A Father’s Day Tribute to My Dad, My Backbone, and the Bloke Who Refused to Let Me Use Liquid Nails for Everything
Some dads help with school projects.
Some dads help you move.
My dad, Albino, drove across actual state lines—with a van full of tools and a suspiciously judgmental look—to help me build an entire house.
Albino is not your average dad.
He’s a Portuguese-born master carpenter who has spent decades turning timber into art and side-eyeing any shortcut involving a glue gun.
When I told him I was building a house, he didn’t flinch.
He didn’t ask when. He didn’t ask why.
He just said:
“Okay. I’ll bring the drop saw.”
And then he drove across the country.
Not for a quick visit. Not for a few days.
He showed up multiple times to help me build the whole thing — from the ground up — one laser-levelled, perfectly square frame at a time.
He didn’t just lift walls.
He lifted me — every single time I was ready to throw in the towel (and occasionally, the cordless drill).
And when I said things like “I think I can manage this part myself,”
he’d nod... wait till I walked away...
and then rebuild it properly.
But it wasn’t just the house.
Albino helped me build Hardware Concepts from the ground up — literally.
When the doors weren’t right (again),
when we were this close to giving up because we just couldn’t find the quality we dreamed of —
Albino would show up like the carpenter Batman,
armed with a tape, a pencil behind his ear, and a very honest opinion.
He didn’t just keep me sane.
He kept me square.
Level. Plumb. Flush. You get it.
Even today, if I so much as mention a door that needs redesigning,
I swear I hear him revving the ute before I finish the sentence.
So this Father’s Day, I want to say thank you to the man who:
- Crossed state borders like he was popping down to Bunnings
- Taught me that “near enough” is absolutely not good enough
- Could spot a crooked frame from three postcodes away
- And has been there — in every build, every breakdown, every version of Hardware Concepts — with tools, wisdom, and an eyebrow raised just high enough to make me rethink my design choices
Dad, you didn’t just help me build a house.
You helped me build a home, a business, and the belief that no problem is too big — as long as you’ve got a level, a plan, and a dad like you.
(Also… I still think Liquid Nails has its place.)
Happy Father’s Day, Albino. You’re the reason every door we’ve made stands tall.
Legend status: Certified.