Wood dust on building sites: the controls a carpentry crew can use
Carpentry work makes a fine dust that is a respiratory hazard in its own right. The controls that work are cutting off site, extracting at the tool, cleaning up with a vacuum and fitting a respirator where the others fall short.
11 min read
Topic
Timber
Articles and news about Timber for Australian builders.
Wood dust on building sites: the controls a carpentry crew can use
Carpentry work makes a fine dust that is a respiratory hazard in its own right. The controls that work are cutting off site, extracting at the tool, cleaning up with a vacuum and fitting a respirator where the others fall short.
11 min read
Treated timber: picking the right hazard level, cutting it and storing it on site
Hazard levels describe the biological threat a piece of timber will face in service, not how strong it is. Get the level wrong, leave cut ends exposed or store it badly, and the treatment you paid for will not deliver the life you assumed.
13 min read
Roof truss bracing and tie-down checks before sheeting
Bracing and tie-down are routinely signed off without being checked, because the work is done by someone else and the paperwork arrives before the roof does. Here is how to inspect it before sheeting closes the frame in.
11 min read
Engineered floor joists: installation errors that show up later
Most engineered joist failures are not manufacturing faults. They are penetrations cut in the wrong place, bearings detailed for solid timber, and moisture allowed into a member that cannot dry.
11 min read
Subfloor ventilation for suspended timber floors: keeping the underside dry
The space under a suspended timber floor is a moisture management system, not a leftover void. Get the airflow and ground cover right and the floor above stays stable; get it wrong and you will be back replacing bearers.
11 min read
Nail plates, cyclone washers and fixing schedules for timber frames
The fixing schedule tells you what holds the frame together. If you only read it after the plasterboard goes on, you are relying on someone else’s work with no way to check it.
15 min read