You're listening to the Resident build Up podcast with Peter Wolfcamp from News Talks at Bay.
The house is a hole even when it's dark, even when the grass is overgrown in the yard, even when the dog is too old to borrow, and when you're sitting at the table trying not to start and scissor home even when we are band gone, even when you're there alone. The house is a home, even when those goes, even when.
You got around from the world you love your most.
Screams bulding plans, being in fund the world locals vesta when they're gone, leaving them house, even when Wilbane eating when you're elone.
Well, a very good morning and welcome along to the Resident Builder on Sunday you with peterwolf Camp Resident Builder, and this is a show well really exactly for you.
If you are.
Renovating, altering, maintaining, building planning, thinking, musing around any sort of building project that you would like to discuss, well, this is the show for you. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call. If you'd like to text, You're more than welcome to do that as well. That's nine two nine two is ZBZB from the mobile phone and if you'd like to email me by all means Pete at newstalksb dot co dot in seed.
Trust that you've had a really good week. If you've been involved in a project of any size or scale, then I hope that it's been successful for you. I hope that it's been there's been some progress, some real progress on a project that you might be undertaking. And maybe if it's not so much progress and you want to talk about that, then the lines are open, the number to call eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. Kind
of been a busy old week for me. I've actually spent a bit of time and bumped into a whole bunch of people that listen to the show at the Home Show, which is currently on at the Auckland show
Grounds at the moments. I've been hanging out with a couple of companies that I do some work with, so Ryobi and Bailey Tanks and the good people at Retrofit DG, so Metro Performance Glass, and sort of spent a bit of time and went on Thursday just to kind of just go and catch up with because over the years, I guess you get to know a bunch of people, So an opportunity to catch up with actually someone that we interviewed on show a little while ago, the head
of the Master Plumbers Association for New Zealand's a bit of a catch up with them, caught up with the actually the newly installed head of Master Plumbers in Auckland, who's actually a plumber that I knew from sort of ten twelve years ago, Ben Maine, who's taken on that role. So interesting just to connect with people in a lot of discussion, of course, about what the state of the industry is, how busy people are or how quiet people are. We're getting people's take on some of the political side
of construction at the moment. And I may have made this comment before, but I think it's still relevant. Is that I genuinely can't think of a time in the last ten years, certainly since I've been doing the show, but possibly even a little bit longer we're building and building issues have been as political as they are right now, in terms of governments proposing changes to building legislation, looking at the way that we fund infrastructure, these sorts of things.
It's a fairly hot topic in terms of politics and the construction sector. Right now. But it's and in terms of sort of taking the pulse or the sense of the community, the building community out and about in the last couple of days, there's a there's not a rush
to say, don't worry, it'll get better soon. I think there's still a real sense of caution, and I think some of the optimism that might have been there back in January that kind of by now we would have seen some green shoots, we would have seen some improvement.
That horizon keeps being pushed out. You talk to almost any and I've probably had on a fifteen twenty discussions with people involved in either construction or in plumbing, electrical, sales, marketing, anything related to the construction sector, anyone who's running their own business moment, and there is still a sense that we've got a ways to go, that maybe maybe sort of you know, initially it was like first quarter of
twenty twenty five, that whole survive to twenty five. Well, I think it feels like you might have to survive just a little bit further into twenty five. And there is and I say this with the greatest respect, a number of conversations. So I have these conversations with younger business owners and contractors who are going, this is really tough,
you know, and it is. And then I have the same conversation with older ones, maybe some of my own generation, and similar gray hair, and there's a sense of well, we've been through it before. We had it in two thousand and seven, we had it in the mid nineties. I started building in nine eighty seven during the stock market crash. You know, there's lessons to be learnt out of this too, around how you manage your business and how you make sure that you're always ready for that
rainy day, because sure as beans, it's coming. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty, let's rip into it. Anything to do with building, construction, regulation, rules, requirements, product selection. Actually, I spent a couple of minutes yesterday. I saw this new tool, a tool that I don't have, which is a little bit unusual, online the other day and now I won't tell you what it is yet, but I've been fossicking around and then it struck me. I was
looking at it's quite a simple sort of thing. I thought, actually, maybe I can just make one. I found one in the States, and I found one in Australia. Of course, you find it on TMU and that sort of thing, and I'm like, I could make that, which I might do this week, made some other things. We'll talk about that too. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty, let's
get into it. Good morning, Welcome to the show. In the next hour, Jay, our painting expert from Razine Paints, will be with us as well, So seven twenty five, Jail join us. If you've got any specific painting questions, text them through to me now, we'll line them up and we'll we'll have a go with Jay at seven twenty five this morning, and of course, as always we're into the garden with red claim pass. Come eight thirty this morning. Welcome, Welcome, welcome, looking forward to chatting with
you this morning. It is time for your calls. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty the number Aaron, Good morning, Good.
Morning, Pete. How are you a friend?
Well, I'm not too bad. What about yourself?
Oh made a little bit a little bit grumpy on the apes. The staff has played well, you know, so we've got to give it to them.
I don't often give it to them, but I happened to be up at halftime and check the Herald website and saw AB's a leading I was like, Okay, well I better go back to bed now. But now, well maybe I should have stayed up. Yeah, anyway, what can we do? What are we talking about?
Very very quickly, you may remember I had a conversation with him a few weeks ago.
We got a batch your family.
Yeah, and the obviously cyclelled. Gabriel came through and jib and and all that sort of stuff. We're ripping out and we're putting back and like for life can I sort of said to you, then, what do we need to do contenting or is it anything we need to do. When we had a bit of a chat, we pretty much assumed you and I that that we're pretty sweet. Remember my little barrister brother that's getting.
A bit, Yeah, he's on the whole thing, on the whole thing.
Yeah. Anyway, when I hung up, no, No, I heard your next caller talking about waterproofing, waterproofing the shower somewhere where it was, and you made the point anything yet, I'll have to get a consent on that. And then I was just like, hang on, we're doing do we have to get a consent for the waterproofing of the shower that's being replaced to the shower that's been ripped out.
If what Now, let's just be very very clear. The shower that's there currently is a tile shower over a substrate, so over five a cement board or something like that, and it's it's all been formed, it's been waterproofed, and then it's been tiled over the top. Right, what's there, No.
It's just it's been ripped out. Now, what's sitting there is basically, you know, a space for your tray to go in and do what it needs to do, and but some pieces and yeah it's not even a tiled area.
No, but what was there? What was the originally what was the original shower?
I'm just thinking it was out and sleep out. You just face it was a brand new step into a job, you know sort of PBC bottom okay, glass, you know all that sort of.
So this is where it gets interesting. So that type of shower, which effects will call a pre formed shower. Right, So it's a shower unit. It's got a tray, it's got a liner, it's got some doors which are part of the kits sett and it's got some instructions. Right, So that's considered low risk. Right, they typically are fairly robust, they don't tend to leak if you install them correctly, and so they can be installed without triggering the requirement
for a building consent. But if you were to go, actually, i want it to be a bit flash, So I'm going to create some fall on the floor and I'm going to do a waterproof membrane. I'm going to tile over that. Then that triggers the requirement for a building consent because there is a there is more complexity in that, and there is more potential for failure, and typically the failures are not as obvious until you have, you know, significant damage in the wall. So for those reasons, that
triggers the requirement for building consent. So if you know and put another pre made shower in, just go ahead.
Yeah any fine, Yeah, I think we're heating down the child route and making a nice wet area and all that sort of stuff.
You know that will require a consent. Yeap, tick one to the brother in law. Yeah great, all the best, take care all the Then eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call. I'm just going to have a quick look at this text before we go to the break. There was a report on z B the other day that looked at earnings across the trades till the age of forty five. Builders actually earned the least overall,
with digger drivers earning the most. Interesting times from Tony, Tony, we could have a lot of discussion around the relative rates of pay for the responsibility. I'm going to add that in there for trade various trades. And look, if you ever get a bunch of you know, smoko on a site with a sparky and a plumber and a drain layer and a chippy, this will come up and in a nutshell. The argument has always been that carpenters or the lead contractor is underpaid given the responsibility that
they have for the site. So I was looking at some pricing for a job the other day. Sort of leading hand on a project would be paid between sixty five and seventy five dollars an hour. Carpentry now plumbers rates with respect probably anywhere between ninety and one hundred and ten dollars per hour. Sparky probably about the same, and I suppose they. I guess what's interesting is Sparky's obviously are a registered trade in the sense that they can issue a certificate of compliance to COC at the
end of it. Plumbers obviously are registered as well, but plumbers still need to have their work inspected by counsel, although that might change. That was a bit of an insight after having a discussion with a couple of people at the home show this week, and then drain layers, for example, are self certified, or gas fitters rather are
self certifying. So but the argument has always been look typically the carpentry people on site or the head carpenter on a job, is the one who often ends up kind of project managing and having response ability for the other trades, ensuring not necessarily ensuring their compliance, but ensuring that their works up to standard, monitoring their work, programming their work, et cetera, et cetera, and their rate is fifteen twenty thirty dollars less. Anyway, someone might have picked
on a scab that is obviously not quite healed. In my life, it is eighteen nineteen minutes after six. If you've got a question of a building nature, oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call. Take a break. We've got some spear lines, so jump in now. And remember if you've got any specific painting questions, please text them through nine two ninety two. J Our painting expert from Razine will join us at seven twenty five
this morning. I have to say too, it was nice catching up with the people from Life Force Solar who sponsor this program. They're at the Home Show as well, and just an opportunity to catch up and chat and talk about solar and where it's heading and what's attractive about it at the moment and the technology that's coming. So that was good fun as well. Lots of people
to talk to at the Home Show. Like I said, I went to do work there on Friday and then but I ended up stopping by on Thursday, kind of mooching around and just catching up with a bunch of people Nano Clear for example, who have been on the show once or twice over the years, the people from a Sea of Fires, and we've talked to them over the years as well, So a bit of a catch up there and looking at new fireplaces that they're developing. And they're also involved in that Fire for Life project.
Look that up. Actually, Fire for Life is a fantastic initiative out of the Sea factory in Dunedin providing essentially safe and practical cooking solutions for people that are displaced and we're thinking refugee camps and that sort of thing. It's worth having a look at. So yeah, great opportunity to mooch around and catch up with people. I also did my album VP Renewal this week talking about trades
and what trades have to do. So I'm a licensed building practitioner and have been since twoenty twelve, I think is when I first got licensed. And then the requirement is that every year have to renew your license. In every two years you have to fulfill some obligations in terms of learning professional development effectively. And I'll run you through what that is because it's probably a bit of an insight as to how do people get to be an LBP and then how do they stay in LBP.
We'll talk about that in the moment. Clayton, good morning to you.
Yes, good morning Peter Bone. Justus ringing because I was quite amazed. I have a house which was built in two thousand and three, Yes, and it does have double glazed windows.
Yes.
However, when I I've got the windows that are obviously failing now when I looked up on Google, I saw that double glazed windows only have a lifespan of something around fifteen to twenty years, and then like they fail at that stage, And that is what's happened with a couple of windows which are on the north side of
my house. But when I say they've failed, you can see, no matter how much I clean them inside and outside, the dirt is obviously on the inside there's a big round mark that looks like it may be a sucker.
On the inside. Yes, okay, when the go ahead.
And when they've numbered the glass, they've obviously had a pean of some sort and they've numbered the glass, and you can still they've cleaned it off, but it's itched into the glass on the inside. I can tell it one seven five and one seven six, right. And I was actually quite amazed because I felt that double glazed windows would have been sort of a lifetime thing rather than only having a lifespan of fifteen to twenty years.
Okay, let's step through a whole bunch of things here, because you raised some really interesting points. Look, I think in terms of seeing a sucker mark, and that's that's those justice that they use to move glass around, right, if there's a remnant of that on the inside of the glass, then that's an issue with quality control in
the factory, right, and that's inexcusable, right. But I also understand that back then, and while it doesn't seem like a long time ago to you and I, it's you know, it's twenty one years ago, how double glazed units in general were and were manufactured is quite different to what I've seen today. So and I'll step you through that in a moment, and things like pen marks and that sort of thing that's all about quality control the other
thing that has changed quite dramatically. And I've seen this even in the time that I've been involved with I do quite a bit of work with Metro Performance Glass, who make double glazing units, right, and so having been out to the factory probably seven eight years ago, the way in which they assemble the double glazed units is quite different today than even back then, and that it would have been radically different to twenty one years ago, where it would have been a much more manual process.
So that spacer that goes between the two double glazed units would typically have been in a role it would have been hand fastened you know, with a bead of sealant and so on embedded on there and cut individually, there's lots of touching and movement and so on. The modern day systems, or the systems that are in the factory today, the ones i've seen, anyway, it is completely automated. So it's a hands free process. And that's an automated process where the glass comes along, it's going along on
a conveyor. It's not touched by human hands in anyway. The bead is applied as a continuous motion by in a robotic sense, and then it goes into a cleansing process. The air that's in it is dumped out, replaced with the gas, and then the two pieces are fastened together and then they come out of the system. So I think the way in which units are manufactured today is far better than what they would have been in two
thousand and three. And I think sometimes when you have those manual processes, you will get a failure there in double glazed units. It's not terribly common, but I have seen it myself. Right what you're describing.
Though.
If I was to say a double glazed unit has failed, what I would say is I've seen condensation on the inside.
So the.
Inside the double glaze unit, back in the day, you just fill it with air, right the air that we breathe, and that works. Today it's filled with gas, so it's an argonne gas or other types of gases which help with the insulation, but also they help with the longevity of the double glaze unit. And also there's what they call a desiccant inside the double glaze unit, and that
helps control moisture. So if there's any moisture present inside the double glaze unit, you'll see condensation develop inside the unit. And like I would say, that's the failure of a unit is when you see condensation in it. The other thing too, is that in terms of requirement with the building code, many of these sorts of things have what
they call a minimum warranty period. Right, So for example, your roof is only required by law to last for fifteen years, in the same way that you're cladding is only required to last fifteen years. Systems within a house are only required to last five years as a mandatory minimum requirement. What we've got to be careful about doing is saying that somehow we regard that is as long as it's going to last, and so in the same way that you'll find double glaze units that might fail
after fifteen or twenty years. It's a rarity, but it does happen. What we will find as we go forward is that we might see double glaze units that are
thirty and forty years old that are still functioning. Okay, but their requirement in terms of the building code and the durability requirements in the building code is often they are expected to perform for fifteen years, like a concrete tile roof or an iron roof or something like that, or an exterior cladding structures, for example, are required to perform for fifty years. So you're timber framing, lintels, all of those sorts of things, floor slabs, they're expected to
last fifty years. Other things not so much. Yeah.
So if I replace these this glass paneling and the doors, yeah, I can expect it to last a bit longer today.
Yeah, and I think too. I mean, funnily enough, I was actually with Metro Performance Glass on their stand and so we've we've got this little display with these heat boxes, right, So you put a different types of double glazing in a panel and then you have a heat lamp underneath it, and you can feel the difference below them. And so you know, when we're talking to people about double glazing, you kind of go, well, look, here's some of the differences.
So having been to the factory, or at least to the Metro Glass factory, seeing it and seeing the I guess the standard of the manufacture. I think it's reasonable to expect that the double glaze units will last longer simply because the way that we put them together is better than we used to better. Okay, but certainly if you are yeah, great, nice talking with you as well.
You explained it all.
It's a pleasure you take care all of this. Blah blah blah. Eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. The number
coll just quickly. So as an LBP, so I'm a licensed building practitioner and my license classes are carpentry and site one and there's slight different requirements to be licensed in each of those And initially when you apply for your LBP license, you have to prove competency in those particular areas, and then that's investigated and then you're granted your license, and thereafter, every couple of years you have to renew your license. It used to be every two years.
Now you have to renew every year one hundred and thirty nine bucks and every two years you have to renew, or every alternate year you renew, and you have to prove learning. So you log into your into the website and then typically this is the process, right. So when I went on, I hadn't kept up with my skills maintenance. That's my problem, and so I had twenty articles that I had to read. They often come out of the
Build magazine. You have to read the article and you have to answer a multi choice question three of them or four of them on each of those articles, and then as you pass those, it updates your skills register and once you've completed that, that's good. So I went through, read the articles, answered the questions, done, put that aside. Then it asks you for two pieces of on site learning. So you have to cite an example of a project that you've been involved with and what you learned from it.
So I had to go back look at a building consent. Go look, this was a new type of cladding. I hadn't been involved with it before. Here's the code or the sectors of the code that it refers to here's the evidence that I've completed, et cetera. So I did that two examples of that. That's fine. And then and I have to prove fifteen hours of learning. So you have to provide evidence that you've been engaged in either
online seminars or attending seminar. So you know, if they do a trade breakfast, for example, and there's some product suppliers there and you can learn about new products, you need to record all of that, provide evidence and go along. Now, in my instance, I'm in a fortunate position where I'm often attending conferences. So been to the New Zealand Suit
of Building Survey, as I've been to construct. I went to the New Zealand Green Building Council, Housing sit all of these sorts of things, so I can add that in and say, look, this is what I've been involved in, this is my learning. To their credit, I actually put it in, paid my money and I got an email about an hour later saying here's your new LBP license. They don't actually send you out of plastic license anymore.
It's basically a digital download, which helpfully enough has a QR code on it, so that if I was to go to one's house and say Hi, I'm Pete. I'm the LBP coming to do some work at your place. They could say can I see your license please, and then you could show them the license, show them the QR code and they could scan it to check whether you were actually licensed. Because all of this is on
a public register. If you don't license, for example, or you let your license lapse, that stays on the public register as well. Also, if you end up having a complaint against you, that is, you've been found to have not complied with the regulations and you've gone to the disciplinary board and a complaint has been upheld, that will also stay on your license. Is either three or seven years. I think it's three years. Stays on your license as well on the public register.
So there you go.
That's a bit of an insight into being an LBP. To be fair, I'm pleased I had sort of half a day free to go through it. Anyway, I have done it, So there we go. BP number one two zero zero nine eight is all up today. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call. We'll take short break actually, and then we'll come to Allison. If you'd like to join US eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number your news talks there'd be Allison A very good morning, Oh good morning.
Thank you very much for answering my questions today. I did actually ask you on the twenty fifth of August, and I tried to get to listen to your replies again on the podcast, but it didn't come through. So I've just spoken to your producer, yes technician, and he suggested I ask again, go for it. How do your test to smoke damage to paint, carpets, linen, et cetera. You said to me that time that visual wasn't enough. Is there a test?
Yeah, but I don't think it's a test. That's a kind of DIY thing. I think what you'd need to do is either through your insurer or through a building consultant finds building scientists. There are, for example, there's quite a lot of remediation companies around now who specialize in flood and fire repair, and they will either have themselves in house or they will have consultants that they can use to do that sort of assessment. Right, So it's
a proper technical process, it's a scientific process. There should be a testing regime and there should be an evidence based finding.
I had a house fire and the smoke damage was pretty bad, very bad, and it's been cleaned, but I can still smell smoke, and so can other people.
It's not just me.
Do I have any rights of done under insurance guarantees?
Can you?
Oh, that's a really good one. Look, I think I'm just trying to think which piece of legislation this might come down to. I mean, in some ways it's around consumer guarantees, isn't it. You know, you have a contract with your insurer to provide insurance cover for your house, and if, for example, in that insurance cover as it relates to fire there, you know you'd have to go through and look at the fine print of your contract there and does that include complete remediation of fire damage?
And does it define what is fire damage? So is fire damage only charring like where the fire actually incinerated an object? Or does fire Can the definition of fire damage be extended to smoke damage for example? Like it would be clear so if the fibrigade come in and they pour a bunch of water through your property and it damages things, that's related to the fire. So I would have thought that smoke and the effect of smoke. I either lingering smell is should be part of the remediation.
And again I haven't I'm not firsthand involved in this, but I am involved with a project at the moment where we did have a fire in a building and then the remediation team that came provided a professional, science based assessment of the fire, not just the fire damage but the smoke damage, and then provided a essentially a template for the remediation of that. So, for example, we are going to do this in this particular room which didn't have any fire damage, but it was full of smoke.
And you could tell, you know, five six, seven days afterwards, that this room had been full of smoke. And that's probably what you're describing, isn't it.
Yes, you can very much see the evidence stayed right through the house of the rooms, and that was very obvious to see.
It's for you, Allison. In the first instance, I'd probably go back to the insurance company. They'll probably put you onto the assessor and say to the assessor, look, I've got these concerns about the outcome of the remediation and ask them to provide you with to send someone who will do testing inside your house.
It's the insurance company to that.
Go to the insurance company and make that request. Now, if the insurance company don't respond or the assessor takes a well, look, if I delay this long enough, they'll stop asking me type of reproach and let's be blunt that happens. Then I would suggest that you have a look around maybe for a building consultant, so possibly someone who's a member of the New Zealand Institute of Building
Surveys for example. So a company that I don't have any engagement with them, but Prendos for example in Auckland, right, they're building surveyors. They have the ability to send in teams that will do the fire remediation and do they'll contract in the testing. So you're looking for it, yep, that's what I would do.
And then New Zealand what was the name of that?
So if you have a look on the website for the New Zealand Institute of Building Surveys, so just Building Surveyors dot org dot nz there will be consultants there who specialize in fire remediation. You could you could seek some advice there. But certainly I know that it is possible to have a professional come in test your property and give you a science based outcome that says this is the extent of the smoke damage, which then you could hand back to the insurer and go. Actually, as
part of your remediation, I've got insurance cover. You need to come in and there's either specialist ways of cleaning it or in fact, you might have to strip out another room that wasn't fire damage but is smoke damaged and that's the only way to remove that smell. But you know, I know it requires a bit of pushing back against the insurer, but I think it's worth doing.
Yes, So I'm not happy with how things are. That's why I've asked for your game. And as to cover smoke damage, the ceilings.
Were black and gray.
Yeah, they put on a ceiler and two top poats. Is that enough to stop it?
It might be depending on the extent of the smoke damage, right, So you know, if for example, they came in did a really thorough clean, there's like there's special equipment in terms of oxygenating spaces that will help remove that odor from the smoke. And then they've applied very very specific
types of paint that will encapsulate that smoke damage. But then they should also it's not unreasonable for you to go please provide me with the data sheets of the paint and a statement from the contractor has explained to me what they've done, right, that's not unreasonable. So the data sheet and you know, just request a statement from the contractor explaining what they've done. And then you know, like what guarantees are involved in that work? What's the warranty?
So you've put on a paint that says that it will do this, what about if it doesn't do that?
You know?
So, yeah, some of these things push back, but it once. I think if you don't get a reasonable response from your insurer or their assessor, then you may well need to contract a professional to argue on your behalf because it does get quite technical and they will probably be able to argue at a more technical level than you will be able to do. With the greatest respect, Oh, thank you very much. Let us know how you get on it.
I can.
I'm going to be New Zealand and Stute.
Building Surveys have a look through there. There will be specialists in that area. But you know, in the first instance, before you end up spending your own money. I think it's not unreasonable to go back to your insurer and go, hey, look, I'd like you to provide me with some evidence that the remediation that you've done is of a suitable standard and.
Your signs off. The certificate of compliance you spoke of.
That would only be if any restricted building work was done, so you know, if for example, you had to get a consent, then you'll have a certificate compliance at the end of it, code compliance. If for any electrical work.
This time around, you that I was entitled to ask for a certificate of compliance.
I think that's more in terms of saying, look, I want a statement a little bit in the same way that I mentioned about the paint right, if they've said this paint system is going to work, then it's not unreasonable to ask for the data sheet and the warranty on that and get some evidence from the contractor that they've done what they said they were going to do and provide you with a letter stating that, and that effectively becomes a warranty on your part.
Oh yeah, thank you, good luck.
All right, take care, Alison, all the very best. We need to, yes, we do. We need to take short break and then we'll be talking to Gail in just a moment. Just quickly, just following on from Ellison's comments, I just typed into good old Google smoke damage assessor and it brought up a whole bunch of contractors. Now, some of them are the people that will do the work.
Others are the assessors who can do the testing. So Allison, I don't think it's going to be terribly difficult to find a contractor to do that work or an assessor to come and do that work. Gail, A very good morning to you.
Yes, hello, Gail. We've just comes back from our son's house and he said, quite nice you innovations. His new aluminium windows have condensation on the outside.
Is that usual outside? Yes, that's perfect.
Okay, that's good.
That's exactly who we want our cold part of the window to be, right, We want it to be on the outside. So all of the talk at the moment around better insulating properties and so on is to make sure that the cold stays on the outside. If we've got a house that's at twenty degrees and it's ten degrees outside, for example, or fourteen degrees like it was in Auckland overnight. We want that to be on the outside. And so in that sense, that's exactly correct.
Okay, all I wanted it spoils the view, that's all.
Well, can I say? And I had a delightful conversation with a family while I was on the stand yesterday or the day before, rather about for years and years and years they lived in a house where every morning when they opened the window or open the blinds to look out at the view, they had the condensation on the inside. Right, So each time they had one of those little window back things and they suck up the condensation,
that sort of thing. So I think having my view spoiled by the condensation being on the outside of the glass is far more desirable than having it on the inside of the glass.
Located on the inside. Price for the renovation, right, And now they've put.
In the DG and they've got it on the outside, then it's working. Then it's working, which is awesome, lovely, lovely to talk. Take care by then, Aaron, greetings to you.
You could think, good God, we have a driveway or a long driveway property that's got a lot of paining. Now the retaining wall was put in A sixty six nineteen ninety six around there and just sort of down down the whole driveway, which is a long slope to driveway that the post of concrete did in yep, down the retainer. Well, now there's a lot of never starting
to be cut off flat at the top. Yeah, starting to show age now, and some of them are starting to rock out on the top, and I'm thinking, right, it's not good.
No, no, I want to.
Start ceiling off the top to stop the rain getting into them.
How can I do that?
Okay, funny. I did this job, oh jeesz, ten fifteen years ago, working on a property, big long retaining wall, same thing right now, there's probably all sorts of seilents and that sort of thing that you can poke in there. I took a really pragmatic approach. I went and got some galvanized sheet. I cut it into some squares, I put it on top of the post. I scribed round it with a marker, and then I cut little slots
into it and I bent them down. So you imagine like making a bottle cap, right, a cap, And I made caps for each one individually, and I pinned them on and then rain hits the top and it drains off. Problem solved.
I've only got about one hundred and sixty to do that.
Start today. Then look, you can get the post will already be treated, right. But you know the fact is the water sits on the top of the post, right, and so it's going to constantly be getting in there. So I would take a belt embraces approach and go, Actually, if you put a cap on it, water is not going to get in there. Do the treatment, but put a cap on it. That'd be the way to go. I've got to go to news, which is just a couple of seconds away. Here we go seven o'clock news.
You always news talks. He'd be people camp with you this morning. Remember, at around seven twenty five this morning, Jay, our painting expert from Razine, is going to join us. So if you've got any specific painting questions, including this delightful one about trying to remove a film forming stain from a queler deck from Paul, I will put that to Jay from Razine at around seven twenty five this morning.
Plenty of texts about the insurance as well, most of them saying look, I think it is you know the responsibility of the insurer in undertaking the remediation work to ensure that it's to a certain standard. And surely that standard would include not being able to smell smoke from the fire when you're back in the property after the remediation. And again, plenty of contractors online that you can use for that. Another quick one. We've got time for your
calls right now. We're talking building all things, building, construction products, selections, regulations, tips and tricks. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty. You can call us now. Another text that came in good morning. We are currently using a building consultant to get consent for putting up a wall and making an extra bedroom. And while we're doing it, we are moving the toilet into the bathroom. We're also upgrading the bathroom and using beyond tiles. Now I had to read that twice. So
beyond tiles is actually a system. In fact, I saw it at the home show on Friday when I was there, and they're using this beyond tiles system. As for the wall and the shower, it's a click together system, doesn't need a consent like an acrylic shower. I Acrylic showers don't typically require a consent either, but they are the consultant is telling us that we need to waterproof although the shower is closed in with a door and has a stainless steel tray with a full maker cover. Are
they correct and making us get waterproofing? Look, a lot of these things come down to what the instructions, what the warranty or what the installation instructions, and the specification of the product that you're using says, And in this case, I had a quick lock online. The benefit of this particular system is that, No, you don't need to waterproof.
The system itself is inherently waterproof. The way that the junctions go together make it water proof, and so the system the benefit of the system you don't need to waterproof. So if the building consultant is saying you need to waterproof that area like the shower enclosure, I would say that's because they haven't read the instructions for that particular
system that you want to use. Now, you may need to waterproof the floor, for example, if you're doing tiles, but that's different to this, so I would say get them to go to the In fact, the simplest solution for the texture is get someone from the manifest the supply of the manufacturer to speak directly to the consultant to explain the fact that they don't seemingly need waterproofing for that right. I hope that helps. Oh eight hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call. Another
quick text as well. Always wondered how you check for asbestos. Presumably you can't tell just by looking as an LBP. Do you ie me have some kind of kit or do people get it or do people get in? Do you get people in?
Rather?
That's from Chris Look. I think from experience you tend to get a sense of what types of products are likely to contain asbestos or have ACM A specials containing material within them. But the testing is laboratory based right now, And I actually met some people at a building conference a little while ago who do mobile testing. But this is more for large construction sites or large projects where they might have a need to continually test on site
to ensure that the work carries on at pace. Typically, if I ever had a requirement to test a product before I was going to drill through it, cut it, remove it, etc. I would take a small sample and I would take it to an industrial chemist or a laboratory and have them test it for me looking at it, going oh, I think there is you know, fibers in there. I think it's asbestis. That's not reliable. It needs to tested in a laboratory and then get proper results back
for that. Oh eight ten eighty the number to call Johnny, good morning to you.
Yeah, good morning matey. The with the consultant requiring waterproofing. If someone's engaged a consultant to essentially design your bathroom for you, and they're saying that they require as part of the system waterproofing, but the tile product doesn't require waterproofing, it's still up to the consultant that you have engaged
whether or not they require waterproofing. The thing is, if anything fails there, the person who engages the consultant can then take the consultant into court and then it's the consultant's fault essentially, So they're just safeguarding themselves. So the client could say, look, I don't want to put in waterproofing and I'll do it at my own risk. That's the option there, Or if you're engaging a consultant, you kind of have to do what the consultant says.
But in this case, the consultant's wrong, So why would you do what the consultant's saying when they're just I mean, they're like, on this very specific issue, the manufacturer's details, the warranty, the speck and everything says this is a system that doesn't require waterproofing. So I'm not suggesting that not putting waterproofing in isn't beneficial, but it is absolutely not required. So why would you have a consultant tell
you to do waterproofing when it's not required? Why would you listen to them?
One hundred At the same time, the clients didn't actually need to engage a consultant to do these works on their place from what it sounds like. And I mean, I'm a I'm an LBP and a qualified carpenter and a qualified construction manager, And I see this on large jobs all the time, that the consultants go overboard with their design. But they're doing it because simply there's been so much comeback on the consultants and on the council
over the years. For example, the leaky homes, the council's ending up paying for all that because they did the bare minimum now then, And another one is the seismic upgrades. The thirty percent rating for the commercial concrete buildings or block buildings. The council and the consultants are so scared that they're going well above and beyond to protect themselves. It's simply an ass covering exercise basically, to put it bluntly.
Yeah, I'm just thinking about and obviously all I know is what the texter has said. So what they've said is we're currently using a building consultant to get consent. So possibly they've gone to someone for advice as to how to get a building consent, although I mean arguably typically what you would typically do is go to your designer, your LPP designer, and go, do me a set of
plans that allow me to get a building consent. And if they specify, in this case, this beyond tiles system and that system doesn't require any additional waterproofing, then you put that in as you spec and you do what's on the spec.
Yeah, I agree with you one hundred percent. And so the beyond tiles they guarantee their product, but the designer guarantees the whole system, like the rest of the bathroom, so their requirement is waterproofing behind it. So you're not just engaging beyond tiles. You're engaging another entity, and that other entity needs to also safeguard themselves. So part of the consultant system or the architects them, whoever it is,
is that they require waterproofing. And this is what I'm saying, is that why.
Are they requiring waterproofing when it's not required by the system. This is this is where this is breaking down, right, So what you're saying is that you know, in this instance, this consultant is advising a client that you can use the system, but you can't use it as it's specified. You have to use it as I specify it. Well, they're not the specifier. They're not there to make up the rules. All the consultants. Isn't there to make up the rules.
The consultants using best practice. So best practice says, in your water in your in your bathroom, sorry, in your wet area, your wet area is to be waterproof.
Yes you can water. But if the system that you're using is then one that inherently is waterproof, and they've got either co mark or brand's appraisal to prove that, why would you then say in this instance, no, they're not right. I'm right, we're going to waterproof it, which is probably not part of the system and possibly voids the warranty on the system because you've done something that's
not part of the system. I just think there's something really broken about the logic of this particular contractor.
Yeah, and you're preaching to the choir. Yeah, to be honestly, because I get guys to I manage the guys that build this, and we deal with clients that lias with their own consultants, and we have to build to the consultant's design. And that simply comes down to that they're covering themselves.
Yeah.
And best practice across the board in most building in New Zealand says that you you must or you should should water proof your wet areas. Just been over to so over in other countries. I think that they're that they're they're a bit smarter about how they do things. I don't know if we always go the right way about building in New Zealand, but the systems that we've got are what we've got right and and and this
is why people go to consultants. And the bathroom has always been historically risky area in terms of water leaching out from your your shower or your bath and rotting the timber out and frame them.
But again, if if you and I go and look at a shower that's leaking right, typically we can tell within five minutes why it's leaked right. And it's it's not often about the system that was used. It's always
about the installation. So for example, if you know, you go think about an old serotone shower and someone goes, oh, look, the bottom of the sheet is all bubbling, and you pull the sheet off and you find that they didn't put a primer on there, right, It's really clear in the instruction manual you prime around all of the cut edges. If you don't do that, water gets in, the product fails. So you know, it's like it's if we did it. Most of the systems actually work if you install them correctly.
So the fact that so many people don't install them correctly then leads a consultant like this guy or girl with the greatest respect to then add all this extra stuff in because they're trying to accommodate the fact that people just don't listen to the instructions. So the problem is that when it's not. In many cases, it's not the system, it's the installation of the system. That's where we've got to get problem.
Yeah, I mean, well, I'm not.
Saying that we didn't have systems that were terrible. And look, you know, I think back thirty years ago, right, I was putting aluminium joinery onto fiber cement sheet board on the exterior of a building, and all that was required is that I pushed the window hard back against the fiber cement sheet and I put a beat of silicrent across the top and then they sprayed some stuff on top of it, and that was all that was required. Right,
No head flashing, Da da da da da. Now we know that that failed, and that was a system and it failed. So you know, I'm not naiven saying that some systems didn't fail. But today, generally, you know, our systems are not bad. And I would say in ninety nine percent of cases, if you install it as per the system, it'll work.
Yeah.
Okay.
So so.
With my study, and I studied for construction for going on with them in eleven years or something like that, we have a really bad problem in New Zealand. And that's that the client. So example, right as Fletcher's. Okay, Fletcher's go and quote for a couple of jobs there right, their QS is under quote. I don't know the absolute reason of why they priced these jobs so so low, to the tune of a couple of hundred million. They priced it low. Who ends up bearing the responsibility for that?
Does the client end up bearing the responsibility for that? No, it's Fletcher's that ends up bearing the responsibility. And what's happened to Fletcher's now? That used to be I mean, that's New Zealand's largest construction company. They've been going for over one hundred years. Great company. I did a lot of work for them. They put me through my apprenticeship and in my studies it was said that, look, the client's going to start taking on more risk for these
projects that the construction company is undertaking. That was years ago that I studied, like two thousands. It hasn't happened, you know.
I think there are examples where you know that we're changing, Like, look, this becomes a really big topic and we could probably talk about it for a far too long, but look, I think I hear what you're saying now in terms of you know, there is a model, particularly with larger construction projects, where there's kind of the initial the client seeks a designer, who then employs a series of contractors who then appoint a project manager who appoint a constructor, right,
and and so there's layers and layers of discussion and engagement there, right. And then by the time the drawings get to the constructor, the constructor looks at the drawings and goes, well, hang on, you said it was to be five hundred million dollars budget, but I've looked at it and it's seven hundred right, So then it either doesn't go ahead or you know, they suddenly they're over budget.
Whereas I think what we're starting to see today is kind of an engagement where the client, the constructor, the designers work collaboratively at the beginning to know engineer in some efficiency, to protect in terms of their contracts, to do it in with a bit of a shared risks involved as well, you know. Like for example, one of the best examples of this from a government point of view recently has been the rebuilding of the slip damage
road on the way to the Corimandal. So I think it's State Highway twenty five, right, So hill comes down, knocks out the road. They looked at it and they went, Okay, what we've got to do is we're going to build a bridge. That's going to be the fastest way. Everyone just went, Yep, we're going to build a bridge, and we've got to start now, and we're going to get it done. And we think it'll be fifty six million dollars or something like that, and we want to start.
So you get the contractors in, you procure the materials straight away, and that was done under budget and ahead of time. So because in the end, we all know it's going to cost something, right, so by stretching out the procurement process and getting lots of tenders and all the rest of it, it's not going to get the damn thing built any quicker. And it the longer it takes to build anything, is that the the you know, the price is going to go up, right, So I
think we are starting to see some changes to that model. Hey, I've got to move on because I've got Jay waiting on the line. We're going to talk painting. I appreciate your comments, Johnny, I really do quick text on this as well. Pete, You're wrong consultant's decision is final. That's what they're paid for. Admit it. We all want to sleep at night. See, I just get a different consultant.
I don't want a consultant that tells me to do something other than what on the specification in this instance, right, I know you pay for a consultant, and consultants are good and worthwhile, and professional advice is good and worthwhile. I have no doubt about that. But in this instance, here, I find it illogical to go, here's a system, here's a manufacturer's you know, a specification, an installation guide, and
a warranty based on that design. And I haven't checked, but let's hope that it's got either code mark or brand's appraisal. And if it's got code mark, it's except it has to be accepted by a territorial authority. So as a consultant, you then I don't think should go, well, actually, I'm going to use that product, but I want you to do this with it. I don't see that as being the consultant's role. The consultant's role should be this is a product that I think is durable, reliable, and
so on. I recommend that you use it and you install it as per the instructions. We can talk about that in the moment. I'm going to take a breath, calm down for a bit, and then we're going to talk painting with Jay. Oh wait nine two ninety two. Text us any of your painting questions. Jay from Razine is going to join us in just a moment, right he Oh on the line this morning, bright and early, Jay, are very good morning, Good morning mate.
How are you.
I'm pretty good, Thanks, I'm pretty good.
Yeah.
I have to say the Razine stand at the Old Home Show is looking pretty flash.
Yeah.
I was on the Eco decorated stand on Friday. It was looking really good.
I must have missed you because I was just on the corner. Actually, can I ask, just chekily in the test pots, are they still doing the little pebbles or the.
Eminem's gay eminems? Not in the plastic pots anymore? In a little carbo recyclable, brilliant and people don't confuse it as paint.
Yes, anyway, because it's funny. You know, you've been working on the stand. I've been working on the stand at these sorts of shows for years, and and there are those people that come and they grab their bag and then they're just hoovering a around looking for pens, lollies, pads. You know, they're not going to talk to you for more than two minutes.
Friends, kids that do that. It's like Halloween. You get plenty of information from everybody as well.
So it's good, it's great fun. You know, I really enjoy it. I have to say, In fact, I might head back there again today for an hour or so. Right, let's get into it. We've got a couple of doozies for you. Let's start with well, not really an easy one, but here's a good one. Pete Razine. Question, our bathroom is tiles halfway up and then wallpaper to the ceiling that needs replacing. Would we be better to paint instead? As far as durability goes, the bathroom's well ventilated, So
let's say that. I mean, wallpaper can be okay in bathrooms if you get the right one. But I'm just thinking about if you're taking wallpaper off and painting, what are the general steps?
Okay, so get like say, wallpapers some more papers are fine in bathrooms. But to answer the question, so you strip the paper, some papers can come off really easily, some not so much. So best bet is to soak it,
soak it and soak it some more. And once you've got the paper off, you have an idea of what the plaster board is going to look like behind, so whether you can just sure seal it and paint it or whether you need to put shore seal and then a high build wallboard sealawn just to build the plaster board back up to give it a nice surface from painting.
And then if you're going to paint in a bathroom over let's say plaster board, even if it's old or you I'd go shore seal, so Pigman deep.
Sealer, so it's share seal. You've got the water born or the solvent born options.
Yep.
And then over the top space cooat lochinge, kitchen and bathroom you've got space coat flat kitchen and bathroom or luster pril if you want semigloss all three. You can have the kitchen and bathroom version with the added mold defense.
Yes, which, to be fair, is never a bad thing in a bathroom.
No, it sounds like they mentioned it's called good ventilation.
Yeah, which is great. That's really important. Now this is a challenging one and a little bit of a prickly one. A renovated Ponsome villa that we have to repaint the front of the house every year. Now they have used razine alabasta. Outdoor house paint turns yellow after twelve months due to the road pollution. The rest of the house is perfect and it's lasted five years. What could they do in terms of preventing the sort of the repaint because of the road pollution.
That's I'd say it's hard. Just maybe try and clean it more. Yeah, I know where I am, I've got a bit of bush behind me, We just get pollen. Just build up the surfaces of the windows and the weather boards and just forever out cleaning it to remove that. Also, if you're in that sort of situation with road pollution or just general dirt and grind, build up, sea salts the other one. Between painting, sometimes you might have to clean down before putting a.
Second coat on, right, Okay, all right, so clean down as well and maybe more regular washing.
Yeah, I would, especially if you're in that sort of environment where you're in a very busy area.
Yes, with a lot of road road grind, Yeah, absolutely, Hey, just going back to the wallpaper for a second, Is there a product available to help remove vinyl wallpaper? Or if there isn't, what's the best way to remove vinyl wallpaper?
Again, as far there is wallpaper strippers, there's steamers. Like I say, some papers, some of the newer papers actually strip off really well. Some of the older stuff it can come off in like postage stamp size, and it's just very Some can be really easy and some are just paying for in a very tedious right. Like I say, I had like soak it, so get and soak it some more. Yeah, it does really help.
Uh.
Hey, Pete asked Jay about rust coming through on brand new nails being put into weather boards just months after. What's the process for preventing further rust?
Now?
Can I just jump in for a second and go I'd be really concerned that in fact, the weather boards haven't been fastened with nails that are either not galvanized or not stainless steel, in which case they've probably got a bigger problem. But in general, like even I've got it, I repainted six seven years ago. It's an old house in a couple of locations. I'm just starting to get a little bit of rust coming through on the head of the nail. So in that sense, what would I do?
I agree with what you said sort of with Yeah, it's chances are it's the fixings that quick Always make sure you're using the right fixings for the right area.
Yep.
But GP metal primer a spot prime the areas obviously when you're repainting. If there's rusty nails or fixing or rusty nails, remove them if you can, or punch them if you can't, and then spot prime those areas just to stop that from sort of coming through so quickly. Yes, in your situation, now, yeah, it's you can clean it.
Sometimes you can sort of clean the surface and it can remove a fair bit of it, or it's spot prime in the areas, like I say, with GP Metal Primer and then repaint over the top.
Yeah, brilliant. Now morning, any suggestions for removing a film forming stain from a queler dick from Paul?
Why would you put that stain on the deck in the first place. So, filming stains when they start fell and break down, it's similar to paint. It starts flalying off and coming off in the sort of sharp edges and areas, and you'd you'd be looking pretty much the same as you would be if it was painted. So you could use a stripper, you could stand it, scrape it, and then use a penetrating stain once you've put it all off.
Yikes, right, so listen from that one, don't or film forming stains are good for certain areas, but for somewhere that's likely to require maintenance, it makes the maintenance more difficult.
Yeah.
It's also there's not so many film forming stains on the market now. I think most of them are generally penetrating stains. Yes, like the raisine woodsmen. I mean if you once you've removed everything off the coiler deck, then we've got a coiler stain that ends up looking really good.
One could I use the coiler stain on vitings.
I've used it on pine so and it ends up looking really good.
Yeah.
Vtex obviously is really hard, so you've got to let it weather for a few months before you you do stain it, right, whether clean it down with timber and deck quash, and then once that strive, Yes, you should be fine. It's the same as everything else. If I'd say, try to test area somewhere and just well, but it shouldn't shouldn't have an issue, So asking for.
A friend this particular deck that might have been withered for four years now, you know, standing to get a little bit of mold growth.
You know.
It's one of those classic ones where the client goes, oh, look, I want it to weather off and I like it when it goes a bit gray. But now they're looking at it going, oh, I've got mold growth on my untreated timber decking. Now it's not going to impact necessarily on the timber, but over time I think it'll cause more issues. So prepping that sort of area and putting a penetrating oil stain on it, what's my process?
That was the main question I got asked on Friday on Nico Deco the standards. Every question was around mold growth and stains. So also we've got the razine, moss and mold killers for treating moss, mold, algae and all that sort of growth that you get, especially this time of year. I'm just looking at my areas at the moment, just finding jobs to do today. So once that's all treated, you've then got a choice of the razine Woodsman decking stain,
or you've got the furniture and decking oil. You've got the cooler timber stain, you've got the woodsman would all Solvent born, all of those you can use on decks if you're going to stain it. Okay, the best brush for staining, honestly is the power deck Master on an extension poll. It's so quick and easy to apply. Yeah, just try and avoid doing it in direct sun so the stain can and doesn't dry on your surface.
Yeah, brilliant, All right, fantastic, good you'll love this one for our lass text. It's not even a question. I have done so many touch ups with free paint samples, props pots. She ain't funny, says Chris. It's fantastic right, Hey, thanks very much for your time. You're not back at the stand today.
Day off today, day off today yet around the house all right, Rip.
And to have a good day. Thank you Jay for more advice, of course, just check out the team, go and talk to them, super experienced, super knowledgeable at your Razine color shops. Oh, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty. We're back into your calls on all things building and construction. Back after the break quick texts that came in just after Jay went. But I'll see if I can answer
this one, Maria. What paint should we use on bricks if there are any type of brick, Really, I would use a shure seal, so a pigmented sealer for the first coat. That's your primer that'll key in, and then whatever crylics you want to use Lumberside or Sonics, et cetera over the top of that. But that first coat is seen. You have to get that right, and that's got to be a pigmented seiler. Cody, A very good morning to you.
Very good mon to you as well.
Peter.
Can I ask you about a problem with the gutter?
Sure?
Yeah, it is a true story house and we have a persistent problem with the gutter getting blocked. In fact, we had to use two coming companies two weeks apart to create it. We don't know whether the first company did a proper job. We saw in a neighbor's house a type of gutter guard which is a flat seat with holes in it. At one end it goes under the tile and the other end covers the gutter. Yes, is it a good system to use?
Yeah?
It is so you've got a concrete tile roof, and yeah, okay, so what you need in that sense that system goes over the first tile and then tucks underneath the row of the tiles above. So and obviously the blockages are being caused by debris from trees, from overhanging trees. Yeah okay, Hey, look, it's also not wrong to suggest that you maybe trim some of those trees back, right, which you're entitled to do.
Can you the neighbors to house trees? So we have mid sack hitting the head on a brick quid to get them to come to the party.
But are the branches that impact your roof hanging over your boundary?
No, it is by the leaves getting brawn by the ride.
Okay, all right, because anything that hangs over the boundary, you as the homeowner, as the property owner, are entitled to remove, right.
So.
Just pointing that out. But yeah, systems like that, So that's like a screen. So what happens is the debris lands on the roof, the leaf debris lands on the roof gets pushed down by the rain or gravity, and then rather than sitting in the spouting, it goes over. But as the rain comes down, it percolates through those holes and drops into your spouting. So yes, all of those systems like that will solve your problem, because this is one of the challenges.
Isn't hanging on to our property?
Yep?
We are to get the permission the all of the tree to No, No, you.
Don't so anything that's only over your boundary, right. You have to be very clear. You can't trim back onto their property. But anything take a line straight up from your boundary. Anything that's overhanging you can remove. Interestingly enough, you also have to put the branches back on the neighbor's property because I think otherwise it could be considered theft that you're stealing their branches. Right, so you put it back, and you don't as best I understand it,
you don't have to ask permission of that, right. Okay, my pleasure. You have a great day, Take care all.
Right, bye.
By then your news talks, there'd be Pete wolf camp with you this morning, oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty talking all things building, construction and every now and then a little bit of neighborly advice. I'm on pretty solid ground. So if there are branches that are hanging over from the neighbor. You're entitled as the homeowner property owner to remove those branches. But I understand that it is quite clear in the legislation you are to return those to
the person from whence they came. They are, after all, your neighbors branches, so give them back to be fair. It happened to me a couple of years ago, and I was a little bit surprised.
I was.
I just kind of felt, gosh, that's a bit cheeky. You know, you've you've trimmed some branches and then you're throwing them back on my side. But apparently that's the rules. Eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call take short break back in a moment. Calls or lines are free right now, so give us a call. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty. Happy to talk a little bit more about the old consultant thing that was a big topic about half an hour ago, as well anything
to do with building construction, product selection regulation. We'll talk about all things building here on the show. Eight hundred eighty ten eighty number, your news talks. He'd be ten minutes away from eight o'clock. Remember, in the next hour rud climb passed were into the garden with RUDD eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call. During
the break, I was having a look. I've been captivated by this story during the week about the Wellington City Council spending five hundred and sixty two, nine hundred and forty two dollars on the cycle rack. Well, it wasn't just the cycle rack or the shelter for the bikes. That included some civil works as well in terms of
roadway realignment and the installation of a cycle path. And then it's got the Contracting Limited who charged three hundred thousand, Ara Shell who the design and supply so eighty five thousand dollars, the civil design and construction monitoring thirty six thousand dollars, their internal labor thirty four thousand dollars, Wellington Electricity twenty seven thousand dollars. The bi cracks themselves were
twenty six thousand. So I wonder whether the shelter is one part of it, and then the bike rack is another part of it. Then there's the CCTV cameras nineteen thousand dollars. Then there's the lighting assessment and supply six thousand dollars. There's a rubbishment two four hundred dollars for a rubbishment, and then a building consent exemption fee that they had to pay themselves nine hundred and twenty one. That's the cheapest bit of the whole project, not having
to get a building consent for it. I'll tell you what on the old CCTV camera thing, I got some cameras and stalls, it's twelve hundred bucks. Yeah, exactly right, Kim, Good morning.
You, Good morning hey. I was just picking up on your conversation around trees and then when the limb is over your boundary, there is technically the adjoining owners.
He owns it.
But we're in a situation where we're quite a large tree and branch fell and damaged his each on his house. So does it techniqually your.
True Yes, your tree and it fell and damaged your neighbour's property.
Yep, just a branch, not the tree. It's the branch in a storm. So I'm just wondering, you know, and I'm just curious, and you may not have the answer, but if that the limb of the tree that was on his side hit his outr each, does that mean that the responsibility to appear those ease would sit on the adjoining owner.
But it's your tree that fell and caused the damage, So I would have thought the owner would likely knock on your door and go, hey, Sunshine, you've got to at least chip in for some of the costs.
Well, there's things that you did say that technically they own. It's over the boundary that they technically own that particular.
No, no, no, sorry, I think that what I was trying to say is that the apparently what you're supposed to do is return the branches that you've cut off back to the owner, right, so basically throw them back over the fence into the neighbour's yard. And in that sense, that's because it's their tree and you've removed a section of their tree and you take it back. That wouldn't extend to the fact that because your branch hangs over
that suddenly your neighbor owns that branch. They don't you still own it, and something that you owned has caused damage to a neighbor. I think of it if it happened to me, And I know we've got a large Bodkawa tree on the front of our property now that actually overhangs my neighbor. But they're quite happy with the tree. It adds, you know, the birds are in it and all the rest of it. Right, we both like it,
and so I've recently had the canopy reduced. But still there's one limb that does extend over to my neighbor's property. I'm cognizant of it, and I know that they accept it. But if it fell and damaged I don't know, a garden ornament or something like that, I would feel that I had some responsibility to replace it.
Yeah. Yeah, Well it's interesting because you know the theory of if it's landa on his side and he owns it, then I can't I can't take it back.
It's it's well no, no.
No, it's it's because it's your tree, right, it's attached to your tree, and it left your tree and damaged his spouting or facia. I would say that the responsibility is yours.
Yeah, I would say, yeah, I don't doubt that. I was just curious picking up on your comment.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, no, I'm just it's very much just into like I was a bit surprised when another instance branches ended up back on my property right, and I'm like, oh, I wonder what that's about. And then I have understood from years of experience that that is the requirement is that you hand them back. But I would say that if it's your tree that's fallen and cause damage to your neighbor or broken off, you would be responsible because
you own it in the same way. Just quickly before we go the break, There's often been that discussion about what happens when my neighbors trees grow up and impede my view. For example, so you move into a house and ten years later the trees blocked your view of the water. Through the property law or the Property Act, you can seek redress through that to have your neighbor reduce the size of the tree so that you can enjoy the view which was inherent in you purchasing that property.
But that's a whole separate thing. It is on my list of experts to get into the studio or to get on the line is to go, let's do fencing Act and Property Act as it relates to trees, to get some advice. So I'll put that on my list. Thank you very much for you call Kim. Speaking of
things that were on my list. I mentioned some time ago that I had reached out to the new or not so new now Minister for Housing and Construction, that is the honorable Chris Pink, and through his office, we've arranged to do an interview this coming week, which I don't think i'll have time to put on next Sunday, but the following Sunday will broadcast that interview. So really looking forward to meeting him. I've met at a couple of conferences and in fact, yeah, so we'll do that
with Chris Pink soon. Righty, oh, good morning, Welcome back to the program. My name's Pete wolf Camp at the Resident Builder and I'm here till nine o'clock. We're talking building until eight thirty this morning, which is I don't know, a bear twenty two minutes away thereabouts, and then we are into the garden with red kline past. We could be talking trees with Rudd, because that is his specialty as it happens, but this is more around the legal stuff.
I seem to have started a firestorm, to be fair, in terms of the text messages, which is really intriguing. Just my comment about you know, trimming a neighbor's tree so my understanding is that if it overhangs your property, you as the property owner, have the right to remove those branches. You then return those branches to neighbor because they are their branches. That's the thinking behind that. I
kind of get that. And then we got onto talking with Kim before the break about well, what happens if one of a branch from a tree that's on my property falls and damages my neighbor's property and someone has text through and said, hey, look now where is it. I've lost the text. Here we go. As far as insurance is concerned, I believe we'll have to check this out. If a branch of my tree damages my neighbor's property, it is not my responsibility, as it was an act
of God. Interesting. That's going to be really interesting in terms of there was a case about, I don't know sometime in the last six months, let's say, where a large eucalyptus tree which is on a council reserve blew over and crashed through the car port and damage to car of the adjoining property. Interestingly enough, the owners of that property had said to counsel, I think for the last almost two years, there's a problem with the tree, you should come and remove it. They had been out, No,
there's not a problem with the tree. Then they'd come back and apparently council mysteriously had just decided to remove it in the week before the tree fell over and did all of that damage. Now, would ensurers consider that an act of God and not go to council and go, actually, we're going to seek a contribution from you the damage to the tree or not. That would be an interesting one. Yes, Pete,
says another Texter. Let's talk neighbors in their trees. I've got a landlord next a landlord next door destroying my life with his tree roots breaking up the boundary fence and the block wall. Very stressful. I can imagine that is the case. I have to say I'd take a fairly mercenary approach to that, and just any branch or root that extended onto my property, I'd be quite happy to take that out to be fair. Um, where's another one. Ah, here we go.
Ah.
If a limb from the tree overhangs, then am I legally allowed to enter my neighbor's property to remove it without any consultation to eliminate the possibility that it will fall and cause further damage. I don't think so as it's clear cut. I don't think it's as clear cut as you say. I don't think you're allowed to enter your neighbor's property to remove the branch. You can only remove what hangs over the boundary, and you need to do that from your own property, because I mean, if
you enter without permission, isn't that just trespass. So I think it's what you can reach from your property and only what hangs over the boundary, So you can't lean in and trim more than you're entitled to. It's strictly on the boundary. An arborist has text as well and said, hey, look, just heads up. He said, good advice on the tree, always touch on the key. Well, this is a separate one.
Always touch a key message, talk to your neighbors. Not always easy, I know, but it's important from the start. Thank you Jonathan for that. And yes, the arborist said, hey, look, there's also a requirement where if you do remove some branches, and they're the ones that you're legally entitled to do because they're on your property, then you also need to do it in such a way that it doesn't cause damage to the tree, so if you then end up killing the tree by removing all of those branches, you
might be held liable for that. I am on the hunt for a lawyer who could speak to us from a professional point of view, and I've done a little bit of digging around. But to be fair, if you know someone, feel free to take the number. A suggestion for someone who would be good to talk to on this oh eight is that number to call tom A very good morning, Good morning, sir.
I just picked up when you mentioned this tree. Yes, about thirty five years ago I planted a eucalyptus green gun and a while back it fellow joined right away, a fellow that took two lines out yep and banged part of the neighbor's house. The state insurance would pay for half the fence.
And not the.
The damage to the roof on next door, which still hasn't been fixed in two years. They said it was next to God, so it's exactly like you said. But that's the insurance companies. But how the hell can they prove that God did it, because I don't think he's working now because look at Putin and Russia and.
Yeah, it is an intriguing sort of hangover in our language that if that's still in insurance documents today, you know, given that we are increasingly a secular society, that we still include in that, don't they call it all the nature resulted or something like that. I'm intrigued by your situation though, where you know, if a tree that's on your property falls damages your neighbor, Okay, we can call that an act of God if that's what's written in the insurance policy.
Anything to blame anybody else?
Oh, that's fantastic. I mean those eucalypse are notorious for just sort of shedding branches and high winds and that sort of thing. Let's stick to planting natives, I think is the answer there. Hey, nice of you to call Tom all the very best to you, eight hundred and eighty ten eighty the number to call Chris, Good morning to you.
Yeah, good morning, Pete. Kind of playing Givil's advocate about right order another angle to this whole tree over the boundary. Yes, so my tree over the boundary breaks off, damages neighbors property. Yes, I couldn't make it the argument that it was actually his fault, right he can? He can maintain it, he can.
Come it back.
Yes, make sure I can't. I'm not an as to his property without asking.
Yes, yeah, no, that's argument very much my tree.
But it's on his property. If it's like to the damage his house, it is responsibility. And can I have the back pleasing you?
Bum?
Yeah, so I could, you know, I can kind of see both sides. I think the best thing here has talked to you. Make sure you both know what's going. Don't worry about insurance company.
I'll tell you what the good users. Thanks very much for that, Chris. We've got Graham who has some fifty years insurance experience, and you want to comment about this Act of God legalities. Good morning, Graham, Good morning.
Yeah.
I've said just over fifty years, and I can honestly say, and none of the policies have ever found the words Act of God.
Right, yeah, I mean, look at it was there in a text. So what would they generally be regarded as just nature related or natural.
We're quite lucky in museum and our policies are much easier to understand than some of the overseas ones. Sure there may be in some of the overseas policies in active God, but I've never found it in all the policies I've dealt with them fifty years.
Well, I'll take your word for it, because it sounds like.
The policy covers things blowing, over falling, over wind damage.
Yeah.
Would you offer up an opinion then, about the situation where you know, we've talked about the situation where you know, let's say I've got a tree on my property and it's overhanging my neighbors and we don't seem to have a problem with that. Wind blows, it falls over, and it crashes through the corner of the verandah, let's say.
Most policies, yea, most policies would cover ather, removal of the tree from the damaged area, and the repair of the damaged property. The insurance company may choose to bring an action against the owner of the tree, but the owners of proof would be such a they probably wouldn't bother right.
So typically, would let's say I'm the owner of the tree and it's caused damage. Would my insurance policy pay out for my neighbour's damage or would the insurance policy held by my neighbor cover that damage? And I wouldn't be held responsible at all?
Okay, So there's two aspects. The damage to the property is covered by the property owner whose property is damaged, and this is the big If the tree owner has been negligent, and that's the keyword, has to have been negligent, their policy would cover the illegal liability for damage to other people's property. But proving that negligence is very, very difficult.
So you're saying that if they've been negligent, I you know, I look out at my tree. I can see that all of the leaves have fallen off, the branches rotten, and I don't do anything about it. Wind comes blows it over, it damages my neighbor's property. Now I could be seen as being negligent in that instance. You're saying that only if I'm negligent would the insurance policy cover that. If I'm not negligent, it wouldn't cover it. Am I getting that right?
No?
No.
In fact, if you weren't by law, if you weren't negligent, there is no legal liability on you. So it's a bit like running into the back of someone's car. You were legally liable because you're a negligent. The same thing happens with house insurance. You have to have done something wrong.
Or no one yes, going to prove that.
Fascinating And that's where the insurance companies in trying to bring an action against the neighbor. How do you prove that? Hmm, this is where it becomes difficult.
Right, how fascinating?
Yeah?
And finally ye, good stuff.
Actually for people that are unsure what that is translated, that means fight the good fight, which is the motto of De Lacel College, which I presume you're an old boy of.
And so.
Right, yes, and I was hoping, but I don't think I'm going to make it. There is a mass at ten o'clock in the chapel at de Larcell today to mark the beginning of a new Old Boys Association, and I thought I could get there, but I can't. But I'm I've signed up for the New Old Boys Association and Graham, maybe you'd like to do the same.
Yeah, Wellington, So I'm not coming to the mess No fair.
Enough to a hey, lovely to talk to you. Take care by then, yes, you can imagine what was like going to a Catholic secondary school with a bottom certain cinema as the as the fight the good fight. We have to say times took that quite literally. It is eighteen let's call it nineteen minutes after eight we'll take
a short break. We'll try and squeeze in a couple more calls before we jump into the garden with a rod climb pasta at eight point thirty this morning, I will put in a quick plug for my old school then. So I went to De Lasal College which is in Magari in South Auckland, and in fact I left there in jeep as nineteen eighty four was my last year
at school. So any old boys that might be listening, go to social media and have a bit of a search and if you're inclined, there's sort of a rejuvenated Old Boys Association which is being structured at the moment. So like I say, there was a there's going to be mess in the chapel which I can remember being built. I was there at the time, and then morning tea and a get together in a bit of an organization. But you can sign up online like I did this week to be part of the Old Boys Association for
Dela Salts and Margli. Let's a couple of last minute calls. Hannah a very good morning.
Oh, good morning. How are you going?
Very well? Thank you and you good.
Thanks.
I could give a question about our garage. So we put our house last year. We live on a hill and we've got a garage that technically the house in front of us our neighbor. They're in between our house and our garage. Our garage is a separate title, which is kind of Yeah, it looks like our garage.
Is on their property.
It is unusual that our house was bold and I guess that they configure it. So the house in front has just been bought, so it was empty when we bought our house. And the garage that we've got there lawn is kind of like it's ended up over the years, pushing into our garage and it's like they're using our garage as a retaining wall. Yes, but it's not a
retaining wall. It's just a garage and it's pushing in all the walls of the garage with it, and so we just want to know if it's like our I guess whose responsibility it is to.
Move that dirt?
Okay. I would imagine that it goes down to where the boundary is, so and I would have thought that unless the garage had a retaining wall designed in it because it's on the boundary, so in terms of fire rating and those sorts of things, you know, I would go, if you know where the boundary pigs are now, and my assumption would be that the boundary would be at least a meter away from the edge of the gag is true.
We've seen on the plans that there's actually meant to be a meter around it because there's an old door, so there used to be able to walk into the garage from the side. Okay, but obviously over time someone surely said, oh, this is okay for you to your.
Dirty Yeah, that's right.
I mean, you know, because it's one hundred and twenty years old, obviously there's a lot of history that we don't know about.
Yep. Yeah, I think it comes down to the boundary. And then once you've established the boundaries, either by finding the existing legal boundary markers that will either be a boundary peg or a marker in the ground, then you could establish a stringline and say this is where the boundary is. And what you might find is that you then just say to the neighbor, I'm going to remove the soil and return it, or maybe you don't even
want to have the argument. Just remove the soil, right, and then you look, it sounds like it's probably a wise idea to then talk to the neighbor about getting a fence built and possibly the.
Bottom when we came to us and they did say where you want to build a fence around it? And they didn't even say would you consider selling us?
Yeah?
Yeah, that's why we kind of just wanted to know, you know, whose responsibility things are. If we did want to build a retaining war would that be our responsibility because it's protecting our garage or their responsibility because it's retaining the ad dirt.
Well, chances are you could argue that when the garage was built, the dirt wasn't as high as it was, because then you couldn't have built the garage, right, So the arrival of the dirt is after the arrival of the garage, and it was probably put there by the neighbor, but it wouldn't have been put there by this neighbor. So again it becomes a discussion thing, doesn't it where you go? Actually, I tell you what, let's both contribute to the cost of the fence, and you probably have
to do so through the Fencing Act anyway. Then there's going to be some work involved in retaining which you know, again would be reasonable to share that cost between both and maybe you cover the cost of removal of that soil because that's purely for your benefit. It's going to be a discussion. Yeah, yeah, all right, yeah, have a great day all of this. You take care all the best, by Bayh. We're going to try and squeeze in one really quick call from you, Gwin super quick. Sorry mate, yep.
I was reading an article the other day that was talking about rich fitted insulation and obviously if that insulations either in celling or under.
Floor, you don't need a building permit, correct.
But if it's in walls you do. And then the issue where if you're putting in sort of like foams or blowing in things into the wall cavity, that insulation may end up either completely filling up what was previously an air.
Cavity, which would obviously help keep it dry.
And then the issue that may cause absorption or retention of moisture in that cavity space and actually perhaps cause more of a problem than what you're actually trying to resolve in that you've got water moisture being whipped from the outside clanning through to inside walls and you could end up with moisture and so wolves mold all that.
Then, Yes, I just.
Thought it was a very interesting article.
And this wasn't the article and stuff this week. Yeah, yeah, I tell you what. I had a look at that, and I actually sent it on to some people for review because some of the claims there are mischievous at best and misleading. So I think you've got to really drill down into the information about that, and particularly some of the comments and claims made in that particular article.
I saw it this week as well, and I'll tell you what the because it mentioned SIPs panels, right, So if I don't know if you're in LinkedIn, go to LinkedIn, go to either Nick Hubbard's page or Formance's page, and they've produced a response to that. If you want to look at it. Maybe we'll pick it up next week on the show. Let's do that, Gwen, thanks very much for your call. We are going to jump into the garden, where it is always peaceful and pleasant. Nothing bad happens in a garden room.
Ever.
Never nobody eats each other. It takes each other.
That's right to entry.
But I love the best comment was talk to your neighbors.
It's so important to.
Make that so easy. Well, right now, I think we need to take a break and then we'll talk to you. All right, let's do it now.
For more from the Resident Builder with Peter Wolfcamp, listen live to news talks that'd be on Sunday mornings from six, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.