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Current at: 15 May 2008
What's New On The Market
The lastest products on the market to save time, money and/or the environment.
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Current at: 15 May 2008
All Pumped Up
Many HIA members use air compressors every day. Looks at what’s behind all the hot air.
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Current at: 15 May 2008
Tip Tip Hooray - New Dumpers Make Easy Work
Removing building rubble, particularly from confined areas, can be made much easier with the help of a small, compact, high-tip dumper from Kennards Hire.
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Current at: 09 January 2009
Small quantities of hand mixed concrete (Nat)
The requirements for smaller concrete jobs are subject to the same strength and quality requirements as for pre-mixed concrete. Yet there seems to be a lack of knowledge about how to estimate the raw materials for smaller volumes of hand mixed concrete and subsequently there sometimes ends up being a loss of quality, particularly strength in the finished product.
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Current at: 09 January 2009
Drawing standards: dimensioning of ceiling heights (Nat)
The standard practice when dimensioning floor plans is to show room size dimensions between the structural components of the walls and not include internal wall linings, for example plasterboard or wall tiling. However for ceiling heights, there is some difference of opinion within the building industry as to whether the dimension includes floor and ceiling linings or finishes.
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Current at: 09 January 2009
AS 1684 - Timber framing manual: Simplified or not? (Nat)
HIA receives many enquiries in relation to the residential timber framing manual or AS 1684 as to which is the better document to adopt, the simplified version or AS 1684 Part 4 or the standard version that part 4 was based on, AS 1684 part 2. The following information may assist members to choose.
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Current at: 10 October 2008
Condensation in houses (Nat)
Condensation is an issue that comes up as a technical query whenever beads of moisture appear on non-absorbent surfaces. The effects of condensation which can become a problem are: blistering of paint, mould growth on walls and ceilings, water stains and the musty smell that eventuates.
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Current at: 08 October 2008
Concrete En-Counter (Nat)
Concrete is one of the easiest products to customise, it can be ground, polished, stamped, or stained, you can have glass, marble chips or other objects embedded in it. You can mould and sculpt it to create your own exclusive design and turn a rudimentary kitchen bench top into a distinctive piece of art.
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Current at: 08 October 2008
Non-structural overlay Natural Timber Strip Flooring (Nat)
Natural timber floors, just like all quality products, must be handled, stored, installed and maintained with care to ensure excellent service. This leaflet answers many of the most asked questions about overlay natural timber floors and highlights important precautions and considerations which you should discuss with your flooring supplier, builder and/or installer before you proceed.
This information has been developed and supplied by Timber Development Association (NSW), www.timber.net.au and HIA makes no representation as to its accuracy, currency or completeness. The information is provided on the basis that you undertake your own assessment as to its suitability for your purposes.
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Current at: 08 October 2008
Timber floor finishes and maintenance (Nat)
Timber floor finishes can be grouped into three broad categories. These are oil-based finishes, solvent borne polyurethane finishes and water borne finishes. The various finishes and their properties are summarised in the accompanying table.
This information has been developed and supplied by Timber Development Association (NSW), www.timber.net.au and HIA makes no representation as to its accuracy, currency or completeness. The information is provided on the basis that you undertake your own assessment as to its suitability for your purposes.
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Current at: 29 September 2008
Retaining walls - things to think about? (Nat)
Retaining walls are a common feature of many backyards and whilst they may be a small part of the building work, it is important that they are built to suit the block of land and to ensure their safety.
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Current at: 29 September 2008
Floor and wall tiling - potential problems and solutions (Nat)
When tiling walls and floors, there are a few tips that can help you avoid some of the common problems and perhaps give you some ideas to help your next tiling job go smoothly.
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Current at: 11 September 2008
Tongue and groove timber flooring Part 1: Supply, storage & ventilation
There are a number of fundamental requirements and procedures that need to be followed to ensure long term performance of Tongue & Groove (T&G) flooring. The following requirements are applicable where a feature floor or covered floor are placed on the traditional timber bearer and joist systems.
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Current at: 11 September 2008
Cold Weather Concreting (Nat)
When specifying concrete it is important to take into account the season and the time of placement, as there is a different ordering and placement procedure between hot and cold weather. Precautions especially need to be taken when the air temperature falls below 10°C.
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Current at: 18 August 2008
Roof guttering - overflow measures for eaves (Nat)
The Building Code of Australia (BCA) has specific provisions that require buildings to be constructed in such a manner that prevents water penetration into the building. One of the principle areas of concern of the BCA is water penetrating back into the building from overflowing gutters. This information sheet shows some of the options for installation.
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