Yearly Archive: 2014
Virtual Build?
I recently saw an advert for ‘MyPlace’ a ‘Virtual Build Information System’ by Burbank. What Is A Virtual Build Information System? MyPlace is a virtual construction site which provides a visual aid in the progress of your home’s construction. It…
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Builders Excuses
Lets face it, building isn’t always easy. Each house has its own problems and the builders have to deal with the weather. Things do go wrong . . . so the measure of a good builder is how they resolve…
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Ikea Hacking
Like this set of unusual shelves I saw on the Dornob Site? Well furniture like this doesn’t have to cost a packet! This unit was built using components from standard Ikea Flat Packs assembled in a different way. Interested ….
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Overhanging Brickwork
Unfortunately brickwork overhanging the slab like this is more common than it should be. . . . but it’s often not the brickie’s fault. How it Happens Normally the problem is that the slab has been constructed smaller than the…
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OTIS The Tiny ‘House’
How small can you go? Well this is the Optimal Traveling Independent Space(OTIS) It’s a 6.7 square metre “living system” that can be towed on a trailer. The pod-shaped tiny house includes indoor ‘plumbing’ in the form of a composting…
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Height Above Ground
For the typical modern house with slab on ground base there are two minimum heights above ground level that need to be considered: Next to the building. Distance of 1m away. The reason for these minimums is to keep water…
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Front Fence Win
What do you think about this front fence? Ever seen one like this before? As well as looking different I think it looks attractive, and does the job of separating the front yard from the street. For me this…
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Understanding Ceiling Insulation
I frequently see comments like “Ceiling insulation is next to worthless in summer.” I have even heard people say “With a hot roof space it will be overwhelmed.” and “After the sun has gone off it stops the house cooling down.” Here…
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Rainfall Intensity
When most people think about rainfall they think about the amount of rainfall . . . . . . . . . but it’s just as important to understand how hard it can rain, the ‘Rainfall Intensity’. The ‘Rainfall Intensity’…
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Smart Wiring and Wireless
Well ‘Smart Wiring’ is really a generic term that covers anything from control of home automation, to high speed data services. Probably the best descriptions is to talk about ‘Hard Wired’ and ‘Wireless’ components with a well set up new…
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