Tag: www.askanarchitect.com.au

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Architecture Outdoor & Exteriors RENO ADDICT

How to keep your balcony or deck safe

Most people give their cars and themselves regular check-ups, but tend to leave maintenance of their property until a problem becomes so obvious that is simply has to be attended to. This approach is not only bad for the property but also more expensive on the pocket! So what does Cameron Frazer of Ask an Architect recommend you do to keep the more susceptible areas of your home — like balconies and decks — safe?

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Photo credit: TVBS

We all enjoy the summertime, but it’s actually the time to be smart about home safety. Anyone planning to hold a function that will see a crowd of people occupying their balcony or deck should check that it is safe and not at risk of injuring someone or collapse.

Balconies are usually used by a small family group of three to four people, however, when 15 to 20 adults or more gather on a balcony, the stress on the structure often reaches breaking point and the balcony collapses causing serious injury.

Added to this weight factor is often the large BBQ plus tables, chairs and heavy planter boxes filled with flowering plants to brighten the alfresco dining area. Large stone tables have also become a trend for outdoor living along with steel and cast iron outdoor furniture, which increases the load factor on the deck or balcony.

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Photo credit: TVBS

Anyone with a balcony or raised deck should check it out carefully for safety, including an inspection for rotting timbers, shaky hand rails and balustrades, corroded bolts and brackets, rust stains and cracking in concrete balconies. People renting properties should also check decks or balconies and notify their real estate agents if any concerning conditions are discovered.

If people find faults they should take immediate action to repair them and if they are not sure, seek professional advice. I would recommend people get an architect to inspect their property every five years and provide maintenance advice to keep it in tip-top condition.

— Cameron Frazer is the general manager of Ask an Architect, a new online portal (launched by the Australian Institute of Architects) ready to offer you sound and unbiased advice, help you through your home renovation and provide recommendations at an affordable cost.

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Architecture RENO ADDICT

Ask an Architect: the great online resource for renovators

Home renovations can be hugely daunting. However, you only need to watch an episode of The Block, read one of our amazing real renos or talk to a friend, to realise that there’s really more good renovation stories than bad!

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But where do you start if you’ve decided to renovate your home? One of the best places is Ask An Architect, a website developed by the Australian Institute of Architects. Designed to demystify the renovation process and make architecture something everybody can easily access, they offer sound and affordable advice.

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An unbiased voice of reason, an expert architect can work with you to take the mystery out of what might seem an incredibly complex process. No matter how big or small the renovation, the site will help you balance what’s possible against what’s desired, establish the project budget, offer advice to secure development approvals, help with your selection of builders, look at any issues with quality control and construction, assist with the design and more.

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Some of the most useful features include the detailed Cost Guide to help you budget, the ArchiAdvice and ArchiDesign Pre-Purchase Packages – which offer you a direct line to a qualified architect at competitive prices, a handy online question and answer service, relevant upcoming events, the Find an Architect directory of professional architects, a gallery for inspiration and Pinterest tools to help you start scrapbooking ideas.

Visit Ask an Architect.

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DIY Outdoor & Exteriors RENO ADDICT

What to do about cracks in your walls and floors

We all know what it can be like when walls and plastering start cracking. Not only does it look aesthetically worrisome, but it can literally have you hitting the panic button in a quick fix attempt to repair the damage. The best way to stop you cracking up completely? Get independent expert advice to help you diagnose or determine the cause of cracking.

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What causes cracking? 

Cracking can be caused by many problems, some of which can be manageable and don’t require significant building works.

Common causes of cracking include:

  • Building movement – for example settling over time.
  • Change in the moisture content in soil around building footings (moisture either increases or decreases, causing the soil to move or ‘heave’). This is particularly prevalent in reactive soils such as clay.
  • Unstable soil conditions caused by changes such as adjacent construction work.

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Many cracks require cosmetic treatment only. The majority are not indications of grave structural damage. Remedies can be as simple as watering the garden a bit more or less, or waiting for the season to change, for example.

When to be concerned

As there are many causes for cracking in buildings, it is often difficult to know when, or even if, the situation warrants concern, further investigation or rectification.

Cracks should be monitored over a period of at least three seasons to assess whether the gap opens (during the dry periods) and closes (during the wet periods) – seasonal movement generally indicates a footing movement that can often be managed as outlined above.

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The speed at which the crack expands and its width can also help in understanding the cause and how to best manage it. However, with large cracks that are increasing in size, seeking immediate advice is always recommended.

Some general maintenance tips to help prevent cracks

  • Don’t plant trees or allow them to exist closer to a building than their expected mature height, unless their roots are discouraged or contained behind a root barrier.
  • Keep the garden and lawns around the building evenly damp throughout the drier months. Don’t neglect one side of the building just because nothing much grows in the area.
  • Regularly check existing drains, down-pipes, guttering and service piping to ensure no leakages occur.

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Getting the best advice

A word of warning at this point about organisations who offer cure-alls for cracking: some of these firms exaggerate the dangers involved with small cracks and recommend expensive patent treatments or unnecessary underpinning where the cracks might not require such treatment.

Remember that a company offering a particular treatment will probably be biased in favour of using it regardless of the cause of the cracking.

— Cameron Frazer is the general manager of Ask an Architect, a new online portal (launched by the Australian Institute of Architects) ready to offer you sound and unbiased advice, help you through your home renovation and provide recommendations at an affordable cost.