Author Archive: Brian Ashworth
Brick Ties
Brick ties, although small, have an important part to play in the structural strength of your new home. In brick veneer construction, ties are used to pass all the sideways forces across the cavity (such as from wind) to the frame….
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Modern ‘Castle’
Here is an interesting ‘Castle’ in Perth. It seems a bit of a mixed architecture with a Gothic Castle Tower added to what looks to be a Roman Style Villa. Although its not to my taste, one of the things I like…
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Do You Need A Home Theatre?
I keep reading articles about issues with the affordability of Australian houses. . . . . but then find lot’s of you want a ‘Media Room’ in your new houses! So how much is a basic Home Theatre going to add to the cost of…
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Timber Frames – Packing
An issue with timber frames is making sure that the frame is bedded securely on the floor slab. . . . You don’t want movement of the frame when the house is completed! Flatness of the Slab You may think…
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Home Of The Tooth Fairy? – Win!
I recently spotted this interesting fence on my travels. No it’s not the Tooth Fairy, but it is a dentist in Aspendale Gardens, a suburb of Melbourne. Definitely a Win for an eye catching way of advertising his practice! If…
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Temporary Down Pipes
A great way to stop the building site from becoming water logged is for the builder to install temporary down pipes as soon as the roof has been covered. Although this is generally good practice it is really important if you are building…
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$6 Million Home Theatre
Yes you saw it right! This price of the home theatre is $6,000,000! The rest of the house is extra! The sound system includes 72 speakers each powered by its own $8,000 analogue amplifier paired with a $18,000 digital amplifier. To deliver…
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Light ‘Colour’
When you are buying a light bulb you may have noticed the box says things like “Warm White” or “Daylight White” but what does it mean? . . . . . . and which should you buy? Colour Temperature Light…
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Builder’s Christmas Shutdown
Every Year I hear complaints of “Everything has stopped on my House Build for a month” What can make it worse is when the builder ‘Tries’ to claim an ‘Extension of Time’ for the Build. What Does The Contract Say?…
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Big Window – Fail
I have previously talked about Good Orientation and Window Size in this Blog. It’s not as though this sort of information is secret knowledge. . . . . I would have thought all architects would be aware of the importance of these sort of…
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