Saline Ground Conditions
Salinity doesn’t have to be as bad as in this photograph to cause problems in new homes. It’s also quite common for land that has not got salinity issues to develop salinity over several years. Building Problems Due To Salinity Problems can…
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Anti Villa
Demolition Site? War Zone? No this is a New, Completed, House! Just when you think you have seen the weirdest building you can imagine. . . . something else comes along? This is the Antivilla by Brandhuber Click on the…
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Remove, or Vary, a Covenant
Many properties come with covenants that restrict what you can do with the site. Although you can try to Remove the Covenant you might have a better chance of success in getting a permit to vary it instead. A couple of…
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Under Slab Membranes
This photo shows a plastic membrane underneath a slab. . . . but what sort of membrane? Vapour Barrier The Building Code of Australia requires the installation of a Vapour Barrier with the following characteristics Medium Impact Resistant Polyethylene Film 0.2mm…
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Free Form Owner Building
Bored with Brick Veneer? What if you wanted to build using natural materials in whatever shape you wanted? Well these people are hand building with ‘Cob’ which is a mixture of; Soil, straw, water, and sometimes lime. If you would like to find…
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Air Conditioning – Ducted, or Separate Units?
Guest post by Hubert Dwight Choosing between split systems and ducted air conditioning systems is no easy task. We understand that nagging voice in the back of your head that keeps asking “Will we go for a split systems or go for…
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Potential Acidic Sulphate Soils
Look to buy a block on a coastal plain, alongside a river, or a reclaimed wetland and you may see the area described as Potential Acidic Sulphate Soil (PASS). Well PASS doesn’t mean OK! Why, And Where It Occurs These types…
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Rebelling Against Large Windows
If you have spent time looking round this blog you will find I am not a big fan of the large windows that are standard in many new project homes. However I think this house may be going a little…
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More Storage Space . . . . or Too Much Stuff?
Read the House Magazines or watch TV Programs and you will often notice quotes like: “You can never have too much storage space.” Well I think that’s BULLDUST! If you think you need more storage space; then think about getting rid of some STUFF. Get…
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Low Bank Valuations
People building a new home are often shocked when their bank valuation is less than the cost of the land plus the build cost. Problems With Low Valuation The two issue are Unless your deposit is larger than the difference between the Final…
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