An ingenious method of replacing a broken downspout on the cheap.
When they have gone to all the trouble to get a ladder to get to the roof level you would think they would have just spent a few dollars more for a proper piece of pipe.
First decent rain and this won’t have the capacity and will just burst apart.
Thanks to whitetrashrepairs.com for the photo. A great site for LOLs at duct tape repairs and dodgy fixes.
I frequently hear of people being told by their Builder “You can’t use your own Building Inspector!”
If your builder says that, he is trying to Con You! ……or Breaking The Law!
Here is an explanation based on my last House Contract (HIA Standard Contract) . . . . . .
The builder does have ‘Control’ of the site see; Contracts – Site Possession.
But one of the contract clauses states . . . . . . “The OWNER or an authorised officer of the LENDING BODY is entitled after giving the BUILDER reasonable prior notice, to go on the LAND to inspect the BUILDING WORKS at reasonable times provided that such inspection does not delay or interfere with the progress of the BUILDING WORKS.”
A key element in the above clause is the word OWNER so lets look at how the contract defines OWNER . . . .
‘OWNER‘ means the person, partnership, or company named in the Particulars of the Contract and whenever appearing in this Contract includes their AGENTS, executors and administrators.
This means you can appoint anyone you want to act as your AGENT in the matter of inspecting the works.
Don’t ask, write a formal letter to your Builder informing them that you have appointed a Building Inspector as your Agent.
If you find the builder has put in a clause in the contract saying you can’t use your own building inspector this is illegal. You can have that clause struck out. (see this link: Unfair Contract Terms)
This is a fairly typical rainwater collection installation.
Gutters discharging to a pipe which discharges onto a screen fitted to the tank access point, cheap and cheerful!
I must have seen it hundreds of times . . . . . . but it has some negative implications on the water quality you will get from the tank!
It looks like it’s a house that Apple’s Steve Jobs might have owned.
No Surprise that this Melbourne House is known the Cloud House.
Certainly stunning from this view, but you would never know it from the street, as it’s actually a rear extension to an Edwardian House.
This photo is from the Homesthetic.net website where you will find some more photographs (Well worth a look. if only for the ‘Loud’ carpet)
Another one of those houses where I walked up and down the street 2-3 times before I realised the owner had used a hydrant cover as a letter box.
Don’t people want to get any post? . . . . . . .
It seems not if you look at the size of the slot or the door at the back, they are both tiny! . . . . . . . . definitely a FAIL!
Not sure about the legality either!
See Letter Boxes for the minimum recommended sizes.
Safety – Last year 43 Australians drowned in swimming pools (RLS Drowning Report) including 18 children under 5. For every death there is at least one more child left with permanent brain impairment.
Cost – Not just the initial cost, but serious ongoing costs of around $1000/year for the average pool. These include; power to run the filters, heating (even with solar heating you need to run a pump), and chemicals .
Poor Investment – It’s very unlikely to increase the value of your house. The presence of a pool will actually put plenty of people off! If you are planning to rent out your house you will probably still need to pay someone to maintain the pool, as most tenants will probably not be interested.
No Exercise Benefit A push off the wall and a couple of strokes to get to the other end, you will get more exercise walking round the block.
Limited Use Most pools hardly get used after the first year. Even if you have got children who want to use the pool have you got the time to supervise them properly (see Safety above).
Maintenance – Leaves, dead birds, mice, insects, spiders you can find them all in the filters. If you don’t clean them out regularly, and check the chemical balance, you are going to have a nasty looking pool.
If you do decide to get a pool make sure you keep it clean by checking out this cleaner guide by Globo Surf
Don’t agree . . . . .why not leave a comment?
There are a lot of acronyms used on plumbing drawings so here are a few definitions:
AG – Agricultural (Drains)
B – Basin
Bth – Bath
BT – Boundary Trap
DP – Down Pipe
FW – Floor Waste
HWS – Hot Water Service
IC – Inspection Chamber
IS – Inspection Shaft (also IO -Inspection Opening)
ORG – Overflow Relief Gully
PRV – Pressure Reducing Valve
RRJ – Rubber Ring Joints
RWH – Rain Water Head
SHR – Shower
ST – Stop Tap
SW – Storm Water Pipe (or SWD – Storm Water Drain)
SWJ – Solvent Welded Joints
TR – Laundry Trough
VC – Vitrified Clay
VP – Vent Pipe (sometimes UVP – Upstream Vent Pipe)
WC – Water Closet (Toilet)
S – Kitchen Sink
SV – Stop Valve
If you have seen an acronym you don’t understand, then let me know, and I will try to give you an answer.
Not actually a house . . . . but you can stay the night in the dog for only $98 a night.
I’m not so sure about that staircase going up just below the tail though!!
The ‘Dog’ is called Sweet Willie at the Dog Bark Park, Cottonwood, Idaho.
Basement, or underground garages are becoming more popular.
Its one way of getting a bigger house on a smaller inner suburban block.
Before you make a decision to go for this solution its worth thinking about the cost, and the risk.
They aren’t a cheap solution for a few reasons:
The drainage company I work for has had to pump out several flooded basement garages over the past few years. The reasons for this are:
Haven’t got room for a ramp? . . . Check out a different idea at this link: Spot the Garage!
Have you ever had problems with an underground garage?
All house builds have to be inspected to check on their compliance with the Building Code of Australia.
These Certification Inspections used to be carried out by the Local Council. Nowadays there is no requirement for a builder to use any particular certifier so many builders choose their own private certifier.
There are a limited number of inspections as follows:
If required the following will be added to the basic four inspections
These inspections are a confirmation that the building meets a basic level of construction. They do not inspect every element of your house and are not an indication of the overall quality of the build. (See Compliance not Quality for more information)
