I have just ticked over 17,000km in the new BT-50. Most of those k’s have been done in the daily grind of a commute to site at The Block NZ, the school run, plus some journeys on the highway, as I drive to events outside of Auckland. During all of these trips, the new BT-50 [...]
I have been spending a bit of time in the garden recently as it bursts back into life. While listening to the spring rain falling on the roof, there was also a quiet satisfaction knowing that I was collecting that rainwater and directing it into the Bailey SlimJim tank, which I had installed behind the [...]
Who would have thought that the large plastic water tanks that you see dotting the New Zealand rural landscape can be given a new life? Well, they can. In fact, Bailey’s Tanks commitment to sustainability is at the heart of everything they do. You could say it all starts in the factory and ends on [...]
You may have heard me recently discuss some products from Simple Green. I like to know about the products I use, so here is what I found out. The challenge Simple Green was founded in 1975 by a Californian father and son trying to create a food-safe cleaner for removing tannic acid from coffee vending [...]
If you are at home, looking at your garden or drive way, thinking…”gosh with all this rain I need to sort out that boggy area”, Black Snake drainage coil is the solution for you. Black Snake drainage coil is a sub-soil drainage solution that allows water to filter into the pipe via the slots punched [...]
When scenic Lake Ohau Quarters needed wall lining options, they searched for a product that was not only appealing to the eye, but one that would blend in with the stunning alpine backdrop. Triboard TGV was the premium solution with its unique tones and natural patterns. The warm tones of Triboard’s TGV finish in the [...]
Render has been a popular finish for literally decades in NZ, and we found clever examples of render in the old villa we renovated in 2020. The original fireplace had a decorative render around the fireplace opening, with a piped grout line that was then painted over. Once we got underway with the restoration of [...]
Like many Kiwi’s, we bought a “do-up” many years ago. Along with a number of “character” features like holes in the roof, walls on a lean and a bathroom in the hallway there was the fact that the downpipes discharged directly into the combined stormwater and sewer system. Well, some of them did, the rest [...]
These are very interesting times right now. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now a pandemic and there is increasing fear and concern, with stockpiling occurring as we start our lockdown 4-week period and isolate within our homes. We are now being encouraged to practice ‘social distancing’. This is to avoid close contact – avoid shaking hands [...]
Last year this Resident Builder forged a new working relationship with Easy Access Co. Most Tradies would know Easy Access for their range of ladders, scaffolds and edge protection, widely available from trade stores throughout New Zealand. Since working with the Easy Access over the past few months, I have discovered that there is more [...]
