The Brackets Revenge

Just when I thought that everything was fine an email arrived from Mudgee Council saying I did not have a building certificate. A check of the Development Application did indeed say I needed one and this was one day before a scheduled pour. The lost bracket time and lack of attention by myself has now come back to bite.

Rob rang me from the airport to ask what I was doing and I indicated that I was on it.

After all the problems Mick had borne, my failure to fully read the paperwork left me feeling I had just acquired a new life skill - the ability to walk under snail slime...!

The staff at the council were more than helpful in this and quickly emailed me a bill and all the forms that saved me hours of web trolling. A panic trip home, grab the paperwork scream back to work and start filling out the documents. Luckily, Maria, my wife is a legend in keeping the paper together and all the numbers were there.

A quick run to the fax with more pain for the credit card and it was all in Mudgee Councils fax machine. I rang the council and was told it had to be cleared by Friday or it would be next year - we had two days. I expected that and resigned myself to live under a canopy of snail slime for a while.

Rob Loneragan the developer of the Rylstone Air Park rang me to inquire to the status of the paperwork and I informed him that it was most likely not be finished this side of the New Year. Rob offered to speak to the council on my behalf and I was very thankful but not hopeful. The day at work went by and soon it was 5 pm and I decided to work back to clear paperwork.

Suddenly, I have mail and it's from the Mudgee council with a PDF of the Certificate of Construction, I quickly emailed Mick's office and all of us were now trying to contact Mick to say at least we had all the paper and the rest was his call.

It is only a week till Christmas and Rob Loneragan had in my opinion performed in keeping with the season a miracle of a biblical nature - bureaucratic approval in 8 hours....! 

Will we pour that is in the lap of the gods but in keeping with the Season, I now feel there may be hope for us all.....

A Merry Christmas to all.

The Brackets

It can only be said that decisions create our future and therein lies this story.

When ordering a hanger one has to select a method to bolt the shed to the slab, and at the time the default option was chosen over other types that involved bolting the legs onto the top of a concrete slab. The default option is a cast in the bracket and at the time of signing the pen wavered, but assurance was given that if they were needed early, it would be so.

Looking back now one can genuinely see the implication of that decision - I shall explain. 

These brackets create a point of intersection for the commencement of the two primary tasks in the project - the poring of the slab and erection of the building. Nothing can proceed if these brackets are not available. The DA approved plans require the building inspector to site the brackets to approve the concrete pour - no brackets, no slab. If you chose a bolted connection the link is broken - get the picture - no - read on.

In early November the hanger was ordered from Maxi Sheds in Queensland with the brackets only a few weeks away - no worries. Mick had me back on schedule by erecting the form-work, and all looked good. On the 12th of November, I had mail and was asked for the $165 for the delivery  - a little more just pain for the card but its all good.

The rest will take another month to reveal itself but creates a trail of uncountable emails - telephone calls  - cancelled pours - anger and finally total mental meltdown and leaves the writer purchasing Valium in the party pack..!

By late November the site is shut down, but finally, Maxi Sheds supplies a consignment note number, the brackets are in Mudgee, it's just down the road from the Airport. The contractors off to the depot to find a bag of bolts - no brackets - more emails to Maxi Sheds. 

Moving this drama to the first week of December and Maxi Sheds emails me to say the shed will be delivered on the 5th, but the brackets are still MIA. By the 9th noshed - more Valium - more emails and one feels they are now a cast member in Ground Hog Day. 

The shed delivery is now the 10th with the brackets. Finally, the shed arrives with all the hardware, but later that day a phone call gives me the words I cannot bear to hear - "no brackets". More phone calls, emails and I now am actively seeking something stronger than Valium.

Next day Maxi Sheds rings to say the brackets are on a truck to be delivered that day, but the following day an email from Mick says - "no brackets" - I am now a broken man......!

The resulting phone call to Maxi Sheds is not fit to be written down anywhere, but it went something like "I want @##%^*# brackets" -  BANG....!  

My wife entered the fray and rang Maxi sheds to see if the brackets would ever be delivered while the writer sat in a corner mumbling and munching on assorted tablets.

Maxi Sheds rang back later in the day to explain that the courier did not deliver to the address specified and he decided to give it to another courier but did not check if they would deliver to the address specified, guess the answer. Finally, the new courier agreed to provide to the airport, and on the 12th of December, we have brackets.

The moral of the story - NEVER chose cast in brackets and never take the word of the supplier that they will deliver before the shed.

Mick from AYR Concreting rode in to save the day and will pour on Thursday the 19th - Legend.

Postscript: The writer is now doing well in rehab and will be released for the pour.