Roof sheeting fixings: choosing screws that last
A roof sheet is only as good as the screw holding it, and the screw fails quietly from corrosion, a loose washer or a head driven too far long before anyone looks at the roof again.
11 min read
The PointCPD blog
Building industry news and articles
What is changing in Australian building, and what it means on site: construction technology, materials, energy, regulation, safety, contracts and the housing market.
Roof sheeting fixings: choosing screws that last
A roof sheet is only as good as the screw holding it, and the screw fails quietly from corrosion, a loose washer or a head driven too far long before anyone looks at the roof again.
11 min read
Lighting a residential site for early starts and dark finishes
Winter starts and short afternoons put a lot of building work into the dark, and a site that is badly lit is a site where people fall, miss a cut and damage the work.
11 min read
Medium-density projects: how the economics change as unit numbers rise
Adding units looks like more of the same work, but the margin, the cash flow and the risk all behave differently once several dwellings share one site, one crew and one bank account.
12 min read
Ordering materials through supplier portals: the checks that matter
A supplier portal is quick, but it moves the checking that a counter sales person used to do onto the builder, and the mistakes it hides are expensive.
12 min read
Choosing a location for the solar inverter and its cable runs
The inverter has to live on the building for many years, and where it goes decides how it runs, how it gets serviced and how the cables reach it.
12 min read
Retaining walls on residential sites: approvals and engineering
A retaining wall holds back more than soil. Here is when it needs approval or an engineer, and why drainage and surcharge cause most of the failures.
11 min read
Trading names, ABNs and licence names on your paperwork
A trading name is not a legal entity. The licence name, the ABN and the trading name each answer a different question, and they must agree on every document you issue.
10 min read
Gutter and downpipe installation faults builders miss
Most gutter failures are installation faults that stay hidden until the first heavy rain. Here is where they start and how to check the system before handover.
11 min read
Housekeeping and slips on house sites: a practical routine
Most house site injuries are trips, slips and stacks that were never meant to stay where they were put. A routine that owns the walkways prevents most of them.
12 min read
Government tenders for small residential builders: are they worth chasing?
Government work looks steady on paper. The bid cost, prequalification and payment terms decide whether it suits a small residential builder.
11 min read
Data ownership and exit terms in builder software contracts
Your quoting and job software holds years of pricing, variations and photos. The contract decides whether you can take that record with you when you leave.
11 min read
Structural checks before fixing rooftop solar frames
A solar array adds weight and lifts with the wind, and every load is carried through a few fixings into a frame that may have been built for neither. Here is how to check an existing roof before fixing rails, what to ask for and where the structural risk sits.
11 min read
Heritage and conservation areas: what changes for residential builders
A heritage or conservation area listing changes the scope of a residential job before a single tool is picked up. Here is how the controls reach materials, approvals and programme, and how to price and sequence the work so the client is not caught out.
11 min read
Free site templates for builders
SWMS, JSA, Take 5, inspection checklists, site diary, variations and payment claims. Word and PDF, free for commercial use.