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ilkl

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Posts posted by ilkl


  1. On 1/14/2018 at 8:41 PM, Felice Yap said:

    Hi, I just visited them at expo today as well and placed a deposit on their dining table, 4 chairs and 1 coffee table. The dining table you picked was at display in expo too. can u share how much did u pay for the bench? the colour is really nice. Im thinking to change 2 chairs to the bench too..

    Hello, the bench was thrown in as a bundle for us when we were negotiating the price. Dining table we got 4 chairs plus one bench for $3250. We didn't get a coffee table from them, though.


  2. 22 hours ago, KFC1189 said:

    Hi, first of all, I'd like to congratulate you and your husband for your pregnancy which will bring joy to your family.

    Just one more question, what kind of liquid fertilizer do you use and where do you add it since your water supply is piped in without a water tank. Thanks in advance. 

    There is a fertiliser tank attached to the water supply. They call it a "fertigator" lol. Any organic liquid fertiliser would do, just dilute it with some water first. So far I've not added any fertiliser and I don't think I need to because as you can see, the plants are growing rather bushy so any addition of fertiliser, I might end up with an unruly-looking garden!


  3. On 10/4/2017 at 8:05 PM, KFC1189 said:

    Hi ilkl, I am wondering how is your vertical green wall going on after 5 months. Have you replaced the fern with spider plant? 

    Hi @KFC1189,

    The vertical garden is still doing well.

    I have replaced the ferns with spider plants during the first month maintenance at $4 each plant, and then decided to replace the aluminium plants (pilea cadierei) in August because they were looking stringy, shedding a lot and harbouring pesky mealybugs despite many attempts to get rid of them. Ad hoc maintenance was $120 plus any plant replacement at $4 each.

    This is the new improved vertical garden now:

    _20171006_115233.JPG

    I tried replacing the plants myself but since I'm now pregnant and not allowed to climb ladders that's why we just engaged them to come do the hard work..


  4. Hello guys! It's been a while since my last post.... We've moved in for 4 months now and we're very happy at our new home, but I thought I'd share some things which hopefully will be useful for my fellow RT readers!

    Air-Con Leakage

    So within 3 months, we got our first leakage from our master bedroom AC (which is the only one being turned on every night)

    large_00.0-leakage.jpg.08a14e3581045a2d6c78e468991df219.jpg

    Water came out of the joint between the blower unit and the trunking. We called All Best and they promptly sent someone down to fix it since there is a 5-year Installation Warranty. According to them, there was too much condensation and so they double taped the joint and reassured us it won't happen again.

    Less than 2 wks later, water leaked not from the joint, but from the drainage pipe below this very same AC unit:

    large_00.1-leakage.jpg.85893e61fd3c6860e7aa30448b1c7220.jpg

    So we called All Best again, and this time around, our original installer came down. After he inspected, he said there is likely blockage in our drainage pipe due to "jelly" formation, causing backflow and thus, leakage. He advised us to call their servicing team down to suck the drainage pipe. There is one problem, however. The drainage pipe goes into our master bathroom, and the end of that pipe is now concealed inside the box up which we had done up for the shower area.

    So here's TIP #1: As ugly as it is to have an AC drainage pipe in your bathroom, don't conceal it because your AC servicing team can access the end of the pipe to suck out any blockage inside, which in return reduces risk of leakage.

    But the installer had an idea, he says since part of the drainage pipe outside at the AC ledge is still accessible, they can cut the pipe and fix a "T" joint to it - thus creating an access for them to suction the drainage pipe. He conveyed the message to the servicing team, and when they came down to our place, that's exactly what they did. However, during the suctioning, he could hear a blockage present, and he told us likely there is a problem at the concealed end of the drainage pipe - the contractor probably blocked it with debris etc.

    This is where my husband got a little fed up with the "push-here-push-there, blame other people" attitude these people have. From the sounds of it, the AC guy says it's the contractor's fault. Ok, so we informed our ID, and although he was responsive despite our project ending many months back, he sounded like it was not his fault and we will need to pay them some labour fee to knock open a hole in our box up to access the AC drainage pipe.

    I decided to look through my photos of the renovation process, and after seeing this photo, my husband was convinced the problem was here:

    large_00.2-wrapped-pipe.jpg.fd5890d6364d078bf2e6f7ed707f7773.jpg

    He says the drainage pipe is blocked because it is taped up. I myself am skeptical, so was my ID. They taped it to prevent debris from getting into the pipe while they did the box-up etc, and would have removed it after, at least that's what I thought (Cannot be so blur, right?). But my husband was insistent, so the ID arranged for tiler to come and solve this mystery once and for all.

    TIP #2: Take loads of photos to document your renovation process - they end up being very useful sometimes!!

    Today, the tiler came and this is what we saw:

    large_00.4-wrapped-pipe.jpg.dfdaa9da9d20432f0a5d9c62f6bef96d.jpg

    Pipe is still taped up. And best of all, it's confined inside the metal frame and water is just pooling there!!! WIN LIAO LOR.

    So which genius did this? My guess is the box-up guys, but of course no-one will admit right? At least our ID got nothing to say liao. But I'm not blaming him, not really, because at least he still follows through with us when problems crop up in our house.

    For now, the hole in the box up will be covered back with a tile which will be sealed up with silicone once the drainage pipe is extended into the hole in the ground. So still look pretty... but on hindsight, we would not have concealed the drainage pipe if we knew what we know now!!

    Hope this is a lesson for everyone!

     


  5. Fantastic Furniture and Where to Find Them

    Sofa & Dining Table Set from Mix & Match

    large.59247500bb2eb_30.1-mm-sofa.jpg.63c9ca78a4b4593287751ad92e2cf008.jpg
    The model we saw at Expo and liked. Husband ended up choosing same colours. Our sofa L-shaped is reversed, though.

    We came across M&M at one of the home and renovation fairs at Expo and the husband found their sofas to be the most comfortable and good-looking (he sat on A LOT of sofas). They just opened a show room recently at Enterprise 1 at Kaki Bukit Rd 1, and they claim to be specialists in making down-feather sofa. We were served by Leslie who is probably the boss and he has very good taste and even came down to our flat during renovations to help us match our sofa colour to our theme. And the floor he used for his showroom is the same as our bedroom floors (EcoPluz' Cottage Grey) - that's why I say he got good taste hehe. We're the kind who don't like leather sofas, so we chose fabric type, and the sofa covers can be removed for washing.

    We decided to get their dining sets too because the design compliments each other well and works for our kind of long living-dining room layout. Dining set colour cannot be changed but there isn't a need to when it looks great!

    large_30.2-dining-table.jpg.a42d5bb3b270a407a88e9d282d5cf4ea.jpg
    Sorry I blur out myself - very shy one, ok!


    Carpet & Pillows from Crate & Barrel

    large.5924750a9f605_30.8-cb-linden-sage-green-23-pillow.jpg.4521f6813645bbee4c478ceb47a2185a.jpg
    Linden Sage Green Feather-Down Pillow

    large.59247509a62b3_30.8-CB-baxter-jade-rug.jpg.f1ca971b4558c6a1381609c90a236b3c.jpg
    Baxter Jade Rug

    Got these at discounted price! Took a risk with the pillow colour but thankfully it matched very well with the sofa!


    Round Ottomans from Etch & Bolts

    large.5924790220342_30.4-etchBolts-Dylan-ottoman.jpg.44da8da325afa9b5a163977757e4031d.jpg

    Decided to get a large ottoman to double up as a coffee table for a child-friendly environment (my pediatric dentist friend tells all her friends to NEVER get a coffee table if they have kids – she has seen way too many dental trauma cases).

    For Etch & Bolts, they let you choose your own colours so we did just that, and we got our carpenter to fabricate a round piece of laminated wood to act as a table surface (the piece of wood turned out to be more expensive than the ottoman, what-the-heck).

    large_30.5-etch-bolts.jpg.fc5a746afdc5fd63c5be38f21ed3c48e.jpg

    large_30.5-ottoman.jpeg.886445e69f89886bed3cef622efba67d.jpeg
    Followed this idea of having a round piece of wood over the ottoman!


    Bedside Tables from HipVan

    large_30.6-hipvan.jpg.4e00616432d8449b5c25bec267f10838.jpg

    Their bedside tables were an absolute steal at $129 each! And love the wood colour, so expensive-looking!


    Trash Cans from Naiise

    large_30.7-Tubelor-trash-can-rosewood.jpg.8683f3a82fa292df7956ca33694e1579.jpg

    Ordered this Tubelor Rosewood trash cans from Naiise (had to email them to ask them specially for the wood pattern which I saw online, otherwise it's all single colours). Adore the fact that it's open and yet conceals the plastic bag. Everyone who visited our house complimented us on the trash cans! 


    Counter Stools from Comfort Furniture
    We previously bought a pair of leather counter stools from Commune but the leather was spotty and they had few stock remaining so had to get a refund instead.

    large_30.7-grayson_barstool_england_chateau_45.jpg.8a152169e0943b970b5bc16f07e3cc8f.jpg
    Grayson barstool from COMMUNE. Has been discontinued.

    Looking for counter stools was not easy, as most places only sell bar stools with seating height of ~75cm but we needed counter stools with seating height of ~60cm since our island counter is 94cm high.

    Luckily we found these at Comfort Furniture selling for $129 each. Can choose the fabric colour as well. Currently we need to wait 2 months before we can receive the items... so will only be getting them next month!

    large_30.7-comfort-furniture-fondue-barchair.jpg.14e67b36c10def4ecb9d46590939b634.jpg
    Fondue barchairs from Comfort Furniture - in different heights


  6. Hi all,

    Thought I'd contribute to this thread, as my husband and I came across M&M at Expo twice when we were in the early phases of furniture shopping and both times the husband sat on their sofas and declared them the most comfortable sofa, and also he likes the look of their furniture best.

    We were served by Leslie, who sounds like the boss, such a sweet talker, and we got convinced to buy our sofa and dining table set from him. He even offered to come down to our flat to choose the colour of the sofa fabric with us, and even suggested which paint colours we should choose to match the sofa.

    Will just let the photos do the talking...

    large.59015edd0a9af_2017-04-2316_22_57.jpg.e6f85b6ad04a2e82b4debe22535f20a6.jpg
    large.59015edc19442_2017-04-2316_21_24.jpg.aade9e58702bfd68cc78ba49fc93f46f.jpg
    large.59015edac6b6e_2017-04-2316_05_02.jpg.8e9fbc1319ae1451b8b60454aba7fe7b.jpg
    large.59015ed97e9a7_2017-04-2316_04_35.jpg.83a025f945979953bc909e2108af2903.jpg

    Overall we are very happy with our purchases and received a lot of compliments!


  7. My t-blog was taken offline for about one day and I was sent a warning from RT admin for breach of T&Cs.

    I thought the whole blog was deleted! Was sooooo sad cause spent so much effort and everything gone!

    Turns out it's because I kept mentioning something not allowed (I didn't know that is a problem cause I saw a few other blogs mentioning that too) so they deleted my last comment about my ID selection.
    Hint: It's an app.

    Doubt I will rewrite that post, so hopefully you guys got good memory!


  8. Hi guys, sorry was away for a while so haven't replied.

    Thanks for the compliments! Yup took the photos using husband's DSLR and wide angle lens. Phone camera really cannot compare la.

    On 5/9/2017 at 6:31 PM, KFC1189 said:

    Hi ilkl,

    You have a very impressive home. Well done!

    I like your vertical garden wall a lot. It really brings nature to your home. May I know what maintenance efforts are required (daily, weekly, and monthly)? Can you choose herbs for planting so that you can eat them as well? How much is the routine maintenance fees?

    As mentioned before, the system is meant to be as hassle-free as possible, there is no need to water the vertical garden as it has a built in timer which will turn on the watering 2 times a day, and also the growth light. Just need to pour in liquid fertiliser once a month for added nutrients, and pruning about 1-2x a month. The system is also not meant to grow herbs on it as it will diminish the aesthetics of the garden.

    The first month will see some casualties, but the vendor included a complimentary maintenance at one mth where they will replace the bad plants FOC. I haven't asked how much the normal maintenance fee is, but think it's probably a little bit pricey so planning to self-maintain.

    large._20170511_093215.JPG.64547481a9626a82c351450d4f47b449.JPG

    Our garden at one month - casualties highlighted. The maintenance is scheduled this Saturday.

    One thing we regret is getting ferns - they really look nice but man, do they shed!! So everyday there will be dried leaves on the floor, all from the ferns. If you look closely at the floor in the photo, you will see what I mean. I'm thinking of replacing the ferns to spider plants to minimise the hassle of cleaning up the floor. So if anyone is keen on getting this vertical garden indoors, beware of the ferns!!


  9. Final Photos
    Hi everyone! We have moved in for 2 weeks now and finally I have photos to share of our lovely home!

    Living & Dining Area
    large.59015ed3d36d3_2017-04-2315_51_00.jpg.5e81130c7af075428a9a3677f4e13ba6.jpg

    large.59015ed651ee7_2017-04-2315_55_09.jpg.f3813213c62ccf8d61b63b9881868920.jpg

    large.59015ed83b973_2017-04-2315_56_45.jpg.3fc5d93714152c3d16d838b62148752f.jpg

    large.59015ed97e9a7_2017-04-2316_04_35.jpg.83a025f945979953bc909e2108af2903.jpg

    large.59015edac6b6e_2017-04-2316_05_02.jpg.8e9fbc1319ae1451b8b60454aba7fe7b.jpg

    large.59015edc19442_2017-04-2316_21_24.jpg.aade9e58702bfd68cc78ba49fc93f46f.jpg

    large.59015ede48546_2017-04-2316_24_43.jpg.afe17e88c901d52c1b7aceb09a87e6d3.jpg

    large.59015edfb2af5_2017-04-2316_26_18.jpg.eda605609920364947118a27a287f9d2.jpg

     

    Kitchen, Service Yard & Common Bathroom
    large.59015ee38f716_2017-04-2318_05_34.jpg.131de687ac5ca3d2f8388945a617adf3.jpg

    large.59015ee4ea301_2017-04-2318_05_56.jpg.119254b733b94814fc4c3a0a9b6045d1.jpg

    large.59015ee624abe_2017-04-2318_05_59.jpg.ebd17b7bf07654756cfc3d90d87c04d3.jpg

    large.59015ee7b77ae_2017-04-2318_06_16.jpg.c6dbceadc722619926db1a3ad4774462.jpg

    large.59015ee9cc5f1_2017-04-2318_08_05.jpg.3789f4f7bb4278f457c7fde16954536b.jpg

    large.59015eeb6b4eb_2017-04-2318_09_23.jpg.f3e3710a944121b8d27b213790b1e1a7.jpg

    large.59015eee4826b_2017-04-2318_11_28.jpg.53036039b34c0bdccdc60c5edb8e0483.jpg

    large.59015eed1e406_2017-04-2318_10_09.jpg.652246351ffe67ac54e1c352b0e1bcb2.jpg

    large.59015eef34f83_2017-04-2319_15_52.jpg.cf6f3a6f27bda9a0994cc9bd353dc0d3.jpg

     

    Master Bedroom & Master Bathroom
    large.59015ee218d93_2017-04-2317_13_27.jpg.748b9092747429684c26b0f26477c604.jpg

    large.59015ee0b5871_2017-04-2317_13_01.jpg.79398d242ae41366a1f1359b00aef682.jpg

    large.59015ef042b99_2017-04-2903_23_59.jpg.bedea15f5e080f08e940bae8e59fbe8f.jpg

     

    Study Room and Common Bedroom still very messy so I won't be including them. Maybe once our ID has done a photoshoot for us then I will share more images. So stay tuned and hope you have enjoyed this thread!


  10. 16 hours ago, CZL said:

    Wow, the vertical plant make your place so welcoming and fresh. Love that feeling of fresh air in the morning.

    Me too also has a wall, now thinking if possible to install as renovation already half way.

    Is there many company doing this? Can Pm me the cost? 

    Thanks!

    We shortlisted Greenology and Vertical Green but went with VG because their system looks better and takes up less space. Greenology also need about 3 mths to grow the plants on the wall at their nursery first before installing, while VG just plants them directly on their installed backing. VG also offers one time complimentary maintenance, as mentioned before.

    Cost is approximately $750 per sqm. Will need to top up for tank or tray, depending which type you choose, and the growth lights also. Ours cost $3300 (~4 sqm) excluding the required plumbing and electrical works.

    Hope this helps!


  11. Vertical Garden Part 2 - Installation & Planting
    Go here to read about Part 1: 

    As excited as we were in getting the vertical garden, it turned out to be the biggest HEADACHE for our renovation.

    When I first contacted Vertical Garden, I spoke to two different staff and was very happy with their service and the information they gave me, and that was why I convinced the boss to pay for my garden. The salesperson, Mr A was very friendly and would happily reply my messages when I have questions.

    The project manager, Mr M, who is from Bangladesh, did not speak very good English and he was the one we and our ID had to liase with. I don’t want to sound racist or xenophobic so please don’t think of this post as something complaining about FT or FW or whatever, but OMGWTFBBQ Mr M was a pain to deal with. 

    He came down a couple of times with my ID to co-ordinate the plumbing requirements and he kept saying different things which resulted in the delay of vertical garden backing installation because the pipes were not done in the way he liked. Made our plumbers very unhappy also because had to trouble them to come down and change the pipes.

    This is an example of Mr M’s poor communication: The one in blue is what he sent to my ID. The pink one is what he sent to me after I whatsapped Mr M to clarify further.

    large_22.1-terminate1.jpeg.a0947f2a34617d313fc8685e3f6b722a.jpeglarge_22.1-terminate.jpeg.39f7295f0cdebd52dfe6ea7393fdca28.jpeg

    It came to a point that we could not move in on time because the iQuartz countertop measurement was dependant on the vertical garden backing and frame to be up, but that got delayed. Mr M was also busy with other projects, but he didn’t even inform us about his other projects, he just says that he cannot come on this day. (This one also partly the fault of my ID, he didn’t co-ordinate the vertical garden earlier when the carpentry was being manufactured. There was minimal work done during that period so this should have been settled earlier)

    And then there was the lights. When we signed up and paid the deposit, we specifically asked for recess lights as there is an existing false ceiling and we wanted the growth lights to be as unobtrusive as possible. The salesperson said he will order 2 x 40W lights for us.

    large_22.3-40W-recess.jpg.7d625249399aa0ca5b54781ac2b243af.jpg
    LED 40W recessed light

    Mr M just told us they don’t have the lights so they cannot install on the date we wanted. My husband was so angry, he called up Mr M and SHOUTED at him. I messaged Mr A to complain and he acted promptly and arranged for us to get a 150W halogen light (which is more expensive, at no extra cost).

    large_22.2-backing.jpg.edf9884e9299b4b968e8cf6da1c7cb2d.jpg
    Backing, frame and drainage tray done. The brown stuff are felt pockets which will hold the plants and their media, while the white part is the absorbent layer acting as the water source.

    Finally we pushed them to get the backing and frame installed. The rest of the renovation could then proceed. The planting is to be done after renovation works. One fine day we decided to test the drainage tray to see if the water will flow out passively, and we noticed that water pools on the other side of the tray because they didn’t install the proper gradient. SIGH.

    large_22.2-drainage.jpeg.54f84e1869596fc3990604defee6236a.jpeg
    Water pooling on the right side. The outlet pipe is connected on the LEFT.

    On planting day, they fixed the tray and I insisted they show me if water will flow out properly (it did). The two workers then planted the plants according to the design we had confirmed with their designer earlier. So even though they don’t speak very good English, they were quite happy to get feedback from me and planted more of those plants which I preferred. Even gave me two extra pots of ferns and money plants hehe.

    large_22.3-design.jpg.2822079e0f3525e18095094e25290b22.jpg
    There was a designer who did this up for us after asking us what we liked. I don't really know any specific plant species so these were all chosen for us.

    large_22.4-plants-2.jpg.86de95fc741545b2c3897ceba42eb0b3.jpg
    The pre-grown plants brought in from their nursery.

    large_22.4-plants.jpg.d20ae86d99b17805ef01fb651e42d24c.jpg

    large_22.5-planting.jpg.7f834b1275e59cd59d9fa1f57a5c0292.jpg
    Planting in progress...

    large_22.6-cleaning-up.jpg.661bffa728acbbdb1985bfeb4d0f05b9.jpg
    Tidying up

    In spite of the drama, we are very pleased with our vertical garden!!

    large_22.7-VG.jpg.dbdf3f44a9cafb7d36b4c349ae79d509.jpg
    (Left) Immediately after planting. (Right) One week later - the ferns are less lush but the rest looked like they're grown, especially the red ones!

    Some of the plants will take some time to adapt and may die, but Vertical Green provides a complimentary maintenance visit at one month to prune and to replace the bad/dead/dying plants. So far the garden is doing rather well (2 weeks post-planting), only 5% of the plants are not doing so well. We’ll see in another 2 weeks’ time how many need to be replaced.

    The light is super strong, at first we asked them to turn it on in the daytime but that was a bad idea as it made the dining area very obnoxiously bright and hot. We got them to change it to night time and it’s much better! The water turns on itself twice a day for 3 minutes, and we just need to add liquid fertiliser into the fertiliser tank once a month.

    In summary, despite the bumps we encountered (mainly due to communication issues with some of the Vertical Green staff), we are still very satisfied with the end result and have no regrets. 


  12. Doors, Main Gate & Digital Locks
    We went to My Digital Lock/One Last Hope after we saw this gate on their Facebook page and I really wanted this wire-mesh gate because 1) Industrial-look 2) Very practical for pets especially cats or small dogs

    large_21.1-gate.jpg.6bbcf39fe8fd0e6fe13476e0f57249ee.jpg

    Their company specialises in digital locks and they offer very competitive prices when you get them together with their gate and doors. I wasn’t planning to get digital locks as I am very old-school and prefer normal lock-and-key systems but husband was convinced to because they cost just extra $300 versus a conventional mortise lock.

    The fire-rated 4x7 solid veneer main door costs $1350, while the mesh gate with laser-cut unit number is $1080. Add $120 for sliding arm door closer and $600 for digital locks for both main gate and door.

    large_21.4-selection-color.jpg.20db08b4c9387c42ef3fdc574f093a85.jpg
    Can choose many colours for the laser-cut part of the main gate. We got #55 - Navy because that's the boss' favourite colour!

    large_21.3-digital-locks.jpg.462b91d49db142fb5155a57ddf7f823c.jpg
    Epic Digital Locks. Choose card+code type. Can use remote to unlock both at same time, very convenient!

    We also got solid core veneer doors for the bedrooms ($299 each), and top-up ($45 each) for black lever handles. They have laminate doors too, but that will be $100 extra per door. 

    large_21.2-doors.jpg.5c76b44d8d9d6fbeeba192b8846a5a08.jpg
    Chose this veneer pattern for all bedroom doors and for main door. Had to top-up for black lever handles for the bedroom doors.

    That said, their service is pretty good (everything installed in one day by 3 different teams) and we’re very happy with what we got!

    large_21.6-main-door.jpg.d6c97b0c0a5582deda465ecbb69f5932.jpg
    Fire-rated veneer main door with stainless-steel strip (supposed to add $100 but salesperson forgot to write down in the invoice lol - maybe cause we add-on too many things)

    large_21.7-main-gate.jpg.0939f1173a37aabf06dddc87b8415b34.jpg
    Our lovely industrial gate!
    large_21.5-bedroom-door.jpg.3dd503ee33bee6c60b241dd5cc994784.jpg
    Bedroom door! Love the veneer colour!


    Roller Blinds
    We got our roller blinds from One Last Hope as well. Mainly cause too lazy to look around. We were served by Norman who personally came down twice to let me look at the samples, really nice guy!

    The cheapest price they had was $5 per sqft and I thought the $5 range actually looks pretty decent. Chose a non-black-out type (dim out) for the living room full height windows and black-out for bedrooms. Also went for the pelmet type:

    large_21.10-pelmet.jpg.914d0b5f528fae11ccc425d3529c34ec.jpg

    large_21.14-dim-out-5bucks.jpg.30a7fedefe30e2f77f7c1701df1fb9c8.jpg
    Chose this $5 psf dim out light grey blinds for the full height windows in the living room.

    large_21.12-black-out-5bucks.jpg.4118b0f1ff8aa9006c18004badb4d989.jpg
    $5 psf black out blinds for bedrooms. Alas, no stock available!!

    We have about total 8.7 feet wide of full-height windows and about 12 feet wide of half-height bedroom windows and the total cost quoted was $1200. Not too shabby, I thought.

    Sadly all the $5 black-out stocks were not available and Norman was very apologetic. I end up choosing the $10 black-out range (the other options were not impressive) but Norman gave me a discount so had to top-up $300 more. All-in-all $1500 for blinds.

    large_21.13-black-out-10bucks.jpg.1407e1c0bba48c0e6d357568553ef2ba.jpg
    $10 psf which I chose after the $5 psf ones were not available.

    No regrets as they look great!

    large_21.17-living-blinds.jpg.3e47138ef14f8dfbc54e3ca38ae33773.jpg
    Living room blinds

    large_21.16-bedroom-blinds.jpg.6ea24c9a8340e5c554d8a5d56dbbfc63.jpg
    Bedroom blinds - quite like the understated pattern. Not too sterile/boring. Pokemon-approved!


  13. Fan Installation
    Got our fans from Phylux – their showroom is one of the better ones we’ve been to (less claustrophobic) and the prices are reasonable enough, esp with promotion.

    We chose Relite’s Helix 52” without light for the living room, and Elmark’s Bumbee 48” with tri-color LED for the bedrooms.

    large_20.1-relite.jpg.d32bed89cc6c8a68b00471d378978e55.jpg

    large_20.1-bumbee_ORB.png.3d4613453f8f3762ec1ff52aff9155bd.png large_20.1-bumbee_OAK.png.ab007038be5d91037042676bf5e968b4.png
    Elmark's Bumbee (Left - ORB without LED light, Right - OAK with LED light)

    Their promotion included a free installation for the Relite fan, while the rest were chargeable at $50 each (total damage $150). The electrician was going to charge us $70 each for the installation (total $280 since 4 fans) so we thought we be cheapo and get Phylux to install the fans for us. I clarified with the salesperson about installing the living room fan with the false ceiling in place (the flat came with existing false ceiling in the living room so we are keeping it) – he was the one who told me they can install directly onto the concrete ceiling, extend the stalk longer past the false ceiling, OR add wooden support to the false ceiling and install the fan flushed to the false ceiling.
    I kept having the impression that adding a piece of wood to the false ceiling is not a very sturdy option (false ceiling material is notoriously flimsy so how does adding a piece of wood inside it help much?) so I opted for the fan to be installed on the concrete. So when the ID modified the false ceiling, they did NOT add a wooden support for the fan according to my wishes.

    When the fan installers came, they said installing the living room fan to the concrete ceiling is a BAD idea, and even if you extend the stalk past the false ceiling, you must leave a gap around a stalk because the fan will wobble and will crack the false ceiling. WHY NO ONE TOLD ME THAT BEFORE?? They actually packed up and left because they said they can’t install without a wood support, best ask the ID to do it up for them first. I called them back and asked them to install the bedroom fans first, then asked them what they can do about the living room fan. I also called my ID and got him to speak to them, somehow he managed to convince them to install the wooden support for us on the spot, just need to top-up $100. Since we don’t want the issue to ding-dong back and forth anymore, we just pay la!

    I watched them create the wood support and finally understand what they mean by “adding a piece of wood to the inside of the false ceiling” – they actually open up a hole in the false ceiling, fashion a caterpillar-like wood panel where the legs are steel brackets bent like insect legs, drill and fix the steel legs to both the concrete ceiling and also the false ceiling “skeleton” such that the wood panel is flushed with the false ceiling, and then install the fan on the wood panel (which is of course a lot sturdier than the gypsum board of the false ceiling). Interesting! However, being a HDB flat, having a fan with a false ceiling resulted in the fan being rather low, so if my husband were to stretch his hands out, will sure kena the fan blades (and he is an average 175cm tall). We are ok with it, but if I were to do it over again, would have created a recess at the living area for the fan (so no false ceiling at the sofa area, just L-box at the sides for the lights).

    large_20.3-fan.jpeg.a7f4c7f28c825c08f77523d9fcacb20b.jpeg
    Living room fan with false ceiling. The fan installer has placed back the gypsum board around the base of the fan which can be easily patched up.

    Sorry I lor-sor with my story. That’s not the end though.

    So I thought all good right? Installed fans and then let electrician come in and connect for us. Well, the electricians complained about how the bedroom fans were installed because the brackets supporting the fan was blocking the access of the wires in black PVC pipes! I definitely told the fan installers there will be pipes leading to the fans but obviously not their problem so they just suka-suka installed it anyhow as long as position correct. The electrician boss told us that they had to reinstall the fans, but he did not charge us for it. On hindsight, probably better to just let the electricians install the fans for us.

    large_20.8-pvc-fan.jpg.97f6ec82c6b8d61d18a7e7a7c93be285.jpg
    Another issue the electricians made noise about...

    large_20.9-fan.jpg.60361e43030370871c14b405465e4c83.jpg
    They managed to fix it though!

    large_20.10-fan.jpg.92a09d2b8c2ebaa4fe0d2b0407187d91.jpg
    Master bedroom fan had to do a L-shaped pipe to connect due to presence of wardrobe.

    Feedback regarding the fans:
    The Relite fan is very powerful and quiet, and looks pretty modern and minimalist which is what we like, so we are very happy with it. But like I said, it's a little low due to the false ceiling present, so we need to be careful not to stick things up too high! We can't comment on its light as we got one without the light kit.

    The Elmark fans are good enough for the bedrooms. The light is dimmable and tri-colored, and it's sufficiently bright for bedroom. However, for reading, think it's best to get another light source. Also, the fans seem quiet enough, but not as quiet as Relite.


  14. 21 hours ago, snoozee said:

    WIFI and fiber are separate issues.

    the fiber terminates at the TP and then connected to another ONT and router to provide the internet access.

    if the TP and WIFI routers are on first floor, the WIFI signal would not be strong enough to penetrate up to the 3rd floor.

    to resolve this besides the normal drilling and running cables, you can buy those home plug and connect one end to where the router is and then the other end to the 2nd or 3rd floor. if the home plug does not come with built in WIFI, then you would need to connect another WIFI router or access point to the 2nd/3rd floor home plug to provide extended WIFI access. however, most home plug devices can only work on the same phase of power lines so if your first floor and other floors are using different power phases, you are out of luck unless you can buy those which work off different power phases.

    another method is to use a WIFI extender. how the extender works is that it would connect to the existing WIFI and then rebroadcast the WIFI connection. this is basically a bridging device which allows your to extend WIFI coverage without needing to pull cables. there's some performance penalty since the WIFI signal is rebroadcasted but it's hardly noticeable.

    for my in-law's landed house, I used a WIFI extender on the 2nd floor to connect to the WIFI router on the 1st floor and this enabled the signal to be broadcasted to the 3rd floor. without this WIFI extender, there is almost no WIFI coverage on the 3rd floor. I had explored using home plug but unfortunately the house was wired using different power phases for each floor so home plugs would not work.

    the most optimal solution for multi story houses would be to use enterprise access points with one on each level to provide the full WIFI coverage.

    Thanks for the info @snoozee!

    My in-laws house is like yours, have different power phases for different levels. Shall try the WiFi extender!

     

    16 hours ago, kstoh said:

    Actually, it is NEVER a good idea to buy a 110V appliance for use in Singapore where the electricity supply is 240V, unless this device is one of a kind which you cannot get in Singapore. If it is a simple non-heating device which consumes little power, a small transformer will suffice. But if it is one with heating like your toaster, you need a transformer that is 2 to 3 times the wattage. This means a ridiculously big, heavy and expensive transformer.

    Using an underpowered transformer can cause the transformer to blow up, like in your case. It can cause a fire, so be careful. If you plug your device into the power socket carelessly without the transformer, your toaster will be toast!

    Yes, when we smelled the smoke we quickly disconnected everything. The toaster is fine, transformer is not. But we got another toaster from Courts to save the hassle. So we now have a small white elephant sitting at home - 110V toaster which looks nice but cannot be used. Any takers? Shall giveaway especially if someone already has a big transformer at home?


  15. 3 hours ago, kstoh said:

    It is not true that you cannot conceal lay long fibre optic wires. The OpenNet people laid more than 40m for me (although he kindly charged me only 40m), around my car porch, along the boundary wall, through my garden, up the kitchen wall, through the false ceiling, down into my utility room. But because of the length, you cannot lay a single continuous wire. You need to break up into sections. Pull the wire from Start to Point A, A to B, B to C, C to Termination Point.

    But it is true that if the wire breaks, you are in trouble. So, you cannot have sharp corners.

    Speed wise, it is not affected. I still get exactly what I subscribed for. 

    Good to know!

    For landed probably they are more willing to conceal the wire for you. HDB different story.

    Just curious, since you laid fibre network into your house, are you able to get good WiFi connection on the top floors? I ask because my in-laws' house (where I was previously staying at) could not get fibre because the StarHub rep says the fibre termination point can only end on the first floor and the 3rd floor won't have any WiFi at all.


  16. 19 hours ago, eaglegg said:

    Hi ilkl, any issues with the voltage since it requires to be plugged in?

    The adapter for the Smart Herb Garden has an inbuilt transformer, the label states voltage range is 110-240V so voltage not an issue. Just need to use a converter.

    Speaking of voltage issues, just to share, I bought a toaster from Amazon because it looks really interesting! But unlike the Smart Herb Garden, the toaster only works on 110V so I had to get a transformer. When I went Sim Lim Sq to get one, the salesgirl I spoke to asked for the wattage. When I told her the toaster is 1100W, she said the type of transformer I had to get was this ridiculously massive one that can support up to 1500W! And it costs S$189 while the toaster was a measly USD 40. So I just bought a small travel-type transformer (S$23 supposedly 80W) and used it. The toaster was working but smoke came out of the transformer! Siao!

    Moral of story: Don't buy toaster from USA! 

    dvts501bk_clearview_lifestyle_web_1.jpg


  17. Hood Installation Hassle
    This was one of the very last things the ID had to do for us, and that is to install our Electrolux chimney hood over our gas hob in our service yard.

    large.19_44.jpg.4b817313eef9d90ede1bda3157cd3e2f.jpg

    Due to the large beam present, our ID said the carpenter is the best person to do the job as he can cut the chimney hood to fit the beam.

    large_19.44-vents-cut-off.jpeg.ef6ade9237e74b31c5a6f7bb0949a726.jpeg
    The part of the hood which has been cut away. That included ALL the vents.

    Alas, the Electrolux hood’s ventilation vents were removed, and when the carpenter installed it, as soon as I turned on the hood, the metal plates on top just flapped open!! Wahlao eh!

    Watch the video to see the problem. That's the carpenter's hand. Mine looks more slender, in case you were wondering.
    The carpenter try to shift the blame by saying he is actually not qualified to install it, and he had informed our ID that the vents would be cut off. His wife (who comes along to help) said the hood needs to have a pipe installed to allow the air to be channelled out of the house. Luckily I’m not so blur and I said this kind of chimney does not need a pipe, and seeing how the hood has been cut, surely we cannot return or exchange the hood!!

    I had to think on the spot (because my ID already more or less wash hands already), came up with an idea to have the carpenter construct a box-up for the hood and to add vents. The carpenter was very happy to hear of a solution and he was confident he could fabricate one (finally something within his skill set). For this, ID had to do FOC for us because it’s their fault lor.

    large_19.47-fixed-hood.jpg.6e126777dc1ce0a2e553f247eb4f7533.jpg
    Chose a black laminate, of course. Vents were spray-painted black. When I asked carpenter if the solid plywood can withstand the hot air, he said no problem. I have my doubts, but if anything, I will look for my ID in future!!


    Moral of the story:
    If you got a beam where the hood is supposed to go, then do like these clever people:

    large_19.45-qanvast-kitchen.jpg.f432ec0a46e2a935084dea8dbeb67865.jpg
    large_19.46-qanvast-kitchen.jpg.e89f79198662991d93b37a05ac72d064.jpg

    Make sure your hood model has vents at the right places!


  18. 16 hours ago, CZL said:

    Thanks for the advice. And I chose to follow the same route as yours (all the way to Tv console thereafter split for datapoint) because my router cannot hide in the cabinet and it would be too far for wifi connection. Moreover, I do not have false ceiling so i get my electrician to get it a bit conceal (illegally) along the wall. I think old flats just have so many unexpected challenge. 

    Oh, so your electrician did concealed wiring for the Net Link Trust to pull their wire through? How did it go? That sounds even higher level than mine, and my electricians made so much noise about running it inside the false ceiling!


  19. 4 hours ago, fifteenmay said:

    i check on amazon and it says it cant be shipped to Singapore?

    how did you get?

    That time during Cyber Monday Amazon stated that it could ship to Singapore, but I guess they changed their policy. You can buy directly from the official Click & Grow website. Shipping to Singapore is free if purchasing more than USD 50. Can use my referral code to get 20% off first purchase: link here


  20. 4 hours ago, diva79 said:

    Nice blog! I love how you detailed your renovation journey.

    How much is the laminate which you have shared in your previous post? Where are you using this laminate for your renovation? :wub:

    Did you use it for the upper cabinets?

    large_18.8-dry-kitchen.jpg.4d5d35dd5c3622901de70d17b41ac557.jpg

     

    Yes @diva79, you got it right! We used Tadao Concrete for the upper cabinets.

    Not too sure about the price as it's included in our quote. Our ID let us choose any brand, so we went with Lamitak.

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