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We are very big on Do It Yourself here. Which is probably understandable given that my darling husband is a builder however I am a bit of a DIY-er too; even before I met David, I donned an old tee and painted my house; inside and out...I installed timber blinds, made-over stuff and changed drawer handles, taps and washers. (OK, Dad might've helped a bit with those last two...)
I would encourage anyone to have-a-go if they felt confident and were a handy 'type'. The thing is, know your limits! (I paid a professional painter to do all my ceilings!) The plethora of DIY home renovating shows on telle, and their popularity, tell us we are a country keen for dollar stretching home improvement. BUT, they often don't show the 'behind the scenes' tradie assistance and give the impression that all renovating can be achieved by anybody with mammoth effort, little sleep and in a short time - frame. It's T.V people!
SO, why the rant?
David and I were a wee taken a-back by an innocent looking one-hour workshop advert at Bunnings titled "How to seal and waterproof wet areas"
Um....you employ a LICENCED, QUALIFIED trades person who will provide you with a certificate of compliance and therefor warranty. Last time I checked, you can't DIY one of those yourself.
(In NSW for example you need (1) Completion of CPC31411 Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing OR (2) Completion of one of the following qualifications: CPC31408 Certificate III in Construction Waterproofing. BCG31403 Certificate III in Waterproofing (General Construction). Qualification 90464 Certificate III in General Construction (Waterproofing), TAFE course #8126.)
"Waterproofing of wet areas, such as
shower recesses, has consistently been
among the most commonly reccurring
Category One (major) building defect.
Homeowner complaints about defective
waterproofing are consistently in the top
ten received by the Building Services
Authority (BSA)." www.bsa.qld.gov.au
shower recesses, has consistently been
among the most commonly reccurring
Category One (major) building defect.
Homeowner complaints about defective
waterproofing are consistently in the top
ten received by the Building Services
Authority (BSA)." www.bsa.qld.gov.au
TIP: Waterproofing needs to be completed by a qualified waterproofing
professional, otherwise warranties & insurance will not cover it – if you're buying an older home with a new bathroom ask for the certificate of compliance / warranty or beware!
I'm off my soap box now. Bye-Bye!
x KL
Thank you for stopping by my blog. You are very welcome and encouraged to comment, I love receiving feedback!
KL, what sort of paint would you recommend for wood plantation shutters? Oil or water based? We went with water based for our architraves, doors and skirtings because we didnt want them to yellow... But how durable is water based paint? The shutters will be exposed to a lot of sun light so I am a bit paranoid... But at the same time I don't want them to yellow either :(
ReplyDeleteB
Ah...this is a big question. Oil based, enamel paints are far more durable than water based varieties therefore more suitable for arcs as they are there, and designed to, take the knocks and bumps instead of the walls. The old enamel paints were notorious for yellowing over time, especially the pure whites but the newer formulas aren't as bad. Over time (10 - 20 yrs) they will yellow but you'd probably need to repaint before that anyway. Most shutter companies 2-pac their products and polyeurethane is less likely to discolour HOWEVER our Aussie sun is very powerful and will discolour most things you leave exposed to it over time. Carpets, timber flooring, plastic, leather, fabric and unfortunately shutters. x KL
DeleteThank you so much!!!!
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It's so depressing that plantation shutter companies in Adelaide only offer 5 year warranty :(
B
KL, I like seeing you on your soap box because you are so informative when you do it. I think there is a great deal of DIY waterproofing here in WA but we just don't know about it so much. You should find out from Bunnings why they are aloud to run that course in an hour ;-)
ReplyDeleteHey, thanks Kristie! They can run the course because it's designed for DIY. There is no 'qualification' attatched to it. Those undertaking their own waterproofing can not provide a subsequent purchaser of their property with a warranty of their work which is only required by law if they were waterproofing for profit, as a business. Tradies always laugh at these DIY TV shows because very often they see the wrong products / incorrect techniques used, hence my buyer beware AND, my strong recommendation for using professional applicators! x KL
DeleteGood advice darl! And I love the idea of getting a pro to do just ceilings - I suck at ceilings! xx
ReplyDeleteCeilings are HARD! I didn't have the arm strength nor puff to do them so saved my moolah on doing the walls myself. One at a time! LOL! x KL
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