Construction
Different Driveway
I see a fair bit of discussion in forums about whether to go for a plain concrete driveway of the additional expanse of an exposed aggregate surface. While I was in Japan last year I saw this concrete driveway which…
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Different Roof Drainage
Most of us are used to the traditional Australian roof drainage connecting to down pipes . . . . but this isn’t how everyone sees it. The Hawaii Solution Travelling around Hawaii I was quite surprised to see how many…
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Driveway Slope
If your vehicle is a specially adapted off-roader like this Land Rover then driveway slope is not going to be an issue. For the rest of us it is something you should be aware of. If you have lowered your…
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Alternatives to Retaining Walls
When it comes to a change of gradient in your land most people just thing ‘Retaining wall’. Perhaps you should think about some alternatives using a slope. What you need to consider is how to make sure at that erosion…
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Drain Fail?
How about this picture of the water missing the drain? Is this a design failure? Well that’s what www.diply.com, where I found this photo, thought! Actually its a construction quality failure that is more common than it should be. Whats happened is…
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What are the different types of construction?
Guest Post by Aaron There are a variety of house construction methods available for your new build. Each method has its own advantages and some are more popular than others. Most Australian builders are used to building brick veneer, with the…
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Patterned Brickwork
What do you think of patterned brickwork? I think it can look well if its used with restraint and understanding. Unfortunately I don’t think this example that I recently saw qualifies. Those triple block features at the window are supposed…
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The Biggest Threat Our Construction Companies Are Facing
Guest post by Andre Smith Towards the end of last year a Chinese PhD student was in Australia to research ways construction companies could optimise the way they worked. In the process of doing so, he discovered the biggest risk…
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Poor Building Quality In The News
For anyone who thinks they can just leave everything to the builder this recent report in the Melbourne Age makes depressing reading:Faulty Building Crisis. A lot of the issues relate to damp, particularly: Leaks through the ceiling. Leaks through rendered foam…
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What Do Builder’s Warranties Cover?
The ‘Statutory Builders Warranty’ or Guarantee is 10 years although some builders offer periods of up to 25 years . . . . but what do you get? Well the overall Warranty only applies to the main elements of the house…
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