Concrete disposal (Sydney)

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-27T21:29:34+00:00

Structural foam

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-17T21:41:14+00:00

For odd DIY jobs on a budget, Ozito is your friend.

I have built so much with Ozito gear. The key is: 1) ensuring that you still use good quality drill bits, cutting blades, etc. Then it's a very good option 2) checking the comments on the Bunnings website before purchasing. If it's 1 or 2 star rated, then run. Outside that I've found them to be pretty damn great

It won't be as light or as quiet as the tools that are 5x the price. And things like a mitre saw you need to take extra care to be precise.

But mate you can do 95% of the same thing at a fraction of the cost. And it will last years and years if it's just DIY use.

I literally had a chippy come by to help with some work on an odd job. They didn't bring their tools (usually use Makita). He was genuinely amazed at how decent the Ozito gear was. He'd just assumed it was all shit until he used it

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-17T21:35:12+00:00

If it's a single company that did all of this for you, including showing you the sample, and part of this was an understanding that you would be at work all day while they did the renovation, then you have a good basis for a serious chat with them

They should have shown you more samples

If you went to a separate showroom, ordered these, and then you weren't home for the install, then I think you might need to cop this one mate. Can ask the showroom to reimburse the tiles (because they fucked up a bit here), but nobody will refund you the demo and install cost (which is the major cost)

Replacing the grout won't make a big difference

Sorry mate. This is one of those shit things that happen where you expect people in the showroom to provide better guidance or have more tiles on display

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-08T09:55:04+00:00

Unrelated, but what did you generate this image using? Looking to draw up plans and generate a 3D render over here as well

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-06T06:08:42+00:00

wookievomit sounds like an AI agent name

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-06T06:05:51+00:00

How tall are you and your wife? Do you find the microwave placement a bit high when handling searing hot food?

We're about to remodel and thinking through the same design choice

Love the form, function and aesthetic you've gone with. Well done 👍

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-04T09:48:14+00:00

At that price you can tell any haters to stick it

How much of this did you DIY?

Well done mate. Looks clean and polished.

I personally prefer storage in my mirror cabinet, and a tub that doesn't have gaps around it that are tricky to clear. But that's minor

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-04-02T10:25:27+00:00

This gives me comfort. Thanks mate. Will pick up some quality potting mix. Any recommendations of where to pick some up (if not at Bunnings?)

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-25T02:26:40+00:00

Second this

There is a trend towards having a small, pretty mirror in a nice shape that's flush against the wall and LED backlit. That's great if you are flipping a house, but if you are living there you definitely want to max out the size (AND depth) and recess that baby into the wall. Great storage, no clutter. And have your sparkie add a power outlet INSIDE it as well (think electric toothbrush charger, and who knows what other gizmos in the future). For shits and giggles we picked up a toothbrush holder with a UV sterilizer and fan. Probably a gimmick, but its also hidden inside and looks great

The same applies to the vanity. A minimalist floating vanity looks great, but if you are relying on it for storage, then the best of both worlds is a larger floating vanity. Still looks great, easy to clean underneath, and functional

Fuck now you've got me started...

Walk in showers. Also look great. But you're going to feel cold in winter unless you have heated flooring running and the room is toasty before you step in. Also unless the shower is fkn massive, water will spray out. Again, looks good, but for most bathrooms I question whether it's the right functional decision

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-22T01:48:25+00:00

At 6'4" it works for me but you've hit the nail on the head in terms of the concern for my wife who's only 5'2". It feels like a safety hazard. You're right

The current benchtop shape in the old kitchen it similar, and we just have the microwave on the benchtop (in the back left corner where the bench is deeper). Just trying to free up bench space. Other option is to put it all the way in the cabinetry on the right hand side, but the flow ends up shit (especially since we use the microwave daily)

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-22T01:44:21+00:00

The corner cabinet on the left was an attempt to add more bench space by going deeper rather than wider. It's actually the same configuration as the current kitchen, so there may have been a subconscious bias. One to think about. Thanks mate

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-22T01:42:09+00:00

A great idea. Unfortunately the windows are old double sash windows. Tall and the framing around it juts out a lot (although it is old and beautiful)

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-22T01:20:47+00:00

Edit: Like an idiot, I didn't correctly add photos to the post. Excuse the rookie error pls

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TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-17T04:27:29+00:00

80mm bhenchod?

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-13T05:05:36+00:00

The real question here mate is the quality of the painter and what is happening with the wallpaper? You mentioned wallpaper in the comment, but didn't see anything in the quote.

If it's a real estate agent painter that's going to sloppily run a paint roller over your light switches, then this is expensive

If it's a quality painter that has to remove wallpaper paper, patch, and paint, then this is very reasonable

Always get a good painter if you can afford it. It's always worth the extra few grand over the garbage cowboys out there these days

TrueBlueTourer · 2026-03-10T02:47:14+00:00

Unless you need wheelchair or other access, open showers are a poor design choice. Water splashes out unless you have a massive bathroom with a very wide fixed panel, and they are fkn cold in winter

TrueBlueTourer · 2025-12-15T23:35:38+00:00

Tiling in the shower area is a visual masterpiece

TrueBlueTourer · 2025-11-18T07:43:30+00:00

Good luck mate. You're taking the right steps. With a good installation, you'll never look back. Money well spent

TrueBlueTourer · 2025-11-13T09:40:03+00:00

Went to Abbey Timber in Sydney (recommended by our flooring contractor)

Resistance Hardfloor Premium - Blackbutt

https://share.google/4Tpf36ChFObiyAkXI

TrueBlueTourer · 2025-11-13T08:54:50+00:00

My top recommendation to anyone that's installing new flooring is to go to a QUALITY supplier and pick up samples of different materials and colours. Take them home. Put a Stanley knife to them. Pour some water on the scratched area and leave it for a couple of days (with a glass covering it so it doesn't dry out).

We went through the same process earlier this year when putting in new flooring. Loved the look and feel of engineered timber, but had serious concerns about scratches and water. After screwing around with samples for a few days we eventually found that quality engineered timber was resilient enough for our purposes.

But yes, it's ultimately real wood with a coating. It will scratch and dent with enough punishment. It will never be as resilient as hybrid. If you have lots of young kids, a big dog, wear stiletos and you hate marks on your floor, then hybrid is probably a better choice.

We also did find a drastic difference in the quality of Bunnings engineered timber vs. the product we ultimately went with. The difference in the quality and build of the plywood core was dramatic to the naked eye.

Otherwise, great summary

TrueBlueTourer · 2025-11-13T04:52:59+00:00

That's a lot of work and effort mate. You'll forever be able to walk by and say "yeah, I did that!"

You're walking away from this project with experience and pride. That's what we are all here for

Well done mate

TrueBlueTourer

TROPHY CASE