You're listening to the Resident Builder podcast with Peter Wolfcamp from News Talks at B. Squeaky Door or Squeaky Floor. Get the right advice from Peterwolfcamp The Resident Builder with Lightfoursolar dot Co, dot insiead switch to solar in twenty twenty five and pay less for power us talks at B.
A house sizzor even when it's dog.
Even when the grass is overgrown in the yard, even when a dog is too old to bar, and when you're sitting at the table trying not to start. Oh scissor home.
Even when we bend, even when you're therellonezzo. House is a hold, even when there's ghost, even.
When you got around from the ones you love, your moves.
Scream doors, broken pants, appeeling from the world, locals, vestment when they're gone, and leaving the.
Have, even when.
We'll rebne, even when you're very lone.
A well, a very very good morning and a warm welcome to you on this the first show, the first Resident Builder on Sunday show here at News Talk Seed B for twenty twenty five. So it is a great pleasure to return. Well, we haven't really taken a break, to be fair, but it's great to be back, and it's it is twenty twenty five, and that brings with it, I suppose optimism, hope, opportunity, potential for a year ahead.
Certainly there's plenty of challenges out there for the construction sector, for the economy in general, to be fair, so we'll see how that pans out over the course of the year. But it is delightful to be back. I trust that you had a good New Year's celebration. Hopefully if it was festive, it was not festive with some sort of long lingering hangover or some.
Yeah something you've got of it later on.
But anyway, if you've had a hopefully you've had a good New Year's and you are preparing yourself for the year ahead. If you've been out in the garden, or you've been working around the house, or you've been doing some jobs inside, I hope they've been going well or as well as they possibly can. I did actually notice in my neighborhood someone was out with power tools on New Year's Day. They were cracking into it. I don't know what it was. It might have been a water blaster.
I'm pretty sure I heard a grinder out there somewhere. Not sure that I heard a skill saw or a chainsaw, but certainly some people were out and about with power tools on New Year's Day, possibly having a sort of a very sober night and then wanting to rub in their vigor and their determination to greet the new year with activity. For those who maybe were lingering a little bit in bed a bit longer on New Year's Day radio, we're into it. So the year ahead will be fascinating.
I think from a political point of view, it's going to be interesting to see whether so much of what was talked about last year, in terms of lessening bureaucracy, trying to speed up the construction or the consenting process, any of those sorts of things come to fruition, whether or not after a lot of consultation around standards, and whether or not the increased standards for H one, which is the insulation requirements, will be wound back in order to try and find some savings for the cost of
building houses. Whether that actually comes to something I personally hope not in the scene. It's that I don't think that we need to wind back EH one standards, but we do need to get rid of the schedule method, so we'll we can talk about that.
It's going to be a fascinating year. Head.
So if you've got a project that is underway and maybe you'd like some help with it, or you've started something, perhaps you've got some new tools. Like me, I don't actually get any tools for Christmas. Buying tools for me for Christmas could be a little bit tricky. However, I have been out shopping over the Christmas break and I picked up a couple of little things that I felt that I needed that were a gap in the arsenal, a gap in the repertoire of tools that I might
have in the tool shed. So we can talk a little bit about those. But later on this morning, and I did actually spend a little bit of happy time in the workshop, just kind of organizing, sort of puttering. Puttering, I think was my word for twenty twenty four. At some stage during twenty twenty five, I'll think of another word or find another word that I like. I'm not making up, I just find them and I like them.
Puttering was a great word. Actually, I've got a delightful card from Dennis, who lives around where I did, and he swung by to drop off a card and a gift actually, which is very kind of a just to say, hey, look, have a good year, and all the best for Christmas and so on. And he mentioned in his card that he had been out puttering during the day and found that enormously satisfying as well. If you don't know what puttering means, I'll explain a bit later on. But hey, look,
we're into it for a new year. So this is a show all about essentially building literacy. So what I want to talk about is stuff that I read about, all that I'm involved with and do. And you know, during the course of the year, I'm in a privileged position in a sense where I get to attend a lot of seminars. I have an opportunity of sort of getting an insight into the construction sector and into construction practice as well. How we build better houses? And it's complex.
There's lots and lots of well, initially moving but in the end not many moving parts in a house. They tend to remain stable. So you know, how do we how do we figure out how to do things better in order to get better houses? And there was a text at the end of last week's show, I obviously struck a nerve by talking a little bit about bureaucracy. I wasn't actually talking about bureaucracy, but people there are several texts actually quite critical of me in their eyes,
defending bureaucracy, defending regulations. I don't mind talking about that, but later on the show as well, right now in the show. Actually, let's not do it later. Let's do it right now, because the lines are open. Eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Is that number to call. You can text which is nine two nine two or zbzb from your mobile phone, and if you'd like to send me an email, you would be more than welcome it as Pete atnewstookxb dot co dot nz. So let's get into it.
The lines are open. The number to call eight hundred and eighty ten eighty any building related questions, and it might be legislation, it might be tools. More than happy to talk about tools. Actually I might give you my tool of the year. I was thinking about this after the show last week, and I was sort of, you know, at the end of the year, you kind of I don't know. My habit is to be a little bit reflective.
Let's say a little contemplative thinking back on the year, and I was trying to think in amongst a whole lot of other thoughts that were rumbling around and my head around things like what was the most useful thing that I might have purchased or encountered in terms of tools over the course of the year. And so I've landed on something, possibly two, but certainly one. Anyway, So we can talk tools, we can talk about projects. We can talk about projects that you might have ahead of
you this year. If you've got something on the drawing board back in the old days that you'd like to bring to life, how are you going to do it? What choices do you make, where do you put your resources? And in fact I've just at the end of last year I was introduced to via a builder that I know, an outstanding builder to be fair, a project that he started right in the middle of December, so almost at
the end of the year. A renovation and addition to an existing nineteen fifties house where the clients are particularly informed and they want to go high performance. They want to create a really energy efficient house out of what is an older house, So a deep retrofit with a view to making it incredibly energy efficient, a very sustainable home. So we'll keep you up to date with that project. If that's what you've got on your plate that you'd like to do, well, we can talk about that as well.
Or if it's just a more and a sense more modest thing.
I just want to make my house a little bit warmer, drier and more comfortable, then let's talk about that too. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call. Great to be back with you, really looking forward to the year ahead. It is six fifteen here on the fifth of January twenty twenty five. We're into it, paul A, very good morning to you. How are you this morning?
Paul, Yeah, good morning.
Into you, into you.
I've got a.
Little chip on my kitchen bench. I've got like an undermount think and it's right on the rim of the app. I've heard you in the past recommend a couple of companies that can come around, and already that up. So I'm on Central Auklands.
Depends what's the material, good.
Question, not sure at some fall of ermine. I've asked some people that have come around. It's like a it's Scott Constantino's Spain brand underneath it. I'm not quite sure. It looks like some sort of resin sort of. It's kind of stone sort effect was in the house when we brought it, so we're just really tiding it up for the new owner really, So yeah, sure, I'm certain, but i'd say some sort of reason.
Yeah, Okay, now that Costantino was a fairly new brand that's out, so.
Yeah, I think just too. I've said this house for over fifteen years ago. Yeah, I'm not sure. I don't think it's a better look online at that brand. I can't see any relevant to what I've got for you.
No, Okay, Look, composites have been around for a while and they are quite repairable, so well, in most cases they can be. I would start with bench doctors online, so they effectively they're kind of like a franchise. I think they're around the country and certainly they'll be in Auckland, and if they don't know, they'll probably be able to put you onto someone like there's another guy that I used a little while ago, a crylic fix, but that was specifically for a crylic bench top, so things like
vanity tops and that sort of thing. Where we had the classic, you know, finished the project and someone, possibly me, possibly another trade, you know, dropped a hammer or a chisel onto the edge of the bench and we ended up with a chip in it, right yeah, oh yeah, there was another one of those a little while ago. So yeah, look, they can be repaired. I'd start with bench doctors go from there. Yeah, okay, yeah, And are you staying in the house or are you looking to sell?
No, we're looking to sell. So just tinting it up foot and you ain't like it's the bench stoll I that's fairly whole, but it's obviously quite good quality seeing your life in it, and I'd say, yeah that that kitchen sinks had won too many bands with a under the water Yeah, just that's a tiny chap. It's only about maybe eight meals by a couple of meals, but it's just right and the worst possible place. You see it every time you go to.
The thing, yeah yeah, yeah, yeah.
And it's one of those things that perhaps you know, someone coming in to look at the house prior to purchase, and then they see that and they think, oh, then I've got to find someone to fix it, you know what I mean. And then suddenly it becomes it kind of in their head. It goes on that side of the ledger that goes stuff that I have to do once I bought that house. And I've always thought, actually, you know, people have often said, oh, what should I
do prior to selling the house? And I've always thought, you try and tack off those things that leave that sort of oh impression in a prospective buyer. You don't want them to you know, like open. I went to one open home a little while ago. Open the door. The front door was open, and down the corner on the hinge side, they done some really terrible painting, right.
The painted bled around and you could see the outside was dark and the inside was light, and on that edge it was just really ragged, and it kind of just went, ah, it just feels like a lack of attention. And I would have thought, if that's the first thing that a buyer sees when they walk through the door, why wouldn't you deal with that? You know, it's that sort of thing. So wow, oh mate, hey, good luck with that. And yeah, the bench doctor people I've used.
And I'm sure they'll sort you out all the very best.
Yeah, all of is Paul oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is that number to call? Quick text has come through my house has not been signed off yet? Does it have to have things like painting on inside walls in carpet or vinyl down? I probably need a little bit more detail on that. I presume that when you say not signed off yet is.
I mean? Look, it's unlikely.
That it would even qualify for a final inspection without floor coverings, particularly if floor coverings are necessary in you know, wet areas, and that includes now kitchens. So you know, if it was let's say explosed plywood, then I don't think you'd even get a final inspection. And certainly without a final inspection, you won't get a certificate or code compliance certificate a CCC. So I think you probably need to get that done.
Another quick text as well, Morning Peak. We're about to put in the secondhand kitchen.
It has a gas hob. Can we put a nine kg bottle inside the cupboards instead of outside?
I don't believe.
So again I'm not a gas fitter, which is licensed trade. I know it's possible to have a nine kg bottle exterior, but I'm pretty sure that having them inside, which I know was common working on a kitchen probably twenty years ago where that was the case. But I don't think that that would be done that would be suitable anymore. And also any gasworks should be done by a registered gas fitter as well. That's really really important to say, Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty, the lines are open. The
number to call eight hundred eighty ten eighty. If you'd like to text like these other people have done, which would be great, it is nine two nine two is ZBZB from your mobile phone. If you'd like ze me an email. It's Pete atnewstalksb dot co dot Nz. Just gone twenty one minutes after six. The lines are open. We always get busy a little bit later in the show, and now is a great time to call eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
Doing other house sorting the garden asked Pete for a hand the resident builder with Peter Wolfcamp and Light Force Solar your solar journey in twenty twenty five, call oh, eight hundred eighty eight.
News talks in me.
Right, let's get amongst that. Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Then number to call Kate A very good morning to you.
Good morning, Pete.
Happy to year to you and to you into you.
Thank you.
I'm kind of coming to the end stage of my projects, which you have given me okay of advice, thank you, since since it started in July and even before. Now I'm at the point where I need to install a fence tank. It's a thin tank for stormwaterer retention, and it's going up against the sense. It's three thousand liters yep. And beneath the sense there is a hut that they made in the ground. So I've sort of exposed some concrete of the concrete post, and I'm worried about putting
some retaining in there. But i can't dig deeply into the ground because there's a storm public storm water line nearby and I'm not allowed to do that. So but looking at options, I don't want to take up a lot of depth front to back because there isn't much room between this fence in the back of the house. Sure, So I've looked at keystone, which will be quite deep. I think it's about three hundred it's going to take
up with the scoria and over. I've seen online concrete slabs that you can put in place or Gabian, but they have to be quite deep as well. I need to take it five hundred in hype.
Oh, that was going to be my next question. That's actually quite a lot, isn't it. So it's a I mean three thousand tank. It's probably about two and a half meters long, three meters.
Long twenty nine fifty three meters long front.
That yeah, right, do do you have it?
You know, tanks that are designed to sit on the ground are not designed to sit in the ground, right, that's obvious, but they can take a little bit of bearing. I'm just wondering whether it would be helpful if depending on which end the outletters, and you could some tanks have outlets at both ends or one end, and the sides are both the same, so it doesn't matter which way around you put them. I'm just one just obviously
it's a sloping site. And does it slope sort of along the length of the tank along that three meter length or does it slope back to front of the tank? No, along the length along the length?
Okay, build it. The builder says he's going to put a concrete plint, right, and I've got some sort of framing that will hold it.
Yes, yes, some tanks require restraint, right, so you need to cast in like a timber post, which you can then secure. Particularly the tanks that have a quite narrow footprint will often require seismic restraint. Look, if you can do a concrete pad, that's good. You don't actually have to have concrete under them.
You could.
The last one that I installed, which was a Bailey slim gym tank, we again it was on a sloping site, probably a similar slope to yours. I ended up excavating down at one end a little bit like one hundred mill below the ground, and I could just batter that away.
I made up a hoop.
Essentially out of some might have been two hundred or two fifty by fifty retaining timber set that on the ground, got some compacted base course, and so one end it was slightly in the ground and at the other end it was slightly out of the ground, and kind of we balanced that up and I just put in compacted hardfilm and that's been absolutely fine. Saying that that was a slightly wider tank, and it also didn't require seismic restraint in that particular instance.
Look, I mean, if.
I would be really tempted to bury one end slightly right to excavate down. So you know, if you lose two hundred mil there, then suddenly you're only three hundred mils out of the ground at the other end. If it's five hundred mili slope, you can kind of lose it at either end.
Oh sorry, Pete, I didn't explain it very much. The retaining wall has to be five hundred it's not that much of a slope.
Oh okay, But then.
Why the drop down is five hundred and within that there are some massive.
Tree roots, right, okay, then.
Ground away we're looking at the side of a tree route.
Yes, okay, Well it's a little tricky without actually seeing it. But in terms of actually providing a stable base for a water tank like this, right, the ones that just sit on the ground, you can do concrete if you want, but it's not really necessary. Compacted hardfill is fine. A small retaining around it is fine, certainly if you're settling it on areas that you think is loose material. I try and remove as much of that as you possibly
can and replace it with compacted hardfill. And you know, even the compacting it's really just if you've got a temper.
That's fine.
You don't even have to go out and hire a plate compact or anything like that.
I'm more worried about the wall behind the five hundred retaining.
Wall right and is it sitting Is that going to collapse in? Well, No, I don't think so. And that retaining wall behind it. Does that rise above the bottom of the tank or does the tank sit on it and then the retaining wall is supporting it.
No, it rises above the bottom of the tank. And I'm worried that it's going to cave in on the tank and push the tank towards the house. So it's five hundred in height at the left land at the right hand and it might be four hundred in height. It's just dropping a little bit.
Yeah, okay. Look.
The other thing that you could do just to offer up some support to the retaining wall is given that you if you do have to put in some posts, you could then dig those in in front of the retaining wall and just make sure you go down a little bit deeper and perhaps a slightly bigger hole that you can fill with concrete.
Put that in.
That will offer up some support to the retaining wall. It will also give you the support you need for that particular type of tank for the seismic restraint.
Well, I need to put an overcoil and scoria behind that.
Look for something that's five hundred high, no, I mean you know, generally, yes, you need an overcoil and some scuory would be good. Putting in some drainage coil. Unless it's actually directed somewhere and connected to assessment and connected to the storm water, it's probably not a lot of point in doing it. I would just put in some free drainage material at five hundred high.
I think on the plans it shows connecting to a catch pet.
Great.
Okay, Well again, if it's on the plans, then please do what's on the plan, because just in case someone wants to check it. And yeah, I mean look, drainage coil behind a wall makes a massive difference to how that wall performs over time. And if there is the ability to drop it into a catch pit, which is the right thing to do to control the sediment, then that's great. And if it's on the plans.
Absolutely, But I'm not allowed to dig down because of the storm water. I'm close to a water care stormwater line.
Right and that's obviously allow me to go public line it is.
They won't allow me to dig within a meter of it, I think, so I just got to stay above that's the ground, just a little putting in. I was thinking for creative ideas of what products could be used that won't take up the whole depth of the space.
Have got again, the picture I have in my mind is I'm coming back to what I did on a project about a year ago, probably a bit longer now, where I just made up like a hoop, excavated the ground a bit, removed the loose material, put that down. So that was my form work for my base for the water tank like the slim Gin one, and then filled it with I probably used half a meter or so of base course and put the tank on top
of there, and that was absolutely fine. Then I'm not digging anything down and as long as the base is sound, and in your case, you do have I keep emphasizing the seismic restraint because again, if it's part of the manufacturer speci vacation, then it pays to do it, you.
Know, if you need to do it.
But then if you need to dig in some posts and you're not allowed to dig because of the proximity to the water care line. I guess this is the only option in terms of location for the tank.
It is. Yeah, okay, yes, you know what has become quite tricky about it is it's a longer fence line which was in the wrong place, right. The neighbor built it too far on my boundary. So I took a notchot and I took a not chot that was large enough for the tank to sit in so that it would be one straight line and on the existing fence.
Yeah, I'm with you, not okay.
So it's going to be all right. But but it's just beneath the base of the fence where the posts go into the ground. They had to dig down five hundred Yes, that's the thing, so that the sense all the sense sort of above the ground. It's not eigh level or anything.
I'm with you.
Yeah, So I've got this cut in the ground and I'm worried the fence is going to kay, then something needs to be filling in some of the gaps that either notch Yes, so I place the fence there. Look, it has to be at each en. It's going to take up some of the length of the tank, I'm going to have to make that much bigger. I didn't realize. I didn't realize that to retain.
It a little bit, I would try and even out the retaining by excavating, you know, pushing down in one area and then the height of the retaining in the other area is diminished. And also I think, you know, I mean, I know, in terms of protecting the public asset, what water care are concerned about when you build over is that you have nothing that bears on the pipe, right, But that typically is more of a focus in terms
of actual buildings. Right, So in the unlikely event that someone needs to come and repair that public line in the future, they could drain the tank and lift it off and do the excavation and get down to it. So, you know, it's not quite the same I'm thinking about the principle of it. It's not quite the same as if you had a house sitting over a public either wastewater or storm water line. So I think, well that makes sense, Yeah, yeah, you know, it's not quite the
same duty of care. Let's say, given that it's a structure that could be in the event of it needing to be moved, could be moved, so again i'd sort of dial back the caution on that.
A little bit, right, Okay, but they still say in the plans as they specify keystone. So I'm just looking for products.
Yeah, and look, I've used keystones. And remember there's two. There's kind of two different types of keystones as well. There's the big heavy one for doing much higher wall, and then there's kind of a garden edging one which is much smaller, still effective.
But a lot smaller.
Take a look how bigger they.
I think you're probably about three hundred long and maybe one hundred and twenty deep.
Okay, Look, so I find those in high restorers.
Absolutely.
Oh, you take care all this wrapping up the project. Take care you were new stalks, B and Michelle A very good morning.
Oh did you peak?
Happy New Year?
And to you, my dear, how are you.
No complaint?
Box of fluffies in my corner of the world.
But I've got plenty to say about the regional.
Council in the HA space, Go right ahead. I am visually impaired.
Ten years living lockdown, all these problems that came kept depector uh COVID you name it, Gabriel. I've survived a lot, but I can't do the regional council. I live in Headlock. We're a village. We have a district council who looks after football stormwater. This is this lovely lady, the last corner and it just brought it all back.
He is my beautiful home wreck and ruined. No stormwater runoff. My whole place is thinking. It's the blitter. I'm not covered by insurance because it's neglect and it's the whole wil thing. It just breaks my heart. It's legislation. There's my issue. I'm old, I'm blind, I live alone, independent, with gorgeous help for mate concern, but adding flex there's no vehicle crossing. There is no way for this water from maybe road to go to a storm water there is none. I live in a sinkhole. Now the house
is splitting. It's all coming apart and I have nothing to picture. My dad passed away. It was my everythink, my brains in the world. It gives me sanity and there do you go? Where do you go with a vesical crossing content to stop? I have a shared driveway with three others. I'm the only occupy, our owner and it only affects my left.
There any answers, they're probably well, to be fair, sometimes there are answers, but you won't like them, right, give it to me, No, no, because because I can't you know, I don't know all of the details, and and these things do get incredibly complex. But you know, I think one of the things that as a country we're probably going to have to face is that some areas that we thought we could live in, we can't write that that was the.
Change the subdivision.
You're right, you know, and possibly areas that we've lived in for a you know, a longer period of time now a subject of flooding and inundation in ways that the only answer is pretty much retreats.
Me completely, because there's no run off, no still order, it's no drainage.
At that point, you would hope that the state, whether that's regional or national, would would be able to say to people, hey, look, you know, we we gave you a consent to build there thirty forty fifty years ago, but.
It's it's not nineteen sixty.
It's no good anymore, and we're going to help you to move on.
You know that it's just a repair drob that should have been.
Yeah, but I think some councils are facing the fact that they what they're trying to repair. The repair is not going to work right that you know, I'm aware of. I went to a house that was flooded while ago, and I'm now aware that that area they've simply bought all of the owners out and they've said it's in practice, nothing we can do is going to stop the flooding in the future, So we're just going to have to
buy you out now. Obviously counsels don't really want to be in that position because that's a really expensive activity and so on, but it is going to be a reality that we're going to have to accept, I think, and maybe you fall into that category.
I just wonder if not.
Really neglect any right, this is why there's no insurance because when I actually got a lawyer onto the case because she said this is wrong, they've just not finished the job because they're not on the same page. Why are they a regional look after the roading and the district look after the footpath? They did a new footpath.
Used half of my property as.
Except to the vehicle crossing on the main road, but they didn't put a storm water. So I am the one who wears all the runoff from Napier Road. It's poisoned my land.
It's poisoned that sort of thing.
There.
You know, there is provision within I think it's the Property Act in particular that talks about.
Right about it. Okay.
So I'm just wondering whether for you, Michelle, given your circumstances, is that maybe maybe through age concern, or through great power or through advice at all.
Okay, you're the next step, darling.
I'm not giving up. Squeaking will get the results.
And sometimes I had this conversation with him, with your knowledge, who had an idea and he's like, tell me if it's a good idea or not. Look, I My sense is for in your circumstances, you kind of want an advocate, right which might be a retired lawyer. It might be someone who's involved in community work, who can sort of assess all of the documentation, all of the.
From the district council. He tried to advocate on my behalfer.
He didn't get any want.
To see the exit. He did as much as he was in his power. It's legislation on the regional council and a lot.
Of it, either local councilor or member of parliament.
Oh, I've been there.
They're beautiful.
So still don't get anywhere.
Feeling for the situation, but can't fix it themselves. It's up to legislation. And I couldn't get a constant to get another person to do a vehicle exit because it's ENCROATIREUS on regional and they wouldn't pay. And then we had Cabrielle and now and then my son died and he was my advocate, and now I'm just lost. Yeah, with weird age concern. They are my best freens, the beautiful people and what they do, so they provide that
I don't have to leave home. There's no transport, there's no buzzers in my side of the road to accommodate transport. I won't use the free taxi. It's a burden on some tax player, but I don't need it.
Because it's all Are you in a position where you could sell.
And move on.
I'm still paying a mortgage. It's not good because it's just moosing value. And I'm on a bench only night and day all my life to get every home that's the same thing. She said, get ready. Our village is more understanding because in township, you just come the next door neighbor. The village is amazing. I live independent, alone, and I I'm so blessed with the kindness of others. But it doesn't fix legislation and can't fix it.
No, And that's where I wonder whether, in some sense, Michelle, that the problem is. I mean, we like to think of all problems are being solvable, but possibly they're not. And I don't mean that in a dismissive sense. I just know sometimes it feels I do feel that an advocate. You mentioned you lost your son. My condolence is for that. I'm just I tell you, could you just stay on the line, keep you and Mark will get your number and I'll put my thinking cap on and we'll see
what we can do. Maybe the one with the runoff needs to go to the Minister of Building. Probably not really their thing. I think it's that local advocate thing, you know, maybe a retired lawyer looking for a bit of a push.
We'll be back in a moment.
Whether you're painting the ceiling, fixing the fence, or wondering how to fix.
That hole in the wall.
Give Peter wolf Cabin call on Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty the resident builder with light Force Solar. Where your twenty twenty five solar purchase earns you airports dollars used talks B.
Some texts coming in with regard to the conversation with Michelle. We'll see what we can do there. A couple of useful ones, couple of to be fair not so useful ones. We'll we'll talk about that a little bit later on the show. If you've got a question of a building nature, call us now oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty.
Squeaky door or squeaky floor, Get the right advice from Peter Wolfcare the resident builder with Lightforcesolar dot co dot nzere make twenty twenty five the year you switch to solar News Talks B.
Your news talk said B, Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number? Hello Janet, Yes hi, My.
Question is rather trivial compared to the last role. I have a shower enclosure which I want to revamp. It's very old. It's been in the in the downstairs here of our property, so it's got a concrete floor and the shower there has and I don't know what you call it, but it's an old fashioned trap. It's not an easy waste one, so you have to step step up into it. Yes, I want to do a complete
revamp of a whole lot. I was wondering, can I lower that down and do an easy trap trap installation, but it would have to drain from it has got about one point five meters to the outside wall to where the trap is, So I don't know what sort of height I'm going to get in the advantage changing to an easy trap, or still better to stay with the old one.
So when you say the old one, so what you think is underneath the shower tray is a sort of conventional P or an S trap, right, So.
It comes down like you have under a hand basin.
Yeah, okay, So I mean typically that's what I was looking at one the other day.
Maybe a two.
Hundred mil turn and thirty mil from let's say the outlet to the bottom of the bend and then back up again, and an easy waste are often about eighty to ninety. So I think there's an easy one hundred, one hundred and fifty mil that you might get out of it by changing that. Obviously it will require removing the lining, pulling out the shower tray, reframing that area, dropping it down lower. But yeah, I mean yes, there are obvious savings by using an easy trap.
Which is a lot sharp.
Yeah.
Yeah, no, Now, so that brings me to my next question. All of the sort of custom built shower trays now because this has got an old stone still, Yeah, all of the custom built ones now there's sort of for sort of more level thraw a level plumbing underneath. Of course, it's a concrete saw, so we can't do that. It's got to go out the wall. Do you know how do you need to build a frame for those?
Yeah, I know what you're saying, Yes you would, So it's essentially, you know, you know where your pipe work's got to go, so you can't frame up there, but you can frame around it, lay in, use tennalized timber, and put some tannalized ply down. Create a platform for your now lower shower tray to sit on. And as long as the shower tray is fully supported just as if it was sitting on the ground, then that'll.
Be fine, right, fine, Okay, then how do you finish off sort of the front face of it, because you're still going to have to step up there.
Yes, that's right, you will.
Look.
The most simple way would probably be tiles or something similar. If you were using a vinyl on the floor, you could bring the vinyl up. But what's what's on the concrete floor of the bathroom anyway?
It's four in which is all getting ripped up, So we're put to be doing a complete revamp of that downstairs.
Would you put vinyl as in sheet vinyl down again?
Yes? Okay?
Then I would just form an upstand and have the vinyl come up. And ideally, if when you're framing the platform for the shower tray, you set it back a couple of millimeters so that the vinyl can actually tuck up underneath the lip of the shower tray, right okay, Or you could have a little step flashing in there
as another option. But you just want to make sure that if you're going to bring the vinyl up that upstand, that you don't provide access for water to penetrate, you know, from the top, right, so just condensation and overflow from the shower, So as long as it tucks either tucks underneath the shower tray or you have a little step flashing there that will make it waterproof.
Well okay, yep, no, no, that's fine. And you don't like with the old fashion traps you needed to have access to these.
You can clean from the top, you can clean from the trot.
A way to go.
It'll make a big difference to that that step up, because that's always a bit nervous, isn't it nerve racking? I think it's more nerve racking stepping out of the shower and when you're slightly unbalanced.
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