In the above photo, taken from the lounge room, you can see the beginning of the process we were undertaking. Slick had measured and cut all the posts and beams, and screwed down the posts along the window wall. Up on our new scaffolding rested the long beam that would soon sit in its place on top of those posts. This beam, though it is hard to see in these photos, has holes cut ready for the shaped ends of the cross beams.
(Above) Here Slick and I look as though we are lazing around, but I assure you that it is better to plan rather than rush into something and make stupid mistakes or even get hurt. 'Process, process!' is our catch-cry. Besides, we were psyching ourselves up for the effort ahead!
(Above) Here I am taking down the header beam that had been over the entryway into the dining room (or verandah, depending on how far back you want to go). As you can see, with the header up, part of the dividing wall remains between dining and lounge area. We had to remove that in order to put in place the new structure.
(Above) This time we are looking away from the kitchen, toward the area the bathroom used to inhabit. In the top left of this photo you can see that the long beam is in place along the top of the windows. The timber on top of the scaffolding is supporting the first cross beam. You can see the shaped 'peg' at the end, ready for the other end beam.
(Above) This photo is looking back toward the new bathroom (door on right) and kitchen (behind curtain on left), along the surface of the lower scaffold platform. The end beam is resting ready to be hammered onto the ends of the waiting cross beams.
