SANS10400-Building Regulations South Africa SANS10400 are the Building regulations in South Africa, and both international and national standards, are fundamental to successful building and construction projects, both big and small.

Eskom to push ahead with maintenance despite load-shedding

The South African Government has confirmed its commitment to net-zero emission by 2050, even though it continues to rely on coal for the bulk of its energy needs.  This is what President Cyril Ramaphosa said in his 2021 State of the Nation Address (SONA) about net-zero emissions and renewable energy, …

Annual Builders’ Holidays changes December 2020 to January 2021 2020 has seen a major upheaval in terms of many of the normal functions in the building industry because of the Covid-19 Coronavirus pandemic. After months of not being able to operate, the usually welcome idea of the traditional shut-down over …

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You Can Reduce Your Energy Costs by up to 90% After signing up for “My Green Home” four years ago the Makalima-Ngewana family family saw their house in the middle-class suburb of Pinelands (a suburb of Cape Town) retrofitted with energy saving LED lights, low-flow showerheads and roof-top solar panels, …

Five 3D concrete houses planned for the Netherlands By this time next year a town in The Netherlands, Eindhoven, will have its first few 3D printed homes built and ready for people to live in. There are a few companies working together with Eindhoven University of Technology and the local …

Danger of Tree Damage to Walls & Foundations – SANS 10400-H Annex-D Cracks and damage to walls and foundations are caused primarily by soils that contract and expand due to moisture content when the soil absorbs water and swells up and then shrinks when it dries out. This puts pressure on …

Can you spot the electric fence violations in this picture? We spotted this electric fence installation recently and were shocked to think that a compliance certificate might have been issued. The alternative is that the owners or administrators of the wall used an unqualified electric fence installer, in which case …

Roofs come in all shapes and forms, ranging from “flat” concrete roofs to steeply pitched roofs. Some roofs are tiled while others types of roofing is finished with sheeting of various types. Thatch is also used for roofing, though the structure of rafters and beams is completely different to that …

By JANEK SZYMANOWSKI Every time a water pipe bursts, there’s a good chance that the municipality will rake in thousands of rands from false water meter readings. This is because air passing through consumers’ water meters and water pipes gives false readings that are charged automatically on all water bills. …

What is a Contractors All Risk Insurance policy? Contractor’s All Risk Insurance is a policy which insures the principal/employer and covers the contract works undertaken by the contractor and sub contractors. CivilSure offers 2 types of Contractor’s All Risk Insurance policies: 1. Contractors All Risk Once Off This Contractor’s Insurance …

The NHBRC CAN Send You to Jail. If you are in the home building industry then this is a must read. Here are some important things you and housing consumers should take into consideration regarding the NHBRC and how it will affect your home building process. The National Home Builders …

How Do I Register to Download? We get a number of questions from our viewers as to how to register to download documents. Here is a brief explanation with a few screenshots that we hope will help you get the documents that you would like to download. Firstly on our …

Councils Must be Ruthless with Restricting Occupation of Unsafe Buildings I think it must be terrifying to be woken at 04:00 in the morning by a thunderclap that makes the whole building shudder. Then, in a confused state, you realise your bed’s still shaking and, no, it wasn’t thunder, it …

How Construction Laws, National Building Regulations and South African National Standards Affect Homeowners Prior to 1985, various provinces and municipalities in South Africa had their own construction laws and regulations which, although similar, were not the same. Over a period of years a committee of experts, including architects, builders, developers, and the Bureau of Standards …

The Implications of Selling a House Without Approved Plans If you are selling your house, and don’t have approved plans, you could find yourself in a lot of trouble. And if you are buying a house, and don’t ask whether the seller has approved plans, you might end up inheriting …

What Are You Required to Do with the NHBRC as an Owner Builder? All new homes, by law, have to be registered with the NHBRC, some RDP houses are exempt from this. As an owner builder you may apply for an exemption from the Housing Consumer Protection Measures Act with …

How To Do A Good Kitchen Layout – The Basics A good kitchen design is one that fulfils all the functions you require of it, and at the same time is aesthetically pleasing. Once you have gathered ideas and established your priorities, you will need to decide on the layout …

How To Design Your Own Kitchen Using Templates Fitting the various individual components of the kitchen into your outline is an exact, and exacting, process in which guesswork shouldn’t feature. Prepare card or plastic cut-outs, or templates, of every major item. These should be carefully drawn to scale. Among your …

How to Design a Small Bathroom Every centimetre counts in a small bathroom, whether it s a guest cloakroom, a shower room or a tiny cubby-hole in an apartment. Small design errors which may go unnoticed in a large bathroom can easily become a major source of frustration in a …

How to Solve Kitchen Traffic Flow Problems The patterns of traffic through the kitchen should be taken into account when planning the new layout. Ideally, the traffic flow should not interfere with the work triangle. If this is unavoidable, however, try and ensure that the triangle intersects the path to …

The Open-plan Kitchen Option There was a time, not too long ago, when South African home owners were not overly concerned about the dimensions of their rooms. Nowadays, with construction costs – indeed all costs – spiralling, the emphasis is on the compact, and on an internal arrangement that makes …

Bathroom Planning – What You Need to Know You and Your Plumber The location and layout of a bathroom is invariably dictated by plumbing considerations and it is well worth cultivating a good relationship with your plumber. A reputable plumber will be willing to suggest ways of minimising expenses, and …

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