E93. Building terms to understand

In this episode of the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, hosts Amelia and Frank break down the often confusing world of building terminology, making it clear and accessible for anyone involved in the building or renovation process. They kick off with essential plumbing terms like IO (Inspection Opening) and ORG (Overflow Relief Gully), explaining what they mean and why they matter for your home’s drainage system. The discussion then shifts to structural components, including control joints, which prevent cracks in walls, floors, and brickwork, and lintels, the essential beams above doors and windows.

The hosts also cover roof ventilation, a critical yet often misunderstood aspect of home design, detailing how proper airflow can prevent moisture build-up and protect your home from mould. They explain star ratings for thermal efficiency, exploring how higher ratings can impact energy performance and even increase the risk of condensation in certain climates.

Amelia and Frank’s approachable style makes complex concepts easy to understand, making this episode a must-listen for homeowners, builders, and anyone curious about the building process. Tune in to gain a clearer understanding of the language of construction and feel more confident about your next project.

About us
Prime Design is a building design company locally owned and operated in Tasmania since 2004.  Our goal is to share as much valuable information as possible about the process of building design, extensions, and more. We will talk about a different topic each week. To suggest a topic you would like us to talk about contact us at info@primedesigntas.com.au

Disclaimer
The information provided on this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, individual circumstances, or remedy. We strongly suggest you consult a qualified professional before taking any action based on the information provided in this podcast. The views, opinions, and information provided in this podcast are those of the hosts do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of any other agency, organisation, employer, or company. All content provided on this podcast is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. We make no representations as to the accuracy, completeness, currentness, suitability, or validity of any information on this podcast and will not be liable for any errors, omissions, or delays in this information or any losses, or damages arising from its use. We reserve the right to change content or delete any information provided on this podcast at any time without prior notice.

Transcript

E93. Building Terms to understand

[INTRO] (0:08 - 0:24)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, focused on providing valuable information for anyone looking to undertake a new build or extension project. We'll share our tips, tricks and stories from a building designer's perspective.

[Amelia] (0:26 - 0:42)

Hello and welcome to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast. I'm your host Amelia, and once again we're joined by Frank Geskus.

[Frank] (0:42 - 0:44)

Hey Amelia, how are we?

[Amelia] (0:44 - 0:46)

Oh look, it's a happy Friday.

[Frank] (0:46 - 0:48)

No it's not, you know I've had a bad day.

[Amelia] (0:49 - 0:54)

Frank's having a bad day, so everyone give him a round of applause who's listening to this, even though he's not going to hear it.

[Frank] (0:56 - 1:01)

Dealing with a council department that I've mentioned before and it's driving me mental.

[Amelia] (1:02 - 1:05)

Yes, I've copped an earful so that you guys don't have to.

[Frank] (1:05 - 1:06)

I've vented.

[Amelia] (1:06 - 1:07)

Yes.

[Frank] (1:07 - 1:17)

Ah, certain departments, certain individuals, they're not out to be helpful and just don't care about anyone else but their own lunch hour.

[Amelia] (1:17 - 1:24)

But luckily today we want to give everyone that's listening so much value with this podcast.

[Frank] (1:24 - 1:56)

We do. We thought it'd be a good idea to talk about building terms. Well not just building but also planning, plumbing.

Oh, shouldn't have said plumbing. No, that's the part that drives me nuts. Anyway, because there's so much terminology, it's a different language.

You get in construction and then the spin-offs of construction like planning and engineering, hydraulic, survey, mechanical and all sorts of weird and wonderful stuff in between. The terminology, it's common to us but to everyone else it's like you look at blankly at people going, what does that mean?

[Amelia] (1:56 - 2:13)

And I think one of the issues that has come up before is clients will come in and they'll say that they want, I don't know, say a certain roof pitch and they call it a certain word and it's actually not what they think the definition of that roof pitch is.

[Frank] (2:13 - 2:36)

But it's on a number of things. Hey, I want a passive house. Cool, we go down that track, you know.

We can certainly help them with that, we've done the training and all that. And it's not what they meant. They actually misunderstood what it is.

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

Or someone goes, I want something really modern, this, that and the other. And then you go through the processes, oh no, I was actually looking at this.

[Amelia] (2:36 - 2:36)

Yes.

[Frank] (2:36 - 2:43)

Okay, it's really interesting people don't understand some of the terms. And that's okay, you work around it eventually, that's fine.

[Amelia] (2:43 - 2:46)

That's where pictures sometimes can come in handy.

[Frank] (2:46 - 2:46)

Oh, 100%.

[Amelia] (2:46 - 2:47)

Yes.

[Frank] (2:47 - 2:53)

Yeah, yeah, come in, have lots of pitches of your ideas and that helps communicate that.

[Amelia] (2:53 - 2:54)

100%.

[Frank] (2:54 - 2:57)

So we're going to start with my favourite term.

[Amelia] (2:57 - 2:58)

What's that?

[Frank] (2:58 - 2:59)

Building designer.

[Amelia] (2:59 - 3:03)

Oh, okay. I thought that was pretty self-explanatory, but obviously not.

[Frank] (3:03 - 3:09)

Well, I don't know, I thought I'd throw it in there. A licensed professional who designs residential and commercial buildings. Ain't rocket science, is it?

[Amelia] (3:09 - 3:10)

No.

[Frank] (3:10 - 3:15)

No, we design buildings. 

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

Cool, got that one out of the way.

[Amelia] (3:15 - 3:15)

Yep.

[Frank] (3:15 - 3:17)

Building drawings, guess what they are?

[Amelia] (3:17 - 3:18)

Building drawings?

[Frank] (3:18 - 3:40)

Yeah, sounds weird and I still get asked. Sorry, sounds weird, but some people ask, what's that? So detailed plans, or I would say full set of documents showing the design, layout and the construction of future building.

Now with that, you have structural drawings. So that's by the structural engineer for the structural integrity of the building.

[Amelia] (3:41 - 3:44)

Yes, they collate as part of the building drawing set.

[Frank] (3:45 - 4:04)

And you could have hydraulic, plumbing, and they are a set of drawings for all the plumbing, stormwater and sewer in the house and around the house. If we're just talking about houses. If it's commercial buildings, it can be the same plus a little bit more complexity.

If so, mechanical drawings where your air conditioning, heating system, survey.

[Amelia] (4:05 - 4:06)

Do we normally have to do that for residential?

[Frank] (4:07 - 4:23)

Not necessarily, but we put on the electrical plan. We work with the client and just put, well, if you want reverse cycle systems in there, is it a ducted system? I always believe, go get one designed so we can add onto the drawings so the building knows exactly where it's going, where the return air, where the outlets are.

[Amelia] (4:23 - 4:24)

Makes sense. 

[Frank] (4:24 - 4:29)

It's very helpful. Oh, it makes a lot of sense. A lot of people leave it to the last minute and then it might clash with the trusses.

[Amelia] (4:29 - 4:29)

Yeah, okay.

[Frank] (4:30 - 4:57)

Land survey. Again, that's always in there as well. And our friendly land surveyors or engineering surveyors would do a beautiful detail survey, engineering survey, which shows every feature of your block, your piece of land from contours to rocks to the crossover of where everything is on site, including the neighbours.

So then we can design within the context in a 3D format, design around any constraints, overshadowing, overlooking.

[Amelia] (4:57 - 4:59)

Actually, crossover is a good one.

[Frank] (5:00 - 5:02)

Well, you want to know where you're driving in.

[Amelia] (5:02 - 5:02)

That's very true.

[Frank] (5:02 - 5:07)

Now on the flip side, I cannot believe how dumb some of the positions of these crossovers are put.

[Amelia] (5:07 - 5:11)

And it actually can be quite difficult to try and get them changed.

[Frank] (5:11 - 5:17)

Oh, isn't it? My favourite is they put them there and there's a water connection in the middle of it.

[Amelia] (5:17 - 5:18)

That's a bit stupid.

[Frank] (5:18 - 5:28)

Yeah, big time. Yet, it happens and it's allowed. And also, normally if the water's there, the power and NBN is there too.

[Amelia] (5:28 - 5:29)

That's so dumb.

[Frank] (5:29 - 5:30)

Like you wouldn't believe.

[Amelia] (5:31 - 5:31)

Oh dear.

[Frank] (5:32 - 5:43)

Stupid. Or having these really narrow crossovers and you've only got four and a half metre setback to get into your double garage and it's like you've got to do a handbrake and you throw a chicane to get into your garage.

[Amelia] (5:43 - 5:44)

That doesn't make much sense at all.

[Frank] (5:44 - 6:09)

No, and council sometimes won't let you widen it. Anyway, that's another discussion of dumb shit. 

Titles. You have your title, land ownership has your name on it. Sounds pretty straight forward. But what's on that title is easements, covenants, part fives, section 71s could be.

And every state's different. You've got to research this. What's on your title?

Very important stuff to understand that.

[Amelia] (6:10 - 6:14)

Yes, definitely something you should have a look at if you're looking to purchase.

[Frank] (6:14 - 6:21)

And you won't understand it. So when you purchase, get your solicitor or conveyancer to explain every bit of that.

[Amelia] (6:21 - 6:28)

Yes. Yeah, it is. And it is legal jargon a lot of it. It's really hard to understand, especially if it's very old some of the language.

[Frank] (6:28 - 6:49)

Or old, new, doesn't matter. And also potentially from planning approvals of that subdivision. Some really dumb, stupid stuff in there with could be from drainage to trees to all sorts of weird stuff.

You need to be very clear what you're walking into before you're buying. So get your conveyancer or solicitor to explain it to the letter.

[Amelia] (6:49 - 6:50)

Yes.

[Frank] (6:50 - 6:53)

So we'll go into a few other site-related terms.

[Amelia] (6:53 - 6:54)

Okay.

[Frank] (6:54 - 7:10)

Okay. Now we would have spoken about a few of these. I'm going to talk about setbacks.

So this is prescribed under planning. Maybe we should explain planning. Planning schemes.

Local government rules governing land use and development and giving us challenges to get our customers' houses on there.

[Amelia] (7:10 - 7:10)

Yes.

[Frank] (7:10 - 7:31)

Or commercial buildings. Within that, setbacks. So under the zones, setback is a minimum distance of a building from a boundary.

If it's a frontage, so from the road sometimes, mainly. How close can I build to the road? How close can I build to my side boundary?

How close can I build to my rear boundary?

[Amelia] (7:31 - 7:31)

Yes.

[Frank] (7:32 - 7:33)

Some of them have envelopes.

[Amelia] (7:34 - 7:35)

Building envelopes. Yes.

[Frank] (7:35 - 7:46)

Or, I don't know what I call envelopes. Why do we call them an umbrella?

[Amelia]

I don't know.

[Frank]

Well, think about it. An envelope. But when you look at it, it's a 3D bowl that goes over the whole site.

[Amelia] (7:46 - 7:47)

Yes.

[Frank] (7:47 - 7:51)

To restrict it. So why wouldn't you put an umbrella? What's an envelope got to do with it?

[Amelia] (7:51 - 7:52)

I don't know.

[Frank] (7:52 - 7:53)

That's a dumb term.

[Amelia] (7:54 - 8:02)

I didn't coin the term. 

[Frank]

I just thought of it. All these years. That's just stupid. 

[Amelia]

You only just realised that now?

[Frank] (8:02 - 8:08)

Well, it just seems odd. You just get used to the wording. You just get on with it.

But when you think about it, because you've got to look at it in a 3D format.

[Amelia] (8:08 - 8:09)

Yeah, you do.

[Frank] (8:09 - 8:22)

So, yeah. Covenants. You've got to watch for those, puppies because you don't know what weird restrictions they put on your property. Easements. It could be a legal right of access to a portion of your land by a third party.

[Amelia] (8:23 - 8:24)

Yeah, and you can't build on it.

[Frank] (8:24 - 8:38)

You cannot build on it. If it's a right-of-way, someone can drive straight through it. Like, man, I've seen so many disputes over right-of-ways.

People blocking right-of-ways. People buy a piece of land. They didn't want people driving through it.

But they have no legal right to stop them. But they do stop them.

[Amelia] (8:38 - 8:39)

Yes.

[Frank] (8:39 - 8:51)

Ugly. Makes road rage look pretty good. We'll talk about things on site.

When we design a building or a house on a property that's a bit of a slope, you may need to put a batter.

[Amelia] (8:51 - 8:53)

And it's not a cake batter.

[Frank] (8:53 - 8:55)

Not a cake or pancake batter.

[Amelia] (8:55 - 8:55)

No.

[Frank] (8:56 - 9:10)

No, no. It's a sloped surface. Typically for, you know, cutting into the earth, taking a wedge out and then there's the top of it's called top of bank. Rocket science, that. The bottom is toe of bank.

[Amelia] (9:11 - 9:12)

Toe of bank?

[Frank] (9:12 - 9:14)

Yes, the toe. Top and toe.

[Amelia] (9:14 - 9:15)

Why not top and bottom?

[Frank] (9:15 - 9:23)

Yeah, well, fair. I didn't come up with these terms. This just is.

But it kind of makes sense, doesn't it?

[Amelia] (9:23 - 9:28)

It does make sense. 

[Frank]

But so does toe. Okay.

Toe's the bottom. 

[Amelia]

True.

[Frank] (9:30 - 9:41)

You'll see on surveys, top and toe or on building drawings, you'll see the top and toe of a bank. And they are at different angles due to the gradient of the type of soils and the type of gradient you put on there.

[Amelia] (9:42 - 9:48)

Yes. I often have heard it referred to a lot when there's a retaining wall.

[Frank] (9:48 - 9:53)

Yes. Yep. Slope or gradient.

So the slope of it.

[Amelia] (9:53 - 9:54)

Yes.

[Frank] (9:54 - 9:59)

Got to be considered. Just please be aware at the bottom of these batters, it's a very good idea to put...

[Amelia] (9:59 - 10:00)

At the toe.

[Frank] (10:00 - 10:24)

At the toe. Thank you for the correction. Is to put an ag drain.

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

Ag drain, agricultural drain. So this is a piece of flexible pipe with lots of slots in it.

That's one way of doing it. And it has a sock over it. So you put a sock on it, a geofabric sock, so the water goes through and the fine particles of dirt and soil doesn't go in and clog up the pipe. And that goes at the bottom to collect water at the base.

[Amelia] (10:24 - 10:35)

So you put the sock on the toe. 

[Frank]

Put the sock on the ag drain. 

[Amelia]

This is getting way too confusing for a Friday. No, I understand.

[Frank] (10:36 - 10:41)

It's at the toe. Yes. You got that?

Yeah, but then you're talking about socks. On the toe. Oh, man.

[Amelia] (10:41 - 10:47)

Sorry, it is Friday. I've got the sillies.

[Frank]

Oh, fantastic. They're trying to be serious here.

[Frank] (10:47 - 10:48)

This is serious stuff.

[Amelia] (10:49 - 10:55)

You just keep talking about socks and toes and body parts and... 

[Frank]

What are the body parts?

[Amelia] (10:55 - 10:55)

I don't know.

[Frank] (10:55 - 10:57)

It's a slope. It's a batter. It's cake.

[Amelia] (10:58 - 11:10)

Makes no sense. 

[Frank]

No, welcome to our world. And it's funny, teaching new people in this.

You know, we put lots of trainees on and going through that. Some of the terms I've got to use. And we prattle this stuff off quickly, you know.

[Amelia] (11:11 - 11:15)

And you forget sometimes that everyone isn't familiar.

[Frank] (11:16 - 11:49)

I don't intend to have an intention to do it, but you just do. But ag drains, which is the agricultural drain, in the ground to take surface, sometimes surface and subsurface water, depending on the depth. And you put a sock on it, which is a geofabric.

Geofabric is a special type of fabric we use in the ground, under roads, behind retaining walls. And this helps either stabilise, hold together, or stop fines coming through as water goes through. You've got this really fine particles, and then it stops clogging up drains.

[Amelia] (11:49 - 11:51)

So it's like a filter, essentially.

[Frank] (11:51 - 12:37)

But this stuff's really strong. We've used it under buildings to hold when you've got really soft soils. And I'm not saying this is what you have to do It's just an instance, a number of instances we've done this. We've got really soft, bad soil. We put layers of geofabric, then we put type A base.

It's like a road base, but it's called type A. And it compacts down really, really hard. Once you wet it, compact it.

So that is commonly used underneath foundations, slabs and the like. And the geofabric doesn't let the really fine, rubbishy, silty, wet foundation to filter through into the type A base. Then we put lots of ag drains around it for any water to dissipate.

[Amelia] (12:37 - 12:40)

Yes, because too much drainage is never enough.

[Frank] (12:41 - 12:59)

Just remember that, people. Always put more drains than you need in. The world is changing with its rainfall intensities, and that's just a fact.

I'm not being a greenie or anything like that. Sorry, it not about being a greenie, you know. Climate alarmist.

But we have, it's clear that rainfall intensities are changing. I'll let you decide what's causing that. Silicon.

[Amelia] (13:00 - 13:02)

Oh, your best mate. 

[Speaker 1] (13:04 - 13:16)

No. For crap builders, for an excuse to hide a problem. Or crap plumbers to use to waterproof something. If people use too much silicon, it breaks down.

The UV breaks it down, hooker by crook, and the thing is just not going to work.

[Amelia] (13:17 - 13:19)

Surely, I mean, there is a place for silicon.

[Frank] (13:19 - 13:41)

Oh, 100% there is. Don't get me wrong. It always is.

But like our mate up at Sydney doing building inspections just saw one recently, and it's like they used a spatula to put the silicon on these roof joints. And I'm going, that's just going to fail. Because they haven't done a proper flashing detail to ensure that water disperses away from any joints.

[Amelia] (13:42 - 13:42)

Flashing.

[Frank] (13:43 - 13:56)

Oh, flashings. 

[Amelia]

There's a good term. 

[Frank]

Oh, yes. Well, almost. But flashings, yeah, great. So let's look at roof flashings. Usually a piece of, used to be lead in the old days.

[Amelia] (13:56 - 13:59)

Really? 

[Frank]

Yeah, lead flashings. 

[Amelia]

Oh wow, I didn't know that.

[Frank] (13:59 - 14:07)

Easy, nice and malleable. And they're still there, you know, hundreds of years later, they're fantastic. But slight problem with lead.

[Amelia] (14:07 - 14:08)

Yeah.

[Frank] (14:08 - 14:26)

But we use a lot of Colorbond, is folded and cut and fit with precision to cut into either brickwork, concrete or over something. Then they are lapped in such a way over roof sheeting to make it 100% waterproof without the use of silicon.

[Amelia] (14:27 - 14:27)

Okay.

[Frank] (14:27 - 14:43)

If it's done really well, and some of these guys are actually craftsmen with sheet metal. It's just beautiful work. Same with box gutters, doing it really well.

Fitted neatly, pop riveted, sealed properly, magnificent, all welded and stainless. I love those.

[Amelia] (14:43 - 14:44)

Good quality roof plumber.

[Frank] (14:45 - 15:02)

100%. But also the guy supplying it, who fold it and put it all together. I mean, a roofer doing their work, you watch it with a set of tin sips, shaping stuff, they're artists.

And they don't get enough credit for what they do. Because you never really appreciate a real good quality roof until it leaks.

[Amelia] (15:03 - 15:04)

Yeah, that's true.

[Frank] (15:05 - 15:13)

You know, so yeah, if you pay peanuts, you're going to get a leaky roof. Pay for a quality roof because that's the hat on top of your house, isn't it?

[Amelia] (15:13 - 15:14)

Oh, yeah.

[Frank] (15:14 - 15:20)

Water gets through because the way we construct it, we've got pine. Most of the time water hits it. Pine don't like water.

[Amelia] (15:20 - 15:21)

Oh, exactly right.

[Frank] (15:22 - 15:24)

And guess what happens when water hits pine?

[Amelia] (15:24 - 15:24)

It swells.

[Frank] (15:25 - 15:28)

Swells, shrinks. And guess what else grows in there?

[Amelia] (15:28 - 15:29)

Mould.

[Frank] (15:29 - 15:50)

Mould, bad, bad, bad. So yeah, flashings are very important to do it well. Now, just remember flashing is just not restricted roofs.

Every window has to have a flashing along the top. 

[Amelia]

Yes. 

[Frank]

So to make sure water that comes down the outside doesn't go in it.

Obviously, brickwork is a little bit differently. But even you look at the bottom of your window, there's a rubber strip on there.

[Amelia] (15:50 - 15:51)

Oh, there is too, yeah.

[Frank] (15:52 - 16:00)

Yep. Damp-proof course, DPC, is another form of flashing or stopping water wicking in up brickwork or into timber.

[Amelia] (16:01 - 16:01)

Okay.

[Frank] (16:02 - 16:10)

So, and there's probably other terms we've missed in that and other places of flashings that are used. Let's have a look at planning and approvals.

[Amelia] (16:11 - 16:15)

This is a good one because I find this, even still, it can be very confusing.

[Frank] (16:15 - 16:21)

Now, there is a caveat with this. The terms we're going to use are based on the Tasmanian system.

[Amelia] (16:21 - 16:21)

Yes.

[Frank] (16:21 - 16:28)

Some will be different wording in other states, potentially. So we mentioned building surveyors.

[Amelia] (16:29 - 16:29)

Yes.

[Frank] (16:29 - 16:32)

On the mainland, on the Big Island, other than Tassie.

[Amelia] (16:33 - 16:33)

Certifiers.

[Frank] (16:33 - 17:00)

Could be certifier. Actually, like, and I've said it before, I think that name suits it far better. In Tasmania, they do what a Certificate of Likely Compliance, a CLC, confirms the design meets the building code.

So they've inspected the building drawings, the structural drawings, the hydraulic drawings, the surveying, the planning permit, every other report that has to come with a house or if it's a commercial building, and they say it meets it. And if not, then they write a set of conditions on there.

[Amelia] (17:00 - 17:01)

Okay.

[Frank] (17:01 - 17:05)

I personally think if you've got to write too many conditions, something's wrong with the drawings or the set.

[Amelia] (17:05 - 17:05)

Yeah.

[Frank] (17:05 - 17:09)

I actually believe the drawings have to go back and get redone again.

[Amelia] (17:09 - 17:10)

Well, that makes sense.

[Frank] (17:10 - 17:12)

Yeah, because no one reads the conditions.

[Amelia] (17:13 - 17:13)

Don't they?

[Frank] (17:14 - 17:27)

Oh, yeah. Blow your mind. I've had this discussion with TasWater, the local sewer and water authority, where they have their own CCW, Certificate of something.

Yeah, I can't remember. That's what we should have wrote down.

[Amelia] (17:27 - 17:28)

We should have written that down. I don't know what it is.

[Frank] (17:28 - 18:00)

They have conditions for them. Everyone just throws it in the bin.

[Amelia]

Really? 

[Frank]

Seriously. It's unbelievable.

Many times we've had to go back and fix it. It's unbelievable because no one reads it. And I think it should be on our drawings to make sure it doesn't get missed because they seem to only just read the drawings, which I kind of get it.

But it is a complete document set that they have to have all the reports, soil, survey, planning. They could have a flood inundation, coastal erosion, flora and fauna reports.

[Amelia] (18:01 - 18:03)

Yes. 

[Frank]

Need to know all this stuff. 

[Amelia]

Exactly.

[Frank] (18:03 - 18:21)

Then if you've got a CLC, that means you think you can start building. Yep, it all complies. But you need, in Tassie, you need to put a start work notice.

So notify the council or, but it actually goes to the building surveyor first, or it has to go to them first and they notify everyone. Yep, we're starting. And that's for plumbing and building.

[Amelia] (18:21 - 18:22)

Okay.

[Frank] (18:22 - 18:23)

Two separate ones.

[Amelia] (18:23 - 18:23)

Yes.

[Frank] (18:23 - 18:24)

Two separate approvals.

[Amelia] (18:24 - 18:26)

A lot of people get confused with that.

[Frank] (18:26 - 18:33)

Yes. By the way, planning approval, DA, development application, does not mean you can build.

[Amelia] (18:34 - 18:34)

No.

[Frank] (18:34 - 18:39)

It means you've met the requirements of the planning scheme. There may be conditions in there.

[Amelia] (18:40 - 18:40)

Yes.

[Frank] (18:41 - 18:54)

Building drawings that are certified. Because in Tasmania, you have to give a form 35. Structural guy has to do a form 55.

So these are like certificates that go with all these different reports and whatnot. Go to the building surveyor and that is the CLC.

[Amelia] (18:54 - 18:56)

Oh, I didn't actually realise that.

[Frank] (18:56 - 18:57)

Yeah.

[Amelia] (18:57 - 18:57)

Interesting.

[Frank] (18:57 - 19:06)

That forms that and they check that. And that the form 35, 55 tells you, you've got insurance. You're licensed.

Very important in Tasmania.

[Amelia] (19:06 - 19:07)

Oh, definitely.

[Frank] (19:07 - 19:16)

Would you believe people still want to try and do work without a license? 

[Amelia]

Really? Yeah.

[Frank]

I still come across because I've got to go fix them. People get swindled.

[Amelia] (19:16 - 19:18)

Yeah. Very sad in those situations.

[Frank] (19:19 - 19:35)

Terrible. So you've done your start work. Notice means you can start.

Happy days. So then during the process, there are inspections. So building surveyor does inspections.

Okay. We all get that. I personally don't think they do enough inspections.

[Amelia] (19:36 - 19:37)

No, you've mentioned that before.

[Frank] (19:38 - 20:03)

Too many times. They need to double it. Easy.

Yes, the client pays for it. But if the project is done properly and there's less mistakes, why wouldn't you do it? I'm sure if you're about to drop four or 500 grand minimum on a house, would you be willing to pay another 2000 bucks for another four or five inspections to make sure they've done it properly and go through a fine tooth comb?

Yeah. Like a fine building inspector in New South Wales that's educating us on Instagram and TikTok and all the rest of it. Does a cracking job.

[Amelia] (20:03 - 20:04)

He does.

[Frank] (20:04 - 20:14)

Exposes some really dodgy stuff. Certificate of Occupancy confirms that a completed building, I don't know if it's completed, a building that is safe for use.

[Amelia] (20:14 - 20:15)

Okay.

[Frank] (20:15 - 20:18)

So you can occupy and it's safe. Doesn't mean it's finished.

[Amelia] (20:19 - 20:22)

No, because you need a completion certificate.

[Frank] (20:23 - 20:30)

Yeah. Final inspection will give you your completion. Guess what?

You can't finish the building completion unless the plumbing has been completed before that.

[Amelia] (20:30 - 20:35)

Yeah. Well, the plumbing should be finished before that, surely.

[Frank]

You'd think so, wouldn't you?

[Amelia]

You would think so.

[Frank] (20:35 - 20:36)

And they've done the inspection.

[Amelia] (20:37 - 20:38)

Yeah. That's a bit weird.

[Frank] (20:38 - 20:45)

Well, it's not weird because sometimes it's not done, but the building can't be completed because the plumbing is not completed.

[Amelia] (20:45 - 20:49)

Oh, so you're saying people haven't done it and it's supposed to have been done?

[Frank] (20:49 - 20:49)

Yes.

[Amelia] (20:50 - 20:53)

Oh, yeah. That is weird. Why are they ticking it off if they haven't done it?

[Frank] (20:53 - 20:55)

Well, they can't tick it off. That's the whole point.

[Amelia] (20:55 - 20:55)

Oh, okay.

[Frank] (20:55 - 20:59)

So you've got to get the plumbing done and it'll hold up your final.

[Amelia] (20:59 - 21:00)

That's annoying.

[Frank] (21:00 - 21:17)

Oh, you've got no idea. Builders responsibility because they're overarching of the whole project. They took full responsibility.

So yeah. So then happy days. It's complete.

And then you go through your contract defect liability period and level of warranty within that as well. Other terms.

[Amelia] (21:18 - 21:19)

I've got one for you.

[Frank] (21:19 - 21:19)

Oh, what's that?

[Amelia] (21:19 - 21:27)

I actually heard it on one of those, the TikTok inspector. He talks about sarking. I don't know what that is.

[Frank] (21:27 - 21:30)

Well, sarking is that silver paper.

[Amelia] (21:30 - 21:36)

Oh, okay. Next to the, like when you've done the framing, you put that like on the inside. Is that right?

[Frank] (21:36 - 21:38)

Used to be not allowed to do that anymore.

[Amelia] (21:38 - 21:39)

Now it's on the outside.

[Frank] (21:39 - 21:42)

No, no, no, no. It's on the inside. It's on the outside still.

[Amelia] (21:42 - 21:42)

Okay.

[Frank] (21:42 - 21:45)

We have to use a permeable membrane.

[Amelia] (21:45 - 21:47)

Oh, that term was on our list.

[Frank] (21:47 - 21:52)

Yes. Permeable membrane is how we wrap the house. We used to do the sarking silver paper.

[Amelia] (21:52 - 21:52)

Yeah.

[Frank] (21:53 - 21:58)

Not acceptable anymore due to potential mould, condensation mould issues.

[Amelia] (21:58 - 21:58)

Okay.

[Frank] (21:59 - 22:20)

So the accepted practice in Australia is using the permeable membrane. Walls can breathe, washing can get out. So that's been a big change.

It is still possible to use in the roof in right circumstances. Now this, I just went to a two hour session with our mate Clarence who was on a couple of weeks ago.

[Amelia] (22:20 - 22:20)

Yes.

[Frank] (22:20 - 22:29)

And he held a roofing and walling. It was mainly roofing about condensation and control and airflow and stuff.

[Amelia] (22:29 - 22:31)

That would have been really interesting.

[Frank] (22:31 - 22:49)

It was cool. We had a mate, you know, small scale roofs, different types of roofs. And he could change the insulation, change the membranes, change the roofing, put battens, put air gaps, keep changing.

And we're showing all these different compliant and non-compliant ways to physically see it there.

[Amelia] (22:49 - 22:51)

He's really clever in that way, isn't he?

[Frank] (22:51 - 22:54)

Yeah. And we also had Dr. Mark Dewsbury who we're going to get on.

[Amelia] (22:54 - 22:54)

Yes.

[Frank] (22:54 - 23:06)

I pestered him at it. 

[Amelia]

Oh, good job. 

[Frank]

So he's one of the leading academics, I suppose. Mind you, he's pretty practical. He's an architect. He practises architect and he's still practical with his hands too.

[Amelia] (23:06 - 23:06)

Yes.

[Frank] (23:07 - 23:18)

So we're going to get him on in the future as well and talk about these issues because they are real issues for everyone in Australia. You've got to be aware of this. This is not a cold climate problem.

[Amelia] (23:18 - 23:19)

Oh, 100%.

[Frank] (23:20 - 23:21)

Anyway, digressed.

[Amelia] (23:21 - 23:22)

Yes.

[Frank] (23:22 - 23:27)

So sisolation, the silvery paper, we need to be careful where we use that.

[Amelia] (23:28 - 23:28)

Okay.

[Frank] (23:28 - 23:41)

Has to be the appropriate place. But the permeable membrane is what we use now. So when you look at building drawings, there's a couple of other terms and you'll see some acronyms, FFL.

Can you remember what that is?

[Amelia] (23:41 - 23:42)

Finished floor level.

[Frank] (23:42 - 23:43)

That's the one.

[Amelia] (23:43 - 23:44)

I had to look it up though.

[Frank] (23:45 - 23:47)

What about surface level, SL?

[Amelia] (23:47 - 23:48)

Oh, that's a thing too, is it?

[Frank] (23:49 - 23:53)

Yeah, SL, surface level. What do you think ESL?

[Amelia] (23:53 - 23:54)

I can't remember.

[Frank] (23:55 - 23:56)

Existing surface level.

[Amelia] (23:56 - 23:58)

Oh, that makes sense.

[Frank] (23:59 - 24:04)

IO, IO, IO, no, wrong. No. The IO.

[Amelia] (24:04 - 24:05)

Inspection opening.

[Frank] (24:05 - 24:10)

Yep, so it has to do with your plumbing. Can you remember? O-R-G.

[Amelia] (24:10 - 24:11)

Overflow gully.

[Frank] (24:11 - 24:13)

Overflow relief gully.

[Amelia] (24:13 - 24:14)

Oh, close.

[Frank] (24:14 - 24:22)

Close, very close. So another one is a CJ, control joint.

[Amelia] (24:23 - 24:23)

Yes.

[Frank] (24:23 - 24:26)

That could be in your brickwork, you know.

[Amelia] (24:26 - 24:27)

Is that the gap?

[Frank] (24:27 - 24:28)

Yes.

[Amelia] (24:28 - 24:28)

Yeah.

[Frank] (24:28 - 24:35)

There's a gap and it's usually filled with a flexible cylinder. It could be in your concrete slab in your driveway. You see a joint in there.

[Amelia] (24:36 - 24:36)

Oh, yes.

[Frank] (24:36 - 24:42)

So that could be a control joint. So it's allow flexibility in a very brittle finish.

[Amelia] (24:42 - 24:43)

Okay.

[Frank] (24:43 - 24:54)

Yep. It can be done in plaster as well when you've got huge rooms and you need to put a joint in there. Between two-story homes, you'd like to put potentially a joint in there subject to the manufacturer's specification.

[Amelia] (24:55 - 24:55)

Okay.

[Frank] (24:55 - 24:58)

Pricing, if you've got a huge amount of tiles, you need to put a control joint in.

[Amelia] (24:58 - 25:01)

Oh, it makes sense because the tiles can be quite heavy.

[Frank] (25:01 - 25:06)

Yep. But yeah, but also the floor can move as well. Yeah.

Lintel.

[Amelia] (25:06 - 25:07)

That's a good one.

[Frank] (25:08 - 25:09)

Can you remember what it is?

[Amelia] (25:09 - 25:16)

It's the bit that holds up the... Did you just call it a bit? It's the timber that holds...

Well, is it made out of timber?

[Frank] (25:17 - 25:24)

No. No, or is it steel? No, it can be timber, steel, carrot sticks.

I don't know. No, it's something structural that could be above a door.

[Amelia] (25:24 - 25:25)

Or a window.

[Frank] (25:25 - 25:29)

You know, above a door. Could be holding a roof up over your alfresco.

[Amelia] (25:29 - 25:30)

Yeah, well, it's still a bit.

[Frank] (25:30 - 25:34)

Yeah, it's a bit of timber. It's a bit of steel.

[Amelia] (25:35 - 25:38)

You're talking to a marketer, not a building designer.

[Frank] (25:38 - 25:40)

Okay, fair enough. Weep hole.

[Amelia] (25:41 - 25:43)

Yes, they're like the wholey bits.

[Frank] (25:43 - 25:44)

Oh, come on.

[Amelia] (25:45 - 25:46)

Usually in brickwork.

[Frank] (25:46 - 25:48)

Yeah, we have them down the bottom.

[Amelia] (25:48 - 25:50)

Down the bottom. Weep holes. They allow airflow.

[Frank] (25:51 - 25:52)

And any moisture to...

[Amelia] (25:52 - 25:53)

To be released.

[Frank] (25:53 - 25:56)

Yeah, and you've got the damp proof course.

[Amelia] (25:56 - 25:56)

Yes.

[Frank] (25:56 - 26:11)

Behind that. And you have them above windows too, with brickwork. Yes.

Okay, this is a thing that's coming up a lot more. And you'll see this in a lot of new homes. And especially, well, we're doing a lot of it.

It's roof vents.

[Amelia] (26:11 - 26:12)

Oh, really?

[Frank] (26:13 - 26:26)

Because you need to have 7,000 square millimetres of area per metre of air to be into your roof cavity space within roofs with climate zone 6, 7, 8.

[Amelia] (26:27 - 26:29)

Well, it makes sense. I mean, it needs to breathe.

[Frank] (26:29 - 26:32)

Yeah, but then you need one at the top to let it out.

[Amelia] (26:32 - 26:33)

That makes sense too.

[Frank] (26:33 - 26:42)

Inlet, outlet. So at the top, it has to be 5,000. So seven millimetres over one metre.

At the top, five millimetres over one metre.

[Amelia] (26:42 - 26:43)

And that's fairly new?

[Frank] (26:43 - 26:45)

Under the building code, yes.

[Amelia] (26:45 - 26:46)

Yeah, okay.

[Frank] (26:47 - 26:52)

So that was... Clarence was all over that. And within your roof, 20 mil cavity.

[Amelia] (26:53 - 26:53)

Oh, really?

[Frank] (26:53 - 26:56)

So air can flow freely through your roof.

[Amelia] (26:57 - 26:57)

Okay.

[Frank] (26:58 - 27:04)

So roof ventilation is becoming a big thing, even though you've got bushfire requirements kind of fighting it.

[Amelia] (27:05 - 27:06)

Yes, to tighten everything up.

[Frank] (27:06 - 27:08)

Yes, so you tighten it, but it's still going to breathe.

[Amelia] (27:08 - 27:10)

Yeah, it's a tricky one.

[Frank] (27:10 - 27:23)

It's very hard. So there's lots of new technology coming out with that as well. But we need to get our walls and roofs and floors to breathe.

If it's a concrete floor, it doesn't need to breathe. Your timber floor has to breathe.

[Amelia] (27:23 - 27:23)

Yes.

[Frank] (27:24 - 27:29)

So wherever, if it doesn't breathe, then moisture will build up. If moisture builds up, what are you going to get?

[Amelia] (27:30 - 27:30)

Mould.

[Frank] (27:31 - 27:32)

Yeah, I think we'll finish up on this one.

[Amelia] (27:33 - 27:33)

Okay.

[Frank] (27:34 - 27:43)

And it's pretty common sense, but I still have to explain it a lot. And this is the thermal assessment. So your energy assessment, but it's done via star ratings.

[Amelia] (27:44 - 27:44)

Yes.

[Frank] (27:44 - 28:08)

So you see it on lots of appliances and stuff like that. But houses have the same thing. They have this star rating.

And every state has a minimum star rating they need to meet. Tasmania is stuck with six star. A lot of the mainlands, I believe, I know Victoria and New South Wales have gone to seven.

I can't remember Queensland. I think WA is still at five. I can't remember South Australia and Northern Territory.

[Amelia] (28:08 - 28:09)

Okay.

[Frank] (28:10 - 28:24)

So we all have different requirements to meet with thermal efficiency. Now, thermal efficiency does not mean it stops condensational mould. If anything, it can actually increase the higher star rating, potentially increases the chances of it.

[Amelia] (28:24 - 28:24)

Yeah, okay.

[Frank] (28:24 - 28:39)

Has that potential. So just to finish off with, star rating is by which thermal performance is measured. And our mate Toby from Torple, we had many chats about that in his previous podcast.

I've spoke to him the other day. We're going to have to get together again and have another chat.

[Amelia] (28:39 - 28:42)

That would be good. Yeah. Sounds like a plan.

[Frank] (28:42 - 28:44)

Have you got any other doozies for me before we wrap up?

[Amelia] (28:45 - 28:53)

I don't think so. I think we've covered quite a lot of them. But if anyone has any more that they want us to explain, we're more than happy to do so.

[Frank] (28:54 - 28:56)

Or if they want to correct us on any.

[Amelia] (28:56 - 28:58)

Oh yes, correct us. Feel free to do that.

[Frank] (28:58 - 29:01)

Yep. Or alternative terminologies.

[Amelia] (29:01 - 29:04)

I could give you plenty of those for today. 

[Frank] (29:07 - 29:09)

No, please don't. I could do that for a few other things too.

[Amelia] (29:12 - 29:13)

We might not do that.

[Frank] (29:14 - 29:15)

No, let's not do that about plumbing departments.

[Amelia] (29:16 - 29:18)

All right. Any take home points?

[Frank] (29:19 - 29:20)

Well, there isn't any, is there?

[Amelia] (29:20 - 29:20)

I don't know.

[Frank] (29:20 - 29:32)

I think it's all take home points. I mean, hopefully you can learn from some of the terminology because it is confusing. It is really confusing if you're not in the game.

It's a whole new language. And everyone out there does their own job, right?

[Amelia] (29:32 - 29:32)

Yes.

[Frank] (29:32 - 29:41)

And every job has their own terminology. I know you do marketing and the social media coordination. And some of the terminologies I'll look at you blankly at.

[Amelia] (29:41 - 29:41)

Yes.

[Frank] (29:41 - 29:54)

You know, because Facebook or Meta has decided to change something. But then you go to teachers, you go to nurses, doctors, lawyers, manufacturing, all these farming, whatever it is. They all have their own terminology.

[Amelia] (29:55 – 30:06)

Yeah, I think there is a take home point here though. If you're not sure of something if your building designer or architect says something and you don’t understand it just ask. There are no stupid questions. Just ask. 

[Frank] [30:06 – 30:11]

There are none, be inquisitive, just be inquisitive, ask. 

[Amelia] [30:11 – 30:12]

Yes 

[Frank] [30:11

And anyone with a sense of, call it empathy or whatever you want will be happy to explain it to you.  

[Amelia]

Yeah 

[Frank]

You’re not a dumbass. 

[Amelia]

No, no because some them are complicated these terms 

[Frank]

And they’ve been developed and I don’t know why we call them some of these things because they are pretty stupid some of them 

[Amelia]

Yeah some of them are. 

[Frank]

Yeah they’ve developed I reckon someone’s done a joke on some of them. 

[Amelia]

Probably, or they drunk too much wine, who knows.

 [Frank]

Ah, it’s usually beer because it’s builders. 

[Amelia]

You’re stereotyping right there

[Frank]

Oh, come on! 

[Amelia]

There’s probably some builders out there that probably have a very fine wine palette. 

[Frank]

I can guarantee you when they’ve finishing pouring your concrete they’ll have an esky full of beer. That’s a tradition. 

[Amelia]

I think we definitely need to wrap it up there before the conversation goes downhill very quickly. Thanks for listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast, we’ll catch you next time

[Frank]

Catch ya’s later. 

[OUTRO]

You’re listening to the Building Design, Prime Time Podcast.