Door and window reno

Yesterday was a long day coming.  Work finally started on our front entrance renovation.

The story begins in April last year when we were away on holiday in sunny Queensland and our home region was struck by terrible storms.  We came home to a house still standing and relatively unharmed.  However, with the torrential rains and damp our timber front door had swollen so much, that once opened it was unable to be closed.

Then came the dramas with our insurer.  We have never needed to make a claim before, so this was new ground for us.  What a learning experience it was!  The assessor they sent immediately said yes the door and door frame needed to be replaced.  Given the door framing and surrounding windows were all one piece, the whole lot would have to be done.  

Almost two months go by and we hear nothing.  We chased our insurer, who chased the assessor for a report (as he hadn't yet submitted it).  Finally a Scope of Work was received, but it only included replacing the door and not the framing or surrounds.

A further two months go by as we chase an answer to why the Scope of Work does not cover all the assessor said on the day.  Our insurer than gets another assessor (from the same building company) to conduct a second review.  This assessor stood there with hands on his hips and said only a new door would be covered by our insurance and not the rest.  He also said he would have a windows guy come around in the next day or two and measure the windows for a quote to get the rest of the job done.  Ok we said.

Another month passes and no windows guy shows up and we don't hear from the builder/assessor.  By this time we've had enough and call our insurer to settle the claim and organise the repairs ourselves.  Coincidentally, once we'd settle with our insurer they just happened to have the assessor's full report available for us to see.  Plus our insurer added unless we replaced the timber framing with aluminium they wouldn't cover us should further damage occur.  

Completed cheesed off, we needed to move forward so contacted a builder we have used in the past to see if he was interested in the job.  He was, but his father had just passed away, so he needed time to sort out his dad's affairs before he could have a look and do a quote.  We decided to wait for our builder.  He did a great job on some other timber maintenance stuff we hired him for earlier that year.  Finding a builder who is conscientious and who you can trust is important.  Being novices to renovation it was very important to us.

   

Too get things moving along I met with our builder's recommended windows specialists.  We drew up a new design, decided on having white framing and then discussed doors.  I didn't like any of the aluminium options for doors.  They all seemed too modern for our weatherboard house.  I then went about sourcing a solid external timber door.

Our builder returned and he and the windows guys measured up, then came back again and rechecked it all and remeasured.  Our windows order was finally placed just before Christmas.  With most manufacturing and supplier businesses closed over the Christmas period it was another wait until production of our windows could start.

School holidays were already well and truly over before we got the call two weeks ago that the windows were almost finished and a start date was set for the renovation.

Which brings us to yesterday.  Hooray!  Hooray!  Hooray!  We have started.

When our builder Ian and his crew of two showed up just after 7.00am it was all systems go.  Our old frame and windows came out smoothly and quickly.  Everything needed to be ready for the windows being delivered at lunchtime.  Ian and his team worked so diligently and tirelessly all day.  They barely stopped and managed to get both frames in place and attach the new front door.  Now it's packing and reframing and all those other builder bits to make it look seamless with the house.  Day one over.