Rotted subfloor replaced, internal walls reworked, bathroom rebuilt inside the original footprint. Heritage detailing kept.
Max and his family had been in the house for years and knew the floor was going. The hallway bounced. The bathroom had a soft patch under the tiles. A previous chippy had quoted to lift the whole house and start again. They didn't want that. They wanted the bungalow restored, not replaced.
The constraint was the heritage character. Picture rails, timber-lined ceilings, leadlight in the front sash. The street frontage had to read the same once we were finished. Everything we replaced had to either match the original or sit hidden behind the existing finish.
Hardwood F17 bearers and joists for subfloor replacement. Hot-dip galvanised joist hangers and bracket fixings to suit the existing F17 sizing. Reclaimed Tasmanian Oak boards sourced to match the existing floor pitch and width. Ardex WPM 002 waterproof membrane in the bathroom under porcelain tile. Fluted oak vanity, arched mirror, and brushed brass tapware spec'd by the owner.
Five weeks on site. Week one: protect the front rooms, lift the floor, expose the bearers. Week two: replace the rotted timbers, sister-up two joists that were borderline, treat the stump tops. Weeks three and four: bathroom strip, waterproofing, tile, plumbing rough-in and second fix. Week five: relay the hallway boards, finish the picture rails, paint touch-up. Crew was Coby, Billy and apprentice Owen.
Same-footprint bathroom and structural repair under the existing roofline meant exempt development. No DA required, which matters in Manly because the heritage overlay would otherwise have added months. Worked with a private certifier for the wet-area sign-off.
Floor's solid wall to wall. Bathroom feels twice the size without moving a single wall. Picture rails and skirting profiles match the rest of the house so the restored rooms read as part of the original build. Family moved back in five weeks after we started.
"Coby, Billy and apprentice Owen just finished a job for us in Manly. 100 year old Californian bungalow needing rotting timbers replaced. 100 percent professional."
— Max H., Manly