OK, a year or two on … I got a structural engineer over who measured levels, confirmed low points & identified a drainage problem as the likely cause of subsidence down the North side of the house. He advised fixing the drainage and leaving it to dry out for 6 months before re-measuring levels and then, probably, jacking & packing to re-level the house.
Before putting in the concrete path to fix the drainage, I need to talk to a couple of re-levelers to get their views on the job. Any recommendations?
Edit: anyone can recommend amazing landscape design and construction in Melbourne?
We have started demolition, and I can honestly say it’s been the worst experience for us in a long time. It’s such a challenge packing everything, and trying to live in a construction site, with a port loo and shower in the front yard.
The architect/surveyors have been very difficult, the trades have been awesome.
We are scheduled to be finished just after Essendon are on their of season footy trip.
You don’t always know when someone is not giving you the truth, until it’s too late. We have things close to where I never have to deal with them again.
Looking at getting a heat pump hot water system installed shortly. Quite surprised at the range of products available - quotes in hand are for Thermann, Apricus & Reclaim.
Anyone been down this rabbit hole & had good / bad experiences with these or other models / brands?
Our house generates way more solar than I can use. So I was planning on buying the largest electric hot water tank I could. Wasn’t worried about efficiency, as it would essentially be ‘storage’ like a battery for all the solar.
I thought it’d be cheaper set up than heat pump, and by the time it breaks even, heat pump price would’ve come down.
I even installed a diverter to send electrons to the EV/HWS/grid.
The solahart powerstore does that for you, but they’re like 5k. Can modulate the element and adjust tank temp to get more energy in to it when there’s excess solar.
You could still do the same with a diverter and a heat pump, just make sure it’s still doing its “legionella” heat up cycle once a week.
We have pushed the button on a >10kW solar system, so will prob in a similar situation. It’s a leap of faith somewhat. I get the battery concept. We are just 3 people & have been quoted on 260, 300 & 315 litre tanks. What capacity RU looking at & for how many people?
We had one installed late last year and timed it with our cooktop replacement to induction so we could turn of the gas. It’s incredibly efficient and cheap to run. I’ve barely noticed any increase in the power bill.
Brand is Istore and it’s an all in one. We went for the bigger one (270L) so we would never run out of hot water. I think around that for 3 would be plenty.
Only taken me five years - and likely great frustration from my wife, lol - but I’ve finally done something about the “dead zone” on the south side of the garage.
Nothing too fancy , and I wasn’t too fixated on outright accuracy or blending levels given it’s really just a through way with minimal foot traffic. So we bought some 600 x 400 pavers from Bunnings. I dug it out to clay, put down a too-thin road base ( largely just to use some I had) and a 2-3cm bed of paving sand that in the end I blended with some cement just to give it a little strength.
1cm spacings between the pavers so I mixed up some ultrafine sand and cement , worked it into the joins and finished it with a brickies profile steel.
Hopefully it doesn’t rain for the rest of the day or tonight, I’d rather not have to repoint the joins because it’s all been washed out, lol. The excess slurry should sweep off fairly easily once everything has dried out.
Cost was around $350 in materials. Possibly could have saved a little by ordering a delivery of sand but I decided I’d do it by bags because I really didn’t want any surplus left over to deal with. Probably took about two solid days in total, but i spread it over several days. My knees and back are sore, I’m totally getting too old for this ■■■■, and for some reason the young bloke found he had other things to do .
At least now it won’t be a muddy, wet and overgrown zone for most of the year. It gets virtually no sun, I did wonder if a really thin garden bed along the garage wall was worth trying but I think we’ll just keep it clean.
The other job on the go is trying to “fix’” the paint damage on a Moto Guzzi motorcycle luggage frame , that’s been a slow process because I’m building the paint up layer by layer and the epoxy enamel needs a day between coats, but the project isn’t exactly “home Reno” .
Next up is re-oiling the spotted gum deck that I built a year or two back. I’ll need a couple of fine days for that so it’s not exactly the ideal time of year.
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