Bloody Whiteants

[trout1105]

On our return from 6 months or so away we returned to the sight of our bathroom ceiling nearly touching the floor.
We had the house professionally sprayed for whiteants but the damage was already done to our aging old bathroom and it simply fell to bits.
My building skills are pretty minimal But I decided that I will have a crack at the reno myself anyway, One of the worst ideas I have ever come up with[bigwhistle]
Our house is Old, Like some parts are over 100 years old with the typical farm additions over the years added to the place and the youngest parts would have been built in the 60's and the walls and ceiling in the bathroom consisted of various layers and different materials that have taken me 3 days to remove and dispose of.
Much of the timber frame has been either damaged or destroyed by the termites and it has taken me a couple of days to replace this and now I am embarking on the installation of the hardiflex sheeting which is a PITA as I am doing the job "Solo", Time to enlist the help of the young bloke[thumbsupbig]
I have to replace all the plumbing and fixtures (Dunny, shower and vanity) and this will severely test my measuring and cutting skills when I go to fix these into place and add the pipes.
Fortunately the weather here has been Crap for fishing so I haven't been distracted that much and I am slowly progressing on with the job.
Thankfully we have a dunny and shower in our caravan to use while I struggle on But I will be very pleased when the job is eventually completed.
Any tips or handy hints will be greatly appreciated[thumbsupbig]

[scarry]

Been there done that.

Handy hint Measure twice,cut once.[tonguewink]

Good luck

[RANDLOVER]

Sounds like you've removed most of the materials, but be careful of asbestos, it was used a lot in old houses, especially in bathrooms, as it is very good due to not rotting in wet areas.

Also it is cheaper if you replace the items back in the same positions, costs much more if you move electrics, (lights, plugs) and plumbing connections for water, sewerage, etc. Nowadays I think you have to have the waterproofing certified for insurance, but that may be different on a farm.

[JDNSW]

A sheet lifter, readily available for hire, makes wall sheeting and particularly ceilings much easier.

[trout1105]

A sheet lifter, readily available for hire, makes wall sheeting and particularly ceilings much easier.

I did a fair bit of YouTube research before I started this bastard of a job and there is a little trick where you use scraps of wood as Toggles that you screw loosely to the ceiling that hold the sheet up for you while you locate and screw it in place that has worked rather well so far[thumbsupbig]
On a disappointing note I wreaked the new vanity basin by dropping and smashing it last night as I was putting the mixer tap on it.
It's not that much of a "Biggie" But now I have to travel the 30k's in and 30k's out of town to visit Bunnings to get a new one and as we all know walking out of Bunnings with only one item is an impossibility.[biggrin]
Note to myself don't do this sort of work when I am very tired, it isn't worth it[bigsad]

[NavyDiver]

Termites are best kept out. They are every where around here. Any stump I find comes out and always has termites in it. Found a few in the house when renovating and old damage occurred before I brought it about 20 years ago. Frequent termite inspections did not find the termites we found when renovating.

I had a trench dug around the house reticulation pipe with lots of holes which can be refilled with chemical out side the house every two years. It was reasonably cheap and nicer than spraying inside I think. Get a few quotes once you know what you want which was worth while for me. The chemicals now are not so toxic and do not last that long. The retic option allows you to top up where the other options make it difficult to reapply.

Mine is like this one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUn1RHf-mxc

[67hardtop]

It's not that much of a "Biggie" But now I have to travel the 30k's in and 30k's out of town to visit Bunnings to get a new one and as we all know walking out of Bunnings with only one item is an impossibility.[biggrin]
Note to myself don't do this sort of work when I am very tired, it isn't worth it[bigsad]

Dont forget to get a sausage sizzle and the new "safety onions" that go on the bottom [emoji12] [emoji12] [emoji12] [emoji12] .
Cheers Rod

[RANDLOVER]

I prefer colony killer as it kills the nest off, I've had success with it in two spots in my yard, one I used on termites in some old pallet wood I'd used as concrete form work that I had left in the yard, and one on some termites in fence pailings.

Kill termites & white ants without poisions (https://termikill.com.au/termikill_1-1_Kit?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI5eSmj93g3wIVGa6WCh3GnwsAEA QYAiABEgIvSPD_BwE)

[BathurstTom]

I use this stuff. Have the pro's set it and check it every few weeks. Already found the colony, baited them and they are cactus. Now the house is surrounded by attractants and bait traps.

Exterra Baiting - Dentec Pest Management (https://dentecpest.com.au/exterra-baiting/)

[trout1105]

Termites are best kept out. They are every where around here. Any stump I find comes out and always has termites in it. Found a few in the house when renovating and old damage occurred before I brought it about 20 years ago. Frequent termite inspections did not find the termites we found when renovating.

I had a trench dug around the house reticulation pipe with lots of holes which can be refilled with chemical out side the house every two years. It was reasonably cheap and nicer than spraying inside I think. Get a few quotes once you know what you want which was worth while for me. The chemicals now are not so toxic and do not last that long. The retic option allows you to top up where the other options make it difficult to reapply.

Mine is like this one


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUn1RHf-mxc


What a great idea[thumbsupbig]
The trench that the pest control bloke dug is still pretty soft so I think that I will go with this idea as it beats the hell out of destroying my yard an concrete every couple of years.

[JDNSW]

There is a reason I built with a steel frame! They are everywhere here. The house has no wood except visible trim and interior doors.

[trout1105]

This place was built back in the days of the horse and cart so No steel framing here its all stone, tin and timber.[bawl]
I think the original bathroom was built in the sixties so all things considered it did pretty well for a timber frame room.
All the Jarrah beams are in pristine condition as the termites ate most of the karri and left the jarrah alone thank the gods and I have replaced all the damaged timber with treated pine so hopefully it will last another 60 years[thumbsupbig]
I have managed to fix all the timber framing and have fitted about 2/3 of the hardiflex sheeting so far, The new vanity is all plumbed and fitted as is the new fancy light, heater extractor fan on the ceiling.
I have plumbed in a new mixer and shower so all I have to do now is install the new dunny and finish the hardiflex panelling then get to work with the bog on the joins before painting and tiling the room.
My BIL is a "Whizz" with tiles and the Missus says she wants to do the painting So as soon as I have finished the construction work I am going to bugger off up to Sharks bay for a well earned week of fishing and 4 wheeling fun[bigrolf]

[Bigbjorn]

Trout, they love treated pine, yum, yum, munch, munch. It does keep them at bay for a modest period of time.

[BathurstTom]

Trout, they love treated pine, yum, yum, munch, munch. It does keep them at bay for a modest period of time.
That's what the guys that look after my place said too.

[mick88]

Trout, they love treated pine, yum, yum, munch, munch. It does keep them at bay for a modest period of time.

Are you saying to bait them with treated pine?

Cheers, Mick.

[BathurstTom]

Are you saying to bait them with treated pine?

Cheers, Mick.
Tasmanian oak is used as the bait...

[NavyDiver]

What a great idea[thumbsupbig]
The trench that the pest control bloke dug is still pretty soft so I think that I will go with this idea as it beats the hell out of destroying my yard an concrete every couple of years.

I do have a few other external traps and bait stations out side as well. The little guys are very active in the gum trees across the road and several neighbors houses are more than likely other nests for the pests. Three at least neighbors told me they have never had an inspection in houses older than mine. Red gum sleepers retaining walls all got chomped, Tassie oak- gum is my traps and has got several bites for me.

[jonesfam]

Cypress Pine. They don't eat that.

[4bee]

Hell! My little job of replacing 1x 30cm x 30cm Ceramic Bathroom floor tile makes your job look like a walk in the park.

Tile was rocking when walked upon because of faulty laying about a year ago & water got underneath.

First off, got the tile up easy & was next to the floor waste grid, then levelled the base after drying out the floor, add waterproof Membrane (2 coats) to the patch, wait forever for that to dry for 2 days following the instructions, lay tile using adhesive, another 2 day wait, grout with Dunlop pre-mixed grout, another 3 days wait. Just waiting for another two days to have a shower but a wash has to do.

I didn't want to do this job again so felt I needed to follow the instructions to do the best I could but the waiting times of about 8 days seems ridiculous. The Adhesive, Membrane & Grout are water based & not the old chemical brews so obviously would take longer to dry but 8 days to do one bloody tile!!!!! Sunday we can have a shower but not together.

I wonder if the waiting times are realistic/necessary or pure devilment on the part of the manufacturers?

[LRJim]

A termite sprayer told me that they love Oregon, cant get enough of it apparently.
On my block there is termites everywhere, i wouldnt build a house out of timber there unless its T treated. Anyway what ive done with all the posts and rails that ive milled there out of yellow stringbark is treat them with 50- 50 turps and linseed oil, then another coat or 2 of linseed again. I havnt had a problem with them yet and the linseed looks awesome[emoji106]

[trout1105]

Hell! My little job of replacing 1x 30cm x 30cm Ceramic Bathroom floor tile makes your job look like a walk in the park.


Seriously?
If you think replacing one lousy tile is a major job then don't ever try a full bathroom reno [biggrin]
I have used 14x 270cm x 90 cm hardiflex panels, about 700 screws, God only knows how much timber and countless brackets so far.
I have also replumbed the entire room and fitted all new fittings including the dunny.
I still have to TILE the entire room (Not just one tile) and bog up all my stuff ups before I paint.[bawl]
I will swap you a one tile repair for this bastard of a job in a heartbeat[thumbsupbig]

[4bee]

Jayzuz, my heart really bleeds for you.[smilebigeye]

This bathroom has been done twice already, the highly recommended lady tiler really stuffed it up banging the hell out of a single brick wall.(way back in the days of yore & post WW2, single brick walls were the norm but hard rendered inside to keep the moisture out which worked provided that wasn't breached)

In her haste to please us & get the job done promptly (although we did have the luxury of an On- site Mobile Bathroom) she belted **** out of the walls to remove the olde tiles if they didn't move then she got a bigger hammer & then a bigger hammer with consequential cracking of the corner of the building & she had been advised about this but we were out for the day, (who wouldn't have been?)

Longish story short, the insurers got involved & appointed another builder type. because of it & you'd never believe it but they also used big FO Hammers but their damage didn't show up until well after they finished.
So to maintain the old integrity of the house & our sanity we tolerated it but know we shouldn't have but now there are not one but two copper pipe saddles bridging the crack & holding the house together.. Adds character & is a conversation topic. [bighmmm]

The Plumber's offsider then promptly chipped the new Vanity top when assembling one of the taps. Denied it of course, as they do when they are caught red handed, when I walked in after hearing a new noise & him looking sheepish holding a slip wrench but quick as a flash it was "not me, it was there when I unpacked it". Trade school training paying off you see.
Today I fortunately did not drop a chisel or hammer etc on the remaining tiles so that has to be a win but I did buy a spare carton for the just in case time in years to come.

A week or two later the floor trap choked up & was found to be full of chippings from the floor tile removal #2 so that had to be hi-pressure cleared by someone. Boss Tiler..." But I told my blokes to protect the drain & cover it up". "Deaf are they" was my retort.


White ants? Pfffwewwwww! Be my guest. Amateur.[smilebigeye] [smilebigeye] [smilebigeye] But best wishes for your success but don't for christ's sake get A TILER OR A PLUMBER IN.

[trout1105]

I am slowly getting there, Now I will have to do a fair bit of Bogging up and some tiling then a lick of paint and I am off to Sharks Bay for a week [thumbsupbig]

147393147394147395147396

[bblaze]

Trout
is that a new white ant next to the toilet roll on the floor, just come in for a look [biggrin]
cheers
blaze

[trout1105]

Trout
is that a new white ant next to the toilet roll on the floor, just come in for a look [biggrin]
cheers
blaze

No Mate I sprayed the hell out of everything in there with the same deadly stuff the pest controller used after I had removed all the buggered timber before I started the reno So NOTHING will ever live in there again for a few years[thumbsupbig]

[4bee]

So bang goes the idea of sitting on the throne for an hour or two reading the Racing Results.[biggrin]

[trout1105]

So bang goes the idea of sitting on the throne for an hour or two reading the Racing Results.[biggrin]

That will eventually happen [biggrin]

[mick88]

A termite sprayer told me that they love Oregon, cant get enough of it apparently.
On my block there is termites everywhere, i wouldnt build a house out of timber there unless its T treated. Anyway what ive done with all the posts and rails that ive milled there out of yellow stringbark is treat them with 50- 50 turps and linseed oil, then another coat or 2 of linseed again. I havnt had a problem with them yet and the linseed looks awesome[emoji106]

Jim we used 50/50 Turps and Linseed Oil on our place, not for white ants, just for weatherproofing and aesthetics.
We have Western Red Cedar ceilings, doors, and windows. The 50/50 concoction certainly brings the colour and grain out in the cedar.
For the verandah posts which are Oregon I use another "concoction," ;) and they are on stainless steel stirrups, 75mm above ground level.
The stirrups are sealed (I made them myself) to prevent the white ants crawling up the centre.

Cheers, Mick.

[LRJim]

The stirrups are sealed (I made them myself) to prevent the white ants crawling up the centre.


Thats a great idea! At least then they will expose themselves!
Thats why they made ant caps for house stumps, not that i have ever seen any on a redgum stumped house. The point of them was to bring the ants out of the timber and expose themselves on the metal cap, not that anyone would have ever checked there antcaps for ants....
These days with concrete stumps they are pointless but we still need to put them on, someone in the VBA needs to change the codes.

Cheers Jim

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20190115/0fc79f15ff820a3df888b56f9f7799ce.jpg

[4bee]

At least then they will expose themselves!


The dirty little buggers! I'd be putting a stop to that before it gets out of hand.[smilebigeye] [bighmmm]

[trout1105]

A little bit of progress today, Painting is done and some of the tileing [bigrolf]

147512147513147514

[4bee]

BLOODY 'ELL! Where were you when I needed a tiler? I know I know bleedin' fishin'.


A trout goes fishing? That's gotta be a new one. [biggrin]


Anyway it looks great. A local friend of mine has just done his Bathroom the whole 35sq Metres & out of square of it & used a Laser/Levelling System with strange looking do-dads on the joints but they are larger tiles. But don't ask me how it works.

Whatever happened to "She'll be right mate?"147544

[trout1105]

Whatever happened to "She'll be right mate?"

Works for Me [biggrin]
I was advised by my BIL that is a whizz tiler to use "No More Nails to fix the tiles on the wall and it works a treat[bigrolf]
I have finished the tileing now and will wait until tomorrow to do the grouting, which will do a great job of hiding all my stuff ups thank the Gods.
This is the first time in my 60 odd years that I have had a crack at laying tiles and the job came up pretty good thanks mainly to the advice I got from my BIL.
All I have to do now really is to wait until there is a lull in the god awful wind so I can head up to sharks bay for a week or so fishing [bigrolf][bigrolf][bigrolf]

[4bee]

Hey trout, what do you think of this to add that extra little bit of class to set off our respective Bathrooms.[biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][bighmmm]



Thought you could be interested. [bighmmm]Maybe not then.


Star Shower Slide Show Decorative Lighting with 12 Designs - Kogan.com (https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/star-shower-slide-show-decorative-lighting-with-12-designs-star-shower/?utm_content=hero&grt=ChQxMTYxMzcxNTk0MjY2NzM3OTMyMhACGgJCVCIDZmJ0KA A&utm_campaign=personalised_price_drop_related&utm_source=kogan&utm_medium=email)

[4bee]

Hey trout, what do you think of this to add that extra little bit of class to set off our respective Bathrooms.[biggrin][biggrin][biggrin][bighmmm]



Thought you could be interested. [bighmmm]Maybe not then.


Star Shower Slide Show Decorative Lighting with 12 Designs - Kogan.com (https://www.kogan.com/au/buy/star-shower-slide-show-decorative-lighting-with-12-designs-star-shower/?utm_content=hero&grt=ChQxMTYxMzcxNTk0MjY2NzM3OTMyMhACGgJCVCIDZmJ0KA A&utm_campaign=personalised_price_drop_related&utm_source=kogan&utm_medium=email)

[4bee]

So Classy it was apparently worth repeating.[smilebigeye]

[trout1105]

I did the most important tasks of the week today[thumbsupbig]
I have made a booking at the Monkey Mia resort, picked up a heap of bait, fitted a "Big "V" " to my boat trailer and have replaced the old worn out bait board on the boat, One more days toil and the blasted bathroom is finished [bigrolf][bigrolf][bigrolf]

[4bee]

So why are you still hanging around then? Get your priorities right & go fishing & Happy Fishing, trout.[thumbsupbig]