Dubai Villa Renovation

[ronski]

We are into the final push on the villa as its only just over a week till the removal guys turn up. In this time we still need to install the shower screens, paint the ceiling and plumb in sinks and taps in the bathrooms and finish off the kitchen.

The Corian turned up today and work will start on the countertops early next week (pic below is of 7 sheets of 3m length Designer white corian)

New ceiling in the master bathroom was being prepped for down lighters

The guest bathrooms have had the toilet installed and shower column installed. Work was moving ahead on the vanity units:

As for the annexe this is cracking on at a great pace with the ceiling going on today:

So one big push over the next week and I really think it will be done but it will need a good clean before we move in.

 

[ronski]

Love the Corian worktops as well, cant wait to see pictures of them installed. I wanted some for a house I renovated, but went with solid oak in the end as a lot cheaper.

Thanks mate - we had a lot of backwards and forwards on deciding what counter top to go for. Originally it was going to be Granite then the wife wanted a clean white surface so we were looking at Quartz, then we wanted a seam free finish that left us at Corian. It will be going in next Wednesday so pretty excited about that.

 

[ronski]

Just WOW!
Been following this one from the start! Awesmoe work, congratulations to you for pushing this through, its going to be epic and we all cant wait to see the end result!

#jealous!

Thanks mate - it has been a real experience which I hope will bring about a good ending.

So today has been about more ceiling work as we head into the final week of work before the big move in day:

All the bathrooms now have the new ceilings and down lighters (being installed) as well as having new AC extractor units put in:

The ceiling in the kitchen was getting rubbed down before final painting and installation of down lighters (It must be well over 120 new down lights throughout the house) and finally the cooker hood:

With a couple of bedrooms finished I have had IKEA come over, deliver and build a whole bunch of drawers, wardrobes and cupboards.

Drawers being built in the Master bedroom:

and we have had one of the bedrooms converted into a walk in wardrobe with a load of mirrors (bit hard to get a decent photo) but there is enough storage for the wifes shoes and a nice make up station for her:

The garden is still full of painting and woodwork gear:

and huge amounts of rebar and concrete keeps arriving for the annexe (I do feel sorry for the neighbours for all the power tool noise)

Aside from this when I am at the villa wondering around inside it great that there is wifi all over the place. I went back to the tool posted by Caged and spent some time loading in the floor plan of the villa and tracing in the concrete walls of the villa and adding in the access points:

Seems like we did a reasonable job in locating the WAPs for decent coverage through the house.

It's going to be hectic week coming up - all the bathrooms will finally get the taps, sinks and shower screens going in, the kitchen appliance, cupboard doors, island and corian surfaces will go in and the whole place needs one epic clean before move in.

Can't wait.

 

[ronski]

love it, good luck for the last week or so

Thanks! It is going to be one exciting week.

Looks fantastic.

Thanks mate.

So a couple of quick updates from my site visit this morning. All the re-bar that was delivered the other day has literally been bent into shape and forming the ceiling of the annexe ready for the concrete:

The kitchen tiling has been completed and grouted - I think it looks very smart:

The built in wardrobe doors and bedroom doors have all been hung following their change of color to satin white, so the place is now starting to feel more like a house:

I feel a bit sorry for this chap in a plastic bag shaving the door frame:

So roll on next week for the carpenters to come and finish off the villa!

 

[ronski]

Well it's functional and works for us - but do wait for the final effect.

 

[ronski]

Why do they do formwork + a concrete pour for what looks like an outbuilding roof? Is it just the way stuff's done out there? Can't help but think it's a bit over-engineered.

Yes I would agree - but it seems to be the way these things are built. I went to look at number of finished and under construction annexe's and pretty much they all had a similar construction method.

 

[ronski]

Awesome Villa and loving the work going on, the Wireless AP system is impressive

Thanks mate - and the AP system has got to be the best thing I have spent on (and to think I was in two minds about doing it!)

 

[ronski]

Quick update today.

Garage walls painted white:

and the chaps doing the WAP/Cat6 work came back over today with a new outdoor WAP to replace the DOA one. I also got them to pull one more cable into the lounge to complete the infrastructure for the TV/Media kit:

Kitchen work starts in earnest tomorrow. Last week of the project before move in so fingers crossed most if not everything gets completed. Also its starting to get hot already - 31c today. Have to admit I would not want to have been the guy who spent all day on top of the annexe doing rebar work.

 

[ronski]

Passed by at lunch time today to see hive of activity at the villa:

A whole load of concrete had arrived;

And the concrete "bucket" pour had started in the blazing Sun (30c):

Meanwhile work on the Corian had started:

and the kitchen is really starting to take shape with the doors on, plug sockets installed and island in place:

There is still a lot of work to do on the kitchen but it is excellent progress in just over half a day. The bathrooms are also close to being finished with cupboards and mirrors going on today. Here is the master bathroom with the 1600mm light up mirror, push flush and the units being installed. You can see in the reflection from the tiles the down lighters have also been put into the new ceiling:

The vanity units in each bathroom will also have the designer white Corian surfaces. Still plenty to do and an industrial cleaning crew to come in on Saturday to give it the once over prior to the removals guys arrival.

 

[ronski]

Got a couple of more photos from today:

The island corian top surface being glued together:

The master bathroom ceiling has been completed (AC installed, down lighters in, twin shower heads plumbed in) - the glass shower screens arrive on site tomorrow:

The concrete slab for the roof on the annexe was completed (looking a bit like a bunker/pill box if I am honest):

 

[ronski]

Looks amazing bud fair play. One question, how come they use concrete for the roofs etc over there?

Thanks mate! I was actually having this discussion with a mate of mine who is an architect over here. His opinion is two fold - firstly it is what the guys know in their trade and secondly it provides decent insulation in the burning summers.

So another busy day at the villa. I managed to get over after work and grabbed a couple of photos.

The Corian worktops are coming along well with the first bathroom vanity top being fixed in the downstairs loo:

The bathrooms are also moving along with the glass shower screens arriving today. Here is one installed in the shared bathroom:

The team also did a test on the twin shower in the master bathroom and I am really pleased with how it is looking:

Loads more still do and little time to do it. Eeek fingers crossed.

 

[ronski]

Twin shower.....I cant be the only one thinking it.....bow chika wow wow.

But on a serious note it must nearly be media kit and giant TV time. I am getting a 110" 4k in for work in the next month and I cant wait....even if it is just for demonstration purposes

Hah - 4K telly will be installed next week. Hope your enjoy the monster set at work!

exactly my thoughts!

 

[ronski]

Twin shower.....I cant be the only one thinking it.....bow chika wow wow.

But on a serious note it must nearly be media kit and giant TV time. I am getting a 110" 4k in for work in the next month and I cant wait....even if it is just for demonstration purposes

Hah - 4K telly will be installed next week. Hope your enjoy the monster set at work!

exactly my thoughts!

 

[ronski]

It has been very hectic in the villa over the last few days. The move in starts on Sunday and some excellent progress has been going on:

In the annexe they have been plastering the exterior walls and made a start on puling the services across from the main house:

While inside the villa - the kitchen lightning has been installed:

Hole being cut in the Corian for the sink:

and said sink in-situ:

They were also prepping for the large sink in the pantry:

The glass shower screens were installed in all the bathrooms today and I am really pleased with the effect. Here is one in one of the guest bedrooms:

The master bathroom is also really impressive with a huge piece of glass providing the shower screen and it effectively cuts the room in half providing a simply huge shower area. Hard to get a picture but I might try a small video so you can get an idea.

Outside of this the new fridge/freezer arrived in the nick of time and there has been a squad of cleaners in the villa cleaning up the bedrooms in preparation for the move. The next few days will see the painters in the house for final touch ups and the carpenters to complete the installation of the vanity tops that have all now been fabricated.

 

[ronski]

Up early this morning to literally "smuggle"in the carpenters and painters into the villa (the community rules do not allow any noise/construction on a Friday and anything like this after 5pm on any day)

So they went about their work inside today and the noise from the routers, paint compressor and sanders was not too bad from the outside.

The doors on the kitchen were given their final coat of paint and the Corian work tops got their final buffing. It is really starting to come together now - just island, handles and appliances to go in tomorrow:

Sink going into the Pantry:

Aerial shot of the annexe - really starting to look more like a residence as opposed to a bunker:

Hoping for some really good progress tomorrow as the removal men turn up on Sunday.

 

[ronski]

Ugh. Coupled with a router crash. Will see what I can do to fix it guys

 

[ronski]

Well my router is back up - seems dropbox is having a service issue or two.....

linky

 

[ronski]

That isnt a sink its a bath!

True - it will actually primarily serve as a dog bath

Anyway the final works continue and we have a couple of rooms moved over to the new villa and the rest coming over the course of the week as the rooms get finished off and cleaned.

So first of all we quickly staged the lounge (just for DiCe!) plenty still to do:

The lights for the bar in the breakfast area off the kitchen went up:

Sinks, taps and corian vanity unit installed in the shared bathroom:

Some work to do in the kitchen but not far off now - work going on with the corian clad of the island:

More to come over the next few days.

 

[ronski]

- Twin showers for sure ain't for everybody but for me - genius.

 

[ronski]

Looks sweet, but the low backs on that sofa look hella uncomfortable!

Typically we just lie on it as it so long