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...

Buildwest Construction Consultants: http://www.buildwestconsultants.com

visit our new...: http://www.buildwestconsultants.com visit our new web page. Buildwest provides services to all home buyers, home builders or investors. We...

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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