Month: December 2015

Bushfire Preparation – Protective Clothing

singletThis is a singlet . . . . . it is not protective clothing!

Yet every year (including this week, December 2015) I see on the news someone fighting a bushfire around their property wearing a singlet and shorts.

If you build your new house in an area at bushfire risk a singlet is not going to protect you from:

  • Burns from Flames, Sparks and Embers;
  • Extreme heat leading to Heat Exhaustion;
  • Smoke, damaging you lungs.

Even if you plan to leave you may get trapped by a fast moving bushfire . . . . so it’s best to have proper protection for everyone in your household.

Protective Clothing

Here is some advice on what your protective clothing should include:

  • Heavy cotton pants, for example denim jeans;
  • Long-sleeved shirt (made out of natural fibres such as cotton or wool);
  • Strong leather work boots with thick woollen or cotton socks;
  • Leather gloves;
  • Hard hat or wide-brimmed hat;
  • Glasses or goggles to protect your eyes against smoke, embers and debris in the air;
  • Leather gloves;
  • A face mask to protect your mouth or nose.

Make sure everything is loose fitting and made from all natural fibres.

It’s even better if you can have a natural fibre coat or overall as well. . . . Just check out what the firemen wear.

For more information check your state bushfire service website.

 

Don’t Just Leave It To The Independent Inspector!

It is quite common for people getting a new house built to get an Independent Building Inspector.

I don’t think that means that you should just leave is all to someone else.

For instance if you see some dodgy looking brickwork, like this photo, its far better to voice your concerns as soon as you see it.

The sooner you let people know the sooner something can be done about it.

It is relatively quick and easy to knock down a few courses of dodgy brickwork.

Knocking down the bricks for the entire house, close to the end of the build, is a different matter!

The same principle applies to every stage of the build.

You may not be an expert. . . . but if it looks wrong to your untrained eye – It probably is wrong!

 

Thanks to Mowbary Arch for the photograph.

Pyramid Power?

I wonder of the builder of this house did it because of some of the weird myths about pyramids.

These include the idea that the shape of the pyramids harnesses regenerative powers that will:

  • Sharpen knives, and razor blades,
  • Age wine,
  • Preserve foods,
  • Purify tap water,
  • Improve TV reception,
  • Reduce pain,
  • Assist in meditation.

Photo from alien-ufo-sightings.com

 

For more Unusual Houses and Fails see What the………………….?

Don’t Put Up A Key Rack

photo from http://www.instructables.com

A popular gift for a new house is a key rack.

Well I don’t think they are a good idea.

I recently heard an insurance expert say that he believed half the car thefts in Australia were as a result of someone breaking into the home and stealing the keys.

So why put a key rack next to the door and make it easy for them?

Especially if the rack can be seen through a glass panel!

I always keep the keys on my person until I go to bed, when the keys go on the bedside table.

How about you?

The attractive key rack photo is from the www.instructables.com  web site, a great resource for DIY ideas. . . . You could always use it for hanging kitchen tools.

 

Butler’s Pantry? or Bigger Fridge?

©www.bobvila.com

One of the ‘Design Trends’ that I have seen over the last two or three years  is the ‘Butlers Pantry’.

But how many of us have a Butler?

In my opinion its just another marketing idea to make you pay more for your new house.

What Does a Butlers Pantry Mean?

Well the original meaning was a storage place for the best silverware and china, and the butlers office . . . not a food preparation area.

In some European Grand Houses the butler even had a bed in the pantry to provide extra security overnight.

These days it seems to mean a second kitchen, that could add $20,000-  $30,000 to the cost of your new house.

Why?

The reasons I hear are:

  • Extra room for storage.
  • Extra room for food preparation
  • You can hide away the mess that you make when you are preparing a big meal.
  • Somewhere to hide away all the dirty dishes.

Why Not?

Apart from the cost, the reasons why not are:

  • Most of the Houses that have butlers pantries have kitchens with lots of storage anyway. so the extra storage will probably fill with stuff you are never going to use again.
  • Do you really want to do your food preparation in a poky butlers pantry when you have a large, well lit, kitchen bench.
  • Entertaining shouldn’t be like an episode of ‘My Kitchen Rules’ or ‘Masterchef’ so do the preparation, and clean up, before the guest arrive! What the working chefs call ‘Mise En Place’.
  • If you have done the preparation early then you can have the dishwasher empty and the dishes go straight in.

What’s The Alternative?

Well I work in a production kitchen and every day I see lots of preparation going on at least 24 hours in advance of the time that the food is going to be served.

Rather than spend the many thousands on the butlers pantry it might be best spending around $1,000 on a bit bigger fridge to store your prepared ingredients.

 

If you really must have a pantry why not check out these Hints On Organising.

 

Do You Want To Be A Caveman?

Just don’t expect it to be cheap.

Some of the issues are:

  • Effective waterproofing.
  • Stronger than normal structure required.
  • Getting enough natural light into the rooms.
  • Additional design, both architecture and engineering.

One advantage is that the earth does provide a steady background temperature which can save on heating and cooling costs

Interested? . . . To see some other underground homes check out the inhabitat.com website

For more Unusual Houses and Fails see What the………………….?

Dishwasher Noise

Many of us get a new dishwasher when moving into a new house.

With some builders it’s included in an ‘Upgrade Package’

You might check on the energy rating and the water consumption . . . . but how many of us check how noisy it is?

With our last new house our dishwasher was fairly quiet . . . but with our current flat the dishwasher drowns out the TV!

Dishwasher noise may not be an issue if you have a ‘Butlers Pantry’ but most of us have the family TV near the kitchen area.

Loudness

The preferred background sound level of a living room is 40dB (decibels) with increases in sound level of 3dB being apparent to the human ear.

My research has found the loudness of dishwashers commonly available in Australia ranges from 40dB to 55dB. (55dB is 3 times as loud as 40dB and will make quiet conversation difficult)

it is not unusual to see a difference of 6 – 8dB across the range of a single manufacturer so check carefully before you buy.

Just because your existing dishwasher is quiet doesn’t mean another model from the same manufacturer will also be the same.

 

 

Exit mobile version