also opted to cover only the casement window part, leaving the top-hung part uncovered... partly to save $$$, and maintenance should be easier too cos fewer things to clean =)
living/dining room
bedroom
main bedroom
kitchen
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
window grilles up
opted for the simple grille design, with only the horizontal bars...
also opted to cover only the casement window part, leaving the top-hung part uncovered... partly to save $$$, and maintenance should be easier too cos fewer things to clean =)
also opted to cover only the casement window part, leaving the top-hung part uncovered... partly to save $$$, and maintenance should be easier too cos fewer things to clean =)
Thursday, November 29, 2007
reno progress
l-box without the lights
tiles for the foyer
concrete sink and stove support
fridge base
washing machine base
laminate flooring
Thursday, November 8, 2007
exposed electrical truncking for L-box
the L-box wiring has been done... but there are now exposed electrical truncking!!!
one of the reasons the electrician gave for tapping from the main circuit box instead of using the existing lighting point is that there are too many downlights (I have 12 E27 20W downlights) and may cause power trip...
but i referred to the HDB electrical circuit diagram and noticed that the rated current for lighting points is 6A i.e. about 1300W... including the downlights plus the room lights, there will be 20 pieces of E27 20W lamps, and plus a ceiling fan (100W max), the max power consumed will only be about 500W, i.e. 2.2 A i.e. 36% of the rated current... should be ok rite?? as in, this amount of current won't cause power trip rite???
one of the reasons the electrician gave for tapping from the main circuit box instead of using the existing lighting point is that there are too many downlights (I have 12 E27 20W downlights) and may cause power trip...
but i referred to the HDB electrical circuit diagram and noticed that the rated current for lighting points is 6A i.e. about 1300W... including the downlights plus the room lights, there will be 20 pieces of E27 20W lamps, and plus a ceiling fan (100W max), the max power consumed will only be about 500W, i.e. 2.2 A i.e. 36% of the rated current... should be ok rite?? as in, this amount of current won't cause power trip rite???
(click on image to see a bigger image)
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
laminate flooring
most probably will be using Supreme 8mm AC5 laminate flooring, pattern LS830 (Picasso Walnut)...
have seen this pattern of laminate flooring in two places: in a shop along balestier road and in Courts Tampines...
but a big concern is whether the shade is too dark for living room? In that shop and Courts, because of the bright lightings, the flooring doesn't look too dark; but in a home setting, the lightings would not be as bright, and the flooring may look dark...
have seen this pattern of laminate flooring in two places: in a shop along balestier road and in Courts Tampines...
but a big concern is whether the shade is too dark for living room? In that shop and Courts, because of the bright lightings, the flooring doesn't look too dark; but in a home setting, the lightings would not be as bright, and the flooring may look dark...
Monday, October 8, 2007
cement screeding done! (but not yet inspected for workmanship...)
22 Sep: submitted the application for the free cement screeding by HDB.
7 Oct: cement screeding done! the cement is still moist, so cannot really inspect how is the workmanship like... hopefully, it will be fine...
got a call from the BSC on 6 Oct, telling me the defects have been rectified... however, those hollow wall tiles i marked out, and more importantly, the cracked floor tile, have not yet been replaced. cos' the cement screed has not dried yet, so cannot go to the bedrooms, household shelter and MBR toilet to inspect if the other defects in these places have been rectified...
7 Oct: cement screeding done! the cement is still moist, so cannot really inspect how is the workmanship like... hopefully, it will be fine...
got a call from the BSC on 6 Oct, telling me the defects have been rectified... however, those hollow wall tiles i marked out, and more importantly, the cracked floor tile, have not yet been replaced. cos' the cement screed has not dried yet, so cannot go to the bedrooms, household shelter and MBR toilet to inspect if the other defects in these places have been rectified...
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
pre-reno defects
yeah! collected our keys last friday and opened door on saturday.
have 7 days to report all defects to the HDB branch office, so quickly got down to checking every inch of the flat.
here are the defects noted.
1. Most common is hollow wall tiles. Such tile is poorly adhered to the wall, and air pockets are trapped between the wall and the tiles. Over time, such tiles may come loose and "pop out". Altogether about 10 hollow wall tiles are spotted in the kitchen and bathrooms.
2. Main door's side panel is chipped at the edge.
3. Cracked wall near the magnetic door holder.
4. The window handle "stopper" (not sure what is it called) is held by only a single rivet, and could be dislodged quite easily.
5. Not only being easily dislodged, the "stopper" is made of plastic and could crack quite easily too.
6. In the Gas and Water service cabinet outside the flat, the lock is jammed when fully retracted.
Not sure if some of these "defects" would be considered as defects by HDB. I dun think HDB will change the entire door just because the corner is slightly chipped; perhaps just touch up by varnishing or something. And the hollow tiles, not sure if I am too "ngiao", but some of these "hollow" tiles I have marked out may be considered okay by the HDB's Technical Officer (TO). Well, I think just report lah, whether HDB want to rectify or not, it is up to them; if they dun rectify a defect and if the defect worsen in the future, at least I have black and white to argue that I have reported the defect and cannot be expected to foot the bill to rectify it.
have 7 days to report all defects to the HDB branch office, so quickly got down to checking every inch of the flat.
here are the defects noted.
1. Most common is hollow wall tiles. Such tile is poorly adhered to the wall, and air pockets are trapped between the wall and the tiles. Over time, such tiles may come loose and "pop out". Altogether about 10 hollow wall tiles are spotted in the kitchen and bathrooms.
2. Main door's side panel is chipped at the edge.
3. Cracked wall near the magnetic door holder.
4. The window handle "stopper" (not sure what is it called) is held by only a single rivet, and could be dislodged quite easily.
5. Not only being easily dislodged, the "stopper" is made of plastic and could crack quite easily too.
6. In the Gas and Water service cabinet outside the flat, the lock is jammed when fully retracted.
Not sure if some of these "defects" would be considered as defects by HDB. I dun think HDB will change the entire door just because the corner is slightly chipped; perhaps just touch up by varnishing or something. And the hollow tiles, not sure if I am too "ngiao", but some of these "hollow" tiles I have marked out may be considered okay by the HDB's Technical Officer (TO). Well, I think just report lah, whether HDB want to rectify or not, it is up to them; if they dun rectify a defect and if the defect worsen in the future, at least I have black and white to argue that I have reported the defect and cannot be expected to foot the bill to rectify it.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
aircon ledge window
the aircon ledge window is too small for the hitachi dc inverter aircon compressor! =(
from what i heard at GC and singaporeairconforum, if the kitchen window is opposite the aircon ledge, wooden planks are laid across them and the compressor is delivered through kitchen window onto the planks and then slowly pushed towards the aircon ledge.
however, for my block, the aircon ledge is NOT opposite the kitchen window. Seems like it is impossible to deliver a large compressor to the aircon ledge...
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
new key collection date
have changed the key collection date to 14 Sept, Fri... the next day 15 Sept will do the 'door opening' ceremony and the 'first hammer knock' ceremony... 15 Sept is the chosen date after consultation with the temple that my cousin is working in... HUAT HUAT HUAT ah!!!
gottas say a big 'THANK YOU' to my friendly HDB officer Amy!!! v patient, v friendly, v efficient, v professional, v v v v good!!!
i changed the key collection date twice within 15 mins, haha... first, i called her to change the date to 15 Sept... then mum called and said should get key one day earlier so that we will not have to rush to collect key and then do the ceremony... so immediately called Amy again... she was v understanding and friendly throughout... kudos to Amy!
gottas say a big 'THANK YOU' to my friendly HDB officer Amy!!! v patient, v friendly, v efficient, v professional, v v v v good!!!
i changed the key collection date twice within 15 mins, haha... first, i called her to change the date to 15 Sept... then mum called and said should get key one day earlier so that we will not have to rush to collect key and then do the ceremony... so immediately called Amy again... she was v understanding and friendly throughout... kudos to Amy!
Friday, August 3, 2007
key collection date
from myHDB website:
Status of Application:
Good news! The keys to your
replacement flat are ready for collection.
We have scheduled for you to collect keys
on 16 Aug 2007 at 10:10am.
called HDB to ask if possible to change the key collection date to after 农历 八月初一 which is Sept 11, and the friendly officer Amy said yes... hope can also be a saturday, so dun need to take leave...
Status of Application:
Good news! The keys to your
replacement flat are ready for collection.
We have scheduled for you to collect keys
on 16 Aug 2007 at 10:10am.
called HDB to ask if possible to change the key collection date to after 农历 八月初一 which is Sept 11, and the friendly officer Amy said yes... hope can also be a saturday, so dun need to take leave...
first official visit to blk 25A
yesterday evening after work, i went there to walk walk, not knowing that the block already opened... then a contractor approached me and offered to bring me to the 4-rm unit he is renovating... 
shower spray and pole, mixer tap already installed!
concealed cold and hot water pipes! see the blue and red sticker lines on the wall...
there is a retractable clothes hanger mounted on one wall of the kitchen... if wanna do cabinet there, the hanger will have to be dismantled... what a waste of money!!! maybe can mount it on the ceiling instead??? hmm, gotta ask the contractor...
shower spray and pole, mixer tap already installed!
concealed cold and hot water pipes! see the blue and red sticker lines on the wall...
there is a retractable clothes hanger mounted on one wall of the kitchen... if wanna do cabinet there, the hanger will have to be dismantled... what a waste of money!!! maybe can mount it on the ceiling instead??? hmm, gotta ask the contractor...
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
washing machine and citigas dryer
Bought a 7.5 kg LG washing machine at Courts Suntec closing down sale... it is a display set so got a $100 discount...
pros:
1. this is a DC Inverter w/m, so it can automatically adjust its power consumption rate depending on the washing load... max electricity consumption rate is 1.33 kW...
2. of cos, it can also automatically adjust its water consumption... the max water consumption per full load (7.5 kg) is about 70 litres. the current top load w/m i'm using now uses a whopping 120 litres for a full load of only 4.5 kg!!!
3. max spin speed of 1200 rpm, that means clothes come out of the w/m with less moisture and hence could dry faster...
4. large capacity of 7.5 kg, so probably can do laundry once a week, instead of twice a week... that means more time to sleep!
cons:
1. overbudget but still bearable...
2. extended warranty for 3 more years cost a whopping $200! not sure yet whether to take up the EW... but i need not decide until the w/m is delivered to me, so can just sit on it for the moment and decide later...
****
The dryer is the citigas clothes dryer...
yupz, i blogged before that i preferred F&P AD50 dryer to citigas dryer, but i changed my mind after i bought the huge w/m.
with a bigger w/m, i need a bigger dryer, and comparing 6 kg dryers, this citigas dryer is about the same price as electric dryers, but with advantages of faster drying, lower utility bill and softer clothes upon drying.
bought it at promotion price of $599 + 7% gst at the citigas roadshow at vivocity last sunday... usual price is $630 + gst... actually, i just placed a non-obligation reservation... i can cancel it anytime without penalty... seems like a good deal to lock in the price, and if the price drops, i can cancel it and buy at the lower price...
pros:1. this is a DC Inverter w/m, so it can automatically adjust its power consumption rate depending on the washing load... max electricity consumption rate is 1.33 kW...
2. of cos, it can also automatically adjust its water consumption... the max water consumption per full load (7.5 kg) is about 70 litres. the current top load w/m i'm using now uses a whopping 120 litres for a full load of only 4.5 kg!!!
3. max spin speed of 1200 rpm, that means clothes come out of the w/m with less moisture and hence could dry faster...
4. large capacity of 7.5 kg, so probably can do laundry once a week, instead of twice a week... that means more time to sleep!
cons:
1. overbudget but still bearable...
2. extended warranty for 3 more years cost a whopping $200! not sure yet whether to take up the EW... but i need not decide until the w/m is delivered to me, so can just sit on it for the moment and decide later...
****
The dryer is the citigas clothes dryer...
yupz, i blogged before that i preferred F&P AD50 dryer to citigas dryer, but i changed my mind after i bought the huge w/m.with a bigger w/m, i need a bigger dryer, and comparing 6 kg dryers, this citigas dryer is about the same price as electric dryers, but with advantages of faster drying, lower utility bill and softer clothes upon drying.
bought it at promotion price of $599 + 7% gst at the citigas roadshow at vivocity last sunday... usual price is $630 + gst... actually, i just placed a non-obligation reservation... i can cancel it anytime without penalty... seems like a good deal to lock in the price, and if the price drops, i can cancel it and buy at the lower price...
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
part of contruction site barriers dismantled
Early this week, the workers began to dismantle some sections of the construction site barriers. Another sign that the flats are almost ready!
But still, for safety and security sakes, we are not allowed to enter the site. Trespassers beware!
A little notice to remind eager new occupants that they are still not allowed to view their flats yet.
Only a stand-alone gate left standing at this end (besides Zhangde Pri Sch) of the construction side. Probably to prevent vehicles from indiscriminately parking along the pavement leading to Blk 25A.
Pavement from Jalan Membina to Blk 25A.
Frontage of Blk 25A along Jalan Membina
Unveiling of the official road signs of the new Jalan Membina estate!
Sunset view from Jalan Membina!
But still, for safety and security sakes, we are not allowed to enter the site. Trespassers beware!
A little notice to remind eager new occupants that they are still not allowed to view their flats yet.
Only a stand-alone gate left standing at this end (besides Zhangde Pri Sch) of the construction side. Probably to prevent vehicles from indiscriminately parking along the pavement leading to Blk 25A.
Pavement from Jalan Membina to Blk 25A.
Frontage of Blk 25A along Jalan Membina
Unveiling of the official road signs of the new Jalan Membina estate!
Sunset view from Jalan Membina!Wednesday, July 18, 2007
no warranty for Säter sofa
last saturday went ikea tampines... confirmed that there is no warranty for the Sater sofa... sianzz...
think may get the fabric Klippan instead, which comes with 5-year warranty... cheaper also $345 cos it's fabric... may also add a footstool aka pouffe $85...
have been to window-shop sofas at IMM, Toh Guan, Paya Lebar, Liang Court etc... but none caught my fancy... still feel that IKEA sofa has better designs... in terms of durability, some sofas like Klippan have 5-year warranty on the sofa frame, so should be durable enough...
think may get the fabric Klippan instead, which comes with 5-year warranty... cheaper also $345 cos it's fabric... may also add a footstool aka pouffe $85...
have been to window-shop sofas at IMM, Toh Guan, Paya Lebar, Liang Court etc... but none caught my fancy... still feel that IKEA sofa has better designs... in terms of durability, some sofas like Klippan have 5-year warranty on the sofa frame, so should be durable enough...
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
more on ID hunt
some updates on my ID hunt...
***
Un1max Creat1ve: D_esmond P
he did a 3D computer graphics of the kitchen, living and dining rooms, so that was very impressive.
the quotation was itemized, and i was shocked at the prices of two items.
Item 1:
$950 for 10ft of solid surface top i.e. $95 pfr. the brand is Imperial and is only 60% acrylic. the market rate for such kind of solid surface is only about $70 pfr and he dared to quote me $95 pfr!
Item 2:
$3500 for supreme AC3 8mm for abt 800 sq ft i.e. abt $4.40 psf. i told him that supreme sales quoted me only $3.80 psf for this type of laminate. and even the higher end AC5 12mm tropical hardwood is only $4.20 psf. he appeared to look quite stunned and said these prices were impossible cos supreme is supposed to protect the ID firms and could not quote such low prices. he said he would call supreme to check.
i felt quite pressurized to sign, but i was v firm not to sign so early, and told him that i wouldn't sign that day. he said he would revise the quote and arrange to meet again the following sunday. again, i told him that i wouldn't sign at that meeting cos i will be getting quotes from other ID firms. we then agreed to meet up again after i have received quotes from them.
will call him again after collecting keys and see if he is interested to do an on-site measurement and re-quote me again.
***
H0mely 1mage: Amy
After two meetings discussing what i wanted for the reno, still have not get her quotation yet.
***
Fuse c0ncept:
No news at all. Out of the race.
***
Earnest 1nter10rs: B_e_n S_n_g
Already received a quote from him.
Flooring, ceiling works and some other items are lumped together under a package. i asked if can itemize everything, he said, this is package, cannot itemize.
but there's something fishy abt the package. cos the package includes homo tiles for living room, but i wanted laminate flooring there, and he simply struck out the homo tiles item and replace it with laminate flooring, without adjusting the price! how can this be?? the price difference between homo tiles and laminate flooring is abt $2 psf, so he is overcharging me by abt $400!
furthermore, based on market rates, those items in the package add up to abt only $7k, which is $1k less than the package price of $8k. think it's better to firmly ask him to itemize everything...
***
H0 B: P_atrick
super efficient in giving me the first quote! i called his office in the morning to ask for a quotation, and the lady on the phone told me to email to him my floorplan and reno request. i did that in the late morning, and voila! he replied to me in the late afternoon with the quotation!
the price quoted is quite ok, except for a few dubious items (oil-based sealer for L-box... not sure what is it, and i asked another ID and he said it is not needed and merely adds to the costs)...
so i emailed to him my questions, but after nearly a month, still no reply from him yet. well, i understand he is busy. will call him again to arrange to meet up and a re-quote.
***
1D em_b0ss: Y_Y
went for the SAFE tour with Hbay and 1D em_boss, and finally sat down with Y_Y to discuss my reno plan. still waiting for his quotation... he said he'll call me by today...
btw, 1D em_boss is part of K0 H0ng, and it gives one-year warranty...
***
***
Un1max Creat1ve: D_esmond P
he did a 3D computer graphics of the kitchen, living and dining rooms, so that was very impressive.
the quotation was itemized, and i was shocked at the prices of two items.
Item 1:
$950 for 10ft of solid surface top i.e. $95 pfr. the brand is Imperial and is only 60% acrylic. the market rate for such kind of solid surface is only about $70 pfr and he dared to quote me $95 pfr!
Item 2:
$3500 for supreme AC3 8mm for abt 800 sq ft i.e. abt $4.40 psf. i told him that supreme sales quoted me only $3.80 psf for this type of laminate. and even the higher end AC5 12mm tropical hardwood is only $4.20 psf. he appeared to look quite stunned and said these prices were impossible cos supreme is supposed to protect the ID firms and could not quote such low prices. he said he would call supreme to check.
i felt quite pressurized to sign, but i was v firm not to sign so early, and told him that i wouldn't sign that day. he said he would revise the quote and arrange to meet again the following sunday. again, i told him that i wouldn't sign at that meeting cos i will be getting quotes from other ID firms. we then agreed to meet up again after i have received quotes from them.
will call him again after collecting keys and see if he is interested to do an on-site measurement and re-quote me again.
***
H0mely 1mage: Amy
After two meetings discussing what i wanted for the reno, still have not get her quotation yet.
***
Fuse c0ncept:
No news at all. Out of the race.
***
Earnest 1nter10rs: B_e_n S_n_g
Already received a quote from him.
Flooring, ceiling works and some other items are lumped together under a package. i asked if can itemize everything, he said, this is package, cannot itemize.
but there's something fishy abt the package. cos the package includes homo tiles for living room, but i wanted laminate flooring there, and he simply struck out the homo tiles item and replace it with laminate flooring, without adjusting the price! how can this be?? the price difference between homo tiles and laminate flooring is abt $2 psf, so he is overcharging me by abt $400!
furthermore, based on market rates, those items in the package add up to abt only $7k, which is $1k less than the package price of $8k. think it's better to firmly ask him to itemize everything...
***
H0 B: P_atrick
super efficient in giving me the first quote! i called his office in the morning to ask for a quotation, and the lady on the phone told me to email to him my floorplan and reno request. i did that in the late morning, and voila! he replied to me in the late afternoon with the quotation!
the price quoted is quite ok, except for a few dubious items (oil-based sealer for L-box... not sure what is it, and i asked another ID and he said it is not needed and merely adds to the costs)...
so i emailed to him my questions, but after nearly a month, still no reply from him yet. well, i understand he is busy. will call him again to arrange to meet up and a re-quote.
***
1D em_b0ss: Y_Y
went for the SAFE tour with Hbay and 1D em_boss, and finally sat down with Y_Y to discuss my reno plan. still waiting for his quotation... he said he'll call me by today...
btw, 1D em_boss is part of K0 H0ng, and it gives one-year warranty...
***
Monday, July 16, 2007
how the membina estate will look like
a computer graphic of the membina estate
the layout of the blocks.there are altogether 8 blocks, viz. 25A, 25B, 26A, 26B, 26C, 26D, 27A and 27B.
the 4 blocks of 26's are linked together with a common corridor whereas the rest are standalone blocks.
the 26's are also linked to the 7-storey tall multi-storey carpark, which has a garden at its rooftop, and shops are its ground level.
the 4 blocks of 26's are linked together with a common corridor whereas the rest are standalone blocks.
the 26's are also linked to the 7-storey tall multi-storey carpark, which has a garden at its rooftop, and shops are its ground level.
Friday, July 13, 2007
trying to ask my HLE status...
hmm, just called HDB to ask status of my HLE...
me: hi, i would like to check status of my HLE application.
HDB officer: what's ur IC number?
me: xxxxxxxx
HDB officer: wait a while...
HDB officer: did u send in all your documents?
me: yes
HDB officer: then wait for us to reply to you
me: oh, ok...
me: thank you.
hang up.
me: hi, i would like to check status of my HLE application.
HDB officer: what's ur IC number?
me: xxxxxxxx
HDB officer: wait a while...
HDB officer: did u send in all your documents?
me: yes
HDB officer: then wait for us to reply to you
me: oh, ok...
me: thank you.
hang up.
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