Month: April 2014

Quirky Rome Apartment 2

Earlier this week I posted about the quirky apartment we have rented in Rome.

Here are a couple more photographs.

The first shows the wall that separates the entrance hall from the Bathroom / Laundry.

The wall is a translucent material with a blue tinge on the external surface and a white surface on the bathroom side.

The lights are mounted inside the wall to illuminate both rooms.

I am sure you will agree that it gives quite an unusual effect.

Another interesting thing was the security.

This photo shows the locking mechanism on the steel lined door.

It looks more like the lock on a bank vault than a domestic dwelling.

Don’t think I have shown you all the quirks;  I have left some for any readers to check out if they decide to visit.

See the previous post on a Quirky Rome Apartment to find out more.

 
NB. I have not been paid, nor received a discount on accommodation, for this post.
 

 

Quirky Rome Apartment

I am on holiday in Rome at the moment.

When I travel, rather than stop in a Hotel, I prefer to rent an apartment and feel a little bit more like a local.

The apartment I am renting here is more than a little bit quirky so thought I would share some of the design ideas over the next couple of posts.

The above photo shows the bed ‘cave’ . . . you go down 4 stairs to a ‘bed room’ which is only just bigger than the bed and has no windows; its easy to sleep late, with no curtains to let light in.

The next picture shows the stairs from the entrance door up to the living/dining area.

The individual stairs are cantilevered of the wall off the building with no balustrade, although there is an adjacent bulkhead.

Not as dangerous as this staircase (Safe Stair-Fail) but I don’t think it would meet the Building Code of Australia.

We are really enjoying staying here in very centrally located apartment at only 110 euros a night.

If you are planning to visit Rome and want to stay somewhere different you can find this apartment at www.airbnb.com

NB. I have not been paid, nor received a discount on accommodation, for this post.

Teapot Chimney

I saw this whimsical chimney while I was out and about in Melbourne’s South East Suburbs the other day.

It was on a 1930 house with a few Art Deco features.

It certainly made me smile!

Sorry about the picture quality but it was take with a basic phone camera from a considerable distance on a dull day.

I have since found out the chimney was in fact a ‘Secret Sign’ as this house was a “Sly Grog Shop’ (where you could get a beer when pubs had to shut on a Saturday)

 

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

 

 

Onsite Stormwater Dention – Why

If you want to redevelop or subdivide an existing urban house block, you might find that a planning condition is that you will need to provide On-site Stormwater Detention (OSD).

You may also find it is a condition on individual blocks on smaller subdivisions.

Why Is Onsite Stormwater Detention Needed?

Before development of towns and cities a large proportion of the rain that fell in an area soaked into the ground or flowed slowly across the land to a creek or river. When areas started to be developed two things happened:

  • More and more of the land was built on, or paved, which meant rain was unable to soak into this ground.
  • Stormwater drains were built to carry the rainwater quickly away from the houses to be discharged into streams and creeks.

Initially while Australia had a small population this didn’t cause too many problems.

Since the mid 1950’s and the rapid growth in population more and more land has been built on.

The result has been more and more water has been discharged surface water drainage systems causing overloading of the piped systems and flooding of the rivers.

In order to try and reduce flooding Planning Authorities are attempting to reduce rainwater flows from developments to a flows similar to an undeveloped site.

OSD On Large Subdivisions

If you buy a block on a large subdivision it is unlikely that you will be asked to provide OSD on your Block.  This is because large developers  as a condition of the overall development have to provide Stormwater Detention Storage for the whole development.

The way they usually do this is by making much of the open space they also have to provide as Ponds, Lakes or Wetlands, which can fill up during periods of rain and then slowly empty. (Now you know why so many developments have a reference to Water in their name)

Other posts will explain more about how the Storage Volumes are Calculated and will look at various storage options.

Guide to Buying a Block has lots of info like this on what to look for before you buy land.

 

Types of Floor Joists

Build a single storey house on a slab and you don’t need joists . . . . but if you have a suspended floor, or you have a two storey house, your structure will need joists.

When I first started getting interested in houses the standard joist was a solid timber section, something you rarely see these days.

Modern alternatives are lighter, use less wood and can span greater distances than the solid joists.

With the wide range of joists used in house construction I thought I would show three common alternatives to traditional timber joists.

 

HY Joists

These composite joists are lighter and use far less timber than a solid joist for an equivalent span.

They comprise of a solid timber ‘flanges’ bonded to a ‘web’ of plywood.

They provide room for services like heating and cooling ducts as long as the services run parallel with the joists.

In this photo you can see the ‘end blocking’ which is used to ensure the joints don’t topple over.

Pryda Longreach Truss Joists

These trusses are assembled using standard timber sections for both the chords ( the top and bottom timbers) and the connecting webs.

Joins are with gang nail plates at each connection point.

This truss does give more flexibility with the direction that services can be run, than the HY Joists.

Posi Strut Truss Joists

Pryda Span trusses have metal diagonal webs to save weight and cost.

They are better for shallower trusses where there is more clearance room to accommodate services than a timber web product.

In some instances, some of the diagonal metal webs may be replaced by timber websdependant on load or geometry considerations.

Webs may be on both faces of the truss or just on alternate faces depending on the design loading.

 

See Timber Frames for more posts about your house structure.

 

Forever Home

I often hear people talking about ‘Our Forever Home’ . . . . . . . well this is a $2,000,000 Forever Home.

Some of the features include:

  • Located in extensive ‘Gated Community’.
  • Very quiet neighbours.
  • Marble lined walls.
  • Air Conditioning.
  • Lift to the ‘Basement’.

I can’t think of many people who would be keen to ‘Move In’ though!

It’s actually a crypt in Melbourne’s Springvale Cemetery.

 

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

 

 

DIY Painting, Is It Worth It?

Graphic from www.clker.com

Painting doesn’t seem so hard to do.

Some people say “Why not paint our new house ourselves rather than pay the builder and save money?”

Well I have done plenty of painting of individual rooms over the years but I wouldn’t attempt a new house!

A figure I have heard from an amateur doing the surface preparation and painting of ceilings and walls only (not the woodwork) is around 180 hours for a 300 square m house.

Even if you have got a 200 square house its still 120 hours before you start on the woodwork. Add the woodwork and it will probably be at least another 60 hours.

Assuming there are two of you painting for 6 hours per day that can be over 7 weekends. This consequences are:

  • If you want the painting doing before you move that could be paying another couple of months rent where you live. That will eat into any savings from doing it yourself.
  • If you do it after you move you are going to be living in a mess for around 2 months. All your spare time will be used up painting, while all the other jobs that you find when you move, will have to wait.

About the only painting I would do myself would be painting a feature wall. Even then I would have the decorator do the initial painting of the wall. This would mean:

  • There would be no rush to paint.
  • All the surface preparation would be completed.

If you are going to paint yourself here are a few hints:

  • Invest in some good brushes and look after them.
  • Don’t try painting with a brush out of a big tin of paint, drop it and it makes a huge mess! Decant it into a half litre container.
  • For painting large walls a roller is the way to go. I regard these as disposable as they are difficult to clean well. You can wrap it with cling film and it should be OK to use the next morning, longer and plan on using a new roller.
  • Get some of those disposable overalls with a hood, because you are going to spill paint, and its worse if it gets in your hair.
  • When you have put the top securely on a paint can store it upside down, this stops it getting a skin on the top.
  • Make sure you get plenty of drop sheets or builders plastic on the floor.

 

See the Selection / Pre-Start Guide for more to think about when finalising your new home

 

Beware of Escalation Clauses

What Are Escalation Clauses

These are a way of allowing for inflation. Basically it provides a way for the builder to increase his costs in line with inflation.

The Clause will quote an inflation index which can be used to adjust the stage payments.

When Are They Used

I have only used escalation clauses in civil engineering contracts, when one or more of the following apply:

  • The contracts expected to take more than a year to complete.
  • The work will be carried out in a period of very high inflation.
  • If there will be a lot of imported materials and fittings that would be affected by a loss in value of the dollar.

Why I Don’t Like Them.

  1. Taking the time pressure of the builder means there is less pressure on the builder to complete the works in a timely manner.
  2. Escalation clauses are a way of transferring risk from the builder to you. . . . . . . If the builder want to have this clause is he going to offer a price discount for reducing his risk?
  3. With imported materials there are alternative methods of reducing the risk of currency fluctuation, such as buying materials in advance.
  4. Sometimes the inflation index may not relate accuratly to the actual costs paid out by the builder allowing them to make extra profit.

 

See Contract Payments for more posts

 

Risks of DIY Remodeling

One of my favourite ‘Waste of Time’ activities is reading the Not Always Right website.

Below is a recent post which indicates  the problems of DIY house remodeling!

Going Totally Off The Wall

(I work for a company that builds homes and develops land. As per California law, we warranty our homes for a ten-year period after the house is bought. Our warranty covers structural defects.)

Me: “Warranty. [My Name] speaking. How can I help you?”

Caller: “Hello, my house has a structural defect. I want you to fix it.”

Me: “Okay, ma’am. Could you give me your address? And what exactly is the defect in question?”

Caller: “My address is [address].”

Me: “Okay, I see you in our system. Could you tell me the problem, and I will see what I can do about entering a ticket for you.”

Caller: “The walls are not strong enough. You have to send someone here to put in better walls.”

Me: “The walls are not strong enough? Are they bowing, or cracking?”

Caller: “No, the ones that are still standing are fine.”

Me: “The ones that are… still standing…?”

Caller: “Yes. I wanted to remodel to make my living room and kitchen one big room, but it was too expensive. I saw a demolition crew do wall removals on those home improvement shows, so I just got a chainsaw and cut the wall out myself.”

Me: “Okay… so you ‘remodeled?’”

Caller: “Yeah! But then my house caved in.”

Me: “… Ma’am, are you saying you cut down a load-bearing wall in your home with a chainsaw?”

Caller: “Well, I didn’t know it was load-bearing. But this is clearly a structural defect! The roof caved in, and I’ve been living here for 16 years! I could sue you for endangering my life all this time!”

Me: “Ma’am, it was not a structural defect.”

Caller: “How can you say that?! THE ROOF CAVED IN!”

Me: “Because you chopped down a load-bearing wall!”

Caller: “THIS IS NOT MY FAULT! I DESERVE A BRAND NEW HOUSE! IT WAS A STRUCTURAL DEFECT, AND I HAVE A WARRANTY!”

photo from http://www.buildingdiy.com/

Me: “Your house was under warranty for 10 years. Your house is 16 years old. It was structurally sound until you made it structurally unsound, by CUTTING OUT A LOAD-BEARING WALL WITH A CHAINSAW.”

Caller: “YOU OWE ME A NEW HOUSE! YOU OWE ME A NEW HOUSE! I’LL SUE! I’LL SUE YOU!” *click*

 

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

 

 

Termites

Did you know Australia has around 15 species of termite which can damage the timbers in your new house.

Although some species of timber are resistant to termites none are termite-proof. In practice any structure containing wood can be attacked, unless protective measures are taken.

Even if you have got a steel framed house, or double brick, you will still have timber in things like doors and architraves.

photo from Wickipedia

Know Your Enemy

Termites are more like cockroaches than ants.

Subterranean termites do more damage to timber than either damp wood or dry wood termites.

The termites generally remain within a system of tunnels that can extend 50m, from the central nest, to food sources.

Its not unusual for the termites to build their tunnels round any barriers so no matter what termite protection you use you still have to inspect the barriers regularly.

In order to get to their food source of wood, termites can damage materials they cannot digest such as plastics, rubber, metal or mortar.

Protective Measures

In the past certain areas were identified as at risk of termite attack while others were considered termite free. I thick it is much better to consider all properties at risk.

I’m not a fan of regular spraying of chemicals so for me a permanent barrier is a must.

Basically you need a continuous barrier to prevent termites climbing up through the external wall and individual protection around any pipes and conduits that penetrate the slab.

Options for the barrier in the walls, in order of rising cost include:

  • Exposed Concrete This is cheap and effective as it involves leaving the bare concrete of the slab exposed for a minimum of 75mm. Unfortunately not very attractive,  although you could use a concrete paint to match the brick colour.
  • Barrier Containing Insecticide Probably the most common is  Kordon, which is a  combined DPC and termite protection. It is two layers of plastic sandwiching an insecticide impregnated layer. (Expect to pay around $1,500)
  • Termimesh A fine stainless steel mesh. (expect to pay around $2,000)

Last time I built I used Termimesh as I was concerned about appearance, and preferred not to use chemicals.

 

Decisions on your new home? . .  see  Selection/Pre-Start Guide

Only $4

 

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