Building & construction articles
Construction cost calculator. A useful tool that uses a technique similar that used by many building professionals to get an idea of the cost of construction before any work begins.
Kit homes. Learn about kit homes, prefabricated homes and modular homes.
DIY home building inspection. DIY your own building inspection for a potential new home.
The building process fully explained... This article spans several pages and is written for owner-builders and property owners hiring a builder who want to familiarize themselves with the home construction process. It covers:
So you want to be an owner builder... then read this article.
How to read a builder's quote. Reading a builders quotation can be frustrating and can leave many people wondering what it actually includes! There are a few essential things that you can do to greatly improve receiving a thorough and easy to understand quotation...
Residential structures: the basics. Many people that don't work within the construction industry have little idea of how a simple home is constructed. Here we have provided some examples of basic home construction details so you can better understand how your home is 'put together'.
Sample construction specification. Here we have provided a few sample pages from a full construction specification document that building designers and architects produce for clients.
How to read construction plans. Each type of plan is explained interactively. As you move your mouse over the plan diagram explanatory text is displayed.
Keeping construction costs down. So why do building and renovating cost so much? And what can you do to limit the mental stress and tame the capital outlay that will inevitably occur? Here are six tips to help keep the process in check and prevent the loss of your sanity...
Fire ratings. Learn about building product fire ratings.
Dealing with tradesmen. Some practical tips on dealing with tradesmen.
DIY. Our do-it-yourself portal. Includes a step-by-step article that explains how to build your own deck as well as other articles such as:
• DIY home design. Learn how to design your own home.
• DIY deck. Learn how to build your own deck.
• DIY kitchen. Learn how to design your own kitchen.
• Kitchen cost calculator. Estimate what it will cost to build or renovate a kitchen.
• DIY bathroom. Learn how to renovate your own bathroom.
• DIY floor tiling. With a bit of practice and patience floor tiling is something you can do yourself.
• Bathroom cost calculator. Estimate what it will cost to build or renovate a bathroom.
• DIY interior design. Learn how easy it is to create great looking interior spaces.
• DIY retaining walls. Willing to do some digging and lifting? Then this is manageable DIY project.
• DIY timber steps. Learn how to build you own step.
• Repairing holes in plaster. Learn how to fix this common problem.
• Laying carpet. This article describes the procedures for installing your own carpet.
• DIY attached carport. Save money and learn how to build your own attached carport.
Stainless steel in the construction industry. Explains the various uses of stainless steel in the residential construction industry.
Building better strawbale homes. An easy to read, informative look into the financially and environmentally friendly construction method of strawbale homes.
Skip bins. When embarking on a renovation project the left over building materials, packaging and other wastes are often not considered up-front. More often than not renovators will use bulk waste containers (skip bins) to store waste materials on-site for removal at a later time.
