Owner Building

Building drywall system is not environmentally friendly The American timber and drywall construction method is brought under the spotlight in a Wikipedia entry “Drywall”. You just have to look at the sulfur dioxide emmission figures never mind the mercury released during manufacture. It appears that this method is NOT good …

Temporary Buildings Must be Authorized by the Local Authority  “temporary adj lasting only for a short time” People often talk about temporary buildings in terms of structures that can be erected quickly and without plans. Some people go so far as to opt for what is advertised as a “temporary building” because …

A to Z Glossary of Definitions and Terms Used in the National Building Regulation Code of Practice   Every industry has terms and definitions that are specific to that industry, and the building industry is no exception. These Building Regulation definitions form part of the National Building Regulations and Building …

Innovative home design, building  and decorating ideas. This is where we will post a selection of good innovative building and home design ideas for you as well as decorating ideas for your house as we find them and pass them on. Western Home Awards explore and give out awards after every couple …

What is “Minor Building Work”? Whatever you construct on your property needs plans, unless it is defined as “minor building work”. Even so the Act states very well in Part A: General Principles and Requirements (this was previously Part A: Administration), that any structural building work that is defined as …

Understanding the Concept of Competent Persons & Competency When South Africa’s National Building Regulations were updated in 2008, several new definitions were added to the legislation, and some were rewritten. One of the most important changes was to the term competent person, because a “competent person” is now required to draw …

New and Innovative Building Materials   OMNI BLOCK Even though this innovative building material product was designed and patented by Denny Miller in 2003 it is still an innovative and up-to-date building product. Omni Block is an insulated “stand-alone” structural wall system. It does not require furring strips, additional insulation, …

Glazing for Safety and Security Glazing is a vital construction element in our homes and other buildings. It is important to know how to use the right type of glass, in the right place, to make sure that our buildings are secure and to ensure that people don’t get injured …

ELECTRICS & LIGHTING – WHAT’S INVOLVED Electricity and Electronics are Related Fields. While both these related fields are specialised and take considerable training to be tackled in their entirety, there are projects involving both electrics and electronics that anyone with a reasonable aptitude and understanding can tackle. These range from …

Understanding what’s Underfoot The type of floors specified in building plans will determine the materials required as well as which sub-contractors or specialists are going to be involved in the building project. There are many floor coverings and floor finishes for our homes and buildings, but in construction there are only …

Clearing The Site – Getting Ready To Build Preparation is a vital part of any job in the construction industry, because if site preparation is not correctly done it can jeopardise the building project. Site clearing operations must also be safe so that there is no chance of anybody being …

Developing Outdoor Spaces for an Outdoor Lifestyle Whatever the size of your property, there will always be outdoor spaces – big or small – that need to be developed. This may be in the form of a verandah, patio or porch, or it might be a garden that needs to …

Some Good Reasons to Owner Build The Pros and Cons of Owner Building: A personal review After updating our ever-popular title, The Complete Book of Owner Building in South Africa (published in 2012 – see book cover, left-bottom right), we were left wondering whether owner building really is a good idea or …

SANS 10400 Governs the Design, planning and supervision of all construction work Each section of SANS 10400, the Code of Practice for The application of the National Building Regulations (NBR) is presented with the relevant extract from the building regulations (which is law), and is then followed by a general …

 Conned by a Fly-by-Night Pool Builder Why you should use a pool contractor who belongs to the NSPI South Africa’s building industry is rife with problems, so whether you are building a house or a swimming pool, it is essential to employ professionals with the experience needed to do it …

Take Charge of Your Home Building Venture as Project Manager Anybody who is serious about owner building will want to have a degree of control to ensure that the project stays on track. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to be hands-on. Taking on the role of project manager …

How far from the boundary wall must I build?   We get a number of questions asking “How close to the boundary am I (or my neighbour) allowed to build?” The site plan above is a sample and is only a guide to the approximate building lines and distances that …

A Review Based on Personal Experience Having just finished totally updating the ever-popular title, The Complete Book of Owner Building in South Africa I am left wondering whether owner building is a good idea or not. We’ve completed the exercise three times, and not once made any money, or in …

The NHBRC gives protection against shoddy workmanship The NHBRC was established in terms of the Housing Consumers Protection Measures Act, 1998 to regulate the building industry and protect home buyers against shoddy workmanship. Motivation at the time was largely charged by fly-by-night-builders who were conning people all over the country. …