It is mid winter here, so having no external walls on our kitchen created a strong desire to build the framing and get those walls up ‘post haste’. To this end PC ‘burnt the candles at both ends’ last week, arriving home after work only to turn his hand to building. His ability to create and solve anything as always continues to impress me and I’m always grateful for his talents. When in the midst of a project and your framing gun finally ‘bites the dust’, this of course means you must buy a new one, reporting that PC is most happy with his new gun. (Old gun pictured) The frames were both installed…

The weekend before last we began the next phase of our kitchen renovations. After impatiently patiently waiting for weeks our windows finally arrived. Before installing the windows, the external walls of the kitchen needed to be removed so new wall frames to include the windows could be built. Stripping walls back to their studs in our ‘old’ house is always illuminating and is guaranteed to bring forth plenty of comments about old building code practices and dodgy workmanship, the ‘enthusiasm’ is sufficient enough that even the younger children are conversant in head shaking and mutterings about framing and studs or their lack thereof. Take the window above, no supporting beam, the window sag is now explained. Attention…