Full Show Podcast: 23 November 2025

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Resident build Up Podcast with Peter
Wolfcamp from US talk said by Squeaky door or squeaky floor.
Get the right advice from Peter Wolfcamp, the Resident Builder
on us talk Seat.

Speaker 2 (00:20):
By the house, sizzle even when it's dark, even when
the grass is overgrown in the yard, and even when.

Speaker 3 (00:38):
The dog is too old to bar, and.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
When you're sitting at the table trying not to stop
sissor home even when well a ban, even when you're there.

(01:06):
Houses given, when there's goals given.

Speaker 4 (01:11):
When you go around from the ones.

Speaker 2 (01:13):
You love your moms, screamed dose, broken pans appear in
fundom locals. We's when they're going THEMS.

Speaker 4 (01:27):
News Talks B. There we go, We're off and running.
Good morning, folks, Welcome along to News Talk's EDB the
Resident Builder on Sunday with me Peter Wolfcamp, the Resident Builder,
and this is your opportunity to talk all things building
and construction. Yes, I know we're a little bit late
off the mark, but of course the All Blacks have
wrapped up the Northern Tour at one stage called a

(01:48):
Grand Slam, but not quite but a fairly convincing victory
over Wales. This morning in Cardiff. I presume the game
was anyway, we're into it. So if you've got a
question of a building nature, then eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty is the number to call. Text nine to
nine too is EDBZB from your mobile phone. And I've

(02:09):
just logged into my email, so if you'd like to
send me an email and a couple of them are
sitting there waiting for me to get stuck into, you
can do that as well. It's Pete at newstalksb dot
co dot nz. So Pete at newstalokshb dot co dot Nz.
But mainly it's the calls that I really enjoy. So
if you've got a question, and it might be about

(02:30):
it might be about maintenance, it might be about new builds,
it might be about contracts. In fact, when I typically
when I come into the studio here log into various
news sites and in a depressingly regular pattern, there's often
stories about builders and about builders in this instance, or
building small building company going into liquidation, leaving clients with

(02:54):
a partly finished minor dwelling or a little cabin, a
bathroom cabin, a bit of framing and seven thousand dollars
out of pocket, and these stories are unfortunately particularly common.
So maybe you want to talk about that. Are there
better ways?

Speaker 5 (03:08):
Well?

Speaker 4 (03:09):
There are Actually that's quite a hot topic at the moment.
You know, are there better ways of making sure that
if you pay money to a contractor within that building circle,
that you can ensure that the money isn't spent somewhere
else that's actually spent on your project, and that you
get what you've paid for. And I'm sure that if

(03:31):
we open that particular topic up, there'd be a bunch
of people who would talk about, you know, like we
contracted someone to do a job, we worked out a price,
they asked for half the deposit, and I've never seen
them since.

Speaker 5 (03:44):
So is there a.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
Better way or do you have a particular way of
managing contractors to ensure that you get what you've paid for? Oh,
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty, we're talking maintenance and
getting ready for summer. We're not quite a month away
from Christmas, but pretty damn close. Is there a bit
of a Christmas rush starting to happen? Maybe not, you know,

(04:08):
haven't I haven't picked up that sense of urgency yet
from contractors that I might be talking to. About you know,
people are going I want that kitchen and I want
that bathroom done. I need the deck finished. I want
to do some hard landscaping those sorts of things before Christmas.
But perhaps you've got a deadline and you might need
some help with that. Then we can talk all things
building and construction. In the next hour, we are going

(04:31):
to have our regular painting expert Bryce McDermott from Razine
Color Shops. He's going to be with us at around
seven twenty looking forward to that, So if you've got
any specific painting questions, please text those through to nine
two nine two. Thereafter a little bit later in the program,
also one of our regular experts, Mike Old's joining us,
talking a little bit about Integra and panels. And then,

(04:54):
of course at eight thirty this morning, as usual Red
Climb Pass dialing in to talk all things gardening and
the wonderful world of bugs as well. So then amongst
all of that, it is time for your calls at
twenty six minutes after six on a Sunday morning, the
twenty third of November. Yes, it all starts to get
a bit real, doesn't it when you start talking about

(05:15):
the later days of November. December just around the corner.
If you've got a project over the Christmas break that
you want to crack into, you need to do your planning,
your preparation. Now, maybe getting some materials in, organizing contractors.
If it's work that you're going to be doing over
the Christmas break, then again you need to be doing
that planning, that preparation, that ordering, that lining up of

(05:38):
various materials and contractors. Now, maybe you want some help
with that. Oh, eight hundred eighty ten eighty all things
to discuss building, construction, maintenance, renovations, new builds, contracts, rules
and regulations. We can talk about all of that. Oh
eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call,
and it is twenty seven minutes after six. Now is
a great time to call. Oh eight hundred eighty ten eighty.

Speaker 1 (06:00):
Helping you get those DIY projects done? Right to the
resident builder with peta WOLFCAF call.

Speaker 4 (06:07):
You talk, said, just a quick text before we go
to the calls, Pete, what is your advice read brushes
in guttering. The brushes seem to rip the leaves to
bits and make it difficult to keep the guttering clean.
I've just removed them to clear the guttering and not
sure if I should put them back. They seem to
be easier to clean the gutter without them. Thanks for that,

(06:29):
And I kind of know exactly what you mean. There's
a place that I look after where that obviously the
previous owners had installed them, because that part of the
house is actually quite close to a large Norfolk pine.
And when I say large, the damned thing is enormous.
I wish someone cut it. I'm not a huge fan
of them, to be fair, but anyway, it's there, and
it deposits all of its very spiky leaves and that

(06:52):
into the spouting. So I pulled them all out last
time I cleaned out the gutters and put them back
in because I didn't have anything to replace it with.
But yeah, I mean, I guess the whole theory behind
the brushes in particular is that the leaves sit on
top and get blown away and that the water filters through.
But you're right, you do end up with sediment at

(07:13):
the bottom, which is harder to get to when you
literally have to pull it out. The foam ones, I've
had some success with those, only because the it forms
like a flat surface on the top and then the
leaves sit on there, the water percolates through and the
kind of the wind just blows the leaves off. And then,
of course there are the more permanent solutions in terms

(07:34):
of fixing something down professionally onto the top of the
either roof iron or onto the concrete tiles, and to
the top edge of the spouting so that the leaves
don't actually get into the spouting at all. So the
couple of options. But if it's something you want to
do yourself, then maybe the foam is the way to go.
Oh eight, one hundred and eighty ten eighty is the

(07:55):
number to call. I've reminds me that it's about time
that I went back and did that again. Add that
to a very long list of things that I should
get around to. Victoria. A very good morning to you.

Speaker 6 (08:10):
Oh good morning. This is a bit of a conundrum,
and I don't know whether you've got an answer to it.
But I'm in a small apartment complex and a tiny
piece of well no not a tiny piece, a recal
piece of a partition wall which is nonstructural I present
to the board. I had two engineers sign off on it,

(08:31):
and it's been lodged with the Auckland Council as an
exemption and been accepted. The board have said that they
don't regard my engineers as independent and they would like
to appoint their own engineer and for me to pay
the cost. Now I don't understand really why they would

(08:55):
want to appoint another engineer. Are they implying that somehow
I've used an engineer who's done something that they shouldn't
have done.

Speaker 4 (09:05):
That would be the implication, wouldn't it.

Speaker 5 (09:08):
Which.

Speaker 4 (09:13):
I mean funny. I was listening to a conversation yesterday
about a similar thing around valuations, but we'll get onto
that later on. But I mean, look, in the end,
you know what perhaps people don't fully appreciate is that engineers,
as part of if it's a if they're a CPNS member,

(09:33):
so the Engineering Association or whatever it is, the professional body, right,
they have an obligation to perform to the standards of
that body. And so the assumption that somehow, because you've
contracted your own engineer, that somehow they would do something
unscrupulous is effectively what they're saying in order to benefit you,

(09:57):
does cast doubt on the professional standards of the entire body.
So someone that you know is going to act for you.
Like I presume that what your intention is is that
there's a small interior partition or a section of an
interior petition for your apartment which you own, that you'd
like to remove, and in order to prove that it

(10:19):
can be removed and doesn't require a building consent, you've
paid professional fees to a professional engineer who is offered
up an independent and professional opinion that says, if you
were to remove the world, it's going to have no
impact on the overall structure of the building, et cetera,
et cetera. And you've presented that to the board that
really should be it.

Speaker 6 (10:42):
I mean other apartments have done some of the things. Yeah, okay,
I'm just a bit perplexed.

Speaker 4 (10:51):
But I guess the next challenge is, you know, where
do you go, Like, you know, body corporates, is there
a right to appeal?

Speaker 6 (11:03):
I guess, I mean, at the end of the day,
if they want to get another engineer. I mean, it's
been accepted by counsel. The apartment upstairs. I had a
similar situation and that was accepted by council, and I've
had two engineers look at this particular situation. I mean
it's not a big deal. It's an apartment and the

(11:26):
wall was or is partition because it was built in
nineteen thirty five and it was used as a sort
of a screen between the living right kitcheneer. Yes, about
twelve other apartments have done very similar things. So it's
sort of I'm just perplexed. And I mean, all right,
I mean, I guess if they want another opinion, they can,

(11:47):
but why should I have to pay?

Speaker 7 (11:48):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (11:49):
I agree, Yeah, well that's right. The other thing that
does happen, and this is more in terms of building consent,
So I'll just tell you sort of a comparison story.
I guess. So, if, for example, you're doing a new
build and you and there's engineering involved, or no, you're

(12:11):
submitting a building consent, there's engineering involved. You contract your
engineer to provide the calculations and a PS one for
the design and so on. That gets submitted to counsel
and then in the building consent process, council engineers will
check that. Right now, the way around that is to

(12:31):
pay to have a peer review of the engineering done
by your engineer by another engineer. And then, as I
understand it, and it may have changed, but my understanding
is that if you present engineering details to counsel that
have been peer reviewed, their engineer typically doesn't look at
it anymore because it's already been reviewed by two So

(12:56):
I suppose you could go back to your engineer who
did the initial consultation and has provided you with evidence
that the wall is not load bearing, can be removed
to say, look, if if you were to send it
to a colleague, because most of them I think work
a little bit of a network. You know, it's not
saying that they will sign off work because they've done
a cozy backroom deal or anything like that. Again, you know,

(13:19):
at a certain point we do actually have to trust
in the integrity of the industry. And I'm sure people
will be listening going, well, hang on, what about that
story of the engineer. I think they were based in
Toppo where they were using somebody else's number to sign
off just a truckload of engineering drawings, and you know

(13:42):
it was prosecuted. So not saying that there's not a
couple of rotten eggs or rotten apples in the barrel,
but in general, if you were to go to your
engineer and say, look, what would it cost me to
get a review well, and then present that back to
the board to your body corporate. But you'd want agreement
from the body corporate that that is going to be
acceptable to them. The other question is what part of

(14:05):
the body corporate rules allows them to make that decision.

Speaker 6 (14:10):
It's good, that's a good point. Actually, I mean I
do yeah, I like the concept of the peer review,
and if they want to I mean, they want a
peer review then, but I do think they should pay
for the peer review.

Speaker 4 (14:20):
But in the first instance, I think it would be
really interesting to go back to the body corporate and
say in the in the contract, right, show me the
part that says that I need to get two engineers.

Speaker 6 (14:34):
Well I have got I have got two engineers. I
mean they're reputable engineers from reputable engineering companies. But that's
a really good point. It's statue to go back to the.

Speaker 4 (14:45):
Rules, you know, or is it someone you know who's
a bit fussy or they you know, human nature being
what it is. You know, you can imagine a situation
where one or two people on the Body corporate just
don't like the idea that there's going to be disruption
and noise and tradeing vehicles parked outside and pie wrappers
in the lift and all the rest of it, and

(15:06):
just you using that as a tactic, right I respect.

Speaker 8 (15:09):
So yeah, but look, the I.

Speaker 4 (15:13):
Would look at the rules of the body corporate and
then i'd perhaps talk to your engineer about a peer review,
because that would be fairly straightforward. I mean, it sounds
like a really small job. And the other thing is
like counsel have signed off it. Counsel are not going
to give you an exemption if they felt that it
needed more than that. Exactly, it does seem unreasonable.

Speaker 6 (15:36):
Yes, no, but I think that's a couple of good good.

Speaker 4 (15:40):
Luck with all of that. Okay, all the very best.
You nice to chat, take care. Then you're with New
Stork c B. Look, that's more about human nature than
about engineering, isn't it. Yeah, I tell you what. The
question the discussion that I heard yesterday was around Actually
it was the interview. I came in yesterday afternoon to

(16:00):
do a little session, a panel discussion with Tim Beverage
and actually Carl McDonald. I've had a sort of face
to face chat with them, delightful guy. So we came in,
we talked about all sorts of stuff, and on the
way home, a guy from Velocity was talking about valuations
and the online tools that are available now in terms
of determining value of the house, and he made a

(16:22):
really interesting comment about banks not accepting valuations from people
that they don't appoint, which was news to me, and
again sort of I suppose my takeaway from that was
that it implies perhaps that valuers won't adhere to their
own code of ethics and professional standards if they're acting

(16:44):
for you, and it's just that sort of sense of distrust.
Maybe there's some grounds for that, but it just struck
me as have we lost trust in some of our
professional services? It would appear so oh eight one hundred
eighty ten eighty is the number to call great text
as well. Have you got a feel for exactly what
amount of fees the council can charge for a seventy

(17:05):
square met granny flat? It all sounds a bit vague
in the new legislation. Phil, you're absolutely right. We'll come
back and talk about that in just a moment. It
is six forty one.

Speaker 1 (17:15):
Measured voice God was But maybe call Pete first, feed
your WOLFCAF the Resident Builder News talksb your news Talks.

Speaker 4 (17:23):
HEB six forty four here at news Talks. Heb probably
at your place as well, oh, eight hundred and eighty
ten eighty. We're often running questions around building and around
I guess the professionals that you engage. But it is
just by the by a really interesting situation where you know,
it seems like there's a distrust growing around the professionals

(17:45):
that you engage, as if by asking in Vicky's case,
of Victoria's case, rather that if she contracts an engineer,
that other people would see it as the engineer is
working for her and will tell her whatever she wants
to hear. Well, that's just not the case. That's the
whole professional standards is that if there is an issue
with the wall, the engineer would identified it if it

(18:08):
if they had presented something to council and council sniffed
it and felt that it was, you know, not quite true,
then they would have picked it up as well. It
just seems unreasonable to me. Radio a couple of texts
that are coming in as well, Pete, have you got
a feel for exactly what amount of fees a council
can charge for a seventy square meta granny flat? It
does sound vague in the new legislation. That's from Phil.

(18:31):
I'm thinking Phil that a lot of this is around
while the legislation is now in place. Councils well, councils
don't have set fees, right, so for example, applying for
a limb or a property file will vary from council

(18:52):
to council. We did a little bit of research on this.
Couple of months ago. I applied for a limb and
it was sort of like one hundred and seventy odd
dollars and then but that was for over ten days.
If you wanted it in less time that it was like,
it varied between three hundred and five hundred dollars around
the country. So you can imagine that when applications for

(19:14):
there's still paperwork, right, There is still paperwork to do
with these Granni flats, not necessarily requiring a building consent,
but local national government as an central government, doesn't determine

(19:36):
what those fees are. For local government, they will work
that out for yourself. So you're right, felt it is vague,
and I haven't seen much or anything in the way
of guidelines from local government throughout the country as to
what the fees are likely to be and just as
a quick refresher on this, so as I understand that

(19:58):
what you will need to do prior to building or
placing one of these minor dwellings standalone dwellings granny fe
that's on your own property, is that you will need
to prepare some documentation which will include a set of plans,
submit it to Council in the form of a project
information Memorandum or a PIM that informs Council of what

(20:22):
it is, where it's going to go, maybe how you're
going to connect to services in terms of sewer and
water and those sorts of things. They will then process
that application, let you know, and then at the end
of it you need to inform council. The other thing
is there will be undoubtedly fees like a reserve contribution
fee or a building levy, and also it becomes a

(20:45):
ratable property. Chances are so your rates are likely to
go up if well, it's not law yet. So no
one has actually been able to present one of these
applications to Council yet that I think is going to
be in the new year. I'll look into that. Radio
six forty eight at Newstalk se'd be very good morning

(21:05):
to you.

Speaker 9 (21:07):
Yeah, good mining better. I've got eighty square meters of
new pine decking that I've put down, and I'm being
told to make sure I use a good decking oil
on it. But when I start researching it, I'm that confused.
I wouldn't know where the lot.

Speaker 4 (21:25):
I'm happy to run your question past Bryce, our painting
expert from Razine in about half an hour's time. But look,
I tend to agree with you. I think, well, I
think your advice has been correct. I for any number
of years now, have always maintained that I think in
New Zealand's environment, leaving timber exposed to weather is kind

(21:48):
of just asking for problems going forward. Right, So new decking,
the idea is that you lay it, you allow it
to flash off because the pine decking will have treatment
and it'll be h three treated and then once that's done,
and when did it go down? Roughly just finished it.

Speaker 7 (22:08):
So it's at it for about a fortnight.

Speaker 4 (22:13):
It's sort of like at this time of year, it
kind of feels like you'd want to give it, you know,
six to eight weeks, but that'll put it into that
period just after Christmas and also when it starts to
get really warm. So yeah, I would do it, and
I would probably go for a penetrating oil stain. You know,
be happy to say that you have a look at
the razine range some of the decking stains that are there,

(22:36):
it will have a little bit of color in it,
so there's not a clear finish in terms of the
decking stains. But again on pine, that's not necessarily a
bad thing at all. And then I think I.

Speaker 7 (22:49):
Think I've sort of settled on a natural oil rather
than a water based you know, yeah, sure, I'm sort
of open to soedutions.

Speaker 4 (22:56):
Really, I guess what you want to do is look
at what the maintenance schedule of them, you know, thereafter is.
So is it the sort of thing that once a year,
perhaps at the end of winter, you can apply a
soft chemical treatment, give it a scrub with a broom,
rinse it off, let it dry and recoat it. But
then the really important thing We've talked about this quite

(23:18):
a bit on the show is always stick with the
same system. Like, once you've started a system, that's what
you use for the maintenance going forward.

Speaker 7 (23:27):
Yep, yep, yep.

Speaker 3 (23:29):
All right, but.

Speaker 4 (23:30):
You're on the right track. Yeah, I have a look,
and I'll definitely mention to Bryce, but I you know,
I again, and even with hardwoods, and it's always a
little bit sort of contentious. Let's say, you know, people go,
I like to let it just weather off and silver
off and that sort of thing, and then you let
it do that, and then you've got a bit of
mold growth in it and all that sort of thing.

(23:52):
And I don't know, I think ideally we should be
coating all of our exterior timbers.

Speaker 7 (23:59):
Yeah, well I did that. Excuse me, I know that
with my original decks and the last twenty two years,
but I decked at the top of them now and
modernized them and that sort of yeah cool. Yeah, No,
I learned the least from twenty odd years ago, so
I'm not going to repeat it.

Speaker 4 (24:16):
Yeah, and look, I remember for some people, I know,
it was one of my early jobs. I did a deck,
and it would have been like nineteen ninety one, right
pine decking. It was coded, was kind of looked after.
So so in the ensuring years and in twenty twenty
actually I pulled all of that decking up, so you know,

(24:38):
lasted the better part of what damn near thirty years,
ripped it up and replaced it. But interestingly enough the
decking joists underneath it were actually in still really good conditions,
so m we're too So yeah, good stuff, nice one, hey,
good luck and stay tuned because in about half an

(24:58):
hour all the best take care berry, thank you very much.
It is six fifty two.

Speaker 1 (25:03):
Doing the house sorting the garden lasked feet for it
and the resident builder with Peter wolfcab Call eighty eight
used dogs'b So we were.

Speaker 4 (25:13):
Off to a bit of a late start this morning.
So just a couple of calls in that first hour
after the fabulous commentary actually of the All Blacks match
against Wales. So we've got new Sport and where the
top of they are at seven o'clock coming up in
just a moment if you'd like to join us after
seven o'clock call now, oh eight hundred and eighty ten
eighty is that number to call just on the minor

(25:33):
dwellings or simple standalone dwellings or granny flat Pete. I
just got told by Selwyn District, just outside of christ
Church we cannot build a granny flat. We can, however,
build a minor residential unit. Get with the times, is
l so minor residential unit. I mean that's it's a
granny flat by another name. A little bit more information

(25:59):
Ellen on that one. I'm quite intrigued whether or not
because the other thing is just because you can doesn't
mean that councils will accept it. I I wonder whether
we'll see that some local councils will say, look, we
don't have the infrastructure, the we've got issues with site coverage,
we've got issues with car parking. And they may well

(26:19):
say you can apply, but it doesn't mean you're going
to be able to do it. But remember you do
actually need to apply. Radio we're back after new sport
and weather.

Speaker 1 (26:31):
Whether you're painting with ceiling, fixing with feds, or wondering
how to fix that hole in the wall, give Peter
Wolfcap call on eight eighty the resident builder on Newstalks
at b Well.

Speaker 4 (26:43):
Very good morning, welcome back to the program. My name's
Pete wolf Camp, the resident builder, and this is an
opportunity for you to talk all things building and constructions.
At six minutes after seven, the lines are open. Eight
hundred eighty ten eighty is that number to call. You
can text of course nine two nine to two and
you can also email me. It's Pete Atnewstalk sb dot
co dot m said, a couple of painting texts are

(27:07):
coming through, which is awesome because our painting expert Bryce
from Razine Color Shops, he'll be with us at around
seven twenty this morning. So if you've got an thinking
about projects, you think about doing a bit of painting.
Actually that's what well, it was one of my jobs
during the course of this week, just tidying up a
property where painted about six seven years ago, a dark color.

(27:33):
Painted well, but still just a little bit of fading,
little bit of you know surface, just a little bit
of bubbling, and I just ah, I want it to
look really good. So sand it, clean it first, that's
the important thing. Clean it first, get the surface prep right,
bit of sanding, spot prime, first coat, went back and

(27:53):
did second coat on was Friday afternoon. I think it
was looks great to be fair, good prep, good paint,
good gear. That's what you need to do a good job. Oh,
eight hundred eighty ten eighty is the number to call
someone else's text through. I did a patch up of
some paint work with some old paint. The area now
smells awful well that's the sort of question that we'll

(28:14):
be asking Bryce in a moment, but before then, it's
your opportunity. So if you've got a question, oh eight
hundred and eighty ten eighty is the number to call.
I'm also looking at it's a story actually on the
stuff website this morning about a couple that paid a
seven thousand dollar deposit to a tiny home manufacturer who
has basically built them a frame, dropped it off on

(28:36):
site on a couple of blocks, nothing more than just
timber framing, right, So seven thousand dollars later, that's what
they've got and the person has gone into liquidation. Now,
as we know that business is tough at the moment,
and there is a lot of liquidations, a lot of
them being presented by Inland Revenue. So I'm reading through

(28:57):
the story. The report says, alongside a debt of four
hundred and fifty nine thousand dollars to Inland Revenue, the
company owes another eighteen thousand dollars to an unsecured creditor
and one hundred and fourteen thousand dollars to Hartland Bank.
This is all in the you know, it's public information, right.
Four hundred and fifty nine thousand dollars to inland revenue.

(29:20):
So they are the people have tipped them into liquidation.
You may care to comment, oh, eight hundred eighty ten
eighty is the number to call it. Other text that's
come through from Rob morning peak distrust in professionals question
mark sounds like having to become an LBP. Dad was
a qualified old school builder of thirty plus years who
did everything from the foundation through the roof and everything
in between, and yet was forced to prove his ability

(29:42):
and pay towards the LBP introduction to be allowed to
continue building. Qualified obviously didn't mean anything then either. I
hear what you're saying, Rob, but I have to say
I'm a fan of the LBP scheme. I think it
can be improved. It should be improved, particularly in terms
of carpentry. Have we got the benefits out of it yet?

(30:06):
Really good question. Here's my hot take on the LBP scheme,
particularly as we move to things like the standalone simple
standalone dwellings or granny flats, that if we're going to
ask more of LBPS, there should be more than one
class for an LBP license. So if you have a
look at the LBP scheme. In general, there are different classes.

(30:31):
You can be registered as an LBP with a site
license right, and you can be site one, two and
three if you're designing. I think there's different categories for that.
If you have, like me, an LBP license. In carpentry,
there's just one license class, so essentially there's no determining

(30:51):
any additional proficiency. Let's say you could have someone who's
recently qualified who meets the criteria and gets their LBP license,
and someone else who may be like Rob's dad thirty
years experiencedne a wide range of work, and their license
is essentially the same as someone either of less competency

(31:12):
which happens, or less experience, maybe even less integrity. So
I actually think they should introduce different They should have
carpentry one, two and three, and that let's say, things
like remote inspections or self certifying could then only be
done by people who have achieved a higher level of

(31:33):
qualification within the existing system. We don't need to strip
the whole thing out and start again. But I do
really think that there should be more than just one
licensed class for carpentry LBPS. We're going to be talking
painting soon, So if you've got some painted questions. Bryce
w to be along in about ten minutes or so,
but right now we're talking to Glenn and a very
good morning to you. Morning Peter, greetings.

Speaker 10 (31:58):
Good look. I just want to talk to you about
heightening a brock hall. I've got a here that's been
here for fifty odd years yep, and the neighbor wants
to make it higher. Yes, now, it's only it's only
one hundred mile blocks.

Speaker 4 (32:18):
Oh yeah, they are blocks rather than bricks.

Speaker 10 (32:21):
The blocks, yes, yeah, but see that there's no steel
in them. They're only one hundred mill blocks. And also
decorative blocks as well. You know the square ones with
the with the with the design on them.

Speaker 4 (32:38):
Oh yes, I know, the the quite of old fashion.
It's come back into fashion, that type of thing, is it.

Speaker 10 (32:43):
Yes, these blocks are these blocks are five decades old? Yes,
but I told this chap that I don't think you
can put more blocks on top because it's not reinforced.

Speaker 4 (32:56):
And right like typically these things are low decorative wall.
So how high is the wall at the moment.

Speaker 10 (33:05):
Was under a meter. It goes from the main fence,
which is two meters high yep, one point eight out
to the foot path.

Speaker 4 (33:14):
Gotcha, okay, And the neighbor is proposing to add more
of the same type of block to it. A distance
sign okay, so it's going to go from a meter
to one point eight, so it's going to have eight
hundred millimeters put on top. And over what distance? What's
the distance from the.

Speaker 10 (33:32):
End of nine nine Yes long, it's nine meters long
in that nine meter run.

Speaker 4 (33:41):
Are there any columns?

Speaker 10 (33:43):
One column? Now I can't recall whether there's there's still
in that column either. Maybe not. This is too far
it's too far back from here to remember.

Speaker 11 (33:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (33:57):
I mean the practical consideration is what's going to keep
it standing up right? And if if you were to
do so thing like that, typically you would have columns
let's say at I don't know maybe whatever the block
module is. So typically there are four hundred block so
you might find it every two meters there'll be a

(34:17):
column that will be reinforced and solid filled, and then
that provides some stability. But I think that if they
were just to lay these types of blocks nine meters long,
four courses or two courses high, you'd be worried that
it would start to topple, because you also don't know
what the foundations are like, right.

Speaker 10 (34:37):
Well it should be okay because there's been there for
so long.

Speaker 4 (34:41):
Yeah, but it's only been there for so long at
that height, So add height to it, you're adding weight
and you're adding potentially leverage.

Speaker 5 (34:50):
To it.

Speaker 10 (34:51):
So I have told this that it isn't really our concern.
You know, we've had the block more there for a
long long time and it certainly really a whim.

Speaker 8 (35:05):
Right.

Speaker 10 (35:06):
He approached us for half half the payment. Well we've
already told him that there won't be any half payment
because really it is now a concern.

Speaker 4 (35:15):
Well, that's right, I mean there's because in terms of
the Fencing Act, you have to prove that the fence
requires replacement. So there's an existing fence there, it's been okay,
it's done what you've And also the other thing is
too if if they were to enforce it and you
decide that no, well I'd rather make a contribution than
having some sort of argument. The contribution can only be

(35:39):
half the value of a standard fence. So if the
blocks and the block layer and all the rest of
it are more expensive than half the value of a
standard fence, you don't need to contribute to that.

Speaker 10 (35:53):
Okay, so it's more than half the stand half.

Speaker 4 (35:56):
The cost yea of a standard fence standard.

Speaker 10 (35:59):
So standard well an you mean standard?

Speaker 4 (36:02):
Well, in the Act, what it's defined is as a
one hundred by one hundred at two meters centuries with
three rails and six for one boards closely fitted. So
that's roughly roughly sort of one hundred and forty dollars
a square meter a linear meter, in which case if
you've got nine then you have that. That's all that

(36:22):
you have to pay. So if they come to you
and say, well, look my block layer's given me a
price for four and a half thousand, and the blocks
are another thousand, and I want two thousand, you don't
have to pay that.

Speaker 10 (36:31):
Okay, all right. That's the other thing, not really any
obligation of the painting.

Speaker 4 (36:38):
I really don't think that you do. Because there is
a fence there. It's not falling down. It's been there
and it's been accepted by both parties. It's it's an improvement,
and if they want to make an improvement, that's kind
of on them, right, Okay.

Speaker 10 (36:53):
Yeah, I don't want to be any argument, of course,
you know. Yeah, I'm just feeling I mean it could
be thousands to get them heightened.

Speaker 4 (37:04):
Yeah, I mean, well it could be to wait until
the pricing comes in. But I think you're right to
have some concern around what happens if you stack a
couple more courses of blocks onto there. What's going to
keep it up right? What's going to happen to the wind?
Does it add more weight to the wall, which is
going to make it prone to falling over? And if
there's not columns every you know, two meters or so,

(37:29):
what's going to keep it up right?

Speaker 10 (37:31):
Only one column one column along its length?

Speaker 4 (37:36):
I mean, I'd be interested in the quake text from
a block layer who might look at this and go, no, no,
it'll be fine. But I think caution is.

Speaker 10 (37:45):
I think you're dead right.

Speaker 4 (37:48):
A little bit of caution not a bad thing. I
think all the very best I could luck to take
care follow that. It is funny to see this particular block,
and I can remember it as a kid, I think
at home, so we're talking, you know, nineteen seventies, early
nineteen eighties, we had the entrance to the driveway like
a little plant, a raised planter box, and it used

(38:10):
those particular I'll look them up then, I've got the
proper name for it, but they are kind of a
decorative block, like a breeze block that you could go through.
And I've seen them in modern houses that want that
mid century classic look. They're using them again as well,
So it's like flares coming back into style. Oh, eight
hundred eighty ten eighty. We're going to talk to Bryce
after the break, So if you've got any painting questions,

(38:32):
text them through right now. Squeaky door or squeaky floor.

Speaker 1 (38:37):
Get the right advice from Peter Wolfcare, the resident builder
on NEWSTALKSB.

Speaker 4 (38:42):
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(39:45):
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B will it feels like when the days get a
little bit longer and the temperature warms up and the
sun's maybe just a little bit more reliable, that we
start to think about painting outdoors in particular. Bryce McDermott
A very good morning to you, sir.

Speaker 2 (40:05):
Good morning.

Speaker 4 (40:06):
How are you very well actually, And one of the
tasks for me this week was a little bit of
you know, care and maintenance and so on. So a
little bit of a touch up to some painting that
I actually did about five or six years ago, So
a little bit of you know, a bit of preparation,
bit of the razine house wash and prep, a little
bit of sanding, a little bit of primer top coats.

(40:29):
It's actually come up really well. So we're all starting
to think outdoors. But safety is also going to be
really important. So what are some of those key tips
that you know, all the gear has been in the
shed for a while, what do.

Speaker 10 (40:41):
We do well?

Speaker 8 (40:42):
I mean, you know, check your leaders and stuff like that,
just to make sure they're all holding together and they're
not going to collapse underneath you and stuff like that
when you get on them. Make sure that all your
electrical gear is safe and ready to go. Get tagged yep,
you know, just get it checked out, extension leads, maybe

(41:04):
even the radio when you're listening to the cricket, get
that ag as well. I'm joking there, but you know,
it's basically just common sense and making sure that you
end up coming back from the holidays even though you
don't want to sometimes, but yeah, it just make sure
you've got all the gear. It's all ready to go.

(41:25):
You've got all the proper tools and everything, all your
brushes and rolls and everything like that are all good
to go. And you know, and when you're working at
height and make sure, there's also somebody at home with you.
Just keep an eye in case you fall off.

Speaker 5 (41:38):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (41:38):
Yeah, Actually that's a really good tip. And I know that,
you know, like I've seen someone fall from heights. It was,
you know, stepping off a roof and missed their footing
and plummeted to the ground. So I think once you've
seen something like that, and I know other people who
have had, you know, life changing injuries as a result

(41:59):
of just that moment's either in attention or perhaps some
gear that wasn't really up to you know, the sometimes
the older ladders, you go, oh, the stay has fallen off.
That'll be all right, I'll just use one stay or
the little flat that comes down and locates it into place,
that sort of thing that might get missing, and those
sorts of things like you in many cases you just

(42:20):
get one chance, and I just don't think it's a
chance worth taking. So yeah, really safe out there.

Speaker 8 (42:27):
Yeah, and even if if it warrants it, you know,
if you're having the mobile scaff.

Speaker 4 (42:33):
Go out and yeah, absolutely, And again you know, I've
got a little bit of that gear myself, and I'm
when I'm using it, I'm thinking this feels so much
more comfortable and safe and convenient and quicker. You know,
if you if you can paint over the length of
let's say a two meter scaffold, right, and you're doing

(42:54):
some weatherboards, that's way easier to paint rather than a
ladder where you're trying to reach out, and it's that
overreaching that I think often causes problems. Right, Hey, look, actually,
can we start with a caller that we had just
before the news at seven o'clock Barry who's just put
down eighty square meters of new pine decking, knows that

(43:15):
he wants to do a coating, but a little bit
unsure about where to go. What would you say, so
new pine decking a couple of weeks old, a couple.

Speaker 12 (43:24):
Of weeks old, i'd believe it to weather for about
three months, Yes, and then you can consider staining it
or painting it.

Speaker 5 (43:35):
Yep.

Speaker 8 (43:37):
We you know, we've got Woodsman decking stain wood oil
that will stain the deck quite nicely. Obviously it's treated.
So if you're going to paint it, you'll need a
full coat of wood primer and a couple of coats
of walk on, which is a good non slip product

(43:57):
if you want to paint it that is.

Speaker 4 (43:59):
Yeah, I guess, you know, if you want to keep
that natural look. Obviously we're talking oils and then and
so you're three months, let it really flash off, then
give it a chemical clean and then apply the sealer
and that helps open up the grain as well.

Speaker 7 (44:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (44:16):
I mean it's just to sort of just to let
it settle and let the tree and try out.

Speaker 5 (44:22):
You know.

Speaker 8 (44:22):
You know, the timber will probably still be quite damp
from the treatment, depending on how long it's been sitting
in the yard.

Speaker 4 (44:28):
Yeah.

Speaker 8 (44:28):
Sure, so it just gives a chance for everything to
settle back a bit.

Speaker 4 (44:33):
All right, brilliant. Now, Actually another text question about deck.
The deck looks very shabby. They say the paint is
peeling off. It was painted brown when we bought the house,
and we painted it gray after it's sanding down. Within
weeks the gray paint was sticky and lifting, and they
were refunded with the paint. It's now very bad. What
should they do?

Speaker 8 (44:55):
M hmm, that's a good question. I would probably consider
removing the paint back to be a timber and stay
over again. You know, you might have to get a.

Speaker 4 (45:08):
Like a floor sander and just wow, Okay, yep.

Speaker 8 (45:14):
Yeah, and take it back to be it and startle
over again. There's obviously something strange going on, so remove
the coatings and start over again.

Speaker 4 (45:24):
Okay, now here's an interesting one too. We had a
patch we had to do a small patch up of
a wee area of paint work with some old paint.
Now the area smells awful. The paint was off. How
do we get rid of the smell without repainting again?
Before we launch into that is the really good tip

(45:45):
is if you've got some old paint, you lift the
lid and it smells like rotten eggs, it's gone off, right, Yeah.

Speaker 8 (45:51):
It does that occasionally. I mean, it doesn't last forever,
and it can't unless it's stored properly. And I don't
know what they can do to get rid of the
smell unless they just wash the walls down with interior
paint clean things like that, yep, and then consider undercoating

(46:13):
and just recoating with fresh paint that may seal the
smell in. Yes, I'm not exactly sure what else they
can do about that.

Speaker 4 (46:22):
But again, if you if you've got old paint, don't
use it. And of course if it's you know, if
it's old paint, you can don't just dump it either,
because I know obviously if it's razine paint, you can
take it back and it'll go into the recycling program.
And there's a if it's not razine paint, there's just

(46:42):
a small charges in there at the color shops.

Speaker 8 (46:46):
Yes, yeah, you so, and then it doesn't get into landfill. Absolutely,
the containers are recent like that.

Speaker 4 (46:54):
Yeah, brilliant, brilliant. Now where else? What else have we
got here hand? Let's see, I'll grab my next text. Ah, Pete,
can you recover an old pine deck and after it's
got a bit of moss and mold? I was thinking
water blasting and going from there, says Rich. So can
I jump in straight away and go? Please don't attack

(47:16):
it at two thousand PSI. There's better ways of prepping it,
isn't there.

Speaker 8 (47:21):
Yeah, if there's moss and mold on it, I would
spray a good, a good dosing of moss and mold
killer all over the deck and leave that for twenty
four hours and then get in there with your timber
and deck wash and scrub the deck and gently rinse
the material off once you're done, and that should bring
it back to a state where it's able to accept

(47:45):
whatever casing that you're going to put on it.

Speaker 4 (47:48):
Yeah, brilliant. Now a white packet fence that hasn't been
painted in twenty years, rust stains are starting to show
through the paint where the nails are. How do I
repaint the fences? Is from ken So can we deal
with you know, what's a not uncommon problem painted surface
where the boards pack it, et cetera. Some of the
nails might be starting to rust and you see that

(48:10):
little rust mark, that little red stain coming through the
paint work. What's the trick there?

Speaker 8 (48:16):
You'd probably have to sand area back a little bit
just to try and remove the surface staining. There are
products out there that do nullify rust stains.

Speaker 7 (48:28):
We use.

Speaker 8 (48:29):
I think there's a substance out there called oxalic acid,
right that does neutralize rust staining. Failing that, I would
consider using sand area back. Spot the area with GP primer,
allow that to dry, yep undercoat, and then just proceed

(48:49):
with a top coat to touch out the area, or
just you know, maybe just paint the entire weatherboard just
to match it in nicely.

Speaker 4 (48:56):
And the GP primer will be an enamel, so oil
based and so quick dry primer over the top of
that before you do an acrylic top coat.

Speaker 8 (49:06):
Yep, yeah, yeah, and just do just to block out
you know it is it is a gray color, so
if you put a light color over the top, you know,
you may have some shadowing coming through from the GP.
So the quick drive just you know, it helps you
get rid of.

Speaker 4 (49:20):
That right out. Now here we go. I've got an
area of my beautiful covered deck that has lost color
due to it being in the entrance way. Other than that,
it's in good condition. Is there a paint that I
could apply over the top and get a little bit
more life out of it? Basically, I mean something, Yeah,

(49:46):
I think so.

Speaker 8 (49:47):
Mm hmm. It depends actually what's on there. I mean,
if it's an old oil based paving paint which was
you know, which was quite common, right, you may have
to give it a good clean down and a standing
and then undercoat with quick dry and perhaps for walk
on over the top of that.

Speaker 4 (50:08):
Over the making. Yeah, because it is pole so they've
got the it's that compatibility issue, isn't it around ut ole?

Speaker 7 (50:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 4 (50:18):
No, it's a beautiful covered deck.

Speaker 8 (50:21):
H there's the beauty and old coated, that's the it's the.

Speaker 4 (50:25):
Problem seems to be it's lost color due to it
being the entrance way. So I wonder whether it was coated.
And now that coating has deteriorated over time, and so
they're looking to rejuvenate that coating.

Speaker 8 (50:39):
It'll still need to clean down and to wash up.
But if there's any bed beautinole and yeah, and it
has to be beautile if it's the if it's the
other membrane, the GP something or other, I can't remember
the exact sure name of it, beautiful spot prime. It

(51:02):
was membrane roofing primer, which is you know which will okay, yep,
but you have to put a good solid, thick coat
just to make sure that's any If it's there's beer areas,
if it's peeling and stuff like that, then you know,
you may have to do a bit more work just
to get rid of any sort of the loose plating

(51:23):
material stuff like that. So the membrane roofing timer and
then maybe walk on or something like that over the
top of that.

Speaker 4 (51:30):
Okay, brilliant. Now here's the classic. This is you know, moving,
you know, with gears being stored over the winter. Hey
just interested says this text to Ross. When painting the
house inside out, what's the best way to either store
the used brushes or rollers if the job's not finished,
or alternatively completely clean up when finished in a way

(51:51):
that minimizes the mess. So I guess the question is
again the job that I did?

Speaker 5 (51:57):
Right?

Speaker 4 (51:57):
So I did a coat one day, and I needed
to do a coat the next day. I've got a
little foamy roller, I've got my brushes. I've seen different
approaches from professionals that I work with. Some guys won't
bother like cleaning the brush out completely. They'll wrap it
in some glad rap, or they'll leave it in the
bucket or whatever. What you know, if you're doing a

(52:18):
job that's over a couple of days, typically, what would
you do in terms of looking after brushes and rollers?

Speaker 8 (52:24):
The rollers? You know? You can you can wrap them
in plastic or put them in an old you know,
in plastic bag or something like that, right, and make
sure that it's air tighty force all the ear out
of it. Yep. I stumbled across one when I was
using some rollers a couple of years ago, and I
wrapped them in a whit teatail. You know, a really

(52:45):
old teatail. Obviously I'd get into trouble otherwise, Yes, but
I wrapped them in an old wit old tea tail
and just rolled it up listed in the roller tray
and put the roller tray away in the ship. In
the next morning, they got up and then wound the
tea tail and I'm still damp the next day. The

(53:07):
brushes and things like that. Yes, you can wrap them
in plastic if you want, but don't leave them for
too long, right if you're you know, maybe one one
or two days, and then you know, you really should
consider cleaning them out because you'll get built up of
paint inside the filaments on the brush. Yeah, So either

(53:28):
that or just soak them in water. But don't soak
them in water and leave the brush getting the bottom
of the chin. You know, maybe run a piece of
number eight a hole in the handle, or drill a
hole in the handle and suspend it in water so
it's not touching the bottom of the tin.

Speaker 4 (53:43):
Yeah, because otherwise you end up pulling the brush out
and the bristles have all curved at the bottom and
they kind of just ruins them, doesn't it.

Speaker 8 (53:51):
It's any good for painting around corners.

Speaker 4 (53:56):
Look and cranny.

Speaker 1 (53:57):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (53:57):
Absolutely, and also you know, let's remind people that if
you are washing up brushes, don't then wash out to
storm water and those sorts of things. You know, it's
I suppose if you're doing quite a bit of work,
then you can actually sort of set yourself up a
little station with some floculent and those sorts of things,

(54:18):
so you keep cleaning into one area and then you
can dispose of that. But you know, like watching people
hose their brushes off into a gully trap and those
sorts of things, that's that's not ideal.

Speaker 8 (54:31):
It's absolutely if you set up like you say, station,
even a bucket with some water and then let it settle,
it will settle over time and then you can use
that water, you know, just pour it onto the garden. Yeah,
and then the material that's left in the bottom of
the bucket, you know, spread it out on a piece

(54:52):
of cardboard or something like that, allow it to dry,
and then roll it up in a piece of newspaper
and then you can put that in the rubbish. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (54:59):
Absolutely, Hey, as always awesome tips and advice. Really appreciate it.
And you know, if people are looking for because there
is now such a range of specialist coatings like you
mentioned the membrane primer. That's one that's new to me,
for example, the GP primer, those sorts of things. So
make sure people come into the store get the advice

(55:19):
from the experts there. Bryce Thank you very much, sir,
great much appreciated, all the very best. You take care
so for good advice and great product of course, guards
a year or the experts at the Razine color shops. Right,
we'll take your calls. Then we're going to have a
quick chat with Mike from Razine Construction as well, so
from rock Coat talking about Integra before the break as well.

(55:40):
But right now we can take a quick call. Oh
eight hundred and eighty ten eighty the number to call
helping you.

Speaker 1 (55:45):
Get those DIY projects done right the resident builder with
Vita Wolfcats call, oh eight hundred eighty eight US TALKSB.

Speaker 4 (55:53):
You and News Talks B. We're talking to Mike Olds
and just a moment. But before then, Lynn, good morning
to you.

Speaker 11 (55:59):
Good morning. Hi there, I've got a slight problem.

Speaker 5 (56:03):
Go.

Speaker 11 (56:03):
We have a house that's going on on the market
or gone on the market. We've got a building report
because the house is the infel clad.

Speaker 7 (56:13):
You know that.

Speaker 11 (56:16):
Anyway, cut a long story short. We've got a building
inspector and he said, there's problem in the bedroom behind
the garage. So we fixed that what happened to be
a leak outside and we read did the faceboard which
was only a couple of inches, and then he came

(56:37):
back and said, no, well I found another problem. I'm
not passing it because the garage which is directly behind
the bedroom down five death and they when they laid
the concrete, this scoria underneath is wet. And now he's saying,

(57:01):
we've got to pull the wall off, dry it out
and put some stuff up against it.

Speaker 4 (57:07):
The person who's doing the inspections for you is this
This is a pre purchase inspection, so an independent inspector,
not a council inspector, I take it.

Speaker 11 (57:19):
Not a council inspector. We used his local YEP up
on the High Biscus Coast and we're just said out,
what's the end.

Speaker 4 (57:34):
I can certain well, I can certainly understand the frustration
about you know, they've they've come out, they've done an
assessment on your behalf. I presume yes, and then you've
done some remediation then they've come back to check that,
which is interesting, and then found another problem and you,
you know, rightly, so you're asking yourself, well, how come

(57:55):
you didn't find that problem at the same time you
found the other one?

Speaker 11 (57:59):
Yes, dead right, And it's just so frustrating. Just at
the end of my tetther Yeah, no, I.

Speaker 4 (58:09):
Can understand the frustration. I suppose there's kind of two choices.
One is you could just present the house to market
as it is, and you would have to disclose that,
and then someone else who's purchasing the house knows that
they've got some remedial work to do, or despite the frustration,
you get on and have the remedial work done. I'm

(58:30):
a little bit curious about how he's identified that the
scoria underneath the foundation is damp, because how did he
get in there?

Speaker 8 (58:40):
Yeah?

Speaker 11 (58:40):
How did he get in there? The only reasoning I
could think of was where we found the skirting board. Yes,
which is by the bedroom window down the side path
may rain, but it must have been leaking for years
to be completely wet, and.

Speaker 4 (59:03):
That's quite possible. I think in the end, I can
understand the frustration. Then I really do that. You know,
if you've got a building report and then they come
back and find something else. Then you kind of wonder,
why didn't you see that in the first place. And
then the next question is do you repair it or
do you simply present it to the market as it is?
And you know someone will probably still make you an offer,

(59:24):
but it might not be what you were hoping for
in the first place. And then it's just a judgment
call on your part as to how much effort you
want to put into it. Good luck with that. It
is seven forty five, my colts.

Speaker 1 (59:36):
In just a moment, God was but maybe called Pete
first feed you allcat the resident builder news talk.

Speaker 4 (59:43):
Sa'd be righty oh, expert in all things construction. Mike
Olds from Razine Construction, Greetings, good morning.

Speaker 5 (59:51):
Good morning, Pete.

Speaker 4 (59:51):
How are we really start for you? You would have
been up for the all blacks had a we.

Speaker 5 (59:55):
Sneaky peak of hat didn't it didn't do the four anyways.

Speaker 4 (01:00:00):
Now when we're talking Razine construction, we're often talking about
venders and so on, but maybe not all that much
focus on the substrate, which is a really important part
of the overall system. And you can do lightweight concrete,
which is the integra, So what uses for integra.

Speaker 5 (01:00:21):
Integral it has to be the most popular external plast
facade clanning, so still still installed over a cavity, over
timber frame or steel frame structures. The lightweight concrete so
we term up lightweight. It's about a further weight of
traditional concrete as people would know concrete. So it's basically

(01:00:43):
aerated concrete that has a steel wire reinforcing through the panel. Now,
these panels are noncombustible as well, so they don't they
can't burn basically, and we've tested that with some pretty
intensive testing that I'll talk about shortly intensal. Some of

(01:01:03):
the other areas of the product be utilized in but
ultimately it's a lightweight, high density concrete that has screw
fixed to the structure. We don't fix just into a battern.
We fix right back through the structure due to its
weight YEP and then the flashing systems and everything are installed.

(01:01:25):
The RNDOUS systems are then all applied and you have
a very good acoustic rating on this product. So if
you live in a road a busy road side area,
really really good for the acoustic performance to knock down
that roadside noise and also the impact resistance. So if
you're planning on having a bit of backyard cricket and

(01:01:47):
setting setting the pins up in front of the wall,
then yeah, I did a little deal with most knocks
and knocks and blows and residential and light commercial spaces
the other key areas that we've had it and utilize it.
And we do also do with the rise in medium
density construction in the country with trying to get more
people to live in city spaces or urban environments. Is

(01:02:12):
our intertendency walling system, So exactly the same product, the
fifty mili Integra board is fitted and utilized between tenancies
and we tested this product and Brands and their big
fire lab and so basically you have one framing on
one side that supports the floor and the roofs and

(01:02:35):
everything like that, and then you have this structure on
the other side of the in the tenancy wall. So
they build one wall with tinder framing still framing. Then
we fit the brackets to the framing, fit the Integra
panel to those brackets, and then the next lot of
framing has stood on the other side. And when you
test these, we actually put the Integra panel directly into

(01:02:55):
the furnace on a framed wall. Normally you'd have obviously
the other side of the framed wall into the furnace.
They crank this furnace up to a thousand degrees C
and we ran that for over two hours, and the
average temperature on the non fire side, or the non
furnace side, it was about sixty five degrees C. I mean,

(01:03:16):
if you put your hand on it, you would know
there's a fire outside of the flashing lights and sirens
and everything going on in a normal residential use. But
sixty five degrees and you've got a thousand degrees on
the other side. So that became the basis of our
fire rateed walling system for the tendency walls. And outside
of that is the acoustics, and we tested the acoustic

(01:03:37):
performance because noise, if you've got noisy neighbors, this walling
system will deal with the most common noise. And there's
a rating in the building code which is a sound
transmission class, and I think it's pretty one of the
more important ones. I mean, fires, life and safety, acoustics

(01:03:58):
is the most common thing that would annoy people on
the daily. So the STC fifty five or sound transmisson
class five. Our standard system with using the Integra panel
is STC sixty four and that's the standard ten mil
plaster board. So there's a lot of redundancy in the

(01:04:19):
system so that the built environment nothing's perfect. We can
build things to perfection and test labs, but when you
build it on site there's bound to be something that's
not one hundred percent. So we built in redundancy into
the system. So as a standard specification, we give you
two hour fire rating and you get really really good
acoustic performance. The other thing that we can utilize what

(01:04:42):
we do utilize the Integra product for is we have
a seventy five milimeters thick version and we utilize that.
We have utilized it as an external cladding and particularly
in christ it's post quake where the bricks fell off
the wall and post quake, but you had this one
hundred and ten mil footing that supported the bricks and
the big cavity, so we would actually we replace the

(01:05:05):
bricks and we put on a forty mili cavity plus
the seventy five mil Antigra panel as the cladding and
that them. Then there's a change footing details and all
that sort of stuff, so essentially reclad without without the brick,
but cred all the same detailing and windows, et cetera.
But the seventy five mil is also used as a
flooring system, so as a mid floor or even off

(01:05:29):
the ground. So if you're building on piles and you
don't have you carried to a concrete slab for whatever reason,
then you can fit the integral flooring straight to the
joists then deoverlays of your carpets, yeah, screeds and things
like that. So really really versatile product in the market space.

Speaker 4 (01:05:47):
The other thing, just before we wrap up, I suppose,
you know, with the importation of overseas building products becoming
more and more common, and we've already started to hear
reports around you know, maybe some windows systems that are failing,
it's going to be really important that people do a
bit of research about, you know, essentially the integrity of
the product that they're going to use. So again, going

(01:06:09):
to something like the Integra, there's other AAC panels out there,
you want to make sure that what you're getting is
going to go the.

Speaker 5 (01:06:16):
Distance absolutely, and the company that's there supplying that into
the market is going to be there for the long
run and lasts longer than than the product in the
marketplaces is always a goal. And we're please turn out
say fortieth anniversary for our for the Razine Construction rock business.
Uh and even Razine listening listening before we have I

(01:06:38):
think it's our eightist and seventy six. Yeah, eightis so yeah,
so pretty massive to be working with companies so that
that is not wrapped up and they just leave the
problems with you.

Speaker 4 (01:06:51):
Yeah, you know, it's going to be really really important
going forward. Mike is always fantastic to have you so
Integra I N T E g R A. So if
you just do a quick Razine Integra or it'll come up.
Lots of details online, inspiration and really good technical advice
to kind of wrap your head around and picture it.

(01:07:13):
And I'm looking at a picture now the facade system,
just showing that build up. Batten's product, base coat, Mesh's
top coat, it's all part of the product. Awesome to
talk with you as always, Mike Hold's from Razine Construction.
Check it out online. Actually the Integra both for flaws, intertenancy,
exterior cladding. We're back after the break after news at

(01:07:35):
eight o'clock.

Speaker 1 (01:07:40):
Doing other house storting the garden past Pete for a
hand the resident builder with Peter Wolfcap call eight hundred.

Speaker 4 (01:07:47):
Eighty eighty us right, yoh, we're back. Oh eight hundred
eighty ten eighty is that number to call? It is
six minutes after eight. If you've got a building question,
you should call us.

Speaker 1 (01:07:57):
Now.

Speaker 4 (01:07:57):
The lines are lighting up, which is awesome. We're talking
building through till eight thirty. Then, of course a rootcline
passed in the garden talking all things gardening and the
wonderful world of bugs as well quick texts that came in.
Excuse me just before the break, Hey, Pete. A roofing question. Generally,
our roof is in good condition, but nearly all the
screws holding the roof down are rusted, and I suspect

(01:08:20):
the roof is leaking through some of these. Do we
need to replace the roof or is there some less
drastic solution that we could use? Yes, there is. The
good thing is I'm a little bit surprised that it's
the screws that are rusting, but there have been a
couple of sort of failures with either a particular brand

(01:08:44):
or a series of coating. So whether it's something that
you can confidently do yourself, or you get a roof
to come in and simply back the old screws out
and replace them. And it's obviously a much easier job
than let's say, if they were the old leadhead nails
or the spiral fixed nails that we used to use

(01:09:06):
I don't know, fifteen twenty years ago. So yeah, I
just get all the screws taken out, replace them with
new ones. And if when they take the screw out
the whole has been sort of enlargened for some reason,
then a small dob of silicon around there, some decent
quality roofing silicon that's uve stabilized, will just seally near

(01:09:28):
those penetrations, and that should give you a little bit
more time. Perhaps it'll eke out the life of the
of the roof. Hey pete. Can a building report be
done by any LBP right now?

Speaker 7 (01:09:43):
Is best?

Speaker 4 (01:09:43):
I understand that there's actually there is a standard for
pre purchase residential building inspections. There's a coat NZDSK DA
DA DA DA DA, so there is an objective standard
as to who can do them. I don't believe that
there's any requirement to say that it has to be
an LBP or anyone with a qualification. I'll let you

(01:10:07):
draw your own conclusions about that, but obviously if you're
going to fork out good money to have a pre
purchase inspection, you should look at the qualifications of the
person who's doing it and also whether they're you know,
whether they carry insurance for offering that type of advice
as well. Oh, eight hundred eighty eighty is the number

(01:10:28):
to call. Robin.

Speaker 3 (01:10:29):
Good morning to you, Good morning Peak first up, Thank
you very much for sharing all your knowledge works because
I thoroughly enjoy it.

Speaker 7 (01:10:37):
Thank you.

Speaker 4 (01:10:38):
It's very kind of you to say crazy, Yeah, I behave.

Speaker 3 (01:10:41):
I'm I have two ironing boards.

Speaker 5 (01:10:45):
This is.

Speaker 3 (01:10:47):
What I'm a sy So one's in my sewing room,
the other ones in the laundry. They have What I'm
wondering is an as best sheet? Where the irons? How
do I know? And how do I know whether it's
asbestos or not?

Speaker 4 (01:11:01):
Testing? That's the simplest way. So because there's you know,
a growing concern, or there's there's been concerned for a while,
right so asbesiis, testing is quite common. It would take
you a couple of minutes on a search engine to
find a local laboratory that would do that. The simplest
thing is, you know, maybe wear a mask while you're

(01:11:21):
doing it, snip off a small piece of that double
bag it. Either send it or take it into a laboratory,
have them test it, and then get you know, proper
independent scientific advice as to whether or not it's ACM
or asbestos containing material. Let's say it.

Speaker 5 (01:11:40):
No.

Speaker 4 (01:11:40):
No, to the best of my knowledge, there are no
household testing kits, so it's a little bit different. Let's say,
you know, if you're stripping the outside of a house
and you wanted to test whether or not it's lead
based paint. There are some you can buy them at
razine color shops that sort of thing. So no to
the best and even if it was, I wouldn't encourage
that because we're talking about, you know, really genuinely significant

(01:12:02):
health risk of exposure to asbestos. And some people might
be listening to this going why on earth would there
be asbestos in an ironing board. But you know, one
of the things that it was used a lot for
was lagging around pipes as an insolation material, that sort
of thing, and you can imagine someone making an ironing board.

(01:12:24):
I presume it's a fairly old one. It's a classic maybe.

Speaker 3 (01:12:28):
And putting it on the side of the road, to
tell you the honest truth. But well, one of them,
I dad. But I often wonder with these, like the
Susie ironing boards that used to come out, and I've
got one. They when you recover them, of course you've

(01:12:48):
got to take that little piece of I don't know
whether it's a hardy plan or what off. And the
other one was actually a lot older. I looked at
it the other day. Not that I use it for
the iron it's just a resting place. I don't put
the down.

Speaker 4 (01:13:05):
But if you have concerns, I would take a small sample,
maybe a centimeter square or something like that, you know,
relatively small, double bag it, send it or deliver it
to a local laboratory. They'll do the testing. In some
cases you can get the results quite quickly. The next
question that raises is what are you going to do
with it if it does come back positive for asbesis. Again,

(01:13:28):
there will be places that will be able to dispose
of it for you.

Speaker 3 (01:13:33):
And it's actually taking them off the ironing.

Speaker 4 (01:13:36):
Board right now, okay.

Speaker 3 (01:13:38):
And I asked one of the suns and he said
I don't know, marm right, it's okay, you're the next best.

Speaker 4 (01:13:44):
Yeah, yeah, Look, if do the testing, if it comes
back positive, then you could contact a local removal place,
or if you're confident about just wrapping it up yourself,
double bag it and take it to an approved disposal site.
Because this is one of the concerns as well around

(01:14:05):
asbestos is that there have been any number of cases
where people have dumped it all over the place or
dumped it.

Speaker 3 (01:14:13):
In son who demolished a house and west and they
found three dumps on the underneath when he rebuilt, and
so he's understandable.

Speaker 4 (01:14:30):
Yeah, there was a case in South Auckland, well not
recently in the last ten years, where you know, maybe
farmer Joe had said to his mates back in the
nineteen seventies, hey, come and tip the stuff down the
back of my place. And it's now a subdivision and
so they're excavating and there suddenly there's all this this
old asbestos buried in the back paddock. So now we've
had a quick call from someone who says they had

(01:14:51):
someone coming to check on the asbestos. So there's you know,
you might even be able to get someone to come
but either way, send it in for testing and then
you can decide with full knowledge what you're going to
do about it. Thank you, question, Thank you very much.
Care all the best, and in fact, I think this
week is asbestos Awareness Week, or it's maybe been the

(01:15:12):
last week or so. So the best place for guidance
just go to the work Safe website. I think obviously
government department independent advice, really good advice around testing, around
where you might find it, which is a scarily large
number of places in some cases. Yeah, have a look,

(01:15:41):
be informed, be knowledgeable. That's the key pete, not the
main body of the ironing board. It's the stand at
the end. Ah Okay, that might be part of it
as well. You're interesting to see which component someone says

(01:16:01):
text through owns is taxed through eighty five dollars to
have it tested. That is eighty five doll pro ironing board.
If you take the sample to the lab, it's more
if they come out and visit. And I met some
guys at are building conference probably a couple of years ago,
who do mobile testing, but they are more designed for
let's say, large infrastructure projects where let's say there's there's

(01:16:22):
excavations over a large area and they need someone on
site all the time. They're not really desired where their
business isn't designed to sort of cruise around turn up
at people's houses doing independent testing. But there is obviously
people who are out there that do it again. Caution
is important and professional advice and proper science is really

(01:16:43):
important as well. Fifteen minutes after eight we'll take your calls.
Eight hundred eighty. Ten eighty is the number whether you're.

Speaker 1 (01:16:49):
Painting with ceiling, fixing with feds, or wondering how to fix.

Speaker 5 (01:16:52):
That hole in the wall.

Speaker 4 (01:16:53):
Give Feeder Wolf Cap call on eight hundred eighty.

Speaker 1 (01:16:57):
The resident builder on Youth Dogs b.

Speaker 4 (01:17:00):
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Speaker 11 (01:17:59):
Do it.

Speaker 4 (01:18:00):
That's DUI and see why their customers are proud to
say it myself. Z be your news talk z B.
We're talking all things construction. A couple of interesting texts
as well. Wellington one hundred bucks for testing for asbestos
two hundred dollars if you want them to come to
site eighty five dollars in other parts of the country.

(01:18:21):
I mean, it's not unreasonable, I think, just for the
surety Steve, good morning to you, good morning, how are you?
Greetings very well, thank you.

Speaker 7 (01:18:30):
Thank you.

Speaker 13 (01:18:30):
I have a conquering wall in my house. On the
inside of the concering wall there's some wooden batterns and
then there's some jib. What I'd like to do is
actually put some insulation between the conquering.

Speaker 5 (01:18:43):
And the jib. So I have to take the chip
off obviously, but.

Speaker 13 (01:18:46):
What should I feel the concrete before putting the insallation
in or.

Speaker 4 (01:18:52):
Yes, that would be a sort of a sensible precaution.
And what you could do is to use like there's
a couple of solutions which are a crystalline solution, so
it's it's like a sementis material that you brush on
and then the crystals in that product go looking for

(01:19:12):
moisture basically, and they'll seal the wall. And the reason
that that's a good thing to do is inevitably there
will be some moisture getting into that wall, so I
would do that, And yes, you can do insulation. However,
it's also true to say that in terms of there's

(01:19:32):
a thing called the jew point, right, which is the
point at which difference in temperature from inside and outside
causes condensation. By putting your insulation layer on the inside
of your block wall, you're likely to move the dew
point further in, so you're actually drawing moisture in and
that moisture then is going to be trapped there and

(01:19:54):
may cause mold. So if you are looking for a
really good solution to the insulation, you would actually put
your insulation on the outside of the block wall. That's
a whole different, you know, project to what you might
be looking at. But it's worth considering that you don't,

(01:20:17):
you know, you may add insulation and cause another problem.

Speaker 5 (01:20:22):
So you're saying it might be better just to leave
it as it is.

Speaker 4 (01:20:25):
It may actually be better just to leave it as
it is. And you know, if you've listened to me
over the years, I'm a huge fan of insulation because
we know that it adds so many benefits, right, but
it's really really important that you're putting it in the
right place depending on your build up of your wall.
And I remember having long discussions with some people about

(01:20:47):
this a few years ago. So for example, just before
the news, we're talking with Mike Olts, right. So one
of the Razine Construction products is an insulated panel, and
we did a project where we had, you know, nineteen
eighties house block basement. Wanted to insulate that and we
actually apply the Razine Construction insulated panels to the exterior

(01:21:11):
of it, rendered over it and dealt with that transition
at the top with a flashing and in fact, one
of my jobs this week was looking at a house
where again block basement, ground floor nineteen fifties construction, a
couple of issues with mold and dampness on the inside
of the building, and my recommendation to that homeowner was,

(01:21:31):
if you really want to solve the problem, well let's
look at adding insulation to the exterior of the block. Okay,
that's it, which is not really the answer that you
were probably thinking was going to come along. But you know,
this is building science, right, this is understanding how walls work,
how moisture works, how the you know where the dew

(01:21:54):
point is. So it's worth getting some professional advice about.
You know, if I'm going to make a change, I
want to make sure I get a benefit from it,
not make a change and inadvertently cause other problem.

Speaker 13 (01:22:07):
Yeah, okay, thank you very much.

Speaker 4 (01:22:10):
Probably not where you thought this conversation was going to go,
but that's that's the nature of it.

Speaker 5 (01:22:15):
Yeah, okay, I'm going to make it worse.

Speaker 4 (01:22:18):
Yeah, exactly, you know, and in that sense, like the
difference in performance is dramatic, you know, by doing that
basically outsolation, right this and this is a phrase that
we're using in the sector a lot more now, and
in terms of deep retrofits for buildings, right, do we
take them apart and jam insulation is in, which is

(01:22:40):
okay if it's done correctly, or do we look at saying, hey, look,
I'm going to keep this building pretty much as it is,
but I'm going to wrap the outside insulation. And I've
been doing a bit of reading on it. There's a
guy who's who's got a system called Parker Rap where
he's developed a whole system that allows you to add
insulation to an existing building without changing the inside at all. Right,

(01:23:05):
And then, interestingly enough, I was looking at some content
from overseas where let's say you've got a two or
three story apartment block in Europe and Germany and the
Netherlands and that sort of thing which is maybe double brick,
no insulation apart from the brick or or block work
in it, and they're looking at these sort of retro

(01:23:27):
fit insulation systems adding a whole new facade to it
and increasing the performance of the building. So you know,
it's a global issue that we're talking about as well. Yeah,
some reading to do, mate, all the best, My pleasure,
take care all of this your news talk ZB not

(01:23:47):
probably where that conversation was going to go. Hey, Pete,
asbestos is safe if it's not broken or cut. True
specialist talking on news talkszb talk this week and said
it's like a hardy side house, only dangerous when cut
or the particles are released into the air. That's Linda
from Hastings look, and I agree, And that's pretty much
been my approach because the concern is for people that

(01:24:12):
are unfamiliar with what happens with asbestos is there are
fibers and asbestos which when they become friable, when they
become airborne and are inhaled, lodge in the lung. And
I've had them described as imagine tiny little fishocks, right
that if inhaled, those fibers sit in the lung and
then cause respiratory disease, asbestosis and other really nasty illnesses.

(01:24:39):
So yeah, on its own, left undisturbed, very little health
risk basically zero. But let's say you decide, you know,
I don't know that you're going to put a door
into a wall that's got asbestos, and you take an
angle grinder out and you start hacking away at that
material and you don't have the ppe and you're not

(01:25:00):
doing extraction and all the rest of it, and those
fibers become airborne. That's where the risk is. So I
agree it is safe left undisturbed. As soon as you
disturb it or you know, we've had people phone the
show going, hey, look I've got a house. It might
have ACM and the cladding. I want to prep it.

Speaker 5 (01:25:17):
You know.

Speaker 4 (01:25:18):
The last thing you want to do is hit it
within a random orbital sander, because that's again part of
that becoming friable, becoming airborne. So that's what we really
really need to be super cautious around. Great to know
that there is lots and lots of testing available. There's
all sorts of labs around the country now that are
doing it. I'm loving this to such a great spending

(01:25:39):
of a Sunday morning understanding building science. Awesome, Pete, this
old bird is loving the show. Finally we've got some
time and some money to do renovations. I did a
bit of a podcast slash interview about something like this
the other day, and I guess it's that thing around
going if you've got money for a renovation, you've got
to be really clear, I think, on what your focus

(01:26:03):
is going to be and while I'm not saying that
this are not important, but you know, what I'm trying
to encourage is that you put your money into improving
the performance of the building. You know, if that's better insulation,
better draft proofing, better moisture control, better ventilation systems, efficient

(01:26:23):
energy heating or water heating, those sorts of things, they
will pay benefits a long time after. I don't know,
something flash and shiny that looks really good but doesn't
increase the performance of the building at all. Oh wait,
one eighty, ten eighty, the number to four will take
a break. We'll be back with root hopefully in just

(01:26:44):
a moment. Good squeaky door or squeaky floor.

Speaker 1 (01:26:48):
Get the right advice from Peter Wolfcam, the Resident Builder,
on news Talks heead B. For more from the Resident
Builder with Peter Wolfcamp. Listen live to News Talk sad
B on Sunday mornings from Sex, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Full Show Podcast: 23 November 2025

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Crime Junkie

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All Episodes

Full Show Podcast: 23 November 2025

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang