at how to move my hot water system, and also fix the leaky shower. He put some new taps on as well. $362 bucks later, no problems.

These are the new taps I got:(maybe they are also available at Bunnings? not sure) https://www.reece.com.au/product/posh-bristol-wall-top-assembly-taps-chrome-2205250

Dancing ladies blooming again

Profusion. Maybe 'last gasp', as there has been so little rain.

Early days of Summer (but it's Spring)

Woke on my Wednesday day-off (.8) to walk around the property. Lovely to notice the sprinkler on next-door - they must have got up early to put it on, AND that's why that goober next-door (Josh) wants to make sure his precious lawn is protected when I get my mobile home in, over the fence, via his yard. Dick-head. Anyway, with the sunlight falling from the East through the sprinkler, with the big sky backdrop and some greenery, it looked very tropical, and very pretty, but very dry.

Repainted out the back

The back of the house, under the dividing fence has concrete as a retaining wall. When I first arrived, it was grey concrete - not at all inspiring. I painted it black, or Monument or Domino, whichever colour I had handy, and I think it has made that area look a lot better. It looks more intentional now. Neater.

I want to further paint arches on the corrugated fence, over the birdy panels, to create interest, but getting the right golour green paint and then measurig big enough arches will be a challenge. I can't remember exactly when I first painted the back wall - turns out it was 2019. I have had it that colour for 5-6 years already! First June 2019 decision making process And then May 2020 further painting updates

Up early on last day of Sept holidays

...to put another coat of black paint on the awning, and to paint the rest of the fence at the front. It looks so smart now! Of course, that unpainted bower-seat still needs painting. White, I am thinking. But I need to scour it some more first to remove bits of old red colour (from Ron's old place).

Some of the cross-beams are half-rotted but I will paint them anyway, a bit later. So here is how it looked 6 years ago, in 2019 -

and now....

Still some bits to be fixed and redefined, but on the whole, much better street appeal!

I painted the top half of the front fence

It was needing a refresh and I had only enough energy and paint to do the little top sections along that side this morning. I will get around to finishing the bottom section at some stage.

There's Rosie!

Front garden pics from up a ladder