Renovation Diary #1 - Asbestos and Hazard Report

We are about to embark on a renovation journey ... some day. It has been 17 months since we engaged an architect, we have plans approved, we have interior designs finished and the landscape architect has had his say. And yet we are still to go to tender. First we had to get an Asbestos Hazard report in order to get a Construction Certificate.

Our house was built in 1912, well before Asbestos was in popular use (as early as 1920s but popular 1940-1980).

We knew we had Asbestos on site because we have a Fibro back shed but it was a little alarming where else we had Fibro sheeting around the house.

See the yellow wooden panels in this original seating? Not wood. The bones of this seat are original but the wooden panels were long ago replaced with Fibro sheeting.

We thought this patio roof was Masonite. Nope. Fibro sheeting. Luckily we didn't go drilling holes in that one for a new light.

The wooden panels in our staircase? You guessed it. Fibro sheeting. The obvious panel above the heating grate - that's not Fibro, that's chip board.

This bathroom wall? Probably Fibro sheeting. Probably with Asbestos fibres because of the age of the bathroom renovation.

Asbestos in any property older than about 1985 can be hard to identify. A friend of mine is renting a townhouse around the corner. I would've guessed it was a 1980s townhouse but it was renovated in the 1980s from a 1960s original. Full of Asbestos sheeting. The kitchen walls are Asbestos sheeting as they found out after a builder had been fixing their walls, filling their house with dust as he was sawing away. My friend, her partner and their kids were all helping sweep away the mess when they realised it was Asbestos.

Fibro sheeting in good condition is fine. The Hazard Report guy said you can even carefully sand Fibro sheeting to paint provided you don't get down to the Asbestos fibres, but drilling, sawing and cutting is not a good idea.

We have a ceiling made from Masonite in the kitchen and without being told I couldn't tell the difference between that and the Fibro sheeting over the patio. The thing is, our house might have been built before the era of Asbestos but it was fixed up and repaired when it was the go to safety product for all right-minded renovators.

Holey Ears Batman! When parents give in for good reason.

Here at Chez Easternmax we are not known for our approval of ear piercing in the young. However today we broke our resolve on account of a behaviour challenge.

Thirty days ago we challenged Blossom to thirty days of respectful behaviour at all times. No tweeny unreasonableness, no teasing the brother, no stomping and/or demanding. I don't want you thinking that we had a trouble-maker on our hands. Not at all, but her moods were starting to impact on everyone in the family and the resulting disrespectfulness was becoming a habit.

The prize for this challenge? One of the things we said she couldn't have until high school - her ears pierced.

We didn't think for a minute that she'd be successful. And yet she was.

For each day that we saw disrespectful behaviour she had to add a day to the challenge. There were a couple of extra days added but on the whole we have had the most blissful thirty days where the house has run like clockwork and where the children have spoken respectfully to us and to each other. Blossom has told us that she feels so much better for the challenge and that she has learnt a lot about how to manage her moods.

And yet it doesn't end here. We've told her these earrings symbolise respectful behaviour and that every time she looks in the mirror she will be reminded what they stand for. And she knows that if she slips up over the next six weeks then the earrings will be removed.

Well done Blossom!

Best Ever

Today Blossom went to the Zone (interschool) swimming carnival.

Her stroke? Breastroke.

She managed her best result ever.

Fifth in the 50m final for Senior girls.

But, you know, she was robbed of fourth. Robbed I tell ya.

But I'm supposed to say that because I'm a proud mother.

Crochet Update

As far as therapy goes I find crochet cheap and effective and doesn't interfere with watching recorded episodes of Mad Men, The Good Wife or House.

I'm crocheting a knee rug with a recession theme - using whatever leftover yarn I have to hand. I was toying with this pink yarn next but now I see it in the photograph I'm thinking it is a bad idea. Perhaps I'll go with the cream yarn next.

Sooner or later the pink yarn, will however, need to be used.

Normally I crochet in regularly-sized rows. This time I've decided just to crochet up the remainder of each ball of yarn - whatever size it is.