From March 1 2012, Restricted Building Work comes into effect. This applies to most residential building or renovation work and only a Licensed Building Practitioner can undertake or supervise the work.

If you apply for a building consent after March 1st, you must make sure that the practitioners you use are correctly licensed to carry out the work.

Licensed Building Practitioners include:

Designers

Carpenters

Roofers

External Plasterers

Brick and Block layers

Foundation specialists.

Professional Engineers, Architects, Plumbers and Gasfitters are treated as Licensed Building Practitioners and can carry out some restricted Building work.

Why have these changes been implemented? I hear you ask. The answer: So it gets  Built Right!

At Structure Wise Ltd, our Designer, Foreman, and experienced senior crew of builders are LBP qualified. Throughout the year this means they are to continually be educating themselves with latest articles on building and building materials and staying updated, attending seminars, and training courses. These are logged in on a website and there are a certain number of points that must be attained each year, by each individual to be able to stay licensed.

As with all occupations, frequently renewing your knowledge, not only keeps you up to date, but it keeps the job itself fresh and exciting. It’s very easy to go day to day with no new input, and suddenly you realise that years have passed and just doing the same old, same old. So this is an excellent system of making sure you are not getting left behind.

Interestingly however, this does not apply to the Commercial or Industrial building sector – only Residential – however we here at Structure Wise Ltd believe these buildings are equally important, and as we fit predominantly into this sector, we have still made this a priority to make sure we are fully qualified.

You are in good Hands with Structure Wise Ltd

What will this year bring? In Canterbury, we are still looking forwards to the rebuild of Christchurch, and safer soils on which to live. I love this area that we live in. Possible the parts that make it so interesting are indeed also the areas of a faultline – discovered and undiscovered. From mountains to sea, it appears we have many.

The positive things that can come out of these earthquakes (or events as they are now called) is the research that is going on to find ways of safe construction. I haven’t as yet been in to the city centre, where the shipping containers have been utilised, but what a fantastic plan to use them. Temporary, or long-term, they are visually funky, it’s better than them floating around our seas (our eastern shores even now sadly), and makes for safe areas to be in. I love the way it has become a way to continue without a phenomenal use of $$ when there is  no plan as yet how to actually go ahead. My heart truly goes out to business owners that are trying to keep going in very trying conditions. The continual quakes must be disruptive at best, to say nothing of frayed nerves. We do think of you in there and you are not forgotton about at all.

I have thought alot about different ones having to move as they have been red zoned, and their heartache at having to leave a place they called home. Perhaps it can give us a greater understanding of people that have had to shift because of suddenly being in violent war zones, to have a safer life. But even knowing that, makes it no easier that is for sure. It’s abit like being made redundant. Suddenly the job you love is being taken away from you, and there is no real choice in this matter. There is grief, and perhaps a glimmer of something new on the horizon that you may not have thought of until now, but this has happened and it is now there. When my husband and I went through redundancy,( twice I might add!), the first time was scarey, disappointing, and alot of sorrow. The second time, we looked for new opportunities, and they have been exciting, challenging and eventually rewarding. So, can I very respectfully say, it’s not the end for you. I think there will be fabulous stories that emerge, and I hope yours will be one of them. I would love to hear them. We often get the ‘get rich quick’ stories, but they don’t give human nature a good boost. They don’t challenge or inspire. I read an article once with a quote that said “Is it nobler to to stretch forth your hand to strike and to wound, or to administer Healing?” I love this. It gave me reason to pause, because in all that we do we have this choice to make. Out of hardship, comes stories that administer healing because they give hope. The ‘other’ stories I mentioned, can actually wound the soul. So don’t give up you amazing Cantabrians, keep going. We like the imagery of the Canterbury Crusaders, nobly going into battle. Well it is now the catch cry for us all – to be Noble in what we do for the good of others and ourselves. It is a crusade to be sure.

This is perhaps not something that is well known, but manufacturers do stipulate regular washing down of the buildings to avoid corroding, pitting and discolouration. If you are in severe marine, geothermal or industrial areas, corrosion risk is much higher.

Metal deterioration is also caused by incompatability of adjacent materials, such as another metal, acidic timbers, or a copper preservative. Copper based preservatives may be highly corrosive to metals when damp, and some timbers, such as western Red Cedar contain natural acidic resins that will also cause corrosion. Being aware of these factors, can help you decide how to mix various materials when building. Copper spouting and downpipes for instance may need to be checked out against Metal building materials.

Most buildings have an area that does not get natural rain washing. These areas such as tops of walls and windows which are protected by eaves, a lower roof section or windows protected by overhanging roof, and walls under a porch, veranda or wide overhang, need to be washed down manually on an annual basis.

Rust corrosion, moss growth and mildew can accumulate on areas easily that don’t receive natural wash downs and therefore it is worth having a good look at the undersides of metal gutters, under the eaves of homes and the backs of sheds that may be close to shelterbelts and are mostly protected from incoming rain.

A good hosing down on all these areas will keep your metal building in good order, and prevent the breakdown of the material.

Cleaning of Aluminium joinery including the door and window hardware (handles) enables them to be maintained better, as sometimes the joints can become stiff and may need a light lubricating or a graphite powder applied for smoothness of opening and closing.

Rollers and wheels of sliding and bi-fold doors and windows should be vacuumed regularly to keep them dust and dirt free, and a silicone spray is also of benefit to keep rollers and wheels running smoothly in their tracks. Make sure that the drain holes in aluminum joinery are also kept clean and free of debris, so that any moisture can be drained away and your precious joinery is not sitting in a condensation puddle and corroding the metal.

Once a year is definitely low maintenance wouldn’t you say? I have also found that spider proofing the exterior of metal buildings makes an enormous difference to it’s look. Spiders tend to like most building materials, and metal is no different. This I have found to be a necessary part of my metal home maintenance also! For some reason canterbury spiders are vigilant at overtaking ones home in very short space of time!!

So I encourage you to take a few moments and have a good look around any metal buildings you may have, target the areas needing attention and ensure it is redone annually.

I live in a home made of Steel and Colorsteel cladding, with plywood timber interior and concrete floor. While I also live on very stoney ground, I was only 2.5km from the big one in September of last year. My home has not suffered structural damage at all, and only one small crack line in the floor – and where it’s not a high foot traffic area though either. That morning , as we were rudely shaken awake, it did indeed sound as though the house was coming down. But as daylight came around eventually, sure enough she was standing just as strong – unbuckled, not bent, and not tumbling down – anywhere.

The places that clearly have had the most damage are the lovely stone and brick buildings and homes. So it begs the question, do we rebuild with the same materials as before? Or do we look at sustainable materials – environmentally and structurally – with innovative, classical design utilising them? While we mourn the loss of our beautiful city that was, we think about what we now have available to us, and what can come out of it. Something that can also be as a testament to the lives lost, that they not have died in vain, but for us to make positive change for the good of all.

It leaves us pondering, does it not, where to go to from here. Where to start? Christchurch looks like a tired old woman, with teeth pulled, and patches on her clothing. How do we take her from that, and make her the vibrant, classical beauty that she was? It will not be a short, simple path. But instead, a path of sadness, inconvenience, winding roads, detours, dreams, and one day, finally, a destination of worth.

She will be built with love and respect of what has been. And also now, knowledge of what we know can happen in 2 1/2 minutes, and what changes beneath our feet. To build with wisdom, not on sand, but on rock.

I for one, am looking forward to that day, of seeing a beautiful lady emerge from the rubble. A testament to what has gone before.

No longer is it just the basic concrete slab. It’s use in walls (and even roofing), is becoming more widespread and sought after. The desire for low maintenance and highly durable products that just keep looking better and better over time is getting more and more. Why? Lot’s of reasons, but probably the main ones that stand out would be:

1. Budget. Low Life Cycle Costs

2. A look that can be added to without losing it’s character

3. Low maintenance means more time for leisure.

4. Versatility

5. Style and Performance

These are pretty big reasons wouldn’t you say?!

Steel and Concrete, while they can sound cold and industrial, are now integrated as  features of many homes and buildings because of their versality and mold ability. For instance, Concrete Benches in kitchens - painted and waxed – stand the test of time and do not lose any character, but in fact age well. Wrought Iron and Steel are used in many interiors and exteriors and bring a timeless quality. Coloured concrete instead of tiling.

Structure Wise uses Steel and Concrete to bring function, form and durability to their Metal Buildings – utilising these products in their design.  Steel Beams add not only strength and support, but security. Steel and Concrete buildings, correctly engineered, provide a safer option in natural disaster zones – such as New Zealand is. New Zealand is fortunate that whilst experiencing earthquakes in a similar Richter scale range to other countries, we have not suffered similar loss of life. Much of this comes down to 2 main factors.

1.The standards of our buildings and our building code.

2. the density of our population

3. and perhaps luck!

So if you are asking why you would use Steel and Concrete for your building project, perhaps instead you should be asking Why Not?

Sustainability is great because steel is a durable product and used mainly in quite long life products. Metal and specifically Steel Cladding, can both be reused in its same form and more importantly, recycled into product indistinguishable from the original, but totally undegraded, and therefore capable of being recycled indefinitely.

Steel Cladding, which is generally unmixed with anything other than metal coating and paint, and has thin sections, is easy to recycle. It is a product that can be utilised whether old or new for projects big and small.

Structure Wise Ltd are proud to use NZ made steel products for their sheds. Not only supporting the NZ economy, but caring for the NZ environment, and working with the NZ landscape and conditions. Steel Buildings are durable, and have a vast scope for their use. Structure Wise are designers and Builders of high quality Industrial, Commercial and Farm and Lifestyle buildings of all types, turning their clients dreams into reality, and keeping it sustainable.