Shrinkage cracking in concrete floors

Concrete begins in a plastic state and goes through a hardening process as the water content evaporates. As concrete has no tensile strength it is important to control the rate that it dries to avoid plastic shrinkage cracks in the surface of the concrete. Hot weather conditions can cause concrete to dry too quickly. Ponding or dampening the concrete to keep it moist will prevent it from losing moisture too fast and will minimise any cracking. Curing the concrete in this manner for a period of two weeks will generally be sufficient to prevent and major cracking in the surface. Re-inforcement mesh placed at the correct depth will also help control any cracking. internal corners can also be re-inforced by using re-entrant bars across the corner to prevent cracking.

Keeping clear laminated glasss showerscreens clean

Do you have problems keeping your clear laminated glass showerscreens clean? Soap scum, lime scale and etching are common problems and can make it very hard to keep the glass looking clean and in good condition. A good solution is a coating such as enduro shield or similar which will put a protective coating over the glass and make cleaning as simple as using a microfiber cloth with some mild detergent. A less expensive solution that is also quite effective is to polish the glass with car polish. The polish will also provide a film that will make the water bead and shed off the glass and will also prevent lime scale and soap scum build up.

Perth builders - Choosing the right one

So your looking to build a new home and are trying to decide on the right builder. Lots of people will tell you their horror stories and advise you against certain builders and often this creates a state of confusion that does not help you in any way. In addition to this there are so many builders and many of them are part of a group or a subsidiary of another company.

I can tell you from 20 years experience that choosing the right builder should not necessarily be determined by reputation alone. I have worked in the Perth building industry for a long time and have seen people in the industry move around from company to company and have seen the reputation of companies change through staff movements. One thing I have observed is that although a company with good management helps it does not guarantee a recipe for success for the consumer. Often a well run company can let a customer down simply because the supervisor dropped the ball and the customer liaison officer did not keep the client in the loop. No matter how good the system is, it is only as good as the people directly involved with the construction of your home. I can remember a customer I was dealing with in maintenance telling me how she would "never build with this company again as it was a nightmare and her supervisor was a joke and she hates the house and is selling it and building again with another company". I asked her who she was building with and she told me. I then asked her what area she was building in and she said the same area. I regretfully informed her that the supervisor she had told me was a joke was actually the new supervisor for the company she was building with. The lady thought I was joking at first. In this case the builder I was working for was a generally a good company with a good reputation but at the time the supervisor in the area was a weak link. The company I worked for dismissed the supervisor and he took up a job with a competitor (the company the customer had just signed up to build with)

So in a nutshell I would suggest that finding out who the supervisor is in the area you are building and how long he has been with the company is the most important information to ensure your new home wont be a disaster. Generally a supervisor that has been with a company for a while will have a regular trade base and therefore will achieve a good continuity and a consistent level of quality. So I would recommend choosing a builder that has been established for some time and ensure the supervisor is established in the company.

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Repairing drummy tiles and plaster by injection without removal

In some cases tiles or render that become hollow can be bonded back to the substrate without removing them. If you have the odd drummy tile or spot of drummy plaster you can re-bond it back to the substrate by injection of a low viscosity epoxy resin or acrylic emulsion such as bondcrete/hypobond. On ceramic tiles identifying wher...e the drummy spots are and then drilling through the grout in that location with a small masonry bit until you reach the substrate then use a syringe with the bonding agent and inject into the hole until it oozes back out. Sometimes multiple holes are required to achieve the desired result. if the floor has a cement screed then you must determine whether the drumming tiles are due to the tiles lifting from the adhesive or due to the screed debonding from the substrate. if the screed the tile are laid on is drummy then you must drill down through the screed until you hit the initial substrate and then inject the bonding agent. repairs of this nature are generally more effective on walls as gravity assists in ensuring the bonding agent finds where it needs to go. Success with screeded floors can be sometimes limited if the screed is poor quality and any repairs may be temporary and necessitate the removal of the whole floor to fix the screed. Repairing render is usually fairly simple providing the strength of the render is okay and you can simply drill around the perimeter of the drummy section along the top of it and inject the bonding agent. this can save thousands of dollars in remedial work.

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What is this green stuff all over my cream bricks

 

Do you have a cream brick with this type of staining?

This is called vanadium and it is a mineral deposit found in the lighter coloured clays. You can easily remove this unsightly staining with common household chemicals. For extreme cases... I would recommend a diluted solution of oxalic acid but for most cases products like liquid chlorine, bleach or mould killer will neutralise the stains and return the brick to its normal colour. Simply spray these products onto the dry brickwork and you will see the stains disappear before your eyes. Then once you are satisfied with the result just rinse the bricks off with a water.

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Buildwest Construction Consultants: Dark grout colours and discolouration:

Buildwest Construction Consultants: Dark grout colours and discolouration::  Modern trends have seen a lot of people choosing dark coloured grout. A lot of people regret this choice when they notice the nice dark...

Dark grout colours and discolouration:

 Modern trends have seen a lot of people choosing dark coloured grout. A lot of people regret this choice when they notice the nice dark grout they chose discolours. Grout is cement based with coloured oxides mixed in to create the desired colour. Like any cement based product efflorescence can leach from it and with dark coloured grout it will make your dark... grout look horrible. Efflorescence can occur early after tiling is complete if the tiler has laid the tiles on a substrate that is still damp or if the tiler grouts the tiles too soon after laying them and there is residual moisture from the adhesive. In this case efflorescence can be an ongoing issue until the residual moisture dries which could be months. The moisture draws the efflorescence out of the grout to the surface causing the white powdery discolouration of the grout. This is a building fault and can be remedied by application of a penetrating grout sealer to prevent the efflorescence drawing through or a resin based grout colourant can be applied to the grout. The more common type of efflorescence occurs from normal use of the bathroom and is not a building fault. Shower enclosures and areas that will get more moisture than others such as around the bath and outside the shower enclosure will be prone to this issue occurring as the water that occurs from normal use of the wet area draws the efflorescence from the grout. In this case a normal efflorescence cleaner can be used which is readily available in your local hardware store or tile shop. Once clean a penetrating sealer can be applied to the tiles and grout which will not only prevent the efflorescence but make cleaning of the tiles and grout easier.

 

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Insulating your water service pipes

Getting hot water from your cold tap in summer? -

Chances are your water service pipes are plastic and you have a dark coloured colorbond roof and in some cases a dark roof tile. Historically all water service pipes were made from copper. As copper has become expensive, most housing today makes use of plastic pipes. A common complaint with the plastic pipes is that the tap water from the cold li...ne comes out hot during hot weather. If you have a dark coloured colorbond roof the water can come out so hot that you could not keep your hand under it. Currently there are laws that regulate the temperature of the hot line but there is no requirement for the cold line. Not only is this a safety concern but a lot of water can be wasted waiting for some cooler water to come through. I recommend having all pipes lagged (insulated) to reduce this occurring. Standard lagging will offer good results but for top results a dense foam pipe insulation will make a dramatic difference. Installing whirlybirds to ventilate the roof space will also help. Ideally this should be part of the design in a new home but it can be easily done after the home has been constructed also.

The high maintenance of painted sand render

Painted sand render - Painted sand render is a fairly high maintenance item. It is a cheap alternative to acrylic render which is more durable and more costly. The downside is it will require re-painting approx. every 2-3 years. The darker the colour you paint it, the quicker it will require re-painting. The paint generally will oxidise and become porous which then lets in moisture and causes hairline cracking (map cracking) in the surface. Avoid having garden beds directly against the render as this will expedite the process. If you have a home with badly degraded render then don't despair, as there are ways of restoring it back to... its original condition. If the render is cracked and hollow the render has debonded from the substrate. This is the worst case scenario and will require re-bonding using a process of drilling holes into the render until you hit the bricks then injecting a product that will re-adhere it to the bricks. If it is cracked but not hollow then using a bridging membrane will remedy the problem. A bridging membrane is basically a paint that is very flexible and goes on thicker ( A standard coat of paint is approx. 50 microns vs a bridging membrane 150 microns). This paint will fill into the cracks and provide a uniform flexible coating over the render and restore it back to new. The main lesson to learn is to look for the signs and avoid costly remedial work. If the render shows discolouration treat it before you have to undertake these repairs

The hidden dangers of M.D.F timber products

M.D.F timber products - MDF is a popular and cheap building product that is commonly used for skirtings, window nosings architraves, shelving and mouldings. It is made from timber fibres and glue which is compressed to form the desired shape. I strongly advise that a mask is worn when cutting this product. In other countries around the world there have been studies to suggest that the glues used contain known carcinogens. When the product is in situ and painted it is stable but when cut the airborne dust is a hazard. Australia has been slow to react to these alarming studies. Don't take a risk wear protective dust masks when cutting this product or better still avoid it. Think of how we view asbestos as a product. MDF could be the new asbestos.

Preparation of plan agreements

Most project builders will require a deposit from you before they do any preliminary works on your proposed new home. This is normally under the guise of a preparation of plans agreement. The agreement is basically a sub-contract and the money you pay is for the builder to draw plans, survey your block, get an engineers report and prepare your contract documents. On...ce the contract drawings and documents have been delivered to you for your perusal the next step if you are happy with the price, plans and contract is to enter into a formal building contract. Normally your deposit will go towards the contract value however if you fail to enter into a building contract your deposit will most likely be forfeited as the builder has spent the money preparing your contract documents. Most companies will also retain the survey and engineers information and retain the rights to the design which means you cannot go elsewhere and use the same information and design. That said if you are to pull out of the initial preparation of plans agreement and the builder has not drawn plans or ordered surveys and engineers reports you can often get a partial refund of your deposit. Builders will naturally be keen to say they have spent the money but they are obliged if requested by you to prove their costs to you and offer a breakdown of the costs for you. Also note that competing companies will sometimes be keen to snatch your business from a competitor and may be prepared to waive their preparation of plan agreement fee to get your business:

 

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Asbestos

If your home was built prior to 1985, be careful when renovating as there is a high chance that asbestos products could have been used. If in doubt engage an expert to assess your home before any works commence.

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If you are living on a clay site remember to keep an even watering pattern on your garden during the summer months to minimise seasonal variations in the soil that can cause cracking to your home. Avoid having native plants within 3 metres of your home as they will utilize ground moisture and cause shrinkage. Ideally have a paved area around the property or a garden that requires regular watering so the moisture level of the soil is regulated and the level of shrinkage that generally occurs in the warmer months will be minimal.

Buildwest Construction Consultants: http://www.buildwestconsultants.comvisit our new...

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Buildwest Construction Consultants: If your building a new home consider the design fr...

Buildwest Construction Consultants: If your building a new home consider the design fr...: If your building a new home consider the design from a maintenance perspective. Project builders do not advise you on the practicality of y...

If your building a new home consider the design from a maintenance perspective. Project builders do not advise you on the practicality of your design. I see many homes requiring extensive maintenance due to the customer not being given good information. Consideration to the ongoing maintenance cost should be part of your preliminary homework when building a new home. Many display homes look beauti...ful but require regular and ongoing maintenance to keep them looking this way. It is easy for the builder to maintain as they have cleaners and gardeners twice weekly and maintenance carried out fortnightly in most cases. Is this how you want to spend all your spare time? Consider brick instead of render externally. Paint using lighter reflective pigments externally rather than dark heat absorbing pigments. Choose clay tiles or colorbond instead of concrete tiles that will fade quickly. Choose a waterwise native garden instead of a tropical oasis or English garden. These considerations are just a fraction of all the ideas that can make your home low cost and low maintenance. Don't be a slave to your home get it right at the design stage and hire a consultant to guide you .

 

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