Author Archive

Installing the Floor, Roof and Walls: Day 1

Posted on: October 28th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
The day has come! The walls, floors and roof arrived, with the truck driver from DWTT reversing down our narrow lane-way with his semitrailer.
Melbourne Cranes set up their crane, and began to lift the layers on top of the hollow block work. As with most prefabricated things, we hit a bit of a snag on the first layer, and had to make a few minor adjustments to the first roof/floor, but after that it began to go up smoothly.
 


 
Please also have a look at the time-lapse of the assembly process on our YouTube channel, Barley Store.
 

Roof Construction

Posted on: October 24th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
Because we were having all the walls, floors and roof prefabricated off site, it meant the plumbing for the roof also needed to be done off site.
To allow for the rooftop deck to be laid over the top, Design Sheet Metal supplied a Custom Stainless Steel flat roof.
With another trip up to Drouin, we helped the guys from Atherton Plumbing waterproof and install the roof on the prefabricated wooden frame.


 

Video Diary: Prefabricated Cassettes

Posted on: October 15th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
The off-site construction of the prefabricated wall and floor panels all happened at Druin West Timber and Truss. We went up to take a look, so see the video below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
 

 

Video Diary: Core-filled Block Work

Posted on: October 14th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
Once the slab was down and set, it was time for the breeze-blocks to be laid for the bottom story of the build. These blocks are hollow, and are filled with E-crete for extra stability.


Here’s quick time-lapse of the core-filled block work going up, and then being filled with the e-crete. See the video below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
 

 

Interview with Ralph Alphonso – The Month of September 2014

Posted on: September 30th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
Whilst the site is being prepared for the concrete slab, Ralph and the 5×4 team head down to discover how the Vic Ash hardwood is being cut and treated. Once site preparations are complete, it is time for the slab!!
 

For more video interviews head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full Construction Diary Interviews playlist.
 

Video Diary: Concrete Slab

Posted on: September 17th, 2014 by Barley Store

 

 
Pilacon did the final preparations to the site for the concreting, and Grand Designs set up to film the pouring of the slab. Ralph had a chat to them about the eco-friendly concrete – or e-crete – we are using.

E-crete is a product offered by Aurora Construction Materials (ACM) that is environmentally-friendly and possibly ‘the greenest’ concrete used anywhere in Australia.
Replacing conventional cements with waste materials from industrial processes, E-Crete produces up-to 80% less carbon than conventional concrete. For more on e-crete and ACM, visit out Project Partners page.

ACM brought in the e-crete, and began to pour the slab. Within two hours the slab was poured, and the guys from Pilacon finished it off by early afternoon.
 
Head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
 

Video Diary: Boxing and Preparing for the Slab

Posted on: September 11th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
Before the concrete arrived it was important to prepare the plumbing and boxing and make sure that everything was in the right place. The team from Atherton began to lay all the pipes and the Pilacon guys began to build the boxing for the slab. When the steel delivery arrived the mesh was cut to size and installed in preparation for the concrete. See the time-lapse video below, or head to our YouTube channel BarleyStore for the full 5×4 Hayes Lane Project playlist.
 

 

Connecting and prepping

Posted on: September 5th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
First thing in the morning Stewart from Direct Energy came to connect the geothermal loop. The team from Pilacon, as well as the the plumbing guys from Atherton Plumbing arrived to connect the pipes and dig the required trenches in preparation for the boxing of the slab.
 


 

Bored piles

Posted on: September 4th, 2014 by Barley Store

 
At the bright and early time of 7am, the excavating and drilling of the holes for the bored piles began. Once we had nine holes, each at 3.5 meters deep, the piles – or cages – were dropped into the holes. The concreter then filled the holes around the cages, leaving us nine piles concreted in place, and a site ready for the boxing for the slab!
 

 

Meeting with Fishers Timber Preservation

Posted on: September 2nd, 2014 by Barley Store

 
Whilst on the topic of timber we met with Lew from Fisher Timber Preservation. We spoke about the different water-based pressure treatments for the hardwood, which treats hardwood to be similar to treated pine in terms of durability and weather proofing.

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Read more on Fishers’s Timber Preservation at our Project Partners page, or check out their website.