Windows into Gembrook

It is about time Peter shared a bit about how the Gembrook building alterations are going. The last part of the story looked at the termite problem and the construction of a wardrobe (June 08). An earlier story covered an "interior reformation" and the installation of the first window (May 08). A lot has happened since. The termite highway has been discovered and blocked. More rooms have been created and three more windows have been installed.

The two additional windows along the north wall were simple projects because they fitted neatly between the structural studs of the building after the wall cladding had been removed. Later on Peter and Steve will put up a weatherboard external cladding as a final step in those renovations.

Another much more complicated window was installed on the south wall. This wall is cavity brick, double brick! This required removing bricks, mortaring in split bricks, and building a timber frame to house the window itself, and get the flashing (weatherproofing) right. This window will be the new toilet window, and a story about that project should come later on.

It is a strange experience to "break through" from the interior. It is something akin to an imagined prison breakout. From a spiritual perspective, we pull away the last of the wall of our world and we find the beauty of God's world waiting in all its glory. That's the feeling each time. And the Gembrook Retreat offers that beauty, especially to the north. Truly magnificent.