Garage Door Insulation

Most garages are too hot in Summer and too cold in Winter. If you want to use the garage as a workshop . . or even a man cave, it will be much more comfortable if its insulated. Maintaining a…
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Tank House – Win!

For all you water collecting enthusiasts can you beat this home? Two sides of the house are lined with plastic rainwater tanks! Not surprisingly its called the ‘Tank House’ and is located in Port Melbourne. Although there are a considerable number…
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Energy From Sun.

Have you ever wondered why it gets so HOT in the roof space on a sunny day? Well there is a lot of Energy coming from the Sun . . . .approximately 1.37 kw /m2 shines on the Earth By the…
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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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Modern ‘Castle’

Here is an interesting ‘Castle’ in Perth. It seems a bit of a mixed architecture with a Gothic Castle Tower added to what looks to be a Roman Style Villa. Although its not to my taste, one of the things I like…
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Do You Need A Home Theatre?
I keep reading articles about issues with the affordability of Australian houses. . . . . but then find lot’s of you want a ‘Media Room’ in your new houses! So how much is a basic Home Theatre going to add to the cost of…
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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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Home Of The Tooth Fairy? – Win!

I recently spotted this interesting fence on my travels. No it’s not the Tooth Fairy, but it is a dentist in Aspendale Gardens, a suburb of Melbourne. Definitely a Win for an eye catching way of advertising his practice! If…
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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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$6 Million Home Theatre

Yes you saw it right! This price of the home theatre is $6,000,000! The rest of the house is extra! The sound system includes 72 speakers each powered by its own $8,000 analogue amplifier paired with a $18,000 digital amplifier. To deliver…
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