Subfloor Ventilation
Ventilation is very important to have within your home. Having poor ventilation can lead to some serious health issues and creating problems such as mould growths, rotting of timbers\warping, and the biggest problem is termite infestation which could cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.
Mechanical Ventilation
Mechanical ventilations is used when there is high damp problem within your subfloor and roof void area. We use electrical operating ducting system to extract fresh air to the damped area.
An example of one would be a kitchen exhaust fan which sucks out the hot air from the room. There are similar systems which we use within the subfloor area and roof space, when it is not possible to cross ventilate and you want to eliminate the problem.
Agg Line System
If you have subfloor damp related problems an aggline system would be one of the first point of attack you will need to consider. The builders usually call this the sub-drainage system which is a agg line (Black pipe with holes and a sock over it) 300-400mm underground used to remove water from areas that collect or retain surface water or groundwater.
An example would be behind a retaining wall you will need a agg line to prevent water sitting behind the wall causing the wall to mould up.
We use the agg line to stop water entering the subfloor area, and channeling the water to drain into the stormwater system.
There are other benefits of having an agg line, such as minimising movements within the building. It is recommended that when building a house ensure your ground levels are falling away from the house rather than towards it, causing water to make settlement movements, creating cracks.
Gutter Cleaning
If you don’t clean them, eventually after a few years they will start to rust. Once the rust starts it spreads and in some cases not repairable. The birds tend to drop their dropping which helps the rusting process. We recommend you install gutter guards, to make life allot easier for us to clean and the cost will be much cheaper as it would be safer and allot quicker to clean.
Why is it important to clean our guttering? Apart from the cost of replacing rusted guttering, the gutter and eaves is what stops the water from puddling around the perimeter of your walls. Without guttering the water will not travel into the stormwater system and away from the house causing the walls to be high damped and moulds to appear and wood rot damaging the surround timbers such as the fascia board.
The guttering relates to also having high moisture within the subfloor area and inviting termites into a really good environment.
Heritage Building Repairs
We specialise in repairs where we need to salvage building materials which are hard to find. We use our resources, knowledge and technical skills to undertake and complete the project within the allowed time and to match the existing time line.
We work alongside of experienced consultants to ensure the work is approved up to standards.
Efflorescence
It is important to attack the main reasons behind the efflorescence problem before attempting to clean the walls or floors as it is usually faulty drains, faulty waterproofing of high moisture which plays a major role in the reasons behind efflorescence.
Concrete Cancer
Concrete cancer starts when the reinforcing steel within the concrete slab starts to corrode from the high moisture exposed to the reinforcing steel, creating pressure on the concrete slab causing concrete to crack and or flack off. If identified, concrete cancer repairs should be undertaken as soon as possible as the problem will only escalate the longer you leave it.
It is advised a specialized concrete cancer engineer to be consulted in some cases, to report on the scope of repairs to be undertaken.
It is not recommended to do a quick fix, and cosmetically repair the concrete by patching the cracks as this will cause the cancer to spread quicker.
Fire Upgrades & Fire Separation
New laws released relating to new and old building fire rating, must comply to relevant fire safety standards under the occupational safety legislations for employers.
Let us provide you with guidance on the necessary upgrades required for both new and existing buildings, and then carry out the work within the time allocated to ensure your business is still running accordingly.
Rubbish Removal
Not removing rubbish from you subfloor, such as timber and cardboard will invite unwanted termites into your home as the rubbish will be there source of food in a really good environment.
Removing rubbish from a subfloor area can be dangerous for someone who is not experienced in crawling under the house as often as us. We find many clients call us after the contractor doing their work cut their head on a metal ant cap creating 10 stitches on his head. It is important to have the right gear on before entering the subfloor area, as asbestos could be lying around the ground broken in pieces.
Building Crack Repairs
We can repair all types of cracks from structural to minor cosmetic crack. It is very important to see the reasons behind the crack. If the crack is a structural problem it is advised a structural Engineer should be consulted and a scope of repairs to be undertaken.
Underpinning
Like to add an extra room or do you need to underpin a wall to give it extra strength? How about both, we can provide you with a design and construct service which will create more free time for you.
Timber Maintenance
It is important to apply some paint to outdoor timber materials every 3 years as a minimum. This will prevent timber to rot which can cost far more to replace than to paint.
Smoke Alarm Installation
A smoke alarm is the only warning you will receive while everyone around you is fast asleep late at night. Your family comes first, so ensure your smoke alarm is working accordingly and it is in the right place.
Shower Base leak Seal
Most home owners or business don’t know there shower area is leaking until signs of leaks pop up or mould within the shower screen is growing significantly and by that time, major bathroom renovations will be required. It is also important to eliminate any water leaking into the subfloor area or walls as it will create an excellent termite living environment. Other health issues are related to damp problems which should be looked into, if your bathroom has a damp problem.
Roof Leak Repairs
It is important to check your roof once a year to ensure the roof is water tight, as leaks can cost you a fortune in damages to your furniture, lighting, and can cause your ceiling and walls to bubble. The most important issue with roof leaks is, it can invite termites in an excellent living environment, as they like a damped and wet area to live in.
Termite Damage Repairs
Most builders will not quote repairs as the work could be hidden. We do our work in stages so both parties don’t fall short. We understand the costs involved in termite repairs and break down the jobs we do, in case a client decides to do it them self’s.
Insulation Removal
Many house fires across Sydney are blaming the insulation industry. If you’re not confident with the type of insulation installed in your roof space, please contact us to remove it and install an Australian approved product and the correct fire safety precautions done around your down lights and fans.
Manhole Installation
If your house is missing a man hole, this could be lead to inspectors inspecting your house or pest controllers not covering the full extent and this will all come back to you. It is up to you to ensure adequate entry to subfloor and or roof space is valid to ensure your house is getting the right inspection or treatment you’re paying for.
