Gutting The Laundry...

This post could also be titled 'Why you don't have chipboard cupboards in a wet area' for reasons obvious to most but oblivious to some.

For those who read the blog regularly, you would know that recently we commenced gutting the laundry in preparation for a new fit-out, as the location of the laundry wasn't going to change regardless of any master plan for the renovation. We also knew it would come with some unique challenges, as the tiles around the hot water system cabinet were laid after the hot water system was installed, and with no spare tiles located anywhere in the house disguising this oversight would prove difficult. The chipboard cupboards are an blatant no-no in a wet area, and these had swelled and expanded over time due to a leak from the bathroom (which was an immediate fix required before moving in). And the final challenge we face is that the laundry door to outside is off centre (a gap of 500mm from door to wall), meaning that any cupboard and bench fit out would need to be custom made rather than the DIY flat-pack route we planned to take ourselves.

But I digress and below are the before and during demolition photos of the laundry prior to its makeover. Brick masonry walls and tiles proves to be more complicated as expected.

How the laundry looked on Day 1 when we got the keys to the house.

And how it looked before the first hammer was hurled in (controlled) anger.

The 1976 hot water system is inside that CHIPBOARD cupboard!!

Being ex-military, everything is done in Phases. 

This is demo phase 1 - removal of all the wood.

Ol' Gurgler - it just sits there gurgling ALL day...

Rule No 1 - Don't build cupboards out of chipboard in wet areas - durgh!

Rule No 2 - Don't tile up to the cupboard, tile up to the wall. 

(Renovators in future years will love your forward thinking!)

Rule No 3 - Render the wall, then fit the home made shelf, don't install the shelf and then render the wall around the shelf... double-durgh!!

Note the protective duvet cover over the new Bosch washer-dryer, which was meant to be installed after the renovation, however our old top-loader didn't get the memo and gave up the ghost about three months too early - doh!

On the upside, I finally got to use my Ryobi reciprocating saw for the first time. 

That baby goes through wood like a hot knife through butter!

Demo Phase 2 - getting the tiles off was a 'gentle' process. Couldn't bang the walls too hard because of the new bathroom tiles on the other side of the wall, and I was trying desperately to get three tiles off in one piece to reuse on the floor; I only managed to get two... :-(

Cleaning Up - My fave part of demo!

So there you go, demo 98% complete. This week our Plumber Ray is installing the new energy efficient hot water system (it's new, holds twice as much water, and being modern it is more efficient than the ol' gurgler you see here), relocating it outside, while Kate has the cabinet maker down to do the final measure up for the new fit-out.

Wish us luck!

Cheers, Col

PS. As an update on the shed, we received a copy of our builders insurance cover for the project in the mail last week, and we are hoping to hear on the building approval from council this week.