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Archicentre
Newsbreak
17
June 2009
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Archicentre Pest Solution
Poll
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Archicentre
Free Seminars
FULL
LISTING NOW ONLINE
The Seminars continue in Melbourne,
Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.
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| Climate Change Design and
Behaviour |
New housing and renovations designed to take into
account the impact of climate change will provide their
owners with a long term re-sale value as costs of energy
and water will continue to rise. Not only will good
climate change design provide a monetary return it will
also provide benefits in lifestyle and
health.
Designing
sustainability cost saving into new housing and
renovations is money in the bank for home owners who
could save hundreds of dollars a year
annually.
Archicentre is conducting a number of free
Sustainability Seminars in each State next week.
Click here
for further details and bookings.
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| Renovators Warned on Cash
Economy |
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Renovators who fall for the discount for
cash line, which can be used by handymen and
tradespeople to obtain a job, could find they have not
only encouraged the law to be broken by not paying
taxes, but more importantly have lost any legal right to
consumer protection.
With the economic downturn
many people looking for alternative employment tend to
move into the residential building area in a handyman
role. Unfortunately this role sometimes becomes
extended into areas well beyond individual skills and
appropriate registration.
Anybody paying cash for home
maintenance or renovation without a contract, payment
schedule or receipts for payment could easily find
themselves without any consumer protection. Without
proof of payment it is almost impossible to hold people
to account.
Tradespeople who offer a discount for
cash to provide a more competitive price also can be
highly likely to cut corners on other elements of their
work by using inferior products such as seconds or fail
to get appropriate permits leaving the customer with the
responsibility for illegal building.
Archicentre recommends to its clients
that they use appropriate qualified and licenced
tradespeople, get at least three quotes, and arrange an
appropriate contract that clearly states what the job
will cost, the standard of materials and an agreed
payment schedule as work is completed.
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| Red Alert on Deadly Water
Tanks |
 Poorly installed or unstable water
tanks being filled with the recent rains could become a
death trap for home owners or visitors.
People often don't realise the sheer
weight involved in storing rainwater which weighs a
tonne for every thousand litres. It is not unusual to
see a 2500 litre water tank on an old timber tank stand
in country areas. This combined with the tank
quickly filling with heavy rainfall then weighing two
and half tonnes on a timber frame in softened earth can
cause problems.
Raised water tanks on timber structures
require ongoing safety assessments to check for any
deterioration of the timber or any sign of the tank
starting to lean.
With heavy rains tanks can fill quickly
and within a few minutes double the weight of the water
they hold and in turn increase pressure on the structure
of the tank itself and also the tank stand or support.
A falling two tonne tank of water could
severely injure or kill a person. It might even
endanger the structural integrity of the home if it fell
onto the house or crashed into high timber stumps of a
house built on a steep slope.
Water tanks must be installed by a
licensed plumber and home owners should ensure that the
tank is installed in accordance with the manufacturer's
recommended installation
guidelines.
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