Removing a wall in my house

What do you do if you would like to remove a wall in your house?

Older houses, the roof structure comes down onto the walls and that is called load bearing. This needs an engineer to design a beam to take the load and possible it needs an approval from a building surveyor.

Newer houses walls sometimes have bracing in them so they still need to be checked.

Sometimes the walls are bracing in older houses and removing them if the roof beam loads do not come down onto them is just as bad. These are jobs for an engineer to look at and design something for you.

Ask a building surveyor the question first. Get a design. Complete to correct forms and provide to council or building surveyor.

Illegal works, retrospective work, anything that does not have a permit -work

Illegal works, retrospective work, anything that does not have a permit -work

If you are in the progress of buying a property or selling a property or thinking of selling and have found any of this work, what do you need to do?

You are being told to find a building surveyor. Currently any building surveyor is super busy. You will wait some time for an appointment for them to even look at the project.

What you can do is call a Building Designer- they will need to draw it up for you anyway. They will be able to look at it and work out what needs to be undertaken to make this project legal for you.

They will then once you have drawings in hand send you off to a building surveyor most likely one, they work with along the way to make the project compliant.

Oh, this is not a quick process and will take some months to get over the line to make it compliant and approved.

Save time call a building designer to get your work underway!

Contractors/ Builders

Contractors

The terminology for building today is so confusing. If you are looking for a tradesperson you need to check if you think they are a builder - they have a licence, This can be done at the CBOS Website.

If you are looking for a builder - click search now- building services provider, and individual - most of the time if you enter the name of the person you will find out if they have a licence. This is at least a start - for you to have a little confidence they know what they are doing, they have to attend training. Your Plumbing needs to get approval as well and he needs a licence which also can be checked in the same way and you need a licenced electrician to do work- which could also be checked at any time by the authority.

I appreciate the industry is busy now- if you can get a builder to do your bathroom - they answer the phone - they are happy to give you a quote and book you in, take it. Just Wait! It will be worth it. Employing someone that does not hold a building licence is not recommended. Carpenter or tradesperson or handyman most do not hold a licence. Bathrooms & Kitchens are complicated when it comes to compliance for the average person - why you ask? Well, there is the waterproofing, water stops, glass in shower bays compliance of products, and ventilation. Does your landscaper who tells you he can do your bathroom - know any of these things - undertake the training. Also, it may start off simple and then turn into something that then needs a builder - who would be reluctant to come in midway through and fix someone else’s stuff up.

If it goes pear-shaped - due to not waiting - not getting the appropriate trade-in to do the work it could cost YOU thousands and your only course of action is COURT costing you more.

Stop - just wait - get an appropriate trade in to do the job.

Drop me an email - if you would like to check whether your project needs approval - so you are not left fixing up illegal works.

You don't know ,What you don't know

You are buying your dream home you have saved for years. You have found it!

You employee a conveyancer /solicitor to handle your affairs.

During this process you should be asked to check the boundaries on site with a tape and the survey plan

They should get you check to see if the house matches and plans that the council have.

You should have a building Inspection done- this person is looking at the house for cracking, movement, leaking, burnt hidden bits etc

The building inspection is NOT checking for illegal works. This is a due diligence clause in your contract for you – solicitor – building surveyor to do.

No good buying something built in 1911 and discovering that some many years ago it had a laundry and bathroom built on the back of the dwelling, which YOU now need to make legal  some 50 years later or

The downstairs of the dwelling only every meant for a garage now has been converted into living spaces and are not legal height  of 2.4m and YOU now need to find a way of making this legal, you can’t.

If you don’t know these things you can’t ask the right questions. When buying the biggest asset of your life ask questions ask lots of questions.

Is everything here legal? Plans at council match what’s on site.

Is this property a Strata – what does that mean? Do I need to consult my 5 neighbours to do anything on my block?

Does the strata plan reflect what I am buying ?

Is my house on the land (title) I am buying?

Everyone in the process has blinkers on doing their job, YOU need to be looking at everything!

Addition completed in the 1970’s

Party Walls

Do you have a wall on the boundary?

What is a party wall? The term this is a wall normally in a terrace house or the like, that you and your neighbour share. Shown Below

A wall on the boundary. If your next-door neighbour has a shed on the boundary instead of a fence this in not a boundary wall that you can build off. It belongs to the neighbour and their building. If they removed the building your building would still be standing not attached to it. There may be a small gap.

This block wall in next door and the new colorbond building could not be built off it. Has to be stand alone

Building Works - Who's your Advocate?

Who’s your Advocate?

Have you someone in your corner? Building work is not smoke and mirrors. When something goes wrong you the Owner are responsible for others work if the correct paper work has not been completed. This one small mistake can cost you thousands – yes you read right THOUSANDS.

Let’s say your bathroom flooded and you claimed it on insurance. Whilst the building is being stripped out you decide you would like a bigger bathroom.

You call a friend who is a builder who tells you – you don’t need to worry out getting any approvals.

Ok stop there- let’s check

Like for Like – Taking out the vanity and putting a new one, in the same position no

Removing a wall to make the bathroom bigger – yes

Moving the plumbing items – vanity bath shower in different locations yes

Oh course you will need a Plumber and he will need to complete a form or application to council for any of this work

So getting approval – yes it is going to cost you money – drawings – Building Design could do these and a Building Surveyor will need to provide an approval – then council fees.

This will cost you a lot less if 1. You sell and it is picked up that you have not had it approved,

2. or you have a water problem and you need to claim on insurance – you are not – YES NOT covered under your insurance.

A Building Surveyor Council or Private are the best people to ask, does this work need an approval !!

Don’t make the mistake we see every day of THOUSANDS of dollars being wasted due to bad advice.

As YOU are the home owner you are the responsible party and the fines come to you not the mate builder when it turns bad.

If you are talking to council, building surveyor or a builder make sure you get something in writing

Get the correct advice!

New Roof?

You have decided to have the roof replaced on your house. The rules have moved on now. We would like to prevent as best we can condensation in the roof space. You create a different environment in the roof space when you install new roof sheeting and membrane (the blue stuff in picture). The new rules are to help your roof space breathe with vents and instead of that blue paper - ask your installer to put in vapour permeable membrane. Yes it costs a little more however it allows your roof to breathe. Tasmania have new rules about condensation look for the booklet online.

https://cbos.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/463630/Condensation-in-buildings-guide-2019.pdf

Getting what you pay for when buying a house

Buying a house

Buying a house is the biggest discussion most of us will make.

You pick a couple of them out and you attend the open homes you have 15min to make a decision on whether you like it and want to put an offer in on it.

On the plan provided by the Real Estate it shows the house as a 2 storey house downstairs, the plans states  the house has a rumpus and a 4th bedroom.

For a bedroom to be a legal room it needs to have a ceiling height of 2.4m in fact all habitable rooms need to have 2.4m ceilings. Have your tape measure with you and check. The rumpus also needs 2.4m ceilings, they also need light and ventilation in the form of windows or sliding doors.

You don’t want to be buying something that really isn’t a 4th bedroom just a storeroom.

If you have put an offer in – your contract could state you would like to see the original plans to make sure what you are buying in bricks and mortar as just that.

You don’t want to buy something that is not approved or was the garage that has been turned in what has been labelled a 4th bedroom and rumpus.

Maybe investigate Title Insurance.

Plumbing in Covid Situations

Illegal plumbing installations- What Not to Do

Another area of great concern is where people have installed toilet deuce seats, bidets and hand held toilet/personal washers to their facilities without the appropriate backflow prevention devices being installed to the fixture/premises water supply. This places not only the whole household at risk but also the greater community  if there is a backflow event (contamination) within the water supply system. A licensed plumber must install these pieces of infrastructure. It is the plumber's role to:

• determine the level of backflow risk in accordance with the Plumbing Code of Australia and

• ensure the correct device is installed before use.

CBOS Comsumer Building & Occupational Service. has also received reports of TV commercials recently aired in Tasmania suggesting consumers can install these items themselves. This is illegal. Get advice from a licensed plumber before buying and/or installing such a device as you should understand the safety and maintenance implications of installing these types of devices.

Example of a toilet with an illegal plumbing installation

Updated: 15 Apr 2020

CBOS - Consumer Building and Occupational Services

Studio

A STUDIO:-

This is normally a term used for a non-habitual building. Which means not to be lived in.

It is a room in a shed or a separate building that you cannot live in.

A room for arts, model craft or a clean room for your tools.

Buying a new house

How exciting you are buying a new house.

Whether is it new or somewhat older house you need to do the checks and don’t leave it to someone else. Everyday I get calls from people who have bought someone else’s problems. What I mean is the works (sheds,dwelling additions, walls removed, 2nd storeys) don’t have permits and they need to spend a large amounts of money fixing it getting permits.

If you are buying a new house get permission from the current owner to get a copy or at least view the plans from the council. Yes it may take a couple of weeks however you will know if every thing at the property has a permit and does not become your problem to fix.

Then you can buy a property with all the current permits in place.

Replacing Windows

Replacing Windows,

You often drive around and see people renovating their house. A couple of things to consider when upgrading your windows. You need light & ventilation in every room in your house. So if you are taking out your tired old timber windows that opened and replacing with new fixed pane windows you need to make sure you can get enough ventilation & light in that room. Below is the requirements and the calculation you need to do prior to installing no opening windows

Reference- National Construction Code Vol 2 -2019

3.8.4.2 Natural light

Natural light must be provided to all habitable rooms, in accordance with the following:

(a)Natural light must be provided by—

(i)windows, excluding roof lights that—

(A)have an aggregate light transmitting area measured exclusive of framing members, glazing bars or other obstructions of not less than 10% of the floor area of the room; and

(B)are open to the sky or face a court or other space open to the sky or an open verandah, carport or the like;

General requirements

Required window(s) to provide natural light must have a light transmitting area of at least 10% of the floor area.

10% of 100 m2 (size of room)= 10 m2 (window size needed)

3.8.5.2 Ventilation requirements

Ventilation must be provided to a habitable room, sanitary compartment, bathroom, shower room, laundry and any other room occupied by a person for any purpose by any of the following means:

(a)Openings, windows, doors or other devices which can be opened—

(i)with a ventilating area not less than 5% of the floor area of the room required to be ventilated; and

(ii)open to—

(A)a suitably sized court, or space open to the sky; or

(B)an open verandah, carport, or the like; or

5% (ventilation) of 100 m2 (room size) = 5 m2 of window that opens

summer is here!

How well is your house coping with the heat?

Keeping the heat out of the house is now becoming important in Tasmania and off your windows.

How do you do that you ask, well

For your existing dwelling it is hard to add wider eaves.

·         Would could start an awning, a awning that folds out. Ensure you have checked your structure above the windows to be able to take the weight. Other wise a fixed awning above the windows.

·         You may have to wait a couple of years but you could plant some deciduous trees to shade the windows

·         You could invest in some heavy drapes and have them close when the sun is hitting them or sun filter shades.

·         Another option may be Shutters than could swing in over the windows, these could be designed so they allowed light through and cut the hot sun off the window face.

Direct sun can generate the same heat as a single bar radiator over each square metre of a surface, but effective shading can block up to 90% of this heat. (your home)

House Performance

Wow the weather in Launceston hasn't it been hot. How did your house perform?

In talking to a client during the hot weather with regards to their house, it performed very well it was at an even temperature which was comfortable. Good design, correct orientation and appropriate material construction is the key.  

How did your house perform? Do you have all these components? 

Maybe this can still be achieved, call now to see how we could achieve this for the next hot day or for the cool days.

My client also noted how much he and his wife loved their house, he said " it is just like being on holiday everyday, the house is so relaxing and the views we have, they can been seen everywhere in the house its great!"

How is your house performance?

More terminology

Happy New Year! Time to start your project.

Confused DA's BA's what does it all mean?

I often hear clients say they have been and asked at council and they don't need anything they spoke to Planning. 

Ok, Planning is one department of council and that is one part of the question you would need to ask. Just because you don't need a planning permit does not mean you don't need a building permit. A planning permit DA (Development Application) is a permit to allow you to do the development. A Building permit BA (Building Application) is the permit to build the building. You some times need both or sometimes just a building permit.

So if you are approaching council to ask what you need to do and which permit/s you need, remember you need to speak to both departments Planning and Building.

The other thing to remember if you change one thing about the building you are asking about that may change what permits you need, so keep your apples with apples when asking both departments, don't think oh yes if I changed that I don't need to have a planning permit but it might change something with building or vice versa.

Hope this helps, happy to answer any questions you might have regarding this matter.

Just drop me an email.  

Terminology

Are you confused by the terminology used in the industry , let me explain some to you.

Building Design or Architect. Building Design have been to a Tafe and completed studies in what's called the built environment and Architects go to University and study the Arts and the form. We both really have similar knowledge. 

Both do the same or similar work maybe at a different fee rate.

A draftsperson is old terminology is is being phased out as Building Design has become a recognised profession and career path. Draftperson used to work for either a Building Designer or Architect, these people are now called technicians. Most Draftsperson are now Building Designers. 

Stayed turned for the next Blog regarding more Terminology ie Planning DA BA will be explained