Category: Design

Manhole

When I started in the drainage business 40 years ago we called them Manholes.

Since then due to political correctness we have had; Person Holes, Access Points, Inspection Pits, but now we seem to be coming back to calling them Manholes.

We are not talking about the small inspection covers less than 300mm across for the individual house system but pits big enough for someone to climb down to inspect the public sewer or council storm drain.

Some manholes look like the photo, some have round concrete covers and some have square concrete covers.

But what does it mean to you?

Appearance

The initial issue is that the manhole may spoil the look of your driveway or paved area of the garden.

Maintenance

Hopefully with most new developments it will be quite a while before something goes wrong. Rebuilding in a long established area you may not be as lucky. For older sewers tree roots getting into the pipes are a big cause of problems, which might need action a couple of times a year.

Well if something goes wrong with the public system someone will want access to the manhole

Don’t bury the manhole or cover it with paving. You don’t want to delay things if there is a blocked pipe which affect you.

When you plan your house It’s going to be easier if you can give access to the manhole without workmen going through the house, or garage. If not you might have to take some time off work.

 

Also see Easements

 

Roller Shutters – Fail

Sorry if you like them……….. but I just don’t get roller shutters!

To me they just say someone has got it wrong.

You have a house built with nice big windows and then you install shutters.

Either the orientation is wrong,….or if its a security measure you bought in the wrong neighbourhood!

As far as security goes good Double Glazing can provide similar security, similar insulation, and lets the light in!

And as for houses like the one below which has shutters on upper floor, South facing, windows what are they worried about?

 

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

 

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 pipes are under pressure it is essential all the joints in above ground and underground pipework are fully watertight

Advantages

  • A neater appearance than having pipes above ground.
  • Allows you to discharge water at a height above the ground level at the down pipe.

Disadvantages

  • It is more likely to block as the flow through the pipes can be fairly slow and the low points can collect silt. Silt will get deposited at flow rates below 0.6m/sec which will be the situation for most rainfall events.
  • It is also more difficult to unblock.
  • Can cost more with excavation and additional inspection fittings .
  • Potential for mosquito  breeding  in water unless appropriate screes are installed.

 

Also see Underground Pipes

 

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 WA

 

With a conventional system like this the pipes are either vertical or at a slope towards the discharge point.

A feature of this system is that when there is no flow all the pipes are empty.

Advantages

  • Simple and inexpensive to design and construct.
  • If well designed, and constructed,  the speed of flow in the pipes will prevents silting and subsequent blockage.

Disadvantages

  • This type of system can look very untidy when taking water to a Rainwater Tank that is some way from many of the downspouts (It results in lengths of pipes suspended in mid air)
  • Difficult to transfer water to a discharge point that is above the ground level of the building, although below the gutter level. A problem often encountered on demolition and rebuild projects and battleaxe blocks.

If you are planning a rainwater tank or are having problems with getting storm water to a suitable discharge point you could consider a Closed System

 

Also see Underground Pipes

 

Can You Build On The Boundary?

I have previously talked about Setbacks but with certain limitations it is possible to build on the boundary.Generally  rules about building on a boundary apply to all buildings constructed on or within 150mm of a side boundary.

Typical Rules

Walls of a building including carports can be constructed to the side or rear boundary of a block provided:

  • The maximum length of wall on a shared allotment boundary, with an adjoining property, must not exceed 10m plus 25% of the remaining length of the shared boundary.
  • The maximum average height of a wall or carport on or within 150mm to a side or rear boundary must not exceed 3.0m and the maximum height must not exceed 3.6m.

NB If the neighbouring block has a wall on the boundary that exceeds these dimensions then your wall  can be constructed to the same height and width of the wall it will abuts.

As rules vary for different council areas check your councils website so you are sure of what rules apply to your block.
 

For more information about where you can build on your block see see Building Envelope.

 

 

Setbacks

When you are buying a block one of the issues that controls what you can put on a block is the Setbacks of the main structure.

Setbacks vary from council to council and can also vary between neighbourhoods in a council area.

To give you an idea here are typical Setbacks:

Street Setbacks

  • From the front title boundary the minimum setback is typically 5.0m, which is enough to park a car on the driveway.
  • In low density suburbs larger front setbacks may be required.
  • For older inner city suburbs the allowable front setback may be much less.(to match existing properties).
  • Side setbacks for corner blocks are generally less than the front setback, with 2.0m being typical.
  • Some councils will also have maximum setbacks,such as 1/3rd the total block length.

The following structures are usually permitted to project into setbacks:

  • Porches, verandahs and pergolas, with a maximum height of 3.6m.
  • Eaves, fascia, gutters, sunblinds, shade sails, and screens.
  • Decks, steps, or landings less than 800mm in height.

Side and Rear Setbacks to Adjoining Properties

Typical setbacks are:

  • Side 2.0m, plus 0.6m for every metre of height over 3.6m.
  • Rear 3.0m, plus 0.6m for every metre of height over 3.6m.

In addition to the encroachments mentioned above encroachments are also usually allowed for;  masonry chimney backs,  flues, pipes, fuel tanks, water tanks, and heating & cooling equipment.

 

Don’t want any setback?….see Building on Boundaries

 

Types of New House Permits

Here is some information on the several sorts of permits that are involved before you start building a house.

Planning Permit

Sometimes called a Development Approval (DA) if you are buying a block on an existing subdivision you should already have Development Approval.

This DA will provide details of the restrictions on what you can build on your block.

If you want to do any of the following you will probably need to apply for a Planning Permit:

  • Change of use (for example farming to residential).
  • Subdivision of an existing block.
  • Substantially altering an existing building.
  • Changing any conditions of the existing permit.

Building Permit

A Building Permit is an approval that confirms that the proposed work meets the standard of the Building Regulations.

A permit is usually required for works that involve:

  • Building a New House.
  • Major alterations to an existing house.
  • Additions to an existing house (for example a Pergola or Deck).
  • Demolition of an existing house.

Road Opening Permit

A Road Opening Permit,from the Council Engineering Department is normally required to create or alter the access to a property, install service trenches, and build over a council Easement.

Sewer Build Over Permit

In many areas the sewers are controlled by a Water Authority rather than the council. If you want to build on a Sewer Easement you will require a separate permit from the Water Authority.

Want to know more? …………………….The best thing is to go down to your local council and talk to the staff there.

 

Once you have finished you will need an Occupancy Permit

See Restrictions for more limitations on how you develop your block

 

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 through the external brick skin. (This moisture can cause effervescence which stains the brickwork)
  • It ensures that moisture that penetrates the brickwork runs down the wall and is discharged to the outside through the weep holes.

The DPC, which is usually polyethylene, should be the full width of the brickwork. The other edge of the DPC should be fixed to the face of the bottom plate of the wall frame.

The drawing shows a DPC 75mm (one brick) above the ground. This is an absolute minimum and 150mm is preferred.

 

For other DPC details see this Clay Brick link.

For other similar posts see Construction

 

Plasterboard

A lot of people say Gyprock, but this is really a manufacturers name, so the correct name is Plasterboard.

So plasterboard is plasterboard right?……………………Actually wrong there are quite a wide range of plasterboard options available.

Perhaps you should consider alternative products if you are having a custom house built.

Even if you are using a project builder it might even be worth seeing if you could upgrade the plasterboard for certain rooms like the Home Theatre.

Here are some of the plasterboard options available, at extra cost:

  • Reduced Noise Transmittance Uses denser materials to increase acoustic resistance.
  • Improved Noise Absorption Mainly for use on ceilings to avoid that echo effect you can get with rooms with lots of hard surfaces.
  • Increased Impact Resistance Could be just the thing for children’s rooms and staircases.
  • Better Water Resistance Just the thing for bathrooms and laundries.
  • Higher Fire Resistance A good option to help protect your house from a garage fire.
  • Flexible Boards Good if you prefer gentle curves rather than square corners.

Want to find out more………… both ‘Gyprock’ and ‘Boral’ have comprehensive websites with lots of information.

 

For similar posts see Selection

 

Sink or Cook Top on Island


I see a lot of island kitchens in display homes and when visiting friends……..one thing that puzzles me is that they all have the sink in the island unit.

In my opinion it’s better to have  the cooktop on the island (like the above photo) and the sink under a window, or wall, for the following reasons:

  • If you are having friends round for a meal, or even just talking to the family, you will be facing them while you cook.
  • Because of the extra pipe distance to get to the island bench it generally takes a long time for the hot water to get to the mixer.
  • Washing pans, or peeling veggies, are tasks where you don’t need to concentrate so its nice to look out of the window.

One problems is  you will  have less choice when it comes to range hoods, and perhaps need a more powerful model for the same effect.

If you really want a sink on the island, have the main one elsewhere but have a smaller sink at one end of the island. You will probably only need cold water to this sink but make sure you have a high outlet, so its easy to fill pans with water.

 

For similar posts see Selection

 

Thanks to Galloway Granite for the photo.
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