Some years ago, I was working with a client who wanted to add some sustainability focused features to their new build, something that was not common at the time. We added rainwater storage tanks to the new build for rainwater harvesting and re-use, however the compliance pathway was complex and there were many regulatory barriers [...]
I was looking through some plans the other day of a house that I built around 1991. It is a straight forward single storey, 3-bedroom house on a concrete slab with weatherboard cladding, long run roofing, standard aluminium joinery and single glazing. While the house is simple and robust and still stands today, when [...]
I had the opportunity the other day to be involved with the installation of a Bailey Bazooka culvert. It's actually the first time I've ever installed a culvert and it was great to work alongside experienced contractors, familiar with civil drainage work, who were able to offer up some advice to ensure that it installed [...]
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 [...]
