Month: December 2013

Rainwater Collection – Quality Issues

This is a fairly typical rainwater collection installation.

Gutters discharging to a pipe which discharges onto a screen fitted to the tank access point, cheap and cheerful!

I must have seen it hundreds of times . . . . . . but it has some negative implications on the water quality you will get from the tank!

Problems

  1. Although the screen keeps leaves, mozzies, and other debris out of the tank it lets sunlight in. This will encourage algae growth inside the tank.
  2. At the top of the tank the screen is out of view and consequently hardly ever gets cleaned. As a consequence the leaves rot and organic materials gets washed into the tank providing nutrients for that algae.
  3. Discharging water into the top of the tank isn’t the best location (see this link:  Inlet Improvements).

Solutions

  • Install a cover over the access point (Something like a round dustbin lid with a hole for the inlet pipe) This will keep the light out, but the issue of the rotting leaves will remain.
  • Screen the leaves out at the gutter discharge using a rainwater diverter with a self cleaning screen (for an example see this link: Supadiverta), and pipe the inlet  flow to the bottom of the tank.

 

For more posts see Rainwater

 

House in “The Cloud” ?


It looks like it’s a house that Apple’s Steve Jobs might have owned.

No Surprise that this Melbourne House is known the Cloud House.

Certainly stunning from this view, but you would never know it from the street, as it’s actually a rear extension to an Edwardian House.

This photo is from the Homesthetic.net website where you will find some more photographs (Well worth a look. if only for the ‘Loud’ carpet)

 

For more Unusual House Photos, and Fails, have a look at: What the………………….?

 

Hydrant Letter Box – Fail

 

Another one of those houses where I walked up and down the street 2-3 times before I realised the owner had used a hydrant cover as a letter box.

 

Don’t people want to get any post? . . . . . . .

It seems not if you look at the size of the slot or the door at the back, they are both tiny! . . . .  . . . . definitely a FAIL!

Not sure about the legality either!

 

See Letter Boxes for the minimum recommended sizes.

 

For more Fails and unusual houses go to What the………….?

 

 

6 Reasons For Not Having A Pool

With the first month of summer some people are thinking about swimming pools . . . . . Not Me! and here’s why:

Safety  –  Last year 43 Australians drowned in swimming pools (RLS Drowning Report) including 18 children under 5.  For every death there is at least one more child left with permanent brain impairment.

Cost  –  Not just the initial cost, but serious ongoing costs of around $1000/year for the average pool.  These include; power to run the filters, heating (even with solar heating you need to run a pump), and chemicals .

Poor Investment  –  It’s very unlikely to increase the value of your house.  The presence of a pool will actually put plenty of people off!  If you are planning to rent out your house you will probably still need to pay someone to maintain the pool, as most tenants will probably not be interested.

No Exercise Benefit A push off the wall and a couple of strokes to get to the other end, you will get more exercise walking round the block.

Limited Use Most pools hardly get used after the first year. Even if you have got children who want to use the pool have you got the time to supervise them properly (see Safety above).

Maintenance  –  Leaves, dead birds, mice, insects, spiders you can find them all in the filters. If you don’t clean them out regularly, and check the chemical balance, you are going to have a nasty looking pool.

If you do decide to get a pool make sure you keep it clean by checking out this cleaner guide by Globo Surf

 

Don’t agree . . . . .why not leave a comment?

 

 

Plumbing Acronyms

There are a lot of acronyms used on plumbing drawings so here are a few definitions:

AG – Agricultural (Drains)
B – Basin
Bth – Bath
BT – Boundary Trap
DP – Down Pipe
FW – Floor Waste
HWS – Hot Water Service
IC – Inspection Chamber
IS – Inspection Shaft (also IO -Inspection Opening)
ORG – Overflow Relief Gully
PRV – Pressure Reducing Valve
RRJ – Rubber Ring Joints
RWH – Rain Water Head
SHR – Shower
ST – Stop Tap
SW – Storm Water Pipe (or SWD – Storm Water Drain)
SWJ – Solvent Welded Joints
TR – Laundry Trough
VC – Vitrified Clay
VP – Vent Pipe (sometimes UVP – Upstream Vent Pipe)
WC – Water Closet (Toilet)
S –  Kitchen Sink
SV – Stop Valve

If you have seen an acronym you don’t understand, then let me know, and I will try to give you an answer.

See Jargon for more posts

 

Beagle House

Not actually a house . . . . but you can stay the night in the dog for only $98 a night.

 

I’m not so sure about that staircase going up just below the tail though!!

 

The ‘Dog’ is called Sweet Willie at the Dog Bark Park, Cottonwood, Idaho.

 

For more Fails and unusual houses go to What the………….?

 

Underground Garage

Basement, or underground garages are becoming more popular.

Its one way of getting a bigger house on a smaller inner suburban block.

Before you make a decision to go for this solution its worth thinking about the cost, and the risk.

Cost

They aren’t a cheap solution for a few reasons:

  • There is a lot of additional excavation with all excavated soil needing to be removed. Expect to pay over$100/cubic m
  • Supporting adjacent properties during excavation. You are probably going to be excavating below the foundation level of your neighbours, so its not just digging a big hole. Specialised techniques to do this safely will add to the cost
  • Not only are the basement floor and walls going to be strong they are going to have to be waterproof.
  • As the garage floor is probably going to be below the Storm Water Drains you will need a  pumping to keep the garage dry.

Risk

The drainage company I work for has had to pump out several flooded basement garages over the past few years. The reasons for this are:

  • Even in Melbourne a heavy storm can easily result in over 25mm/hour.
  • For a driveway like the one in the photo above with a total area of around 100 m2 that means about 2500/hour litres flowing into the garage.
  • With that sort of rain you might also get water coming off the street, or the garden.
  • If the pump blocks, or there is a power cut  the water can quickly build up.

Haven’t got room for a ramp? . . . Check out a different idea at this link: Spot the Garage!

 

Have you ever had problems with an underground garage?

 

 

Building Certification Inspections

All house builds have to be inspected to check on their compliance with the Building Code of Australia.

These Certification Inspections used to be carried out by the Local Council. Nowadays there is no requirement for a builder to use any particular certifier so many builders choose their own private certifier.

There are a limited number of inspections as follows:

All Houses

  • After excavation for, and prior to the pouring of, foundations;
  • Prior to covering of the frame;
  • Prior to covering waterproofing in wet areas;
  • For the issuing of the Occupation Certificate.

Additional Inspections

If required the following will be added to the basic four inspections

  • Prior to pouring any in-situ reinforced concrete building element ;
  • After the construction of a swimming pool is completed to inspect the child resisting barrier has been erected.

Warning

These inspections are a confirmation that the building meets a basic level of construction. They do not inspect every element of your house  and are not an indication of the overall quality of the build. (See Compliance not Quality for more information)

 

How Adverse Possession Can Affect Buying A Block

Did  you know its still possible to take over ownership of someone else’s private land?

This makes it important to check the Land Title Plan dimensions against the actual site dimensions of your new house block for the following reasons:

  • If the actual dimensions are bigger it doesn’t mean the seller owns the ‘extra’ land unless they can demonstrate adverse possession.
  • If the land is smaller a neighbour may have ‘acquired’  ownership by adverse possession.

Either way you could be in for a considerable amount of legal costs to get the ownership of the land sorted out.

Adverse Possession

Adverse Possession is when someone becomes the owner of land through continued exclusive use of that land.

Limitation Period

Before land can be obtained by adverse possession there has to be continued use use of the land for an extended period. That period is different for the various states as follows:

  • Victoria, 15 years
  • South Australia, 15 years
  • New South Wales, 12 years
  • Western Australia, 12 years
  • Tasmania, 12 years
  • Queensland, 12 years

Crown (Government) Land

With the exception of New South Wales and Tasmania you cannot claim Crown Land. In those two states a longer (30 year) limitation period applies.

The reasons are that it is harder for a government to keep an eye on its lands, and it is assumed that the government hold possessions for the public good, despite any apparent neglect.

How Adverse Possession Claims Work

Adverse possession means not mere occupation but also actual physical possession in an open and peaceful manner, without consent of the original owner.

Any form of permission ( a licence, a lease, or an agreement to use the land), and the claim of adverse possession will fail because it will be clear that the owner gave consent for use with no intention to pass over ownership.

Proof to the Titles Office in your State that the land has been  occupied for the entire period of time is required.  

Evidence will be, that as a minimum, at least one of the following has occurred for the whole of the limitation period :

  • A secure fence has been in place without challenge ;
  • ‘Keep Out, Private Land’ signs have been erected without challenge;
  • Payment of rates and taxes.

The information in this post is of a general nature and you should not try to deal with adverse possession issues without involving a lawyer.

 

For more Information why not look at: anewhouse Guide to Buying a Block

 

 

 

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