Dubai Villa Renovation

Very envious of you. Looks like it is coming along very nicely and the contractors look like they are very skilled.

Slightly off topic. In all the photos you've shown. None of the contractors are wearing any kind steel toecaps. Sandles, or slippers! Can you imagine going to a building site in the UK like that?
 
AS_Platinum said:
Very envious of you. Looks like it is coming along very nicely and the contractors look like they are very skilled.

Slightly off topic. In all the photos you've shown. None of the contractors are wearing any kind steel toecaps. Sandles, or slippers! Can you imagine going to a building site in the UK like that?
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Thanks mate - yes the contractors are doing a super job and I really pleased with them.

I hadn't really thought about the safety aspects - but for sure the guys building the annexe are all in sandles and without hard hats. No one seems to worry about it - I will mention this to the foreman when I next see him and look for the reaction.

In other news we went over to the villa today and got the Access Points configured prior to the internet connection going in tomorrow. All went fairly smoothly though it does appear that one of the outdoor AP's appears to be dead. Will do some more trouble shooting on it tomorrow. Otherwise very pleased to see each of the indoor AP's have a nice blue glowing ring showing they are connected into the network :D
 
I love the six day working week in Dubai when there are things to be getting on with.....

So a full complement of guys back working on the villa today. The last coat of paint went onto two of the bedrooms (wardrobes arriving tomorrow), the carpenters on site prepping the kitchen for the Corian counter tops, the last of the tiling in the bathrooms is going on and the bathroom ceilings are also being put up. The removal guys are coming in 11 days and it is going to be very tight for completion of everything, as such I am thinking to push the removals back a couple of days but that is all the leeway I have left. Anywhere onto a few pictures.

The outside annexe is going at a fair old rate with the interior walls being put in and the rebar in the corners up:

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The old built in wardrobes have had their final coat of paint and are ready to have their doors hung back on :

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The cupboard for the washing machine and dryer had the walls tiled today:

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The ISP guy turned up today to activate the phone/TV/Internet which has been something I have been waiting a really long time for. Set top box one:

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Also with the internet now installed I was finally able to get the AP's up and running. They really do look sleek on the ceiling with a nice blue glow showing they are connected:

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I had some fun with the AP controller software and uploaded the floor plan to see the estimated coverage - looks like I am bathed in wifi everywhere I go. We have one dead outside AP - the supplier is coming over tomorrow to have a look at it

Screenshot%202014-03-01%2016.05.49.png


Everything is moving ahead and I am getting anxious to move in!
 
ronski said:
Glad you had a good time! How was Yas Waterpark? I have been meaning to go!
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Yeah really good actually, especially as it was so quiet when we went. Would recommend the Cabanas. I think they're 399AED but well worth it; nice central and private space in the park with a safe, fridge, aircon unit, sunloungers etc, plus you can call up food and drink orders rather than queuing at a shack half way round the park.

Get there early too because wit a bit of sunbathing and bobbing up and down on a ring there's easily enough to do for a whole day.

Only downside was a couple of the main rides were closed for maintenance, so I'd definitely wait until they're back up and running.
 
Those coverage estimates from the UAP software might as well be a fairy tale as there's no way of telling the software where the walls are and what they are made of. Don't expect them to go through more than one concrete block wall and still have a decent speed afterwards. Fortunately it seems like you have enough of them for that not to be an issue.

If you want a bit of insight into what RF does when it hits walls then shove your floorplan on here and have a play:

http://www.aerohive.com/planner
 
Russinating said:
Yeah really good actually, especially as it was so quiet when we went. Would recommend the Cabanas. I think they're 399AED but well worth it; nice central and private space in the park with a safe, fridge, aircon unit, sunloungers etc, plus you can call up food and drink orders rather than queuing at a shack half way round the park.

Get there early too because wit a bit of sunbathing and bobbing up and down on a ring there's easily enough to do for a whole day.

Only downside was a couple of the main rides were closed for maintenance, so I'd definitely wait until they're back up and running.
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Thanks for the tips mate - I have some of my nephews coming to Dubai later this year so the Cabana thing defo sounds like the way to go. I also see there are rides at Aqua Aventure and Wild Wadi - time to go on a tour of the waterparks!


Caged said:
Those coverage estimates from the UAP software might as well be a fairy tale as there's no way of telling the software where the walls are and what they are made of. Don't expect them to go through more than one concrete block wall and still have a decent speed afterwards. Fortunately it seems like you have enough of them for that not to be an issue.

If you want a bit of insight into what RF does when it hits walls then shove your floorplan on here and have a play:

http://www.aerohive.com/planner
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Heheh - you are right. Had a play with the Aerohive planner and that really is a proper tool. Amazing the effect of concrete slab walls - just kills the signal. I had more time last night to get some decent testing around the house with Wifi Analyser and my iPad and was pleased with the results. Especially putting the outside AP was a good idea as without the WiFi signal in the garden is very weak.

The Du guys came back around again yesterday to upgrade the fibre receiver and services switch so I can get the 100MBPs service (he completely screwed up my data cabinet but thats another story). Did a quick wireless speed test while stood under one of the APs with my iPad:

photo.PNG


Otherwise am getting a consistent 30MBps + wherever I am in the villa. So really pleased that I made the time and investment to get these all chased in and setup.
 
AS_Platinum said:
Dubia must have a really good infrastructure. Well when I say really good, a damm sight better than we get back home.

Did you talk to the foreman about safety boots? :D
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When I asked one of the guys he just smiled at me. Actually a lot of the guys working on the inside of the house were wearing safety boots - I wish the guys working on the outside were.
 
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)

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

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

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

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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.
 
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!
 
ronski said:
Thanks for the tips mate - I have some of my nephews coming to Dubai later this year so the Cabana thing defo sounds like the way to go. I also see there are rides at Aqua Aventure and Wild Wadi - time to go on a tour of the waterparks!




Heheh - you are right. Had a play with the Aerohive planner and that really is a proper tool. Amazing the effect of concrete slab walls - just kills the signal. I had more time last night to get some decent testing around the house with Wifi Analyser and my iPad and was pleased with the results. Especially putting the outside AP was a good idea as without the WiFi signal in the garden is very weak.

The Du guys came back around again yesterday to upgrade the fibre receiver and services switch so I can get the 100MBPs service (he completely screwed up my data cabinet but thats another story). Did a quick wireless speed test while stood under one of the APs with my iPad:

photo.PNG


Otherwise am getting a consistent 30MBps + wherever I am in the villa. So really pleased that I made the time and investment to get these all chased in and setup.
Click to expand...

Nice speeds, I wish I got anything like that.
 
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.
 
ndaar said:
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.
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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.
 
magicoi said:
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!
Click to expand...

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:

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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:

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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:

2014-03-05%2009.34.36.jpg


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:

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The garden is still full of painting and woodwork gear:

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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)

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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:

Villa%20WAP%20Coverage.png


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.
 
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