House building

Danger of Tree Damage to Walls & Foundations – SANS 10400-H Annex-D Cracks and damage to walls and foundations are caused primarily by soils that contract and expand due to moisture content when the soil absorbs water and swells up and then shrinks when it dries out. This puts pressure on …

By JANEK SZYMANOWSKI Every time a water pipe bursts, there’s a good chance that the municipality will rake in thousands of rands from false water meter readings. This is because air passing through consumers’ water meters and water pipes gives false readings that are charged automatically on all water bills. …

Councils Must be Ruthless with Restricting Occupation of Unsafe Buildings I think it must be terrifying to be woken at 04:00 in the morning by a thunderclap that makes the whole building shudder. Then, in a confused state, you realise your bed’s still shaking and, no, it wasn’t thunder, it …

How To Do A Good Kitchen Layout – The Basics A good kitchen design is one that fulfils all the functions you require of it, and at the same time is aesthetically pleasing. Once you have gathered ideas and established your priorities, you will need to decide on the layout …

How To Design Your Own Kitchen Using Templates Fitting the various individual components of the kitchen into your outline is an exact, and exacting, process in which guesswork shouldn’t feature. Prepare card or plastic cut-outs, or templates, of every major item. These should be carefully drawn to scale. Among your …

How to Design a Small Bathroom Every centimetre counts in a small bathroom, whether it s a guest cloakroom, a shower room or a tiny cubby-hole in an apartment. Small design errors which may go unnoticed in a large bathroom can easily become a major source of frustration in a …

How to Solve Kitchen Traffic Flow Problems The patterns of traffic through the kitchen should be taken into account when planning the new layout. Ideally, the traffic flow should not interfere with the work triangle. If this is unavoidable, however, try and ensure that the triangle intersects the path to …

The Open-plan Kitchen Option There was a time, not too long ago, when South African home owners were not overly concerned about the dimensions of their rooms. Nowadays, with construction costs – indeed all costs – spiralling, the emphasis is on the compact, and on an internal arrangement that makes …

Bathroom Planning – What You Need to Know You and Your Plumber The location and layout of a bathroom is invariably dictated by plumbing considerations and it is well worth cultivating a good relationship with your plumber. A reputable plumber will be willing to suggest ways of minimising expenses, and …

Here is a Classic Film Clip on How to Build a House This film clip that was made back in 1946 on how to build a house is a must watch for anyone contemplating doing any sort of building. Even though it was made so many years ago the process …

Tips for Bathroom Storage Systems Bathroom storage and work surfaces are two aspects of bathroom planning that are often neglected. Consider your needs at the outset, and you will be rewarded with a bathroom that not only looks neat and streamlined but which also functions more efficiently. A miniature medicine cabinet or …

How to Design Your New Bathroom Designing a successful new bathroom involves far more than simply plumbing in the basic fixtures. The position of the room and its internal layout should be carefully considered at the planning stage, taking into account factors such as access, privacy, space, plumbing and traffic …

Plan Your Kitchen in Stages The Four Stages of Planning Your Kitchen Minimum Modules and Enticing Extras These floor plans show the same kitchen treated in two different ways. The first has been planned on a limited budget and contains the basics only, while the other is a truly luxurious …

Renovate Your Kitchen – Old to New The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in any house. But when you buy a house, you don’t always get the kitchen that meets your needs – never mind your dreams. It is at this point that you may decide it’s …

How to Plan Your Bathroom the Right Way Whether it is a guest cloakroom, a luxurious en suite arrangement or a streamlined family bathroom, the design of any bathroom should evolve out of the specific needs of the people who use the room. The bathroom has come a long way …

Tips on How to Remodel Your Bathroom A comprehensive survey of the functions and fittings of an existing or future bathroom will help you to organise your thoughts and will also give you a good idea of the size and cost of the project that lies ahead. Before you rush …

The NHBRC has Deregistered from VAT and Adjusted their Fees We have recently had a number of enquiries about how the NHBRC calculates the fees that have to be paid when a proposed new house is registered with them. In 2011 the NHBRC was deregistered for VAT and they adjusted …

Your Home—Better Safe Than Sorry Common safety in the home must not be taken for granted. We list a few important pitfalls and some helpful advice and precautions to take to make your home a safer place to live in – for everyone. In the Kitchen: 1. Keep knives and …

Plumbing Projects You Can Tackle Legally Do you know that almost all the municipalities now require a plumbing COC (Certificate of Compliance) before they will approve the sale of any house in their area. The question is what DIY plumbing work can you do yourself that is legal and will …

What to do when you have Blocked Drains Do your drains sometimes look like this, with smelly overflowing waste-water running into the street? Well a few days ago we had this problem. After a few tries with the plunger I gave it up as a bad job. If you think …

NHBRC Suspends the Payment of House Enrolment Fees-PA003 The National Home Builders Registration Council (NHBRC) announced at the beginning of November 2013 that the home registration fees, that must be paid on all new houses, will no longer be allowed to be included in the first progress payment that is …

Great Bathroom Layout and Design Ideas Over the years, the bathroom has earned a reputation as an area  unworthy of attention, probably because it has always been regarded as no more than a room in which to wash. Nobody can deny that this is still its most important function but, …

Engineers Design Buildings for a Purpose Engineers around the world will design a structure based on the brief given to them by a developer. The basis for any good design is to have a structure that is “fit for the purpose” for which it is intended. Most international building codes, …

Cold Weather and Concrete Foundations The surrounding local temperature has a big effect on the setting time of concrete. The steps to take during cold weather are outlined below:  Chemical Reaction Hydration is the chemical reaction when cement and water are combined. This produces a strong binding medium for the …

A Concrete  Placing Guide   Concrete foundations This guide will help owner builders to cast foundations. These foundations are for external brick walls around a new house, or for extensions of an existing house. THE NHBRC (National Homebuilders Association Council) requirements for house foundations: For single storey buildings with a tiled or …