Scaffold removal begins in earnest

 

The North Face Revealed

It is even more exciting watching the scaffolding coming down than it was to see it going up. Gradually, the north face in all its new and sparkling whiteness, is coming into view.  The removal will then move around to the western face, starting with removal of the top three levels, and so the process will go around the building.  

It began with the erection of a special hoist outside the office and garden apartment.  This means that great care must be taken when walking down to the bottom garden.  Please give all scaffolding a wide berth, for your own safety and the convenience of the hardworking scaffolders.  

Walking through the parking lot also needs care.  There will be trucks, many heavily laden, going in and out.

Noise

We have had a noise complaint issued to the Wellington City Council by some unknown neighbour, who registered dissatisfaction with the noise from the building at night.  The complaint was made last Thursday night, and the person said the noise had been going on for two weeks.  Obviously, it is outside working hours, so is not part of the Aoraki project.  If you are working on your own DIY, or have tradies at work at night on your own account, please close the windows, and keep the noise level down.

Fine weather

What a treat!  Sunshine and not too windy, a real blessing.  The only drawback is the pollen levels.  Sneezing seems to be mandatory.  It is also important to make sure there is no mould in your home. Back in the day when there were water ingress problems, mould did build up.  The curtains and blinds were all stored in a dry, clean environment while you were out of your apartment, but there could be old traces still there. The panel heaters below windows could be mouldy, too.  Many are old, so it could be time to think of replacement.  Powerpoints could be put in where they were connected, as portable heaters are adequate to meet healthy homes standards. And there could be the option of a heat pump.

Dryers

And that reminds me of something that has to be checked with every load after using a heat pump dryer.  The water taken out of your laundry goes into a tank, and this has to be emptied regularly.  Or else, as I found out with my lovely new F&P heat pump dryer, the machine complains very loudly. 

AFTER THE STORM

 

Storm damage

The bottom garden smells quite alcoholic at present.  The storm blew down a multitude of karaka berries, which are now fermenting nicely on the path. Do be careful not to walk the pulp into the building.

The webbing about the scaffolding took quite a beating, too. And one of the cowls to the fans on the roof broke its brackets, and came floating down to the top garden. Aoraki are in consultation with the manufacturers about this design fault.  If not fixed already, it will be fixed soon.

But, on the good side, there were no reports of water ingress.  Aoraki ran a moisture check yesterday, but I have not heard the result.  Which is always a good sign.

Progress

Despite the storm, and that the site was closed down for the day for safety reasons, everything is progressing well.  As you will have noticed, there is major work going on in the lobby, and care has to be taken exiting the lifts. Levels 5 and 4 have been returned to their owners, and the hoist access in B third bedrooms has been closed in as far as level 5. Asbestos removal is ongoing from level 2 downwards, and level 3 reinstatement is underway.  The defects process is stalled at the moment, as Rachel is sick, so as usual, patience is needed.  Gazelle is interviewing residents where possible, but it must be remembered that the project comes first.

Lifts

As you also will have noticed, lift front works are well underway.  We have received the lift replacement consent from the WCC, so all is go in that direction.  A timeline has been requested, and will be passed on when received.

Ventilation

To repeat, the balancing of noise vs operation cannot be complete until the whole installation is finished.  The drafts and noise can be disturbing, and everyone is aware of this, and the best possible is being done meantime. And when the job is done, it will not be forgotten.  Recalibration, if necessary, could happen for another year. 

Ken Geard

 

Ken Geard will be farewelled this Thursday 2pm at the Harbour City Funeral Home in Lower Hutt - across from the Hutt Hospital.

All welcome.  For those who need transport, please contact Brigid, who is arranging car pooling.

Our heartfelt sympathies go to his bereaved and loving family.  He will be greatly missed, and particularly so here in Herbert Gardens.  But there will be a great deal more to say on Thursday.

A Belated Newsflash

 

I began this post 12 days ago, but life gets in the way ...  And just in case anyone is dreaming of an overseas trip, I thought I would add one of Ron's paintings of the Cook Strait ferry leaving Wellington.

Expelairs

If anyone in an A, B, or C apartment is thinking of replacing their kitchen Expelair, this is the time to do it.  Damien tells me that it is best done from outside, so getting it done while we still have scaffolding is  advisable.

Scaffolding

As I might have posted before, we have stopped paying the hireage for the scaffolding from the roof down to level 8 since back in December.  Now it is up to Workzone and the weather to get those levels down.  We expected to see those happy dismantlers any day soon.

Ventilation fans

As you will have noticed in the upper levels, the noise of the fan varies from quiet to rowdy.  This is because the fans still need calibrating.  This is harder than it sounds, as if the fans are turned down too low, there is no air intake or outtake in the lower levels.  The situation cannot be balanced until the entire system is installed, with the bottoms of the shafts enclosed.  As with everything else, patience is needed.

Parking

As you also will have noticed, parking here is at a premium.  Even in the weekends, Brigid would like notification if you are expecting visitors.  This will help share out the scarce space, and keep the system fair.  Some people have been blocked into their garages by tradie vehicles that are parked temporarily down the ramp.  If this happens, phone the tradie (mobile number should be in the rear window) and he or she will move out of the way. Again, please be pleasant and patient. 

Lobby

Major work is being done here.  Every effort is being made to keep the foyer in a tidy and trip-free state.  Please note the notice propped up against the boarding around the entrance to the ground apartment, as this will inform you of the goals. 

Terrace tunnel

Those (like me) who have bedrooms facing the motorway have been greatly annoyed by the noisy work being done there in the wee hours.  Tonight is the last of this tunnel maintenance.  Peace will be restored Friday 5am.  It has nothing to do with the proposed second tunnel.  It is just normal upkeep.  The noise will move to other tunnels over the next few weeks.

Lighting in the fire stairs

You will notice that this is being upgraded.  The brighter light will be welcomed by those will less than great sight. 

Weathertightness

Monitoring has continued whenever it rains, and no issues have been reported, which is very good news.