Thanks to Alessandra on camera and our video producer Michael we have the latest Nga Kereru short video compilation to share with you - Maraetotara Strawbale | Part 3: Earth Plaster. Enjoy!!!
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The NZ Herald with funding from NZ OnAir have an article on the reforestation of of the Maraetotara river which includes a short video. Enjoy…
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Time flies when you’re getting your hands dirty having fun.. and we have the satisfaction of seeing our progress every step of the way.. Over the last month we have been plastering our straw walls, doing some cob in-fill also putting up the ceiling battens and ceiling insulation.
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Plastering is underway, everything up to now has been preparation for this - the main event… love the mud :-)
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We invited a few family and friends already involved with our build to join us for our wall raising, this is a community effort similar to an old school barn raising, where the straw bales are cut, laid and compressed into the house walls.
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6 months into a 12 month build with the stretch target of moving into the self-contained B&B part of the house in July 2019, so… time for a checkpoint, how are we doing?
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Our plan… is to re-cycle/up-cycle solid timber joinery with the goal of creating a melteca free home and enjoying hand crafted wooden joinery without a second mortgage...
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Completion of the switchboard and the wiring of the house Yahh!!!! So time for an update on everything electrical as we celebrate this milestone!
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We had another critical milestone before we could start closing in the frames and filling in the walls with straw, the pre-wrap building inspection.
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Add in sticks to the blog title and we are back revisiting the three pigs story!! there has been a lot written already about timber framing, so it’s time now for an update on the straw and bricks….
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We completed installing the roof flashings after Michael had returned to Sydney in mid-January and we learned that there is a lot of work in fitting the flashings…
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With a working visit by Michael, the much anticipated roof… is on! and looks amazing, this post includes a video update with some excellent drone footage, enjoy..
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Over Christmas and New Year while Alessandra and I were visiting family and friends in Australia, Pat kept ploughing on with work on the house to ensure we would be ready for Michael’s arrival at the start of January to help us put on the roof…
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In this post Pat and I are building the timber frames on site, steel portals and roof trusses go up.. pump shed built, house sitting for Paul and Julie..
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With piles in place and the earthworks to prepare the building platform completed it is time for the profiles and the formwork (boxing)…
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While the plans were in with council, in September and into October we invested time in seemingly endless research, showroom visits, reviewing quotes, negotiating prices and making decisions…
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…updated Geotech would be required and, dependant on what they found and recommended, updated structural engineering for the foundations and so an update to our building consent submission already with the council…
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The long-anticipated day, where we became residents of Maraetotara, arrived in mid-October... Big thanks to Bob and Phyliss, their caravan was prepared and is on loan to us….
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Our offices are the first structures on-site, the loo with the view and the site container…
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There is a lot of work to complete below your feet before anything appears above ground.. an update on power reticulation and building platform preparation
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