Climate control

The Mystery of Henry Hoke

JonathanGreen — Thu, 17 May 2012 16:55:11 +1000

Like many readers of ManSpace, we at the Institute of Backyard Studies (IBYS) are big tool collectors. Most Sunday mornings you’ll find us out at garage sales, swap meets or the trash’n’treasure, casting expert eyes over piles of rubbish and junk in a search of that elusive little beauty. A Stanley plough plane from 1923 perhaps... or maybe a Wilkinson folding drawknife is just sitting there, waiting for our loving touch. You live in constant hope of that big find and some days are good.

FREE ticket giveaway for the HIA Sydney Home Show!

Darcy — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:32:07 +1000

When: Thursday 31st May - Sunday 3rd June, 2012Where: Darling Harbour Exhibition Centre, Sydney Want free tickets to the HIA Sydney Home Show?Just sign up for the BUILD newsletter. The first 50 people to sign up get a free pair of tickets (valued at $18 a piece on the door). Couldn\'t be simpler.Even if you\'re not in the first 50, we\'ll still send you a special half-price promo code. Not bad eh? Click here to sign up About the show:The HIA Sydney Home Show is being held in Sydney between the 31st May - 3rd June 2012, and features all kinds of ...

FREE ticket giveaway for the HIA Melbourne Home Show!

Darcy — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 16:23:58 +1000

NOTE: All of the free tickets are gone! Big thanks to those who signed up, we\'ll be in touch in the next day or two to get your postal details. If you\'ve missed the boat, don\'t despair - we\'re still offering a 1/2 price coupon code to anyone who subscribes to the newsletter before Monday 23rd April.Thanks again, and see you at the show! ______________________________________________ When: Thu 26th - Sun 29th April, 2012Where: Melbourne Exhibition Centre, Southbank, Melbourne Want free tickets to the HIA Melbourne Home Show? Just sign up for the BUILD ...

On the go again!

wrenton — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 14:35:25 +1000

It’s been a while since the last update, but there has been quite a delay with the supply of the steel for the upper level, and once a again it felt like there was very little happening. Quite a few of the wall frames had been completed but erecting these all depended on the steel being in place.

Going back a month or so, the bricklayers did a fantastic job with all the lower walls being completed in just under two weeks. It would have been nice if the steelwork had come along as well! Anyway, the clock cannot be wound back, and, as of this week everyone is back on the job.

Climate control maintenance

Darcy — Tue, 03 Apr 2012 10:28:08 +1000

Climate control systems generally won't take up a lot of your time or money when it comes to maintenance - but knowing how often to clean your chimneys and flues or clean and service your airconditioner will ensure that they continue to keep your home safe and comfortable.

Take a minute to read your air conditioner manual, and set some maintenance dates for your climate control systems.

PRODUCT NEWS: Auspex Radiant Underfloor Systems

Darcy — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:55:23 +1000

Australian-made and owned Auspex underfloor heating systems are now available as a complete installation system, allowing for easy installation of cosy radiant underfloor heating in new homes.

Ian Hopkins' unofficial motorbike museum

JonathanGreen — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 14:00:09 +1100

A magnificent motorbike and memorabilia collection in a renovated ice cream factory is a visual treat of the highest order. It also acts as a chronicle of one man’s life, writes Jonathan Green. One of the best motorbike collections in Australia is located in an old ice cream factory in Cairns. With over 40 bikes of significance and a mountain of memorabilia and history, some have even said it’s the best tourist attraction in Cairns. Except for one small issue ... it’s not actually open as a public exhibition. Ian Hopkins (or Hoppy to his mates) has lived and breathed motorbikes his ...

Having a bar of it

JonathanGreen — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:36:57 +1100

In the launch edition for ManSpace we asked readers to send in personal stories about their space. Darren Gallagher has answered the call and gives us a first person account of The Flying Sailor Bar & Brewery; his garage retreat inspired by beer, blues music and cool cars: Never a truer word has been spoken since young Tobias talked it up in the 18th century. There is something fantastic about being young and hitting the high seas (which led to being hit from time to time, or from port to port). Having moved around as a lad because of my father’s employment, little did I know that he ...

6 sources of inspiration for your build

Darcy — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:58:52 +1100

Planning your home designs or renovations should be a bit fearful and overwhelming. Even if you\'re entrusting a designer or an architect with most of the hard decisions, the concept\'s still down to what suits you best. If you\'re not chewing your nails to a bloody stump when you\'re considering what you want, it\'s possibly a sign that you need to dust off your brain and think much harder about the endless options you have in front of you. The world\'s full of spectacular ideas about to how we\'re able to live in our built spaces, what we can build, and how we can tweak and refine our ...

Like a giant Meccano set

wrenton — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 11:04:51 +1100

With the holiday break behind us the action on ‘The Block’ is picking up. Early January the scaffolding was put in place, then from that point on there didn’t appear to be much happening. However, we were assured there was plenty going on behind the scenes.

Can a price be too cheap?

matthew — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:06:41 +1100

We all love a bargain right? Group buying websites, department store sales, online shopping. We are being bombarded with discounts so much that if we pay full price we tend to feel ripped off.

Giving hefty discounts is fine if you have large markups. Sure profits take a hit, but if they are still making money the business can be sustainable.

Extreme DIY: Barry's backyard observatory

JonathanGreen — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 13:18:40 +1100

As a kid, Barry Armstead was a huge fan of Star Trek and Dr Who. He watched documentaries on space and dreamed of becoming an air force pilot so he could fly close to the outer rim. Instead, Barry joined the army, and on returning from active service in East Timor he decided to build an observatory. This was his very own Tardis – in the front yard of his house – that could transport him through time and space … if only through lenses. Astrophotography is the art of taking photographs of objects in space. Aficionados use telescopes, digital cameras and other sensitive equipment and ...

So you have at least 3 quotes, now what?

matthew — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:57:20 +1100

If you have carefully selected your tender list, then choosing your builder should be relatively easy. If you have read my previous blogs you would have already selected builders that can provide what you are looking for. So once you take this variable out of the equation it comes down to scope and dollars.

What you are trying to do here is get all of the builders to price exactly the same scope. Once this is done you can either just go with the cheapest price, or negotiate with your favourite.

The slab is in!

wrenton — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 10:46:14 +1100

It is hard to believe, looking at the concrete slab, how much work has gone into getting the project to this stage.

The initial setup was done, and once all the string lines were set out the lower corner of the floor seemed to be so elevated it was difficult to get everything in perspective. The fall of the block seemed to create an optical illusion. However, it was a case of wait and see as the preparations continued.

The ultimate underground garage

JonathanGreen — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 13:58:35 +1100

The quite extraordinary garage of Ralph Plarre could be described as many things. It is certainly somewhere to store the cars. All 10 of them. And there is space – and facilities – to work on them. But it also feels a little like a showroom. With the flexible space of an art gallery. But with great practicality. And with a personal touch that gives it warmth and promotes a genuine social environment. Oh ... I don’t know. Let’s just say it’s a lot of things.

5 technologies that will revolutionise our homes

Darcy — Thu, 24 Nov 2011 10:00:00 +1100

We all love new technology - and what a revolution it's caused in our homes over the last 15 or 20 years. I can imagine a few of you are looking around your living rooms and scratching your heads... it's hard to blame you if you haven't really noticed. Unless you've just built a shiny, elaborately wired wunderhaus the changes are likely to be subtle, and are probably things you've already completely taken for granted.

Progress at last!

wrenton — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 11:26:25 +1100

Who could believe that after signing the building contract, not a blade of grass had been disturbed in three months!!

We finally have some action shown in the photos. The clearing of the block has been completed, the cut has been done for the downstairs, and now the foundations have been poured.

Base Level Decisions

JonathanGreen — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 15:00:50 +1100

Most men enjoy their garages. Many see it as a ‘Fortress of Solitude’ where a guy can store his tools and equipment – not to mention his prized possessions (mainly his cars!). And while most of us do use the garage to house our cars, the garage of today is also being used for a number of other purposes including an office, a retreat, entertainment area, workshop or a home gym.

No matter what you intend to use it for, one of the ways you can economically add real aesthetic value and functionality to your garage is to consider renovating the floor.

It's your ManSpace

JonathanGreen — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 14:37:04 +1100

There’s nothing particularly new about the concept of a ‘man’s space’.

Men throughout the world have been creating their own personalised rooms and areas for centuries. Mark Twain had a billiards room, Theodore Roosevelt had a trophy room – even Winston Churchill had a painting studio.

It was not sinister or exclusive, just a dedicated space for an individual – as he wanted it – where he could enjoy time alone or socialise with others. It’s pretty simple.

National Architecture Awards 2011 - Winners' gallery

Darcy — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 14:38:30 +1100

The 2011 Australian National Architecture Awards winners were announced today, and as you'd expect they include some jaw-dropping houses from across Australia.

Obviously there's volumes to be said about the materials and designs that have been used for each of these ridiculously good looking homes, but pictures will always speak louder than words...

The Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture - Houses

NSW building warranties - from 7 years down to 2?

Darcy — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 17:04:11 +1100

Some ominous legislation\'s being digested through the NSW parliament at the moment, and if you\'re planning on building a home in NSW it\'s something you really need to know about - because the changes it proposes are likely to cause a lot of people serious grief and heartache. The Home Building Amendment Act 2011 is ostensibly designed to tickle a bit of life into the construction industry, which has been languishing at record lows. Unfortunately, even if it does give the industry a bit of a boost, the biggest impact of this bill won\'t be felt at the industry end at all - it\'ll be felt by ...

WIN double passes to Grand Designs Australia Live!

Darcy — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 11:20:41 +1100

NOTE: THIS PROMOTION IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE WHO RECEIVED TICKETS. WIN one of 10 double passes (valued at $57) to see Kevin McCloud, Peter Maddison and a huge range of cutting-edge building ideas at Grand Designs Australia Live at the Sydney Convention Centre, Oct 21-23. HOW TO ENTER All you have to do to enter is register for the BUILD newsletter on our sign-up page. Winners will be contacted by email on Monday, 17th October and the tickets will be mailed to them.

Quotes, and taking the razor to the plans

wrenton — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 14:31:32 +1000

The three builders quotes have come in and to our horror they are all more than 30% over our original budget. We will now get the razor out and look at where we can reduce the cost of the whole project. We met with each of the builders again and went through in detail all the areas where savings can be made without jeopardising the overall design. They resubmitted their quotations and we have chosen Jake - a local builder who is very keen to build our home. The next step is to complete the Project Building Specifications as required by the Master Builders Association. This is a 30 page ...

The BUILD Placebook is alive!

Darcy — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 10:39:22 +1000

After many months of tweaking, polishing and refinement, we’re happy to say that we’ve finally unleashed our amazing new BUILD Placebook blogging platform. What does this mean for BUILD readers? Great question, glad you asked… What\'s in store We’ll have guest bloggers contributing from now on – people with years of expert practical experience, Australian industry insiders, colourful commentators, information on new products, events, competitions and giveaways, and stacks of hints, tips and advice on all aspects of building and renovating. You\'ll be able to leave your own ...

Jumping through hoops - permits and builders!

wrenton — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:53:39 +1000

Our planning permit was finally approved six months after being submitted to Council. The approved plans state that the works must be in line with the stamped plans, which note that the Manna Gum tree at the front of our property ( on Council land) is to be removed at our expense: The next step in our building project is to meet with our architects and proceed the advanced stage of the design development and working drawings. Further on from there we were presented with our interior design drawings which include all interior specifications including cabinetry, kitchen design ...

Australians rush to beat the solar deadline

admin — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 10:15:18 +1100

Solar installers report that Australians are flocking to sign up to have solar panels installed before the 1st of July 2011, at which point government rebates will be slashed by up to $1200.

Climate control 101: An introduction to climate control

admin — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 12:31:14 +1100

The best and most sensible way to approach climate control is almost always to consult a trained, certified and experienced professional. Depending on whether you’re building from scratch, renovating, or simply making ad hoc improvements, this will mean asking different things of different people.

What is climate control?

admin — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 15:39:08 +1100

One of the reasons we live in houses is to protect us from the elements. If it’s cold outside, we like it to be nice and cosy inside. Likewise, when it’s scorching hot outside, it’s nice to be able to come home to a cool house – and we need fresh air, regardless of the temperature.

Passive apartments for Melbourne

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:37:26 +1100

Australia’s first carbon neutral apartments are expected to go on the market later this year. The units, each expected to fetch approximately $1 million, will make up the 10-storey Delta complex.

Household compensation for carbon tax

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:24:48 +1100

Following the federal government’s recent announcement of its commitment to the implementation of a carbon tax in Australia, Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has pledged an assurace that the proceeds of that tax will be used to compensate households.

Man finds ET in firewood

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:19:29 +1100

75 year old Pete Burford from Gloucestershire, England recently had a huge surprise when he found ET’s face in a piece of firewood.

Solar flare-up in the top end

admin — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 21:06:22 +1100

Despite the sunny climate and seemingly endless supply of sunshine in the Northern Territory, Chief Minister Paul Henderson has recently announced that there are no plans to improve tariffs for those who feed solar electricity back into the grid.

How to clean exhaust vents

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:39:25 +1100

Vents can usually be removed with a screwdriver.

If your vents or exhaust fans aren’t operating as well as they used to, it may be time to clean the vents. Build up of dust, grease and dirt can slow the air flow through vents and leave you with a system that is sub-par. Best of all, cleaning vents is simple – all you need is a screwdriver and water.

How to measure infiltration and air tightness

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 23:30:53 +1100

A blower door is an excellent way to test infiltration.

If you are looking to plan a new ventilation system, upgrade an old one, or if you’re not getting the results you should be from your existing system, you should think carefully about the effects of infiltration. Modern buildings are built to be air tight, so as to improve energy efficiency.

Indoor air quality

admin — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 16:17:52 +1100

For a typical home owner indoor air quality is a difficult thing to evaluate, but it plays a major role in your health and how comfortable or habitable your home is. Modern buildings are built to be airtight so as to improve energy efficiency, but shutting yourself off from fresh air can be very dangerous. This is why ventilation is a particularly important concern.

Why is ventilation important for climate control?

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:44:03 +1100

Heat from the sun enters houses in four ways:

1. Radiant heat transfer from roofing material to attic air, which in turn can re-radiate through the ceiling.
2. Entry of certain wavelengths of light through glass windows.
3. Radiant heat transfer from the building materials used for walls.

How to clean a chimney or flue

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 15:49:48 +1100

Chimneys should be cleaned regularly.

Failure to clean a chimney can lead to two main problems – a chimney fire, or an inefficient heater. If left uncleaned, a substance called creosote builds up on the walls of the chimney or flue.

How to clean a fireplace

admin — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 14:55:47 +1100

Cleaning your fireplace or wood heater is a necessary (and occasionally tedious) chore to ensure the safety of you and your family. While you should ideally clean the ashes out of your fireplace or wood heater regularly - depending on how much use it gets - you should schedule a full, serious clean of your fireplace once a year to rid it of any excess soot, ash or creosote build-up from previous years.

How to choose a heater

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:05:18 +1100

Choosing how to heat your home can be as easy or as complicated as you allow it to be, but it's well worth properly weighing up your options before settling on a particular choice. The wrong heater is likely to be costly, and provide either way too little or way too much heat. The best way to go about choosing a heater is to carefully consider your needs.

How to clean an air conditioner

admin — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 13:33:34 +1100

How to choose the right air conditioner

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 23:15:53 +1100

Picking the right air conditioner for your home’s very important. The air conditioner you choose can either be an effective cooling solution, or a costly lesson in what not to do.

There are several factors that you need to consider when choosing an air conditioner for your home. While no two homes are identical, some options will generally be more suitable for Australian homes.

1. Energy efficiency

6 air conditioner emergencies and how to deal with them

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:52:55 +1100

It’s the hottest day of the year. Your airconditioner’s not working, has broken down, is leaking, is not cooling, or is making a bad smell or a banging noise – whatever the case, you’ve completely lost your cool… so to speak.

What is passive house design?

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:15:19 +1100

Good passive design makes for a very efficient house.

Have you ever noticed that some houses are simply cooler or warmer than others without relying heavily on powered cooling or heating devices? This is probably due to the design of the building itself.

Calculate your heating and cooling costs

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 20:01:43 +1100

9 tips to make your home cooler

admin — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 19:58:00 +1100

Australia is known for its hotter-than-hot summers, so finding ways to cool your home without constantly relying on air conditioning is important. Not only will it save you lots of money, but it will also make your home more comfortable to live in.

Fans are a very effective method of cooling.

1. Ceiling fans

7 tips to make your home warmer

admin — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 14:32:10 +1100

Many people assume that to heat your home, you install a heater and that’s that. There are many different ways to make your home warmer though, and not all of them will cost you a lot of money.