Age old debate concrete vs paving
Use fired clay pavers for longevity, low maintainece and easy clean. The only downside to this is that you may not be able to achieve the desired look as they…
Advice on brick colour variations
As a bricklayer i can say that i do blend bricks on site however, when jobs such as these where big 2 storey homes are built on small blocks in…
Frame studs not flat on ground.
Would not happen as the walls are stood up one at a time, all that would happen is it would bring the top plate down also and you would get…
Small Concreting Job - Confused Beginner!
Actually if you place the mesh in the middle, it will be at it weakest, it is best to place nearer to the top or bottom but maintaining sufficient cover.…
Class H Slab Edgebeam depth
Just to clarify, a waffle slab IS a raft slab. Just with differing beam sizes and locations.
The only real difference is that the polystyrene takes the place of the sand…
Unresolved Brick issues after handover with PD
Trying not to be offensive to PD here but it comes down to the old addage 'you get what you pay for' and this is the case with PD and…
Frame studs not flat on ground.
Even if the slab is not level, the studs should be cut long enough for a level top plate. or close to. it looks as though those particular studs were…
A real live bricklayer.
Hi, i'm a brickie, couple of things to look out for:
1: Bricks not cut neatly where the panels between windows and around corners are not the correct length to suit…
Asthetic appearance of brick piers under house
Purely for looks mate, as long as the piers are the right height and pretty close to straight no problems.
Eaves, Regulations and the Border
Referring to the BCA 3.8.4.2 says that Natural light must be provided to every habitable room by windows that are not less than 10% of the floor area of…
Use of recycled water in Victoria
That's correct, you cannot use your tank for external applications if it is plumbed into the house. (well you can if you dont tell everyone...not that i condone this) You…
council query
The guys at the council are probably just wanting to know that you will have an expansion joint where old meets new (which will be caulked) or that you will…
Builder insisted that this is acceptable
Looks to me like the door is straight and the frame or jambs are not. you should check to see if either side of the wall, architrave and door are…
Water meter encroaches 25cm into neighours. PROBLEM
Is the water meter inside your fenceline? If so and your fence has been there for 20 years you may be entitle to lay claim on that property/land. My suggestion…
Brick Question
Hi Sireza i will try and get a photo for you during the week if i get to a job with an internal expansion joint.
Brick Question
It looks to me like it has already been cleaned, the jointing could have been tidied up a bit, but is not particularly bad just accentuated by the white mortar.…
Brick Question
Being a bricky myself, that is correctly laid. As "Brickie" stated it is laid in a half bond for strength , if the line went straight up the wall it…
For Sale - Marantz SR7001 Home theatre amplifier
Matt would love this to go with my new htpc but its BLACK.... bummer!
Stairs ending Clearance to wall
3.1.9.3 BCA says landings must be no less than 750mm long. If yours is 800 no probs!
For Sale: Home Theatre PC - MCE rig - Dual Core PC
Hi Matt,
Might be interested in the htpc.
Couple of questions;
What tuner is it running? Dual or Single HD? Hauppauge? sorry just noticed...dual hybrid.....
No coax, optical audio out? as my amp…
tile roof or colourbond
Tiled roof is heavier so needs more or bigger trusses. It is also better thermal and noise properties than colorbond. Colorbond is longer lasting with little maintainence. ie. roof seal…
They stuffed up my slab!!!
Has the frame been set out on the slab with chalk lines yet? You will really only know how bad the slab is once this is done. If the frame…
Urgent - Building Standards on Stairs.
The BCA says that you only need a handrail if: (i) it is not bounded by a wall and (ii) any level is more than 1m above the surface beneath.…
Reverse Brick Veneer wall gap.
the Building Code of Australia states in part 3.3.4.2 that "In brick veneer and cavity masonry construction, a cavity must be provided between the inner and outer walls as follows:…
What are these spots on our bricks?
Hi VJ, i am a bricklayer, but spent 5 years as a sales rep for a brick company in Victoria.
Firstly, that cracking is due to the firing process…
private builders and their margin/costs
Firstly your builder should factor in warranty insurance (which could be $2500) into the contract amount.
The profit margin on a house is generally 15% +/- for smaller volume builders…
building a brick wall - damp proof course?
a damp proof course does not have to use a plastic membrane which DOES weaken or even break the bond. The DPC plastic roll is mainly used on brick veneer…
structural changes
the fridge void should not be structural, unless the walls around it are bearing load from the roof or second floor they can be moved with minimal fuss.
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