Raising the stakes with the pool fence

So the neighbours have won the first round - and raised me one!

I am now gobsmacked by their solution to the pool fence problem. After seeing what was done with the boundary fence I started asking questions about how they planned to do their pool fence, given that they had sited it too close to the rock wall and boundary to be able to build a standard pool fence inside. I was particularly concerned about the possibility of children climbing over the rock wall. See "Pool Fence Problem" (Nov 29) below.

Now I find, again without the least consultation, they have extended the fence across the back and this is what I have to live with. Can they really raise the fence this high without planning permission, or consultation?

The view from the back yard













The view from the back bedroom










I think I have discovered an anomaly in the system whereby all the planning for such things is left up to the pool digger.

Council has no jurisdiction on pool fences at this stage - it is up to private certifiers, who in this case claim that despite having a plan submitted to them they "didn't know the rock wall was that high". They say they will not inspect until the fence is complete and the pool builder requests certification.

The pool builder, on the other hand, Mr "she'll be right lovey" clearly had no idea how to deal with the situation when I met him onsite.

I will definitely be contacting the council about the amenity issues after New Year.

Outmanoeuvred on the fence!

After further discussions it has been confirmed that the fence is definitely not in the right place, but that it is not quite as far into my property as first believed.

Instead of the fence being evenly placed over the boundary it is 70mm too far into my property at the rear (where space is at a premium) and 70mm too far into the neighbour's property at the front (where I don't need more space). The only explanation I have been given is that the fencer was having a "bad day" and that when he dropped the plumb line from the peg at the top of the rock retaining wall, he made an error. No explanation was offered for how he got it wrong at the opposite end. So now we have a skewed fence that "just touches" boundary at either end. Incompetence, in my view, but without the neighbours' support in having it rectified there is little I can do. I could issue a "Notice to Remove", which would be referred to the Building Services Authority, which would take months to investigate, during which time I wouldn't be able to get on with my landscaping, and the advice I have been given is that the BSA would likely not order the fence's removal, given that it does touch the boundary at both ends and is therefore within accepted tolerances for error.

Checkmate :(

Final touches before Xmas

It was Tuesday, two days before Christmas, in sweltering heat, and well into the builder's declared shutdown period. I didn't expect to find anyone on site, but there they were, the brickies were laying the final courses of the job just inches from the top of the portico columns.

Lots of other little jobs have been done as well in preparation for the final fixing, fitting and painting after Christmas.

This is the built-in shelving and bench in the garage.










Internal doors hung, ready for painting









Upgraded door handles - pretty sleek, don't you think?

Window frames and skirting boards
Bath and laundry sealant

Locked out

It's not truly locked up yet as there are only bricks blocking the front and back doors, but the sliding doors are barred, the garage door is down and I am for the first time, for all intents and purposes, locked out. It's a strange feeling.

This is my land, my house, and most of what's here is already paid for, but from this point until settlement the builder asserts their right to legal possession and I will have to liaise to inspect, rather than just dropping by.

I know that I have had better-than-average access so far to document the progress and am not complaining at all about the situation. I'm sure most people building a house have the same reaction at lock-up stage.

But as I peer through the garage window and catch a glimpse of the newly installed bench and shelves, as well as all the newly hung internal doors with their handles on, I can't help longing to get in there and take a few shots!

Even more fence arrogance

So with the neighbour's settlement looming, the neighbour's builder has fobbed us off for two and a half weeks claiming not to be able to get their supervisor, my supervisor and the contractors together at the same time for a meeting. With patience running thin, I demand that my builder put some pressure on and finally the meeting takes place and a proposal is put to me...

The fence stays, they won't ask me to pay my share (how good of them, considering they didn't issue a Notice to Fence or consult me in any way in the first place) and I pay for the sleepers at the bottom of the fence, which they will install at no cost to me.

Are you kidding?

The builder and the fencer, who have done the wrong thing, walk away from the problem and leave the owners to work out the legal problems in the future over the boundary, compensation, adverse possession, retitling costs and whatever else.....?

Doorway to the future

The garage door is fitted, the internal doors are going on, and the external doors stand ready.

The aim was to reach lockup before the Christmas shutdown at the end of next week.

Well, we made it...and then some!

Lots of people ask when we hope to be in...and the answer is, it'll happen when it happens. Better that way, than to allow delays to engender frustration and disappointment. But as I eye off the rapid progress so far I can't help thinking that the scheduled completion date of April 29 sounds awfully conservative. And as I consider the possibility of Moving Day coming earlier than expected, I feel a gentle uncoiling of emotion within. It is a subtle shift as I give myself permission to project forward out of the mire of decisions required to reach this point, and in my imagination catch a glimpse of life in our new home.

Time to pretty up

The nail guns are back and this time the focus is on all the fiddly bits that turn a construction site into a home...it's time for cornices, skirting boards and window sills.

Bagging done

It's a whole new look.
The bagging part of the "bag and paint" is done.

Bag and paint

It's the icing on the cake...at least that's the way it looked as I watched the lads slapping on a thick layer of the render cement. It was amazing to see how quickly it was trowelled on and smoothed out, before subbie #2 came along with his paintbrush and sponge to give the artistic final flourish.





















The finish I have chosen is a "bag and paint", a budget alternative to a smooth "render".

As I look around the suburb I see a lot of houses with a very thin "bag and paint" coating, so thin you can still see the the bricks and mortar underneath!

On the promise that Ausbuild's "bag and paint" is as good as some builders' render, I inspected a couple of spec homes and decided to go with it. I haven't been disappointed. The end result is a generous coating with a swirl finish and not a mortar joint in sight.





Day 2: After drying, a border is etched into the surface.

A smile in the sky

It's got to be a good omen.

Tonight there was a happy face in the sky looking down on us.

Venus and Jupiter were aligned with a crescent moon, an event they say will not reoccur until July 21, 2036.

As we captured it:


















How it happens:













Image from Astrovisual Astronomy Calendar, reproduced at http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,24732104-5005962,00.html

Pool inspiration

Here are some pictures of pool features I like:


White surrounds; wide coping integrated with the pavers.



Stainless steel water feature, against a white feature wall. Not as noisy as a sheer descent.














Crimsafe mesh panels in pool fencing. It's expensive - like glass panels - but it allows air to flow and cuts glare.


Water jets, for added fun.


Wide, shallow entries.


Plants in pots


Or plants low to the ground (no mass of palm trees)

Garden inspiration

Here are some local plantings that I like:

And this is one of the street trees. Anyone know what it is?

More fence arrogance

OK, I'm trusting that when the builders get together they're going to be able to sort out this boundary fence problem.

I figure, be patient, hassling's not going to solve it.

I mean, it's only been a week since I contacted the neighbour's builder. On Wednesday I followed up to see if the meeting had taken place yet and was told that they were still trying to arrange for both supervisors and the fencing contractor to get together.

Sigh...trust in process...

But yesterday I turn up to find the fencing contractor's been back alright - and finished nailing the palings on!

What the......?

Draft landscaping plan

As the building part of the project zooms along at breakneck speed, I have turned my attention to the outdoors and am trying to get a solid plan in place for the garden, pool and fences.

The look I am hoping to achieve is one of a predominantly native garden with splashes of purple and white and grey/green foliage, to complement the white and grey of the exterior.

I still have lots of research to do in relation to plant selections and their locations, but I think I'm finally happy with the layout. You can click on the image to see it bigger.

Pool fence problem

After taking on the neighbour's builder about the boundary fence, my attention has turned to something else that has been puzzling me for a while.

How do they intend to fence the pool?
















There is currently a temporary fence, but when this goes they will be using the boundary fence as part of the pool fence.

The problem is that the boundary fence butts up against a 3.5 metre high rock retaining wall that runs through both our back yards. I have read the pool fence regulations about ensuring there is a clear span of 1200mm (measured at all angles) from the top of the fence to any climbable structure. This fence is right next to a climbable structure!

First I contacted council, who put me onto the private pool certifiers, who pleaded ignorance about the height of the rock wall. I then had a meeting onsite with the pool builder who states that they will be using a type of chicken wire on the rocks on their side of the fence and has suggested I might like to do the same (no, thank you).

They then suggested that if I chose not to I may be assuming responsibility for any accidents. But my argument is that it's not like I built a garden shed right next to their pool fence. This rock wall is a permanent structure that was there before either block was titled and long before the pool was planned. Shouldn't the owner of the pool have to get compliance right from the outset, rather than rely on me to guard the weak point?

It was next suggested that a barbed wire fence be installed on top of the 1.8m boundary fence. Hmmm, I wonder if that was a proposal or a threat? A final suggestion was for a perspex screen above the fence. Not sure how high that would have to go or how it would be affixed!

Once again I'm left thinking that not enough planning has gone into this and that those responsible hope I'll just shrug my shoulders and let it slide.

By the way, I have spoken to the owners, who are interstate, and they weren't even aware they were getting "chicken wire".

Storks

Clack, clack. Today the sound of the site is that of the wandering plaster storks moving from room to room, their metallic feet clattering slowly and rhythmically against the concrete.

From time to time the taller of the two hunches down to avoid a brush with the door frame.

The house must look so different from up there. Need to put your trowel down for a moment? No problem...here's a crevice above the door to lodge it. Need some more gyprock? The buckets are stacked high.

It's a painstaking process to cover every nail and every seam in the gyprock, and there's a few days' work in it.

Tools of the trade, or boys' toys?

Fence arrogance

Still disturbed about the fence, I arranged a meeting onsite with my builder first thing Monday, only to learn that the situation is far worse than I thought.

Citing GPS precision, the builder says:
The fence encroaches 125mm at the rear.
It encroaches 65mm at the front.
It is therefore not parallel.
It hasn't allowed for a sleeper at the bottom to control water flow.
It will make access difficult for my builder to excavate my side to the required level.
It will have an unacceptable gap at the bottom once this excavation is done.

So not only has it been built without regard for my rights, it appears it has not been done competently.

I have since established that the work was authorised by the builder next door who told me quite dismissively over the phone "we don't have to tell you".

Hmmm, this from the builder who also found it very convenient to park a fibreglass pool on my lot without asking and then proceeded to bring earthmoving equipment across my freshly cut
site to install it.

After pointing out the alignment errors they reluctantly agreed to have their site supervisor meet with mine to discuss the situation.

I am just flabbergasted at the arrogance, and can't help feeling that a difficult and potentially expensive problem could have been easily avoided. I mean, it's not like I'm a difficult person to contact.





A rough job

Stiltwalkers

The aliens have landed! I couldn't wait to show the kids these pictures of the plasterers on their stilts.