News

A milestone has been reached this week.  Phase I of the building project is complete and partial hand-over took place on 10 May 2012.  Dr Andreas Diacon is discussing the finished work here with Mr Graeme Hill from Precision Building Services.  Notes were made of touch-up jobs to be done and small changes needed, but on the whole the owner is very happy with the completed work.  We all should congratulate The Building Team on a job very well done.  Celebrations will follow later!

The sliding doors need a change in order to protect the glass as far as possible from getting damaged by trolleys being moved through.

Inspection of the finished work started at the recreation room.  From left to right are Dr Andreas Diacon, Mr Graeme Hill, Mrs Norma Groenewald and Mr Ley Kempthorn.

The fire extinguisher was checked.  Very important.

The rooms that are part of the hand-over include the recreation room, 3 bedrooms, male and female showers and toilets, laundry, sluice room, supervisor’s room, examination room, staff room and laboratory.

And all is ready to roll.

The rest of the building project is still in full progress.  Ceilings are going in above the back stairs.

Ceiling frames are fixed in the upstairs recreation room.

The windows of the recreation room have been fixed.

A bedroom is painted and made ready to be used as a temporary office by the Builder.

Isotherm is installed in the ceilings upstairs.

Tiling of the showers and toilets upstairs in progress.

Shower floors getting done.

Plant room.

Heavy cabling in the plant room.

The Betafence is going back up in front of the recreation room, and what a good decision that was.  Looking at a brick wall all day is not a pleasant thought, even if it is a very beautiful brick wall.

Lucky Lips is doing the stippling of the plaster outside.

Water source for the fire sprinkler system.

The pebble bed being finished off with sand and water.

Paving in front of the main entrance.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 44

Posted by Amour Venter

The key to the puzzle is in there somewhere.

There is still some plastering to be done on the outside wall.

The new eaves are fixed and the gap between the roof and walls will be properly closed up to keep the dust out.

The doors to the front entrance are in place.

Installation of the vinyl floor in the foyer is almost done.

We’re all high today on all that glue!

High or not, a perfect weld is obtained.

Vinyl installation getting done in the passage of the administrative building.

The lift shaft has been boarded up for now.

The vinyl in the passage and bedrooms has been sealed.

A new fire hose in the passage.

The vinyl cover, nosings and railings of the front stairs are done.

There might be hidden treasures behind that door under the stairs.

The floor of these patient showers/toilets are done and…

…some finishing touches are done to the edges of the floors in the toilets opposite.

The sluice room’s sliding door is painted and complete.

The kitchen’s floor finish is done.

The vinyl floor installation in the kitchen staff changeroom is completed.

Some painting still going on opposite the kitchen.

There are changes taking place just outside what is currently the Builder’s office.  Walls have been removed and a low wall built up to create a reception area.

The trenches in front of the administrative building have been covered up.  Storm water pipes are in place.

The pebble bed is almost complete.

The sliding gate track.

The Plumbers are on site.

A Painter’s work is never done!

That ever evading Key!

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 43

Posted by Amour Venter

It is getting very close to completion of Phase I of the building project and it is an absolute hive of activity at the moment.  The pavers, painters, plasterers, carpenters, bricklayers, electricians and cleaners are on site!  Let’s see what they are all up to, starting with the pavers.  The paving job is already looking very good, with about 75% of the area done.

Welcome to the Pebble bed.

Well done, Seymour Paving!

The painters are trying to get the job done, but it is hard going when someone keeps drilling and making a mess around their beautifully painted walls!

And all this for a telephone line that was requested quite late!  Nothing else to do but drill through the finished work and repair it again.

Meanwhile the painters are working on the outside doors and…

…in the passage of the administrative building.

The lift shaft has had an undercoat of paint.

The front stairs are painted.

The refuse room has a new exit door.

Mr 95 and team are plastering the outside of the refuse room.

Plastering on the street side of the administrative building.

The Carpenter has moved outside with his work.

All the eaves have now been removed.

Floors screeded in the kitchen staff toilets and change rooms.

The cleaners are on site to dust off and wash the rooms that will be handed over soon.

A sink and taps have been fitted in the laundry.

A toilet for the disabled has been fitted.

A basin, towel & soap dispenser and mirror have been fitted in the Supervisor’s room.

The vinyl is stored in the Supervisor’s room for the time being.

The foyer, where it all comes together.

In front of the Supervisor’s room.

Patient room.

Panic bolts have been fitted on the doors leading from the recreation room to the back stairs.

The old roof timbers have to be straightened.

The Betafence is up!  Great work.

The wall between the boundary and administrative building is finished.

A trench is being dug in front of the administrative building for the storm water pipes.  The ground will eventually be levelled off and paved.

The ground has been prepared for a walkway that will run along the side of the administrative building.

Oh boy, it has been a hard week!

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 42

Posted by Amour Venter

Week 40 brings a number of highlights, all equally important and exciting.  A start has been made on a wall that runs across the property from the front boundary wall to the corner of the side (administrative) building.  This wall will divide the property into two parts; the parking area to be used by staff and visitors and the garden (still to be done!) can be enjoyed by the trial participants.

A trench is dug for the storm water pipe that will channel any excess water off.

The plaster work on the outside wall is going well.

The eaves under the roof have been removed.

Kitchen ready for the next step.

Kitchen staff change rooms tiled.

‘Carpenter’s room’ next to kitchen.

The new entrance door is partly in use.

Plastering of the wall that has been added at the entrance to the lift.

Something to keep an eye on.

The sliding doors are in!

Installation of the vinyl flooring in the passage is finished.  There is some cleaning to be done and then the floors will be sealed.

The soap & towel dispensers and mirrors for the showers/toilets have been fixed.  The arrangement of the equipment is very nicely done.

The curtain tracks for the beds are up.

The recreation room looks beautiful!  The trial participants will really be able to relax in this bright, sunny room.

The wall that is being built at the entrance to the recreation room is almost up to the height of the original stairs.

Plasterwork being done in the top floor office.

A partition is erected at the top of the front stairs to protect the finished work on the ground floor from dust.

Plant room.  The hot water cylinders and plumbing are in place.

Serious cabling.

The Betafence has arrived!

Part of the fence has been fixed already.  This is going to look great once done!

And what is arriving here?

The first load of…

…PAVING sand!

Mr Graham Hill signs for the sand.

There is always a happy smile from Mr 95.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 41

Posted by Amour Venter

The pieces of the puzzle are falling in place one by one and a clear picture is starting to emerge from what was a year ago only a dream.  The main activity for Week 39 is finishing off of the vinyl floor cover in the patient rooms and passage.  The floors in the patient rooms are done.

The passage floor is almost there.

The ceiling in the passage is done.

From the front desk of the Supervisor’s room, there is a view of all the main activities, from the main entrance and the lift exit, down the passage between the patient rooms and…

…right around to the laboratory and examination room.

The front stairs are protected by a barrier and are not used at the moment.

A view from above to the floor down below where preparations are made for the vinyl cover.

The soap and paper towel dispensers being fitted.

Last coat of paint going onto the doors and frames in the patient toilets/showers.

Mirrors to follow.

A slop sink has been fitted in the sluice room.

The floor of the recreation room has been screeded and…

…the ceiling is done.

The frames of the back doors have been fixed and new glass was fitted.  Great job.

This wall will be built up to the same level as the stairs.

Temporary doors do duty next to the glass doors.  This entrance is used for access to the top floor.

Dagha is taken up the stairs for use on the top floor.  Another reason why the front stairs are blocked off while only the back entrance is used to get to the top floor; restrict the mess to one area.

Bricklaying on the top floor is almost done.

The gaps between the floor and windows are being bricked up.

Wall built up to window level in a top floor shower room.

Plasterwork has started in the patient rooms on the top floor.

The aircon ducting upstairs has been bricked up.

Some bricks are removed to fit lintels.

Lintels for sliding doors on top floor.

An extract canopy has been fitted in the kitchen.

Tiling being done in the kitchen staff change room.

The lift shaft has been plastered on the outside.

Old meters.

Bricklayer’s hands.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 40

Posted by Amour Venter

One cannot turn your back on the site for too long and something changes!  What might that structure be on top of the roof? 

The lift shaft, of course.  The Team has moved outside, extending the shaft, and are currently busy finishing off the plastering.

The Carpenter is also on site, putting triangular wood next to the lift shaft outside before waterproofing will be done.  The Team would like to get this done before Easter weekend in case it rains, and we all know Cape Town is notorious for rain at Easter.

New window placed upstairs next to lift shaft.

Air-con ducting coming through the wall.

The kitchen walls have been tiled.

An undercoat has been painted on the walls of the office next to the kitchen and…

…the first coat of paint has gone onto the walls in the passage next to the lift shaft.

The ceilings are done in the main passage.

Wall made ready for tiling above hand basin in patient room.

Door frames of patient rooms have been painted.  It looks great now that there are some contrasting colours.

The ceilings are just about done in the downstairs patient recreation area.

The old wooden door frames at the end of the main building are being fixed up before new glass will be fitted.

The corner wall has been finished, the column cappings are on and also the copings on the wall.  What a great job this is!  There is nothing like years of experience to make a job like this absolutely perfect and…

…we all know who was responsible.

The wall and electrical box on the inside of the premises are done.

The trenches for the main electrical supply have been covered up after the ducting was put in place.  There will be a connection here.  See how the leftover playground materials are put to good use!

Cabling coming through underneath the entrance wall.

The last copings are placed on the wall.

Stairs to the Caretaker’s flat.  You have to fly up to the first landing.  For real!

Caretaker’s flat lounge.  What a shambles!  However, nobody is living here at the moment.  The flat will be fixed up as well.

The kitchen.  Say no more.

The bathroom and…

…the bedroom.  There is some waterproofing needed on the roof before the ceiling is fixed.

Another beautiful day.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 39

Posted by Amour Venter

There are a number of highlights for the week, this one not the least of all. A concrete beam has been cast above the new entrance to the main building to support an extended roof.

The outside wall has been plastered. There are some finishing touches still needed here.

Mr Mandela is digging the trenches for the main electrical supply.

Somewhere in here must be a plastic sleeve through which the cabling will be pulled. The plastic sleeve was in place before the entrance walls were built.

On the other side of the walls digging of the trenches is carried further. It will lead to this…

…electrical box being built on the inside of the fence, where the electrical supply will link up with the grey box supplied by Council on the pavement outside.

The yard looks tidy.

Tiling has been completed in the kitchen staff toilets. The tiling team has done a good job. You will meet the gentlemen responsible for the tiling just now.

The painter has started working on the passage walls between the kitchen and change rooms. It still feels like working in an underground mine.

The door of the electrical mains box has been hung.

Mr Hiema and Mr 95 have done a great job on the front stairs. After casting the stairs, the edges got damaged with all the work going on around there. They took time this week to finish off the edges and added a plaster border to the left side of the stairs where the balustrade will be put up.

There is a last bit of work done on the ceiling of the ground floor Supervisor’s room, but for the most part it is complete.

A sliding door has been hung in the small laundry in the patient area.

Meet the gentlemen who are doing such a good job of tiling the walls.

The patient rooms are almost complete now. Doors and windows are completely finished, the walls have been painted with a first layer of final colour, the ceilings are done with light boxes fitted, and electrical trunking has been fixed to the walls.

Some ceiling boards have been put up in the passage.

A lot of small jobs have been completed in the patients’ toilets and showers, e.g. urinals were fitted and…

…hand basins are in, as well as…

…ceiling boards and lights.

Now we are just waiting for the people to arrive.

Major progress has been made with bricklaying on the top floor. The shower and toilet walls have been built up to ceiling height.The Supervisor’s room and examination room are done. A start has been made on the walls of the patient rooms opposite the showers/toilets.

Mr Hiema is proud of his team’s achievements, and so he should be.

The air ducting coming down from the ceiling on the top floor will eventually be bricked up so that one would not even be aware that it is there.

And the ever dependable Mr 95.  Where would the project be without these hardworking people?

Next up – Task Building Site: Week37-38

Posted by Amour Venter

Now, does this entrance not make you feel welcome?  You just have to drive through
those walls to see what is going on beyond.  So let’s see!
The contractors who worked on the parking area have done their job for now and we can all park in peace until they return to do the paving.
But, oh boy, which paving block shall we choose?  Suddenly the sand coloured one looks a bit pink!  It might bleach out though, but who knows?

And this one?  If it is chosen, we may refer to the parking area as the pebble-bed.  It might react!

The Carpenter is still working on the doors and…

…has also made a wooden box above the new entrance (to come) where a concrete beam will be cast.  The new column can be seen in front to the left of the box.  Note the supporting props under the old beam.  We do not want it to fall on someone’s head.

Mr Matthew is catching bricks from the bottom and throwing them through the open window gap for the bricklayers to use on the top floor.  This is thirsty work!

Last week’s bricked up wall in the passage opposite the kitchen has been plastered.

Mr 95 and Mr Mandela are working hard at getting the kitchen staff change room done.

On the other side, Lucky Lips is demolishing the floor!

And the wall between the short passage and change room is also gone.

The Sparkies have done their bit at the mains box.

Council has supplied the electrical box outside on the pavement.

The bricked up side next to the mains box is temporarily supported from underneath until the time comes to close it up.

Mr Hiema is showing this shy young man, who was hiding behind the door when the photographer arrived, where to touch up with the paint.

That’s better!

The walls of the patient rooms have received a first coat of paint.  It looks good!

Light boxes have been put in place in the entrance to the patient toilets and showers.

Plastering being done above the front staircase.

The bricklayers are moving at a good pace upstairs.

Supervisor’s room upstairs.

Plant room doors.

There is some serious air ducting in the plant room.

No wonder plant rooms are so noisy!

This is an overflow well.  What for?

These two hot water cylinders will stand in the well and, if there is leakage, the water will be channelled to the outside with no damage done to the surrounding area.

The cappings have been placed on the boundary fence columns and really helps to finish it off nicely.

Young people, sit up and take note.

This gentleman can teach you a lot about life, hard work, pride and perfection.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 36

Posted by Amour Venter

This property is turning into a place to be proud of.  The parking area has been levelled off and compacted in preparation for paving.  The two entrance walls are done and they are looking great.

Last week’s wood pile has been removed.

The columns for the boundary fence are going up.

It is great to park without getting stuck in the sand!  I was lucky enough to get stuck some weeks ago, but there were many strong hands on site to get my car out of there.

The compactor is doing his job while…

…the rest of the contractor’s team are doing the hands-on work.

The front end loader is used to clear up all the rubble that has accumulated over the last few weeks.  It is doing a great job.

Part of the concrete wall with grid holes at the entrance to the side building has been removed, a new column has been built and…

…the door that used to be here has been removed and bricked up.

The large gap that we saw last week here in the passage opposite the kitchen has been bricked up.

The walls in the small room adjacent to the kitchen have been tiled.

The Sparkies are on site to do the electrical wiring; they are busy at the mains box.

Mr Hiema finds time for a quick joke with them.

A beam has been built at the lift shaft.

The cupboards are done in the staff tearoom and a sink has been put in.

The doors at the end of the main building, opposite the front stairs, have been hung.

All the toilet walls in the patient area have been tiled.

And now for the highlight of the week.  Major building activity upstairs!  Brick walls are going up all over the place.  It is amazing how much The Team can achieve in just one week.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 35

Posted by Amour Venter

Activities are spread out all over, so we will take a ‘walk’ through.  The entrance walls are almost done and looking great.

The last bricks are being put in place to complete this wall.

More wall toppings have just arrived.

The paving contractors are on site to take measurements outside and…

…preparation for paving of the parking area has started.

It is looking great now that all the rubble/weeds have been removed.

Handy little machine.  He did all the hard work, levelling off the ground.

Looking back towards the entrance; this is where the creche playground used to be.

The playground items have been put to one side.  Some of these can be used elsewhere.

Moving into the side building and down the passage; the new staff toilets have been finished.  Visitors may use these now.

The old toilets are being broken out.

Last remaining bits and pieces.

There is a new wall in the kitchen.

Some work is being done on the lift shaft.

The laboratory walls have been tiled where necessary.

Windows have been installed in the Supervisor’s Room and…

…between the passage & patient rooms.

Tiling of the patient showers/toilets is done.

Bricks are thrown by hand up to Mr Matthew, who is waiting on the scaffolding to receive them, and from there through the opening behind him.  These are to be used upstairs…

…where Mr Hiema is setting out new walls.

The upstairs recreation room has been plastered.

Looking from the recreation room upstairs back into the main area.

Ducting for air conditioning is in place upstairs.

They can be proud of this wall.  It is a magnificent piece of work.

Now someone must just remove the bits of tree so that the good work is not obscured.

Next up – Task Building Site: Week 34

Posted by Amour Venter