Greywater reuse systems in residential builds: infrastructure and approvals
Greywater reuse is an infrastructure and approvals problem before it is a plumbing problem. Get the approval pathway and the diversion or treatment design wrong and the cost lands on you, not the homeowner.
13 min read
Blog
Sustainability and Energy
Energy-efficient, all-electric and resilient homes are becoming the default. This is the practical side: what the rules ask for, what the products do, and how to build it well.
Greywater reuse systems in residential builds: infrastructure and approvals
Greywater reuse is an infrastructure and approvals problem before it is a plumbing problem. Get the approval pathway and the diversion or treatment design wrong and the cost lands on you, not the homeowner.
13 min read
Building in bushfire-prone areas: BAL ratings explained, and the details that keep embers out
Most houses lost in bushfires are ignited by embers, not the fire front. The bushfire attack level decides what a new home must resist, and the small details, gaps, vents, gutters and decks, decide whether it does.
7 min read
Rainwater tanks and BASIX water commitments: sizing, connections and sign-off
The water section of a BASIX certificate is easy to satisfy on paper and easy to fail at the occupation certificate. Tank size, catchment, connections and fixture ratings all have to match what was committed.
7 min read
Airtightness and blower door testing: the quality check more houses are getting
A well-insulated house that leaks air loses much of the benefit. Blower door tests measure how leaky a house is and find where. Here is how testing works and the details that make the difference.
8 min read
Water efficient fixtures: meeting BASIX without callbacks
BASIX sets a water target the dwelling has to hit, and the fixtures you install are a large part of how it gets there. Get the selection and the verification right and the certificate holds up; get it wrong and the shortfall surfaces at the worst time.
11 min read
Home battery program passes 500,000 installs: what it means for builders
The federal home battery discount has passed half a million installations in just over a year, with the strongest uptake outside the major cities. Clients will increasingly expect new homes to be battery-ready.
6 min read
Windows and glazing: U-value, SHGC, frames and the installation details that stop leaks
Windows are the biggest lever in a home’s energy rating and one of the most common sources of leaks. What the performance numbers mean, how frames and glass compare, and how to install windows so they stay dry.
8 min read
Building all-electric homes: the switchboard, appliances and wiring decisions that matter
More new homes are going all-electric, by regulation in some places and by choice in others. The appliances are the easy part. Supply capacity, switchboards, circuits and future-proofing are where builders earn or lose the client’s trust.
8 min read
Low-carbon concrete: what builders can specify, and what changes on site
Concrete is the biggest source of embodied carbon in most houses, and almost all of it comes from the cement. Here is how low-carbon mixes work, how to specify them, and the site practices that make them perform.
8 min read
Rangehood and exhaust fan ducting: getting local exhaust out of the building
A rangehood or exhaust fan is only as good as the duct behind it. If the duct stops in the roof space, the moisture it collects is discharged straight into the coldest, least ventilated part of the building.
11 min read
Heat pump hot water: a builder’s guide to sizing, siting, noise and getting it signed off
Heat pumps are now the default hot water choice on many new homes. How they work, how to size them, where to put them so the neighbours don’t complain, and the details trades get wrong.
9 min read
Winter condensation in new homes: why it happens, how to diagnose it, and how to build it out
Every winter, builders get the same call: “there’s water on the windows and mould in the wardrobe.” Here is how to work out whether it is the house or how it is being lived in, and the details that stop it happening.
10 min read