My two bins sit out near the front for convenience and I'm looking for ways to screen them, coz that's the public side of the property.
I thought a bit of framing, trellis and some fast-growing greenery would work but maybe you all have some creative solutions?
TIA
Ah! Just slipped over walking past my water meter so I investigated and found it has a leak right where it goes into my property. Is this worth me digging into it or should I call a plumber?
I wasn't able to attach a video, but here's the meter and where I can see the leak coming from.
Looks like it's losing about 3L every 4 seconds, though I didn't check to see if we were using water at the time.
The last water bill was $100 more than expected, too.
All DIY except the shower install and the plumbing.
Made the vanity myself, trade depot shower, bunnings vinyl flooring, second hand claw foot tub from facebook marketplace.
I’m renovating a 1950s timber-framed weatherboard house in Auckland and I’m trying to work out the best way to retrofit insulation to the existing external walls.
The house appears to have been built without wall underlay. The existing weatherboards are direct-fixed timber weatherboards, and I’m not planning to remove or replace the external cladding.
I’ve opened up one bedroom internally so I can see the wall construction. The wall is approximately 95 mm timber framing.
My original idea was:
I’ve been looking at the BRANZ research around retrofitting insulation to older walls, particularly SR484, and the concept of creating a small drainage/separation space rather than simply filling the entire cavity with insulation.
The complication is that I have diagonal timber bracing in some of the wall cavities and the bottom plate also makes some areas difficult to detail. I may not be able to use exactly the same method throughout the entire wall.
What I’m trying to decide
Would you:
A. Continue with an internal retrofit using a drainage/separation mesh + internal wall underlay + insulation where physically possible?
B. Use a different method around the diagonal bracing/bottom plate and transition between the two methods?
C. Forget the internal cavity/drainage approach and use another insulation method?
I’m also trying to understand the consent/exemption implications in NZ, because I want to do this properly rather than assume something is exempt when it isn't.
particularly interested in hearing builders, building surveyors, or people who have actually dealt with older unlined/direct-fixed weatherboard walls.
I'm helping my mum out with her backyard and she wants this wooden playhouse removed, first I got a quote on its disassembly and removal and it came out to 635 dollars (😭), I have time on my hands and was wanting some advice on how to disassemble it myself without hurting my wallet. Thank you.
I just want to thank everyone for their input and advice.
After we declined to settle yesterday, they only removed the scaffolding facing the house and left the driveway one up. After we said not enough, they cut down a section of the side fence for us to have closer access! We definitely said no to that and they finally gave in today and they have removed all the scaffolding.
We also have had the lawyers write up document which the vendor has signed saying they won't block the driveway with scaffolding again.
Some of the builders were asking about how close the building was so I've added a couple photos.
Once we're all sorted, everyone is invited to the house warming! (*Just joking, this house is for my parents they will be very confused*)
Hi there,
I’m needing some help interpreting the schedule 1 exemption 1 of the building act. Sorry for the essay, just wanting to provide context.
For context I have purchased a 70’s single story town house in Napier, it shares a party wall with one other property. It’s basically a large rectangle split in two. Both houses are currently clad in the original weatherside cladding from the 70’s, as a condition of my mortgage I am required to replace all the cladding on my property. My neighbour is not seeking to change their cladding.
Prior to purchase I spoke with the council’s duty consents officer who verbally confirmed a reclad is “like for like” and as long as the new cladding is also a direct fix product no consent is required (you can see where this is going). I got three quotes from LBP who all reaffirmed no consent. All suggested they use 7.5mm HardiePlank.
After the sale went through (the sale process took 6 months so it was a bit protracted) my preferred builder had retired and one of the other LBP’s no longer was interested in the job so I go for one final quote by an additional LBP. He raised a consent WAS required.. I again engaged with council, this time via email and discussed with the duty builder who said a schedule 1 exemption 1 is applicable and that it’s essentially on the LBP to decide but there is no application process to the council for it.
I have obviously read and am exploring this exemption but to be honest this is my first time navigating this and I’m finding the process a bit of a cluster.
I am satisfied that the first part of the exemption is met
“1. The repair and maintenance of any component or assembly incorporated in or associated with a building, provided that comparable materials are used.
(a). a comparable component or assembly is used; and
(b). the replacement is in the same position.”
BUT I am less satisfied with section 3
“3. However, subclauses (1) and (2) do not include the following building work:
(a). complete or substantial replacement of a specified system; or “
I’m struggling to understand why the council would say no consent is required when I am and have expressed I am doing a full reclad which is a complete replacement of the cladding system on my house. The only thing I can think of is that because only the cladding of my house is being replaced, not my neighbours, they aren’t treating it as a full replacement of the system because only half the physical buildings cladding is being replaced, not the whole lot? My gut feeling is that can’t be correct though.
I’m intending on selling in the next 3-5 years so don’t want this to bite me in the ass when I come to sell. I intended to clarify with council but want my ducks in a row before consulting them.
Anyway, is anyone else experienced in the application of schedule 1 exemption 1? Is the council correct and I can go on my merry way? Halp me please!
Thanks so much!
Foam? Try to fusion a replacement piece of wood? Wanting to sort it before getting to painting this area..
Not actually DIY but anyone have toilet recommendations? This one seemed a good price and would fit my space including the old 220mm set out.
Plumbing experts I need your help.
Getting ready to move into our new house a few weeks after settlement. We’ve been doing some small renos before moving in.
Turned on a hot tap today for the first time and nothing came out at all. Cold water flows fine. I can’t remember if I actually tested the hot water during the pre-settlement inspection.
I’m a complete plumbing/HWC noob, so figured there must be a valve turned off somewhere. Went under the house to the Rheem mains-pressure electric cylinder and found what looked logically like the shut-off valve on the pipe going into the bottom of the cylinder.
Turned it on and water immediately started pissing out of what looks like a perfectly straight/manufactured slit in the pipe/valve assembly. I immediately shut it off again and had to head back to the rental to put kids to bed.
Is that slit supposed to be there or is the pipe/valve broken? Am I even turning on the correct valve to get the hot water flowing again?
Pics below + link to video so you can see exactly what happens.
TIA!
Helping out a mate with a project.
Anyone got any good ideas for bending long radius 4 inch pvc? Needs to be even and look pretty, not my specialty.
Making some giant candy canes.
Be about 2.4m high.
My background is steel work, but that makes for a big heavy item.
Hi all,
I have a wee art deco garage that has a flat concrete roof. See the pictures attached. As a bit of a hobby project I would like to paint it with bitumen or a similar water proofing paint and then install artifical grass on top of it. I think it has okay fall to the small drainage hole. Which I would leave exposed. Long term I'd be interested in placing a small sleepout on top of the garage. Keen to get the communities thoughts, is this a bad idea? Anything that I need to consider or anything that I might be doing here that might cause long term damage?
Cheers,
eta: Thanks for the responses and explanations. :)
Hiya. I have a bunch of electrical things (an air fryer and, a Dyson fan and a Bluetooth speaker, amongst other things) and I am wondering about fuses in NZ.
Until now, I’ve been using a travel adapt which has been fine, but I’d rather switch to ANZ plug tops (are they also called plug heads, or am I just imagining it?)
I’ve only seen 10 or 15 amp options over here and I don’t actually see a fuse in the plug itself, so maybe that’s handled by the wall socket over here? By comparison, in the U.K. plugs will have fuses within them for easy replacement.
My concern is, if I use a 10amp plug head for each item, the air fryer should be fine (the U.K. plug has a 10A fuse) but the Bluetooth speaker has a 3A fuse, so would a 10A cause it to fry itself in a power surge? And the fan is a 13A fuse, so would that draw too much power and cause the fuse board to trip? Or can I just bung a 10A plug top on them all and be happy knowing all my UK electronics are now Kiwi-as?
Thanks in advance!
Hi everyone,
I recently bought a house in NZ and this is the first time I’m trying to connect a washing machine. The laundry has a sink, but I can’t find a dedicated water inlet/tap for the washing machine.
I’ve attached a photo of the plumbing underneath the laundry sink.
Is there a way to add an adapter/tee or dual-outlet valve to the existing plumbing so I can connect the washing machine while still keeping the laundry sink working?
Ideally, I’d like the washing machine to have its own shut-off valve.
What fitting would I need, and is this something that’s reasonably straightforward or should I get a plumber to do it?
Thanks!
Long shot but I’ve been caught short with insulation and walls going on first thing next week and am in need of some externally rated Ethernet cable. Not fussed whether cat 5e or 6, just need 60m or so, but happy to grab more if anyone has some leftover or a roll hanging around. Thanks heaps in advance
Should have said, happy to pickup and of course pay, pretty much anywhere in Auckland :)
Edit: I managed to get 100m from an electrician this afternoon, so ended up running normal internal cat6 to the wall exit point, and will have a blanking wall plate over where I’ll join to the external cable with an inline coupler in the wall, but accessible. Thanks for all the help & advice!
Hi team. We recently moved into a new house and I am trying to work out how to connect up the washing machine in the new laundry. Someone said I need to unscrew the existing fittings on the taps under the sink and attach the washing machine there, but then the laundry sink won't be connected. Surely there is a way to hook up the washing machine while still being able to use the sink? Please help a confused lady out!
Additionally we are now on tank water rather than mains. Is turning off the water as simple as turning the pump off? And is there anything else I should know or can I just turn the pump power off and then back on again once finished?
Thanks in advance!
Hi all,
Our roof was painted approx. 5 years ago before our ownership. There's two sections of the roof that have bubbling paint. How much of a PITA will it be to fix? Roof is quite steep so thinking i might pay someone to come in and do it but keen to also know how urgently I need to get this fixed?
Cheers everyone
As you can see in the photos, I’ve installed a pull out style kitchen mixer but the pull out part often doesn’t slot back into place because the weight under the bench gets caught in the pipes below.
Any simple fix suggestions
I have bought a 70s concrete block unit and it has a bathroom with a lovely tall ceiling but above some parts of the bathroom, this material is present… Could it be asbestos?
🫣