Building On Fill – Concrete Piers

Its not unusual for the Site Investigation for your new house to reveal fill materials on top of the more stable clay or rock.

Even if there is no fill the builder may need to level a sloping site using ‘Cut and Fill’ methods, or the top layers of soil are generally poor.

To deal with the problem of building on poor ground concrete piers are commonly used.

These are basically a hole that is excavated through the fill and into the top of good ground. The hole is then backfilled with concrete to the level of the underside of the slab.

When they are finished you have a flat site with concrete pads (like the photo below), ready for the slab to be constructed

You don’t have to have Concrete piers over the whole site, just the parts where there will be fill between the bottom of the slab and the stronger soils.

The following diagram shows a typical slab on a cut and fill site with piers excavated through the fill to the good ground.

See the following link for an alternative to Concrete Piers: Screw Piles.

The Slab is likely to be either a Waffle Pod Raft or a Conventional Raft Slab

When the site investigation indicates fill the builder will often put in a Provisional Sum for so many metres of concrete piers.

At the time of construction they will drill down to  good ground in the fill areas and calculate the actual metres you will need to pay for.

If your whole house is on ‘Controlled Fill‘ You may not need to use concrete piers.

 

Lots more information in the anewhouse Guide to Buying a Block for only $4

See Ground Conditions for more about your new house foundations.

 

Contracts – Contract Period

In your house building contract it will quote a Building Period. This starts when the contractor actually starts work (Site Clearance)

The period will be in days. (Calendar days not working days)

The time should allow for any expected loss of productivity due to:

    • None working days including
      • Weekends.
      • Public Holidays.
      • Rostered Days Off.
      • Christmas and Easter shut Downs.
    • Inclement weather including;
      • Heavy Rain.
      • Waterlogged site following heavy rain.
      • Strong Winds.
      • Excessive Heat.

An example would be my last Building Contract………… This had a time for completion of 260 days which included allowances of:

    • 25 days due to inclement weather.
    • 71 days for weekends Rostered days off etc.

The only time the builder has ground for extending the contract period is if: there has been unexpected delay that could not have been reasonably predicted. Such as:

    • Industrial Action – May be at a suppliers factory or be be something like a truck drivers strike.
    • More Inclement Weather – For instance a much wetter winter than average.
    • Delays Caused By You – Asking for Variations after contract signed, or not getting permits in agreed timescale, are examples.

If the builder want to claim an extension of time due to an unexpected delay he has to tell you of the delay as soon as he becomes aware of the delay.
Putting in a claim for an extension to avoid Liquidated Damages at the end of the contract is not acceptable.

 

For similar posts see Contracts

 

Solar Hot Water

With the current emphasis on building efficiency solar hot water systems are pretty much a standard option if not automatically included.

These systems incorporate either gas or electricity boosting for cloudy days.

Here are a few thoughts on the options for solar hot water:

Split System or Tank On Roof

  • Systems with Tanks on the roof are the most efficient . They don’t need a circulation pump to circulate the hot water to the storage tank and don’t have long pipe runs that lose part of the heat you have collected. If this is the way you decide to go make sure your roof has been designed to take the load.
  • Split systems are easier to service when they go wrong as everything other than the panels is at ground level. Many people also prefer the look as they don’t like the large tank on the roof for aesthetic reasons.

Flat plate or Evacuated Tube Panel

  • Evacuated tube systems are more effective. Also from comments on forums I hear 2mm evacuated tubes are stronger than flat plate collectors in the case of large hail, and are less likely to be hit square-on, due to their shape. Just make sure you aren’t getting cheap quality thinner walled tubes.
  • Modern good quality evacuated tube and flat plate systems should be essentially maintenance-free. Just make sure of the quality, it can cost $300-$400 in labour to replace a defective panel even if the actual panel is replaced under warranty.

Insulation

Some of the early Solar water systems only insulated the hot water coming from the system. This is poor practice as once the system starts running the water from the storage tank back to the panels warms up. If this cools in the pipes to the panels you will be loosing efficiency. Make sure you have all pipes insulated.

Boosting Systems

  • I think Gas Boosting is probably the best way to go even if you have the higher priced bottle gas rather than mains gas. This is because gas systems only boost the water when you want it rather than electricity where you are heating the whole tank up even if you are only using 10% of the contents.
  • If you `go for electricity its best go for an off peak boosting, but only switch it on if the forecast is for cloudy weather.

 

See why a West Roof Mounting may be worth thinking about

For more  information on choosing systems for your new house see  ‘Selection / Pre-Start Guide’

 

New E Book – GUIDE to PRE-START / SELECTION

Once you have paid the deposit on your new house the next big step is the Pre Start or Selection Meeting. (some builders call it the ‘Gallery Meeting’, if you are having a custom built house it may be called ‘Detailed Design’)

This is normally the day when you sit down with your builder and select all the details that turn an empty house into a home.

There is lots to think about on the day……………..and its difficult and expensive to change things later.

The builder will be trying to up-sell you expensive upgrades and all you want is another opinion!

To help prepare for this big day I have brought out the :

98 pages of advice and opinions including:

Electrical planning;

Plumbing;

Painting;

Heating and Cooling;

And much more with 24 PAGES of CHECK LISTS

And only $4.

 

For more information CLICK HERE

 

Another E Book from the author of the ‘Guide to Pre Completion Inspections’ 

 

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Do You Want A Phone Line?

A few years ago having a land line phone was a must have have………….. but is this still the case?

We have always had a land line phone but both of us also have mobile phones. Really the mobile is the most reliable way for people to get in contact with us.

About the only people who call on the home phone used to be telemarketers.  When we went on the do not call register the telemarketers disappeared.

Now its just the Indian call centre scammers telling me they had detected a problem with my computer’s Window operating system. Sometimes I string them along for a while before I tell them I have a Mac, but they are still annoying.

Having recently joined Skype (with call costs of less than 3c a minute to an English Land Line) we now hardly make land line calls anymore.

If it wasn’t for the fact that my mother, who doesn’t have a computer, and occasionally phones we wouldn’t need a phone at all. A data line with a single socket at the wireless router would easily meet our needs.

When was the last time you used your land line?

 

For more  see the Electrical Category

 

Considering Owner Building?

Are you considering owner building to save money? Is it the only way you can afford your dream? Perhaps you want to be able to have more choice with fittings and appliances.

Well I have almost 40 years in Construction engineering and I have been happy to use building companies for my three new houses. I wouldn’t contemplate owner building unless I won Tattslotto and could give it my full attention. Here are some reasons why:

  1. Having a house built for you and building one yourself is very different. There are literally hundreds of decisions that are made by supervisors and builders during a build that you would never be aware of as the owner.
  2. You may know a number of tradies but how good are they? Would they take short cuts if you weren’t around to keep an eye on things.
  3. I’m skeptical about how much money you save. You may be able to call on your friends to supply & install for cheaper but you won’t get the discounts that a big builder can negotiate.
  4. Yes you can save by putting time in yourself but you are not going to be as efficient as a tradesman if you costed your time at the rate your employer pays you the saving would be much smaller, if anything.
  5. All the time you put in will be at the expense of family life. I have known a few self builders who have divorced with the main cause been the pressure of the build.
  6. One off projects are hard to budget accurately so you run a real risk of blowing your budget. (You don’t want to finish up with a ghost house).
  7. Anything that goes wrong has to be fixed by you. Going with a builder, anything not to your specifications is their problem.
  8. There is a saying 90% of the effort is the last 10% of a job. Are you going to move into a 90% house and then never going to get round to actually finishing it?
  9. Want to sell in a few years? How are you going to provide a guarantee.

There is an Owner Builder interview and some interesting video links at the Post: Owner Builder Videos

I’m not intending to scare you out of your dream!………….. I just want to make sure you have thought very carefully about the risks ………..otherwise dreams can turn into nightmares!

Good luck with whatever you decide!

 

Want to choose a builder? or just a tradie for your self build project?

Look at Choosing a Builder

 

Why I Used Jenman System Agents To Sell

Unless your new house is the first house you own you are going to have to sell your existing house.

Lots of people in Melbourne use auctions but I have never been very keen on that approach.

We have now sold two houses using Jenman System Agents and have been very satisfied.

We recently sold our home in Wydham Vale using Brian Mark Real Estate of Werribee. Previously we we sold an investment property in Chadstone about 7 years ago using T G Newton Real Estate of Oakleigh

If you look through their websites you will see lots of reasons for using them but the three advantages that I really like are:

  • They are quite clear that their duty is to you as seller of the house.

In my experience they go all out to get the best price for the house rather than tell buyers you may be willing to drop the price.

  • They carefully vet all people that are taken through your house.

Much better than ‘Open for Inspections’ when criminals could ‘case’ your house anonymously by giving a false name to the agent.

  • You only pay when the house is sold

I have often wonder if those advertising campaigns some agents charge you for upfront are really advertising the house for you, or the Agent to get more interest in all his offerings.

If there is a local Jenman Agent why not give them a try?

 

Disclaimer

I have not been paid for this post and did not receive any discount on the sale of either house

 

Five Interior Design Improvements You Can Make

Post contributed by Emma Lamb, on behalf of Steel-line

Improving the interior of a home can enhance your enjoyment of your surroundings as well as add value to the house. Whether making a small change or planning a substantial renovation, you can dramatically alter the way you live for the better.

The following alterations are just a few ways to upgrade the look of your home:

Bamboo Flooring

You may have been longing for a new hard wood floor in the kitchen or dining room, but the high cost of materials has kept the project on hold.

Consider a greener alternative and opt for a bamboo floor. You can achieve the gorgeous look of a hard wood floor at a significantly decreased price tag—sometimes half the cost of hard wood! Moreover, a bamboo floor is also durable and long-lasting.

Many homeowners install bamboo flooring as a healthy alternative to other types of flooring since bamboo does not harbor dust mites and is easy to keep clean. In any case, installing green flooring (bamboo is an easily-renewable resource) will remain a popular design trend in 2012.

Brighten Up Your Space

Brighter colors, in general,  can update the look of any room. If four walls of neon green are too much for you, consider a few painted accents such as cornices, shelves, or closet doors.

Even painting a single wall a brighter color can improve the look of a room. You might add some bright paint to a fireplace screen, picture frames, wooden rocking chairs, or side tables to add color pizzazz to your décor.

Knock Down Walls

With the trend for a cheaply constructed mansions waning fast, many homeowners are opting to make the most from smaller spaces. Taking down a wall in the home is never a light consideration, but doing just that can dramatically change the way you live.

Consider expanding your small bathroom into a bathroom suite. If you’ve got a spare room near a bathroom, you can combine the two spaces to create a luxurious suite.

You might also simply want to take a portion of the spare room for the bathroom suite and use the rest of the space to create a large walk-in closet or a small office nook.

Energy-Friendly Window Treatments

Once upon a time, medieval people hung tapestries on walls to keep draughts out of the castle; interestingly enough, the same practice still applies for today’s homes.

Many people are choosing draperies billed to cut down on energy costs; these fabrics help keep out winter draughts that creep in through the windows and to keep cool air inside during summer months. Not only will new draperies add visual appeal to any room, but they can also save you money on gas and electric bills in the long run.

Reupholster It

Design trends change year by year; one way to keep up with changing decorative styles is to simply change fabric around the house. In many cases, reupholstering large pieces of furniture can be as costly as buying new furniture; however, many projects can be tackled at home with even the most modest know-how.

Reupholstering the seats of dining room chairs, for instance, is a simple project that can add new life to the look of the room and remain a cost-effective upgrade. You can also rescue a great vintage piece of furniture by making over its upholstery to suit your decorative style.

Making design improvements to your living space can be cost-effective, simple, and even fun. With careful planning, major renovations can be tackled smoothly and have considerable impact on the way you live at home and even small projects can have a large impact on your home’s design plan.

 

The Settling In Section contains lots more advice on what

to do after you have moved in your new house.

 

Why I Don’t Have Mono-Crystalline Solar Panels


Several people have commented that my panels look different to those on other houses.

Most solar PV installations use Mono-Crystalline panels, because they are smaller for the same power rating.

The panels on my roof are Kaneka Thin Film Panels.

Here are the reasons why:

Efficiency In Real World Temperatures

When you see a panel power rating it is based on laboratory conditions with a panel temperature of 25oC.

In Australia, on your roof, the panel temperature is generally somewhere around double the ambient temperature, thus most panels operate above 25oC most of the time.

Typical crystallines panels lose power @ 0.45% per degree C above 25oC.

Typical thin-film panels lose power @ 0.25% per degree C above 25oC.

This means that on a typical 25oC day with a panel temperature of 50oC

  • A 1000watt mono-crystalline system may be generating 885watts.
  • A 1000watt thin film system is likely to be generating a higher power of 935watts.

On hotter summer days when panel temperature can rise to over 80 degrees the difference will be even greater.

Shading

Thin film panels are bigger than mono-crystalline panels means that more of your roof is shaded by the panels helping to keep the house cooler.

Energy Payback

Thin film panels have much lower embodied energy than mono-crystalline panels meaning that the energy involved in the production is recovered within two years of use.

Better Performance When Partially Shaded

Partial shading effects can be quite significant in overall system efficiency. Thin film panels however are less susceptible to shading.

Cost

In spite of the above advantages for Thin Film panels the cost per installed watt is around the same as Monocrystaline panels.

More independent information about solar panels in Australian conditions can be found at the Desert Knowledge Solar Centre at Alice Springs

 

For similar posts see Solar Electricity in the Sustainability Tab

 

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