Rooftop solar panels for gas-boosted solar hot water system delivered to site and installed today

Wednesday 30 July 2014

Early this afternoon, a truck from Blacktown City Hot Water was parked outside the construction site.  I presume this was for the delivery and installation of the 2 x rooftop photovoltaic solar panels on our northern rooftop at the rear of the house, which the Site Supervisor told me about last week.  We specifically requested a gas-boosted solar hot water system for the new home.  McDonald Jones Homes agreed to install a Dux Sunpro gas-boosted solar hot water system for us.  An external ground-positioned hot water tank will be installed in due course.

Last week, the Site Supervisor explained that the rooftop solar panels for the hot water system are usually installed at this point in time, just in case the new roof tiles are subsequently damaged or cracked when the solar panels are installed.  That way, if any damage occurs, McDonald Jones Homes is able to get the roof tilers to return to the site to replace any damaged or cracked tiles.

It also looks like our rooftop whirlybird ventilator has been installed on the northern roof at the rear of the house.

McDonald Jones Homes is giving us a SMEG kitchen rangehood.  At our request, that rangehood will be ducted to the external atmosphere.  A neat little chimney has appeared on the western roof above the kitchen.  We presume that is for the ducted connection to the SMEG rangehood.

There's no photos today, sorry.

Brickwork cleaned & Eaves erected

Tuesday 29 July 2014

Today was a lovely sunny day with clear blue skies and a top warm daytime temperature of 22⁰C (71.6⁰F).  We’re now at the end of the second month of winter.  This is unseasonally warm weather for mid winter in Sydney.  June 2014 was our warmest and driest June on record.

The contractor completed the high-pressure cleaning of the brickwork yesterday (Monday 28 July 2014).  From what we can see, we're really pleased with how the bricks are looking.  The odd-coloured bricks at the front left side of the house didn't need much cleaning because they will be cement-rendered and painted in due course.

The workers were on site early this morning installing the Eaves.  That work hasn't been finished just yet.

Here's some photos that I took around midday today from outside the front security fencing that show the status of the cleaned brickwork and the Eaves that were installed today.

(Click on photos to view enlarged images)

Bricks cleaned today

Monday 28 July 2014

A contractor was at the site around midday today to clean the bricks that have been laid for us.  I wasn't able to get any photos and will try to get some photos tomorrow all being well.

Our next milestone - Monier Horizon 'Sambuca' concrete roof tiles laid

Thursday 24 July 2014

Well, I finally managed to get some photos at midday today when the roof tilers had closed-up the construction site and gone away during their lunch break.  They'd almost finished laying the roof tiles by Noon today.  They only started to lay the roof tiles yesterday (Wednesday 23 July).  I think they'd be finished by now but it was just too dark to see anything tonight when I came home from work.

Our McDonald Jones Homes' Site Supervisor just happened to turn-up at the site while I was there today.  He advised me that, all being well, next week the eaves will be installed.  The 2 x rooftop Solar Panels for the gas-boosted Solar Hot Water Service will also be installed on the Northern aspect (at the rear of the house) next week.

The Site Supervisor also told me that the brickies had a lot of trouble laying the Austral Bricks' Gunmetal Blue bricks (from Austral's 'Expression' range of bricks).  Apparently those bricks were a nightmare to lay, they kept chipping, a lot had to be thrown out when damaged, and they went through 8 pallets of bricks.

The Site Supervisor is a really nice guy and he was most apologetic for not being able to take me onto the site while we were there today.  I wasn't expecting to see the Site Supervisor today and I assured him that we're happy to wait until it's appropriate for us to be on site again.  All being well, we'll be invited back to inspect the site with the Site Supervisor within the next few weeks.  That's OK with us.


Here's some photos that I took around midday today from outside the front security fencing, which show the current status of the roof tiles.

(Click on photos to view enlarged images)   

  

Installation of Colorbond fascia boards and guttering completed & delivery of Monier roof tiles

Tuesday 22 July 2014

On Monday 21 July 2014 the Colorbond steel fascia boards (painted in Taubmans' 'Surfmist' colour) and the Colorbond steel guttering (in Taubmans' 'Monument' colour) were all installed.

Early on Tuesday morning, 22 July 2014, the Monier Horizon 'Sambuca' (Black) roof tiles were delivered to the construction site.  The concrete roof tiles are currently sitting inside the security fencing and outside on the front footpath on their pallets.  I'm so hoping the roof tiles will be laid very soon - before anybody might be tempted to steal or damage them.

Here's some photos that I managed to take from outside the front security fencing at midday today that show the above.

(Click on photos to view enlarged images)

    

Vale Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17

Friday 18 July 2014

In remembrance of the passengers and crew of the Boeing 777 Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17 and their family members, friends and loved ones.

I wanted to post my following comments about this awful crime and tragedy, particularly considering that, to date, we currently have more than 2,000 people world-wide regularly following our Blog, including 42 viewers from Russia and 6 viewers from Ukraine.

Australians awoke from our sleep this morning in shock to learn about the tragic news of flight MH17 and 28 deceased Australians.

Flight MH17 was travelling enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur when it was shot down by a surface-to-air missile, without warning, over rebel-held territory near Ukraine's border with Russia on Thursday 17 July 2014.  All 298 people onboard were killed when the modern jet airliner was barbarically shot down.  Sister Philomena Tiernan, a Roman Catholic Nun from Sydney’s prestigious Kincoppal School at Rose Bay on Sydney Harbour was one of those 28 Australians onboard.  A national day of mourning will be declared in Australia.

Travelling onboard MH17 were:

·           283 passengers;

·           15 crew members;

·           80 children;

·           3 infants;

·           192 Dutch passengers;

·           44 Malaysians;

·           28 Australian citizens and residents;

·         10 from Victoria, Australia;

·         7 from Queensland, Australia;

·         7 from Western Australia, Australia;

·         4 from New South Wales, Australia; and

·         1 from the Australian Capital Territory (ACT);

·           12 Indonesians;

·           9 passengers from the United Kingdom;

·           4 Germans;

·           4 Belgians;

·           3 Filipinos;

·           1 Canadian; and

·           1 New Zealander.

Up to 100 international delegates and renowned HIV/AIDS researchers are believed to have been onboard MH17.  They were travelling enroute to Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, to participate in the 20^th International AIDS Conference which is due to commence on Sunday 20 July 2014.   For all we know, the intellectual potential and cure for HIV/AIDS could well have been travelling onboard MH17 when it was shot down over eastern Ukraine.

The early evidence appears to demonstrate that pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine shot down the aircraft using a Russian-made missile supplied by Russia.  Vladimir Putin and Russia’s military have been meddling in Ukraine’s sovereign affairs for months now.  They therefore appear to be vicariously liable for, and involved in, this criminal act of the mass murder of 298 innocent civilians.  But for their meddling in Ukraine’s sovereign territory, the pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine would not have had the military hardware to commit this appalling crime. 

In Australia’s national Capital, Canberra, today, the Russian ambassador failed to provide a credible and satisfactory response to the Australian Government about this tragedy.

The perpetrators’ failure to correctly identify a civilian aircraft before shooting it out of the sky constitutes “Crimes Against Humanity” as defined by International Law.  The perpetrators of this horrendous crime must be brought to justice and stand trial for their barbaric crimes against humanity.

Australia and all humanity world-wide demand an open and transparent international investigation into this tragedy with the full co-operation of the Russian State and sovereign Ukraine. 

Australia and all humanity world-wide demand justice for this awful crime and the loss of so many innocent lives.

This year marks the Centenary (100^th year) anniversary of the outbreak of World War I in 1914.  It’s sad that 100 years on, conflicts and wars are still raging everywhere.  It’s such a pity that humans can’t learn from history.  Why can’t humanity learn to live in peace and harmony respecting our fellow humans without resorting to such Neanderthal warfare?  Enough is enough! 

May the souls of all these poor departed innocent passengers rest in eternal peace.