#62
Q:
questiontime: I intend to built a garden pond measuring 20ft x 10ft in my garden.How do I built a pond with a concrete base without liner?
KYap
Answer: Buildeazy.
If you have not worked with concrete before, it would be advisable to get an expert to build it for you.
In our article 'how to build a simple garden pond'
It explains how to make a thin concrete base over liner.
We now have an update link on that same page that goes more in depth into the structure of concrete ponds.
Also read the user comments at the bottom of the (garden pond) page, regarding concrete.
I hope it is of some use to you.
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#61
Q:
A) Would you please send any information regarding the process of laying paving stones and approx. prices. My husband and I have an area of about 6x6 possibly bigger. We are going to do this ourselves. Your help would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
B) Can we place the paving stones over an existing concrete area?
Linda and Neil
Answer: Buildeazy.
A) We have an article on paving a path. To go to it click here. For prices, approach the paving manufacturers directly. Heaps of them (along with website addresses) in the yellow pages under 'Paving contractors & Manufacturers'.
B) Yes, you can pave over existing concrete as long as the concrete is solid (no wobbles), and the extra height does not create any water flow or drainage problems, especially if you are paving up to or against your house.
Lay on a bed of about 20mm of dry mix (sand and cement).
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#60
Q:
Can the Ecoply wall cladding range be used as wall bracing by it self?? Or is there a requirement to have Plybrace additional to the Plywood cladding? Can't get an answer from CHH
Rob
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
CHH (Carter Holt Harvey) has a lot of information on the use of plywood as a cladding and
bracing system.
It is the Shadowclad Collection and gives full details on the system
and it's use.
There is also their Ecoply Bracing manual (Feb 2002) which has more
info as well.
Hope this helps,
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#59
Q:
What is the best way to remove Marley gutters to repaint the bargeboard without damage to the gutter or brackets?
Archie
Answer: Marley.
There is no easy way!
It is possible to 'click' the gutter out of the back of the brackets (using a screw driver), but unless you are very careful, you may break the bracket, or worse, crack/break the gutter.
Breaking the bracket is probably the next best (cheapest) option anyway, as they are (relatively speaking) very cheap to replace.
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#58
Q:
I'm tiling my shower recess and have put down a course of bricks to give a deeper "well" but am wondering if it is better to measure and cut the capping tiles first or the ones to go on the inside and outside walls of the bricks?
Julie
Answer: Paul Gavin.
Fit the capping tiles last as they will hide possible cut edges of the vertical tiles and also it's better to shed water away from the grout joint
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#57
Q:
I want to renovate my bathroom, including moving the shower and bath, and some help with the design, am I best hiring a builder first or plumber?
Kaybee
Answer: Buildeazy.
A builder that specializes in bathrooms would be able to give advice and arrange a quote for the complete job, as he is likely to have a plumber that works in with him. If you want to employ the two tradesmen separately, independant of each other, then start with the plumber, as he is best able to give design advice in relation to practicality regarding pipes, drainage and cost. Then get a builder to quote for his part of the job. The builder will (or should) organize the job and arrange synchronization with the plumber.
This may be of some help click here
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#56
Q:
We would like to put a pergola frame up so as to climb an old fashion rose. do we need council consent.
Dave
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
The pergola doesn't require a building consent if it complies with the
following criteria as detailed in the 3rd Schedule of the Building Act.
1) It is less than 10m2,
2)It is more than it's own height away from the closest boundary and
from any other building on the site (house,garage,etc).
Plus check with the council planners in case there are any requirements
as well.
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#55
Q:
I wish to build a deck over a concrete patio. The problem is that where the patio meets the house there is only a drop of about 1.5 inches. So -no room for bearers etc. Any ideas?
Peter
Answer: Buildeazy.
These diagrams should help click here
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#54
Q:
My daughter and I want to build a playhouse for her 3 little girls: Ages Twins (2 1/2) and (1). Would an A-frame be easiest? We have never built anything before.. Please help..
Grandma
Answer: Buildeazy.
Yes, an A-frame would probably be the easiest, unfortunately we do not have such a plan just at this stage. If some one else out there has a simple A-frame playhouse plan suitable for 3 little girls that they would like to share with us , we will be happy to put it online.
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#53
Q:
Hi. I've read the comments regarding Danish Oil and matai flooring and have a few questions. I like the colour it produces but want more of a harder wearing finish , possibly gloss ,after using three or four coats of Briwax can you coat it again with polyurethane gloss. My suspicion is that the poly wont bond and will flake after a while.
Would product combination like resene aquaclear/ briwax and polythane produce the same result ?
Andy
Answer: John Turner.
.
Once Danish Oil and/or a wax has been applied to a timber floor then it is
not possible to apply a polyurethane
varnish to that surface, particularly not the Polythane.
For a hard wearing finish over Matai we would suggest the use of Polythane
directly to the sanded Matai
without any other treatment to the Matai prior to the Polythane being
applied.
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#52
Some good electrical advice
Q:
My house is about 65 years old. I want to rewire it. I would like to know how to lay out a wire plan. How many wires do I tie into one breaker. Does every room go on it's own breaker? My house is 2 stories. Three bedrooms and a bathroom are on the second floor.The first floor has a kitchen, living room, dinning room and small heater room. I await your reply.
John
Answer: Gavin Smith.
.
As an electrician I have strong opinions about owners wiring their houses.
Although legally, a homeowner can wire their own house. They are not allowed to connect it to the power.
This requires an electrician to test and liven the installation. The electrician also has to complete a legal document
( Certificate Of Compliance or COC) which guarantees that the electrical wiring complies with the Electrical Regulations.
Most Electricians will not put their signature to a COC where the homeowner has done the wiring.
Most Insurance companies will not payout where the fire etc is caused by an electrical fault in wiring not covered by a COC.
Don't take this the wrong way, but your query indicates that you do not have enough experience to wire your own house.
Please, for you and your family's safety get an Electrician to rewire your house.
It will cost more but it will be done properly.
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#51
Q:
I have a idea to convert the unused space under our 1901 villa to a workshop & laundry. The house stands on wooden piles with concrete footings. There is no need for any of the piles to be moved, however, to improve the headroom, 300mm of soil would need to be removed. After removing the soil a concrete slab floor & gib walls would be built providing an enclosed area of 10sq meters. Only minor changes would be required for wastewater & plumbing for the washing machine & tub.
Do I need a building consent?
Do I need resource consent?
The area being dug out does not break the 2:1 boundary rule or the volume limits of the excavation definition (AKL City).
As soil would be removed from around 6 of the piles before being replaced with concrete, are structural drawings required?
Will I need an architect?
Anything else I should watch for?
Kevin
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
The short answer for this question is "Yes -you will need a building
consent"
and you will have to go to the council to discuss your proposal with
the planners.
points to look out for are;
1)Location of your existing drainage and can you get to them from your
proposed addition.
2)You will need to protect the area from any over ground flow of water
as you are reducing the level of the ground.
3)Think about the access to the area, do you want it to be internal or
external and what other changes you may need to make to get to it.
4)You will only need a structural design if your proposal includes
items outside NZS 3604:1999 or the Building Code.
I would advise you to seek professional help, this may be in the form
of an Architect or another design professional or the local council
officers to help with your planning.
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#50
Q:
Hi. I'm wondering if a wall is not perfectly square and I need to do an inverted mitre. What's the best way to get the right angle so I have no gaps at the joins?
Skippy
Answer: Buildeazy.
Draw 2 lines (A and B) on the floor parallel to both walls leading up to the corner (say 100mm out from the walls). Draw another line (C) from the corner of the two walls to where lines A and B intersect.
Line C is the required angle.
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#49
Q:
How far apart may balusters be on a porch deck?
Bill
Answer: Buildeazy.
The baluster spacing depends on both the size of the baluster and the top rail. For example, If the top rail is 100x50 on flat and the balusters are 100x75, then the spacings can be up to 1500mm. The palings
between the balusters cannot be more than 100mm apart.
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#48
Q:
What is McCallum chip used in the pebble pathway?
Rachel
Answer: Buildeazy.
Red chip. A red stone between 10mm and 20mm in size.
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#47
Q:
Questiontime: Can you please help me? Our house is on a crosslease title and we have a deck at the rear of the house. The deck is about 6 metres long and about 2 metres wide (out from the house).The deck is about 2.5 metres high. The deck is not in very good condition. I want to pull it down and replace it with a larger deck (6 metres long and 3 metres wide. I know I need a consent but.........
1) Do I need to update the crosslease unit title?
2) If so, can I apply for building consent and build the deck before or while the title is being updated or processed or whatever.
3) If all of the above is too much bother, can I renew the existing deck (same size etc) without a building consent, or do I need one for that also.
Eagerly await your reply.
Marie. Half Moon Bay
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
Both situations require a building consent and the
unit title plan will require to be upgraded but you can get the building
consent and do the work before you need to do this.
A lot of people wait to upgrade these title plans until they sell their
property as the cost can be restrictive when you are paying for the
building work as well.
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#46
Q:
Hi,
I am about to rebuild part of a deck and extend its area. I am going to use Kwila. Unfortunately my wife does not like the colour Kwila ages to and wants me to stain it. Is this possible?
Rick
Answer: John Turner.
Yes it is possible and to keep a colour that is similar to Kwila there is
the Resene Kwila Decking Stain that is available in one colour only a Kwila
Brown.
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#45
Q:
Recently I purchased some gauged pine tanalised decking and the width varied by 3mm. Is this common or did I just get a mixed batch.
Would-be-builder
Answer: Buildeazy.
Very common. Tanalised pine is now pressure treated (for decay) after the timber has been gauged (planed to size) and this causes the timber to vary in widths (usually depending on grain structure). Once upon a time the timber was treated first and then gauged. Exterior timbers that do not require pressure treatment such as kwila, do not have that problem.
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#43
Q:
I have a laminate benchtop in the kitchen I would like to tile over it, can this be done and how?
Terri. Perth. WA
Answer: Buildeazy.
Question #31 should be of some help.
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#42
Q:
How do we build timber floors inside on top of concrete?
Karma from Brisbane
Answer:Paul Gavin.
You have not given me much to go on, but I'm assuming you have an existing concrete floor which is carpet
or vinyl The only practical solution is prefinished wooden floor, the product fits neatly together to provide near perfect joins.. It's available in different types and from a variety of suppliers.
Two main methods are used
1) Strips of flooring are glued directly to the concrete. The major concern here is moisture the concrete and wood floor must have the same ambient moisture content otherwise serious splitting or bulging of the floor can occur.This is usually achieved by fillet stacking the wooden flooring in the room it is to be laid and periodically
checking moisture content ( Gear can be hired for this) It can take some time.
2) Floating floor method - The floor must be level and sealed against moisture Strips of flooring are glued together at the tongue and groove only. The floor then sits on a moister proof 2mm sponge membrane, This method has the major advantage of allowing the floor to expand and contract.
I've only just touched on this subject, there is quite a lot more you will need to know. The best advise I can give is to go to the wooden floor suppliers and see what's available, get brochures, They should also have "how to" pamphlets which will detail laying methods.
Buildeazy.
Hi Karma. All guests on the questiontime panel are based in Auckland. Answers may not necessarily be relevant to Cities outside NZ.
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#41
Q:
I wish to make my own timber ladder and am unsure what would be the best suited timber to use for exterior that doesn't twist yet is light - any sugestions?
Kent
Answer: Buildeazy.
Oregon or Ash come to mind. Oregon is probably the most common timber used for making ladders although is expensive (75x50 is about $16 plus GST per metre) and only specialist merchants stock it. Other less expensive timbers can be used, but they should have close grain, straight grain and contain no knots. Preferably hardwoods.
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We give thanks to the panel that helped answer the wide range of questions that were put to us.
They were: Paul Gavin (builder); Mark Ranfurly ( Technical Officer C&I Building Consents ); John Turner ( Resene Technical Advisor ); Gavin Smith ( Electrical Contractor ); Glenn Wells ( Drainage Contractor );
Paul Gordon ( Concreter ) and of course, us.
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