#40
Q:
A question re: How to make lean-to pergola with pvc / polycarbonate roof.
I have a existing 2nd storey deck, 7m x1,8m. Do I need a resoure consent to erect a pergola structure and cover part of it with poly sheeting? I don't want to enclose it, the sides will still be open. Effectively I want to create a dry zone in from of the door.
Chris
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
The structure will need a building consent but will only need a
resource consent if it contravenes the local councils Planning
requirements.
You need to take a sketch to them and find this out as the planning
rules for each local council can differ considerably from another.
Hope this helps.
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#39
Q:
Our garage floor in part is approx 1m below the surrounding ground level. Water seeps through the brick masonary into the garage. Any suggestions on how to water proof the buried part of the walls would be appreciated. Thanks
Gareth
Answer: Glenn Wells.
The only successful way to seal a wall or the part of a wall that is below ground level, is to excavate behind the wall to below
floor level, clean the wall, check for any cracks or missing mortar, plaster the wall all over or at least where necessary, then, apply a waterproof membrane over that. Lay draincoil (below floor level) and scoria to ground level.
Water must be free to flow away.
A visual inspection might be required to see if any sealed surface area is directed
towards the wet area.
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#38
Q:
Great site...
I'm building a house (soon hopefully) in the Rodney district nth of
Akl. I
want to start the siteworks now, but haven't yet settled on a builder.
Siteworks consist of drive and cut & fill. Do I need to wait until I
have
full plans and apply for a permit all at once or can I just get a
permit for
the siteworks (without duplicated permit costs)
Mab
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
You can apply for a staged consent with a PIM for the whole project,
but this will only save you the cost of the PIM for the 2nd stage which
will be for the house.
The other problem with this is that for the PIM you will still need a
Site plan,Drainage plan,Floor Plan and Elevations so it may just be
better to wait if you can.
This is just general and it would be better to talk to Rodney ,they may
be able to help you with the situation that you have.
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#37
Q:
We have a pretty old house and all the walls regibbed etc over the years, as a result there are several different types of beading on the one wall. I dont want the expense of re-gibing all the house is there a way to just take the beading off and plaster over it, or will the walls start falling apart??
Jenn
Answer: Paul Gavin.
I'm not sure what you mean by beading, is it the scotia and skirting or decorative mouldings.
If it's decorative mouldings these may have been used to cover the joints of the gib instead of stopping them.
If they are spaced at 1200mm centres or the old 4 feet, then that's the function they are performing.
You will have to take one off to see (and also to confirm that it is gib. It may be hardboard)
The mouldings will be helping hold the gib in place, but the gib will have been tacked in place first. Once you have the mouldings off you will need to nail all the joints with gib nails at 150 centres. Loose or broken gib and or paper along side joins should be removed.
If the walls are in sound condition you should be able to tape and stop the joins. If there is wallpaper it will all have to be removed otherwise the damp stopping will bubble it off. When the paper is off ,allow to dry and sand walls to remove fragments of paper left. To ensure stopping compound good adhesion, paint wall with an oil based undercoat ( Thin down paint with turps so as not to leave paint brush or roller marks).
If the walls have gloss paint on them you will need to sand the surface with say 60 grit paper. Then paint the wall with an oil based undercoat. ( Thin down paint with turps so as not to leave paint brush or roller marks)
This should provide satisfactory preparation for stopping. If you are not confident in stopping yourself you may like to do all the preparation and then engage a stopper. The worst part of jobs like these is the preparation.
It would do no harm to get some prices from stoppers and they will probably tell you what can be done or what preparation you could do.(pick their brains).
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#36
Q:
I have a deck that I wish to build a pergola over. The posts are only handrail height. Do I need to replace the posts or can I fix new to existing somehow?
Seamus
Answer: Buildeazy.
Ideally the posts should be continuous and fixed solidly (bolted) to the joists or boundary joists, or into ground for lower decks.
For most lightweight pergolas, the posts are the main bracing element (cutting down wobble).
If there is some other form of bracing such as diagonal trellis screens between posts, or the pergola rafters are braced rigid from the house (usually with diagonal braces), then the posts do not become so important as bracing elements.
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#35
Q:
Does anyone know who is responsible if a house is on the market and obviously had a major addition done in the pass that would even from my laymans view not pass an inspection ( and looked unsafe)?
Robert
Answer: (a) Mark Ranfurly.
Councils in general are not taking any responsibility for unauthorised
work carried out on properties.
Many have a Registration of the works for record on council's records
but this is more of a comfort thing for the property owner.
If it is found to be dangerous and/or insanitary you have only two
options
1) Demolition and get a consent to rebuild it or,
2) Get a consent for the extensive remedial works to bring it up to
current code requirements.
There are Private Survey companies out there who do this type of
inspection and report, but it is always better to contact your local
council and get something done about it.
A question for Robert?
Did you get a LIM from the local council done before entering into a
contract?
Answer: (b) Buildeazy.
Bottom line: If you purchase a house with problems, then you inherit those problems and they could come back to bite you on the nose. Take some safeguards, Make the purchase contract conditional upon a satisfactory LIM report and house inspection by a qualified person.
A LIM (Land Information Memoranda) Report basically tells you everything the Council knows about the property.
You can find a house inspector in the yellow pages under 'building inspection' and the cost ranges from $100 to around $300. If you still want to buy the house warts and all, then get a builder to give a quote on getting the house in good repair, safe and legal.
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#34
Q:
What are the physical and chemical properties of timber?
Sophie
Answer: Buildeazy.
Different timbers, different properties. Go to this Canadian site www.canforpfd.com for a list of properties on various types of timber. Hope it is some help.
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#33
Q:
I would like to pave over existing concrete that has some gaps and is not leveled in all places. What can I do to fill these gaps and level the concrete or alternately can I paint the concrete as it is old and discoloured. Thanks
Gary
Answer: Buildeazy.
Re paving over concrete, go to question #29. Re filling gaps in concrete go to question #14.
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#32
Q:
How do I go about making a pebble & slab pathway without fixing them with concrete as I need good drainage
Jean
Answer: Buildeazy.
We have an article 'how to make a pebble path'. The same principles could be applied to a pebble and slab pathway. If more drainage is required, a scoria and coil drain could be placed down one side of the path below the base course. Use scoria or free draining metal directly over the drain in place of basecourse.
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#31
Q:
Our formica kitchen sink bench top is in need of a new look and we thought of giving it a mosasic look using broken tiles. Can it be done and is there any special prepartion need doing before tiling.
Lynne
Answer: Paul Gavin.
You will have to roughen the surface with say 40 grit sandpaper or perhaps a tungston blade scraper. What ever method you use you will have to break through the glossy surface to form a key. Just be careful not to go through to the substrate.
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#30
Q:
I am building a deck joining a concrete landing. I want to lay decking over the landing and onto the new deck joists.There is only a 35mm gap between the concrete and the door threshold. I don't seem to have much choice but to lay the decking boards straight onto the concrete. Can I lay the decking boards straight onto the concrete? I would appreciate any advice please.
Thanks
Gareth
Answer: Buildeazy.
These diagrams should help click here
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#29
Q:
Can I pave over existing old concrete or do I need to break up the concrete slabs to pave?
Danny
Answer: Buildeazy.
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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#28
Q:
We are renovating a house built around 1968. When the floor sander pulled up the vinyl to sand the boards underneath there was a black layer of tar-like substance. He couldn't sand it off or scrape it - it seems well and truly stuck. Would anyone know what would get this black substance off the top of the old boards?
Marg
Answer: Buildeazy.
You just have to persevere with various types of scrapper, chisel and hammer or even a sharpened up spade. Some sanding firms will grind through it but will charge accordingly. Most sanding firms do not want to know about it until it is at least 90% off.
Good luck.
If anyone knows a miracle solution please email here and we will do a follow up.
Follow up: Roy.
I had a similar problem with my house, my wife found that a citric acid based industrial cleaner that she used for her business was effective at removing around 90% of the old glue with a lot of rubbing-apparently the black is a very old formula latex adhesive used for lino many years ago-I can't remember what it was called but it worked very well and left very little residue or nasty smell when being used. We found that it worked best if it was sprayed on with a garden sprayer, left for an hour or so and a hard plastic scraper moved most of the major layer and a green pot scrubber liberally dipped in and rubbed got rid of the rest.
Cheers
Roy
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#27
Q:
Hi, great site. Our front lawn is absolutely water logged. We have neighbours on both sides run off coming onto our section and also have a clay base so the water goes nowhere. Would like to know what we can do to improve drainage. Can we hook it somehow into the existing drainage out to the road? Do we require a permit?
Michelle
Answer (a): Glenn Wells.
Coil and scoria drains close to boundaries are ideal to collect surface water, before
the water actually reaches your problem area. Falls or slope is generally required to your existing system. Existing downpipe or cesspit
connections are ideal. Your neighbours might agree to help you. They should be responsible for any concreted or paved areas being properly drained to their
own system.
'Strip drains' are available from Placemakers / Benchmarks with instructions to install. These are ideal in some situations . A site visit would be necessary to assess the problem further.
Answer (b): Mark Ranfurly.
The additional drainage, I take it that it would be a field drain
connected to a cesspit then run to road or the existing connection which
would require a consent.
You would need a drainlayer to do the work or supervise it.
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#26
Q:
I have a couple of queries about polyurethaning T & G wooden floors
1)The floor appears to be in very good condition. How much sanding (if any) is required?
2)I understand a water based polyurethane is available and would this be suitable for a hallway and bedrooms ?
3)How do I go about polyurethaning a large area (brush/roller etc.)? How many coats are required and does one do a light sanding between coats ?
Lenny. Hamilton
Answer: John Turner.
1. The floor needs to be sanded so that the surface is smooth and even
and then the sanding dust removed.
2. There is a water based polyurethane available called Aquaclear. It is
suitable for use on wooden floor provided the traffic is not heavy. If it
is then we would suggest the use of a Polythane a moisture cured
polyurethane.
3. The Aquaclear is best applied by a speed brush. The Polythane can be
applied by brush or roller.
You will need four coats
of Aquaclear and three to four coats of the Polythane. The data sheets
should help you with any other questions.
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#25
Q:
What can I put on my bathroom ceiling to stop mould? I have
to wash it off every 3 weeks
Peter.
Answer: John Turner.
The only real way to stop mould is to improve the ventilation. Whilst this
is always difficult in a bathroom it is this best way to hold back the
mould.
If you are going to repaint, then after killing off the mould with the
Resene Moss and Mould Killer and thoroughly washing the ceiling consider
repainting with one of the Resene acrylic enamels, Zylone SpaceCote,
Lustacryl or Enamacryl and have the local Resene ColorShop treat the paint
with a Resene product called MouldDefender. This will help to hold back
mould growth.
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#24
Q:
Can you please shed some light on this problem? (excuse the pun). We are renting an
old house and seem to be constantly replacing light bulbs. We buy standard light bulbs
from the supermarket. Are light bulbs of a lesser quality than in the good old days or
could the house wiring or electrical fittings be faulty. The problem is through out the
whole house. Great site, keep it up.
Diane. Panmure.
Answer: Gavin Smith.
The reason light bulbs blow often is normally a faulty lampholder not making good contact
with the lamp. If it is the whole house I would suspect you have a loose termination somewhere
which is causing a voltage drop. Any drop in volts to a lamp will shorten it's life, (normally a 1000hrs).
You are also right in assuming that lamps are not as good as they once were.
Recommend you get an electrician to have a look as loose terminations can lead to much more
serious problems.
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#23
Q:
I'm about to re-lay a deck in Blenheim. What timber is better for the dry heat down here,pine or kwila.
I argue with dad that pine laid properly with grip nails etc will last as long as kwila but he says it splits and warps.kwila here approx $6.50pm so does it stack up. Cheers
Dave
Answer: Buildeazy.
Both premium pine and kwila fixed properly should withstand any N.Z. weather conditions. As an added safeguard you could use larger galvanised nails than recommended with a countersunk head and annular grooved shank (ie use 75mm nails in place of 60mm nails for 90x20 decking and 90mm nails in place of 75mm nails for 90x35 decking) and/or space the joists closer than recommended (ie 350mm crs in place of 450mm crs for 90x20 kwila; 300mm crs in place of 400mm crs for 90x20 pine; 500mm crs in place of 600mm crs for 90x35 pine).
We will leave this question open. If anyone has had problems with decking in extreme conditions could they please email here and we will do a follow up.
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#22
Q:
I am going to build a 50cm height deck on a crosslead property, do I need consent from the city council and the owner of another house?
Lou
Answer: Mark Ranfurly.
The deck does not require a building consent from the local Council but
will still be required to be constructed to the building code (the buildeazy site has plans and details for this).
note: if it combines a built in seat as part of the deck it can be no
higher then 999mm from the top of the seat to the ground( the Building
Act states "less than a metre")
Any construction on a crosslease site should have the consent of any
other person on the crosslease and there is also the requirement to
update the unit title plans for the crosslease.
This can be costly but is a requirement.
Also when ever you think of starting a project it doesn't hurt to go to
your local council to discuss it and any bylaws they may have that might
impact on your project.
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#21
Q:
Hi! we want to expand a built-in wardrobe in our bedroom which will involve moving an interior wall back by half a meter. We assume we can just pull the gib off, move the studs and put new gib on. Is it safe to do? Do we need a building permit? What is the best way of doing it?
Thank you!
Elena
Answer (a): Buildeazy.
If the wall is not bearing or structural it is a relatively simple task to move, however, it's a different ball game if the wall is structural, for example, is it a brace wall? does it support the ceiling joists? is it carrying struts which supports the roof?. A structural wall may need an engineers design.
Answer (b): Mark Ranfurly.
Does the moving of either a structural or a non-structural wall require a building consent?
Technically, both situations require a building consent under the act as
it is an alteration to the building. It is up to the owner to decide
weather they want to take the risk of not getting a consent for such
minor works but it may come back on you when/if you decide to sell.
Most Councils have a minor consent system for these types of work which
are cheaper than a full consent.Minor is usually defined by the amount
of cost and difficulty of the processing.
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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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