Tag: dan reilly

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DIY RENO ADDICT Shopping

Dan ‘ForeDan’ Reilly’s top tips for ceiling installation

Budget is the one thing that can take a renovation out of control, so it’s a great idea for homeowners to roll up their sleeves and pitch in where they can. While ceiling and plasterboard installation may seem like a job better left to the professionals, they can be very rewarding DIY projects, generating significant savings on labour costs that can transform the look and feel of a room dramatically.

Gyprock 1

Here are my top tips, as well as CSR Gyprock’s step-by-step guide to ceiling installation:

1. Refer to DIY installation guides

Homeowners will be surprised at how quickly they can get the hang of it with the right guidance. The Gyprock DIY Guide for the residential handyman is geared towards homeowners with clear instructions for small plasterboard projects.

2. Plan your work

For best results it’s important to plan each task and sketch and measure the ceiling so you can work out all the materials that you need. Draw a diagram of each room opened up like a shoebox and mark down the measurements. If you take the diagram to a supplier they will help you work out how many sheets of plasterboard and accessories you will need.

Gyprock 3

3. Choose the right product

In my recent renovation I used Gyprock Supaceil, a superior quality plasterboard that features Gyprock’s Optimised Core technology. The special formulation means it is easier and more flexible to lift with a much cleaner score and snap capability, making it much easier for DIY renovators to handle.

4. Get help when you need it

Placing ceiling sheets in position requires at least two people so make sure you have the right help on hand, and if the job becomes too awkward for you to complete, don’t be afraid to call in the professionals and know you gave it a good go.

Gyprock 2

Step-by-step guide to installing a ceiling:

1. Before you start ensure that all electrical outlets are checked and isolated by a qualified electrician.

2. Apply daubs of Gyprock Stud Adhesive about 25mm diameter and 15mm thickness, about the size of a walnut, at 230mm maximum spacings.

3. Start about 200mm from where the end of the sheet will go and leave 200mm from the centre nails or screw location.

4. Install sheets at right angles to the joists, using a single length across the room if possible. Nail or screw at 10-to-16mm from sheet edges, fixing one recessed edge to each joist. Press the sheet firmly against the adhesive daubs and fix along the opposite edge.

Gyprock 4

5. Drive the fastener heads just below the board surface, taking care not to break the face paper.

6. At the centreline of sheets, fasten to each joist with two nails 75mm apart or with a single screw. Nail or screw every 200mm at sheet ends and around any openings.

7. Drive temporary nails or screws through a small plasterboard off-cut, mid-way between the
sheet centreline and edges, to hold sheets tight against joists while the adhesive dries (up to 48 hours)

For more information and to download the Gyprock DIY Guide visit their website.

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Interviews RENO ADDICT The Block

The Block’s Dan Reilly is back and he’s had a promotion!

With one series under his belt, Keith’s righthand man and Block veteran, Dan Reilly is back. And he’s even been given a promotion… The Foreboy has become Foredan!

dan foreboy the block interiors addict 3

Now, I wouldn’t blame you for thinking Foredan (oh how that name makes me cringe!) would be one of those fake on-screen jobs; a lot of looking busy but in reality, doing nothing. Well, let me assure you that is not the case. In fact, while Dan found last series (Triple Threat) hard, this time, it’s on a whole different level.

“The Blocktagon is completely different to Triple Threat,” explains Dan. “Not only is the building double in height, has double the amount of demolition and triple the amount of structural steel, it also has an extra couple, going from eight contestants to 10. I didn’t think the extra couple would make a difference but it’s made a huge difference. It was another whole apartment Keith and I had to check on every hour of the day, whilst we had to look after all the site work.”

The Block in progress
The Block in progress

While last series saw Dan unsure how to navigate his relationship with the contestants, seeing as he’d “jumped ship to the other side!” This series, he has a lot more confidence. “I do feel the contestants are taking me more seriously this time around and it has become a lot easier to deal with them, especially at those awkward moments. Having experience has given not only myself, but Scott and Keith, a lot more confidence in my ability to do the role.”

Dan, contestant Whitney and Keith
Dan, contestant Whitney and Keith

Working on The Block day in day out, has also given Dan the inside scoop, so I had to ask if he had any favourite apartments. “I think being on the top end of the building will give those contestants a massive advantage come auction time. The views are second to none. All the talk at the moment is of apartment five (Shay and Dean). They do have great style and an eye for detail but don’t write off apartment four (Luke and Ebony) yet. They make a game-changing move with their apartment in the coming weeks.”

Dan and the contestants
Dan and the contestants

After the huge success of last year’s auctions, fingers are crossed for a similar result. But Dan won’t jump to any conclusions. “I hope this series is as successful as Triple Threat, but every series is very different. It’s a different building, a different location and who knows what the market will be like come auction time. I also think having that extra apartment up for sale could hurt them. Look back a few series ago at Glasshouse when there were five apartments: two apartments made a monster of cash, but that was it. The rest of then struggled to sell and made little over reserve. I hope that is not the case this series.”

Dani and Dan
Dani and Dan

When Dan’s not busy on The Block, he’s also got some personal projects, such as working with his partner and ex-Block contestant, Dani Wales. “Dani and I have launched our design and construction company, Red Door Project, which is really exciting. After I was a contestant on The Block, all I wanted to do was become a successful builder. Well I now have my licence and we have a business, so hopefully it will all go well!”

For more on The Block.
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Before & Afters Design DIY Real Renos RENO ADDICT

Real reno: The Block’s Dani Wales transforms her mum’s dilapidated home

When Dani Wales’ mum decided to sell her Townsville rental property, the two-time Blockhead couldn’t resist returning to her hometown and giving her nearest and dearest a helping hand.

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Dani Wales

However, the job was far from easy. The fibro home – much to their shock – was in an awful state, having miraculously undergone every rental inspection without raising suspicion. “The previous tenants had allowed their children to draw all over the walls, there were holes everywhere, the kitchen had been damaged beyond repair (both by ill-treatment and water), the whole house was infested with cockroaches and a family of rats had moved in! There was a rat’s nest underneath the kitchen sink cabinet and another behind a temporary cabinet in the dining room. There was even a dead rat in that one!”

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Combine this with a gag worthy smell and a number of structural issues and it’s safe to say the home was crying out for some serious TLC! So together with her mum, dad, partner (The Block’s foreboy Dan Reilly) and some licensed trades, they set out to transform the tired house with a budget of $70,000. “We altered the floorplan slightly downstairs as the existing bathroom didn’t meet code in a number of different ways. This bathroom was deleted and halved in size and a new laundry was built there. We then added an ensuite to an existing bedroom downstairs so that we still had two bathrooms in the house.”

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On a superficial level, they changed the flooring from a cheap mahogany coloured laminate to Formica’s (who sponsored the project) Golden Wattle, all walls were painted a warm white, a Kaboodle flatpack kitchen was added, the bathrooms were updated, new internal doors were fitted and the exterior of the house was washed and repainted in an inviting beige. “Both the simplest and biggest changes would have been the painting and the flooring. The flooring and walls are now a great neutral colour that’s brightened the whole place up.”

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However, while there were some easy aspects to the reno, Dani and her family certainly had their fair share of troubles. “My mum was diagnosed with cancer mid way through so things slowed down quite a bit. It was also difficult managing from Melbourne but I did a number of short stay trips to Townsville when I needed to. Overall, it was a six-month process.”

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Having been purchased for $105,000 11 years ago, the property is currently under contract for $350,000. And with such a good profit in sight, Dani has not just her Block reno experience to thank but also the friends she met during the process, enlisting previous contestants to style the property prior to going on the market. “Jesse and Kenny from My Handsome were knocked out during eliminations on the Fans vs Faves series of The Block but I definitely don’t think Australia saw the best of them. They are based in Townsville and have a successful interior styling business and have recently opened an interiors store for children in the heart of Townsville’s CBD. The brief was bright and modern and Jesse did a fantastic job.”

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Find out more about Dani’s post-Block adventures on her blog, The Home Journal.

Categories
The Block

Episode one of The Block Triple Threat last night

The Block Triple Threat’s first episode certainly got off to an action-packed, edge-of-your-seat, shouting-at-the-TV start last night! Or was that just me shouting and sighing?! Love it!

It was our first chance to get to know the six new couples who will become three before we know it. I don’t feel like I want to get too attached but I’m already starting to form opinions and decide who I might grow to like and who might become annoying! Cousins Brooke and Aimee for example; they’re so clueless yet optimistic, it’s hugely entertaining. I’m still chuckling at the comment that their knowledge of tools was limited to having dated a lot of them! They’re fun but seem worryingly laid back and I’ll be surprised if they make ti though, but I’m prepared to be proven wrong!

WA brother and sister duo (The Block’s first) Luke and Ebony, a carpenter and an interior designer, are also really likeable as are down to earth Queensland couple Ayden and Jess (although it’s clear Jess is the one who will keep things on track!).

Ebony & Luke
Ebony & Luke

I’m not getting strong vibes about the other couples yet which makes me wonder if the editing is showing us more of those who will get through, but it’s such early days, who knows?

Ayden & Jess
Ayden & Jess

They’re not in the Block proper yet, but a rather grotty apartment block with teeny tiny rooms to makeover as their first challenges. Tonight, in episode two, we will see the six room reveals after each couple completes (we hope) their first in 24 hours and with a budget of $10,000. With the lack of progress seen in some of them last night, I don’t hold out much hope! And one couple will be eliminated before the night is out.

block triple threat

[contextly_sidebar id=”gQJOO8bx0FYEiIGnybh9pu5mmV3oAcsy”]New crew member Dan Reilly, previously of Dan and Dani, was introduced as Keith’s righthand man helper ‘foreboy’. Read our interview with Dan.

Once six become five tonight, the next challenge will be a living/dining area each in just 48 hours. Then five will become four and they’ll have 72 hours to complete a bathroom each (let’s hope they’re working a bit faster by this point, eh?). Clearly, the new couples don’t yet know anything about being joined by three previous couples Matt and Kim, Darren and Dee and Bec and George. The producers wouldn’t be smart if they didn’t drag that surprise (for them) out a little longer.

If you missed last night’s episode, you can watch/record the encore on Channel 9 at 1.30pm today.

Categories
Interviews The Block

Dan of Dan & Dani is back as ‘foreboy’ on The Block next week

Admittedly, I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for former Blockhead Dan Reilly (one half of the rather feisty Dan and Dani), but having already competed in two series, I thought it was safe to say that Dan wouldn’t be coming back to The Block anytime soon. But… I was wrong! The Block Triple Threat sees Dan come back not as a contestant, but rather as a foreboy. Fore-what?! I hear you ask. I’ll let Dan explain this one…

dan foreboy the block interiors addict 1

“I’m Keith the foreman’s (fore-man, fore-boy, get it?!) righthand man and we pretty much make sure the build is up to standard. As you can imagine, I’ve copped a lot of flak for my name on site. There’s been a lot of laughing. But I guess I have to own it. I’m happy to be the foreboy, I look at it as if they’re saying I’m still young!”

The Block in Melbourne in Melbourne
Keith and Dan, foreman and foreboy!

Having worked as a site manager for a construction company for the last two years, Dan has had considerable experience running a building site, but little did he realise how hard managing The Block would actually be. “I never knew how hard Keith’s job was because there’s just so much going on. You’ve got the site tradies doing the base build, you’ve got the tradies of the contestants, you’ve got the contestants themselves and then you’ve got all the politics between the contestants, and you get dragged into all of that! It’s a pretty full-on gig, so at the end of the day, you’re as exhausted as everyone else.”

Working 13 hours a day, six days a week (he gets to enjoy a sleep-in on Sundays) Dan has had no issues working under Keith, which comes as a surprise, seeing as they’ve not been shy of an argument in the past. “When I was a contestant, we did have a few arguments. But we are mates, we’ve had a beer and made up! Working under him has been really easy. Obviously, you’d never do anything like The Block normally, so I have been able to learn a lot from both Keith and Scotty.”

dan foreboy the block interiors addict 3

What Dan has found the hardest is navigating his relationships with the contestants, realising he can’t give them too many hints and tips, but rather they’ve got to figure it out themselves. “I sort of still see myself as a contestant, but I’ve kind of jumped ship to the other side and I have to remember that. I have to try not to help and guide the contestants too much. I mean we’re all still friends, we still have a laugh, but when it’s time to be serious, I’m serious with them.”

So has Dan ever had to put his foot down, in the infamous way Keith does oh so well? Yes! “There have been a few tiffs with some contestants. I think it was inevitable. It does happen, that’s just part of the role.”

The Block in Melbourne

With the upcoming The Block Triple Threat set to start next week on 27 January, Dan promises we are in for show that has lots of tears, lots of laughter and is even a little bit brutal! “There’s never been a dynamic like this before. We’ve got six new couples and the way they have to get onto the show is quite brutal I reckon! And then we’ve got three all-star couples competing as well. It does get very full-on at the beginning but it sorts itself out!”

We can’t wait!

Find all The Block latest here.

Categories
House Tours The Block

Dan and Dani sell first property since The Block

Dani and Dan

Two-time Blockheads Dan Reilly and Dani Wales know a lot when it comes to renovating and selling homes. But this time there are no TV cameras and they’re selling their very own apartment.

Dan and Dani in Apartment

Situated in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond, it is the first property they have renovated since being on 2012’s The Block and 2013’s The Block All Stars.

Outside

The pair purchased the one-bed apartment just before they had their TV debut, which saw them juggle renovating The Block house and moving in. “It was such a hectic week as we were working on the master bedroom and en suite on The Block whilst trying to move into our apartment at the same time,” explained Dan.

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