Construction
Construction – Holes In Timber Frames
The house frame has all been completed, and inspected . . . . and then some idiot plumber drills holes in the frame like this! Right through the bottom plate, and the top plate, of both storeys of the house! Holes are…
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Concrete Cracking – Pattern of Fine Cracks
Some people refer to these as ‘spiderweb’ cracks but the technical name is ‘mapping cracks’. That’s because they can look like a street map. Generally they are much more obvious after rain as water seeps doown into the cracks. These cracks are typically…
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Concrete Curing Membrane
One simple thing to improve the quality of concrete is to use a spray applied curing membrane. . . it’s a pity that this techniques doesn’t seem to be used much in Australian domestic building. Purpose of Membrane These membranes…
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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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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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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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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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Concrete Paving – Key Joints
I have previously talked about the importance of Well Designed Concrete Paving so here is a product that will help you achieve that. It’s called the Connelly Key Joint A galvanised steel strip forms a keyway in the vertical face of the…
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Sleeper Wall – Appearance
Have you thought about about concrete for your sleeper wall? As well as plain concrete it’s possible to have a wide variety of other finishes, and colours. Here is an interesting ‘Stacked Stone’ appearance wall I saw the other week. Some of the…
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Silt Pits
Any drainage system should have silt pits at regular intervals. This includes both stormwater systems and agricultural drains. In the case of the above photo this is a combination drain and grate silt pit. (As the water can become stagnant…
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