The full report is available on http://www.termite.com.au/termites/qld.html

With whole websites dedicated to the viscous little beasts why do we persist in building in soft knotty pine that is prone to termite damage? This really awakens the vision of a hungry termite just chowing down on your home, as used by NuSteel in their early 21st Century ad campaign promoting the utilisation of steel frames in house plans in particular for kit homes for the owner builder.

Look who’s coming to dinner

… and whose home on the menu ?

Picture on your left shows a Fumapest termite inspector examining a large subsidiary nest, termites built inside the dining room wall cavity of a home.

Look for tell-tale termite mud-tubes

Picture on left shows a mud-shelter tube that subterranean termites have built over a brick foundation wall to the flooring timbers in a sub-floor of a home.

Termites are very secretive and will often enter a building through areas inaccessible to inspection, such as, via on-ground patios, cracks or expansion joints or around concrete slab flooring, particularly if the slab edge is obscured by pathways or garden beds.

Tiny termite entry points around your home? Termites can pass through a 2 mm crack in concrete slab on-gound flooring and will readily eat through the rubber compound between the adjoining concrete slabs to gain access. Termites can then travel under parquetry and other floor tiles to get to the wall and roofing framing timbers.

A report I read this morning on Australia’s and even more so, Queensland’s, burgeoning population made me think about the issue “when is the right time to build?”

“Figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) last week confirm we are living in a rapidly growing nation! Australia recorded its largest annual population increase ever, growing by an estimated 307,100 people for the year ended March 2007, the largest increase since record keeping began in 1789.

The REIA reports that the increase gave Australia an annual growth rate of 1.5% and brings the population to an estimated 20.9 million. Net overseas migration contributed 54% to this growth, which was more than the natural increase of 46%. Queensland again recorded the highest growth rate of all the states and territories, at 2.3%.

Over the 5 years to June 2006, an estimated 1.87 million people moved within Australia to another state or territory, the most popular destination being Queensland. Australia’s population is projected to be 33 million by 2051.”

So we are already suffering a housing shortage and with growth of 2.3% in population per annum, it is unlikely to get better quickly.

Rents are going to keep going up, in some parts of Queensland we saw 11% increases in the last 12 months and labour costs are going to keep going up. Land is becoming harder to come by so land will keep going up.

The conclusion- build as soon as you can. Keep your building costs down by designing from existing plans (Nu-Steel has over 600 house plans for kit homes to choose from!) and by owner building your home. Owner building can save about 30% of the total build cost and owner builder project managers about 20%.

It is often the small things that make a difference. Things you do not think. I was at an insurance seminar today and the major point that came across is that Australia is under insured and that most people only realise the need for insurance when its too late.

So think of your Nu-Steel home as part of that insurance, when your draw up your house plans. What type of insurance, well I can think of four, Life, Fire, Termite and Future.

The Life part is connected to the fire insurance, but a short story from one of our clients will put this into perspective. Following scenario: The mother of the household was happily making supper for her soon to return family, when the phone rang. She answered chatted and forgot the chip pan( a major source of household fires) It exploded, luckily the kitchen lead only to the family room, but the smoke grew quickly and the mother was able to escape. The fire burned into the kitchen, but did not spread due to the steel frame offering no combustible material and the fire brigade arrived and put out the fire. Water damage and smoke, meaning new carpets and a repaint in the affected adjacent areas as well as a new kitchen. However the fire men were quick to point out to the owner that a wooden structure would have burned far more severely and the owner would be looking at bulldozing the whole house. The steel frame provided insurance in kind. potentially saving the womans life and in the case of a fire at night potentially the whole familys!

For more advantages of steel visit http://www.nusteelhomesqld.com.au/about_selectingsteel.html

THE LIST OF 25 COMMON PROBLEMS below is a guideline from US markets. Around 40% of the most common problems could have been avoided by using a pre-engineered steel frame. For more on steelframes visit http://www.nusteelhomesqld.com.au/houseplans.asp?action=viewplan&category=2&view=plan&bedroom=3&gallery_id=146 .

Read the full article at

http://www.dexacohomeinspections.com/MostCommonProblemswithNewHomes.html

1.   Improperly compacted backfill and fill present around the foundation. All backfill and fill should be placed in 6″ to 8″ layers and tampered for proper compaction. This could allow items like the driveway, sidewalk and front porch steps to settle.

 2.   Grading does not slope away from the foundation. Lots should be graded to drain surface water away from the foundation walls. The grade away from the foundation walls should fall a minimum of 6″ within the first 10 feet. 

 3.   Grading might hold ground water. The code requires all drainage to be diverted away from the yard. Surface drainage shall be diverted to a storm sewer conveyance or other point of collection.

 4.   Foundations with improperly compacted fill. Could probe under the footings. Fills which support footings and foundations shall be designed, installed and tested in accordance with accepted engineering practices.

 5.   No vapor barrier present for a concrete slab. This could allow water or moisture problems in the basement. A vapor barrier is required under all interior slabs except garages. 

 6.   Improper wall bracing for a 1 or 2 story structure. The corner exterior walls are missing proper bracing. Exterior walls shall be braced at each corner and at least every 25 feet with approved structural sheathing or 1×4 let-in braces or approved metal straps diagonally tied from the bottom plate to the top plate.

 7.   Improper wall bracing for a 3 story structure. The corner exterior walls are missing proper bracing. All exterior corner walls shall be braced at each corner and at least every 25 feet with a minimum of 48″ of approved structural sheathing.

 8.   Exterior windows and doors do not have properly installed flashing and weep holes at the brick. Flashing is required above all doors and windows installed in brick and prevents water from soaking behind the brick running into the structure. Without weep holes to drain the water to the outside, flashing serves no purpose. Flashing and weepholes are required at all brick shelf angles over all doors and windows.

 9.   Exterior wood not properly protected. Some of the exterior wood has open joints which will allow moisture to enter and will cause deterioration. Some of the paint is peeling off the wood trim. The trim may not be properly primed to bond the paint to the wood. Proper caulking and painting are needed. All exterior walls shall be covered with approved materials designed and installed to provide a barrier against the weather. (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 703.1) 

10.   Exterior wood siding trim not properly caulked or sealed at the brick or concrete foundation walls to prevent water and moisture from damaging the wood. Water will run behind the wood and cause deterioration. 

11.   Some of the exterior cement siding has recessed nails. Recessed nails lose their holding strength in fiber cement siding. All manufacturers require the nails to be flush and not recessed. The recessed nails should be caulked and another flush nail installed next to it. 

12.   Exterior openings in the structure are not sealed. This will allow air leaks into the structure. All exterior joints in the building envelope, that are sources of air leaks, shall be caulked, gasketed, weather-stripped or otherwise sealed in an approved manner.

13.   Chimney height is not tall enough. This could be a potential fire hazard. All chimneys shall extend 2′ higher than any portion of roof within 10′ and at least 3′ higher than the roof penetration.

14.   Roof shingles have toe board nail holes present. Toe boards are walk boards the roofers use. Any holes in the shingles could turn into a roof leak. All shingles with holes should be replaced or sealed with a sealant that will last as long as the shingles. Roof shingles shall provide a barrier against the weather to protect its supporting elements and structure beneath. (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 901.2)

15.   Roof shingles are missing roofing felt at the sheathing along the eaves. This protects the roof sheathing. Slopes of 4 in 12 or greater, one layer of felt is required over all of the roof decking.

16.   Step flashing is missing at sloped vertical walls. Some of the roof flashing at the vertical walls is continuous flashing. Flashing prevents water from entering at the intersection of the wall and the roof. Continuous flashing was used successfully for many years. However, step flashing is a far superior method of flashing and is required for all roofing. Flashing against a vertical sidewall shall be the step-flashing method. (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 903.6)

17.   Deck footings are smaller than the minimum allowable size of 12″ x 12″. See Figure 403.1a, note #5 and Table 502.3.3b. Footings shall comply with Section 403.

18.   Deck footings do not extend 12″ below grade. All footings must be below the frost line. In no case shall exterior footings be less than 12 inches below grade.

19.   Deck stair handrail is not the correct size. Handrails that are 2×4 or larger are too large to be used for handrails since they cannot be gripped. Handrails shall have either a circular cross section with a diameter of 1 1/4″ to 2″, or a noncircular crosssection with a perimeter dimension of at least 4″ but not more than 6 1/4″ and a largest cross section dimension not exceeding 2 3/4″. Edges shall have a minimum radius of 1/8″. (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 315.2)

20.   Exterior deck is missing properly installed flashing. Flashing prevents water from entering behind the deck and into the structure. Flashing is required where decks attach to a wall or floor assembly of wood frame construction. Exterior balconies, decks and porches shall be flashed in accordance with section 703.8. (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 325.2.1)

21.   Some of the roof framing has ridge beams that are too small and do not extend to the bottom of the rafters. The ridge must extend down to the bottom of the rafters to properly support the rafters. The ridge shall not be less in depth than the cut end of the rafters.

22.   Roof purlin supports, supporting the rafters, are double 2×4’s which are not the proper size. The purlins should be single 2×6’s turned perpendicular to the rafters which are stronger and less expensive than flat 2×4’s. Purlins shall be sized no less than the size of the rafters they support.  (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 802.4.1)

23.   Some of the rafter purlins support post exceed 48 inches apart. Additional support post are required to properly support the purlins. All rafter purlins must be braced every 48 inches to a load bearing wall or support.

24.   Some of the rafter purlins are spliced between the support posts. Support members are not allowed to be spliced without additional support installed. All purlins should be spliced directly above a support post. Purlins must be continuous between braces. (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 802.4.1)

25.   Roof framing support members have “V” joint or bird mouth splices that are not properly reinforced or supported by a support post to a load bearing wall below. All load bearing beams must be supported at any splice. Roof framing shall be capable of supporting all loads imposed and shall transmit the resulting loads to its supporting structural elements.  (1995 CABO 1 & 2 Family Dwelling Code, Section 801.2)

The recyclable and reusable properties of steel are greatly contributing to its increasing popularity as a construction material. Environmentally concerned owner-builders, builders, and developers are progressively more turning to steel due to the fact that 60 percent of steel used in

Australia has a very differnt view on housing from the three other countries where I have lived for any extended period. In the UK, a vibrant property market, older houses are often sought for their good strong buoild and quality of build, older houses tend to have a premium price. In Germany a much less vibrant market, where properties are often purchased over generations, older established homes are what is aspired too and newer builds tend to be the still very restrictive entry level.

Australia, the build is often seen as very temporary, if its 10 or 20 years old, then it is dated and due to the shortage and hiogh cost of trades people, its often cheaper to rip it down and start again. This has the advantage that you can then have th now fashionable 3rd or fourth bathroom, 3m high ceilings or 27 TVS & Home entertainments systems pre wired across your MacMansion.

Is this slash and burn approach to building homes really sustainable? What about the longer term consequences to our environment? Yet still we see soft pine rame homes being built across Australia, with tyheview that they will be ripped down in 10-20 years. And because this is seen as the view this influences the materials used, which then do need replacing after 10 years and hence the situation becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.  But hey you nmay have sdaved $20k when you buold so what if the house is worth -$30k (removal costs) when you next go to upgrade or slash and burn.

Alternatively build a stronmg quality home that is designed for 50 years  or more of use and enjoy the occassional repaint. Nusteel Homes built for you, your children and your grandchildren.

The world is getting smaller and more mobile. However Australia is stil a bloody big place and there are many remote areas where building accommodation is restrictive  due to materials supply or availability of skilled workforce.

Often the accommodation needs to be created faster than it can be build. So how do you beat this problem? One solution has been the pre-built home, where a 5m wide building is transported to an area on the back of a truck, with accompanying cars in front and rear to warn of the wide load, substantially adding to transport costs and requiring wide access on arrival.

 Enter left the folding home, which can be assembled out of a standard 24 foot or 48 foot container, which is much easier to ship and locate than the traditional transportable homes. These units provide from 22m2 to 82m2, and can be pre-fitted with air-con, high quality finishings and bathrooms to be up and running with only about 5 hours assembly work.  Just connect to external utilities and away you go.

Steel-framed and cyclone rated, the units meet the needs of secondary and remote location accommodation in the short term and in the long-term.

Choosing Nu-Steel

There are 10 reasons why clients choose Nu-Steel:

1.     Reliability- we have been building steel framed homes for 25 years and plan to be here for at least another 25 years. When entering into the biggest project spend you will ever make, being sure your partner will be there on completion is a big reassurance.

2.     Design flexibility- we reward you for your design ideas by building your unique Nu-Steel home on time and on budget. Our design flexibility enables us to respond to your needs, without reengineering every change, giving you control over the product and cost simultaneously.

3.     Structural integrity – The 1.2mm zincalume high tensile steel frame is welded at joints and bolted together on site to form the strongest frame on the market, meaning you will be safe from shrinkage, warping and any rot issues from water damage. Your walls will be straight and your ceilings and roof as strong in 10 years as they are today. This will reduce your maintenance, meaning no doors that stick, walls that bend or ceilings that sag.

4.     Termite proof – With 1 in 3 homes affected by termites over their life time in

5.     Non-combustible. Steel does not burn, substantially reducing your risk of fire and if you convey this to your insurance company, also reducing your insurance cover.

6.     Cyclone rated. You will be blown away with our designs but not the prevailing winds. To build equivalent strength with wood, you would need a machined hardwood frame, glued and screwed, engineered to at least F24. A pine frame is F5 to F8. This is not true of all steel frames. We provide the strongest frames on the market, using 1.2mm zincalume high tensile steel, welded and then bolted together.

7.     Accuracy & Ease of construction. As the frame is built in our workshops and delivered pre built to site, it is an easy pick up and bolt together operation which can be done by two people, with no additional support required, making construction fast, easy and true.

8.     Ease of maintenance. Steel does not warp over time, expand or contract, swell if wet or crack if too dry. It does not rot or bend. Straight true walls from day one to ten years and beyond. Peace of mind built-in.

9.     Transparent process (see our Homes Stages Detail at appendix A). We let you know what will happen when and give you control of the process. No black box experience, no hidden surprises. Being open with our clients’ means that many of them come back and build again and that’s how we like it.

10. No hidden costs. A fixed price contract for a fixed result- no surprises, no hidden extras. No expensive overruns. After all a house is a big spend and you need to know how much you will spend and be able to rely on that figure.

For more information on Nu-Steel homes Qld visit www.nusteelhomesqld.com.au

The non-combustible materialistic nature of steel makes it an ideally safe product to safeguard against fires when designing and constructing a new dwelling. Although there is relatively minimal documentation on a direct comparison between wooden and steel framed homes in a fire, there is one such example that illustrates the effectiveness of a steel framed home in a fire.

1996,

For more information about steel framed housing and its ability to safeguard against the threat of fires, visit www.nusteelhomesqld.com.au Nu-Steel homes Qld is one of the oldest, experienced, and most knowledgeable designers and manufacturers of steel framed homes in

www.nusteelhomesqld.com.au or call toll free on 1800 809 331

Why build in Steel was our discussion topic yesterday, well, there are six main factors:

1) Cyclones,

2) Termites

3) Fire

4) Ease of erection

5) Durability

6) Straighter walls

Lets consider point 2- Termites

There are about fifteen species of subterranean termite which commonly damage timber-in-service throughout Australia and ten of these occur in Queensland. Our most serious pest species are Coptotermes acinaciformis and the giant northern termite. The former occurs throughout the State while M. darwiniensis is confined to the tropical northern region. Other species which commonly damage timber are Schedorhinotermes actuosus, S. breinli, S. intermedius and S. seclusus and Nasutitermes exitiosus. Coptotermes frenchi and C. lacteus also occur in southern Queensland. The latter constructs mounds usually associated with stumps, and primarily feeds on decayed wood.
Soil type appears to have an important influence on termite distribution in Queensland. For example, M. darwiniensis does not occur in rainforest soils or in the extensive bauxite soils of Cape York Peninsula. However, other termite species which damage timber may occur in these areas. The physical characteristics of the heavy soils, e.g. the black earths of inland Queensland which crack deeply and widely in dry conditions and become waterlogged after rain, do not favour termite survival actively.

Although the coastal belt and northern parts of the state are generally regarded as high hazard areas for subterranean termite infestation, species which damage timber-in-service occur throughout the State. In practice, any structure containing wood is exposed to possible subterranean termite infestation whether in the business heart of a city, in the suburbs or out in the country, unless protective measures are taken.

Full article at:

http://www2.dpi.qld.gov.au/forestry/4974.html

More info on building in steel visit Nusteel, who have been buiolding Steelframed homes for 23 years in Australia