Construction
Choosing Bricks
If you want brick you really need to go and visit one of the brick manufacturers display centres where they have display walls built with the various bricks. Make sure you look at the bricks in the builders standard range…
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Brickwork Fail 2
This brick wall is on a house opposite my bedroom window. To me its wrong on so many levels! Bricks are meant to be laid with a bond rather than stacked like this as it makes a stronger job. To…
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Charged Drainage System
Thanks to SaveH2O, of Supadiverta This diagram indicates a charged drainage system. These are sometimes called either a “wet” or a “pressure” system. With this type of system a section of the pipe always remains full unlike a Conventional System. As the…
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Conventional Drainage
The vast majority of new houses will have a conventional (sometimes called a Gravity, or Open system) storm water drainage system discharging to either: Public Surface Water Drain – Typically in Eastern States Soakwells on Sandy Sites – Mainly in…
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Underground Pipes
It’s important to make sure you are getting the right type of pipes and fittings that will be underground…..you don’t want to be digging up you garden, or paths, in case of blockages. Pipes Some plumbers will want to use,…
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Damp Proof Course (DPC)
The purpose of the outer skin of a building is to keep moisture out of the house structure. A damp proof course, in the brick veneer example shown below, has two purposes: It prevents moisture from the ground rising up…
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Tree Roots in Sewers and Drains
If you are wondering what this photo is about, its been taken from the inside of a 100mm sewer pipe with a CCTV camera. What it shows is the pipe is almost completely blocked with roots that have penetrated the pipe…
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Why Double Brick
Double Brick is the most common method of construction in WA. Construction consists of two panels (sometimes called leaves) of masonry with a cavity between them. The panels are connected by steel ties at regular intervals. A better description would be Structural Masonry,…
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Why Brick Veneer?
Brick veneer is probably the most common method of construction in Australia. However if you live in Western Australia you will find Double Brick is more popular in that state. Although brick veneer is the usual term these comments will…
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Concrete – Pavement Joints 2
Contraction Joints have been previously described in Pavement Joints 1 The second most common form of Joint is the Expansion, or Isolation Joint. Although concrete does shrink as it cures, in hot weather it will expand. Unless an allowance is…
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